Medicine Hall

Xiao Yan and the others only discovered when they woke that their memories had stopped at the moment they were eating roasted meat, and their injuries had nearly healed as well. Only then did Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. Still, he regarded that absurdly young-looking purple-haired man more highly. After tidying themselves up, the group flew toward the Xiao Clan branch.

By the time they returned to the Xiao Clan, daylight had fully broken. After greeting Xiao Jian and the others, Xiao Yan flew straight toward the Medicine Hall. Having witnessed the strength of the Black Alliance, he desperately wanted to raise his strength as soon as possible. Only then would he have a chance to go to the Murong Clan and search for that volume of the Water-Fire Mutual Generation Formula.

Perhaps because alchemists held relatively high status, they received far better treatment in the branch's Medicine Hall. There were dedicated alchemy rooms here, separated from one another so they would not interfere with each other.

When Xiao Yan entered the main hall, an old man was seated before a table, carefully reading a book. Seemingly sensing Xiao Yan's arrival, he lazily said, "Name. Alchemist rank."

"Xiao Yan. I'm not sure of my alchemist rank either. I only arrived on the World-Creation Continent not long ago." Xiao Yan bowed respectfully.

"Xiao Yan..." The old man's mouth twitched before he added, "The last room on the left. You have one hour. Once the hour is up, get out."

"One hour?" Xiao Yan wanted to say more, but the old man had already set out an hourglass. Then he leisurely resumed reading.

Xiao Yan's expression changed slightly, but because of the old man's status, he could not flare up. He could only head to the room the old man had assigned him.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Yan found that the space inside was not large, only a little over fifty square meters. However, a girl of around ten years old was already inside. Dressed in white, she was earnestly reading and had not sensed Xiao Yan's arrival. She seemed only a few years older than Xiao Xiao, but Xiao Yan's expression was not pleasant. Could it be that old man had actually sent him here to read books with a child?

Xiao Yan frowned, then quietly walked inside. Only when he probed with his soul power did he discover that all the books here were related to alchemy.

"Uncle, on the left are books about the alchemist system on the World-Creation Continent, alchemist potential tests, and detailed instructions on using the branch's Medicine Hall." The girl lifted her head and spoke earnestly to Xiao Yan. Though she did not possess Xiao Xiao's devilish little face, she was still delicate and adorable. When she grew up, she would surely become a great beauty.

"Thank you." Xiao Yan answered with a smile. Uncle and mister seemed to make little difference, but Xiao Yan found the former much more comfortable.

The girl merely smiled back without saying anything, then immersed herself in her book again.

Only then did Xiao Yan make his way to the left, where some basic alchemist knowledge was marked out.

On the World-Creation Continent, alchemists were ranked just as they were on the Lower Plane, from the first rank to the ninth rank. Among them, ranks one through five were called Emperor-Grade Alchemists, while ranks six through eight were called Immortal-Grade Alchemists, and ranks eight and nine were called Divine-Grade Alchemists. In other words, to refine Immortal-Grade pills, one's soul power had to reach the Immortal Realm, while reaching the eighth rank required entering the Divine Realm. Soul power was generally even harder to cultivate than battle qi. To reach the Immortal Realm, one's strength generally had to reach the Battle Immortal level, so the Xiao Clan had yet to produce even a single sixth-rank alchemist.

Likewise, only sixth-rank pills—or Immortal-Grade pills—would bring forth Pill Lightning. This saved Xiao Yan quite a bit of time.

However, when Xiao Yan saw the Medicine Hall's usage rules, he could not help wanting to curse loudly. The Medicine Hall provided pill cauldrons and formulas, but the medicinal ingredients had to be supplied by oneself. Any pills one refined could all be taken away.

Medicine Hall

Alchemists truly were a noble profession, and the Xiao Clan had already opened a convenient door for them. However, if the Xiao Clan also supplied medicinal ingredients, it would cause waste, which was why such rules existed. At the same time, if someone could reach the third rank of alchemist within ten years here, they could join the Xiao Clan's nobles without taking the assessment after those ten years.

Furthermore, everyone only had three chances each month to enter the Medicine Hall. Those wishing to refine pills could seek out their own pill formulas and cauldrons, but they were forbidden from refining pills anywhere outside the Xiao Clan's Medicine Hall. However, second-rank alchemists faced no restrictions on their use of the Medicine Hall.

As for that alchemist potential test, it was meant to discover outstanding alchemist talents and make it easier for the Xiao Clan to nurture them.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yan placed his hand upon an azure crystal ball. His battle qi slowly flowed into it, and the crystal ball's color began to change. Starting from the bottom, it gradually turned yellow—the yellow of Fallen Star Flame.

At this moment, the girl who had been reading also lifted her head. Astonishment appeared in her eyes as she stared at the crystal ball.

What the crystal ball tested was an alchemist's battle qi and flame. To a certain degree, an alchemist's flame and soul power determined the height of their alchemist rank, yet for some reason, the Xiao Clan placed heavier emphasis on flames. In the past, alchemists had only made the blue gradually fade. Even the most outstanding had merely made the blue vanish completely. Yet Xiao Yan could actually make the crystal ball display the color of his own flame.

Before long, the entire crystal had turned yellow, and a flame blazed fiercely within it.

Xiao Yan removed his hand, and the crystal ball returned to blue, like the ocean, as though the previous scene had never existed.

"Uncle, what kind of flame is your flame exactly? Is it Heavenly Fire?" The girl stared blankly at Xiao Yan, as though she were looking at a monster.

"No. It's an Otherworldly Flame I brought up from the Lower Plane." Xiao Yan had originally wanted to say it was Heavenly Fire, but remembering Xiao Wanqing's words, he still did not tell the truth.

"Oh, then keep it up, Uncle. My time is up, so I'll be leaving first. Oh, right, my name is Xiao Yuer. Goodbye, Uncle." Xiao Yuer sweetly smiled at Xiao Yan.

"Mm, goodbye." Xiao Yan smiled and waved at her.

"Xiao Yuer. Luckily, she isn't that long-legged, violent cousin of mine." Xiao Yan could not help recalling that cousin with whom he had a somewhat ** relationship.

Seeing that he still had plenty of time, Xiao Yan began flipping through some of the books here. There were records of all kinds of medicinal ingredients, accounts of famous alchemists, and the effects of various pills, but there were no pill formulas.

"Xiao Yan, get out here now..." Just as Xiao Yan was working hard to memorize the medicinal ingredients, a furious roar rang out. Only then did Xiao Yan remember that there was a time limit here, and he hurriedly ran out.

"You're half a minute over. Get lost. You won't have another chance to enter the Medicine Hall this month," the old man said to Xiao Yan.

"Ah, Senior, Xiao Yan merely..."

"If you dare question this old man's decision, then don't even think about entering the Medicine Hall for the next ten years." The old man did not even look at Xiao Yan. He continued reading, his voice cold.

"This junior understands. Xiao Yan will certainly abide by the rules." Though somewhat unwilling, Xiao Yan still politely bowed to the old man.

"Possessing Heavenly Fire, neither servile nor overbearing, and still able to endure such a great grievance—he is indeed a good seedling. Perhaps my Xiao Clan really can produce a peerless genius. But there will be no shortage of trials. Little fellow, don't give up so easily." Watching Xiao Yan depart, the old man muttered to himself.