The Assessment Begins

Corei's face shifted between anger and embarrassment at Xiao Yu's words, but he soon sneered and said, "I hope your alchemy skills are as strong as your mouth!"

"I've invited Master Brin, the president of the Alchemist Guild, to personally oversee your assessment as a second-tier alchemist. Master Brin is a fourth-tier alchemist, so don't think you can fool us!" Corei added with a cold snort.

At that moment, laughter and chatter could be heard from the second floor as a group descended the stairs. Leading them were two elderly figures, with one of them clearly being Master Brin, the president of the Alchemist Guild.

As Brin and Otto descended, Lin Fei and Xue Mei immediately spotted Xiao Yu. With his tall and handsome figure and otherworldly demeanor, it was easy to attract attention, especially next to someone as conspicuous as Corei.

Corei immediately approached Brin, bowing respectfully, "President Brin, I'm Corei, a second-tier alchemist of the guild."

Brin's aged face showed a hint of a smile. "Ah, I've heard of you. You have quite the talent. Keep up the good work for the guild!"

Corei's face lit up with pride at Brin's praise, and he shot a smug look at Xiao Yu. The Little Doctor huffed softly, "Let's give him a lesson later."

Xiao Yu chuckled, "Why get worked up over him?"

The Little Doctor insisted, "He's been making things difficult for you. We must teach him a lesson!"

"Don't worry," Xiao Yu replied with a smile.

Seeing the two whispering and chuckling, Corei's irritation grew. He shouted, "Hey, are we starting the assessment or not? I've brought Master Brin here for you. Can't you start already?"

Otto looked Xiao Yu up and down and sighed, "Given his age, he seems very young. If he can pass the first-tier alchemist assessment, it would be unprecedented in our guild's history. At his age, passing a second-tier assessment would be remarkable. Even Master Gu He was only a first-tier alchemist at his age!"

Otto admired Xiao Yu's talent but noted that Lin Fei and Xue Mei, his promising disciples, had just become first-tier alchemists at twenty-one or twenty-two. Compared to Xiao Yu, they were somewhat less impressive.

Noticing Otto's gaze, Lin Fei pouted and glanced at him. Otto, understanding Lin Fei's nature, just smiled without commenting further.

Brin stepped forward and said, "Young man, if you're here for a first-tier alchemist assessment, let's get started!" He then led Xiao Yu to an inner hall.

This hall was designated for first-tier alchemist assessments, with six stone platforms in the center, each equipped with a cauldron. Brin casually pointed to one of the platforms and said, "No one has come for a first-tier assessment today, so I'll just use this one."

Xiao Yu had no objections. He nodded slightly, his expression calm, and walked to the indicated stone platform.

For Xiao Yu, the first-tier alchemist assessment was almost a non-issue. He just needed to produce a successful pill. He looked at the parchment on the stone platform, which detailed the recipe for a Strength Pill. This pill could temporarily grant a one-star Dou Master's power. While a first-tier pill, it was quite challenging for a newcomer.

Xiao Yu placed the parchment down and checked the materials on the platform before beginning the alchemy process.

"If everything is ready, the assessment officially begins!" Brin announced, and with a wave of his hand, a gust of energy struck the ancient iron bell atop the platform. The bell rang out with a clear sound, marking the start of the assessment.

A transparent barrier slowly rose around the stone platform, isolating it from external sounds.

Corei sneered at Xiao Yu's calm demeanor, "What's with the show? He probably received a tough recipe and won't even pass as a first-tier alchemist!"

"Be quiet!" The Little Doctor snapped.

Lin Fei chimed in, "With your second-tier alchemist skills, you're quite petty. It's laughable!"

Snow Mei didn't speak but her disdain was evident.

Corei's face flushed red with anger but he dared not argue, especially since Lin Fei and Snow Mei were disciples of Master Otto and Master Frank, the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild.

As Lin Fei supported Xiao Yu, the Little Doctor developed a favorable impression of the two young women. Lin Fei and Snow Mei, in turn, were curious about the Little Doctor and even admired the pet in her arms.

Lin Fei, more outgoing, asked with a smile, "Can I pet it?" She pointed at the Little Doctor's pet, Little White.

The Little Doctor smiled, "Of course!"

Lin Fei held Little White, admiring its fluffy appearance. Even Snow Mei, usually reserved, reached out to pet Little White. Little White, enjoying the attention from beautiful women, was very receptive, while Little Purple could only watch enviously.

Xiao Yu stood before the cauldron, his first time using one. Previously, he had used his heavenly flame for alchemy. This time, he was confident he could produce a third-tier pill but decided to keep a low profile and focus on the second-tier assessment.

Xiao Yu flicked his fingers, sending a small cluster of white Bone Spirit Cold Flame into the cauldron. With a soft explosion, the flames roared within the cauldron.

Meanwhile, Otto and Brin, preparing to discuss the Serpentmen, were stunned by the white flames rising from Xiao Yu's cauldron. They exchanged shocked glances and exclaimed, "Is that…Heavenly Flame?"

Their surprise drew the attention of Lin Fei and the others, who also stared in astonishment. As alchemists, they were familiar with Heavenly Flame, and seeing it in the hands of someone still undergoing assessment was almost unbelievable.