Elder Sun walked to the side of the enormous bronze cauldron.
His steps were firm and asured, each one echoing softly across the marble floor. The light from the formations on the ceiling reflected off his dark-blue robe, creating shadows that danced as he moved.
His hands moved calmly.
Then, with a simple gesture, a subtle movent of his fingers, almost a caress through the air, lights appeared around him.
It was not an explosion. It was not a flash. It was a materialization.
One after another.
Objects began erging from his spatial ring, floating gently, as though carried by an invisible current.
Roots. Flowers. Fruits. Crystals. Herbs. Spirit tree bark.
In total, fifteen different materials floated slowly through the air of the room.
Each possessed a unique appearance.
A bluish root, covered in tiny electrical sparks that jumped from its surface, produced a low crackling sound.
A red flower that seed to be made of liquid fire, its petals moving as if burning, yet producing no smoke.
A golden fruit whose surface shone like polished tal, reflecting the room’s light like a convex mirror.
A black crystal wrapped in a thin mist so dense that it appeared almost solid, dark as coal.
Brown, knotted roots with silver veins running throughout their length.
White, translucent flowers that seed made of ice, yet radiated warmth.
Spirit tree bark with a rough texture and gray coloration, covered in natural runes engraved by nature itself.
All of them hovered neatly before Kyrian.
Forming a perfect semicircle in the air. Like soldiers awaiting orders.
Elder Sun observed his reaction before beginning his explanation.
His eyes, once distant and evaluative, were now fixed on Kyrian.
"Fifteen materials. Rank 3 to Rank 5."
"They all possess different properties. They all require different temperatures. They all require different refinent speeds."
He pointed toward the materials, a broad gesture encompassing the entire semicircle.
"The second test is simple. Refine all of them. At the sa ti."
Kyrian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Fifteen materials. Materials of different ranks, different properties, and different temperatures.
Simultaneously.
Imdiately, he understood the difficulty. It was a pure test of control.
Each material possessed a different resistance to fire.
So required extrely high temperatures, temperatures so intense they would lt ordinary tals.
Others would burn instantly if the fla was even slightly too strong, turning into ashes before they could begin releasing their essences.
So required constant heat, a stable and unwavering fla without fluctuations.
Others demanded gradual variations during refinent, starting cool, heating slowly, and then cooling once more in a precise cycle.
Controlling fifteen materials simultaneously ant controlling fifteen different flas at the sa ti.
Fifteen intensities. Fifteen temperatures. Fifteen independent processes.
One mistake. Just one small mistake. And one of the materials would be destroyed, or perhaps all of them.
Elder Sun continued.
"If you can correctly refine ten materials, you will already be considered to have passed."
"The Association’s standards do not require perfection. They require competence."
Lio Han nodded subtly, a movent so slight it was nearly imperceptible. That was the standard for Rank 5 alchemists.
Very few people could refine all fifteen.
Even experienced alchemists with decades of practice frequently failed with one or two materials.
Elder Sun returned to his chair. He sat down, the wooden seat creaking beneath his weight.
He crossed his arms, a gesture of evaluation and anticipation. Then he said,
"You may begin."
Kyrian nodded. Without haste. Without nervousness. Without the slightest sign of concern.
He closed his eyes. The room beca silent.
Lio Han watched with uncertainty. Elder Sun remained motionless.
One second passed. Two. Three.
Then his eyes opened. Instantly.
Lio Han and Elder Sun frowned. Both noticed the change.
The violet lightning that normally danced within Kyrian’s pupils, those tiny bolts of light pulsing in a constant rhythm, vanished.
The deep purple of his eyes, the color of storms, electricity, and lightning, was replaced.
By a deep orange. Not the pale orange of dawn. But an intense, vibrant orange, like the core of a fla.
Two small flas danced within his pupils. Alive. Breathing. Moving.
It was as though real fire were burning inside his eyes.
At the sa ti... a different energy erged. The temperature around Kyrian rose slightly.
It was not aggressive, unlike the heat of the Great Volcano, which scorched the skin and made the lungs burn.
It was not oppressive, like the pressure of a superior expert crushing the weak. It felt natural. As though he himself were a living fla.
Lio Han observed carefully. Elder Sun did the sa. The two exchanged glances.
"A special physique?" Elder Sun asked.
His voice carried surprise. And anticipation.
"And it doesn’t seem to be an ordinary physique. Special physiques are rare."
"An alchemist with a special fire-attributed physique would truly be a magnificent talent."
Kyrian did not answer. His gaze was focused on the materials.
At that mont, all of his attention was directed toward the test.
The Eyes of Fire observed the fifteen materials. And within only a few seconds... everything beca clear.
He recognized all fifteen materials from the book he had read earlier.
The composition of each herb, what elents ford it, and what impurities contaminated it.
Their purity, how much dicinal essence was present, and how much waste needed to be removed.
Their density, how compact their structure was, how much energy was stored within.
Their heat resistance, the temperature at which they would begin to decompose, and the temperature at which they would be destroyed.
Their ideal temperature, the exact point where essence separated from impurities with maximum efficiency.
The ti required, how long each material needed to be completely refined. Everything.
Three seconds later... Kyrian already knew exactly how to refine every one of them.
Then he raised one hand. There were no grand movents. No extravagant gestures. Only a slight blink of his eyes.
WHOOSH!
Fifteen flas appeared in the air.
Directly beneath the fifteen materials.
The reaction was imdiate.
Lio Han raised his eyebrows, his pupils widening.
Elder Sun uncrossed his arms, a gesture of surprise and sudden interest.
"Is that an alchemy technique? It doesn’t seem to be..." Elder Sun murmured.
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