61- Alchemist Badge?

'Husband came to my room before going to the Ledal Alchemist Association,' Shen Yin said to Xu Fang in his mind when he was with Long Xiu and Xu Min in his room.

'Is everything okay?' Xu Fang asked Shen Yin in her mind.

'Yes, everything is fine,' Shen Yin assured him.

'I'll be there in a few minutes,' Xu Fang told her in his mind.

"Sister Xiu, when will you become Husband's wife?" Xu Min asked Long Xiu with a curious tone.

"I'll tell you, but first, let's go inside the LOG treasure, and we can talk about it," Long Xiu suggested with a smile.

"Ok," Xu Min said, nodding her head.

"Husband, would you like to come in with us?" Long Xiu asked Xu Fang with a smile.

"No, I don't. I have to go to the Ledal Alchemist Association now, and Xiu Er, don't leave her alone there, especially in the forest," Xu Fang told her with a serious expression.

"Husband, you don't have to worry about it. I already know that," Long Xiu said with a serious expression.

"Okay then, see you guys later," Xu Fang told them, leaving the room after giving both of them a peck on their foreheads.

After Xu Fang left, Long Xiu instructed Xu Min to close her eyes, and then both disappeared from the room, reappearing in the garden inside the treasure.

'Ding' 'Ding'

After that, Xu Fang left his room and headed toward Shen Yin's door. He gave a gentle knock, and soon after, Shen Yin greeted him with a warm smile as she opened the door. Without a word, Xu Fang stepped inside, and Shen Yin swiftly locked the door behind him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Well, well, my naughty wife must have missed me to call me into her room to hug me," Xu Fang teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Husband, there's something I'd like to discuss with you," Shen Yin said, her head tilted slightly as she smiled up at him.

"Oh? What might that be?" Xu Fang inquired, and curiosity piqued as they moved over to the bed and settled down.

"Husband, aren't you interested in obtaining an alchemist badge?" Shen Yin asked, her tone now serious.

"No, I do want it, but not at this moment," Xu Fang replied to Shen Yin, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"Why's that?" Shen Yin queried, her tone laced with curiosity.

"Because if I were to obtain the alchemist badge now, it would stir up quite the commotion once again, just like when I gained approval for three elements merely two months ago. It's still fresh in everyone's minds that I began my alchemical journey only recently," Xu Fang explained, his expression serious.

"You make a valid point. Here's what we can do: Your skills are already at Tier-3 High Level, but you could opt to take the Tier-1 High-Level test. I'll ensure that news of your attempt remains confined to our family and a select few elders of the Ledal Alchemy Association. You can even choose to keep your alchemist badge hidden for the time being and reveal it later, whenever you see fit.

However, should you choose not to obtain the Tier-1 badge and instead aim higher in the future, achieving a Tier-4 or Tier-5 badge directly, the impact of such an accomplishment would be even more astounding," Shen Yin suggested, her tone equally serious.

"Alright, if you think that's the best course of action, let's head to the Ledal Alchemy Association. Today, I'll aim to secure a Tier-1 High-Level Alchemist badge," Xu Fang agreed, nodding as he rose from the bed.

With a joyful nod, Shen Yin also got up from the bed. They exited the castle and made their way to the Ledal Alchemy Association for Xu Fang's alchemy skills test.

A short while later, Xu Fang and Shen Yin found themselves inside Shen Yin's chamber at the Ledal Alchemy Association.

Shen Yin gestured with her hand as they entered, and a golden-colored contact-type artifact materialized in her palm. She then summoned two elders to join them in her chamber.

A few minutes passed before two elders from the Ledal Alchemy Association entered Shen Yin's chamber. Both appeared to be in their early thirties. The first elder had black hair, while the second had brown hair, matching the color of his eyes. The first elder stood at about 178cm tall, and the second was slightly taller at 181cm. They were both dressed in white robes adorned with blue stripes. On the right side of their chest, a Craftsman badge with four white stars caught Xu Fang's attention.

Curiously, Xu Fang activated the LOG treasure's detailed checking feature to examine their profiles.

[

Name: Shen Cai

Age: 38 Years old

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Cultivation: Ethereal Fusion Realm (Stage-7)

Elements: Water, Earth

Profession: Sixth Elder of the Ledal Alchemy Association, Alchemist (Tier-4 low-level)

Title: None

]

[

Name: Shen Su

Age: 40 Years old

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Cultivation: Ethereal Fusion Realm (Stage-8)

Elements: Fire, Lightning

Profession: Fifth Elder of the Ledal Alchemy Association, Alchemist (Tier-4 low-level)

Title: Alchemy Worm

]

As the two elders from the Ledal Alchemy Association stepped into Shen Yin's chamber, their expressions reflected a blend of curiosity and respect. Shen Yin greeted them with a gracious smile.

"Welcome, Elders," she said, her voice imbued with the authority that came with her dual role as the leader of the Alchemy Association and the queen of the Ledal Empire.

The elders bowed respectfully, their eyes shifting between Shen Yin and Xu Fang, who stood beside her.

"What is the purpose of our summons, Your Highness?" the first elder asked, his tone respectful.

Shen Yin's smile broadened as she gestured toward Xu Fang.

"I've summoned you here to witness a test of Xu Fang's alchemy skills," Shen Yin explained, her voice radiating confidence.

"As you are aware, Xu Fang has been honing his alchemy skills under my guidance. I'd like you both to administer a Tier-1 high-level pill test for him."

"Tier-1 High Level?" the fifth elder repeated, his tone tinged with surprise.

"Yes, that's correct. Additionally, I must stress that you both keep the results confidential, even from the other elders, until I choose to disclose them. Xu Fang is not only a prodigious talent but also the heir to the throne and a member of the royal family. Many covert spies from our adversaries would seek to harm him upon learning of his success," Shen Yin elaborated, her smile unwavering.

"Of course, Your Highness." The sixth elder nodded in understanding, his expression thoughtful. He continued, "We shall conduct the test with the utmost care and confidentiality."

With a graceful gesture, Shen Yin signaled for Xu Fang to step forward. He had remained silent throughout, and at Shen Yin's signal, he followed her into the alchemy chamber. The two elders trailed behind, accompanying them into the chamber.

"Xu Fang, are you ready to showcase your mastery of alchemy?" Shen Yin asked, her voice resonating clearly in the chamber's profound silence.

"I am," Xu Fang replied, meeting Shen Yin's gaze with a steady nod, his confidence resolute.

"Elders, please assign me a test," Xu Fang requested, turning to the two elders.

The elders exchanged a few words, deliberating over which pill to assign for Xu Fang's test. After a brief discussion, they decided to provide Xu Fang with a pill recipe scroll. Xu Fang accepted the scroll with a smile, then handed it back to the elders after a quick examination.

The elders were momentarily taken aback by Xu Fang's action, thinking that he wanted them to choose a different pill. However, they soon realized they were mistaken.

Without a word, Xu Fang moved towards the pill furnace and sat down on the floor, preparing for the pill creation. He had already memorized the pill recipe, so he didn't need to review it again from the scroll.

Pill Name: Fire Breath Pill.

Description: The Fire Breath Pill embodies the essence of fire, bestowing upon the consumer heightened control over the Fire Element. This pill helps consumers enhance control over their Fire element by 5% to 10% for five minutes.

Ingredients: 2 Red Lotus Petals, 1 Phoenix Feather, 1 Emberwood Resin, and 1 Salamander Scale.

Sitting in front of the pill furnace, Xu Fang waved his hand, and four types of five ingredients materialized in his palm. Carefully, he placed the ingredients beside the pill furnace. Channeling his Qi, a light blue flame of Qi fire appeared on his hand, which he directed towards the pill furnace to heat it.

Shen Yin and the two elders observed him from the side. Xu Fang remained focused on the pill furnace, not utilizing his spiritual sense for this task since the level of this pill was relatively basic for him. With his current level of expertise, he could create this pill with ease, almost as if he could do it with his eyes closed.

After a few moments, Xu Fang lifted the lid of the pill furnace and, in a swift motion, waved his hand to introduce all the ingredients into the furnace simultaneously. He then began extracting the essence from each ingredient at the same time.

'Is the Young Master trying to ruin the ingredients?' the elders wondered to themselves.

The elders were taken aback by Xu Fang's unconventional approach. Such a method of pill creation was unfamiliar to them. Initially, they feared that Xu Fang might be on the path to ruining the ingredients and failing the test. However, when they noticed Shen Yin's proud smile as she observed Xu Fang, they refocused their attention on him, trusting in his skill and method.

In just a few moments, Xu Fang finished extracting the essences from all the ingredients. He then adjusted the temperature and swiftly combined all the essences. 

Forming the essence into a pill, he increased the temperature to complete the final refining step.

"Boom" "Boom" "Boom"

A few small explosions echoed from the pill furnace, signaling the end of the test. The entire process took only three minutes.

"What??" Both elders were stunned. Despite being Tier-4 alchemists themselves, they found it hard to believe that Xu Fang had successfully created a Tier-1 pill in just three minutes.

"Finished already?" the fifth elder exclaimed in astonishment.

"In just three minutes," the sixth elder chimed in, sharing the same look of disbelief.

Shen Yin smiled at the elders' reactions and shook her head in amusement.