96: Alchemy talent test

Xiao Xuner's lips curved slightly, a shallow smile like a freshly bloomed orchid petal, elegant and peerless.

Her gaze swept over the beautiful scenery before her, and she nodded gently: "It is indeed elegant and pleasant."

Her gaze inadvertently swept past Mo Yuhan, seeing him looking up at the wisteria waterfall hanging from the pavilion, his small face showing a hint of relaxation and curiosity, his eyes as clear as a mountain spring.

Mo Yuhan withdrew his gaze and looked at Instructor Ruo Lin, his small face full of sincere gratitude: "Thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin, for your thoughtful arrangements."

Instructor Ruo Lin smiled: "This is special treatment for students with high potential, you don't need to thank me."

Ruo Lin smiled and ruffled his hair, feeling its softness: "Study hard and don't let this good place go to waste.

Oh, and Little Yuhan."

She became slightly serious, "I've mentioned you to the Pharmacist Department.

However…"

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, "Fire Elder's temperament is rather… well, straightforward.

He doesn't quite believe in a nine-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist, thinking I've exaggerated."

Mo Yuhan was slightly startled, then understood.

A nine-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist was indeed too shocking.

If it weren't for Frank personally confirming it, he might even doubt it himself.

He smiled indifferently, but his eyes were exceptionally firm: "It's alright, Instructor Ruo Lin, I will prove myself with my strength."

"Good child."

Ruo Lin's eyes were full of admiration, "The Pharmacist Department has a rule: after new students enroll, they can go to the Medicine Hall at any time for an initial alchemy talent test.

Once talent is confirmed, basic training will be arranged, and only then can they apply for the official assessment."

"With your level, the talent test will naturally be a breeze.

You can go whenever you're ready."

"I understand, thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin, for your guidance."

The first thing for Mo Yuhan after settling down was to find the location of the Pharmacist Department.

Although the pavilion was nice, without an alchemy room, the medicinal ingredients and alchemy cauldron he carried with him would be useless.

Led by Xue Ni and Xiao Yu, who volunteered to guide them, the three passed through a small herb garden planted with various low-grade medicinal herbs, where the air was filled with a mixed herbal scent, and finally stopped in front of a vast, heavy, and ancient dark gray building.

Above the main entrance of the building, a huge black plaque hung, with three powerful characters carved in bold strokes – Hundred Refinements Hall.

A hot current, a mixture of various herbal scents, smoky air, and the lingering aftertaste of refined pills, rushed out from the open doorway.

"This is it!" Xue Ni pointed to the door, "It's where Outer Courtyard disciples practice alchemy and undergo tests and assessments.

There are many areas inside."

"Yu Han, all the best!" Xiao Yu encouraged softly, her eyes full of trust.

Mo Yuhan nodded, took a deep breath of the familiar Medicine Hall scent, his chest surging with love and confidence for alchemy, and stepped inside.

The interior of the Hundred Refinements Hall was vast, divided by thick stone walls into dozens of independent stone chambers of various sizes, like a beehive.

Most of the stone chambers' doors were closed, with red crystals embedded in them indicating "in use."

Only a few were open, where flickering figures and rising mist could be vaguely seen inside.

In the air, the unique scents produced when various herbs were calcined, melted, and fused became even more concentrated.

Sometimes fresh, sometimes rich.

Mo Yuhan followed the instructions and arrived at a side hall specifically for new student registration and talent testing.

The hall was simply furnished, with only a long table behind which sat an old man with white hair and beard, engrossed in reading a yellowed alchemy prescription scroll.

The old man wore the gray alchemist robe unique to the Pharmacist Department, with two silver lines embroidered on his cuffs, signifying his identity as a Second-Rank Alchemist.

"Greetings, Elder.

New student Mo Yuhan, here for the alchemy talent test."

Mo Yuhan walked to the table and bowed respectfully.

The old man slowly raised his head, pushed up the crystal spectacles on his nose, and his cloudy old eyes surveyed the tiny child before him.

His brows habitually furrowed, showing a hint of annoyance at being disturbed and clear disapproval.

"Test? Little child, are you sure it's an alchemy talent test? Did you not go to the wrong place?

The next room is the Dou Qi testing ground."

His voice was hoarse, with the pedantic stiffness typical of an old scholar.

"Yes, Elder, it's the alchemy talent test."

Mo Yuhan's expression was calm, his tone firm, without the slightest hint of nervousness.

The old man pursed his lips, clearly thinking the child was a bit too presumptuous.

He first tested Mo Yuhan's Dou Qi attribute, confirming it was fire attribute with a trace of wood attribute.

Only then did he slowly pull out a palm-sized, dull-colored, peculiar stone from under the table.

The stone's surface was covered with fine, natural patterns resembling meridians.

"Here, the Soul Power measuring stone.

Hold it tight, concentrate, and imagine your Soul Power flowing into it.

If you can light up one 'spirit meridian,' then you have a tiny bit of talent, just barely enough to qualify for burning fires in the apprentice area."

He casually dropped the Soul Power measuring stone onto the table with a soft "thud," his tone extremely perfunctory, clearly holding no hope.

How strong could a nine-year-old child's Soul Power be?

At best, it would light up one or two spirit meridians, which was better than nothing.

He picked up the alchemy prescription scroll again, his mind already drifting, just waiting for Mo Yuhan to finish the test so he could send him away.

Mo Yuhan extended his small hand and steadily grasped the cool, rough Soul Power measuring stone.

He closed his eyes.

Within his sea of consciousness, the Soul Power, which had been tempered by countless alchemy sessions and was far more resilient and condensed than that of his peers or even many adults, surged towards his palm naturally, like a sleeping stream awakened, without needing to deliberately "imagine" it.

Buzz—!

Almost at the moment his Soul Power infused it, the lifeless Soul Power measuring stone trembled violently!

Its dull surface, like grease thrown into a raging fire, instantly erupted with dazzling light!

Inside the stone, the originally dim "spirit meridian" patterns lit up one after another, like liquid gold being poured into them, at an astonishing speed!

One!

Two!

Three!

Four!

Five!

The light showed no sign of stopping, instantly breaking through the standard of "tiny bit of talent" mentioned by the old man, and its momentum remained undiminished.

Six!

Seven!

Eight!

Nine!

The gray stone completely transformed into a dazzling light source, illuminating the entire side hall as bright as day!

Nine golden spirit meridians snaked and flowed within the stone like living creatures, emitting a soul-stirring spiritual pressure.

"Thud!"

The alchemy prescription scroll in the old man's hand slipped directly to the ground, making a dull sound.

He stood up abruptly, his movements so forceful that he knocked over the chair behind him, producing a harsh scraping sound.

His wrinkled face was contorted by extreme shock, his cloudy old eyes widened into perfect circles, staring intently at the brilliantly glowing Soul Power measuring stone in Mo Yuhan's hand.

His mouth hung open unconsciously, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

His eyeballs behind the crystal spectacles almost popped out!

"Nine… nine… nine golden meridians?!

What… what ancient joke is this?!"

He shrieked, his voice changing pitch, sharp and piercing, filled with unbelievable horror.

The Soul Power measuring stone with all nine meridians glowing brightly with golden light represented the highest Soul Power ever tested since the establishment of Canaan Academy's Pharmacist Department.

This meant that the nine-year-old child before him possessed Soul Power so vast and pure that it reached a terrifying level, one that countless old alchemists who had immersed themselves in alchemy for decades could only dream of reaching.

This simply overturned his lifelong understanding!