Jia Ma Empire
In front of the Alchemist Association headquarters.
Au Tuo was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself occasionally, as if waiting for someone. He looked anxious.
"I'm doomed, doomed! That little guy hasn't forgotten, right? The test is about to start in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"Master Au Tuo, who forgot?" At that moment, a teasing voice suddenly sounded near Au Tuo's ear, coming from far to near.
"Xiao Se? Ah, it's you, kid..." Hearing the familiar voice, Au Tuo quickly turned around but saw a young man he didn't recognize walking slowly towards him, cutting off his sentence. He glanced around nervously, his expression returning to anxiety.
"What's wrong, Master Au Tuo? Can't recognize me?" The young man continued as he stood in front of Au Tuo.
"Are you talking to me?" Au Tuo pointed to himself in surprise, confirming that he hadn't misheard.
"Of course. You're the only one here named Au Tuo, aren't you? Let's go inside; the internal test should be starting soon." The young man smiled calmly.
"Hold on, young man. I don't know you at all," Au Tuo waved his hand in frustration.
"I received Acceptance Soul from President Fu Lan Ke, agreed to represent the Black Rock City Alchemist Association at the Alchemist Conference, hid my identity, and changed my name to Xiao Huo Huo," the young man said with a smile, revealing something only the three of them knew. "Now, does Master Au Tuo recognize me?"
"You're Xiao Se... Huo Huo?" Au Tuo was stunned at first, then asked in shock.
"Hiding one's identity isn't as simple as changing a name," Xiao Se responded with a faint smile.
"Ah, I see now. You've hidden yourself very thoroughly," Au Tuo nodded in understanding and gave a thumbs-up before urgently adding, "Let's hurry inside; the test is about to start."
Xiao Se nodded slowly and followed Au Tuo into the Alchemist headquarters.
Inside the spacious, classical hall of the headquarters...
A group of young people stood in clusters, whispering to each other. They were all alchemists, and among them were some wearing second-grade alchemist badges, with even a few third-grade alchemists present.
Yet, amidst this crowd was a figure that stood out awkwardly.
It was a young girl, cold and beautiful, around Xiao Se's age. She wore a moon-white gown that outlined her delicate figure. Green jade earrings hung from her earlobes, tinkling softly with her movements, adding a touch of elegance.
Unlike the others, she wasn't an alchemist, but no one dared to show her any disdain. Instead, they seemed eager to please her.
Next to the girl stood a young man in his early twenties, wearing an alchemist's robe. He was handsome, with sharp features and a somewhat delicate air. Most notably, the three silver lines on his alchemist badge glimmered under the hall's light.
This young man was Liu Ling, the disciple of Pill King Gu He, the top alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire.
"Yanran, what brings you to watch the internal test of the Alchemist Conference?" Liu Ling, who had recently advanced to a third-grade alchemist, smiled as he turned to the cold beauty beside him after chatting with a few third-grade alchemists.
The girl, addressed as Yanran, shook her head indifferently and said in a cool voice, "No particular reason. I happened to have some free time while visiting home, and I wanted to see the young genius my teacher has spoken so highly of."
"Oh?" Liu Ling was surprised and asked with some curiosity, "If they've caught Master Yun's eye, their talent must be extraordinary. Who is it?"
Nalan Yanran glanced at Liu Ling, hesitated for a moment, then said coldly, "I haven't seen him, but I know his name is Xiao Huo Huo."
"Xiao Huo Huo?" Liu Ling frowned slightly, then took out the list of participants for the Alchemist Conference from his ring. After checking it, he felt relieved. Seventeen years old, a second-grade alchemist—indeed quite talented, but no match for him.
Liu Ling had already advanced, passing the third-grade alchemist exam half a month ago. To him, a second-grade alchemist posed no threat, neither in the Alchemist Conference nor in terms of competition for the beautiful girl before him.
He handed the list to Nalan Yanran with a smile, "Yanran, is this the person?"
Nalan Yanran nodded but then shook her head. "I'm not sure yet. I'll know once I see him."
As they spoke, the large doors suddenly opened. The whispering in the hall stopped abruptly, and all eyes turned towards the entrance. When they saw Xiao Se enter, everyone froze.
But after noticing the second-grade alchemist badge on his chest, their expressions turned playful. A second-grade alchemist was almost guaranteed to rank at the bottom in the internal test.
Liu Ling also glanced at Xiao Se but quickly lost interest after seeing his badge, resuming his conversation with Nalan Yanran, trying to engage her.
Despite the mocking glances from the young alchemists, Xiao Se remained unfazed, his eyes downcast, following closely behind Au Tuo. His ordinary face revealed a faint, disdainful smile.
"Hehe, Au Tuo, you old rascal, you're finally here. The preliminaries will begin in ten minutes!" Suddenly, an elderly voice rang out, breaking the awkward atmosphere as the crowd sneered at Xiao Se.
Looking up, Xiao Se noticed an old man in a four-grade alchemist's robe standing on the high platform at the front of the hall, smiling and waving at Au Tuo. Beside him stood a cute, young girl in an ornate gown. Though young, she carried herself with the air of royalty. To boost her height, she wore platform shoes, and her long hair was tied up with a golden crown.
"Hmph." The girl stood with her hands on her hips, curiously eyeing Xiao Se. When she noticed that he still showed no expression, she angrily stomped her foot and turned away with a huff.
"That's Vice President Qie Mi Er of the headquarters, and that fierce little girl beside him is Princess Yaoyue of the imperial family. She's incredibly gifted, but too young to have spent much time learning alchemy, so she won't be competing in this conference." Au Tuo whispered to Xiao Se with a smile, waving to the old man on the platform.
Xiao Se nodded slightly, then suddenly looked towards a moon-white-robed girl standing not far away beside a young third-grade alchemist. Surprised, he asked Au Tuo, "Master Au Tuo, who is the girl standing next to that young third-grade alchemist? Is she also an alchemist?"
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