Chapter 35: Becoming an Apprentice level Alchemist

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In the previous days, Ethan had received various daily missions.

These ranged from following an intensive training session, which involved cultivating and practicing other physical exercises, to those directly related to sect assignments.

During this period, Ethan received different types of rewards.

From gaining a bit of Qi to acquiring knowledge, specifically knowledge related to alchemy.

Ethan wasn't sure why the system was giving him such rewards, but then he learned from Bai Yu that the Amphora of the Seven Sages was an artifact that could also be used for alchemy.

She said that thanks to this artifact, even its previous owner had reached a fairly high level in alchemy.

The artifact itself, according to Bai Yu, had been created from the efforts of a God of Forging and the combined essence of six alchemy sages, according to the legends surrounding it.

Only then did Ethan discover that beyond the Grand Alchemist Master, there was also the stage of the Alchemy Sage, and finally, the pinnacle of this profession: a God of Alchemy.

Although this artifact was a powerful object that anyone would covet, its true power could only be seen in the hands of an alchemist.

Ethan knew he was still far from being able to unleash the artifact's true power, but for now, he was content with just the crumbs of power he received from it.

Finally arriving at the reception, Ethan addressed the woman at the counter.

"Hello, I would like to participate in the test to become an apprentice alchemist ," he said cordially.

The woman, who was examining a manual, diverted her gaze from it to Ethan. She looked him with a keen look and, after a moment, with her expression unchanged, retrieved a wooden tag with a number on it.

She placed it on the counter and said to him, "The exam will start in 45 minutes. Participation requires three low-grade spirit stones or 300 gold coins," she said professionally.

Ethan nodded and pulled out a bag containing the spirit stones, passing it to the woman.

Just as the woman was taking the bag, Ethan noticed it wasn't moving.

At that moment, Ethan spoke again:

"Isn't there some sort of discount for those signing up for the first time?" he said, maintaining a smile on his face, though showing a hint of sadness.

"No," she replied, and with a slight movement, the bag was pulled from Ethan's hand.

Ethan had worked like a madman in recent days to earn those three spirit stones.

He had lost count of how many sect contributions he had to exchange to obtain those spirit stones, so his heart bled at the sight of his hard-earned stones disappearing.

The woman handed Ethan the tag and, ignoring him completely, resumed reading her book.

Seeing this, Ethan nodded to her and headed toward the test area.

'Well, I tried. Anyway, it was just three spirit stones,' thought Ethan.

'That's the right spirit,' Bai Yu's voice resonated in his mind.

'Just three spirit stones, right, just 300 gold coins, 30,000 silver coins...'

'Never mind,' thought Bai Yu, who had believed for a moment that Ethan was finally getting used to it.

She wondered how he would handle it when, in the future, he would have to spend entire fortunes just for some cultivation materials. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Thinking about this, she shook her head and went back to sleep.

Ethan finally arrived at the test venue.

The test hall was large enough to accommodate 100 people without difficulty.

There were several rows of black desks arranged in seven columns, each with a set of ink and a small brush.

Upon entering the hall, he saw that several people were already waiting.

Some were chatting among themselves, while others were sitting with their eyes closed, waiting.

He quickly noticed the wide range of ages among the participants.

There were young people around 15 or 16 years old, and others well over 30.

There was even an old man sitting in a corner in a meditative position.

At the opposite side of the entrance, there was a stage with a small table and a cushion next to it, where no one was sitting.

Ethan assumed that the test examiner would sit there.

He found an empty spot and began to wait patiently like the others.

Thanks to the system, Ethan had acquired all the basic knowledge needed to become an alchemist apprentice.

He believed he had learned enough to start making pills right away but decided to take things slowly.

Although he had enough knowledge to pass as an apprentice, he wasn't confident in his pill-making skills yet.

He hadn't had the chance to refine any pills but planned to do so after the test.

If it weren't for the daily mission urging him to sign up, he would have waited a bit longer, taken his time learning to refine pills, and taken the adept alchemist exam directly.

He waited in silence, lost in his thoughts.

Time passed, and more people started filling the room, taking the remaining spots.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a man entered the room from a side door.

He was middle-aged, with a long beard, and wore the robes of an alchemist.

His presence commanded respect, and the chatter in the room died down instantly.

The man approached the table at the front of the room and sat on the cushion, placing several scrolls and tools on the table.

He then looked up, his eyes scanning the room with a penetrating gaze.

"Welcome, everyone," he began, his voice authoritative. "I am Expert Lei, and I will be overseeing your test today. The path of an alchemist is not an easy one.

It requires not only knowledge but also precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the elements."

Ethan listened intently, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

This was the first step toward becoming an alchemist, a path that could significantly aid his cultivation journey and, of course, a path that would make him rich.

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FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:

And here's today's chapter. I hope you like it.

As usual, if you have comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.

See you tomorrow!