While passing by a clothing store, Xiao Yan bought a new dress for the Little Fairy Doctor.
The one she was currently wearing, although sewn up at the tears, still looked somewhat unsightly.
Afterward, they found an inn to stay in.
Xiao Yan's training schedule was extremely intense, and he could not afford to slack off in the slightest.
The Xuanhuang Flame within him was formed by highly compressed and condensed fire-attribute Dou Qi. To strengthen this unique flame, he needed to diligently cultivate the Great Burning Technique and enhance his Dou Qi.
Over the years, the Purple Mansion Heavenly Derivation Technique had been further refined and had now evolved into a high-quality soul cultivation method capable of reaching the peak of the Spirit Realm.
Soul power was a natural advantage he possessed, and Xiao Yan naturally would not let this advantage go to waste.
As for the Three Thousand Starfire Technique, it was the foundation for condensing the Three Thousand Flames, requiring a significant investment of time.
After spreading his efforts evenly among his training disciplines for a night, the growth in his soul power made Xiao Yan feel particularly clear-headed.
The condensed power of the stars within him did not make him feel the slightest fatigue, even though he was practicing three different techniques simultaneously.
"I have to find a way to lighten my training load; splitting my focus like this slows down my overall progress."
Slowly opening his eyes, Xiao Yan sighed inwardly.
Currently, in terms of Dou Qi alone, the effort he put in to cultivate the Xuanhuang Flame was equivalent to the workload of two people. Moreover, the level of his Dou Qi technique was not particularly high.
Without a way to ease his training burden, his overall progress would inevitably suffer.
With this thought in mind, Xiao Yan freshened up and left the inn early with the Little Fairy Doctor.
The bustling city of Black Rock City was indeed one of the top cities in the Jia Ma Empire. Even in the early morning, the streets were crowded and lively.
After passing through a few streets, Xiao Yan and the Little Fairy Doctor finally stopped and gazed at the imposing building in front of them.
The building's design was rather unique; from the outside, it resembled a giant alchemy cauldron.
Around the building, there were windows designed like the fire openings of an alchemy furnace, while the large cauldron lid on the roof covered the entire structure.
Looking at the ancient, slightly worn five characters inscribed on the faintly glowing purple sandalwood plaque outside the building—
"Alchemist Association!" The Little Fairy Doctor looked at the plaque with reverence.
"Let's go inside and take a closer look," Xiao Yan said, grabbing the Little Fairy Doctor's delicate hand and striding forward.
Two guards, who had already noticed the unusual pairing of a young boy and girl, blocked their way. One of them asked in a deep voice, "Young man, this is the Alchemist Association. Do you have a recommendation letter from your mentor?"
The Little Fairy Doctor pulled her hand away from Xiao Yan's grasp and looked at him teasingly—Show me what you've got.
"I don't have a recommendation letter, but..." Xiao Yan suddenly opened his palm, and a gentle pink flame slowly rose from the center.
The Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but giggle, finding it amusing that such a clear-cut young man could produce such a delicate-looking flame.
"Condensing a real flame? A fourth-tier alchemist?!" The two guards looked at Xiao Yan in shock, their voices filled with disbelief.
"A fourth-tier alchemist?!" The Little Fairy Doctor's smile froze in place, and she looked at Xiao Yan in astonishment.
This guy, who seemed only a little older than her, was already a fourth-tier alchemist?
One of the guards muttered, "Condensing real flames is something only a fourth-tier alchemist or above can achieve."
If the person in front of them were an elder, like the guild president or vice president, it would make sense. But the youth standing here was clearly not even twenty years old!
Since when did becoming an alchemist get so easy?
"Can I go in now?" Xiao Yan asked with a slight smile as he swiftly withdrew the delicate peach-colored flame in his palm.
"Of course! Please come in, sir," the two guards said respectfully, bowing slightly.
Pulling the still-stunned Little Fairy Doctor along, Xiao Yan walked into the Black Rock City Alchemist Association.
As soon as they entered, a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air, refreshing and invigorating their senses.
"You're really a fourth-tier alchemist?" The Little Fairy Doctor finally snapped out of her daze, staring at Xiao Yan with her black pearl-like eyes and asking in a soft voice.
He's too young for this!
"Rank doesn't mean everything. You'll understand this in time," Xiao Yan replied with a calm smile. "At least now you believe I'm an alchemist, right?"
With his current soul power, preparing a few extra portions of materials and refining a fourth-tier pill wasn't too difficult.
However, with Yao Lao around, wasting materials to show off was unnecessary.
Nodding rapidly like a little chick pecking rice, the Little Fairy Doctor thought about how she had initially mistaken Xiao Yan for a human trafficker, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Xiao Yan, unaware of her thoughts, mused inwardly: Once your Woeful Poison Body activates, your future accomplishments won't be inferior to any top alchemist.
The hall was still relatively empty in the early morning, and as Xiao Yan and the Little Fairy Doctor talked, a young girl dressed in purple robes approached with a smile.
"You look unfamiliar. Is this your first time at our Black Rock City Alchemist Association?"
The girl was around fifteen or sixteen years old, with an adorable, beautiful face. She had a petite figure, but her curves were surprisingly well-developed, with a perfect balance of proportions.
Her mature, curvaceous figure was adorned with a luxurious purple dress, giving off an air of high-class sophistication.
The girl's youthful appearance made Xiao Yan pause momentarily before nodding. "I'm here to take the alchemist examination."
"You?!" The girl was momentarily stunned, then quickly scanned Xiao Yan from head to toe. "You look younger than me, and you want to become an alchemist?"
Seeing the disbelief on the girl's face, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly and was about to summon his peach blossom flame when a soft but cold voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"Lin Fei, you're causing trouble again. Be careful, or Master Otto won't accept such a mischievous disciple."
The icy, elegant voice sounded like the crisp collision of snow-covered rocks on a frozen mountain.
Xiao Yan then realized the identity of the young girl in front of him—No wonder she doesn't talk like an ordinary receptionist.
With his powerful soul perception, Xiao Yan quickly assessed Lin Fei's current strength—she had just barely reached the eighth rank of Dou Qi.
Even with the aid of Qi-gathering Powder, it would likely take her another year or so to advance to the Dou Practitioner level and start cultivating alchemy techniques.
Lin Fei pouted and crossed her arms at the entrance, looking towards the elegant silver-robed woman who was approaching gracefully. "That's already a sure thing."
(End of Chapter)
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