NOVEL WEB Chapter 322: The Day Of The Test
Han Yu's understanding was solid. His theory was sound. His herb sense had grown, and his Soul Qi cultivation gave him the perception and mental clarity needed for long hours of work.
But his fire control…
He looked down at his fingers, the faint glow of Spirit Qi dancing along them.
He needed a flame.
A real one. A Spirit Flame of his own.
That would be the next step. After the exam, if he passed, he would find the materials. Or maybe… maybe he could coax Li Mei into showing him how to refine one.
But that was later.
For now, he would prepare.
Three more weeks. Three more weeks to sharpen his knowledge, reinforce his foundations, and take his first true step onto the Path of the Alchemist.
A slow grin crept across his lips.
He had already walked the path of a liar, a thief, a qi cultivator and even a Soul Cultivator.
Now it was time to walk this one too.
The three weeks passed in a blur of herbs, diagrams, and dense scrolls filled with alchemical formulas.
Han Yu's days remained the same on the surface—early morning compendium reviews, followed by long theory sessions, simulated case studies, and a few attempts at refining the Minor Vitality Replenishing Pill. Yet, in all that time, his refinement success rate barely nudged forward. He still hovered around a 3/6 average, just like before.
But what Han Yu didn't know was that Li Mei had been steadily, methodically raising the difficulty of every test he took.
The pill composition problems became more convoluted. The simulated refinement scenarios demanded intricate timing and herbal counterbalance solutions. Even the written exams contained obscure knowledge from advanced compendiums that most Inner Court disciples wouldn't even access.
Yet Han Yu never dropped below 60%.
That alone told Li Mei everything she needed to know.
There was no point in drilling the same theory anymore. He had long surpassed the foundation expected of Outer Court disciples. Even most Inner Court disciples would flounder under the questions she'd been feeding him for weeks. At this stage, what Han Yu lacked wasn't knowledge—it was infrastructure.
And that, she thought as she adjusted her sleeves while walking beside him, is something the Alchemy Peak can provide in spades.
Despite the occasional opportunity to use her personal pill cauldron—an older but decent-quality one with decent temperature channels and an embedded rune matrix—Han Yu's success had barely improved. That wasn't surprising. The root of the problem wasn't his technique anymore; it was his tools.
A talisman, no matter how well-crafted, could only maintain so much temperature control. What Han Yu needed was a true Flame Array, the kind embedded into the Alchemy Peak's refining chambers, each of which could fine-tune heat within the hundredth of a degree, maintaining consistent spiritual flow throughout the process.
He'll only grow with real equipment now, Li Mei concluded as they reached the gates of the Alchemy Peak.
The Alchemy Peak stood proud and serene, its mountain ridge dotted with hundreds of tiled-roof pavilions built into the cliffs, each glowing with faint herbal mist and the scent of rare incense. The air was thick with medicinal fragrance, sharper and cleaner than any other part of the Twin Leaf Peak Sect.
Birds with crimson plumage—Firebeaks bred to tend herb gardens—flitted through hanging branches of cultivated flamegrass. Array circles flickered under bridges, and long walkways crossed the mountain like arteries of jade and gold.
But they didn't head for the higher pavilions.
At the base of the peak, nestled between two flowing streams, stood the Testing Hall—a circular building made of white stone and green-tiled roofs shaped like blooming lotus petals. Several wide steps led to the front doors, which bore the engraved insignia of the Alchemy Peak: a cauldron nestled in a lotus flower surrounded by a ring of elemental sigils.
Li Mei brought Han Yu to the entrance, where two white-robed Inner Disciples of the peak stood guard.
"State your purpose," one of them said with professional politeness.
Li Mei gestured to Han Yu. "Outer Disciple Han Yu, here for the entry assessment."
The disciple took a glance at Han Yu's sect token and nodded.
"Proceed to Hall Three. You'll find a row marked for new examinees. The test begins in half an hour's time."
Han Yu gave a slight bow and walked past the threshold, Li Mei watching him go with folded arms and a subtle hint of tension behind her expression.
'This is it,' she thought. 'Let's see if the boy really flies when it matters.'
Inside, the Testing Hall was vast and round, with tall shelves lining the walls filled with alchemical records, diagrams, and medicinal blueprints. But none of them were accessible today.
Dozens of stone desks—each with an embedded Spirit Inscription that prevented cheating—were laid out in rows. Several proctors, dressed in dark gray robes marked with the Pill Lotus insignia, watched from elevated platforms. ThiscopywasgeneratedfromcontentatMV|LEMPYR.
Han Yu took a deep breath as he found his assigned seat, one of fifty neatly arranged around a glowing orb in the center of the room. That orb pulsed with timed rhythm—it was the countdown for the start of the exam.
The air was tense. The other disciples were mostly Inner Court members, though a few like Han Yu stood out with simpler robes and stiffer posture—Outer Court hopefuls trying to claw their way upward.
Some sat confidently. Some nervously reviewed notes.
Han Yu? He closed his eyes and rested both hands lightly on the desk.
His heart was calm.
He had studied harder than he ever did in his life. Not even during his scamming days had he ever been this focused. And this time, there was no cheat, no bluff, no clever workaround.
Only knowledge. Memory. Insight.
And the belief that he had earned his place here.
The orb at the center flared, drawing everyone's attention.
A deep voice echoed throughout the room, ancient and clear:
"Let the theoretical assessment of the Alchemy Peak Entrance Examination begin."