In that instant, all three of their faces lit up with joy as they realized that they had succeeded!
“I did it! Four sticks of Inkspirit Incense! I took the top spot!!” Han Jianye shot to his feet and his excited laughter began to ring out in all directions. Du Lingfei sighed in relief. Although she hadn’t reached the level of a Chosen, three successes was still astonishing.
Chen Zi’ang felt almost as if he had been resurrected from the dead, and began to laugh heartily.
As of this moment, the feelings that the four of them had been suppressing for the last two hours finally erupted out.
“What a difficult test! The fact that Han Jianye could succeed four times despite this level of difficulty shows that he really is a Chosen!”
“Du Lingfei got three successes, Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo both got two.... They all met the requirements to be promoted. I bet if the test wasn’t so hard, they all would probably have been able to get four successes!”
Even as everyone began to discuss the matter, as the friends of the test-takers were cheering in support, as Elder Xu nodded approvingly at Han Jianye and was about to announce that the test was over... Bai Xiaochun moved. Previous Chapter Next Chapter
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Chapter
44: The Sun Is Rising
Chapter 44: The Sun is Rising
After fully studying the final plant, and resolving all of the issues he had, Bai Xiaochun continued to completely ignore all of the clamor around him. He had focused hard on the information in the jade slip, had become completely immersed in the Dao of plants and vegetation, and had even entered a sort of trance.
Nothing short of the crash of thunder and lightning would be able to break his concentration, nor did he even glance at the results of the others’ concocting efforts.
Of course, that attracted the attention of some in the audience, including Xu Baocai. Curious expressions could be seen on their faces as they looked over, clearly wondering why Bai Xiaochun had spent so much longer in his initial observations.
“This Bai Xiaochun is just too slow. Everyone else is finished and he’s just starting. Shouldn’t the test be over by now?”
“Hmm. You know what, I don’t think I ever heard anything about the journeyman apothecary promotion test… having a time limit….” It wasn’t clear who exactly said that last sentence, but when people heard it, they began to turn toward Elder Xu, blank expressions on their faces.
Elder Xu hesitated for a moment, but the truth was that the journeyman apothecary promotion test really didn’t have any time limit. Therefore, he continued to stand there watching Bai Xiaochun concoct medicine.
Han Jianye wasn’t worried at all, and was even chuckling coldly, eyes flashing with disdain. At first, he had been worried that Bai Xiaochun would be a formidable opponent, but after the way this part of the test had played out, he was convinced that there was no way Bai Xiaochun could surpass him.
Du Lingfei’s brow was furrowed; Bai Xiaochun rubbed her wrong no matter how she considered the matter.
Bai Xiaochun’s movements were blindingly fast, and his eyes glowed brightly. To him, the entire world consisted only of that pill furnace. The various medicinal plants rapidly changed form as he kneaded them into pastes, broke them down into powders, or made other preparations. Then, after putting all of the ingredients into the pill furnace, he performed an incantation gesture with his right hand and pointed at the pill furnace, causing the Earthflame underneath to burn brightly.
Two hours flew by, and soon a strong medicinal aroma emanated out from the pill furnace. Bai Xiaochun waved his hand, causing a four-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense to fly out. As soon as it landed in his palm, he examined it, and then frowned.
Everyone in the audience had very serious expressions on their faces, and Elder Xu’s eyes were flickering. However, just when everyone was expecting Bai Xiaochun to start his second batch, they realized that instead, he was simply… studying the incense.
“What is he doing??”
“He succeeded! Why hasn’t he started the second batch?”
Everyone was looking on, stunned.
As for Bai Xiaochun, he was looking at the Inkspirit Incense, feeling quite unsatisfied. Although he had indeed succeeded, he knew that based on the ingredients he had used, the incense should have been seven inches long.
“What went wrong?” he thought. Then he contemplated the matter… for six hours.
Just when everyone was getting to the point where they were running out of patience, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered, and he produced a second set of ingredients and began to concoct. Everyone in the audience anxiously watched him work.
Yet again, two hours passed. This time, the medicinal aroma was even stronger than before as a five-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense flew out.
Du Lingfei’s face flickered, and shocked expressions could be seen on the faces of both Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo. As for Han Jianye, his eyes flickered, but his expression remained calm. Only he knew that, inwardly, he was starting to get anxious.
Of course, what made him anxious was not just that Bai Xiaochun had succeeded two times, but that… he might continue to succeed!
Under the shocked gazes of all present, Bai Xiaochun flicked his sleeve, sending the third set of medicinal plant ingredients out. His third batch was now beginning, and all of the Outer Sect disciples were watching closely.
Two hours passed in silence. Suddenly, the pill furnace shuddered, and a medicinal aroma even stronger than before filled the area as a six-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense appeared!
“Three times in a row! How… could this be happening!?!?”
“How is Bai Xiaochun doing this? Could it be that he has actually concocted Inkspirit Incense before?!” Cries of astonishment could be heard because of the successive successes; people could hardly believe what they were seeing.
Du Lingfei’s breath came in ragged pants as she glared at Bai Xiaochun, waves of shock battering her heart. Chen Zi’ang and Zhao Yiduo were both gaping dully.
“Three in a row….” Han Jianye thought, clenching his hands into fists. His eyes were now completely bloodshot. “He must already be familiar with Inkspirit Incense. Well, he got lucky with this batch, but the next batch will be a different story!”
Just when everyone was expecting Bai Xiaochun to start his fourth batch, he held up the six-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense, then frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then everyone waited… for ten hours.
If this sort of thing had happened with the first batch, everyone would have left. But after having seen Bai Xiaochun succeed three times in a row, they knew that a fourth success would push him past everyone else to the same level as Han Jianye. That was something everyone was itching to see happen.
“Bai Xiaochun takes way too long! It’s only a tier-1 spirit medicine! Why does he need so much time to think about it!?”
Of course, Du Lingfei and Han Jianye were the most invested of all, and were staring dead at Bai Xiaochun, completely unwilling to leave.
It was at this point that Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered brightly. His eyebrows shot up as he waved both hands, sending plants and vegetation flying out as he began his fourth batch. Everyone was now looking on in complete excitement.
Two hours later, rumbling sounds could be heard, but not the type that indicated a failure had been met. Instead, a powerful blast of medicinal aroma spread out, filling the entire area in the blink of an eye. Then, astonishingly, a seven-inch-long stick of Inkspirit Incense appeared!
The fourth batch was another success!
The audience went wild.
“Four in a row!”