Xiao Yan's smiling expression caught Foklan and Otto quite off guard.
Did he not understand what I was implying?
If he would just humble himself before me, giving me some face and establishing my authority, I could spare him the first-, second-, and third-tier examinations.
Looks like he's a hotheaded rookie.
Fine, then. Let him take the tests!
Let's see just how much substance there is to your alchemy, given all that confidence!
"Then please, this way."
Foklan gestured, leading Xiao Yan into a hall set aside specifically for the examinations.
Inside the hall, rows of stone worktables stood neatly arranged, with all the tools and medicinal ingredients needed for alchemy laid out on them.
Foklan casually pointed to one of the worktables.
"For the first-tier pill examination, you'll refine a Hemostatic Pill. The ingredients are right there. Li Feiyu, please begin."
The Hemostatic Pill was a classic first-tier pill.
This was a perfectly standard test, hardly an attempt to make things difficult.
But Xiao Yan had come today to dazzle an audience and unwind, so naturally, he would not settle for an ordinary display of alchemy.
He slapped the table, sending the medicinal ingredients into the air.
With a flick of his hand, two wisps of purple flame leaped out nimbly.
One swept toward the ingredients, taking on a perfect shape that enveloped them evenly as it began extracting their medicinal essence in midair.
The other spread like a coat of paint, forming a thin layer of purple flame that clung evenly to the Medicine Cauldron and began preheating it.
Just as the Medicine Cauldron finished preheating, the extraction of the medicinal essence was completed at precisely the same moment.
Then, in a motion as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, he added the ingredients and began refining.
In mere moments, Xiao Yan lifted the lid of the Medicine Cauldron.
The first-tier pill was complete!
Foklan and Otto stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.
They had wanted to see what this Li Feiyu could do, but they had never imagined his abilities would be this absurd!
That was an alchemical flame!
How did you give it a shape like water, letting it envelop the ingredients and cauldron so evenly?
Was that even humanly possible?
Even as a Fourth-Tier Alchemist, I couldn't come anywhere close to controlling fire with such precision!
Terrifying!
And that wasn't even the most terrifying part!
You could attribute his precise control to the quality of his flame.
But after he put the ingredients into the cauldron, how did the pill emerge in mere moments?
After extraction, the time needed to form a pill depended on how quickly your soul could guide the medicinal liquids into merging.
The stronger your soul's control, the faster they merged, and the sooner the pill could form!
I knew a fourth-tier alchemist would refine a first-tier pill quickly, but this was far too ridiculous!
We were both Fourth-Tier Alchemists, yet you were at least ten times faster than me!
Who were you trying to humiliate?!
In truth, Xiao Yan had already been holding back in his performance.
Now that he could control the sentience of his purple flame, it was far more obedient and effortless to wield than the flames ordinary alchemists obtained through devouring.
On top of that, his soul was far more condensed than an ordinary person's.
Making a soul ten times more condensed improved alchemy far more than merely making it ten times stronger.
Together, those two factors had given him alchemical skills far beyond others of his tier.
Next came the second-tier Blood-Replenishing Pill, the third-tier Blood-Enhancing Pill, and the fourth-tier Burning Blood Pill.
All of them became stages for Xiao Yan's performance.
By now, Foklan and Otto were almost numb.
What kind of monster was this?
With talent like this, forget Black Rock City-even across the entire Jia Ma Empire, who besides Pill King Gu He could manage it?
No! Even Pill King Gu He probably couldn't have reached anything close to this terrifying level at twenty-seven!
"Chairmen, would you say my performance qualifies?" Xiao Yan's voice was bright and refreshed.
It's been ages since I felt this good! What a relief!
"Mister Li, we concede! We're thoroughly convinced!"
Foklan hurriedly waved his hands.
"Your alchemy leaves us so far behind we cannot even glimpse the dust in your wake! You are fully deserving of this Fourth-Tier Alchemist badge!"
As he spoke, he personally fetched a brand-new badge signifying the prestigious status of a Fourth-Tier Alchemist, along with an Alchemist Robe, and respectfully presented them to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan accepted them without ceremony and put them into his ring.
Beside him, Yun Yun was equally dumbfounded!
A small part of her astonishment came from how absurdly powerful Mister Li's alchemy had become after obtaining the purple flame.
Mostly, however, she was puzzled.
This wasn't right!
Wasn't Mister Li a refined gentleman who disliked showing off in public?
Why was he displaying such a sharp edge today?
Had I misjudged him?
Having earned his certification and spent an entire afternoon dazzling everyone, Xiao Yan was thoroughly satisfied.
He let out a contented sigh.
That's enough indulgence! Time to get back to normal!
Settling his emotions, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and regained his usual composure.
Then he politely told Foklan that he wanted to purchase a batch of fifth-tier medicinal ingredients and a batch of poisons.
Foklan had originally thought that, having failed to rein in this dragon crossing into his territory, he would at least have to endure some arrogant swagger after the man earned his certification, even if he escaped outright humiliation!
Unexpectedly, despite having gained the upper hand, the man did not flaunt his might.
Instead, he discussed business with Foklan courteously.
Foklan immediately warmed to Xiao Yan.
He arranged for someone to gather all the ingredients Xiao Yan needed as quickly as possible, and even took the initiative to offer a substantial discount.
Watching Xiao Yan chatting and laughing with easy composure, Yun Yun let out a long breath.
Now that felt right!
This was the refined, gentlemanly Mister Li she remembered.
With his abundant haul of medicinal ingredients, Xiao Yan left the guild in high spirits.
Only Foklan and Otto remained, staring at each other in silence for a long time.
Back at the inn, Xiao Yan saw that everything was ready and decided to enter a partial seclusion to prepare for his breakthrough to Fifth-Tier Alchemist, while also absorbing the remaining companion amethyst source to raise his cultivation.
It was not that he did not want to enter full seclusion.
Xiao Yi Xian was still here!
He had to keep switching between his two identities, running back and forth to look after both women.
If he entered full seclusion, which one would he have accompany him?
Leaving either one behind would be inappropriate!
So he simply decided against full seclusion, choosing instead to undertake partial seclusion through his daily cultivation routine.
The days that followed held little worth mentioning for Xiao Yan and were rather tedious.
Every day, he set aside more than ten hours for cultivation.
In his spare time, he ate out and strolled around town with Yun Yun, or switched identities to do the same with Xiao Yi Xian.
But while Xiao Yan found it dull and monotonous, Yun Yun and Xiao Yi Xian were utterly content.
For Yun Yun, living like this with Mister Li carried the peace and quiet ease of a couple married for many years.
It was exactly the life she had once dreamed of.
For Xiao Yi Xian, she had left Qingshan Town to live in a big city, with the Young Master Xiao Yan she admired at her side every day.
More importantly, Young Master Xiao Yan kept supplying her with large quantities of high-quality poisons, ensuring that her cultivation never lost a moment of progress.
Compared with her old days in Qingshan Town, when she could not be sure in the morning that she would survive until night, this was simply paradise!
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, an aura suddenly erupted like a volcano inside Xiao Yan's room!
Boom!
But an instant later, the aura withdrew again without damaging so much as a table or chair.
Inside the room, Xiao Yan abruptly opened his eyes, and two flashes of sharp light flickered and vanished!
He slowly rose, feeling the Dou Qi surging through him like mighty rivers and the explosive power filling every limb and bone. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He had already reached Fifth-Tier Alchemist some time ago.
Yet before he had used up the companion amethyst source, his cultivation had already reached Peak Dou Ling!
After a brief hesitation, Xiao Yan decided not to leave just yet. He would use up the remaining companion amethyst source and see what realm he could ultimately reach.
Sure enough, after absorbing all ten bottles of companion amethyst source, his cultivation crossed that enormous threshold outright.
Straight to Three-Star Dou Wang!
Before you continue