"Feilin, appearances can be deceiving. I find the bearing of these three extraordinary; perhaps their strength truly meets that standard," Master Oto said with a solemn expression.
Xiao Yan deliberately showed off his true strength, which Master Oto naturally sensed.
At the same time, he also felt that Xu Ran and Xiao Yi Xian were strong.
Especially Xu Ran, so young and yet able to teach others the art of alchemy. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken it as a joke. But this time, he really believed he had encountered some incredible talents.
"Teacher, just watch. I don't believe they are any sort of geniuses," Feilin stuck out her tongue and pulled Master Oto inside.
"Hee hee. Besides, they are about to participate in the alchemist examination, right? If they truly have the strength, won't we see when they make their elixirs?"
Entering the Alchemist Guild, a faint scent of medicinal herbs wafted towards them, eliciting a sense of relaxation. Master Oto and Feilin were familiar with the place and went straight to the second floor.
Inside the hall, there weren't many people, just a few quietly going about their own business. Seemingly hearing footsteps, some looked up at Xu Ran and his companions, their eyes flashing with doubt before getting back to their work, not believing anyone would dare cause trouble at the Alchemist Guild.
Standing in the somewhat deserted hall, a woman dressed in a light blue gown hurried out from behind a counter and walked briskly towards Xiao Yan and his group.
"Gentlemen, you seem unfamiliar. Is this your first time at the Black Rock City Alchemist Association?" She asked with a smile as she came up to Xiao Yan, sweeping her gaze around the group.
"We are here for the alchemist qualification test, and it's for the Second Tier Alchemist test!" Xiao Yan boasted, afraid of being taken lightly.
"Second Tier Alchemist?" The woman in blue looked at Xiao Yan in surprise, then turned her gaze to Xiao Yi Xian.
"I am here for the Third Tier Alchemist examination," Xiao Yi Xian said, immediately feeling competitive against Xiao Yan's arrogance. She had wanted to keep a low profile, but now all she wanted to do was slap that smug look off his face.
Is a Second Tier Alchemist something to brag about?
She could almost make all Second-Grade Elixirs by now. As for Third-Grade Elixirs, she could handle most of them with proficiency.
She lacked nothing in terms of theoretical knowledge; it was only a matter of strength.
Once her power increased, she would be able to make Fourth-Grade Elixirs!
"Third tier? Xiao Yi Xian, you sure know how to talk big. At best, you're First-Grade," Xiao Yan said with a chuckle. He wasn't worried at all since Xiao Yi Xian had just started with alchemy. Even if she were a peerless genius, she couldn't possibly become a Third Tier Alchemist so quickly. He had asked Yao Lao, who had even taken a number of years to reach the third tier from the beginning of his alchemy journey.
Could Xiao Yi Xian be more impressive than Yao Lao?
"We'll know when the time comes, won't we? You think everyone is like you?" Xiao Yi Xian snapped back.
"Hmph," Xiao Yan's face soured slightly. But thinking about the bet with Xu Ran, his mood improved again. As long as he won, he would get to shame Xu Ran.
"Ladies and gentlemen, have you ever obtained a badge from the Alchemist Guild before? If not, and you wish to obtain a higher grade badge, you must start from the First-Grade Alchemist test. Only after passing the First-Grade test can you continue with the Second Tier Alchemist test," the woman in blue explained.
Then, she led the three to the examination area. Xu Ran was somewhat speechless to find that the woman had also given him an exam number.
He certainly wasn't in the mood for any Alchemist examinations. Did he even need to be tested?
However, if he didn't go in to take the test, he could only stay outside.
"Hehe, Brother Xu Ran, are you also going to take the Alchemy exam? Which grade are you prepared for?" Xiao Yi Xian glanced at Xu Ran's exam number and asked coquettishly.
"Xu Ran, the bet we made is only between me and Little Fairy," Xiao Yan hurriedly said upon seeing Xu Ran also entering.
"Don't worry. You can't even outdo Xian Er."
…
"Are these the geniuses you were talking about?" The president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Association, Fokelan, asked with some uncertainty.
"Yes. I didn't take it seriously at first, but I have a premonition that these three are probably not that simple. Maybe, the biggest dark horse in this exam won't be Feilin and Xue Mei, but them," Master Oto said.
Feilin was a disciple of Master Oto, and Xue Mei was Fokelan's disciple.
"Impossible. Xue Mei and Feilin have been trained by both of us," Fokelan was shocked by Oto's attitude towards Xu Ran and the others.
Feilin and Xue Mei were well-known Heaven's Proud Daughters nearby, and their presence in the hall caused a bit of commotion.
Xue Mei had a tall figure; her eyes were as clear as the cold spring on a snowy mountain, her delicate face, long and thin eyebrows, and slender figure all stood out, especially in her tight-fitting silver dress robe. The silver attire complemented her jade-like skin, adding an undeniable chilly metallic charm. Most astonishing of all was the silver-haired woman's long waist-length silver strands.
This silver was not the pallid variety caused by some ailment but rather soft as silk threads, floating ethereally, making the silver-robed woman strangely attractive.
After carefully observing her, Xu Ran was immensely impressed. No wonder this woman had caught the heated gaze of many in the hall; such flair and temperament indeed were top-notch.
Compared to her, Lin Fei lacked that kind of ethereal quality, especially her pure silver yet lustrous soft tresses, which invoked envy in the hearts of other women.
However, when compared to Xiao Yi Xian, their looks still fell short. With the arrival of Xiao Yi Xian, many were also astounded. Clearly, Xiao Yi Xian was no less beautiful, and in fact, she was much more so than both Feilin and Xue Mei.
"I announce that the First-Grade Alchemist examination begins. Everyone, please concoct elixirs according to the exam requirements. Each person has three chances to concoct, and if they fail all three times, they will be considered to have failed the examination," Fokelan announced the rules directly.
"Xu Ran, this time I, Xiao Yan, must do better than you! At the very least, I must do better than Little Fairy," Xiao Yan clenched his fists and began alchemy right away.
"I've succeeded."
Just ten minutes later, Xiao Yan had finished concocting.
He stood there proudly, with his hands behind his back, holding a milky-white elixir in his hand!
"First-Grade Elixirs are too easy," Xiao Yan said boastfully, noticing that Xiao Yi Xian was still concocting. He let out a breath of relief, it seemed her confidence previously had been all for show.
If concocting a First-Grade Elixir was so difficult, that was just too weak.