"Oh, Old Otto, you brought someone with you this time?"
An aged voice, tinged with a faint smile, echoed through the hall.
Following the sound, one could see an old man with snow-white hair standing on the high platform to the left, looking like an ordinary person.
On the old man's alchemist robe badge, four ripples were engraved.
"That's Vice President Mitchell, who is also the Little Princess's teacher."
Otto waved to the old man and introduced him to Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan in a low voice.
"I'll take you to meet those old guys; they are people who possess enormous power in the Jia Ma Empire."
Otto led Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan to the high platform and stopped.
"Old Otto, it's been a long time since you brought anyone to the Convention. Are these the strong contenders from your Black Rock City?"
"This time, I've brought two rare geniuses. You won't be able to surpass me this time."
"Vice President Mitchell!" Xiao Jietian bowed slightly and smiled.
Mitchell's cloudy eyes swept over Xiao Jietian.
"A good prospect with great potential. In the future, he will definitely be a pillar of our alchemy world."
The other Tier 4 Alchemists around Mitchell also cast their gazes.
Then he looked at Xiao Yan, who was standing beside him. Seeing the Second-Tier Alchemist badge on Xiao Yan's chest, he frowned almost imperceptibly. A Second-Tier Alchemist would find it difficult to even enter the top twenty at the Alchemist Convention.
"Little guy, Old Otto rarely recommends people. It seems he values you highly, so don't disappoint him."
"There's no problem passing this test."
Xiao Yan knew that his identity as a Second-Tier Alchemist easily led to speculation, so he shrugged indifferently.
"It's good to have confidence."
Mitchell nodded and smiled.
"Alright, the test is about to begin. You two should go down first."
Mitchell checked the time and said gently to Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan.
After Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan walked down from the high platform, Mitchell stood at the very front, pointing to the wall on the far left of the hall, which was covered with many black curtains:
"Behind each curtain is a small room, which will be your examination room."
"This test requires you to refine the medicinal ingredients to their extreme purity before the hourglass runs out. Your score will then be determined by a subsequent test to see if you qualify for advancement."
"Alright, you may choose a room and begin."
After Mitchell finished speaking, the people in the hall rushed to enter the curtains, seizing every second.
Xiao Jietian also chose a nearby curtain and walked in.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to enter a relatively secluded curtain, a voice sounded from behind him.
"I didn't expect Brother Yan Xiao to also be able to participate in this internal test."
Xiao Yan looked at Liu Ling's slightly effeminate face, which carried a faint hostility. After letting out a disdainful snort, Xiao Yan walked into the curtain.
Liu Ling immediately clenched his fist in anger.
"Brother Liu Ling, is he your friend?"
"No, why? Do you want me to introduce you to him?"
Liu Ling composed himself and smiled at Princess Yao Yue, who had asked the question.
"Not really. I'm more interested in the Third-Tier Alchemist next to him."
Princess Yao Yue shook her head; a Second-Tier Alchemist wasn't worth her effort to win over.
"That guy should be Xiao Jietian, ranked eighth on the so-called contenders list. He certainly seems like an opponent, but what strength can someone from those remote places have? In front of me, he's not worth a single blow."
Liu Ling pondered for a moment, a hint of undetectable disdain curling at the corner of his mouth.
Then the two of them chose a curtain and walked in.
Watching all the examinees enter, Mitchell took a sip of tea and smiled as he looked at the left wall: "Now let's wait and see who achieves the highest purity in their refinement."
"How about we make a bet?"
One of the Tier 4 Alchemist elders looked around at the other Alchemists with a slightly provocative and mischievous smile.
"You wouldn't be scared, would you?"
"Old Deng, I'll bet with you. I'll bet on Xiao Jietian having the highest purity. I'll wager a bottle of Blue Stone Stalactite against your Snow Lotus Seeds."
The person who spoke was naturally Otto; he had full confidence in Xiao Jietian.
The others also placed their bets.
Xiao Jietian, who had entered the curtain, found a blue stone platform against the wall in the small room. On the platform were medicinal ingredients resembling pieces of black charcoal, as well as an hourglass.
"As expected, it's the most heat-resistant Black Iron Spirit Leaf. I wonder how long you can withstand a Unique Flame."
Xiao Jietian chuckled, directly using a Unique Flame to condense a bright red medicinal cauldron. With a flick of his hand, a Black Iron Spirit Leaf from the stone platform was thrown into the cauldron.
The bright red flame instantly enveloped it, beginning a fierce calcination.
His ten fingers moved nimbly, his soul power controlling the temperature of the Unique Flame.
Time flew by. Xiao Jietian, having finished refining, directly placed the Black Iron Spirit Leaf, which could no longer be further purified, into a jade bottle.
Seeing that less than a fifth of the hourglass had elapsed, Xiao Jietian took the jade bottle, lifted the curtain, and walked out.
The group of elders on the high platform were immediately drawn when they saw a hand emerge from one of the curtains.
"Only a fifth of the time has passed, and someone is already coming out? Have they finished refining or given up?"
"Old Otto, isn't that the Third-Tier Alchemist from your Black Rock City?"
"Yes." Otto saw that it was Xiao Jietian who came out first, and a smile mixed with worry appeared on his face.
After Xiao Jietian came out, he stood in the center of the hall, meeting Otto's gaze and nodding slightly.
Seeing Xiao Jietian's confident demeanor, Otto immediately relaxed.
Xiao Jietian stood quietly in the center, closing his eyes to rest. A few old men stared at him blankly, and he felt goosebumps without even opening his eyes.
When the hourglass was almost a quarter empty, someone walked out from behind a curtain.
Xiao Jietian opened his eyes, saw it was Liu Ling, and then continued to close his eyes.
Liu Ling thought he was the first to come out. When his gaze swept to Xiao Jietian standing in the middle, he was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but blurt out.
"Why is he here?"
"He came out after he finished refining. Is there a problem?"
Mitchell couldn't understand what was going on with Liu Ling.
"Stealing my spotlight. This guy wouldn't think he finished by just casually refining, would he?"
Liu Ling thought to himself. After comforting himself, he raised his head and stood in the middle of the hall like a proud peacock.
Xiao Jietian ignored this somewhat abnormal disciple of Gu He.
After Liu Ling, the Little Princess and other Alchemists also came out.
"Brother Liu, you were indeed fast. I still couldn't beat you."
"I wasn't the first to finish refining. He was already standing here when I came out."
Liu Ling gritted his teeth and slightly raised his head at Xiao Jietian.
"Is he that strong?" Princess Yao Yue looked Xiao Jietian up and down. Strong and handsome—how biased must the heavens be to arrange things like this?
"Strong my ass. I think he doesn't know the rules and just came out after one refinement. I don't know how he managed to pass the assessment to become a Third-Tier Alchemist."
"He doesn't look like that to me. He seems so calm."
Princess Yao Yue looked at Xiao Jietian in surprise upon hearing this, a hint of disdain also entering her eyes.
The Little Princess had a relatively good relationship with Liu Ling and fully believed his analysis, completely taken in by his deception.
Her original intention to strike up a conversation was immediately extinguished.
As the hourglass was almost empty, Xiao Jietian opened his eyes but still didn't see Xiao Yan.
And Otto's eyes on the high platform also dimmed a little, secretly thinking: Was one eliminated here? It shouldn't be.
"Alright, everyone, I announce, time—"
"Sorry, I'm late."
A figure slowly walked out from behind the last remaining curtain, bowing slightly to Mitchell.
Xiao Jietian sighed at this famous scene.
It truly is you, Mr. Punctuality. If he hadn't been able to sense that Xiao Yan was still refining, he would have thought Xiao Yan was standing behind the curtain, waiting for the time to almost end before coming out. The timing was too perfect.