Pill Exam
Mu Yu extracted more wood residue from Alchemist Yao’s chest after two days of rest.
Mu Yu tapped Xiaohua on the shoulder and, in the tone of an elder speaking to a child, reminded, “Xiaohua, do your best in today’s exam.” In his head, however, Mu Yu wished the tap on the shoulder was a slap to Xiaohua’s cheeky face.
“I passed the level four test already.”
“Oh, that’s a pity. I’m not going to have the honour of seeing Xiaohua’s brilliance.”
“Hmph.”
As Xiaohua strutted off, Cai Lie ambled over. “Bro, my senior is rather proud; however, there’s no denying his gift for alchemy.”
Mu Yu wasn’t a fan of Xiaohua, but he never underestimated Xiaohua for one second. At the end of the day, Alchemist Yao wouldn’t have a nobody for a disciple.
“Senior Brother Cai Lie, the exam is commencing soon, yet you haven’t even started your preparations?” Tian Ran came over and asked.
“Time wasted at an exam is precious time I could spend sleeping.”
Cai Lie’s argument was there was no reason to seek the acknowledgement of others as long as his Rank Four pills topped others’ Rank Four pills. He detested the notion of people pinning their own standards on people.
“Too much complaining and too little go. Let’s get moving. I want to see alchemy in action.” Mu Yu draped his spare arm over Cai Lie’s shoulders and descended together with Xiaoshuai in his other hand.
For the same reasons major events were held at the heart of Mist City, the pill exam was held in the same location. There were a thousand cubicles. Each examinee was granted a table in their cubicle. The majority of the spectators on the roofs consisted of cultivators, and the minority were common folks. The best view of the venue was on the views since flying was off limits in the city. Savvy businesses constructed balconies and platforms on their buildings to charge anyone who wanted a view.
Owing to the strict passing criteria, it would be a miracle if a hundred examinees were granted level four statuses. Still, alchemists fervently signed up for the prestige and privileges a level four alchemist bestowed upon them.
Some people were in attendance to recruit alchemists. Those who passed and didn’t belong to any faction could expect a crowd to make offers after they passed. After all, having an alchemist in their ranks could supplement their disciples’ progress.
The examinees were seen sitting at their desks and getting into the right frame of mind for the impending challenge. However, Cai Lie rendered Mu Yu and Tian Ran speechless. While others were preparing themselves, Cai Lie was getting some shut eye.
The exam format was simple. The examinees were required to produce the pill the examiner asked for within the time limit. Five accomplished alchemists from a different faction were allocated as judges, and Alchemist Yao was the host. Examinees needed to supply their own ingredients – there was a no tolerance policy on that.
Worth noting was level didn’t mean everything for alchemists as being a certain level didn’t equate to being capable of producing all Rank Five pill, nor did it indicate one’s success rate. Every alchemist had a few representative pills. Rare pills tended to have a low production rate for self-explanatory reasons.
“The middle-aged man next to Mr. Yao is Alchemist Xin Shuyang from Earth Sovereign Sect. Like me, he is Mr. Yao’s erstwhile disciple but is now on equal footing with his former teacher. Of course, that’s a bit of a stretch since Mr. Yao is merely dealing with a cultivation issue. He can produce Rank Six pills, but he’ll be weakened for several months following because of the spiritual qi cost involved,” Tian Ran explained.
“Do members of Earth Sovereign Sect like to tame fiend beasts?” queried Mu Yu.
“Indeed. Fiend beasts humans have tamed are called spirit beasts. They tame fiend beasts to control them in battle. Xin Shuyang specialises in producing beast pills to boost spirit beasts’ combat power.” Tian Ran then pointed to the stoic elder to Alchemist Yao’s right hand side. “He is Tian Hen from Celestial Star. I don’t like their sect because they push people around. Don’t even get me started on their young master, Tian Yun. He’s a lecher. Look, he’s over there. God, he looks as if he’s teasing Jade Sect’s Rou Anna instead of me today…”
Tian Yun, a youth roughly Mu Yu’s age and a rather decent-looking Golden Core Realm cultivator, adorned himself in resplendent clothing. Rou Anna, a Golden Core Realm cultivator and Jade Sect’s genius, was a girl wrapped in a yellow robe. She was evidently irate. She launched a kick at Tian Yun, but he evaded it.
Tian Ran turned back to Mu Yu with a subtle smile. “Rou Anna is one of Jade Sect’s most gifted disciples. Like my sect, their sect only accepts female disciples. She has a straight-forward temperament, so Tian Yun isn’t going to have his way with her.”
“Hey, where have you been the past year, Tian Ran? I was worried sick for you, but it sounds as though you can’t stop thinking about me.” Tian Yun draped his arm over Tian Ran’s shoulder.
Tian Ran yanked Tian Yun’s arm draped over her shoulder away and looked at him as if he was repulsive. “Tian Yun, keep your hands to yourself!”
Tian Yun’s mention of Tian Ran’s disappearance caught the attention of people nearby. He ignored the eyes on them and ogled her bosom. “Long-time no see. I missed you. Did you miss me?”
“You want this date next year to be your funeral, do you?”
“Come on. I’m Celestial Star Sect’s future patriarch, and you’re Secular World Sect’s sacred maiden. We’re a match made in heaven.”
“She said keep your hands to yourself,” Mu Yu stated as he stepped in between Tian Ran and Tian Yun.
“Who are you? Do you know who you’re picking a fight with?”
“I don’t care what you want, but I won’t have you touching Tian Ran.”
“Ignore him, Brother Mu Yu. Let’s go.”
And… unsurprisingly, Tian Yun reacted just how Tian Ran predicted.
“Uh, uh.” A Primordial Infant Realm man blocked the duo’s path, while Tian Yun stood there with a smug mug. “You think I’ll just let you stick your nose in my business and walk off?”
“What? You want a piece of me right here?”
The patrolling cultivators in the sky were all Primordial Infant Realm cultivators. One step out of line and they would nab the individual.
“Consider today your lucky day.”
Tian Yun’s status wouldn’t stop Pill Cauldron Sect showing him the door if he couldn’t mind himself, and he was aware of that.
“Brother Mu Yu, you shouldn’t aggravate him. He’s as petty as they come. I’m sure he’ll come after you,” informed Tian Ran, worriedly looking back at Tian Yun as she left with Mu Yu.
“What was I supposed to do? Watch him molest you? My shifu would break my legs if he found out,” joked Mu Yu. Noticing Tian Ran’s sudden despondent reaction, he gave her head a scrub. “Let’s focus on the exam, okay?”
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