"Oh, Old Otto, you brought someone with you this time?"
An aged voice, tinged with a smile, echoed through the hall.
Following the sound, everyone saw an old man with snow-white hair standing on the high platform to the left. He looked like an ordinary elder, yet the alchemist's robe he wore bore a badge engraved with four silver ripples.
"That's Vice President Mitchell. He is also the Little Princess's teacher," Otto whispered as he waved to the old man and introduced him to Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan.
"I'll take you to meet those old fellows. They hold enormous power in the Jia Ma Empire."
Otto led Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan onto the high platform and stopped.
"Old Otto, it's been a long time since you brought anyone to the Convention. Are these the strong contenders from Blackrock City this time?"
"This time, I've brought two rare geniuses. You won't be able to surpass me," Otto replied with a proud smile.
"Vice President Mitchell." Xiao Tian bowed slightly and smiled.
Mitchell's cloudy eyes scanned Xiao Tian carefully.
"He's a good prospect with great potential. In the future, he will definitely become a pillar of our alchemist world."
The other fourth-rank alchemists around Mitchell also cast their gazes over.
Then they looked at Xiao Yan standing beside him. Seeing the second-rank alchemist badge on Xiao Yan's chest, Mitchell frowned almost imperceptibly. A second-rank alchemist would find it difficult to even enter the top twenty at the Alchemist Convention.
"Little guy, Old Otto rarely recommends people. It seems he values you highly, so don't disappoint him."
"There's no problem passing this test," Xiao Yan replied indifferently with a shrug. He knew his second-rank badge easily invited speculation.
"It's good to have confidence." Mitchell nodded and smiled.
"Alright, the test is about to begin. You two should go down first."
Mitchell checked the time and spoke gently to Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan.
After the two walked down from the high platform, Mitchell stood at the front and pointed to the left wall of the hall, which was covered with many black curtains.
"Behind each curtain is a small examination room."
"This test requires you to refine the medicinal ingredients to their extreme purity before the hourglass runs out. Your score will then be determined by a subsequent evaluation to see if you qualify for advancement."
"Alright, you may choose a room and begin."
As soon as Mitchell finished speaking, the examinees in the hall rushed toward the curtains, seizing every second.
Xiao Tian also chose a nearby curtain and walked in.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to enter a relatively secluded one, a voice sounded from behind him.
"I didn't expect Brother Yan Xiao to also be participating in this internal test."
Xiao Yan turned and saw Liu Ling's slightly effeminate face, which carried a faint trace of hostility. He let out a disdainful snort and walked straight into the curtain without replying.
Liu Ling immediately clenched his fist in anger.
"Brother Liu Ling, is he your friend?"
"No. Why? Do you want me to introduce you?" Liu Ling quickly composed himself and smiled at Princess Yao Yue, who had asked the question.
"Not really. I'm more interested in the fourth-rank alchemist next to him."
Princess Yao Yue shook her head. A second-rank alchemist wasn't worth her effort to win over.
"That guy should be Xiao Tian, ranked first on the so-called hot contenders list. He certainly seems like an opponent, but what strength can someone from those remote places have? In front of me, he's not worth a single blow."
Liu Ling pondered for a moment, a hint of undetectable disdain curling at the corner of his mouth.
Then the two of them chose a curtain and walked in.
Watching all the examinees enter, Mitchell took a sip of tea and smiled as he looked at the left wall. "Now let's wait and see who achieves the highest purity in their refinement."
"How about we make a bet?"
One of the fourth-rank alchemist elders looked around with a slightly provocative and mischievous smile.
"You wouldn't be scared, would you?"
"Old Deng, I'll bet with you. I'll bet on Xiao Tian having the highest purity. I wager a bottle of Blue Stone Stalactite against your Snow Lotus Seeds."
The person who spoke was naturally Otto. He had full confidence in Xiao Tian.
The others also placed their bets.
…
Xiao Tian, who had entered the curtain, found a blue stone platform against the wall in the small room. On it were medicinal ingredients resembling pieces of black charcoal, along with an hourglass.
"As expected, it's the most heat-resistant Black Iron Spirit Leaf. I wonder how long you can withstand a Different Flame."
Xiao Tian chuckled. He directly condensed a dark purple medicine cauldron using his Different Flame. With a flick of his hand, a Black Iron Spirit Leaf from the platform was thrown into the cauldron.
The dark purple flame instantly enveloped it, beginning a fierce calcination.
His ten fingers moved nimbly as his soul power precisely controlled the flame's temperature.
Time flew by. When Xiao Tian finished refining, he placed the Black Iron Spirit Leaf — which could no longer be refined further — into a jade bottle.
Seeing that less than one-fifth of the hourglass had elapsed, Xiao Tian took the jade bottle, lifted the curtain, and walked out.
The group of elders on the high platform were immediately drawn when they saw a hand emerge from one of the curtains.
"Only one-fifth of the time has passed, and someone is already coming out? Have they finished refining or given up?"
"Old Otto, isn't that the fourth-rank alchemist from your Blackrock City?"
"Yes." Otto saw that it was Xiao Tian who came out first. A smile mixed with slight worry appeared on his face.
After Xiao Tian came out, he stood quietly in the center of the hall, met Otto's gaze, and nodded slightly.
Seeing Xiao Tian's confident demeanor, Otto immediately relaxed.
Xiao Tian stood quietly in the center with his eyes closed to rest. A few old men stared at him blankly, and he felt goosebumps even without opening his eyes.
When the hourglass was almost a quarter empty, someone else walked out from behind a curtain.
Xiao Tian opened his eyes, saw it was Liu Ling, and then closed them again.
Liu Ling had thought he was the first to finish. When his gaze swept to Xiao Tian standing in the middle, he was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but blurt out, "Why is he here?"
"He came out after finishing his refinement. Is there a problem?" Mitchell asked, not understanding Liu Ling's reaction.
"Stealing my thunder. This guy probably doesn't know the rules and just came out after one casual refinement. I don't know how he even passed the assessment to become a fourth-rank alchemist," Liu Ling thought to himself. After comforting himself, he raised his head and stood in the middle of the hall like a proud peacock.
Xiao Tian ignored this somewhat abnormal disciple of Gu He.
After Liu Ling, the Little Princess and the other alchemists also came out one after another.
"Brother Liu, you were indeed fast. I still couldn't beat you."
"I wasn't the first to finish refining. He was already standing here when I came out," Liu Ling said through gritted teeth, slightly raising his head toward Xiao Tian.
"Is he that strong?" Princess Yao Yue looked Xiao Tian up and down. Strong and handsome — how biased must the heavens be?
"Strong my ass. I think he doesn't know the rules and just came out after one refinement. I don't know how he managed to pass the assessment to become a fourth-rank alchemist."
"He doesn't look like that to me. He seems so calm."
Princess Yao Yue looked at Xiao Tian in surprise upon hearing this, a hint of disdain also entering her eyes.
The Little Princess had a relatively good relationship with Liu Ling and fully believed his analysis, completely taken in by his words.
Her original intention to strike up a conversation was immediately extinguished.
As the hourglass was almost empty, Xiao Tian opened his eyes but still didn't see Xiao Yan.
On the high platform, Otto's eyes also dimmed a little. He secretly thought: Was one eliminated here? It shouldn't be.
"Alright, everyone. I announce, time—"
"Sorry, I'm late."
A figure slowly walked out from behind the last remaining curtain and bowed slightly to Mitchell.
Xiao Tian sighed at this famous scene.
It truly is you, Mr. Card Point Brother. If he hadn't been able to sense that Xiao Yan was still refining, he would have thought Xiao Yan was deliberately standing behind the curtain, waiting for the time to almost run out before coming out. The timing was too perfect.