Chapter 57 – The Flames of Recognition
Arrival in the City
The caravan road wound through hills dotted with tea terraces before spilling into a bustling city that pulsed with life. Crimson banners draped over the main gate bore the sigil of a cauldron wreathed in flame—the emblem of the Alchemy Guild. Merchants shouted of spirit herbs for sale, peddlers offered talismans of dubious quality, and hawkers advertised the coming Grand Alchemy Competition.
Lin Xuan's group drew curious stares as they entered. Their sect robes marked them as cultivators, but not ones from a sect famed for alchemy. In this city, where pill flames mattered more than blades, that distinction carried weight.
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The Guild Hall
The Alchemy Guild Hall rose like a palace of stone and jade, its façade carved with ancient cauldrons. Inside, the scent of herbs and ash mingled with incense. Dozens of alchemists in robes of green and gold bustled about, apprentices carrying trays of roots and jars of powders.
At the registration desk, a senior guild attendant eyed Lin and Mu with mild disdain. "Sect disciples?" he asked, his tone flat. "If you're here to compete, you'll need badges. Without recognition, your pills cannot be trusted."
Lin's expression remained calm. Mu frowned faintly, clutching her cauldron.
The attendant sniffed. "You sect types always think yourselves above procedure. Here, in the Guild, flames prove worth, not names. You want badges? Pass the test."
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The Test of Flame
They were led into a wide chamber lined with cauldrons. Other hopefuls waited—rogue cultivators, merchant alchemists, and apprentices hoping to earn their first star. Murmurs followed Lin and Mu.
"Cloudsky disciples? Hah. That sect doesn't specialize in alchemy."
"They'll embarrass themselves."
"Watch them fail at even the basic purity test."
Mu's jaw tightened, but Lin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ignore them. Our fire will answer."
The examiner, a stern elder with silver hair, raised his hand. "First test—refine a Qi Gathering Pill. Grade low, but it will show control. A failure above ten percent impurity is disqualification."
Cauldrons flared to life.
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One Star
Mu breathed deep, steadying her qi. Her phoenix flames danced over the cauldron, the herbs melting into a fragrant paste. She coaxed the impurities out carefully, her flames burning away the excess until the pill condensed—round, bright, and pure.
The examiner checked it, brows lifting. "Nine percent impurity. Pass. One-star badge."
The crowd muttered—rare for a first-timer to pass so cleanly.
Then Lin Xuan stepped forward. His flames were steady, controlled, but when the herbs melted, the energy within them seemed to pulse brighter. He guided the impurities out with flawless timing.
The pill that formed gleamed faintly, as though light had been trapped inside.
The examiner's eyes widened. "Two percent impurity. Exceptional. One-star badge granted."
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The Doubts Continue
Whispers spread.
"Pure luck."
"Qi Gathering is child's play. The next test will break them."
The examiner gestured. "Second test—Body Tempering Pill. Higher volatility. Balance your flames, or fail."
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Two Stars
Mu's flames flickered, but she held firm. Sweat glistened on her brow as she wrestled with the pill's instability. When the cauldron hissed, she poured in her will, and the result was a pill of acceptable clarity.
"Fifteen percent impurity. Two-star badge."
Pride flared in her chest, her phoenix flames dancing brighter.
Lin's pill, however, came out flawless. Smooth, golden, with not a trace of waste.
"Three percent impurity," the examiner said softly, unable to hide his admiration. "Two-star badge."
The hall's whispers shifted. Doubt gave way to reluctant awe.
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Three Stars
"Third test," the examiner said, voice firmer now, "refine a Spirit Recovery Pill. Failure rate is high, even among journeymen."
Mu's flame shaped itself into a lotus, each petal nurturing the volatile essence. Her cauldron trembled, but she coaxed the energies to harmony. The pill that formed glowed faintly green.
"Ten percent impurity," the examiner announced. "Three-star badge."
Gasps echoed. Many guild alchemists never rose beyond two stars in their lifetime.
When Lin finished, his pill shone like crystal. Not a wisp of wasted qi.
"One percent impurity," the examiner said in disbelief. "Three-star badge… no—this warrants a fourth trial."
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The Fourth Trial
The hall grew hushed. A fourth trial was rare, reserved only for prodigies.
"Refine a Heavenly Vein Cleansing Pill," the examiner declared. "If you succeed, you will earn recognition as a four-star alchemist. Kings kneel for such men."
Mu stepped back, exhausted but proud. She had earned her badge. Lin remained.
He summoned his flames, and for a moment the entire hall felt the air shift. Herbs liquefied, impurities burned clean, energies harmonized as though bowing to his will.
When the cauldron opened, a pill of radiant purity floated within, the air around it humming with spiritual resonance.
The examiner bowed deeply. "Zero percent impurity. Four-star alchemist."
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Recognition
The hall erupted.
"He's only in the Foundation Establishment realm!"
"A four-star already? Impossible!"
"No wonder Cloudsky dares to challenge the demonic sects…"
Mu accepted her three-star badge, smiling through her exhaustion. Lin took his four-star badge in silence, tucking it away without fanfare.
But the weight of it shook the guild. Even the elders whispered among themselves.
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Closing
As they left, guild alchemists who had mocked them now lowered their gazes. Outside, banners for the upcoming competition snapped in the wind.
Bai Liang smirked. "Well. I think we just made ourselves known."
Wen added softly, "And we painted targets on our backs."
Lin glanced at his badge, then to the banners of the alchemy competition. The prize was one of the ingredients they sought.
"We didn't come here to hide," he said. "We came to win."
The flames of recognition had been lit—and the entire city would soon watch them burn brighter.