Chapter 4: The Sound of the Bell
The Alchemy Hall of the Azure Mist Sect was a sprawling complex of red-tiled roofs and soaring chimneys that constantly exhaled plumes of multi-colored smoke. It was the heart of the sect's economy and the source of its prestige. To the common disciples, it was a temple; to Ye Jun, it had always been a place of exclusion.
Today, the plaza in front of the Hall was crowded. News traveled fast in a closed mountain community, and the story of the "Trash Scavenger" breaking Han Feng's sword had spread like wildfire. Some came to see a miracle; most came to see a public execution.
Ye Jun walked through the gates with a steady pace. He had washed himself in a mountain stream and mended his rags as best he could. He looked cleaner, but he still looked poor—a stark contrast to the disciples in their silk robes who parted for him as if he were carrying a plague.
At the center of the hall stood the Trial Cauldron, a massive bronze relic used for the promotion exams. Standing beside it was Elder Ma, a man with a face like withered parchment and a temper just as dry.
"Ye Jun," Elder Ma said, his voice echoing through the silent hall. "You sent word that you wish to take the Apprentice Alchemist exam. Do you understand the penalty for wasting the Hall's time? If you fail to ignite the furnace, you will receive thirty lashes and be expelled from the mountain forever."
"I understand," Ye Jun replied, his voice calm.
From the balcony above, a group of high-ranking disciples watched with amusement. Among them was Han Feng, his hand heavily bandaged and his face twisted in a mask of loathing. "He's bluffing, Elder!" Han Feng shouted down. "He has a dud flame! He's using some trick to hide his lack of cultivation!"
Ye Jun ignored him. His gaze moved past the balcony to a secluded corner where a figure in white stood partially hidden by a silk screen. Su Yan. She was watching him, her pale eyes unreadable. She was the reason he was here. He needed the status of an Alchemist to protect himself, and he needed the access to the sect's herb stores to continue his growth.
"Begin," Elder Ma commanded.
On the stone table before Ye Jun lay three sets of ingredients for a Qi-Gathering Pill—the most basic of medicines, yet the hardest to perfect. He had to refine at least one pill of "Medium Quality" to pass.
Ye Jun placed his hand on the Trial Cauldron. It was cold and unresponsive.
"Focus," the voice of the Nine-Chamber Cauldron whispered in the back of his mind. "Do not show them the sun. Show them only a spark."
Ye Jun closed his eyes. He didn't unleash the full power of the Chaos Spark. Instead, he reached into his dantian and shaved off a microscopic sliver of that golden heat. He funneled it through his fingertips and into the bronze belly of the furnace.
WHOOSH.
A flame erupted. It wasn't the smoky gray flicker they expected. It was a clear, vibrant amber, burning with a steady, rhythmic hum.
The crowd gasped. Elder Ma leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "A stable flame? Since when?"
Ye Jun didn't answer. He began to move. His hands, once clumsy and shaking from hunger, were now fluid and precise. He tossed the Sun-Dried Ginger into the heat, followed by the Spirit-Well Water. He wasn't just following a recipe; he could see the molecular struggle inside the cauldron. His new senses allowed him to feel the exact moment the medicinal properties began to clash and merge.
Minutes passed. The hall grew quiet, the only sound being the crackle of the fire. The scent of burnt weeds, typical of failed attempts, never came. Instead, a light, refreshing fragrance began to waft from the vents of the cauldron—a scent like morning dew on a pine forest.
"Impossible," Han Feng whispered from the balcony, his face paling. "He's... he's performing the Triple-Refolding Technique? That's a Master-level move!"
Ye Jun's brow was damp with sweat, but his heart was cold as ice. He reached the final stage: the Condensation. Most alchemists failed here, as the ingredients resisted being forced into a single sphere.
Ye Jun let out a soft breath. Merge.
He gave the golden spark a sharp tug. The amber flame turned momentarily white-hot.
CLANG!
The lid of the cauldron hissed, and three round, emerald-green pills shot out, floating in the air before landing softly in a jade tray.
Elder Ma stepped forward, his hands trembling as he picked one up. He held it to the light. The pill wasn't just green; it had a faint, silver vein running through its center—the mark of a Top-Grade pill.
"Top-Grade..." Elder Ma whispered. "And not just one... all three. Ye Jun... how?"
Ye Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked the Elder in the eye. "I spent ten years in the graveyard, Elder. I had plenty of time to study the failures. I just stopped making them."
The plaza erupted into a deafening roar of whispers and shouts. A "Dud" had just produced Top-Grade pills on his first official try.
Ye Jun turned his gaze toward the balcony. He looked directly at Han Feng, who was shaking with a mix of fear and fury. Then, his eyes moved to the silk screen.
Su Yan stepped out from the shadows. The crowd went silent as the Ice Phoenix descended the stairs, her white robes fluttering like snow. She walked straight to the trial table and looked at the pills, then at Ye Jun.
The intimacy of the previous night—the heat of his hand on her heart—hung in the air between them, invisible to everyone else.
"Elder Ma," Su Yan said, her voice like the chime of a silver bell. "This disciple is no longer an Apprentice. His control is sufficient for the rank of Inner Court Alchemist."
"But Elder Su!" someone shouted. "He's only at the Third Level of Qi Condensation!"
"In alchemy," Su Yan said, her cold gaze sweeping the room until everyone went quiet, "the result is the only truth. Ye Jun has shown us the truth."
She turned back to Ye Jun, her pale blue eyes searching his. "Since you have no master and your former quarters were... destroyed... you shall relocate to the Frozen Bamboo Peaks. You will serve as my personal assistant while you continue your studies."
A collective gasp went up. To be the personal assistant of the Ice Phoenix was a position thousands would kill for. It was both a reward and a shield.
Ye Jun bowed, hiding the faint smirk on his lips. "I accept, Elder Su."
As he walked out of the hall, the rusted cauldron tucked hidden in his wide sleeve, he felt the golden spark in his chest grow warmer. The "trash" was gone. The Alchemist had arrived.
But as he looked up at the seven peaks of the sect, he knew this was just the beginning. To protect the woman who had just protected him—and to unlock the remaining seven chambers—he would have to become a god.