C8 Pill Refining Building

After navigating through the bustling streets for roughly half an hour, Yang Xiao finally arrived at a four-story Pill Refining Building.

In the Eight-wasteland, each city boasts a Pill Refining Building, constructed to reflect the prowess of the most skilled Pill Refining Master within. The four floors of the Pill Refining Building in Azure Connection City indicated that the top Pill Refining Master here was of Rank Four.

Pill Refining Masters are categorized into nine ranks, and the pills they produce are classified into ten grades. The greater the mastery of the Pill Refining Master, the higher the grade of pill they can create.

In his past life, Yang Xiao, who had a knack for pill and medicine refining, befriended a fellow enthusiast in the craft. This friend had attained the pinnacle of Rank Nine as a Pill Refining Master and had even crafted the unprecedented Grade Ten Pill, a Divine Medicine, within the Eight-wasteland. Yang Xiao had the privilege of witnessing the creation of such a miraculous pill firsthand.

With these memories in mind, Yang Xiao let out a wistful smile and shook his head before proceeding into the Pill Refining Building.

To his surprise, upon entering, he found the hall teeming with over a hundred people.

The place was abuzz with activity. Yang Xiao was curious—had the profession of Pill Refining Master become so sought-after? He noticed that the crowd was predominantly young, engaging in fervent discussions about the correct heat, ingredients, and pill grades, clearly indicating their novice status.

After a lap around the hall and overhearing various snippets of conversation, Yang Xiao discovered that today was the day for the Pill Refining Building's apprentice assessment, attracting numerous hopefuls from the clans of Azure Connection City. It made sense, considering the rarity and value of a high-ranked Pill Refining Master, and every family's desire to nurture one of their own.

By a stroke of luck, Yang Xiao had chosen this day to visit the Pill Refining Building, hoping to acquire some medicinal ingredients for his sister's pill refining. With the building conducting its assessment registration, he realized this could be an opportune moment.

Pulling himself back from his reverie, Yang Xiao eyed the queue snaking ahead like a dragon, a sense of dread washing over him. With no other choice, he resigned himself to join the end of the line.

However, just as he took two steps, an annoying voice rang out beside him.

"Hey there, Yang Xiao, I recognize you. Aren't you the famed number one genius of the Yang family in Azure Connection City? The top prodigy of the Essence Condensation Stage, haha..."

"A genius who has been cultivating for over a decade in the Essence Condensation Stage, what's gotten into you? To think you'd actually show up at the Pill Refining Building?"

"Could it be, Yang Xiao, that you've finally seen the light? Realizing you've hit the ceiling with your martial arts, you're now dreaming of trying your luck in pill refining to see if you can strike genius there too? Hahaha..."

A group of four or five young men, clad in luxurious silk garments, sneered at Yang Xiao with loud, mocking tones.

Yang Xiao, with a furrowed brow, chose to ignore them and made his way to the end of the line to queue up.

"Hey, hey! I'm talking to you, Yang Xiao!" The ringleader, Wang Zeyu, frustrated by the lack of response, called out again: "Yang Xiao, come here. Don't worry, I won't hit you today."

Yang Xiao gave these individuals a brief glance, triggering a flood of memories.

They were known as "Wang Zeyu, Ye Kaifeng, and Zhao Lin..."

These three were the scions of the other three major power families in Azure Connection City, slightly less formidable than the Yang family, and they had been longstanding rivals.

Despite mutual disdain among the families, they would often band together against the Yang family, the most dominant force, whenever its members were present.

Wang Zeyu, Ye Kaifeng, and Zhao Lin typically wouldn't dare to make a peep around Prince Yang, who was far superior in cultivation, always currying favor with him outwardly.

But when faced with a so-called failure from the Yang family, they stood tall and proud. Yang Xiao's perceived weakness and incompetence meant that any encounter with them would inevitably lead to full-throttle humiliation.

Drawing on his memories, Yang Xiao watched the trio's childish antics with a narrowed gaze.

Seeing that his calls were being blatantly ignored, a flash of anger crossed Wang Zeyu's handsome face, and he bellowed, "Stop playing the fool! Get over here now!"

Yang Xiao's goal today was to procure a pill for his sister. He had no interest in stirring up trouble, so he feigned ignorance and focused on queuing.

"Brother Zeyu, this kid doesn't seem to take you seriously..."

"Yeah, Zeyu, Yang Xiao is treating you as if you're invisible."

Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin burst into laughter upon witnessing Wang Zeyu's embarrassment.

Wang Zeyu, unable to save face, lashed out at Yang Xiao once more, "Come here right now, or believe me, I'll take care of your sister!"

Yang Xiao, who had maintained an indifferent facade, suddenly turned icy at the mention of his sister. He glared at Wang Zeyu and coldly challenged, "If you're seeking death, by all means, give it a try."

Wang Zeyu and his companions were taken aback. Had Yang Xiao lost his mind today? His demeanor was vastly different from the past, where they used to ridicule him without consequence.

But they were unaware that Yang Xiao had undergone a profound transformation; he was no longer the person they once knew.

In the hall, numerous onlookers, both men and women still in line, turned their attention toward the unfolding drama.

Feeling humiliated before the crowd, Wang Zeyu and his friends grew furious.

"Damn it! Where did you pick up such audacity? You dare to put on airs in front of me?"

"Just a few days without a lesson, and you've forgotten your place, Yang Xiao!"

"Enough talk, let's teach him a lesson and show him what's what!"

The trio advanced towards Yang Xiao, hurling insults as they moved.

As Yang Xiao braced for the impending hassle, several figures clad in golden robes with a small cauldron emblem emerged.

"Cease this insolence! The Pill Refining Building is a place of order, and private brawls are strictly forbidden. If you insist on fighting, I will report you to the elders and have you expelled immediately!"

The speaker was a Pill Boy from the Pill Refining Building. Though not a Pill Refining Master, his role as an essential assistant granted him authority equivalent to that of a master.

Wang Zeyu witnessed the scene and let out a cold snort before stepping back. Zhao Lin, however, failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and burst out in anger, "You're nothing but a lowly Pill Boy. Do you have any idea who I am—"

But before he could finish his sentence, Wang Zeyu, who was standing behind him, grabbed his arm and whispered something in his ear. With a look of reluctance, Zhao Lin backed down, yet he couldn't help but mutter resentfully, "You Yang family reject, consider yourself lucky today. But don't you dare step outside the Pill Refining Building, or I'll have you kneeling and begging for forgiveness."

Those who wished to maintain their supply of pills from the Pill Refining Building in Azure Connection City dared not cross them. If they did, they would be unable to answer to the Sect Master back home.

"I'll be waiting," Yang Xiao said with a slight smile, unfazed by their greed. He was not averse to spending a bit of time to teach them a lesson.

"Damn it!" Wang Zeyu and his companions were fuming with rage, teeth clenched in frustration. Yet, they dared not cause another scene in the Pill Refining Building. With cold stares thrown at Yang Xiao, they moved to the back of the line.

The Pill Refining Master's apprentice examination was split into two parts: practical and theoretical.

The barrier to entry for an apprentice was quite low. Regular study of refining books and practice usually made the assessment a breeze. However, as one ascended the ranks of a Pill Refining Master, the challenges increased significantly. Without innate talent, it was difficult to excel in this field.

The first hurdle to becoming an apprentice at the Pill Refining Building was the theoretical exam. Failing this meant no chance at the practical exam that followed.

Yang Xiao had been in line for quite some time before he finally managed to register. With the examination still a while away and nothing else to do, he closed his eyes and reflected on the pill refining knowledge from his past life. Time had passed, and his body had yet to fully grasp it. Failing the theoretical knowledge portion would certainly be an embarrassment.

Roughly two hours later, every candidate there for the examination had completed their registration.

At last, a middle-aged man descended the stairs from the second floor of the Pill Refining Building. His attire immediately set him apart as a true Pill Refining Master. Flanked by several Pill Boys, he made his way to the center of the hall.

One of the Pill Boys stepped onto the platform and called out to the assembly, "Ladies and gentlemen! Please quiet down and allow the elder to address you."

Once the announcement was made, the hall soon fell silent, and the alchemist addressed the gathered applicants.

"Welcome, young talents of Azure Connection City, to the membership examination of the Pill Refining Building. As a Pill Refining Master, I uphold a commitment to fairness and transparency. I hope to see excellent performances from you all today and welcome you to join our ranks."

His voice resonated powerfully throughout the hall, prompting a round of applause from the crowd. The Pill Refining Master Elder then proceeded with his speech, which Yang Xiao considered to be full of unnecessary fluff about the honor of the Pill Refining Building and the noble vocation of a Pill Refining Master.

"My name is Yuu Lezhan, a Rank Three Pill Refining Master at the Pill Refining Building, and I am responsible for overseeing your assessments," he announced.

Yang Xiao was nearly dozing off when the Pill Refining Elder finally got to the point.

"Now that you've been introduced to our Pill Refining Building and have prepared yourselves, please follow me to the second floor, where we will conduct the first round of the examination."

The theoretical exam was designed to evaluate one's ability to identify various medicinal herbs and understand which combinations could yield specific pills.

Mastery of the correct quantities of ingredients and control of the refining process was crucial. Without a solid foundation of knowledge, the success rate of pill refining could plummet, potentially leading to the creation of harmful pills and the wastage of time, effort, and materials. Thus, theoretical knowledge was essential.

Led by Yuu Lezhan and the Pill Boys, the candidates ascended to the grand hall on the second floor, where a massive stone table and benches awaited them.

With the Pill Boys' guidance, everyone found their seats and were provided with writing materials. The Pill Boys, equipped with pen and paper, were presumably ready to document the performance of each applicant.