Xu Ran and Xiao Yi Xian stepped out of the Magic Beast Mountain Range and made their way to the nearby Heiyan City.
"Xu Ran, I'm now a Third Tier Alchemist. It will be quite easy to pass the alchemist assessment here." Xiao Yi Xian held Xu Ran's hand, looking for the Black Rock City Alchemist Association.
Although Xiao Yi Xian had achieved the level of a Third Tier Alchemist, she still hadn't undergone the Alchemist Guild's assessment.
Only alchemists who have passed the Alchemist Guild's assessment can truly prove their strength.
In the past, if Xiao Yi Xian had become an alchemist, she would have kept as low a profile as possible. Exposing her talent without the protection of a powerful force by her side could potentially cause unnecessary trouble.
But with Xu Ran by her side, she had no such concerns at all.
She, too, had a bit of vanity.
Before, she was always alone, but now with Xu Ran by her side, she would no longer hide her true nature.
"That's right. The president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Association may not even be a match for my little fairy. After all, who taught Xian Er her alchemy skills?" Xu Ran held Xiao Yi Xian's hand, and the two of them were affectionate with each other. Passersby overheard their conversation and were shocked, but they all assumed Xu Ran and Xiao Yi Xian had gone crazy.
To them, alchemists were extremely prestigious beings.
Every year, many people went to the Alchemist Guild for assessment, many hoping to try their luck and see if they could perform extraordinarily well and create a First-grade Elixir. The number of successful candidates each year was less than one in ten.
"Don't flatter yourself too much. I became an alchemist by my own efforts." Xiao Yi Xian huffed lightly. However, she was just mouthing off, as she knew very well that it was Xu Ran who had changed her destiny. Without Xu Ran, as the owner of the Calamity Poison Body, she would have had a precarious existence, struggling to even stay alive, let alone become an alchemist.
"Xu Ran, Xiao Yi Xian?"
At the entrance of the Alchemist Guild, Xu Ran and Xiao Yi Xian encountered an acquaintance.
At that moment, Xiao Yan's eyes widened as he looked vigilantly at Xu Ran.
He was now scared of Xu Ran, feeling uneasy at the sight of him. Xu Ran was just too capable! Besides fear, deep hatred surged within him.
Consequently, he felt a twinge of annoyance towards Xiao Yi Xian as well.
Previously, he had coveted Xiao Yi Xian, but now that she had become Xu Ran's woman, he would never spare her another glance.
No matter how beautiful other women were, they were just a taste to him, and he would never truly be moved by them. Only Xun Er could genuinely stir his heart.
"Are you here to take part in the alchemist assessment as well?" Xiao Yan asked nervously. He feared that Xu Ran was scheming against him again. He had come to realize that he was no match for Xu Ran and that only by accumulating strength could he possibly turn the tables in the future. Hence, he would not provoke Xu Ran now; the last time he did, he was attacked by a Unity Ape for a whole day and night, and he had learned his lesson.
If Xu Ran was plotting something bad to mess with him, he would just leave immediately.
If he couldn't fight, could he not still hide?
However, he was a bit bewildered.
Yao Lao's evaluation of Xu Ran was very high, and he felt that Xu Ran's alchemy grade was probably no less than Sixth Grade. What was Xu Ran doing here?
"I'm here accompanying Xian Er to participate in the alchemy assessment," Xu Ran said with a smile, holding Xiao Yi Xian even more closely.
"Xiao Yi Xian?" Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. He had learned before that Xiao Yi Xian was just a physician at the Thousand Medicine Pavilion, not an alchemist. If she were an alchemist, she wouldn't be staying at a small place like Thousand Medicine Pavilion.
"Hmph. Xiao Yan, I didn't expect to see you again," Xiao Yi Xian instinctively disliked Xiao Yan. Last time, Xiao Yan had been afraid of being dragged away by the Unity Apes and even asked them to find her. Although Xiao Yan's plan didn't succeed in the end, it still made Xiao Yi Xian hate him.
Women can be quite petty.
"How could you possibly be an alchemist?" Xiao Yan didn't care about Xiao Yi Xian's attitude towards him, as long as she didn't beat him up.
"Xu Ran taught me!" Xiao Yi Xian raised her proud neck.
"Oh. I see."
"Just in time, I'm also planning to take part in the alchemist assessment," Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, somewhat excited. His eyeballs whirling, Xiao Yan seemed to be thinking up some scheme.
"Xu Ran, Xiao Yi Xian is your disciple, huh. Heh heh. Do you have the guts to let Xiao Yi Xian compete against me?" Xiao Yan pondered and, seeming unable to come up with any pretext to lure Xu Ran into his trap, decided to provoke him directly.
He was betting on Xu Ran's pride. With Xu Ran's personality, as long as he was provoked, he'd agree to a contest, and then Xiao Yan would have the opportunity to propose some bets!
"Xiao Yan, do you have no shame? You well know that Xian Er has only studied with me for a few days, yet you still want her to compete with you. Are you even human?" Xu Ran curled his lip. Xiao Yan was shamelessly despicable!
They were actually going to compete?
"What's the matter? Xu Ran, are you scared? I really thought you were someone formidable. You've disappointed me. It seems, you are just a worthless person after all," Xiao Yan continued to provoke with sharp words. Seeing Xu Ran's reaction made Xiao Yan even more excited.
One should know that experience in alchemy can't be learned overnight.
Xu Ran was formidable, even capable of helping Xiao Mei and the others skyrocket their strength! This was because Xu Ran could refine high-grade elixirs for them to consume.
But!
If Xu Ran wanted to help Xiao Yi Xian improve her alchemy skills, he would need to teach her slowly, one recipe at a time. Even Yao Lao, who was so powerful and had a high talent for alchemy, had only just reached the threshold of a Second Tier Alchemist, nothing more.
How long had Xiao Yi Xian studied with Xu Ran?
Even if Xiao Yi Xian was exceptionally gifted and had a good understanding of medicinal herbs from her time as a pharmacist, in these few days, she would at most be a First-Grade Alchemist.
Moreover, it's possible that Xiao Yi Xian might not even pass the assessment for a First-Grade Alchemist.
If he couldn't outdo Xu Ran, could he possibly be outdone by Xiao Yi Xian?
In the Jia Ma Empire, he would only admit to being inferior to Xu Ran, but anyone else, he could suppress with ease!
Because! He, Xiao Yan, was also a genius! An unparalleled genius!
"Xiao Yan, you really are shameless. Pah! Although your talent is decent, your character is utterly rotten!"
"But since you want to compete, I'll compete with you! Who do you think you are? Do you think I, Xiao Yi Xian, am inferior to trash like you?" Xiao Yi Xian was infuriated by Xiao Yan, and if her upbringing had not been so proper, she would have felt like beating Xiao Yan up again.
Xiao Yan's smug expression was just too annoying!
Having received Xu Ran's alchemy teachings, and after her continuous study and organization over the past few days, her knowledge of alchemy had almost reached the level of a Fifth-Grade Alchemist. It was only because her "Cultivation Level" was shallow that she wasn't able to refine higher-level elixirs.