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**
Time ticked away, drip, drip, in the quiet testing chamber. Other than the faint crackling of flames burning, there was no other sound. As time passed, waves of thick medicinal fragrance gradually spread out.
Threads of colored pill fragrance slowly coiled in the air, refreshing the heart and calming the mind with every breath.
Elder Han gently closed his eyelids, breathing in that fragrance, a faintly intoxicated expression appearing on his face.
As a Mid Tier 7 alchemist, he had smelled countless pill fragrances in his lifetime. He had even experienced the aromas of higher-tier pills.
But right now, smelling the fragrance from this pill that wasn't even of particularly high-tier, he still couldn't help but feel a little intoxicated.
He liked watching these younger generations successfully pass their assessments, then become rising stars of the alchemist world, adding strength to its future.
Suddenly.
Bang!
With a muffled sound, the peaceful air was broken by the stench of something burnt.
Elder Han sighed in his heart, frowned, and opened his eyes, looking toward where the sound came from.
There, on a stone platform, a yellow-robed youth, Qiu Lin, stood frozen, a look of disbelief on his face as he stared blankly at the cauldron before him.
"How could this happen, how could this happen... I was already so careful, why the pill still failed to form?" he muttered over and over.
He had come brimming with confidence, but now he found it hard to accept.
During the pill condensing stage, everything had seemed normal, he hadn't made any mistakes, every step was correct — so why did the cauldron suddenly explode?
"You failed. Go back, practice more, and come again." Elder Han shook his head and waved his hand lightly.
If he remembered correctly, this was already the third time this Qiu Clan youth had come for certification.
And still, even with the simplest Low Tier 6 recovery pill, he failed so miserably. Truly, this was an embarrassment for one of the five great families.
Hearing this, Qiu Lin's face turned red, then pale, then without a word he packed up his things and slunk away.
Elder Han gave Xian'er a discreet glance, then closed his eyes once more. Others might not have noticed, but as an examiner, he had faintly sensed something. But he didn't care, nor did he intend to expose it.
Putting aside whether there was proof or not, the truth was that Qiu Lin hadn't even been able to defend against the slightest interference. He hadn't even noticed it, and in the end didn't even know why his pill failed. Who could he blame but himself?
He could only blame his lack of skill.
Even if Elder Han had wanted to help, there was nothing to be done. Not that he had any intention of helping in the first place.
"Congeal!"
Wei Yang's hand seals paused as he looked at the mass of medicinal essence slowly condensing inside his cauldron. His gaze unintentionally swept toward the stone platform beside him where Xian'er was.
Xian'er just so happened to look back, playfully winking at him.
Wei Yang was momentarily speechless.
The little trick Xian'er had secretly pulled, which caused Qiu Lin to fail at the crucial moment of pill formation, he had of course "seen" clearly.
He himself disdained such methods. After all, he was a dignified Tier 8 alchemy master — using petty tricks against a junior felt pointless, even a little beneath him.
But if Xian'er was the one doing it, then it was fine. Women, after all, were naturally a bit petty.
Wei Yang could understand that.
The trick Xian'er used wasn't anything too clever either. She had merely introduced a trace of toxin in secret, just enough to disrupt the balance of medicinal properties during the fusion process.
"You little minx, instead of focusing on refining, you've got the mind to play tricks like that." Wei Yang scolded her lightly through sound transmission, pretending to be stern.
"I didn't do anything. I've been focused on refining the whole time." Xian'er blinked innocently and said, "That annoying guy's cauldron exploded on its own. He wasn't skilled enough, nothing to do with me."
"Sure, keep being mischievous." Wei Yang smiled indulgently and said no more.
"Heehee." Xian'er laughed smugly.
It was rare to see her, usually so calm and elegant, showing this playful side.
As one pill after another was successfully refined, more and more candidates smoothly passed the certification exam.
"Mid Tier 6, passed."
"High Tier 6, passed."
One pill after another was carefully inspected by Elder Han.
Immediately after, one badge after another was handed to the participants, each of them pinning it proudly to their chest.
On the badges, flames curled around the image of a tall tower. Upon the tower's body, six purple-golden stars shone with dazzling light.
If one looked closely, however, they would notice that the sixth star was a little dimmer compared to the previous five.
For Low Tier 6, the star would be the darkest. For Mid-Grade, a bit brighter. And for High-Grade, it would shine just as brilliantly as the other five stars.
The badge Xian'er received was a High Tier 6 badge. All six purple-golden stars gleamed with the same brilliance.
The badges issued by the Pill Tower did not have a so-called "Peak" distinction. The highest classification was High-Grade.
After all, the difference between High-Grade and Peak was minimal. Peak was only slightly stronger, not a qualitative leap.
As the badges were distributed, only Wei Yang remained on the stone platform, still seated cross-legged, appearing unhurried as he carefully nurtured his pill. Yet no one present showed the slightest dissatisfaction.
On the contrary, when they looked at Wei Yang, there was only sincere respect in their eyes. A Tier 7 alchemist was already considered upper-level, even within the Pill Tower itself.
"Your assessments are over. You may leave if you wish." Elder Han spoke calmly. "If you'd like to stay and observe, you may also do so."
At his words, not a single participant chose to leave. Instead, they all bowed slightly, then carefully made their way behind Elder Han and sat down neatly, eyes burning as they fixed on Wei Yang's every movement.
They watched with rapt attention, completely absorbed.
Joking aside, how often could one observe a Tier 7 alchemist refining pills up close? Only a fool would walk away.
Elder Han ignored them, stroking his beard as he focused on Wei Yang's alchemy, occasionally nodding in approval.
Bang!
The lid of the cauldron flew open, and a column of energy light shot into the sky. The surrounding heaven and earth energy surged violently.
A Mid Tier 7 Elemental Heart Pill had been completed.
When everything calmed down, Wei Yang raised his hand and caught the pill. Standing up, he put away his cauldron and tools, then stepped down from the stone platform.
Elder Han and the others immediately rose to greet him.
"This is an Elemental Heart Pill, Elder Han, please inspect it." Wei Yang handed over the still-warm pill.
"Inspect? That's not necessary, just a glance is enough." Elder Han waved his hands repeatedly, smiling politely. "Besides, as I said, I'm only a deacon, not truly an elder. I'm unworthy of that title."
Even so, his gaze swept across the pill in Wei Yang's palm. He paused briefly, then nodded with a smile. "Indeed, a Mid Tier 7 Elemental Heart Pill. And the quality is excellent. Even if I refined it myself, this would be the best I could achieve."
Hearing this, the Tier 6 candidates couldn't help but feel even more respect.
No one would doubt Elder Han's words. Which meant that this seemingly young man's alchemy skills were on par with a Pill Tower steward.
Wei Yang smiled lightly, placing the Elemental Heart Pill into a jade bottle.
Elder Han hesitated for a moment, then spoke somewhat awkwardly. "Wei Yang, I'll be honest with you. My certification authority only goes up to Low Tier 7. So I can only issue you a Low Tier 7 badge. If you want a higher-level badge, you'll have to follow me to the Inner Region and take the test again at the Pill Tower headquarters."
"That's too much trouble. Low Tier 7 is fine. As for going to the headquarters, maybe when I have time someday." Wei Yang replied casually.
At that, everyone was left speechless.
Too much trouble? Maybe when he had time?
When someone with real skill speaks, it really does sound domineering.
"Uh…" Elder Han was also stunned, then could only nod helplessly, smiling wryly. "Very well then, as you wish."
He retrieved a badge from his storage ring, its light dazzling, and handed it over with a hint of respect. "This is a Low Tier 7 badge. Still, if you have the time, I suggest you go to the headquarters for a proper test."
Wei Yang took the badge and nodded casually. "Oh, sure."
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