Entering the Alchemist Guild, a faint aroma of medicinal herbs greeted them, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
The hall was sparsely populated, with only a few quietly minding their own business. As if hearing footsteps, some looked up, seeing Master Otto and bowed respectfully.
Master Otto nodded and walked directly to a large door. Outside, four burly men, fully armed, stood guard.
"Master Otto," they said, bowing and greeting.
Master Otto nodded and smiled, "Today, Miss Lin Fei will take the Alchemist Examination. This is..."
Xiao Jue said, "My name is Hunxuzi."
"This is Master Hunxuzi, a sixth-rank alchemist."
Everyone saluted respectfully, "Greetings, Master Hunxuzi."
Once inside, the bright lights illuminated the spacious hall like daylight. A large crowd was gathered inside, and the occasional whisper of laughter echoed through the hall.
There was also a fourth-rank alchemist here: Franklan, the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild.
In the center of the hall, a dozen carefully separated stone platforms were meticulously arranged, each filled with a variety of alchemy instruments.
Seven young men stood impatiently within these platforms. Lin Fei spoke to Master Otto and hurried over.
Frank looked at Xiao Jue beside Master Otto and asked, "Who is this?"
Otto smiled and said, "This is Master Hunxuzi, a sixth-rank alchemist."
"Greetings, Master," Frank said, paying no attention to Xiao Jue's appearance. He bowed respectfully.
"Yes," Xiao Jue nodded, standing silently.
Otto glanced at the hourglass on the table, then turned to Frank beside him and asked, "Falkland, where's Xue Mei? Why hasn't she come out yet? The test is almost time!"
"Don't worry, don't worry. This is Xue Mei's first test. She'll have to be fully prepared." Frank waved his hand, looking at Otto, who was waiting impatiently, a smile on his old face.
Hearing this, Otto curled his lips and snorted, "Ten minutes left. If you don't come out, even if you are the president, you can't extend the test time for no reason."
Otto couldn't help but laugh, "Don't think I don't know. When you gave Xue Mei a private test back then, didn't she blow up the medicine cauldron just like that?"
Frank shook his head and scolded with a smile, "That girl Lin Fei took her first test two years ago. She was just trying to cause trouble back then. She almost blew up the medicine cauldron back then."
A faint voice, slightly cold, suddenly sounded behind him.
"Teacher, I'm sorry, I'm late."
The sudden cold and delicate voice was like the crisp and ethereal sound of snow rocks hitting each other on the snow-capped mountains, which was quite pleasant to the ear. At least after this voice sounded, at least half of the young men in the hall turned their slightly fiery gazes in the direction where the voice came from.
Xiao Jue gazed at the silver-robed woman gracefully advancing from the gate, his brows raised slightly, a hint of surprise flickering across his gaze.
At the gate stood a slender figure, eyes as clear as the cool, icy spring water of a snowy mountain. Her delicate face, slender eyebrows, and slender figure were clad in a tight-fitting silver gown.
The silver garment contrasted with her jade-like skin, lending the woman an undeniably unique, metallic, and icy allure. Most striking of all, the silver-robed woman possessed waist-length silver hair.
This silver, unlike the pale silver mutated by some disease, was as soft and flowing as silver threads, lending the silver-robed woman a strange allure.
Compared to her, the woman named Lin Fei lacked this ethereal aura, especially her soft, three thousand strands of pure silver, yet still retaining its luster. This incited a certain jealousy in some of the women.
The silver-robed woman slowly approached, passing Xiao Jue without looking away, and headed straight for Frank.
Standing aside, Xiao Jue sniffed the faint scent of body odor she left behind, smiling inwardly as he exclaimed, "Excellent."
"Teacher!" As she approached Frank, a faint smile graced the silver-robed woman's delicate features. The fleeting smile, like a snow lotus blossoming on an iceberg, captivated everyone.
"Haha, you're finally here! Old Otto couldn't wait any longer." Frank said with a gratified smile, his eyes softly fixed on his proud student.
"Master Otto!" The silver-robed woman tilted her head slightly and bowed slightly to Otto, who rolled his eyes.
"Xue Mei is still so polite, much better than mine..." Otto nodded with a smile. Turning back, he saw his student's pouting mouth. He shook his head and quickly changed his tone, saying, "Well, all right, all right, now that we're here, let's get started."
With a slight nod, Xue Mei, under the gaze of the crowd, also moved onto the stone platform. There was only a bare platform between her and Lin Fei.
Their eyes met, a faint spark flickered between them, and it seemed that their relationship wasn't entirely harmonious.
She gently tapped the uniform medicine cauldron in front of her. Lin Fei raised her nose and snorted, "Hmph, don't let it explode again later. It's okay if you fail, just don't bother me."
Xue Mei smiled faintly, "I think even without the interference, you'd probably still lose."
Although she appeared somewhat cold on the surface, she still found it difficult to remain completely calm in front of this opponent she had been competing with for several years.
The alchemist assessment began. Master Otto looked at Xiao Jue and couldn't help asking, "Master Hunxuzi, that guy Gut values treasures like his life. If you want the Ice Spirit Cold Spring from him, you must pay a precious treasure, otherwise he won't be willing to exchange with you."
He was still worried that Xiao Jue would rob Gut, and if Gu He took his anger out on them, they wouldn't be able to bear it.
Xiao Jue didn't care about Gut's other treasures. He didn't lack those things, such as medicinal herbs. The herbs that Gu Yuan gave him were enough for him to become an eighth-grade alchemist. Xiao Jue cared more about treasures that could enhance his strength.
He took out a bottle of Companion Amethyst Source and handed it to Master Otto, saying, "This is the Companion Amethyst Source of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Master Otto, please go and exchange it with Gut on my behalf. Now that I have the Companion Amethyst Source, I plan to leave."
Master Otto didn't recognize the Companion Amethyst Source and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Can this thing be compared to the Companion Amethyst Source?"
(End of this chapter)