As you step into the Herbalist's Guild, a gentle aroma of herbs immediately greets you, bringing a sense of calm and refreshment. Inside the hall, the crowd is sparse—only a few people are quietly engaged in their tasks. Upon hearing your footsteps, several of them lift their heads, glance at the young man who is slanting a massive black ruler nearly to the ground, and exchange a moment of mild curiosity before returning to their work. They don't believe anyone would dare to cause a disturbance within the Guild. Standing in the somewhat quiet hall, Xiao Yan shakes his head in resignation. Just as he intends to approach someone to inquire about the process for obtaining the Herbalist's rank insignia, a woman in a light green dress suddenly steps out from a backstage area and quickly walks toward him. "Excuse me, sir," she says, "from your unfamiliar appearance, I'd guess you're visiting our Black Rock City Herbalist's Guild for the first time." Smiling, the young woman with green robes glanced around and asked with a warm smile. "Hmm." Gazing at the green-clad woman before her, with her bright eyes and white teeth, she was indeed quite appealing. Xiao Yan smiled and said, "It's my first time here. I'm here to claim a pharmacy-grade badge." "Oh? You're also a pharmacist?" The young woman seemed momentarily startled, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Yan, then expressed her surprise. "Yes, could you please tell me what the procedure is?" Undeterred by the woman's initial astonishment, Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. "Please follow me this way." Upon seeing Xiao Yan nod in confirmation, the young woman was slightly taken aback, her expression now filled with greater respect. She stepped back a few paces and approached the counter, then smiled warmly at Xiao Yan. She took out a yellowed, ancient sheepskin parchment from the counter, and with a graceful hand, the young woman held the pen, lifting her gaze to smile warmly at Xiao Yan. "Master, kindly tell me your name, age, and the name of your mentor. I shall register you." "Xiao Yan, nineteen years old, mentor... Ye Lao." Xiao Yan paused slightly before smiling. "Master, you truly show great promise at such a young age," said Yahan, silently impressed by his age, offering a small compliment with a gentle nod. Her brows furrowed slightly as she paused her pen, thinking for a moment, then said with a touch of embarrassment, "Master, I notice that the name of your mentor does not appear in our records of the Alchemy and Medicine Guild." "He enjoys living in seclusion and has never been formally recorded. Is it necessary for him to personally register you? If so, I think we might as well leave it at that." With a slight frown, Xiao Yan shook his head and turned to leave, surprised by how complicated the matter had become. "Mr. Xiao, please wait a moment." Seeing Mr. Xiao about to leave, Ya Han quickly said, "Although we don't have your mentor's records, as long as you pass the assessment, you'll still be eligible for the rank badge." Hearing this, Mr. Xiao paused, breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to smile at Ya Han. After swiftly gathering the items on the table, Ya Han held the registration form and gestured toward Mr. Xiao, saying, "Mr. Xiao, please follow me. If you pass the rank assessment, you'll be able to receive your rank badge. By the way, are you applying for the first-rank alchemist's certification?" With a graceful hand, Ya Han casually flipped through the documents and smiled lightly. "No, actually, second-rank," Mr. Xiao shook his head and offered a gentle smile. His steps suddenly stopped, and he nearly collided with Ya Han, who stood gracefully ahead. Fortunately, he managed to brake in time, and he now looked at Ya Han with a look of mild surprise. "You said... you're applying for the second-rank alchemist's certification?" "Leaning slightly to the side, Ya Han gently opened her rosy lips, eyes wide with astonishment, staring at Xiao Yan. At just nineteen years old, being assessed for a Second-Rank Alchemist? This had never happened before in the Alchemist Guild of Jia Ma Empire!" "Is there any issue?" Xiao Yan nodded slightly and spoke calmly. "No... not really." Regaining her composure, Ya Han quickly shook her head. Her gaze toward Xiao Yan grew increasingly respectful. She softly said, "Mr. Xiao Yan..." "Call me Xiao Yan, please." Interrupting with a gentle smile, Xiao Yan shook his head. "Ah, good." Ya Han had been part of the Alchemist Guild for some time and had seen many prominent figures on a daily basis, so when Xiao Yan asked for a simpler title, she naturally dropped the more formal ones and smiled warmly, "Have you never received an official professional badge before?" "Hmm." "Then you'll have to start with the first-rank alchemy master's evaluation. Only after successfully advancing can you proceed to the second-rank alchemy master's evaluation," Yahan smiled and explained the evaluation process to Xiao Yan. "Ah, well, we'll have to go one by one then," Xiao Yan said, startled at first, then nodded with a touch of resignation. With a gentle smile, Yahan slowed her pace gradually, and after a while, she came to a stop in front of a grand gate. Outside the gate, four sturdy men in full armor were on duty. As Xiao Yan glanced at the chests of the four men, he felt a sense of awe—he noticed that all of them were nine-star battle cultivators. In particular, the steady and prolonged aura of one of them suggested he had been at this level for a long time. The occasional spark of brilliance in his eyes indicated that he was on the verge of reaching battle cultivator status. "Uncle Teja, has the evaluation inside started yet?" "Yaohan handed over Xiao Yan's files to the strongest man present, smiling and asked. "Heh, not yet, but almost there. Have you brought in any new recruits? It seems they're quite promising." The man known as Te Ya scanned Xiao Yan with a keen gaze, his heart stirred with surprise—given his own strength, he hadn't expected to see such potential in the young man. "Yes, all set. Go in now." After carefully reviewing the information and seals on the registration form, Te Ya withdrew a black arm badge from his coat. On the badge was a large five-character inscription. "This is your exam number—don't lose it." Receiving the badge, Xiao Yan fastened it onto his arm and gave Te Ya a grateful smile. "Xiao Yan, now you'll have to enter on your own. According to regulations, we aren't allowed to enter the inner areas at will," Yaohan said with a light smile as the procedures were complete. "Yes, thank you very much." Smiling and nodding, Xiao Yan bowed slightly to the group before stepping through the main doors. ... Once inside, bright lighting illuminated the spacious hall, making it as bright as day. The hall was now crowded with people, their soft whispers and laughter occasionally rising. As Xiao Yan scanned the crowd, he was surprised to find that most of them were genuine alchemists. Among the crowd, he spotted two fourth-rank alchemists. One was the very one he had previously seen—Master Otto. The other was also an elder; upon hearing the others' references, Xiao Yan learned that this man was the head of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, Foklan. At the center of the hall, several stone platforms were carefully arranged, each separated from the others. On these platforms, a variety of medicinal equipment were displayed. At this moment, seven young people stood eagerly, impatiently awaiting their turn, and among them was the woman named Linfei. "Florin, where is Xuemei? She hasn't come out yet! The assessment is about to begin!" Otto glanced at the sandglass on the table, then turned to Frank, who was chatting with others at his side. "Relax, relax. This is Xuemei's very first assessment—she naturally needs to be fully prepared." With a wave of his hand, Frank looked at Otto, whose growing impatience was evident, and a gentle smile spread across his weathered face. Upon hearing this, Otto sighed, shaking his head. "We only have ten more minutes. If she doesn't appear by then, even if you're the president, you can't simply extend the waiting time without reason." Smiling, Frank turned his head and scanned the hall, pausing slightly as his gaze settled on the young man who had entered at an unknown time. His eyes swept over the insignia on the boy's arm, and he remarked with mild surprise, "Young fellow, are you also here for the apothecary assessment?" For the first time in his life, Xiao Yan had seen so many colleagues, and he was feeling particularly excited. Hearing Frank's question, he was momentarily taken aback before nodding in agreement. Noticing Xiao Yan's nod, Frank's eyes brightened with even greater astonishment. "How old are you, young man?" "Nineteen," Xiao Yan said, unsure of what this evidently distinguished elder intended to do. "Oh?" "Heard Xiang Yan's answer, not only Frank was surprised, but even Otto turned his gaze toward him. When he looked at Xiang Yan, he was momentarily stunned, then smiled gently and said, 'I've always thought this young man seemed rather special. Now I see—you're also a pharmacist. But why didn't I sense that earlier? After all, someone with less strength than mine should hardly be able to conceal their identity before me.' Hearing Otto's words, Xiang Yan merely shook his head, looking utterly puzzled, pretending not to know. With the elder pharmacist's protection, and given the elder's four-rank pharmacist status, how could he possibly have detected Xiang Yan's true potential? Fortunately, Otto didn't press further, simply stopping his inquiry upon seeing Xiang Yan's puzzled expression. 'Hmm, nineteen? Old Otto, how young this lad is—quite a bit younger than even our own disciples,' Frank remarked, praising with admiration." "Let's wait until this young one passes smoothly before we praise him. Though my words might sound a bit harsh, didn't Linfei also come for her assessment when she was nineteen?" Otto shook his head and smiled. He didn't mean to look down on Xiao Yan at all, but in the Black Rock City Pharmaceutical Guild, it had never happened before that someone at nineteen sought the Pharmaceutical Specialist badge. "Back then, wasn't she just there to cause trouble? She nearly blew up the medicine furnace!" Frank shook his head and chuckled. Though he had said that earlier, he knew well that it was no easy feat for someone to aim for the Pharmaceutical Specialist qualification at nineteen. After all, to become a true alchemist, one must not only possess a naturally gifted soul attribute but also first become a true combatant. Once that is achieved, to then become an alchemist, one must at least learn the fundamentals of alchemical techniques under one's mentor's direct guidance—a process that takes no less than a full year. In short, if a young man wishes to attain the rank of first-class alchemist by the age of nineteen, he must have already become a combatant by the age of eighteen, or even seventeen. Such an exceptional aptitude for cultivation is, in fact, rarer than the unique soul attributes specifically found among alchemists. Therefore, even with their broad experience and keen judgment, Frank and Otto found it difficult to believe that this young man could successfully pass the examination. "Come on, don't think I'm unaware of your secret efforts to test Xue Mei—didn't she also manage to blow up the cauldron during her assessment?" Watching the two figures revealing their deepest secrets to each other, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation, about to speak when a slightly cold, delicate voice suddenly resonated from behind. "Teacher, I'm sorry—I came late." The unexpectedly crisp, cool tone, reminiscent of the clear, ethereal sound of snow rocks clinking against one another on a mountain peak, was particularly pleasing. At least, after the voice rang out, Xiao Yan noticed that a significant portion of the young people in the hall had shifted their previously warm glances toward him. He gently pursed his lips, curiously turning his head slightly, and gazed at the graceful silver-robed woman approaching from the main entrance. A subtle lift of his brow conveyed a quiet admiration.