Soul Value

The Ye Family's Pill Chamber was no small place—a massive stone chamber spanning dozens of meters in every direction.

The stone chamber was divided into four areas, each containing an enormous pitch-black Medicine Cauldron. During the family's usual assessments, these four cauldrons were used for testing.

This was also a minor test for the clan members. After all, if an alchemist suddenly had to use a new Medicine Cauldron, the difficulty of refining pills would naturally increase somewhat...

After arriving at the Pill Chamber, Ye Chen realized that he was far from the only one here. There were quite a few people older than him, the youngest of whom appeared to be around ten years old. He was the only one under ten.

Among them were both boys and girls, members of both the main branch and the side branches.

Some were from the same generation as Ye Chen, while others were a generation below him...

It could not be helped. In a great family, it was common enough for an uncle to be younger than his nephew.

When Ye Chen arrived, Ye Zhong, the Ye Family Patriarch presiding over the event, gave him a solemn nod and had him stand at the very end of the line.

Ye Chen did not mind. Instead, he secretly observed his surroundings.

Aside from those of them waiting in line, everyone else in the Pill Chamber was a close relative of someone present, all watching this side with nervous expressions.

Ye Chen spotted his mother as well. She was standing outside with his father, and upon noticing his gaze, she happily waved at her son.

That scene left Ye Chen speechless once again.

His mother really was a born optimist.

Can't you see how tense all the other parents are? Why are you looking so thrilled?

"Alright, since everyone has arrived, today's test shall begin..."

As he spoke, Ye Zhong slowly turned around.

Behind him stood something covered by a black cloth...

He reached out and pulled away the black cloth, revealing a stone pillar that only came up to his waist.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up as he curiously examined the strange stone pillar. Running through its center was a finger-wide, crystal-clear Jade Belt, and at the very top of the belt was a Circular Crystal.

"A test? This doesn't look like one of those testing steles for Dou Qi."

Perhaps noticing Ye Chen's puzzled expression, Ye Zhong spoke again.

"I know all of you are confused and wondering what this test is for. Then let me tell you: this time, we are not testing Dou Qi, but—Soul Power!"

He swept his gaze across the crowd. Clearly, quite a few people already knew the truth, for their faces were full of anticipation.

"You are all members of my Ye Family qualified to become alchemists. But how far you will ultimately grow depends entirely on the strength of your Soul Power..."

Ye Zhong's expression remained unchanged as he watched the crowd below. "Those whose names I call will come forward for testing."

"First, Ye Ling!"

A Girl in green nervously stepped onto the Testing Platform...

"Ye Ling, Soul Value: 32. Grade: High. →"

Ye Zhong's solemn voice carried far and wide, causing a small commotion among the crowd.

Standing at the very back of the line, Ye Chen stretched his neck to look ahead. He saw a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl walk down from the platform with an excited expression before throwing herself into her parents' arms nearby.

This so-called Soul Value was actually a standard for measuring Soul Power that had originated from the Pill Tower.

If Ye Chen remembered correctly, a Soul Value of 50 was the standard for a First Grade Alchemist. In other words, although this little girl named Ye Ling was only a Two Star Dou Practitioner, she already possessed Soul Power at the level of an advanced alchemist apprentice. That was extremely rare.

Based on the Ye Family's past experience, as long as this girl reached around the level of a Five Star Dou Zhe, she could become a true alchemist...

Moreover, she had the potential to become at least a Fifth Grade Alchemist. As for whether she could advance to the Sixth Grade, that would depend on her luck.

The very first tester possessing such talent caused the stiffness in Ye Zhong's face to ease slightly.

"Next, Ye Song!"

"Next, Ye Yu!"

One Youth and Girl after another stepped onto the Testing Platform, then came down either excited or disappointed.

Overall, the talents of the Ye Family's younger generation being tested this time were fairly good. Ninety percent of them had Soul Power that met the standard for becoming alchemists.

However, what made Ye Zhong put on a pained expression once more was that not a single one among them possessed talent exceeding the Seventh Grade. That was a serious problem!

For other families and forces in Central State, having more than ten promising alchemists emerge at once—even if they could only reach the Sixth Grade—would already be exceptionally rare...

But for the Ye Family, one of the Pill Domain Five Great Families, these people might become the foundation of the family, but they could not become the pillars the Ye Family needed most!

Taking a deep breath, Ye Zhong's gaze fell on the final small figure.

To be honest, Ye Chen was originally too young to undergo the Soul Value test. He was only five years old, while the youngest of the others had already passed twelve.

But Ye Zhong truly could not wait to find out whether his grandson, whom everyone called the Qilin Child, could really shoulder the heavy responsibility of reviving the family!

"Last, Ye Chen..."

The moment those words fell, everyone's gaze turned toward the little fellow standing in the middle.

This scene gave the previously bored Ye Chen quite a fright. He suddenly felt like he had turned into a giant panda at the zoo, making him feel utterly uncomfortable...

Moving his little stubby legs, Ye Chen dashed onto the Testing Platform as fast as he could, then obediently called out to his grandpa.

Seeing this, Ye Zhong could not help but pat his mischievous grandson on the head and softly said, "Chen'er, place your hand on this crystal and try to feel the crystal..."

For ordinary people, even Third Grade Alchemists found it difficult to accurately and actively mobilize their own Soul Power.

This Soul Value Testing Stele, meanwhile, used the Circular Crystal atop it to actively draw out the tester's Soul Power and display its value.

Following his grandpa's instructions, Ye Chen stretched out his chubby little fair hand, stood on tiptoe, and pressed it directly against the crystal.

In an instant, Ye Chen felt a sharp dizziness in his head, but he immediately returned to normal.

At the same time...

"Beep, beep, beep."

As Ye Chen's Soul Power was drawn into the crystal, a series of beeps suddenly sounded from the smooth jade band at the center of the stele...

Then, the blood-red number abruptly soared. After remaining in motion for more than ten seconds, it finally stopped at 150 under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

The moment that number appeared, the entire place fell deathly silent. Countless gazes seemed to have turned to stone as they fixed on the value, unable to shift away.

"His Soul Value actually reached 150? Doesn't that mean he's already met the threshold for a Third Grade Alchemist? He's even stronger than me. How am I supposed to face anyone from now on..."

A Ye Family clan member who looked to be in his twenties could not help muttering.

That abrupt remark shattered the frozen atmosphere in the alchemy room. With undisguised shock in their eyes, everyone stared at the small figure before the stele, who was not even as tall as the testing stele.

"The Ye Family... is saved..."

Ye Zhong's hands trembled with excitement. All the worries he had carried these past days finally vanished completely at this moment...