The Spiritual Gathering Root turned into a golden liquid, dense and heavy, shining like molten gold.
The Hundred Streams Fruit turned into a bluish liquid, lighter and more fluid, pulsing with electricity.
The Blue Mist Flower turned into a silver liquid, almost transparent, with tiny glowing particles floating within it.
Impurities evaporated, and dark vapors carrying acidic and unpleasant odors left the cauldron and dispersed into the air.
The dicinal essence remained. Pure. Concentrated. Refined.
Then the most difficult stage began. Fusion.
The spiritual liquids began to approach one another, drawn by invisible forces, guided by Kyrian’s fla.
Slowly mixing. Uniting. Forming a single dicinal mass.
This was the mont where most alchemists failed.
Because the slightest difference in temperature, proportion, or timing, could destroy everything.
The smallest instability, an unexpected fluctuation, an irregular flow, could ruin hours of work.
The slightest mistake, a distraction, a wrong movent, could turn the dicinal mass into useless residue.
But Kyrian remained calm. Absolutely calm.
His fla danced, constantly changing. Adapting. Guiding the fusion. Controlling every detail.
The two elders watched without blinking. Neither dared interrupt. Neither dared speak.
They knew that any distraction, a sound, a movent, or a single word, could harm the process.
Even if it seed unlikely, given the control Kyrian was displaying, they preferred not to take any risks.
Ti continued to pass. Half an hour. Thirty minutes of controlled fusion. Thirty minutes of absolute focus.
Then... An aroma erged. Intense. Deep. dicinal.
The scent spread through the room, not gradually like dissipating vapors, but like a wave, filling every corner, every crack, every pore of the air.
Lio Han imdiately stood up. Elder Sun did the sa. Both approached. But remained silent.
Watching and waiting.
The aroma grew stronger. And stronger. And stronger.
It was almost possible to feel the Qi contained within the pills, a pure, dense, tangible energy.
The entire air seed charged with spiritual energy. As if the room itself were becoming alive.
Then...
Five minutes later. The fla vanished. Simply vanished. As if it had never existed.
Kyrian opened his eyes.
The fire beneath the cauldron extinguished itself, without smoke, without embers, without residual heat. Silence filled the room.
Then, he lifted the lid.
PSSSSHHHH...
An explosion of dicinal aroma flooded the room, so intense that it almost seed material.
The two elders imdiately approached. Lio Han arrived first.
His heart accelerated. From the aroma alone, from its depth, purity, and intensity, he had already realized.
But he needed confirmation. He needed to see.
Then, finally, he looked inside the cauldron. And froze.
Beside him, Elder Sun beca equally motionless. Neither spoke for several seconds.
They simply stared. Five pills. Five.
Perfectly round. Perfectly smooth.
Without the slightest visible impurity, no dark spots, no irregularities on their surfaces.
Tiny natural runes had ford upon their surfaces, spontaneous symbols generated by the extre purity of the refinent.
Glowing faintly. Like stars.
The silence remained. Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.
Then Elder Sun took a deep breath. A very deep breath.
"Incredible..." His voice ca out low. Almost a whisper.
Lio Han continued staring, his eyes moving across the pills, recording every detail.
"Five pills. All perfect."
"All of them."
Finally, Elder Sun concluded.
"Five Rank 5 Qi Gathering Pills."
He swallowed hard, a rare gesture from soone who could not believe what his own eyes were seeing.
"All of them... Of perfect purity."
Silence returned.
Lio Han closed his eyes for a mont. Trying to calm himself.
Now there was no doubt left. None. Absolutely none.
The perfect pills sold earlier, the ones he himself had evaluated, the ones that had caused such a commotion on the second floor, were not luck.
The dozens of perfect pills, Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, were not a coincidence.
Everything was real. Kyrian had been telling the truth from the beginning. He was the alchemist who had refined those pills.
A young man like Kyrian. A Rank 5 alchemist. Capable of producing perfect pills.
The two elders still appeared incredulous.
Kyrian, however, did not care much. His attention was on the pills.
A small smile appeared on his face, subtle but genuine. Satisfaction. Genuine satisfaction.
’Finally.’
’Perfect Rank 5 pills.’
His understanding of alchemy had advanced once again. His mastery over fire had grown. It was real progress.
And that was what mattered.
Without wasting ti, he picked up the five pills.
He carefully placed them inside a jade bottle, the transparent vessel fitted with an airtight lid, preservation runes engraved upon its surface.
He stored the bottle inside his spatial ring. Then looked at Lio Han.
"So?" He asked calmly.
"Did I pass?"
Lio Han almost laughed. Almost. But he managed to control himself.
"Pass?"
"Was that even a question?"
"Without a doubt."
His response was imdiate. Without hesitation. Without any need for discussion. Without any need for a vote. Without any need to consult anyone.
"You passed. The third test is complete."
"Congratulations."
"You are now officially qualified to receive the Rank 5 Alchemist badge of the Hall of a Thousand Herbs."
Kyrian nodded. It was exactly what he wanted.
Lio Han took a deep breath, a long breath as though releasing all the tension he had accumulated. Then he gestured.
"Follow ."
The two left the room. Once again, they crossed the silent corridor of the third floor.
They passed several private rooms, closed doors, complex inscriptions, and glowing formations.
Several alchemists, n and won in embroidered robes, greeted them with respectful bows.
Several staff mbers, uniford servants carrying jade trays, stepped aside to let them pass.
Until they returned to the sa luxurious room where they had spoken earlier.
Lio Han opened the door with a broad, inviting gesture.
"Wait here."
"Your badge will be prepared imdiately."
Kyrian entered.
He sat down once more in the comfortable red velvet armchair, soft, plush, perfectly fitted to his body.
The enormous window still displayed the city below.
The streets were filled with people, beasts, and life. The markets are colorful, noisy, and vibrant. The tall towers, imposing and silent. Bustling. Alive.
Lio Han left the room. The door closed behind him.
The chanism of wood and tal locked into place perfectly.
And, once again, for the third ti that day, Kyrian was alone. Waiting.
The mont to officially receive his first alchemist badge.
And afterward, he would finally sell his pills.
Kyrian gazed at the city through the window.
And waited.
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