365: Easily pass the exam to become a sixth-grade alchemist

This was as absurd as a great Confucian scholar, who had read extensively and possessed profound knowledge, suddenly claiming he had never participated in the basic imperial examination!

She almost subconsciously blurted out the question, filled with deep confusion.

"Senior Uncle, have you never been certified for your rank at the Pill Tower or any other major Alchemist organization?"

The moment she asked this, Mu Qingxian immediately realized the implications.

That's right, with his inscrutable alchemy skills, how many factions on the Fighting Qi Continent were qualified or capable of testing and certifying him as a Grade 8 Alchemist?

She counted on her fingers.

"The only ones generally recognized as having the authority to certify Grade 8 Grandmasters are probably the Pill Tower and the secluded Medicine Clan... and perhaps one or two extremely ancient and mysterious factions."

Seeing his slightly unnatural expression, she didn't dare to continue speaking.

The meaning was obvious: her Senior Uncle had clearly never gone to these places for official certification.

Jiang Donghua felt a little awkward being put on the spot by his niece's soul-piercing question, especially when he saw her shocked expression that essentially said, 'Senior Uncle, you're an unregistered person!' Even with his thick skin, his old face couldn't help but flush red.

He coughed twice, deliberately straightened his face, glared at Mu Qingxian with a threatening look, and said fiercely.

"Hmph, busybody! If you keep nagging, the pills your Sound Valley needs in the future, you, the Valley Master, can refine yourself!"

These words were devastating!

Mu Qingxian shuddered instantly, remembering that the future revitalization of the Sound Valley still required the support of his terrifying pill-refining abilities. She quickly made a zipping motion over her mouth with her hand, instantly putting on a flattering and obedient smile, and expressed herself with utmost sincerity in her eyes.

Senior Uncle, I was wrong, I didn't hear anything! Your alchemy skills are the greatest in the world and certainly don't need those empty titles for proof!

Seeing Mu Qingxian immediately back down, Jiang Donghua gave a satisfied grunt, covering up the awkwardness of the previous moment.

He looked up at the colossal, towering structure at the end of the square—the Pill Tower—which exuded a vast aura, and thought to himself.

It seemed that keeping a low profile during this Pill Gathering would be difficult.

But perhaps, this way was quite interesting?

Inside Holy Pill City, the Alchemist rank testing points established by the Pill Tower were overcrowded.

Especially in the Fifth-Grade Alchemist testing area, the queue snaked endlessly, and the noise, discussions, and sighs of the failed candidates mixed together, forming a scorching wave of anxiety.

Many young Alchemists had beads of sweat on their faces, their eyes nervously fixed on the door of the testing room ahead.

Jiang Donghua merely glanced at the long line, which was comparable to a popular tourist spot during the Golden Week holiday in his previous life, then turned without hesitation and walked towards the adjacent passage marked for Sixth-Rank Alchemist testing.

The atmosphere here was completely different.

In the spacious waiting area, there were only a dozen or so scattered people.

These individuals generally looked older; the youngest were likely in their thirties or forties. Each of them had a stable aura and sharp eyes, and the faint Soul Power fluctuations emanating from them indicated that they were at least Peak Fifth-Grade Alchemists, having touched the threshold of the Sixth-Rank.

They were either closing their eyes to rest their minds or communicating in low voices, appearing quite reserved and confident.

The arrival of Jiang Donghua and Mu Qingxian did not cause much disturbance.

These arrogant quasi-Sixth-Rank Alchemists only casually glanced at the pair who seemed like master and disciple—Jiang Donghua had a restrained aura, and Mu Qingxian's youthful appearance led them to mistake her for a student. Seeing nothing particularly special, they withdrew their gazes and continued with their own matters.

Given their level of Soul Power, they naturally could not discern Jiang Donghua's depth, nor could they detect any trace of Mu Qingxian's true abilities.

The two found an empty spot, sat down, and waited quietly.

Not long after, the door of a testing room opened, and a stern-faced elder wearing the robes of a Pill Tower deacon walked out. His gaze swept over the dozen or so people waiting, and his voice was loud but carried undeniable authority.

"Next batch, come in."

Everyone rose and followed the elder into the testing room.

The room was very spacious, with more than a dozen independent stone platforms arranged side by side. Each platform was equipped with a basic earth fire vent.

The elder stood in front, speaking concisely and without any unnecessary words.

"The rules are simple. Right here, you must refine the Sixth-Rank pill you are most confident in."

"Bring your own materials, there is no time limit. Success is achieved upon forming the pill, and passing requires the quality to meet the standard."

He paused, his cloudy but sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

"Don't tell this old man that you came to assess as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist without even preparing one set of Sixth-Rank pill materials!"

Hearing this, everyone nodded, indicating their understanding.

Anyone who came here to assess for the Sixth-Rank was prepared.

Everyone immediately began taking the Medicine Cauldron and the already prepared medicinal ingredients from their storage ring.

Jiang Donghua didn't say anything either; with a thought, an ancient, deep-cyan Medicine Cauldron, inscribed with profound wood grain patterns on its surface, appeared on the stone platform in front of him.

It was the green wood king cauldron!

The moment this cauldron appeared, an ancient, heavy, and vital aura naturally permeated the air. A faint radiance flowed around the body of the cauldron, indicating at a glance that it was extraordinary!

The Alchemists nearby, who were setting up their own Medicine Cauldrons, instantly felt that their own cauldrons—which they usually regarded as treasures—were instantly overshadowed in front of the green wood king cauldron, like rubble encountering fine jade!

Lines of sight, mixed with shock, envy, and even a hint of jealousy, collectively focused on Jiang Donghua and the Medicine Cauldron in front of him.

"Hiss... this Medicine Cauldron must be at least a Seventh-Tier Medicine Cauldron, right?"

"Who is this person? To possess such a treasure cauldron!"

Jiang Donghua paid no heed to the surrounding reactions. With a calm expression, he began warming the cauldron, his movements flowing smoothly, possessing an indescribable beauty.

The following scene was even more devastating to the other candidates in the assessment, nearly destabilizing their Dao hearts.

Jiang Donghua's chosen ingredients were, astonishingly, for the Break-Sect Pill, which was the most difficult among Sixth-Rank pills and considered the peak of the Sixth-Rank!

This pill could help a Peak Dou Huang Expert increase their chances of breaking through to the Dou Zong realm. It was priceless, and its refining process was extremely complicated, demanding exceptionally high control over fire and Soul perception. Ordinary Sixth-Rank Alchemists would not dare to attempt it easily.

However, in Jiang Donghua's hands, refining the Break-Sect Pill was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.

Blue flames danced at his fingertips, sometimes like docile spirits, sometimes like roaring dragons, precisely controlling the extraction, fusion, and condensation of every medicinal ingredient. Throughout the entire process, he didn't even show the slightest solemn expression, as if he wasn't taking an assessment, but merely completing a simple, routine task.

After only a few hours, while others were still cautiously performing the fusion step, and some had already caused a burnt smell to emanate from their Medicine Cauldrons due to mistakes... a rich medicinal fragrance was the first to spread from Jiang Donghua's stone platform, and a great radiance burst forth from his cauldron!

"Condense!"

Following his low shout, the cauldron lid opened, and a dragon-eye-sized, perfectly round, and energy-rich pill flew out, which he casually placed into a jade bottle.

Success!

The Peak Sixth-Rank pill, the Break-Sect Pill, was perfectly formed!

The entire testing room instantly fell silent.

The other Alchemists looked at the pills still struggling inside their Medicine Cauldrons, then looked at the extremely high-quality Break-Sect Pill in Jiang Donghua's hand, their faces filled with frustration and disbelief.

The Pill Tower deacon presiding over the assessment flashed to Jiang Donghua's side, carefully accepted the jade bottle, and inspected it closely. His stern expression had long since been replaced by shock and admiration.

His gaze toward Jiang Donghua was full of astonishment.

"Brother?"

The deacon's tone carried unprecedented politeness, even using a term of address reserved for peers.

"With your masterful alchemy skills and control over fire and Soul Power, assessing as a Seventh-Rank Alchemist would be more than sufficient, wouldn't it? Why come to this Sixth-Rank testing area?"

Jiang Donghua simply shook his head faintly, offering no explanation, and only asked.

"Deacon, did I pass the assessment?"

The deacon was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded.

"Passed! Of course, you passed! And with flying colors!"

He hurriedly retrieved a black Alchemist robe embroidered with six golden ripples along the edges, along with a badge representing the identity of a high-level Sixth-Rank Alchemist, and respectfully handed them to Jiang Donghua.

Jiang Donghua accepted the robe and the badge, casually draped the robe over himself, and pinned the Sixth-Rank badge to his chest.

The scene shifted. When Jiang Donghua, wearing his brand-new Sixth-Rank Alchemist black robe, walked out of the testing hall with Mu Qingxian, she immediately rushed over to greet him.

She looked at the Sixth-Rank badge glittering on his chest under the sunlight. Although she felt this rank was far below his true level, she cooperated perfectly by putting on an expression of adoration, and spoke in a tone that was both playful and proud, like the best straight man in a comedy duo.

"When Senior Uncle makes a move, success is guaranteed! This Sixth-Rank assessment was probably simpler for you than drinking tea or eating, wasn't it?"

"Look how stunned those guys inside were. They probably have never seen pill refining done like that in their lives!"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the few people nearby who noticed Jiang Donghua coming out to hear.

Jiang Donghua glanced at her, noncommittal about her slightly exaggerated performance, but the corner of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly. He then stepped forward and walked away.

With this officially certified identity, conducting business in Holy Pill City would be much more convenient.