As the grand doors of the Alchemist Association closed behind us, the heat of alchemical furnaces and the pungent scent of herbs thickened the air. I walked side by side with Meng Ruo, who looked around curiously. The building pulsed with a strange energy—one forged from flames, focus, and endless trials.
Inside, we entered the Alchemist Test Room—a circular arena with elevated seating surrounding a central stone platform. Alchemists in ceremonial robes bustled around, and the clinking of cauldrons and trays echoed through the space.
A silver-bearded alchemist spotted us. His eyes narrowed. "Hey! What are you two doing here? Don't you see the Senior Alchemist Test is in session?"
I gave a calm nod. "I'm here to take the test as well."
The man blinked. "What's your rank?"
"None," I said. "I want to join the Alchemist Association."
His jaw dropped. "You… don't even have a rank and yet you barged into a senior test?!"
A sudden hush fell over the room as a new presence entered. The scent of spirit herbs seemed to bow before him.
A voice deep and steady asked, "What's going on here?"
Heads turned. It was Grandmaster Yun Hai, one of the highest-ranking Alchemists in the Western Continents. His white robe bore golden patterns of flames and pills—a symbol of unrivaled mastery.
"I want to take the Senior Alchemist Test," I said boldly.
Grandmaster Yun Hai raised a brow. "You wish to take the Senior test without any official rank?"
"Yes."
"Do you even know how to perform alchemy?" Meng Ruo asked beside me, her voice tinged with concern.
"Of course," I said, grinning.
Intrigued, Yun Hai stroked his beard. "Very well… let's see what kind of madness you bring."
He motioned, and I was guided to the test arena, where a young man already stood confidently with his arms folded. Dressed in robes of emerald silk, a smug expression on his face, he turned toward me.
"Hey, brat. What are you doing here?" said Lin Feng, heir to the Lin Family.
"Why do I have to tell you?" I replied.
His smile faded. "You've got guts to speak to me like that."
I just nodded, unfazed.
Grandmaster Yun Hai raised his hand. "Let the Senior Alchemist Test begin!"
Two assistants stepped forward, placing a tray of ingredients before each of us. Yun Hai's voice rang clear, echoing across the silent hall.
"The task is simple. Use these trays to choose your ingredients and refine an Essence Yang Pill. You have one attempt. Begin!"
Without hesitation, I accessed my newly gained Senior Alchemist Knowledge. My hand moved swiftly, selecting ingredients:
• Crimson Soul Grass
• Pine Yang Fruit
• Seven-Colored Flowing Cloud Python Inner Core
I placed them into my cauldron and summoned my flame. Not just any fire—Inferno Fire, wild and violent, yet perfectly controlled under my will. A red-golden blaze ignited beneath the furnace, its aura sending shivers through the observers.
People in the seating area gasped. The spiritual heat that radiated from my cauldron distorted the air like a mirage. Even Meng Ruo's eyes widened.
I spared a glance at Lin Feng—he had begun refining as well, his focus sharp.
But unlike him, I was calm. Controlled. Confident.
Fifteen minutes passed.
My flames receded. A delicate Essence Yang Pill rolled out of the cauldron, its surface glowing with a faint spiritual hue, fragrant and powerful.
"I'm done," I said.
The room fell silent. Then—
"What?!"
"Only 15 minutes?"
"Is he bluffing? Essence Yang Pill takes at least 30 minutes!"
"He must've failed!"
I ignored them and bowed slightly toward the Grandmaster. "Please inspect the pill, Senior Yun Hai."
Yun Hai approached, examining it under the golden light of his spiritual lens. His eyes widened.
"H-He created a perfect Essence Yang Pill," he said, stunned. "Not only flawless, but infused with dense Yang energy… I've never seen such precise flame control at this level!"
A ripple of shock burst through the room.
Lin Feng, startled by the announcement, faltered in his control. His cauldron hissed.
"Wait—No!" he shouted.
BOOM!
His cauldron exploded, scattering ash and broken fragments. Black smoke billowed through the room as people shielded their eyes.
Coughing and furious, Lin Feng emerged, his robes singed.
"You—" he snarled at me.
But Grandmaster Yun Hai raised a hand. "Silence. Your test is over."
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and stormed out.
The crowd stared at me in awe.
"Who… is this guy?"
"Just passed a Senior Alchemist Test with no prior rank?"
"He's a monster…"
I stood calmly amid the whispers, my Inferno Fire retreating to slumber.
Meng Ruo looked down from the seating area, her expression unreadable—but her eyes held something new: curiosity and admiration.