While Lin Yanhan led a group of subordinates all the way to the Alchemist Grandmaster Association while emitting a fierce aura, Huang Xiaolong was sitting in a corner of the hall, waiting with the Ascending Moon Old Man and Shi Xiaofei for his turn.
Sitting there, watching these disciples from various forces display their alchemy refining techniques one after another, Huang Xiaolong inwardly shook his head. These disciples who became prideful after passing the assessment, in truth, had terrible techniques. Some of them were appalling to look at.
Not only were their techniques appalling, their fire control capability and knowledge of herbs were just as awful.
Beside him, the old man had his eyes closed, not showing a hint of what he was thinking on his thin but calm face, as if the noises and surrounding activities were unrelated to him.
Whereas Shi Xiaofei watched these disciples interestedly with her beautiful eyes. That was because her own alchemy techniques weren’t that high, therefore, for her, some of these disciples’ technique were quite nice to look at.
After waiting for some time, it was finally Huang Xiaolong’s turn.
Huang Xiaolong stood up and walked forward.
“How long have you been practicing alchemy?” Alchemist Jia Liang, the person in charge of assessing Huang Xiaolong asked casually. Before the assessment took place, it was common for the alchemists to ask some questions, to have a basic understanding of the person being assessed.
Huang Xiaolong thought briefly before answering, “Less than thirty years.”
In fact, if he was to be precise, from the time he began learning from the Ascending Moon Old Man until now, it hadn’t even been twenty-five years.
The answer to the casual question stunned Alchemist Jia Liang as well as the disciples that remained in the hall after passing their assessment.
Less than thirty years!
In the next second, these family disciples who had passed, and were already recognized as an alchemist burst into laughter.
“This kid must have some problems with his head. Less than thirty years of learning, yet he dares to come to the Alchemist Grandmaster Association to take the alchemist assessment!”
“Still, this kid doesn’t look like a fool in my eyes. Who knows, he might really shock us speechless during his assessment, haha.”
“Shock us speechless? Most likely he can’t even refine a common fifth or sixth grade pellet. A bundle of good herbs turned into a shit dung!”
Everyone around laughed even harder.
Which one of them hadn’t been practicing alchemy several hundred years? To them, without several hundred years of hard work, it was impossible to touch even a corner of the alchemy threshold.
In this vast world, there were thousands of herbs and elixirs ingredients used in refining, and just remembering this long list of ingredient names, medicinal properties, common usages, already eats up years of effort.
Someone who only spent less than thirty years probably hadn’t even completed learning about the ingredients. How good could the alchemy refining techniques of someone like this be?
Alchemist Jia Liang frowned as he looked at Huang Xiaolong, “Are you sure you’re here for the alchemist assessment?” His underlying meaning: Huang Xiaolong wasn’t here for the assessment, but to play around.
Huang Xiaolong was calm as always: “Yes.”
The frown on Jia Liang’s brows deepened, “Does your Master know you’re here to take the assessment? Is he here?”
Huang Xiaolong nodded: “He knows, and he’s here.” He pointed toward a corner of the hall, at the closed-eyed Ascending Moon Old Man that looked like he was daydreaming.
Looking at the sleeping old man, everyone around burst out laughing again.
“That old man is this kid’s Master? More like a beggar from one of Royal Pill City’s street corners!”
“Is that why I feel like I’ve seen this old man before?”
“Could he be from the Beggars Association?”
Another wave of mocking laughter rang in the hall.
The Beggars Association was a quite a powerful force, their reputation reaching across all four galaxies. The reason for this big reputation was because all the association’s disciples were beggars.
Jia Liang glanced at the Ascending Moon Old Man before turning to Huang Xiaolong, saying, “You can leave now.” Meaning that Huang Xiaolong needn’t take the assessment, for the end result would be the same.
Huang Xiaolong raised a doubtful brow, ‘Looks like most people’s brains have some problems, measuring a person’s achievements according to the time they spent in cultivation.’ Seemingly, it was no different in alchemy.
“Who says that one cannot be an alchemist with less than thirty years of practice?” Huang Xiaolong’s feet didn’t budge, questioning in return. “Just because they have practiced alchemy techniques for more than a hundred years, do you think their skills will be above me?”
Huang Xiaolong’s retort immediately upset every disciple who had just passed the assessment.
“Punk, what did you say?! You think you’re qualified to be compared with us?!”
“That’s right, what qualifications does someone who only practiced alchemy for less than thirty years have to compare with us?”
At this stage, these disciples still stubbornly believed that they were better than Huang Xiaolong simply because they had been practicing alchemy for a longer time.
Jia Liang’s face turned gloomy seeing that Huang Xiaolong dared to question him, “Fine, as long as you can use these alchemy ingredients to refine a heaven grade spirit pellet, regardless of the quality, you pass. But, if you kid fail, I will take it that you came to make trouble, so don’t blame me when I throw you and your beggar Master out!”
According to the Alchemist Grandmaster Associations regulations, successfully refining a heaven grade spirit pellet using the alchemy ingredients prepared by the association was considered a pass, officially becoming an alchemist.
Hearing this, Huang Xiaolong’s expression turned slightly cold. Without saying another word, his hands moved in the air. The alchemy ingredients prepared by the Alchemist Grandmaster Association flew up.
“What is this punk plotting? Not using a furnace?”
“So he really came here to make trouble. Not using a furnace in refining, does he think he’s an Alchemist Grandmaster?”
Watching Huang Xiaolong up to this point, the surrounding disciples started to jeer and mock.
Following the ranks determined by the Alchemist Grandmaster Association, from low to high, they were Novice Alchemist, Intermediary Alchemist, Alchemist Master, then Alchemist Grandmaster, however, each rank was further divided into early, mid, and high level. Grade one to three was early level, grade four to six was mid-level, and grade seven to ten was high-level.
A grade ten Alchemist Grandmaster was the highest rank.
Generally speaking, only after reaching the realm of a high-level Alchemist Grandmaster could one refine without the need of a furnace.
Which was why these disciples strongly refused to believe that Huang Xiaolong could be a high-level Alchemist Grandmaster!
Would someone that had the capabilities of a high-level Alchemist Grandmaster wait until now to take the lowest level Alchemist assessment? This was absolutely impossible!
Jia Liang’s face became gloomier still watching Huang Xiaolong proceed without using a furnace. He too thought that Huang Xiaolong really came here to fool around, and his temper flared. What did this punk take the Alchemist Grandmaster Association for? A place he could come to fool around as he liked?!
But, right at this moment, he saw the herbs that flew up spiral in the air, forming the shape of a dragon!
Jia Liang was dumbstruck.
The surrounding disciples were also dumbstruck watching the ‘herb dragon’ floating above Huang Xiaolong.