Chapter 326 Test, Alchemy

Chapter 326 Test, Alchemy

"Master, I knew you must be waiting here. I wandered around the Dan Tower for a long time but couldn't find you. As soon as I received the news from Master Xiao Ling, you showed up in a hurry."

As soon as Cao Ying stepped into the room, she went straight to the old man in white, with a hint of atmosphere in her tone, but everyone could hear that it was just a joke.

"Haha, my dear disciple, I was indeed busy before. Look, I have just finished my work. Don't worry, I will prepare some good things for you when the time comes." The white-haired old man stopped what he was doing when he heard Cao Ying's teasing, his tone full of doting.

Then, the white-haired old man's eyes fell on Xiao Ling behind Cao Ying, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. He said, "Haha, this young friend must be the Master Xiao Ling who refined the eighth-grade four-color elixir in Tianbei City in the Northern Territory not long ago. It's true that heroes emerge from youth."

"You have made such amazing achievements in alchemy at such a young age. Even I cannot fathom your spiritual realm. It seems that in the near future, you will be able to stand on equal footing with us old guys."

"Hello, President Xuankong. Compared with the seniors in Danta, I am just a junior. It is too early for such things." Xiao Ling smiled and clasped his fists, his attitude humble and casual.

"Humility is a virtue, but you don't have to be too humble. As an alchemist, you have to have some confidence." Xuan Kongzi seemed very satisfied with Xiao Ling's attitude, and his smile became more cordial.

Xiao Ling just nodded slightly and did not continue the topic.

Xuan Kongzi didn't say anything more, just exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got straight to the point: "Just now I heard that you want to take the test for the eighth-grade alchemist level?"

"That's right, President Xuankong." Xiao Ling nodded.

"Generally speaking, such a small matter as assessing the alchemist's level is not something that requires me to personally take action. However, I am quite interested in you, a young man, so I came here specially." Xuan Kongzi said with a smile.

"We at Danta assess the level of alchemists by usually testing their soul power and some knowledge of alchemy to determine the approximate level of their alchemy skills."

"But today, I have a special idea for you. You can choose the usual test method, or I recommend you another method, which is to refine an eighth-grade pill on the spot. If you choose to refine it on the spot, no matter what kind of pill you want to use, our Dan Tower can prepare three for you. What do you think?"

After saying this, Xuan Kongzi looked at Xiao Ling with interest, his eyes full of expectation. Cao Ying was also beside him, casting an expectant look at him.

Obviously, they all wanted to witness Xiao Ling's process of refining the eighth-grade elixir. Xuan Kongzi even promised to provide three batches of the medicinal materials for the eighth-grade elixir, which was not a small amount, enough to show his interest in Xiao Ling.

Xuan Kongzi's words made Xiao Ling stunned for a moment. He didn't expect things to develop to this point.

But after a brief hesitation, Xiao Ling made up his mind. It was just to refine an eighth-grade pill on the spot. He just happened to need to refine a Fuling Qingdan, and he was still short of a few medicinal materials. Since Danta was willing to provide the materials, he naturally had no reason to refuse.

"Since President Xuankong has said so, I will of course choose the second option. However, you will have to pay for the medicinal materials." Xiao Ling smiled slightly and answered easily, his attitude revealing confidence and composure.

"Haha, this little thing is not worth mentioning. The medicinal materials for three eighth-grade pills are just a drop in the bucket for our Dan Tower. What kind of pills are you planning to refine? Tell me, I will send someone to prepare the medicinal materials immediately." Xuan Kongzi heard Xiao Ling's reply, smiled and waved his hand, appearing very generous.

"President Xuankong is so generous. I was planning to refine an eighth-grade Poria Green Pill, but I haven't been able to start because I was short of a few medicinal ingredients. I'm really grateful for the president's help this time." Xiao Ling nodded, with a hint of ease in his tone.

"No problem, it's the eighth-grade Fuling Qingdan, which is a pill specially used to restore the cultivation of Dou Zun-level warriors. It seems that there should be a Dou Zun-level warrior around you. What a coincidence, I happen to have some medicinal materials for refining Fuling Qingdan."

As Xuan Kongzi spoke, he took out a large pile of medicinal herbs and several magic cores from his ring. These were exactly the three ingredients needed to refine Fuling Qingdan. He waved his hand lightly, and these ingredients flew lightly in front of Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling casually put the herbs into his storage ring, and a smile appeared on his face. He then bowed to Xuan Kongzi and said, "Thank you very much, President Xuan Kong is really generous. I wonder where I can refine this medicine?"

"Haha, let Ying'er take you to the place where the elixir is made. You two are of similar age, so you can have a good communication with each other. I will go and watch later." Xuan Kongzi said, giving Cao Ying a meaningful look.

Cao Ying nodded in agreement, then walked to Xiao Ling and said, "Master Xiao Ling, I will take you to the place where the pills are made. The environment there will definitely not disturb you while you are making the pills."

"Then I'll trouble Miss Cao Ying." Xiao Ling nodded in thanks. Then, he gestured to Xuan Kongzi and followed Cao Ying out of the hall.

Shortly after Xiao Ling and Cao Ying left the hall, there was a subtle spatial fluctuation in this spacious room. Then, two figures, a man and a woman, seemed to be peeled off from the void and gradually became clear.

If someone saw the true appearance of these two and recognized their identities, they would definitely be shocked. Because these two, like Xuan Kongzi, are the other two of the three giants of Danta who are elusive.

"Xuan Kongzi, what do you think of this kid? Have you figured out anything?" As the dark-skinned old man appeared, he spoke in a low voice.

"Even I find this guy a little hard to figure out. But judging by his attitude towards Danta, he should be pretty good." Xuan Kongzi touched his chin, then turned to look at the beautiful woman next to him and asked, "Xuan Yi, has the identity of this evildoer who suddenly appeared in Zhongzhou been investigated? Does he have any connection with the Soul Palace?"

"I have checked. This kid has a clean background. He graduated from Canaan College. He has nothing to do with the Soul Palace." Xuan Yi nodded and replied, "In a remote place like the Northwest Continent, even with the training of Canaan College, it is unlikely that he can reach his current level. It seems that this kid has some unknown opportunities."

"Things like opportunities are his own creation, so we don't need to be too curious, lest he feel uncomfortable. Now that his background is clear, we can try to invite him to join Danta." Xuan Kongzi smiled lightly, appearing quite open-minded.

“No matter what kind of opportunity he has, such talent is indeed rare in Zhongzhou. Even Yao Chen back then was not as good as him.” Xuan Yi said, with a hint of regret unconsciously revealed in his tone.

"Hey, don't take it too seriously. I always feel that old guy Yao Chen won't die so easily. He might show up again someday." Xuan Kongzi waved his hand, trying to comfort her.

"Okay, okay, let's end this topic here. Let's go. I'm quite interested in that kid's medicine refining skills. I have to go and see it in person." Tian Lei Zi said, and as soon as he finished speaking, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.

Seeing Tianlei Zi leaving, Xuanyi and Xuankongzi smiled at each other, then quickly followed him, leaving only a faint spatial fluctuation in the air.

……

After leaving Xuan Kongzi's office, Cao Ying took Xiao Ling through several corridors and walked towards the alchemy hall dedicated to Danta. The two chatted as they walked, and unknowingly, the distance between them seemed to have shortened.

"By the way, Miss Cao Ying," Xiao Ling suddenly remembered something and said to Cao Ying, "I have a few companions in Shengdan City. It may take some time to refine the eighth-grade elixir. Can you help me notify them?"

"Leave this to me," Cao Ying agreed with a smile. She took out a delicate jade pendant from her ring and injected some soul power into it, apparently to pass on a message. Then, she put the jade pendant away and said, "Master Xiao Ling, I have asked the people from Danta to notify them."

"Okay, thank you very much." Xiao Ling said with a smile.

Soon, the two came to an open hall.

This is an extremely spacious hall with a completely open top. There is no roof, only a few thick stone pillars supporting the edges, as if opening its arms to the sky.

The sun shone down without any obstruction, illuminating everything in the hall. The wind blew freely through the hall, bringing a hint of coolness and taking away some of the silence in the room. In the center of the hall was a carefully crafted alchemy table, carved from a whole piece of obsidian. The surface was as smooth as a mirror, engraved with complex patterns and formations. These patterns flashed a mysterious light under the sunlight.

There are some seats around the medicine refining table for people to rest or watch the medicine refining process.

Various rare herbs and flowers are planted around the hall. They thrive under careful care and provide fresh medicinal materials for this alchemy hall.

The aromas of these medicinal herbs blend together to form a unique natural fragrance that makes people feel relaxed and happy.

In a corner of the hall, there is a small pond with a few lotus leaves floating on the water. Occasionally, a fish jumps out of the water, splashing ripples, adding a sense of tranquility and harmony to the space.

With the arrival of Xiao Ling and Cao Ying, this open-air alchemy hall became more popular.

Cao Ying led Xiao Ling through the hall and came to the alchemy table. Xiao Ling looked around and was very satisfied with the alchemy environment.

"This is the highest-level medicine refining hall in the Dan Tower. Master Xiao Ling, what do you think?" Cao Ying asked with a smile.

"It's perfect, Miss Cao Ying. Not only are the facilities here complete, but the environment is also pleasant. It's really a great place to refine medicine." Xiao Ling nodded in praise.

"That's good. I'll wait for you on the chair over there. If you need any help, you can call me at any time." Cao Ying pointed to a chair not far away, then walked over gracefully and sat down.

Not long after Cao Ying sat down, the air seemed to tremble slightly, and then three figures appeared out of thin air. They were naturally the three giants of Danta. They found a place not far from Cao Ying and sat down.

Xiao Ling certainly noticed the arrival of the three, but he had already started preparing to make medicine, so he simply nodded to them as a greeting. The three also smiled back as a response.

Xiao Ling stood in front of the alchemy table, took a deep breath, and adjusted his state. Then he stretched out his finger and flicked it lightly. A white light flashed from his fingertips, drawing a graceful arc.

As the white light dissipated, an ancient medicine cauldron appeared out of thin air and landed steadily on the alchemy table, making a low and powerful sound.

As soon as this medicine cauldron appeared, the medicinal fragrance in the air seemed to become stronger. Its presence was like a magnet, attracting everyone's attention.

Cao Ying and the three giants of Danta could not help but stare at the medicine cauldron, with surprise and admiration in their eyes.

"It's actually the Lingque Ding ranked fourth on the Tianding Ranking," Xuan Kongzi couldn't help but admire, "I didn't expect this little guy to have such a high-quality medicine cauldron. It seems that he is really lucky."

However, before they could recover from the quality of Xiao Ling's medicine cauldron, Xiao Ling made a new move.

Xiao Ling first lightly touched the storage ring on his finger, and then hundreds of medicinal herbs and several magic cores were summoned by him. Under his precise control, these medicinal herbs and magic cores slowly floated in the air, as if held by an invisible hand, quietly waiting for his next move.

Then he gently stretched out his hand, and a ball of golden flame emerged from his palm. As soon as the flame appeared, it emitted a scorching heat, and the surrounding air seemed to be slightly distorted by the heat.

However, under Xiao Ling's precise control, the high temperature did not dissipate, but was firmly bound around the flame.

As soon as the flame appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of the four people. When they felt the burning breath emanating from the flame, they couldn't help but exclaimed: "This is... strange fire!"

For alchemists, the most ideal flame for alchemy is naturally the strange fire that is naturally bred on the Douqi Continent.

However, strange fire is hard to come by, and the chance to encounter and tame it is even rarer. Now in Zhongzhou, Xiao Ling is the second professional alchemist who has tamed a strange fire since the disappearance of Yao Chen, who tamed the Bone Spirit Cold Fire.

Now, they actually saw Xiao Ling summon the strange fire with their own eyes, and even the three giants of Danta couldn't help but be surprised. However, after all, they had experienced many hardships and were knowledgeable. They quickly regained their composure and adjusted their mentality.

But the young Cao Ying was completely different. She was completely attracted by the charm of the strange fire, her eyes full of envy and desire.

The Blood Demon Flame that Cao Ying used when refining medicine was also obtained by the Cao family with great effort. The quality was quite good, and other alchemists were very envious. But compared with the strange fire, it was simply the difference between the light of a firefly and the brilliance of the bright moon.

"Teacher, can you recognize that the golden strange fire used by Xiao Ling is the one on the strange fire list?" Cao Ying's gaze turned to Xuan Kongzi not far away with some curiosity.

Xuan Kongzi smiled slightly, his eyes lingering on the golden flame in Xiao Ling's hand for a moment. "On the list of strange fires, golden strange fires are rare. The fourth-ranked Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame and the seventh-ranked Nine Nether Golden Ancestor Fire are the most famous."

“However, the flame in Xiao Ling’s hand is more brilliant in color, and more like the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame. Although the power of this flame cannot be underestimated, it is still quite different from the real Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.”

After a slight pause, Xuan Kongzi's tone gradually became strange: "It seems that this kid's origin may not be as simple as it seems, and it is a bit unusual."

Tian Lei Zi and Xuan Yi also nodded. They looked at Xiao Ling with a hint of strangeness in their eyes.

Cao Ying couldn't help but feel a little confused when he heard Xuan Kongzi's words. But he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Xiao Ling, with a more intense curiosity in his eyes.

In front of the medicine cauldron, Xiao Ling first slowly sent the golden strange fire into the cauldron and began the first step of refining the medicine.

As the temperature in the medicine cauldron gradually rose and reached the requirement for refining the elixir, he began to methodically control the herbs to fly into the cauldron one by one.

As soon as these herbs entered the medicine cauldron, they were gently wrapped by the golden fire. Under Xiao Ling's control, the flames split into dozens of tiny flames, each of which accurately corresponded to a herb, and began to burn slowly, extracting the essence of the herb.

The medicinal fragrance in the air becomes stronger and stronger as the herbs are refined. The scents of various herbs are intertwined together to form a complex and harmonious aroma that makes people feel refreshed.

"This kid is really bold. He actually uses fire to refine several medicinal materials at the same time. Isn't he afraid of making mistakes in a hurry?" Tian Lei Zi sat aside, watching Xiao Ling's medicine refining process, his brows slightly frowned, with a hint of weirdness in his tone.

"Look at his control over the flames. He is indeed very good at it. The speed of refining the herbs is not affected at all. Obviously, this is not the first time he has done this." Xuan Kongzi watched Xiao Ling's technique and could not help but marvel at it. "Even I dare not say that I can do so many things at the same time like him. How did this kid do it?"

"Being able to refine an eighth-grade elixir at such a young age, this kid must have extraordinary talent. Maybe this ability to multitask is his unique feature." Xuan Yi also joined the discussion, with a hint of envy in her voice.

Some alchemists are different from ordinary alchemists. They all have their own special talents. Some people are born with stronger soul power than others, some people have a much better control and affinity for fire than ordinary people, and some people can even absorb the soul power of others. Xuan Kongzi and others naturally regard Xiao Ling's ability to do many things at the same time as one of his talents.

But what they didn't know was that Xiao Ling was able to do many things at once because he practiced the "Da Yan Jue". If it weren't for the fact that refining pills required special precision, Xiao Ling would have been able to do a hundred things at once easily.

(End of this chapter)