Chapter 91

Looking around, all he saw was a sea of people, the crowd several times larger than three days ago.

The two of them couldn't help but feel immense pressure, and they were also taken aback.

The appeal of Apricot Grove Manor was truly astonishing, far exceeding their previous expectations.

However, now that they were here and had already paid the registration fee, they couldn't just back out at the last minute. They could only give it a try.

With uneasy hearts, the two slowly followed the crowd and entered the branch location of "Apricot Grove Manor" again.

This time, someone directly led them to get a number, and then, every hundred people were divided into a small courtyard.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue exchanged a glance, not knowing what was going on, but they didn't ask much and quietly waited.

After a full fifteen minutes, the bell rang three times, and a sudden commotion arose in the crowd. An elder in apricot-yellow robes walked out from the corner, followed by several young alchemy apprentices in green robes, each holding a silver tray.

"Ladies and gentlemen—"

The elder smiled and looked at the hundred apprentices in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over everyone before he spoke:

"I am very pleased that everyone has come to participate in the selection of new disciples at Apricot Grove Manor. Each of you is a standout, and just being here is a victory. Regardless of whether everyone can stay, I, on behalf of the Manor Lord, thank you all!"

"Unworthy of such praise—" The crowd immediately responded with a chorus of modest replies.

A few people stared at the elder in apricot-yellow robes for a while and suddenly exclaimed, "It's Elder Qi! He is Qi Baiyun, the alchemist of Fengxiang City. Judging by the yellow robe and the two small silver cauldrons embroidered on his chest, he is a Second Rank Intermediate Alchemist."

"Ah, it's true!"

Upon being reminded, more people noticed the two small cauldrons on the elder's chest, and their faces flushed as if they had drunk too much yellow wine. The scene immediately became lively.

Everyone found it hard to contain their excitement and almost surged forward to surround the elder and seek his guidance.

A Second Rank Alchemist was a renowned figure throughout the entire KONGLUN Snow Region.

And Elder Qi Baiyun was the top physician in Fengxiang City, enjoying a high reputation among all alchemists and herbalists.

This situation was like a Xuanhuang Realm powerhouse suddenly appearing before a group of ordinary disciples at the Qi Dao third or fourth level, inevitably causing a stir.

"Silence!"

The elder in yellow robes frowned at the commotion, waved his hand, and the crowd slowly quieted down, raising their heads to listen to the elder, though their eyes still shone with enthusiasm.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue stood at the back of the crowd. For Tang Gu, the appearance of the elder in yellow robes didn't have a significant impact.

He wasn't in the medical field and didn't understand the impact of a Second Rank Alchemist on ordinary people. As for Shui Xue, even though she was usually reserved, she almost rushed forward with others but held back when she saw Tang Gu not moving, silently blaming herself for her lack of composure.

"To become an alchemist, one must be bold, meticulous, and always maintain a calm and stable mind. Otherwise, any slight emotional fluctuation during the alchemy process can lead to failure."

"You—"

The elder in yellow robes cast a stern gaze over the hundred participants, his expression serious:

"Just now, I praised you, but now, I only want to say that you are all unqualified."

The crowd suddenly fell silent, and many people immediately showed signs of dissatisfaction. Among those who came to participate in the trial, apart from Tang Gu, who was a complete novice, many others were well-known in various places or had undergone specialized training and had come specifically for the trial.

But in the elder's words, everyone was worthless, and all their past efforts were dismissed. Many felt disrespected and were naturally very dissatisfied.

Tang Gu, however, watched the elder with interest. Only now did he realize that even without considering his alchemy skills, this elder named Qi Baiyun must have strong mental cultivation.

The elder in yellow robes scanned the crowd and said calmly, "Are you all dissatisfied? Very well, that's the kind of courage I want to see.

Alright, I won't say more. The trial officially begins. Now, I will tell you that if you can pass all five remaining challenges, I, Qi Baiyun, will personally apologize to you.

But if you can't, I'm sorry, you will have to leave on your own. I fear we will not have the chance to meet again."

After speaking, Qi Baiyun waved his hand, and the five alchemy apprentices behind him instantly stepped forward, opened their trays, and stood in front of the hundred people. A rich medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do, only to see that the silver trays in front of the five alchemy apprentices held various herbs, numbering in the hundreds.

The elder smiled slightly and looked at the crowd.

"The first challenge is to identify the herbs. Only those who pass this challenge can move on to the next one."

"Alright, now, each of you will receive three herbs. Your task is... to find the most valuable one and write down its age, medicinal properties, name, and all related information on the white paper beside you as quickly as possible. The fastest one wins, and the time limit is one incense stick.

If you haven't found it within one incense stick, you lose!"

After speaking, the five alchemy apprentices instantly walked to everyone and distributed three different herbs to each person, along with a white paper and an ink-dipped brush. Beside them, a silver incense stick was lit and placed in a bronze tripod.

"Alright, the timing starts now!"

The elder smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and looked at the crowd with a smile, "Please begin!"

"Whoosh!"

The crowd instantly erupted in a flurry of activity.

Identifying spiritual herbs was a basic skill for every alchemist, an indispensable ability. And with one incense stick, which was a relatively long time, they only needed to identify the most valuable one. How difficult could that be?

At a glance, the three herbs in hand were clear. The faint fragrance they emitted could quickly reveal their age, effects, and names. The crowd drew a sharp breath, not because it was too difficult, but because this challenge seemed too simple.

They believed that even an ordinary person could quickly identify them, let alone the well-prepared alchemists present.

However, when they thought about the last part of the challenge, which was that the fastest one would win, they suddenly understood. This was clearly a test of experience in identifying herbs, and the most experienced would win.

Without further delay, they all became tense, seeing others already starting. They quickly picked up the three herbs in front of them and began to examine them, then "swish, swish, swish..." picked up the ink-dipped brush and started writing on the white paper.

PS: One more chapter added. (To be continued. Please search for Piaotian Literature for faster updates!)