C131 Pill Fire

A subtle warmth coursed through his body.

Lin Xuan sensed a slight enhancement in his alchemy talent.

He then stood by, waiting.

Soon, two elders clad in alchemist robes emerged from a large door ahead. One donned black, the other gray.

Emblazoned on their chests were gray Pill Tripods and three five-pointed stars, marking them as Spiritual Rank High-grade alchemists.

The black-robed elder, roster in hand, surveyed the room before announcing:

"My name is Sun Jingyun, a Spiritual Rank High-grade alchemist with the Alchemists' Guild, overseeing the Mortal Rank alchemist evaluations.

Those wishing to undertake the Mortal Rank Pill Refiner assessment, come with me."

With that, Sun Jingyun glanced over the roster and made to enter the door.

But he halted abruptly, a frown creasing his forehead. He spun around, annoyance etched on his face, and barked:

"Who is Lin Xuan?

Attempting the Mortal Rank Advanced Pill Refiner test at sixteen—are you out of your mind?

The Alchemists' Guild is not a playground for your antics!"

His words drew all eyes to Lin Xuan.

Stepping forward from the crowd, Lin Xuan approached Sun Jingyun with a respectful bow.

"Senior Sun, I am Lin Xuan.

But make no mistake, I'm not here for games.

I've come for the assessment, and I assure you of my sincerity."

Simultaneously, Sun Jingyun's attribute panel materialized before him.

Aside from his cultivation level, he possessed a Superior Grade alchemy talent, though his other treasures paled in comparison to Zhang Chen's.

Yet, it was this alchemy talent he coveted.

With a thought, he acted.

"30,000 energy points expended, duplication complete. You have acquired [Superior Grade alchemy talent]."

Hearing this, Sun Jingyun's expression softened somewhat.

Still, his brow remained furrowed, and he seemed poised to speak further, only to be dissuaded by the grey-robed elder at his side.

The elder in gray offered a light laugh and advised:

"Let's afford him the opportunity. He doesn't appear to be jesting.

After all, it's merely a matter of some alchemy materials—the Alchemists' Guild can well afford it."

The elder in the grey robes was named Zhang Qun, and Lin Xuan had previously reviewed his attribute panel.

It was quite similar to Sun Jingyun's, and Lin Xuan had even managed to copy Zhang Qun's superior-grade alchemy talent.

"Alright then."

Upon hearing Zhang Qun's remarks, Sun Jingyun refrained from further comment.

"Everyone, come with me."

With that, Sun Jingyun led the candidates for the examination through the grand entrance.

Lee Yue and Lyu remained outside, lacking the credentials to enter.

Once inside, they were greeted by a vast expanse housing over a dozen pill furnaces, each standing over a meter tall.

Adjacent to these furnaces, tables were laden with an assortment of herbs and a sheet of white paper.

"Pick a spot and check the materials, the pill furnaces, and the recipes. If you encounter any issues, don't hesitate to speak up," Sun Jingyun instructed.

Lin Xuan and the rest approached and each selected a pill furnace.

Stationed behind a furnace to the right, Lin Xuan picked up the white paper from the table and quickly perused it.

It was the pill recipe.

"Top Grade Rank 3 medicinal pill, the Qi Returning Pill," Lin Xuan whispered to himself.

He scrutinized the recipe in his hands, his analysis swift and precise.

A wave of familiarity washed over him.

"Is this the advantage of possessing first-class alchemy talent?" Lin Xuan mused silently, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

He had never before crafted a medicinal pill by hand.

Yet now, with the recipe in his grasp, he experienced an ineffable sense of proficiency.

Other alchemists would need to invest considerable time and repeated attempts to achieve such intuition.

The disparity was astonishing.

"It appears my strategy is sound—amassing more talents is crucial," Lin Xuan reflected internally.

"The Qi Returning Pill, of all things!"

"Refining a Qi Returning Pill, especially one of Top Grade Rank 3, is no easy feat."

"I'm probably headed for another failure," murmured the surrounding disciples, their complaints filling the air.

Lin Xuan couldn't help but smile at their dismay.

He then swiftly assimilated the fundamental principles of alchemy and commenced his inspection.

Pill furnace, ingredients, recipe.

He swiftly concluded his examination, finding no issues with any of the three components.

Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be any issues. Lin Xuan was simply taking precautions.

After some time, Sun Jingyun noticed the absence of questions and announced,

"If there are no issues, let's proceed with the assessment.

You'll all be refining the Qi Returning Pill, and here are three sets of ingredients.

Each of you has three attempts. Succeed once in refining three pills, and you'll have passed.

The quality of the pills is not a concern."

With that, everyone started their work on the Qi Returning Pill.

Those lacking the potential of an Earth-ranked Alchemist didn't possess Pill Fire.

Instead, they had to rely on Fire Essence Carbon and similar materials for their alchemy.

Quickly, the participants ignited the Fire Essence Carbon to warm the furnaces, roast the herbs, and distill the essence.

The alchemists methodically followed the steps of the refining process.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan remained motionless, showing no sign of starting.

"Why hasn't Lin Xuan begun?"

"At just sixteen, he's quite young. Can he really produce a Top Grade Rank 3 pill?"

"It's highly unlikely."

Several seasoned middle-aged alchemists kept an eye on Lin Xuan, murmuring among themselves with a hint of scorn.

Sun Jingyun's brow furrowed at the sight.

Was Lin Xuan merely toying around?

He resolved to discipline Lin Xuan after the assessment and then expel him from the Alchemists' Guild, which was no place for the unserious.

Time ticked by, and within ten minutes, the quickest alchemist had nearly completed the process.

"Just as I thought," Lin Xuan murmured to himself, observing their techniques. He nodded subtly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This being his inaugural attempt, he had chosen to first watch the others. What he saw confirmed his expectations.

Now, he was ready to begin.

Lin Xuan commenced his pill refining.

A moment later, a golden flame materialized in his palm.

This flame was the Pill Fire, which had emerged in his Dantian after he replicated the Spiritual Rank alchemy talent and assimilated it.

The Pill Fire was the quintessential flame for alchemists to craft their pills.

Its power could also continuously escalate in tandem with the alchemist's advancing cultivation level.

As the Pill Fire ignited, a wave of heat radiated outward in every direction.

The temperature within the entire space soared swiftly.

"Is that Pill Fire?"

"Isn't Pill Fire exclusive to those with the potential of an Earth-ranked Alchemist?"

"Could Lin Xuan truly be an alchemy prodigy?"

"He's not just a prodigy; he's at the pinnacle of alchemy talent."

A buzz of conversation erupted among the crowd, and the atmosphere was charged with astonishment.

Disbelief etched on their faces, everyone's eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan.