Chapter 158: Alchemist Certification!
"So this is Holy Pill City? It certainly lives up to its reputation!"
Gazing at the towering city walls that reached into the clouds—thick, solid, and majestic—and at the three boldly inscribed characters for 'Holy Pill City,' written with the force of dragons soaring and serpents darting, Xiao Yi Xian could not help but exclaim in admiration.
Before them was the true core of the Alchemy Domain, the sacred land in the hearts of all alchemists under heaven—Holy Pill City!
Jiang Yun raised his head to look. He could sense that the three characters of 'Holy Pill City' were imbued with a dense, rich spirituality. At a single glance, no matter who looked, they would feel a pressure that acted directly upon the soul!
It was absolutely the handiwork of an alchemy grandmaster!
However, to Jiang Yun's current realm, this slight pressure was hardly worth mentioning. Yet it allowed every single person entering the city to feel the might of the Pill Tower.
Entering Holy Pill City and walking along its main thoroughfare, the shops on both sides were piled high with a dazzling array of goods. Bustling crowds came and went, waves of noise spreading outward.
The prosperity of Holy Pill City was evident—it was the most flourishing city Jiang Yun had seen since arriving on the Dou Qi Continent. Even the Ancient Dragon Clan's cities could not compare. After all, in terms of population, the Ancient Dragon Clan was still far too 'scarce.'
"Jiang Yun, where shall we go?" Xiao Yi Xian looked around with keen interest, then turned back to Jiang Yun, her eyes brimming with a smile.
"First, let's head to the Pill Tower and take the alchemist ranking test. After that, we'll contact Elder Yao." Watching Xiao Yi Xian, who was noticeably more lively than usual, Jiang Yun's lips also carried a rich smile.
"Alright!" Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian nodded obediently.
"Boom—"
Just then, the distant sky suddenly rippled with intense spatial fluctuations. The next moment, a black carriage pulled by several fiery-red beasts appeared in the sky above.
The sudden appearance of the black carriage immediately drew countless gazes from the surroundings, and a wave of astonished exclamations followed.
"To think it's Crimson Ember Beast! Who exactly is this, to have such a grand display?"
Hearing the surprised cries rising from below, Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow. The Crimson Ember Beast was a fire-attributed magical beast with extremely formidable combat strength—reaching the sixth rank at adulthood.
More importantly, it was not slow, and its numbers were exceptionally sparse. As a result, at certain auctions, there was always a price yet no supply to be found.
"One of the five great clans?" Jiang Yun's gaze fell upon the clan emblem on the carriage, and he thought to himself.
"Roar—"
Just as the carriage was about to pass by Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian, the Crimson Ember Beast abruptly came to a halt. Staring warily at Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian, it let out a low growl.
"What's going on?" Faced with this sudden scene, Xiao Yi Xian looked at Jiang Yun with some bewilderment.
Jiang Yun, too, stared unblinkingly at the Crimson Ember Beast. Noticing the fear deep within its eyes, he formed some conjectures in his heart. He and Xiao Yi Xian had just emerged from the Ancient Dragon Clan's Dragon Blood Pool.
Some residual traces of the Taixu Ancient Dragon's aura inevitably still clung to them. And the Taixu Ancient Dragon was the supreme sovereign of all magical beasts. Presumably, it was this very circumstance that had stirred fear in the heart of the Crimson Ember Beast.
"Insolence—! How dare you block our carriage! Do you know who is inside?!"
Suddenly, a sharp, harsh shout rang out. The guards surrounding the carriage abruptly encircled Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian. A middle-aged man at their head glared at them with unfriendly eyes.
"This... are we being framed?"
Seeing this scene, Xiao Yi Xian's expression immediately turned severe, her icy gaze fixed upon the crowd. As for Jiang Yun, he was similarly watching with a light chuckle—but deep within his eyes, a startling, cold gleam radiated.
"I would rather like to know just who is inside—to be so overbearing?" Jiang Yun's gaze was icy as he stared at the middle-aged man. The full force of his Dou Zun aura erupted explosively.
Boom—
A terrifying aura burst forth, merging with heaven and earth, carrying the momentum of the world as it swept outward like an avalanche, surging in all directions.
"A Dou Zun expert!!!"
The middle-aged man was greatly alarmed. And it was not just him—even the passersby far in the distance were all wearing expressions of shock.
No one had expected that between these two, a young man and woman, one would actually be a Dou Zun expert. In an era when Dou Shengs did not appear, a Dou Zun was a top-tier expert on the Dou Qi Continent, more than enough to support a first-rate power.
At the same time, the Crimson Ember Beast behind him let out a mournful cry and wobbled as it plummeted downward.
Thud—
"Cao Lin! What is going on here?!"
A somewhat disheveled figure flew out from the carriage. He wore a purple alchemist's robe and was rather young and handsome. Yet beneath that handsomeness, a hint of arrogance could hardly be concealed.
On his chest, a badge representing a sixth-tier alchemist was worthy of that arrogance of his.
At this moment, he glared with an unfriendly expression at the middle-aged man named Cao Lin.
"Young Master Cao Xuan..." Cao Lin looked at Jiang Yun with some difficulty and discreetly signaled toward Cao Xuan.
Catching Cao Lin's hint, Cao Xuan frowned and looked at Jiang Yun. His entire body jolted. With an expression of sheer terror, he cried out: "Dou Zun!!!"
"If all members of the Cao clan are of such moral character, then that is truly disappointing!" Jiang Yun frowned as he looked at Cao Xuan.
"Sir, though you are a Dou Zun expert, is it not somewhat inappropriate to slight my Cao clan so?" Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Cao Xuan gritted his teeth inwardly. Furrowing his brow lightly, he suppressed the fear in his heart. Looking at Jiang Yun, he questioned with some dissatisfaction in his expression.
"Is it not the truth?" Jiang Yun cast a disdainful glance at Cao Xuan and countered, "What did the matter just now have to do with me? And what kind of attitude was that from your guards?"
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Cao Xuan frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Even if we were in the wrong first, that still does not permit you to insult the Cao clan!"
Jiang Yun did not continue to argue. Instead, he simply looked at Cao Xuan with a face full of amusement, causing a deep, crawling dread to rise in the other's heart—as if he were being watched by some primordial ferocious beast.
"Shua!"
"Young Master, be careful!"
A cry of alarm rang out. Cao Xuan abruptly snapped back to his senses. Ahead, Jiang Yun's figure had already vanished. In the next instant, a slender finger magnified within his vision. Subconsciously, he wanted to flee, but the space around him was sealed. He could only watch, helpless, as that finger descended.
Boom!
"Ah—!" A wretched howl of pain rang out. After Jiang Yun's finger had tapped Cao Xuan's brow, the other collapsed to the ground, wailing in agony.
"Young Master—!"
Seeing this, Cao Lin was aghast. His aura as a two-star Dou Zong erupted, and leading numerous Dou Huang guards, he charged at Jiang Yun.
"Know your place!"
Jiang Yun sneered contemptuously. With a wave of his sleeve, a terrifying force swept forth. In the next instant, Cao Lin and the others who had rushed forward seemed to suffer a heavy blow, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood as they hurtled backward, collapsing beside Cao Xuan.
"A small punishment as a major warning. Next time, do not be so ostentatious. The Cao clan is not the Pill Tower!" After dealing with the group, Jiang Yun pulled Xiao Yi Xian along. Passing the fallen crowd, he looked at Cao Xuan, who was clutching his head and gritting his teeth in agony, and spoke with indifference.
"You..."
Ignoring the reactions of the crowd, Jiang Yun led Xiao Yi Xian and continued deeper inside.
Not long after the two had left, a large contingent of troops hurried toward this area and took Cao Xuan and the others away.
And after everyone had dispersed, the incident that had just occurred spread rapidly throughout the entire Alchemy Domain.
Weaving through the bustling, crowded streets, after about ten or so minutes of walking, they arrived before a towering, pagoda-like building situated at the intersection of two crisscrossing, broad avenues—a place exceptionally lively.
Its wide-open gates saw alchemists coming and going in a constant stream, all wearing alchemist badges on their chests and expressions tinged with pride.
"Come, let's go in and take a look!" Jiang Yun gave Xiao Yi Xian beside him a gentle smile and stepped forward, walking toward the open gates of the branch tower.
"Sir, to enter the Pill Tower, please first present your alchemist rank badge. It is an express rule of the Pill Tower that non-alchemists are not permitted entry!"
Just before the gates of the branch tower, as Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian were about to step inside, two Dou Huang-level guards blocked their path.
Seeing this, Jiang Yun took out the fifth-tier alchemist badge he had certified at Jia Nan Academy and said, "I've only just arrived in Holy Pill City. I wonder—will a previously certified badge suffice?"
"It will. Sir, please enter!" Seeing the fifth-tier alchemist badge in Jiang Yun's hand, the man's expression gained a few more traces of respect. A fifth-tier alchemist was not particularly rare—but a fifth-tier alchemist of Jiang Yun's age was.
Nodding, and pulling Xiao Yi Xian along, the two walked toward the interior of the branch tower.
All around them, the alchemists coming and going all wore badges. Their expressions were faintly aloof. Even when acquaintances met, they only exchanged reserved smiles.
Entering a corridor within the branch tower and walking for several minutes, the view before them suddenly opened wide.
It was a rather spacious courtyard, no smaller than the Alchemist Association Headquarters of the Jia Ma Empire. At this moment, quite a number of alchemists, wearing robes representing various ranks, were moving about inside.
"The northern part of the tower is the trading area. Many alchemists trade there for medicinal ingredients or pills they need. Of course, experts who are not alchemists also come to purchase pills and ingredients." The attendant who had led Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian inside introduced the tower's layout, then pointed toward another direction. "The rank certification area should be on the southern side."
By the time they reached the examination area, there was already a rather long queue ahead.
After escorting Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian there, the attendant departed. The two honestly lined up and waited.
Their outstanding looks and extraordinary bearing naturally drew many gazes—especially toward Xiao Yi Xian. But upon seeing Jiang Yun's fifth-tier alchemist badge, quite a few people retracted their stares.
As the saying went—youth was the greatest asset!
A fifth-tier alchemist and a fifth-tier alchemist were not the same thing!
An hour later, most of those ahead of Jiang Yun had finished their examinations. They entered a very spacious room.
This room was quite roomy and also exceptionally quiet—not a hint of the clamor from outside reached within. At present, there were about ten or so people standing inside. Their gazes were currently fixed upon a rather arrogant-looking elder.
On the elder's chest was pinned a badge. Upon the badge, flames wreathed around, revealing a pagoda shape. On the pagoda body, six purplish-gold stars radiated dazzling light.
Behind the elder were four doors. Above these four doors were inscribed ancient-style characters, respectively: "Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Huang."
Seeing the group enter, the elder spoke: "Everyone has arrived. Then let the examination begin."
"First, tell me what rank you wish to test for, so I can arrange the examination rooms for you."
"Third-tier!"
"Fourth-tier!"
"..."
When it came to Jiang Yun and Xiao Yi Xian's turn, Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Yi Xian and said lightly, "I'm just accompanying her!"
The elder furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing more. Turning his head to look at Xiao Yi Xian, he assumed she was probably a junior sister or the like—here for her first rank certification and a bit nervous. He had seen this sort of situation many times before.
"Sixth-tier!"
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Xiao Yi Xian gave a gentle smile and spoke serenely.
These words instantly caused the alchemists ahead to cast sidelong glances.
"Sixth-tier? Did I hear that right?"
"This young girl looks no more than seventeen or eighteen, and she isn't even wearing an alchemist's robe. She can test for sixth-tier?"
"If I remember correctly, that demon girl of the Cao clan is only sixth-tier, isn't she? Could she be yet another monster?"
Hearing this, everyone shook their heads. If Cao Ying's talent were so commonplace, she wouldn't have been given the title of demon girl.
Faced with the strange looks from the crowd, Xiao Yi Xian's expression remained calm, without the slightest trace of nervousness.
This made the elder responsible for the examination somewhat hesitant. He confirmed once more: "Young lady, are you certain you wish to test for the sixth-tier alchemist?"
"Does the Pill Tower restrict what rank one can test for?" Xiao Yi Xian nodded and countered.
"Well, no, it does not!" Hearing this, the elder's expression froze for a moment. Then, shaking his head with a rueful laugh, he said, "Alright. Each of you, enter your respective rooms—someone will examine you inside. As for this young lady, I will handle it personally!"
Having said this, Elder Zhao rose and walked toward the 'Heaven' door among the four—Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Huang.
Toward this obvious preferential treatment, the crowd could only feel helpless. Yet there was nothing they could do. Among alchemists, hierarchy was strict. Toward high-ranking alchemists, those of lower rank generally had no qualifications to pass judgment.
"Go. Believe in yourself!" Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Yi Xian. Raising his hand, he tousled the fine hair atop her head and spoke gently.
"Mm!" Xiao Yi Xian nodded. Feeling the warmth atop her head, her heart was filled with solid reassurance. She turned around and walked toward the 'Heaven' room.
As time passed, those who had taken their tests ahead came out one after another—some excited, some crestfallen. The full spectrum was present.
But at this moment, without exception, they all quietly waited. They wanted to see whether Xiao Yi Xian could succeed—whether she was indeed another heaven-defying talent on the level of the Cao clan's demon girl.
Just as the long wait stretched on, the tightly shut 'Heaven'-class room finally, amidst a faint creaking sound, slowly opened...
Seeing any reaction at all, the spirits of everyone in the room were immediately invigorated. Their gazes instantly fixated on that doorway. Their hearts were nervous and apprehensive—even more agitated than the actual examinee.
The door opened. The elder who had conducted the examination was the first to emerge. At this moment, his brows were furrowed. With a face full of dejection, he shook his head and sighed.
Behind him, Xiao Yi Xian walked with light, cheerful steps to Jiang Yun's side. Holding up the brand-new badge in her hand, she beamed playfully and laughed, "I succeeded! I'm now a sixth-tier alchemist too!"
The excited Xiao Yi Xian even stepped closer into Jiang Yun's embrace and leaned in beside his ear, whispering.
"I didn't let your teaching go to waste, did I."
"Teacher!"