The assessment

Xu Yan did not have to wait long. After barely a dozen breaths, a portly, middle-aged cultivator came over.

After exchanging greetings with him, the middle-aged cultivator led him toward the Alchemy Hall.

The Alchemy Hall was not far from the registration desk, and they soon arrived.

Xu Yan stopped before the hall and examined it closely.

The Alchemy Hall before him was crimson all over, with a faint metallic sheen flowing across its surface. It appeared to have been built from some kind of spirit iron ore.

Dense arrays of runes were also carved into its walls. Their faint light mingled and reflected off one another, lending the hall an extraordinary air.

As he studied the hall before him, a voice reached his ears.

"My name is Yun Feng. May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"

Xu Yan turned and glanced at the portly cultivator before cupping his hands in reply. "So you are Fellow Daoist Yun. My name is Lin Yan."

The middle-aged cultivator smiled at his answer and extended a hand invitingly. "Brother Lin, please come in. The First-Rank Alchemist assessments are all held on the hall's first floor."

Xu Yan nodded to the middle-aged cultivator and stepped into the Alchemy Hall.

This middle-aged cultivator was at the seventh level of Qi Refining. He was probably being so courteous because Xu Yan was an alchemist.

The middle-aged face his mask had given him was extremely stern. To match that cold appearance, he had deliberately lowered his voice, giving him a decidedly gloomy air.

It could not have been easy for this middle-aged cultivator to keep smiling at him the whole way.

The moment he entered the hall, a fierce wave of heat struck him in the face, and the temperature around him abruptly rose.

Just then, the middle-aged cultivator beside him began to explain.

"A vein of earthfire runs beneath the Alchemy Hall and the Artifact Refining Hall. It can assist with pill concoction and artifact refining, so the temperature inside is considerably higher than outside.

Each alchemy room has a dedicated fire-drawing formation. You only need to insert a Spirit Stone to draw upon the earthfire for pill concoction."

As he spoke, the middle-aged cultivator gestured toward the interior of the hall.

Xu Yan looked in the direction he indicated and indeed saw rows of alchemy rooms. By a rough estimate, there were no fewer than a hundred.

Each alchemy room measured four zhang on each side and radiated white light. They appeared to be equipped with formations.

Seeing Xu Yan look over, the middle-aged cultivator continued.

"Every alchemy room has an isolation formation to prevent cultivators from probing with their divine sense, ensuring ample privacy. When you concoct your pills later, you can use your abilities to the fullest without holding anything back."

With that, the middle-aged cultivator led Xu Yan to an alchemy room marked "C-13."

The middle-aged cultivator took a white jade slip from his storage bag. It emitted a beam of light, and an entrance immediately opened in the formation enveloping the alchemy room.

The two passed through the entrance and entered the room.

The alchemy room was simply furnished. A bluestone platform half a person's height held three jade trays, each containing three stalks of Spirit Herb used to concoct low-grade Qi Gathering Pills.

Beside the jade trays stood a Pill Furnace glowing faintly blue-green. Judging by its quality, it was probably a first-rank, low-grade magic artifact Pill Furnace. There was also an empty white jade porcelain vial.

Below the bluestone platform stood a fire stand glowing red. Xu Yan could vaguely discern that it seemed to be made from some kind of fire-aspect spirit ore capable of withstanding the scorching earthfire.

At the center of the fire stand was a formation glowing crimson. This was presumably the fire-drawing formation the middle-aged cultivator had mentioned.

Just then, the middle-aged cultivator spoke.

"Brother Lin, the assessment is very simple. These jade trays hold enough Spirit Herb for three batches of low-grade Qi Gathering Pills. You only need to successfully concoct one batch to pass.

To prevent cheating, I must also ask you to add this while concocting them."

With that, the middle-aged cultivator took a white lump from his storage bag.

Without waiting for Xu Yan to ask, he explained, "This substance is called White Perilla. Once you add it, the Qi Gathering Pill will carry its aura. It has no effect on the concoction process or the success rate, nor will it affect the efficacy of the Qi Gathering Pill."

The middle-aged cultivator flicked a finger, sending the lump of White Perilla into a jade tray.

After hearing this, Xu Yan was not particularly concerned. Since the Rogue Cultivator Alliance dared to provide it, that proved it would not interfere with pill concoction.

As long as he performed normally, there should be little trouble. Even if all three batches turned out to be failed pills, he should still be able to scrape through using the Mysterious Green Pearl's devouring ability.

At that thought, he nodded to the middle-aged cultivator to show he understood.

Seeing this, the middle-aged cultivator chuckled. "In that case, Brother Lin, prepare to take the assessment. You have six hours in total. As long as you successfully concoct one batch of Qi Gathering Pills within that time, you will pass. This Jade Slip controls the formation in this alchemy room. Keep it safe."

As he spoke, the middle-aged cultivator tossed the Jade Slip into Xu Yan's hands.

Seeing Xu Yan catch it, the middle-aged cultivator added another remark.

"This Jade Slip can also transmit messages. Once you successfully concoct a batch, Brother Lin, simply send a message through it. I will then bring two stewards here to confirm your assessment results."

"But let me make the unpleasant part clear beforehand: if you fail the assessment, you must pay five Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Having finished speaking, the middle-aged cultivator cupped his hands toward him and left the alchemy room.

Once the middle-aged cultivator had left, Xu Yan fully activated the formation. He tested it and found that it did indeed block Divine Sense, putting his mind at ease.

After closing the alchemy room's stone door, he began preparing to concoct the pills.

The Rogue Cultivator Alliance provided three sets of Spirit Herb and required only one successful batch of Qi Gathering Pills. In other words, any alchemist with a success rate above thirty percent should be able to pass the assessment.

He could also understand the requirement to pay five Low-Grade Spirit Stones if he failed.

After steadying his mind, Xu Yan began concocting the pills.

The first two hours soon passed, and he finished his first batch. Unfortunately, every pill was a failure, and he put them into his Storage Bag.

After reviewing what had gone wrong, he began the second batch. This attempt also failed, producing another batch of failed pills.

After putting the second batch into his Storage Bag, his expression grew grave. If the third batch failed as well, he would have no choice but to use the Mysterious Green Pearl. Yet he truly had no confidence that pills treated by the Mysterious Green Pearl's devouring ability would be accepted.

Slowly exhaling, he beckoned with his hand and placed the third set of Spirit Herb into the Pill Furnace. This time, he was exceptionally careful, but he still failed, producing yet another batch of failed pills.

In truth, this was hardly surprising. Although he had reached the level of a First-Tier Low-Grade Alchemist, he had concocted pills with Spirit Herb far too few times. His successful batch at Horse Mountain Stronghold had owed a great deal to luck.

"Looks like I can only pin my hopes on the Green Pearl."

With that thought, he took out all three batches of failed pills. Each batch had produced three pills, making nine in total. He held the nine failed pills in his palm, and as the Green Pearl in his Sea of Consciousness released its devouring power, strand after strand of pill toxins was drawn out until none remained.

Soon, nine pills, each a size smaller, appeared in his hand. After some thought, he placed six into the jade vial on the bluestone platform and put the remaining three into his Storage Bag.

Once everything was done, he took out the Jade Slip and sent a message to the middle-aged cultivator.