The surrounding Outer Sect disciples all craned their necks to look.
“He succeeded with his first batch!”
“This Han Jianye sure has talent in medicine concocting!”
An excited expression appeared on Han Jianye’s face as he glanced around at the other test-takers. His gaze lingered for a moment on Bai Xiaochun, and when he realized that he was still studying the medicine formula, a look of disdain appeared in his eyes. Finally, he pulled out the second set of plants and began concocting a second batch.
Du Lingfei and everyone else all had unsightly expressions on their faces, and gritted their teeth as they began to work on a second batch.
Time passed. By the time the fourth hour of the test had passed, most of the group was finished with their second batch. Muffled rumbling could be heard as... not a single test-taker succeeded.
It was at about this time that Bai Xiaochun put the jade slip down. His mind was now permeated with the medicine formula for Inkspirit Incense. However, just when everyone thought he was about to begin, they were stunned to see him take out one of the medicinal plants and begin to study it closely.
“What is Bai Xiaochun doing? He already studied the medicine formula for four hours! What's the point of studying the plants?”
“I know this is a test, but does he really have to go so slow...?”
Xu Baocai’s eyes were wide with disbelief as he watched everyone else starting their third batches.
The audience waited in befuddlement as the sixth hour of the test arrived. By now, eighteen of the test-takers had all consistently failed. Soon eight hours had passed, then ten. Eventually, four people succeeded in concocting the Inkspirit Incense, including Du Lingfei, Chen Zi’ang, and Zhao Yiduo.
The aura of the incense spread out in all directions. Han Jianye was chuckling proudly at being the first person to concoct a second stick of Inkspirit Incense. Looking around proudly, his contempt for Bai Xiaochun grew.
At this point, Bai Xiaochun was studying the fourth of the medicinal plants. Occasionally he would even tear a perforation into the plant itself, which left the audience shocked. Even Elder Xu had noticed.
Time flew by. Soon, twelve hours had passed. Everyone failed in their sixth batch of spirit medicine, except for Han Jianye, who was the only person to succeed.
That caused quite an uproar, and even elicited a slight nod from Elder Xu.
“This Han Jianye has already concocted three sticks of incense! Nobody else even has more than one!”
“In tests past, two successes meant you passed the test, and four successes made you a Chosen. All Han Jianye has to do is concoct one more stick to become a Chosen!”
As everyone discussed the matter, a gleam of self-confidence could be seen flickering in Han Jianye’s eyes as he murmured, “I’ll definitely concoct a fourth stick of Inkspirit Incense. I'm going to be Chosen, and I'm going to be the top journeyman apothecary!"
Swishing his sleeve in grand style, he began to work on his seventh batch.
Du Lingfei’s face was ashen as she gritted her teeth and began working on her own seventh batch.
When the fourteenth hour arrived, Du Lingfei’s eyes shone with elation as a medicinal aroma began to spread out from her pill furnace. Even as black smoke rose up from everyone else's seventh batches, she produced the only success!
“I've met the minimum, but mere promotion is not enough!” Du Lingfei constrained her excitement, taking a deep breath as she, along with the ashen-faced Han Jianye, began work on another batch.
In the sixteenth hour, more rumbling sounds could be heard as yet again... everyone met with failure.
As of this moment, of the nineteen other people besides Bai Xiaochun who were taking the test, Han Jianye had three successes, Du Lingfei had two, Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo both had one, and everyone else... had nothing but failures.
As for Bai Xiaochun, he was studying the last of the medicinal plants.
“This test is so hard....”
That was the thought running through the minds of the Outer Sect disciples in the audience. They could feel the anxious pressure building up. Most of the test-takers only had two sets of ingredients left. With the exception of Du Lingfei and Han Jianye, who had already met the minimum requirement, and Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo, who both had one success already, the other test-takers had to succeed with both sets of ingredients, otherwise they would fail completely.
Those remaining disciples were now extremely nervous. Essentially, this ninth batch was the most crucial batch; if they failed, then Elder Xu wouldn't allow them to waste the ingredients set aside for the tenth batch.
If that ninth batch failed, then... their test-taking effort would be a complete failure.
Filled with apprehension and nervousness, everyone focused completely on their ninth batches.... Each and every step received complete and utter attention; those who had already met the minimum requirement wanted to get a better final score, and for those who hadn't met the minimum, they had to do everything they could right now to pass.
Bai Xiaochun, on the other hand... was sitting there holding the final medicinal plant. Apparently, he was considering some important question about that plant, as his brow was furrowed thoughtfully. By now... few people were paying attention to him.
The eighteenth hour seemed to pass very slowly. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Soon, rumbling sounds echoed out. As for the disciples who had not succeeded at all, they rose to their feet, faces pale, chuckling bitterly. After clasping hands to Elder Xu, they dejectedly left the square.
One by one, the disciples left, until soon, only six people remained concocting medicine.
Soon, rumbling sounds echoed out from the six test-takers’ pill furnaces, and yet a medicinal aroma emitted from only one of those furnaces, the one belonging to Zhao Yiduo.
Zhao Yiduo’s hands were clenched tightly into fists, he was panting, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. He was more excited right now than he had ever been before; he had met the minimum requirements. With two successes, he passed!
Some people were excited, some were depressed. Five people had failed, two of them being disciples who hadn’t succeeded a single time. Sighing, they rose to their feet and left.
Chen Zi’ang couldn’t be more on edge. He was glaring at Zhao Yiduo, heart filled with bitterness and anxiety. Then he looked with bloodshot eyes at the final set of medicinal plants.
Du Lingfei frowned, then closed her eyes to think. Han Jianye felt the least pressure of all, and yet, he wasn’t happy to be stuck with only three successes. He wanted to break through to become Chosen.
“The last batch!” People took deep breaths as they looked out at the square, and the five people left behind. Han Jianye. Du Lingfei. Zhao Yiduo. Chen Zi’ang. And of course... Bai Xiaochun.
Three of them had already met the minimum requirements. Chen Zi’ang had one chance left to do so. As for Bai Xiaochun... people weren’t even paying attention to him, and were actually beginning to wonder why he had even come. After eighteen hours, all he had done was study the medicine formula and the medicinal plants. Some people were even wondering... if he had just come to be a part of the excitement.
It was with unprecedented seriousness that Du Lingfei and the others began to focus completely on their tenth and last batch of spirit medicine. As everyone looked on with fixed gazes, the twentieth hour slowly passed.
Rumbling sounds could then be heard from Zhao Yiduo’s pill furnace, after which black smoke rose up. He sighed. He had failed in the final batch, but at least he still met the minimum requirements.
In almost the exact same instant that Zhao Yiduo failed, Chen Zi’ang’s pill furnace began to emit a medicinal aroma. His wasn’t the only one. Medicinal aromas were also spreading out from Du Lingfei’s and Han Jianye's!