The carriage Wangu Yanhui rented was fast, hence, their group reached the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters in a little over three hours.
In fact, their headquarters was more like a small city, formed by a cluster of both tall and low buildings. The number of halls was akin to mushrooms in a forest after the rain.
Alighted from the carriages, Huang Xiaolong, Wangu Yanhui, Wangu Ye, and the other Wangu Clan disciples strode towards the main entrance, stepping inside.
The main hall was undoubtedly built and decorated in a grand manner, yet at this moment it was crowded with people. Looking around, Huang Xiaolong saw an array of disciples in robes of various styles and colors, hailing from the numerous galaxies’ families and sects. There were so many people in the main hall that one could hardly find room to maneuver.
Since Wangu Ye’s group already had official Alchemist positions, they were here to register for the grand competition which was different from the location where Huang Xiaolong was going for the assessment. Thus, Huang Xiaolong separated from the Wangu Clan disciples, going on his own.
When he reached the assessment registration side hall, he was met with two queues as long as two dragons, with several hundred people in each of them.
Huang Xiaolong frowned. Lining up and waiting for these people to complete their assessments one by one, it still won’t be his turn after a month of waiting.
“Brother, you’re also here to take the trial to become an Alchemist, right?” At this time, a certain family disciple approached and spoke to Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong looked oddly at this person, but answered “That’s right.”
“How about it, my brother is now lined up at the thirty-second spot in this queue, do you want it? I can sell the spot to you.” The family disciple stated his intention.
Selling spots?
Huang Xiaolong was surprised, then immediately understood. These disciples were basically standing here to make the queue longer, having nothing better to do, then selling their spots to people who really came to take the assessment.
However, this was an unexpected good surprise to Huang Xiaolong. He was just troubled by this matter.
“Do you have any spots closer to the front?” Huang Xiaolong asked the question he wanted to know most.
The family disciple gave Huang Xiaolong a glance over, then chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “There are some spots closer. One is at the fifth spot, another one is at the sixteenth spot, and there’s also one at twenty-third, which one is this brother interested in buying? You should know; the further up front, the higher the price.”
Huang Xiaolong was deadpan, “How much is the fifth spot?”
The family disciple raised one finger: “One top divine grade spirit stone.”
One top divine grade spirit stone was roughly eighty million.
One spot was selling for eighty million!
But Huang Xiaolong’s brows didn’t even wrinkle, and was too lazy to bargain. He directly threw a top divine grade spirit stone at that disciple.
The man looked dazedly at the top divine grade spirit stone in his hands, but in the next second his face turned red from ecstasy as he fawningly led Huang Xiaolong over to the fifth spot in the queue, having the disciple who was standing there give out his place to Huang Xiaolong.
Even though this scene was witnessed by more than a few Alchemist Grandmaster Union’s disciplinary hall disciples, no one did anything to stop them.
Clearly, since these people dared to do this, they had already ‘communicated’ with these disciplinary hall disciples beforehand.
Thanks to being in the fifth spot, it didn’t take long for Huang Xiaolong’s turn to arrive.
However, when he spoke his name, the eyes of the person in charge of his registration, Alchemist Li Jiang, seemed to light up, asking, “You’re that Highgod Advancement Tournament champion, Huang Xiaolong?”
Huang Xiaolong frowned hearing this. “That is so.”
“What?! The first place winner of the Highgod Advancement Tournament, Huang Xiaolong!”
“It’s Huang Xiaolong!”
The surrounding disciples definitely heard what Li Jiang said, hence all of them were looking at him with astonished expressions.
In an instant, Huang Xiaolong became the center of attention in the assessment side hall.
Alchemist Li Jiang stood up, chuckling meaningfully and saying to Huang Xiaolong’s face, “So you’re the Highgod Advancement Tournament’s champion, but it seems your reputation precedes you ah. I can’t see what’s so great about you.”
Huang Xiaolong was indifferent, “What exactly do you want to say?”
It was already clear in Huang Xiaolong’s mind that this Alchemist Li Jiang was instructed by Sun Yi to make things difficult for him. He had expected early on that Sun Yi would not permit him to breeze through the alchemist assessment.
Watching Huang Xiaolong’s calm manner, Alchemist Li Jiang was secretly surprised, but sneered outwardly, “Huang Xiaolong, your cultivation talent was hailed as hard to come by in a billion years, so I’m wondering if your alchemy refining skills are just as startling. How about this, as long as you can refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill right here in front of everyone, I’ll deem you as having passed the assessment.”
“What? He’s actually telling Huang Xiaolong to refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill! Hasn’t the assessment requirement always been refining the Exquisite Nine Flood Dragons Pill?”
“The Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, not even a Union’s Elder could successfully refine it on the spot!”
“It’s very obvious they’re deliberately making things difficult for Huang Xiaolong! During the Highgod Advancement Tournament, he killed the Fortune Gate’s Fang Chu, and Fang Chu’s Master is an Eminent Elder of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union. Only being able to pass if he successfully refines a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, this must be Sun Yi’s doing!”
“Sun Yi is one of the Union’s Eminent Elder and no one can change his order, looks like there’s a good show coming up. If Huang Xiaolong cannot to refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill and fails the assessment, how many people present will laugh?”
Various tones of voices sounded in the side hall, from guessing to schadenfreude. Some were anticipating a good show, others were indignant on Huang Xiaolong’s behalf, while some felt pity.
Alchemist Li Jiang ignored the cries and mockery around, merely staring at Huang Xiaolong, “What? Huang Xiaolong, didn’t you want to take the Union’s alchemist assessment? Don’t tell me that after hearing the condition you’re being a scaredy cat. If you don’t have the guts, then roll out of here this instant, don’t take up space, there are other disciples waiting to take the assessment.”
A sharp gleam shone in Huang Xiaolong’s eyes. In the next moment, a sudden overwhelming pressure soared to the sky.
Facing Huang Xiaolong’s terrifying pressure, Alchemist Li Jiang felt his soul tremble, his knees knocking against each other.
The noisy bunch of disciples paled considerably looking at Huang Xiaolong.
“This... Fifth Order Highgod Realm!!”
“Heavens, he’s actually a Fifth Order Highgod Realm master, didn’t the rumors say that Huang Xiaolong was just a Third Order Highgod Realm at the end of the tournament? Why is it Fifth Order now! Just how long has it passed?!”
Shock crashed onto the crowd of disciples.
Although in actual fact Huang Xiaolong had broken through to Seventh Order Highgod Realm, the time wasn’t ripe for him to expose his true strength just yet, hence suppressing his strength to Fifth Order Highgod Realm. But even then, the pressure was already too much for these disciples.
“Huang Xiaolong, y-you, what are you doing?! This is the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, do you dare to commit murder here?” Alchemist Li Jiang detected the killing intent from Huang Xiaolong’s body, forcing himself to calm down even though his voice was quivering.
The overwhelming pressure coming from Huang Xiaolong’s body went away just as abruptly, looking coldly at Alchemist Li Jiang, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you right now.” Then his tone changed, “Can we begin the assessment, the refinement of the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill?”
Hearing Huang Xiaolong agreeing to refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, Li Jiang was confounded, and so were all present disciples.
Could it be that Huang Xiaolong thought he could scrape through by luck and successfully refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill?
However, after being burnt by Huang Xiaolong’s terrifying pressure earlier, Li Jiang dared not spout any more words of mockery.