Hearing the two little girls speak, Tian Leizi's smile grew even wider. He quickly recalled which treasures in his collection would suit them best. The little girls were indeed sweet-tongued; every word they spoke was pleasant to the ear.
In the blink of an eye, the two girls were each holding several precious items perfectly suited to their current appearances. They responded with even sweeter words and endless praise.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Xuan Yi could only clear her throat helplessly. Otherwise, the three of them would have fallen into an endless loop—one side showering compliments while the other happily handed over gifts.
"Are the preparations for the assessment complete?" she asked.
Hearing Xuan Yi's voice, the three immediately stopped what they were doing. Xiao Ling and the other girl quickly put away their new treasures, while Tian Leizi's expression turned serious in an instant.
"Everything is ready. We've been waiting for you," he said. "Let's go."
With that, Tian Leizi led Xiao Jietian and the others toward the center of the platform. Xiao Ling and the second girl held Xuan Yi's hands on either side, curiously looking around as they walked.
At the center of the platform stood several elderly men, with Xuan Kongzi at the forefront.
"They've arrived. Allow me to make the introductions…" Xuan Kongzi looked at Xiao Jietian with a smile and began pointing to the people beside him.
These old men were all core elders of the Pill Tower. Each of them wore an eight-star badge on their chest, signifying their status as Grade 8 Alchemists. Even Elder Qiu Ling was present among them.
They were the judges for today's assessment.
Upon learning that the person being assessed was Xiao Jietian, all the elders were visibly surprised. A monstrous talent in his twenties, already attempting the Grade 8 assessment? When they thought back to themselves at that age, they could only sigh. They were all human, so why was the difference so vast?
Since Xiao Jietian had been brought by Xuan Yi and the two seemed to share a close relationship, the elders vaguely guessed the truth in their hearts, but none dared to ask too many questions.
Moreover, the simultaneous appearance of all three Great Presidents at this assessment greatly shocked them as well. Normally, the three presidents would only appear together for high-level Grade 8 assessments. For ordinary assessments, usually only one would attend.
These elders were all experienced and shrewd. Naturally, they would not voice any doubts about Xiao Jietian. Doing so would be no different from slapping the faces of the three Great Presidents.
Even if he failed today's assessment, he would still possess the strength of a high-level Grade 7 Alchemist. A Grade 7 Alchemist in his twenties was already an extremely rare existence.
Xiao Jietian exchanged pleasantries with the elders for a moment, instantly bringing the atmosphere much closer.
Xuan Kongzi waved his hand, and all the Pill Tower elders retreated to the judging seats. Xuan Yi also led the two little girls over.
In front of outsiders, the two girls were exceptionally well-behaved. They sat upright in their chairs, already displaying the graceful demeanor of young ladies from distinguished families despite their young age.
...
Only Xiao Jietian and Xuan Kongzi remained in the center of the field.
"Little friend Xiao Jietian, these are the prepared medicinal ingredients and the pill formula. Do you see any issues?" Xuan Kongzi asked.
Xiao Jietian opened the pill formula and scanned through it quickly.
The Green Lotus Soul Condensing Pill was a primary Grade 8 pill that could trigger three-colored pill lightning. It could purify the soul and repair damaged souls, making it one of the most sought-after pills among alchemists.
However, the refining process was quite complex and not easy to succeed at.
In truth, Xuan Kongzi had deliberately chosen this pill. The difficulty was not particularly high, because he had a faint premonition that Xiao Jietian's true alchemical level was far beyond this.
This Green Lotus Soul Condensing Pill was meant to test some of Xiao Jietian's hidden depths.
"No problem," Xiao Jietian replied after examining the ingredients in front of him. Their quality had been very well preserved.
"Then you may begin," Xuan Kongzi said. After speaking, his figure gradually faded from its original spot and reappeared at the judging seats.
Xiao Jietian immediately began reading the detailed information on the pill formula. The formulas provided by the Pill Tower for assessments were specially prepared for one-time use.
The Pill Tower supplied both ingredients and formulas for two main reasons: to ensure fairness and to leave a good impression on the examinee, perhaps even creating an opportunity to recruit them into the Pill Tower.
Xiao Jietian gently touched the standardized medicinal cauldron in front of him. It was a high-quality Grade 8 cauldron, a rare and valuable treasure even in the outside world. As expected of the wealthiest force on the surface, their generosity was truly impressive.
He cupped his right hand, and a wisp of crimson flame danced in his palm.
It was not any Heavenly Flame he possessed, but his Ice Fire Lightning; now, as he became powerful, it became as powerful as those ranked in the top ten.
The elders on the judging panel suddenly widened their eyes, their faces filled with shock.
"This is… a different fire?"
One elder couldn't help but exclaim, his face full of disbelief. He had never expected the young man to possess a different fire.
The others stared at the crimson flame in Xiao Jietian's hand with fervent eyes. One elder in particular kept scrutinizing it carefully.
"This temperature, this aura… it is indeed a different fire, and an incredibly powerful one at that. But it seems there's no flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking that matches it."
"Could it be a newly appeared different fire?"
"It's not impossible. The Heavenly Flame Ranking has been around for so long; it's normal for new different fires to appear over the years. What a stroke of luck."
"Indeed. When this different fire makes it onto the ranking, he will become the first person to possess it, and perhaps he will be remembered in history."
The elders discussed with great curiosity. They also wanted to ask Xuan Yi if she knew any information about this different fire, but given their status, no one chose to ask too much. After all, this was someone else's privacy.
Curiosity was fine, but asking too many questions might make others think they harbored covetous intentions, which would not be good.
Xuan Yi and Xiao Ling ignored their discussions; they certainly wouldn't reveal anything.
"Alright, the assessment has officially begun. Please maintain silence," Xuan Kongzi's calm voice rang out slowly.
Once he spoke, the discussions stopped abruptly, and the area fell into complete silence.
Xiao Jietian remained completely unaffected by the outside noise. With a flick of his finger, the flame entered the medicinal cauldron through the fire inlet and began warming it, immediately producing a low hum.
His ten fingers moved like dancing butterflies. The Purple Heart Azure Lotus, Nine-Leaf Profound Ginseng, and Heavenly Star Dragon Saliva Grass on the table were neatly and precisely placed into the cauldron by Xiao Jietian, landing perfectly in their respective positions.
He skillfully formed hand seals, precisely controlling the temperature of the flame to roast the different medicinal ingredients.
Every movement was flawless, filled with a smooth and natural beauty.
Xuan Kongzi noticed that Xiao Jietian had actually begun refining all the ingredients at once. Although this was not unheard of in alchemy, it could only be done by someone with extreme skill and control.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, now certain that Xiao Jietian was hiding his true strength. He was definitely capable of far more than a mere three-colored pill lightning. With this level of proficiency, he could at least refine a pill that would trigger five-colored pill lightning.
Xuan Kongzi secretly sighed in his heart. What an impressive young man. If he belonged to an opposing force, he would have to be eliminated as quickly as possible.