“Are you certain you really want to take on a Level-5 Task?” the examiner asked again.
“Certain.”
“Haven’t we all been waiting here just so our Boss here could challenge a Level-5 Task?”
“Assessment Room Number 12. Young man, you are the first to challenge a Level-5 Task. I hope you have good luck.” The examiner handed the task token to Jiang Chen.
Tang Hong waved his large hands, shouting, “Boss, go for it! Take down the Level-5 Task, and you’ll be the Number One Genius in the Heavenly Spirit Area!”
The words “Number One Genius” were very grating, causing the eyebrows of the surrounding martial artists, who had come for the spectacle, to furrow slightly.
The title of “Number One Genius” wasn’t one just anyone was qualified to claim.
Even the current top geniuses, none of them had openly declared themselves the Number One. Because no one wanted to become the target of public criticism at this time.
The title of “Number One Genius” was actually a burden. Anyone who claimed it would definitely become the target everyone attacked.
Who among those who had entered the Heavenly Spirit Area would willingly let someone else take that title?
Even those with absolutely no hope of reaching the top felt unhappy hearing Tang Hong say that. A worldly martial artist, and he thinks he deserves the title of Number One Genius? Boasting so shamelessly, isn’t he afraid of straining his tongue?
But Tang Hong hadn’t thought that far. He had no intention of putting Jiang Chen on a hot seat. He had been defeated by Jiang Chen several times, especially in the domains he was proudest of: the Mental Force Domain and the Alchemy Domain.
In his strongest domains, Jiang Chen had thoroughly beaten Tang Hong. This made Tang Hong truly submit, completely convinced by Jiang Chen. Accepting him as “Boss” was completely heartfelt.
Tang Hong was a straightforward man. If he thought something, he said it. He disdained hiding his thoughts, and whether others found his words pleasant or not, he simply didn’t care.
All he knew was that he desperately hoped Jiang Chen could successfully complete the Level-5 Task.
Having been defeated by such a Boss, he submitted, wholeheartedly!
The difficulty of a Level-5 Task was indeed immense.
Level-5 Tasks were essentially pill-refining tasks, and they demanded very high quality from the pills.
Of course, for Jiang Chen, who had once refined the Five Dragons Open Heaven Pill, this challenge, while present, wasn’t insurmountable.
In terms of quality, this pill was clearly far inferior to the Five Dragons Open Heaven Pill.
The time limit for a Level-5 Task was twelve two-hour periods. The refined product needed to reach Superior quality.
Pill quality was divided into Inferior, Middle, Superior, Exquisite, and even Earth Grade, Heaven Grade.
Naturally, Earth Grade and Heaven Grade were practically impossible to appear within the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. There weren’t alchemists strong enough here, nor alchemy furnaces good enough, nor could one find such perfect raw materials.
To refine pills at the Earth Grade or Heaven Grade level, every single detail had to be perfect. If even one aspect fell short, wanting to refine Earth or Heaven Grade pills was pure fantasy.
All the materials were arranged in order. Jiang Chen examined the alchemy furnace. Its quality was acceptable, sufficient for completing this pill refinement.
After preheating the furnace, Jiang Chen began, step by methodical step.
His continuous fortuitous encounters had granted Jiang Chen extremely powerful fire control, a benefit brought by the Ice Fire Demon Lotus. Back during the initial five trials, he had absorbed the entire Fire Spirit Vein’s fire spirit energy, so now the spirit fire he could command was undeniably formidable.
Fire-attributed talent was crucial for any alchemist.
All powerful alchemists first had to be masters of fire control, geniuses with fire-attributed talent. Without powerful fire-attributed talent, dreaming of becoming a qualified alchemist was utterly futile.
Of course, for the path of alchemy, the most superior talent was someone with comprehensive elemental affinities, like someone like
Born with Innate-level talent in the Five Elements, such people, no matter what they did or learned, could do it faster and better than others.
The path of alchemy was no different. Fundamentally, alchemy was still about mastering the power of the Five Elements; fire-attributed talent was just one driving force.
Pills were finished products.
Spiritual Medicine, on the other hand, was naturally born, unrefined. Spiritual Medicine could be naturally grown or later cultivated, possessing relatively single functions and attributes.
Pills, however, combined various spiritual medicines with single attributes, blending them to create more potent effects—this was the secret of the alchemy path.
So, ultimately, the path of alchemy shared the same origin as the martial path.
Once you understood one, you understood them all.
Of course, someone like Long Juxue was naturally arrogant, devoted to the martial path, and naturally disdained becoming an alchemist.
While alchemists were respected, without powerful martial strength as a guarantee, they could only be respected, not feared.
What Long Juxue liked was that lofty existence, adored and feared by thousands.
She cherished the feeling of having all beings beneath her feet, everything under her control.