Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk
**
The Tier 2 alchemist who had gone out to retrieve the documents hurried back, holding two sets of forms in his hand, his face filled with shock.
Very quickly, he too stood there in a daze, his eyes locked onto Wei Yang's movements, completely forgetting to report.
At this point, the documents and paperwork were already meaningless.
Anyone with discerning eyes could tell at a glance that the handsome young man on the platform was anything but ordinary.
Of course, the beautiful white-haired, white-clothed girl beside him was also extraordinary.
Although Xian'er's performance wasn't as dazzling as Wei Yang's, at her level—being a peak Tier 4 alchemist—refining a Tier 1 pill was as easy as eating or drinking.
Her every movement carried a relaxed ease.
It was just that she hadn't yet elevated it to the level of pure artistry.
Still, her techniques resembled Wei Yang's by seventy to eighty percent.
...
Wei Yang's hand seals changed freely, though he had already slowed down his movements considerably.
After all, when refining a Tier 1 pill, he didn't even need to exert himself—
he wasn't using even a fraction of his full power.
Still, he deliberately slowed things down, just so those two Tier 4 alchemists might barely understand what they were seeing.
Pretend to be weak and then amaze everyone later?
Hide his strength to endure mockery, only to turn around and slap faces afterward?
There was absolutely no need for any of that.
It was better to get straight to the point from the beginning.
He had no habit of allowing himself to be mocked.
By simply displaying a bit of his skills, those two Tier 4 alchemists would naturally recognize that Wei Yang was a high-level alchemist and would offer him the respect he deserved.
If he were even a little serious, refining something like this wouldn't even require a cauldron—
he could have conjured flame with his bare hand and completed it.
...
Very soon—
After fifteen minutes.
Inside the cauldron, a Tier 1 pill with a smooth, glossy surface, and even a faint, blurry Pill Line, spun rapidly within the pure black flames.
In the hall, a faint fragrance of medicinal aroma gradually began to fill the air.
Just a mere Tier 1 pill, and yet it filled the hall with fragrance.
"The timing is just about right," Wei Yang nodded.
Even when refining a mere Tier 1 pill, he still adhered to professional standards, striving to do his best and fully bring out the medicinal power.
After all, in the eyes of virtually every alchemist, wasting ingredients was shameful and utterly unacceptable.
As the flames inside the cauldron gradually withdrew and extinguished—
Wei Yang flicked his hand, and with a swoosh, the Tier 1 pill, marked with a faint Pill Line, flew into his palm.
Holding it between two fingers, he brought it to his eyes for a closer look, then nodded slightly in satisfaction.
Barely passable.
Then he looked toward the crowd below, waved his hand—
Swoosh—
The pill pierced through the protective light screen and floated directly in front of the two Tier 4 alchemists.
"You two can examine it. If there are no issues, go ahead and process my certification," Wei Yang said calmly.
Rustle—
Below, the crowd instantly rose to their feet in unison, their expressions filled with respect as they gazed up at Wei Yang.
"Master, you honor us too much. Please don't humble yourself before us," the Tier 4 alchemist named Ao Ba said with a bitter smile. After giving a slight bow, he spoke solemnly, "Ao Ba greets the Master!"
"We all greet the Master!" the others also bowed slightly and respectfully shouted.
"Hmm, no need for excessive formalities," Wei Yang said calmly, hands clasped behind his back, naturally accepting their bows.
In the world of learning, there is no distinction of seniority—
those who attain mastery come first.
Wei Yang could be humble and courteous toward predecessors stronger than himself, but he could also naturally and calmly accept the respectful bows from those weaker than him.
Moreover, through his earlier pill refining, he had, in a sense, already provided guidance to everyone present.
"My name is Wei Yang, a native of Wu Tan City in the Jia Ma Empire," Wei Yang said slowly.
"Master Wei!" the crowd called out loudly again in unison.
At the same time, they all secretly let out a sigh of relief, feeling overjoyed—
A native of Jia Ma Empire! That's wonderful!
A local!
That meant he was definitely one of their own!
Before this, they had been somewhat worried, fearing that Wei Yang might have been sent by another country to stir up trouble and deliberately cause issues here.
After all, with the Alchemist Grand Meeting soon to be held, it wasn't impossible for Alchemist Association from neighboring nations to send people over to make trouble.
Within the alchemist community, there was competition.
Regional competition, in particular, was very clear.
Alchemists hailing from the same country would naturally band together, forming a small circle.
When dealing with outsiders, a collective sense of honor naturally emerged.
Now that it was confirmed Wei Yang was from the Jia Ma Empire, it was clear he belonged to their Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association.
However, speaking of which—where exactly was Wu Tan City?
They had never even heard of it.
...
After learning Wei Yang's identity, the atmosphere at the scene immediately became much more relaxed.
The way they looked at Wei Yang also grew obviously warmer and friendlier.
One of our own—easier to talk to, easier to work with.
Soon, the Association would gain a new Master, and likely a new Elder too.
"Master Wei, since you are a citizen of our Jia Ma Empire, why have you never registered with our Association before?" the middle-aged Tier 4 alchemist asked curiously.
"Oh, I had been living in seclusion, focused on cultivation and rarely stepping out into the world," Wei Yang replied with a smile.
He pointed beside him at Xian'er, who was now nurturing the embryonic form of a pill. "Today, I mainly came to accompany my wife. She heard there would be an Alchemist Grand Meeting held in the imperial capital and was very interested, so she wanted to come and join the fun."
Xian'er glanced at Wei Yang, a sweet smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
"Haha, so that's how it is," everyone laughed knowingly upon hearing this, their eyes carrying a hint of playful teasing.
At the same time, they couldn't help but sigh inwardly—
This Master Wei really dotes on his wife!
"Since that's the case, it's all just a big misunderstanding," Elder Ao Ba said with a beaming smile. "From what I observed of Madam's pill refining technique, she has clearly inherited seventy to eighty percent of Master Wei's true teachings. Her alchemy skills are surely superior to anyone present here, so there is absolutely no need for her to undergo any additional examination."
As he spoke, he casually took the two forms handed over by an assistant, glanced over them, and chuckled, "As for the Alchemist Grand Meeting ten days from now, Madam's age certainly meets the qualifications to participate. I'll have someone register her name later. Let's arrange for her to be our Association's final contestant—the grand finale."
"Indeed, perfectly fitting," the middle-aged Tier 4 alchemist also stroked his beard and nodded with a smile.
"Agreed. We all agree," the others quickly nodded as well.
"That won't do. Rules are rules. Without rules, how can anything function properly?"
Wei Yang waved his hand and said, "When you enter a village, follow the local customs. To avoid any later gossip, since we hadn't participated in any previous assessments or officially registered with the Alchemist Association, then now that we've come to undergo the examination, everything should proceed according to the Association's rules."
"Since we're already here, spending a little more time doesn't matter. Let's handle everything properly, by the book."
Wei Yang added calmly, "Including myself—there's no need for any special treatment."
"This... very well," Ao Ba could only smile bitterly, cupping his hands respectfully. "Thank you, Master Wei, for your understanding and support."
"Hehe," the crowd all showed kind smiles, watching with great interest.
Since Master Wei had spoken so, they were naturally happy to comply.
"Then, please forgive me for the formality," Ao Ba said, bowing respectfully once more before carefully reaching out to pluck the pill floating before him. Holding it in his palm, he lowered his head to examine it closely.
Around him, curious gazes also focused on the pill.
The pill was about the size of a thumb, its whole body a pale yellow color.
Faintly, a circle of emerald-green Pill Line could be seen wrapped around it, resembling ripples spreading outward—a rather extraordinary sight.
Gazing at that ring of green ripples, everyone smiled knowingly.
In truth, there was no need to even check—with a pill that had clearly developed a Pill Line, what could there possibly be to question?
Ao Ba went through the motions of inspecting it seriously, then nodded.
Afterward, he turned to the others, his gaze sharp, and said solemnly, "Everyone, I have thoroughly examined this pill. There are no problems. Its quality is high-grade. Master Wei has passed the assessment. Does anyone have any objections?"
"No, no objections," the crowd quickly shook their heads and waved their hands.
"Master Wei's work could not possibly have any issues."
"Exactly, exactly."
What a joke.
At this point, who would be foolish enough to deliberately cause trouble?
Someone had already rushed off to notify the higher-ups in the Association.
Master Wei becoming one of the Association's Elders was now essentially set in stone—
who would dare offend him?
----------------------------------------------------
Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk