That night, Wan Long slept more soundly than he had in years.
For the first time since arriving in the Holy Sect, there was no gnawing hunger, no exhaustion from endless chores—only quiet confidence burning like a steady flame within him.
Before resting, he had tried to absorb the Tier 2 Codex of Alchemy he obtained during his previous recycling spree. Yet, as soon as the codex's energy entered his mind, the system's voice echoed coldly:
[Mental strength insufficient. Absorption failed.]
Wan Long had frowned at that, rubbing his temples.
"Mental strength, huh…"
He understood now why true alchemists cultivated special soul and mental techniques. Alchemy wasn't just about fire and ingredients—it demanded precision of thought and control of spirit. Without a strong mind, one couldn't maintain stability during refinement, especially for higher-tier pills.
He sighed and placed the codex back into his inventory.
"Then I'll put that on the list," he murmured. "After this exam, I'll find a way to get a mental cultivation technique."
For now, he already had a powerful cultivation technique and a Heaven-tier fire control skill.
And so, with those thoughts, he drifted into deep sleep, his breathing calm and steady.
....
The next morning came swiftly.
The sun had barely risen over the mist-shrouded peaks when Wan Long left his hut, blending into the steady stream of servant and outer disciples walking toward the Alchemy Hall. The mountain air was cool, carrying the faint scent of herbs and smoke. It was the perfect day for alchemy—clear, still, and solemn.
Servant disciples whispered among themselves as he passed. Some looked at him with envy, others with disbelief. Ever since he had been appointed to clean the elders' private chambers, rumors had spread like wildfire—some said he had caught the attention of an elder, others claimed he had found a fortuitous encounter.
Wan Long ignored them all. His face was calm, but his eyes gleamed faintly beneath the morning light.
Today was the day.
As he approached the towering gates of the Alchemy Hall, he noticed the large courtyard ahead bustling with disciples. Rows of alchemy furnaces were already set up, each marked with a number plate. Instructors and assistant elders stood at the sides, watching and recording names as participants lined up to register.
"Alchemy Examination—Tier 1 Certification," a senior disciple shouted, his voice echoing across the courtyard. "Registered participants, step forward and take your designated furnace!"
Wan Long moved quietly to the queue, showing his entry token and contribution verification. The examiner glanced at him once, then twice, frowning slightly.
"A servant disciple?"
Wan Long nodded lightly, offering a polite smile. "Yes, senior brother."
The man hesitated but said nothing more—if the system token was valid, it wasn't his place to question it.
"Very well. You'll take Station 47. Your assessment will be supervised by Elder Bai."
Wan Long inclined his head slightly. Elder Bai… he had heard the name before. A calm but sharp woman who was said to have an almost perfect success rate with tier-three pills.
He walked toward his assigned station. Rows of alchemy cauldrons filled the spacious hall, each one resting atop engraved stone platforms that pulsed faintly with spiritual light. The scent of herbs, minerals, and spirit fire lingered in the air.
Dozens of disciples—both outer and inner—stood ready at their stations, their faces a mix of excitement and tension.
Test One: Herb Identification
Attendants distributed jade trays to each participant. Ten herbs lay on each—some fresh and fragrant, others dried or subtly altered by age and treatment.
"Identify each herb by name, age, and main property. One incense stick's time," came the instruction.
Wan Long glanced once at the tray before him.
Spiritleaf Dew. Iron Moss. Azure Frost Petal. Blood Thread Root....
His mind flowed like water, each name surfacing naturally.
The System faintly flickered in his mind, silently confirming each answer. His hand moved swiftly across the jade slip, his script steady and confident.
Before half the incense had burned, he had already finished.
All around him, disciples were frowning, whispering to themselves, or sniffing herbs in confusion. Some debated softly, unsure of what they were holding.
Wan Long simply placed his brush down, relaxed, and waited for time to end.
When the attendants came to collect the slips, he saw faint looks of surprise at his composure—but he paid them no mind.
Test Two: Soul and Mental Strength Measurement
The second test began shortly after. Massive stone monuments etched with glowing runes were rolled into place. The temperature of the hall seemed to drop slightly as the pillars activated, resonating with a low hum.
Each participant took turns placing their palm on a pillar, releasing a wisp of spiritual energy to test their soul and mental strength.
Most caused the pillars to glow white or faint yellow. A few brightened to orange—those drew murmurs of approval.
When Wan Long stepped forward, he kept his breathing even and pressed his hand against the cold stone.
A hum echoed softly. The glow rose smoothly—white, yellow, then deepened into orange with a faint red hue flickering near its edges.
Gasps followed from nearby disciples, but Wan Long simply withdrew his hand, calm as before.
"Crimson glow? That's… the threshold of advanced mental strength!""For a servant disciple?""How is that possible?"
So this is my current limit… he thought.
Elder Bai's eyes gleamed faintly.
"Interesting…" she whispered. "His soul strength surpasses most outer disciples...almost as if his mind has undergone refinement before."
Wan Long simply stepped back silently, bowing slightly. Inside, he was calm. His mental strength wasn't extraordinary by birth—but his repeated use of the System, exposure to spiritual fire, and countless rounds of energy manipulation had tempered his spirit unconsciously.
Test Three: Pill Refinement
After a short break, the third test was announced.
"For the final test," the attendant said, "you may refine any low-grade tier-one pill of your choice. You have one hour."
Wan Long adjusted his robes and stepped toward his cauldron. He chose the Qi Nourishment Pill—a simple but fundamental pill.
Disciples immediately began sorting their herbs, adjusting their breathing, and activating the cauldron's formation. The faint hum of spirit fire resonated across the hall as heat waves shimmered in the air.
Wan Long sat cross-legged in front of his furnace. His expression was tranquil, his breathing steady.
He activated the formation beneath the cauldron. A faint rumble came from below as the underground earth vein responded. Warm energy surged upward, and a steady orange flame bloomed inside the furnace.
He placed the herbs in sequence, each one guided by a subtle flick of spiritual energy. His movements were unhurried, precise, and fluid.
Then, extending his right hand, he summoned his own flame—an azure-gold spark that hovered just above his fingertips.
The flame merged with the earth vein's fire seamlessly, brightening the cauldron's interior into a calm, deep blue.
The instant his flame touched the cauldron, the earth vein fire responded as though bowing to a greater will. The entire furnace shimmered with soft azure light.
Around him, nearby disciples turned in shock, sweat beading on their foreheads from the sudden temperature shift.
Even Elder Bai's brows furrowed faintly as her gaze snapped toward Station 47.
"What flame… is that?"
That fire… its control is almost perfect. No instability, no excess spiritual flow. But that hue… Azure- green? That's at least Heaven-tier resonance! —from a servant disciple?
She remained outwardly composed but quietly observed from the corner of her eye.
At another end of the hall, Senior Sister Murong—who had come to deliver materials to the examination attendants—also paused. Her expression softened into something between disbelief and curiosity.
"That servant boy… Wan Long?" she whispered to herself. "His flame... it's purer than even mine."
From the outside, there was no visible strain. Wan Long simply stood, expression tranquil, occasionally adjusting the heat and stirring the medicinal essence with gentle waves of spiritual power.
Around him, others struggled—too much fire here, too little control there. Some groaned as their mixtures turned black or exploded softly into smoke.
The azure flame obeyed Wan Long's will like a living spirit.
With each flick of his fingers, the cauldron's fire adjusted perfectly—never too strong, never too weak. The herbs melted one after another, their essences merging in a seamless dance of color and fragrance.
As condensation neared, Wan Long's eyes narrowed slightly. He could sense every movement within the cauldron—the boiling essence, the flow of qi, the rhythm of the formation beneath.
"Condense," he whispered softly.
The azure flame pulsed once.
A faint chime resonated through the air. The medicinal fragrance deepened—pure, serene, intoxicating.
When he opened the cauldron, three luminous Qi Nourishment Pills floated gently above the furnace, perfectly round and radiant.( Two low grade and one mid grade)
For a moment, the entire examination hall fell silent.
No explosions. No smoke. No signs of failure. Only that faint, lingering scent that seemed to clear the mind and soothe the spirit.
He placed them into the jade vial provided, bowed slightly toward the attendant, and stepped back.
Wan Long's expression remained calm. Inside, though, a faint satisfaction stirred.
Elder Bai's hand froze mid-stroke as she was marking another disciple's performance. Her gaze settled fully on Wan Long now, her expression unreadable.
This level of refinement… even many Tier 2 alchemists can't produce pills this flawless. His control is frighteningly clean, and yet—he doesn't seem to be above the third layer of body tempering?
She composed herself quickly, making a brief notation on her jade slip.
Wan long had just shown faintest fluctuations of 3rd level of body tempering
At the side, Senior Sister Murong's lips curved slightly."So the one cleaning the elders' chambers was hiding this much skill…" she murmured. "Looks like the Hall's found itself a rare seed."
....
When the supervising disciple collected his pills and brought them to the front, murmurs quickly spread across the room.
"Hey, that's the servant from the cleaning group, right?""He actually produced pills? Not burnt residue?""Look at that luster… that's a mid-grade pill, isn't it?!"
The tension grew as Elder Bai began announcing results. One by one, she listed the names and outcomes, her tone even and measured.
"Station 12—Qi Nourishment Pill, failed refinement.""Station 19—Low-grade success.""Station 31—Low-grade success."Her gaze shifted to the next vial. "Station 47—"
She paused, inspecting the pills with a faint flicker of surprise.Her fingers brushed over one pill, feeling its condensed energy and texture.
"…Two low-grade, one mid-grade....."Her tone grew slightly softer, almost approving. "A very fine result."
The disciples stirred.
"What? fine result? That's insane!""how many years has he been practicing!""Just what kind of freak is this servant?"
Elder Bai set the vial down, her expression calm again. "Station 47—Pass, excellent performance."
Wan Long bowed deeply. "Many thanks, Elder."
"Next," Elder Bai continued, moving on without further comment—but a faint gleam lingered in her eyes.
When the exam ended, the crowd began to disperse, still buzzing with gossip.
"That servant actually produced a mid-grade on his first test…""Even Senior Sister Murong looked surprised!""He must've been taught by someone secretly—no servant learns that kind of fire control by themselves."
Wan Long ignored the chatter, keeping his face neutral as he tidied his station. But inside, satisfaction burned quietly in his chest.
It worked. The Heaven-tier Azure Flame Control really worked… it was my first time. It seems the system rewards are not to be taken lightly. The system had perfected the technique removing all deficiencies...
Just as he turned to leave, a calm but commanding voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Wan Long."
He turned sharply and bowed. "Yes, Elder Bai?"
She regarded him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Walk with me."
They moved toward a quiet corridor behind the hall, lined with ancient cauldrons and formation plates.
Elder Bai's voice was gentle but direct.
"The flame you used… that wasn't any ordinary Azure Fire Control Technique, was it?"
Wan Long met her eyes calmly, his expression steady. Inside, his thoughts raced—he couldn't tell the truth about the system. He needed a plausible story, one that fit within the world she knew.
He bowed slightly. "Elder has keen eyes. It is indeed not the same as the sect's Azure Fire Control recorded in the library."
"Oh?" Her tone carried faint interest. "Then what flame is it?"
Wan Long took a slow breath before replying, his voice quiet but firm.
"It is my family's heirloom technique—an ancient version of the Azure Fire Control Technique. Ours was said to originate from the same source as the sect's version, but over generations, it evolved differently. According to my family's records, it can reach up to mid-grade Earth tier."
Elder Bai's gaze sharpened. "Mid-grade Earth tier?"
He nodded, maintaining his composure. "Yes. My clan's bloodline carried a faint resonance with azure spiritual fire, and the technique responded more strongly to those of our lineage. My elders once said that, in those who awaken that bloodline, the flame can evolve beyond its recorded limits—perhaps even toward Heaven tier."
Elder Bai's brows furrowed slightly. "A bloodline resonance with azure flame… interesting."
Her gaze turned inward for a moment, as if recalling something distant. "The sect's Azure Fire Control Technique was discovered long ago in a secret realm—a ruin buried deep within the Azure Mountains. Records say it was incomplete when found, and no one ever managed to reconstruct its higher levels. If what you say is true…"
She looked back at him, her tone deepening.
"Then that secret realm might once have belonged to your ancestors."
Wan Long lowered his head, feigning humility. "Perhaps. But my family fell long ago, Elder. Our lands were lost, our arts scattered. What remains are fragments and memories."
Elder Bai was silent for a long while. Finally, she asked softly, "Which family are you from?"
Wan Long paused deliberately—just long enough to make it sound like a moment of hesitation rather than invention. Then he answered, voice tinged with quiet pride.
"…The Long Family."
At that name, Elder Bai's eyes flickered in surprise.
"The Long Family… from the Western Territories?"
"Yes," Wan Long said. "Once an ancient lineage known for their cultivation of blue spirit flames and beast-forging arts. But the family declined centuries ago. I am… perhaps one of the few remaining descendants."
For a moment, the hall felt colder, heavier. Even Elder Bai's expression softened slightly.
"I've heard of them," she murmured. "Their azure flame once shook the world during the Era of the Three Dynasties. To think a scion of that bloodline still walks among us…"
Wan Long bowed deeply. "The family's glory is long gone, Elder. I'm only trying to preserve what little remains."
Elder Bai studied him for a few heartbeats longer, then finally nodded. "I see. Keep your heritage quiet for now. The less others know, the better. The Longs were not without enemies."
"Yes, Elder."
She turned away, her voice calm once again.
"Collect your alchemist token tomorrow morning. From this day forward, you are no longer a servant of the outer sect. Serve the Alchemy Hall well… "
As her footsteps faded, Wan Long stood still for a moment, exhaling slowly.
Long Family, huh? he thought to himself, a faint smirk crossing his lips.
Well… it sounds noble enough.
.....