A seventh-grade alchemist, a soul below the Spirit Realm, can only reach the limit. Even within the Dan Tower, such a level is only seen a few times a year. Therefore, each such assessment is treated with great importance, even the assessment area is isolated.
As Chen Guan and Cao Ying entered that significant door, the once noisy hall suddenly fell silent for a moment.
Then, the clamor intensified.
"Seventh-grade assessment?!"
"Who is this person? He looks only in his twenties, and already a seventh-grade?"
"Getting in is easy, passing is the real skill. There's never a shortage of people trying to attract attention every year."
"Haha, then you'll probably be disappointed. I've heard rumors that this person has an extraordinary background. Master Xuankongzi is very optimistic about him. The fact that he's been assigned to Miss Cao Ying is proof enough."
Xuankongzi's prestige is extremely high in Shengdan City. Hearing his name, the restless alchemists fell silent.
Although reluctant to believe it, their common sense told them that today's events were definitely not that simple.
Meanwhile,
Chen Guan pushed the door open and entered. To his surprise, behind it lay an elegant open-air courtyard. However, considering that a seventh-grade elixir would trigger Dan Lei, it wasn't surprising.
In the center of the courtyard stood a stone platform, densely packed with precious medicinal herbs. As a benefit of the Dan Tower, these herbs were free to use if the assessment was passed. Otherwise, the cost would be borne by the individual.
A soundproof barrier surrounded the courtyard, instantly shutting out the outside noise as soon as he stepped inside, as if entering a secluded paradise.
Glancing around, Chen Guan nodded in satisfaction.
"You're ready, and you can begin immediately. Feel free to use the herbs on the stage. But remember, you only have one chance,"
Cao Ying reminded him with a bright smile. She didn't expect him to fail. Having discussed this together, they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses.
The one chance wasn't meant to increase the difficulty; it was simply the nature of seventh-grade elixirs.
Normally, if an alchemist failed the first time, the mental energy drain would be too great to sustain, making it difficult to attempt a second time.
Chen Guan nodded, returning the gesture with a confident smile. Without further delay, he stepped onto the stone platform.
Although he had prepared seventh-grade medicinal herbs, he still carefully scanned the stone platform.
After all, the Danta family was a wealthy and powerful family,
so it would be a shame not to plunder them… Suddenly, Chen Guan's gaze rested on two dark red magic cores. Faintly, he could hear two not-quite-authentic dragon roars echoing through his mind.
Magic cores with such unusual properties were always above the seventh grade, but these two were clearly only the sixth grade.
The only explanation was that they were freshly mined!
No more than seven days old!
Thinking of Brother Han Feng's last words, Chen Guan smiled.
The Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, it's decidedly yours!
He had always been fond of this kind of emergency elixir.
Having made his decision, Chen Guan immediately set to work, skillfully selecting from the platform and removing some herbs from his ring.
"Boom!"
The Myriad Beasts Cauldron then landed on the stone platform, captivating Cao Ying's beautiful eyes, who couldn't bear to look away.
Strange fire, the Myriad Beasts Cauldron, and that super-powerful soul perception…
these were all the things an alchemist dreams of!
Others would be overjoyed to possess even one of these, but he possessed them all!
No wonder he spoke so casually about the assessment; if he still failed, she'd probably lash out in anger.
The whirring sound of flames drew Cao Ying's attention back, and what came into view was the dazzling cobalt-blue strange fire.
Chen Guan manipulated the strange fire with ease. With a single wave of his hand, it instantly poured into the cauldron, sending a raging fire soaring from the interior.
The warming process was swiftly completed. Chen Guan took a deep breath, and then, with his spiritual power, he swept two dark red magic cores into the cauldron.
The refining of the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill officially began!
As the saying goes, different paths lead to the same destination. Theory is static, but people are dynamic. To refine different elixirs, alchemists must learn to adapt.
The two magic cores are crucial to the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, and must be completed within seven days. To prevent the time from running out after refining the remaining herbs, Chen Guan simply refined them first.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle"…
Under the scorching heat of the strange fire, the two magic cores constantly flipped in the cauldron, making a frequent, unusual sound. Through his mental power, he could see that their surfaces, both in color and pattern, were gradually changing.
However, this was only the beginning; the refinement was still some distance away.
Chen Guan focused on controlling the temperature of the strange fire, his powerful mental power ensuring he felt no strain. If it weren't for the concerns about the magic cores' endurance, he could have sped up even further.
Looking at the two magic cores, as hard as stone in the cauldron, Chen Guan remained unhurried. He channeled a stream of his mental power, enveloping several herbs on the stone platform and dropping them into the cauldron one by one.
He multitasked, his mind racing, yet he didn't appear flustered. Instead, he seemed to have settled into a rhythm, everything flowing smoothly.
Even so, crafting a seventh-grade elixir was bound to be a time-consuming and laborious endeavor, one that couldn't be completed in a short time.
An ordinary person would have found the spectacle tedious after a while, but for Cao Ying, the scene seemed the most captivating. From beginning to end, her beautiful eyes remained fixed, their gaze fixed, rapt.
Time flowed, and two and a half days passed in the blink of an eye.
Outside, a young man, carrying a black ruler, wandered through Shengdan City with a beaming expression. His gaze scanned the crowd, searching like a housefly for over an hour, yet he couldn't spot the figure.
Desperate, he returned to the Dan Tower and inquired with Xuan Kongzi. Only then did he learn the whole story and head straight for the assessment location.
The hall was bustling with activity, but careful observation revealed that the alchemists were constantly glancing towards a closed door, seemingly intently concerned.
Unleashing his mental energy and briefly listening to their conversation, Xiao Yan was certain it was Chen Guan.
Learning that Chen Guan and Cao Ying had been inside for two and a half days, Xiao Yan calmed down and settled into meditation and practice in the hall, waiting.
While he had never refined a seventh-grade elixir, he had heard Yao Chen speak extensively about its extreme difficulty, often requiring ten days to a half-month.
"Soon, by the time I reach Dou Wang, I'm sure... I should be able to refine a seventh-grade elixir too..."
Xiao Yan muttered to himself. Catching up with them in terms of Dou Qi cultivation would be a challenge, but he remained confident in his alchemy skills.
He's the disciple of Yao Zun, the continent's foremost alchemist!
Yao Chen's years of instruction have laid a solid foundation for him. Now, his only concern is whether his own strength can sustain such exertion...
-
Inside Xuan Kongzi's study on the top floor of Dan Tower.
A few old men chatted and laughed. Though thousands of meters away, they couldn't hide the scene within the examination hall.
"Yao Chen, your disciple has good character and a promising future. However, with that kid named Chen as his target, he's bound to suffer a setback. You must be careful not to let him lose his spirit,"
Xuan Kongzi laughed heartily, his face flushed with an indescribable sense of pride.
How could Yao Chen not know what he was thinking, he rolled his eyes and replied unhappily: "You don't need to worry about it, you talk as if Chen Guan is already your disciple."
"Isn't this a matter of time? Can he refuse if I, as this old man, accept him as a disciple?"
"Haha, I have known him for several years. Do you understand him better than I do? Look at how he is now able to refine seventh-grade elixirs with ease. How much can you teach him with your level? This kid won't give up until he sees the rabbit."
Yao Chen was still stubborn and sneered.
Ads by Pubfuture
This appearance caused Xuan Kongzi, who had been brimming with confidence, to waver a bit.
What if I'm really rejected...
No way, I have to find a way!
-
Thoughtless, immersed in cultivation.
In a blink of an eye, another ten days passed.
On this day, Xiao Yan's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. With his exceptional mental strength, he noticed something amiss before anyone else in the hall.
"Done?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a resounding dragon roar echoed. Immediately, a surge of blue light shot up into the sky, like the sound of a harp string. The energy of the heavens and earth in this space suddenly plucked, and the scene was like a piece of wet meat dropped into a frying pan of boiling oil, exploding repeatedly.
In an instant, countless eyes in the hall turned in the same direction, quickly rushing out to watch, their eyes filled with unconcealed envy.
Chen Guan paid no attention to the attention from outside, looking up at the ever-increasing energy storm, which gathered like a long dragon. Amidst it, a single point of blue light stood out.
"The pill thunder is coming. The final step shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Glancing at the rolling black clouds swirling in the sky, Cao Ying retracted her gaze and smiled.
At this point, the outcome was already decided.
"Of course,"
Chen Guan smiled, his expression as calm as ever, as if refining such a seventh-grade elixir hadn't taken much effort on him.
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the ring at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it soared into the sky, hovering alone beneath the black clouds. It was the puppet he had exchanged for.
As if provoked, with a loud boom, a beam of pure white pill thunder, as thick as a bucket, suddenly exploded, slamming fiercely into the puppet's chest.
Surprisingly, despite such a heavy blow, the puppet remained unscathed. Even its falling form quickly stopped. Upon closer inspection, one could even detect that its aura had intensified!
"Is this a Heavenly Demon Puppet? No, there's a difference!"
In the hall, Xiao Yan joined the crowd outside to observe, keenly noticing that this puppet was different from the one he'd heard of from the Devil Flame Valley.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pill lightning rained down relentlessly, each blocked by the puppet, none reaching below.
Watching the impotently raging black cloud finally die down and fade away, the alchemists were stunned by a strange illusion.
This pill lightning, it seemed, was just so-so.
I can do it!
In the sky, the puppet moved swiftly. The moment the pill lightning faded, it flashed and landed beside the round pill enveloped in blue light. Its iron hand suddenly reached out, grasping it with precision.
Then, with a flash, it landed in the elegant courtyard below.
"Examiner Cao, have I passed?"
Taking the pill and putting away the puppet, Chen Guan examined the warm pill with satisfaction. The refreshing fragrance made him want to swallow it.
Cao Ying approached, nodded slightly, and gazed at the elixir with curiosity.
"I heard that Master Yao once created a Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill. Could that be..."
"As you think, it is indeed it."
Chen Guan nodded frankly. Although the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill wasn't circulated, its reputation was considerable, and Master Feng was the beneficiary right in front of him.
Who wouldn't want to be the next Master Feng?
A single Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, falling into a chaotic region like the Black Horn Territory, could unleash a bloodbath.
But this one definitely wouldn't be circulated. Without hesitation, Chen Guan tossed it into his mouth.
The alacrity of his action left Cao Ying speechless, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
"You don't show any mercy at all."
"Elixirs are made to be consumed. Making the most of them is their destiny. I hope they never see the day they'll be of any use,"
Chen Guan replied with a smile. This was, after all, his first time taking a seventh-grade elixir.
Hmm, it tasted nothing at all, except for a refreshing coolness that washed down his stomach.
Cao Ying couldn't argue, so she changed the subject, "Let's go. If nothing unexpected happens, the teachers and the others are already waiting outside."
"Senior Xuankongzi?"
"You'll find out once you get out,"
Cao Ying said with a teasing smile, appearing quite approachable.
Confused, Chen Guan could only follow behind.
Her words were identical to Cao Ying's, even more dramatic.
In the hall, not only Xuankongzi but also Xuan Yi, Venerable Feng, and Yao Chen, who had hidden within Xiao Yan's ring.
Excluding Yao Chen, the others all wore welcoming, pleased smiles.
Without giving Chen Guan time to reflect, Xuankongzi stepped forward first, stroking his beard, his voice unusually resonant, echoing throughout the hall.
"Young man Chen, it's a shame to waste your alchemy talent. I heard you don't have a teacher yet. Would you be willing to become Ying'er's apprentice?"
With these words, apart from a few people who had known about it beforehand, even Chen Guan and Xiao Yan were stunned. The other alchemists were so envious that their eyes sparkled, wishing they could take their place.
He scanned the envious eyes around him. If he shook his head now, he'd probably cause public outrage and be hated by Xuan Kongzi forever.
He grumbled inwardly, but he wasn't one to hesitate. He suppressed his frustration and bowed in response.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior. Chen Guan is willing."
"If you're willing, why call me Senior?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Hahaha, all right. Go and rest for a while, and come see me tonight."
Having gotten his wish, Xuan Kongzi was in high spirits, laughing heartily and glancing proudly at the storage ring on Xiao Yan's finger.
Chen Guan nodded in agreement and watched the old men leave.
Turning around and seeing the rich smile on Cao Ying's face, he understood, he understood everything!
"Junior brother, come here, call me Senior Sister."
"..."
"Brother Guan, congratulations, I have good news to tell you." Xiao Yan stepped forward.