Master Otto had just lifted his teacup when he noticed the red flames blooming within Xiao Zhitian's cauldron. In shock, he immediately spat out the tea.
"What kind of fire is that? Could it be… a Heavenly Flame?"
Frank narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the flames. After a moment, he shook his head. "Unlikely. Though the color is unusual, it's impossible for someone his age to control a Heavenly Flame."
"Bring me his registration. I want to see whose disciple this child is," Frank instructed his subordinate.
The man hurried off and returned only moments later with the parchment. Frank opened it and scanned the contents.
"Tong Lao?" He frowned slightly, then looked toward Otto. "Have you ever heard of such a title?"
Otto shook his head slowly. "Never. In all my decades of life, I have no recollection of such a person."
Frank closed the file and sighed. "Forget it. Digging deeper may not be wise. What matters is that he belongs to the Alchemist Guild now—and if he truly has such talent, he will bring us glory. That is enough."
The two fell silent and resumed watching the assessment.
Xiao Zhitian's unique crimson flames had already drawn the attention of every candidate in the hall. Seeing their gazes fixed on him, he casually tossed the medicinal herbs into the cauldron and said helplessly, "These are just ordinary flames. There's no need to keep staring. This is an assessment—you'll regret wasting your time."
His calm words startled the others back to reality. One by one, they refocused on their own refining.
After completing the refinement process, Xiao Zhitian smoothly guided the medicinal essence to merge. The embryonic form of a Force Accumulation Pill began to take shape within the cauldron.
Suddenly, muffled bang sounds came from both sides. Lin Fei and Xue Mei, shaken by how quickly Xiao Zhitian had begun forming his pill, lost their concentration. Their medicinal ingredients instantly burned into ash.
Both girls paused and looked toward Xiao Zhitian. His expression was calm, his movements steady—nothing like an inexperienced youth. Instead, he resembled a veteran Alchemist who had spent decades refining pills.
A deep sense of defeat rose within their hearts.
After a quiet sigh, the two gathered themselves and began working seriously on their second batch of herbs.
Time passed steadily.
When nearly two-thirds of the allotted time had elapsed, Xiao Zhitian's Dou Qi trembled slightly. The cauldron lid shot upward. With a casual wave of his hand, a pale-yellow pill flew out. He swiftly produced a jade bottle, and the pill slipped neatly inside before the lid fell back into place.
He placed the bottle on the platform and stood calmly, waiting.
Ten minutes later, Lin Fei and Xue Mei also completed their pills. When their gazes met Xiao Zhitian's, they offered small, respectful smiles.
"Assessment time is up!" Frank announced.
One by one, the candidates presented their jade bottles. Frank and Otto inspected the pills of the other six candidates first. In the end, only two passed.
They then examined Xue Mei's and Lin Fei's pills. After a brief evaluation, Otto nodded.
"Though still somewhat crude, they meet the passing standard."
Both girls released sighs of relief.
Finally, Frank picked up Xiao Zhitian's bottle and poured the pill into his palm. His eyes widened instantly.
"This… not only is it a Force Accumulation Pill, it even has pill patterns?"
Murmurs spread through the hall. Many had assumed Force Accumulation Pills were simple, yet in truth, even some official First-Rank Alchemists failed to refine them properly.
"Tsk, tsk. You truly know how to hide your skill," Frank said with admiration. "Force Accumulation Pills are no ordinary First-Rank pills. Even seasoned Alchemists struggle with them—yet you refined one with pill patterns."
He returned the pill and smiled warmly.
"Congratulations. You have passed the First-Rank Alchemist assessment."
Xiao Zhitian nodded slightly, then spoke calmly:
"Two Masters, I wish to continue with the Second-Rank Alchemist assessment."
His words echoed throughout the hall.
For a brief moment, silence reigned. Every person stared at him as if he were a monster.
Frank stared in disbelief. "Are you certain? To become a Second-Rank Alchemist, you must refine a Second-Rank pill, and your cultivation must reach the Dou Shi realm. Have you achieved both?"
Xiao Zhitian nodded gently.
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
"How confident are you?" Frank pressed.
"Eighty to ninety percent," Xiao Zhitian replied evenly.
Frank's excitement burst forth. "Someone, prepare the Second-Rank assessment room! Quickly!"
A Second-Rank Alchemist immediately rushed off to make preparations.
Xue Mei clenched her hands tightly, staring at Xiao Zhitian. "He's already a Dou Shi… at this age?"
Lin Fei sighed beside her. "Others claim fifty percent confidence at best. He says eighty to ninety. I can't tell whether it's arrogance or absolute confidence… but either way, it's crushing."
Xue Mei nodded silently.
Within a minute, the Second-Rank examiner returned. "The room is ready. The Second-Rank assessment is different—no observers allowed. Everyone must wait outside."
Xiao Zhitian followed Frank and Otto into the room. As they entered, Otto shut the door firmly behind them.
Outside, Lin Fei muttered unhappily, "If we can't watch, then we can't watch… but I really wanted to see…"
…
Time crawled slowly for those waiting outside.
Then, suddenly, the door opened. Otto, Frank, and Xiao Zhitian emerged.
Lin Fei rushed forward. "Is it over? What's the result?"
Frank let out a long sigh, his expression filled with disbelief. "Truly disheartening… yet impossible not to admire."
He turned to Xiao Zhitian.
"It seems the youngest Second-Rank Alchemist in Blackrock City in nearly a century… is you. At your age, I was still merely refining basic herbs."
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Then, Xiao Zhitian spoke once more, calmly and clearly:
"Two Masters, I wish to proceed with the Third-Rank Alchemist assessment."
Frank froze. "What did you say? Say that again. Did I hear wrong?"
"I said I wish to assess for Third-Rank Alchemist," Xiao Zhitian repeated, his tone steady and resolute.