Chapter 32: Chapter 32: This Wastrel Actually Knows Alchemy
The medicinal ingredients used for the examination were all provided by the Alchemy Master Alliance.
This means that anyone participating in the examination only needs to focus on alchemy without worrying about other issues.
Time passed.
Soon, half an hour passed.
The first round of the examination ended.
All ten participants in the examination failed.
No one succeeded in refining the Elixir.
This shows how difficult it is to become a true Alchemist.
"Now, number eleven to twenty, please enter." The host was an Alchemist of the Second Grade in the alliance, known as Elder Li.
As his voice fell, Ji Chen, who had been waiting boringly for half an hour, finally perked up.
He walked slowly to the center, looking no different from other participants.
According to the number on his examination ticket, Ji Chen was assigned to the second Alchemy Furnace.
While waiting for the examination to start, the Alchemy Master Alliance provided two sets of Wind Travel Pill ingredients based on the information when he registered for the Wind Travel Pill.
It was not because Ji Chen was treated specially.
Every participant had two opportunities to refine pills.
This means they could fail once, but not twice, or they would have to wait another year to take the examination again.
"Huh? Young Sect Leader, look over there..."
Meanwhile, not far from the First Grade examination site, Nie Yuan had also arrived.
Beside him, Lu Ren scanned the surroundings, suddenly fixing his gaze on a certain spot.
He showed an expression of amazement and pointed with his hand.
Nie Yuan looked puzzled, his eyes following Lu Ren’s direction, and his expression froze instantly.
"Ji Chen?"
At this moment, in the second round of the First Grade Pill Master examination, Nie Yuan saw Ji Chen was also participating.
His brows furrowed, "What’s going on? He’s also taking the First Grade Alchemist examination?"
Does Ji Chen know alchemy?
How is this possible?
The notorious hedonist of the Chu Kingdom, when did he have such an unknown side?
Moreover, not only Nie Yuan and Lu Ren, but some in the crowd also recognized Ji Chen.
"Isn’t that the Young Sect Leader Ji Chen of the Lingyun Sect?"
"The Chu Kingdom’s number one hedonist? Are you kidding me?"
"Am I dreaming? He’s actually taking the Alchemist examination..."
No one could hold back their surprise, their expressions as vivid as can be.
To become an Alchemist, such a person is hardly one in ten thousand.
In the vast Chu Kingdom, how many millions of people are there?
Among them, only about a hundred have the qualifications to participate in the First Grade Pill Master examination each year.
But what everyone found unimaginable was that a hedonist became one of those hundreds.
If this is not a dream, it’s hard to believe it’s real.
"How is it possible? Just a hedonist, how could he know alchemy?"
"It’s probably because the Lingyun Sect used some means to let him take this examination just for fun..."
"A hedonist never fails to amaze, taking pleasure to a new level."
After their surprise, many people relaxed.
Clearly, they did not believe Ji Chen was truly participating in the First Grade Alchemist examination.
Instead, they thought all this was just the hedonist having fun for entertainment.
"This good-for-nothing, could he actually be using this place to brush up his qualifications?" Nie Yuan snorted coldly.
Evidently, he agreed with the surrounding crowd’s words.
After speaking, he also found a place to sit, waiting to see Ji Chen make a fool of himself.
When the other failed the examination and left the stage, Nie Yuan would definitely go up to mock him.
Even now, he did not associate Liu Rong’s death with Ji Chen.
He merely thought that Liu Rong met with an accident on the way to assassinate Ji Chen and died at the hands of an old enemy.
Soon, the examination began. Ji Chen sat calmly in front of the Pill Furnace, methodically putting the Wind Travel Pill ingredients into the Pill Furnace.
With his current level of Spiritual Power, refining a First Grade Elixir was a trivial task.
Such a process was even a bit boring for Ji Chen.
He didn’t need to take it too seriously at all.
Watching him like this, Nie Yuan among the spectators couldn’t help but sneer, "This hedonist truly treats this place as his playground."
"A good-for-nothing is always a good-for-nothing, how could he actually know alchemy? I just hope he doesn’t cause the furnace to explode; an Alchemy Furnace is not cheap." Lu Ren also scoffed.
Gradually, time passed, one quarter of an hour, two quarters gone.
By now, nearly half of those participating in the second round had failed and left the stage early.
Yet Ji Chen still sat there, idly observing the inside of the Pill Furnace.
"Something seems off..."
Nie Yuan finally frowned, aware something was amiss, "This guy actually has Pill Fire in his furnace!"
Pill Fire can only be condensed when one’s Spiritual Power reaches a certain level, and is the most basic requirement to become an Alchemist.
Only now did Nie Yuan realize Ji Chen could actually condense Pill Fire!
Undoubtedly, this meant he indeed had the conditions to become an Alchemist.
Lu Ren’s expression also turned grim, "How can this be..."
Not just them, but everyone surrounding them now showed expressions of astonishment.
"Is he really Ji Chen?"
"How could... this hedonist’s Spiritual Power actually condensed Pill Fire, qualifying him to become an Alchemist..."
"Did you notice that from the start of the examination, although he seemed listless, his alchemy sequence and steps seemed quite orderly."
"This hedonist can actually perform alchemy, it’s unbelievable!"
"If his Spiritual Power was indeed sufficient for him to become an Alchemist, then his knowledge of alchemy is not surprising, since Lingyun Sect has Master Li Huayuan as an Alchemist Honored Guest Elder. Perhaps Master Li Huayuan saw potential in this hedonist and taught him alchemy."
"This possibility is very great!"
Amid the crowd’s discussions, they concluded such a reasoning.
But how could they know that Ji Chen’s knowledge of alchemy was not because of Li Huayuan.
On the contrary, the reason why Li Huayuan could confidently participate in the Third Grade Alchemist examination today was thanks to Ji Chen’s guidance.
"Congeal!"
Amid the crowd’s discussions, who knows how much time had passed, only to hear a soft shout from Ji Chen in front of the second Alchemy Furnace.
Soon after, the furnace shook slightly, and a fragrance of Elixir permeated the area. When the Pill Fire inside gradually extinguished, a Wind Travel Pill was taken out by Ji Chen.