Peak Fourth-Grade Pill, Foundation Establishment Pill

At those words, Xiao Cha frowned and lowered his raised hand.

"You can't conduct a fourth-grade Alchemist assessment?"

Hearing Xiao Cha's tone, the young receptionist immediately began trembling a little and replied in a fluster.

"Y-yes. I'm terribly sorry."

At that moment, Lin Fei, who stood nearby, also came to her senses and hurriedly took over for the receptionist.

"Brother Xiao, we do have that rule here. After all, only the Alchemist headquarters in the Imperial Capital can conduct fourth-grade Alchemist assessments. But my teacher is the vice president here. I'll go ask him. Perhaps there's another way."

With that, Lin Fei hurried up to the second floor of the Alchemist Association.

Seeing Lin Fei go to find Frank and Otto, Xiao Cha waited patiently in the hall. Everyone else there watched him cautiously, whispering among themselves.

"Is he really a fourth-grade Alchemist? He's far too young."

"Maybe he's a genius from the Imperial Capital."

"What a load of hot air. How come I've never heard of a genius like that in the Imperial Capital? Even Pill King Gu He was only a third-grade Alchemist at his age."

As Xiao Cha listened to the discussions around him, he did not have to wait long before four figures rushed down from the second floor.

Leading the way were two middle-aged men, one tall and the other round-bodied.

Behind them were Lin Fei, who had just gone upstairs, and a woman in a white dress. Long silver hair draped over her shoulders, and her delicate face carried a faint air of coolness, with a slight smile playing at her lips.

"Well, well! You must be the young friend who's here for the fourth-grade Alchemist assessment? You really are young."

"Whew... yes, yes. Heroes truly do emerge from the young."

The moment Frank and Otto came downstairs and saw Xiao Cha standing before the counter with his imposing bearing, they immediately guessed that he was the fourth-grade Alchemist Lin Fei had mentioned and stepped forward to greet him warmly.

Because of his build, Otto kept panting after his run downstairs, but he still cupped his hands toward Xiao Cha.

Xiao Cha looked at the two men and smiled, cupping his fist in return.

"I'm Xiao Cha. Greetings, seniors."

"Oh! We hardly deserve to be called your seniors. Since you're a fourth-grade Alchemist, young friend, you stand on the same level as Otto and me. How could we presume to call ourselves your seniors? Just call me Frank. I'm currently the president of the Alchemist branch here in Black Rock City."

"My name is Otto. I'm the vice president here."

While the three spoke, Xue Mei stood behind them, watching the confidently conversing Xiao Cha with curiosity. She nudged Lin Fei beside her.

"Is he really a fourth-grade Alchemist? He looks so young."

"Of course he is. He can even condense a tangible flame. How could that be fake?"

Hearing Xue Mei's question, Lin Fei could not help rolling her eyes at her.

"But... Xiao Yan had a tangible flame in his hand earlier too."

"Well..."

Xiao Cha looked at Frank.

"Does that mean fourth-grade Alchemist assessments can only be conducted in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital?"

Frank nodded at his words and stroked his beard.

"In theory, yes. After all, the assessment rules stipulate that an Alchemist of a higher grade must be present to witness an assessment for any given grade.

"But there are exceptions, such as our current situation. Otto and I are both fourth-grade Alchemists. If we both act as witnesses, we can conduct a fourth-grade Alchemist assessment.

"However, we have no authority to issue you a fourth-grade Alchemist Badge. You'll have to wait for us to apply for one, or go to the Imperial Capital to collect it yourself."

Otto nodded beside him.

"That's right. Applying for a fourth-grade Alchemist Badge and an Alchemist robe will take at least half a month. What do you think, young friend Xiao? If you have no objections, we can begin the assessment right now."

Xiao Cha lowered his head and considered it. Since the fourth-grade Alchemist Badge had to be issued by the Imperial Capital, he could collect it after passing the assessment when he returned there for the Alchemist gathering.

"That's fine, but could you give me a third-grade Alchemist Badge to use in the meantime? As for the fourth-grade Alchemist Badge and robe, I'll collect them myself when I go to the Imperial Capital."

The two exchanged a glance, then nodded together.

"Of course. As long as you can refine a fourth-grade pill, that will prove everything. There'll naturally be no problem giving you a third-grade Alchemist Badge then."

"This way, young friend Xiao."

With that, Frank and Otto stepped aside and extended their hands to usher Xiao Cha forward.

Xiao Cha wasted no words and strode straight into the pill-refining room nearby. Frank and Otto followed him.

After all three had entered the room, Lin Fei pulled Xue Mei along, intending to follow them inside, only to be stopped by Otto.

"Shoo, shoo! What are you two trying to stir up? Go study your pill formulas."

"Nooo~ Teacher, let us watch too~"

"Do you think this is a game? Being disturbed is the greatest taboo for a fourth-grade Alchemist refining pills. Even Frank and I wouldn't dare move around too much.

"If you two go inside and make some noise that causes young friend Xiao's refinement to fail, who's going to take responsibility?"

Hearing how serious Otto made it sound, Lin Fei and Xue Mei hesitated.

"Master Otto, let them come in. It's only two more people, after all. No harm done."

Just as the two women were about to leave, Xiao Cha's voice came from inside.

"Yay! Teacher~ We're coming in, then?"

Hearing Xiao Cha give them permission, Lin Fei immediately cheered and pulled Xue Mei inside.

Watching the two behave like that, Otto sighed and closed the door.

Frank was already standing to one side. Looking at the two noisy young women, he raised a hand to signal for silence.

"Keep quiet. Don't disturb him."

Lin Fei hurriedly mimed zipping her lips shut and nodded. Xue Mei and Otto stood beside her, looking toward Xiao Cha in the center of the room.

"Young friend Xiao, what pill are you planning to refine? Do you need us to prepare any medicinal ingredients?"

Seeing that Xiao Cha was nearly ready, Frank spoke up. Normally, Alchemists brought their own ingredients when refining high-grade pills. After all, the Alchemist Association did not know what pill they would refine and might not have the herbs they needed.

Still, Frank asked in case Xiao Cha had come insufficiently prepared, while also hoping to earn some goodwill.

Xiao Cha shook his head and waved his hand. The purple Storage Ring on his index finger flashed, and several kinds of medicinal ingredients appeared on the table.

Looking at the ingredients on the table, each glowing with an uncanny luster, richly colored and aged for many years, even Frank and Otto, who prided themselves on being master Alchemists, could not help losing their composure.

Even after living half their lives, they had never seen ingredients as fine as those Xiao Cha possessed. Not only were their medicinal properties perfectly preserved, but their ages were outrageously high. They became increasingly certain that he was a fourth-grade Alchemist.

After all, what swindler would carry such fine ingredients around while bluffing and cheating people?

Xiao Cha checked the ingredients, then looked at the four people beside him and smiled.

"What I'm going to refine is a peak fourth-grade pill-the Foundation Establishment Pill!"