Another total failure.
Even Wang Qiren, that alchemical genius, hadn’t passed Master Xiao’s test. The result greatly exceeded everyone’s expectations.
After Wang Qiren departed dejectedly, the scene fell silent for a long time. No one else dared to take the stage.
No one felt confident they could pass the test set by Master Xiao; none wanted to go up and make a fool of themselves.
The people from Medicine King Valley remained calm and unhurried from start to finish. Since no one was taking the stage, they simply stood there waiting.
Yang Kai glanced at Dong Qingyan and noticed her small hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly—a clear sign of extreme nervousness. Her face showed a hint of eagerness to try, but also a lack of confidence.
An Earth-grade high-tier alchemist had already failed. Could she, a mere Mortal-grade mid-tier, possibly succeed?
“Some opportunities, if missed, you might regret for the rest of your life,” Yang Kai said calmly.
Dong Qingyan’s delicate body trembled slightly. She turned to look at Yang Kai, a flash of deep thought crossing her eyes. Soon, her gaze became resolute. She took a deep breath and said, “Yes, let’s go up!”
Yang Kai smiled faintly, and the two of them leaped onto the high platform at the same time.
Seeing that someone else still dared to ascend, a chorus of shouts immediately rose from below. Encouraging cries drifted up, making Dong Qingyan smile shyly.
However, someone quickly noticed the embroidery on her chest, which indicated her rank.
“A mere Mortal-grade mid-tier alchemist…”
“Her rank is so low; she’ll probably make a fool of herself again.”
“Poor girl. If she embarrasses herself in front of everyone, how will she ever face anyone again?”
…
Dong Qingyan heard these whispers, biting her lip without saying a word.
The three young disciples from Medicine King Valley actually gave her a rare smile. A beautiful woman could win favor anywhere.
“Please, miss!”
Dong Qingyan nodded gently, took a deep breath, walked to the medicine jar, and took out a poison pill. She looked back at Yang Kai, her expression questioning.
Yang Kai nodded calmly. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch from the side.”
If Dong Qingyan really failed the test, he would definitely snatch her away. He couldn’t let her embarrass herself publicly.
On the platform, besides the Medicine King Valley disciples, only Dong Qingyan and Yang Kai were present. Yang Kai’s appearance clearly marked him as the woman’s attendant. The Medicine King Valley disciples didn’t immediately drive him away.
Dong Qingyan took a deep breath, placed the poison pill in her mouth, and with a grimace, swallowed it. She then stepped aside, sat cross-legged, and circulated her energy to dissolve the poison’s effects.
Yang Kai stood with his hands behind his back, rigid as a spear, vigilantly observing Dong Qingyan’s movements.
Half a cup of tea passed, and she showed no reaction.
A full cup of tea passed, and still nothing.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and secretly released his Divine Sense to sweep over Dong Qingyan. He discovered that her Yuan Qi was rapidly circulating, purifying some impurities within her meridians.
These impurities were likely the toxins contained within the poison pill.
“Hey, this girl is impressive! She’s held on for so long!” someone below exclaimed in surprise.
Among the hundreds who had taken the stage before, aside from the alchemists from the great families, few could last this long. There had been Mortal-grade alchemists before, but they could only hold out for a dozen breaths at most. Dong Qingyan’s performance made everyone look at her differently.
“How did she do it? Here’s another genius suited for alchemy—she’s no less impressive than that Wang Qiren.”
“I recognize her! She’s Dong Qingyan, the young miss of the Dong family!”
“What? The Dong family’s young miss?”
Amid the exclamations, a faint black mist suddenly appeared between Dong Qingyan’s brows. It rapidly thickened, then quickly moved and sank into her body, disappearing from view. Instead, Dong Qingyan suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a visible stream of black gas.
After expelling the gas, Dong Qingyan opened her eyes wide in astonishment.
Qin Ze sprang up from his chair, the stern expression on his face finally breaking into a smile. He praised repeatedly, “Excellent, excellent! At last, someone has passed Martial Uncle Xiao’s test!”
Passed?
The several hundred people were stunned into silence, almost unable to believe it.
Around three hundred alchemians from all over the world had taken the stage. Among them were several outstanding geniuses and even an Earth-grade high-tier alchemist, yet all of them had failed inexplicably.
Now, a mere Mortal-grade mid-tier alchemist had passed completely unscathed? What kind of mystery and secret did this conceal?
Dong Qingyan was also dumbfounded, blinking her large eyes as she stared at Qin Ze in confusion.
Yang Kai gave a light cough. “Miss, this senior says you have passed the master’s test.”
“Wh… what?” Dong Qingyan seemed to have not yet returned to her senses.