Chapter 905 - Illusory Arboretum
Panda Novel
The pill maker certification test was divided into four stages.
The first stage tested one’s knowledge of medicinal herbs. The second stage was to gauge one’s affinity.
Anyone could pass those two stages as long as they met the passing conditions.
The third stage was a written examination, which tested one’s theory of medicine. Only the top one hundred candidates would advance to the next stage while the rest were eliminated.
The final stage was a practical test in which the candidates would have to make pills on the spot. Only the top twenty candidates would be accepted as official pill makers and be awarded the embroidered dragon robe.
Those who passed the test were level one pill makers. If they wanted to continue to advance, they would have to wait.
The level two test was a completely separate one that was held once every three years, while the level three test was once every five years.
Level four and five tests were even more different. They were only held whenever someone applied for it. Each time, it would be a momentous event.
After flipping through it a few times, Tang Hao returned the booklet.
The crowd swarmed toward the mountain gate, and each of them presented their proof of entry. Then, someone led them up the mountain.
“Tang Ritian?”
At the mountain gate, the disciple inspecting Tang Hao’s identity token could not help but tremble when he saw it.
The people around him also trembled and looked over.
“Wow! What a domineering name!”
Someone exclaimed.
“Hahaha! I’m dying of laughter! That guy is actually called Ritian. As expected, he’s vulgar and uncouth!” The young man from Wood Cauldron Mountain could not help but laugh out loud.
He had been looking for an opportunity to get back at Tang Hao since then.
Even Grandmaster Yun Cang turned around and looked at Tang Hao with interest.
He noticed Tang Ritian’s name while checking the name list. He paid special attention to it because Tang Ritian was so young.
However, he was unfamiliar with that name. He had never heard of him before, so he was not a prodigy of some sect. He was probably there to experience the test.
As long as he had money, the academy would not turn him away.
He gave Tang Hao a friendly smile and turned around.
“Alright! Let’s go up!”
After everyone was registered, the disciples let the candidates go up the mountain.
Halfway up, the candidates were led to the back of the mountain. Soon, they saw a cave in front of them.
“Illusory Arboretum?”
Tang Hao read the ancient writing on the monument in front of the cave.
That was the location of the first stage of the test. According to the booklet, a certain type of creature called wood elves lived in the illusory realm.
Wood elves were born from the essence of plants and vegetation. It had a natural affinity with anything plant-related, and they were well-versed in the knowledge of herbology.
To pass this stage of the test, all one had to do was to find a wood elf, answer their question, and obtain the pass token from them.
“Now line up and enter one by one. Remember, one pass token is enough!”
The leading disciple walked to the front of the cave and waved at everyone.
Everyone lined up and entered the cave in an orderly manner.
“Dammit, all the wood elves I met last time were tricky, and I didn’t even pass the first stage. This time, I’ll… go around them.”
“Everyone, pay attention. There’s a wood elf called Fei. It’s very crafty, and its nickname is the ‘Candidate Killer.’ Be sure to stay away from it!”
“Yes, yes, I’ve met that Fei wood elf before. Damn! He’s more like a devil. He asked me to recognize herbs from the scent alone, and I’ve never even seen any of them before. It’s impossible to get the pass token from him!”
The group chatted as they walked.
Tang Hao followed behind and walked in.
After passing through a long corridor, their field of vision opened up. They were in a primeval forest, and a thick fog hung in the air.
Everything looked so hazy, like the scene of a dream.
Tang Hao looked around but did not see anyone. The people that had arrived before him had all disappeared.
After carefully inspecting the space, Tang Hao furrowed his brows slightly.
This place looked like a demi-world, but it also felt like an illusory realm.
After hesitating for a moment, Tang Hao took a step forward.
After walking for a few steps, he heard a peal of strange laughter. Then, a strange little green person jumped out from a bush.
“Young medicine maker! Do you dare to accept my challenge?”
The little green person spoke in human language.
“If you win, this is yours!” As it spoke, it showed a token tied to its waist.
“OK!”
Tang Hao agreed without hesitation.
He was extremely confident about his knowledge of medicinal herbs. Moreover, it was only a level one test. He did not take it too seriously.
“Very well, young medicine maker, you are very courageous to accept my challenge! This is it: As long as you can name one hundred of the plants here and accurately describe their medicinal properties, you can take my token,” the wood elf said while pointing to its surroundings.
He sounded as though he had repeated the same question countless times.
“That’s it?” Tang Hao was surprised.
“Don’t be too full of yourself, young medicine maker. There are more than a hundred thousand types of plants in the world, and it won’t be that easy to recognize one hundred types of plants here. I’ve been conducting this challenge for decades, and less than thirty percent of the candidates have successfully passed my test.”
The wood elf sneered. It looked old when it said that.
”This kid doesn’t know how hard it is to pass the test!’ It thought.
Most of the wood elves had a forty to fifty percent success rate, while it only had thirty percent. It was rare to get any lower.
According to the information they received before the test, that kid was not a prodigy, and they did not have to pay special attention to him.
Tang Hao did not reply. Instead, he turned around, walked to the side, pointed at a stalk of herbs, and said, “This… is white sharira grass. It is fond of sunny places, and it thrives where positive qi is abundant.
“The grass can increase one’s cultivation base. It’s an exceptionally rare herb.”
The wood elf was stunned. White sharira grass was extremely rare. How did that kid recognize it at first glance?
“This one is red phoenix grass. It only grows in extremely hot places. For example, near a flame sparrow nest. The grass could calm the spirit and nourish the soul, and it’s also extremely rare.
“That one…”
Tang Hao walked over and pointed at every herb. He did not miss a single one.
He was calm and composed as he identified each one of them.
“Yes!
“That’s right!
“That’s it!”
The wood elf kept nodding. It looked like it was in a daze.
‘Wait! What’s going on with this kid?
‘He recognized all those rare herbs without missing a single one. That’s so uncanny!
‘He doesn’t look like a candidate at all. He’s already a master!’
It was completely shocked.
Eventually, he was desensitized. He nodded in response to whatever Tang Hao said.
