Bai Chen's fast writing speed soon caught the attention of other candidates, who thought that he might be an idiot who didn't know anything but was too stubborn to back down.
Thinking this, they wanted to sneer but stopped themselves to avoid provoking the examiner.
Time passed and soon twenty minutes went by.
At this moment, Bai Chen put down his quill and started to review his answers, a habit formed in his past life as a student.
Bai Chen's casual attitude while flipping the papers also caught the attention of the examiner, who raised an eyebrow at the scene.
'Most students are struggling with their answers and this nobody has already finished?' He thought.
'Either he is an extraordinary genius or a rich fool, though I am more inclined to believe the latter,' thinking of this, the examiner scoffed internally.
Soon, Bai Chen was finished reviewing his sheet and turned toward the examiner, who, with a nod, gestured for him to sit quietly in his seat.
Another ten minutes quickly flew by and the last bit of sand in the hourglass fell.
"Time's up," the moment the last bit of sand fell, the examiner's voice sounded in the room.
Hearing the examiner's voice, most of the candidates' faces fell and despair became visible in their eyes.
It was clear that they weren't able to complete all ten questions in time, thus failing the test.
But there were some, like Bai Chen, who didn't have any reaction to this as they had already finished their paper.
At this moment, the examiner waved his hand again and the papers started to float back to him and soon he had collected all the sheets into a neat stack.
After collecting all the sheets, the examiner started to sort them based on his first impression.
Some were hopeless, filled with unfinished answers and incoherent rambling, while others showed a glimmer of understanding.
Soon all of the sheets were neatly arranged and the examiner started grading them randomly, a standard procedure to avoid any perceived bias.
As the examiner picked up the first sheet, his brows frowned a little and he soon put it aside and picked up a new one.
When he read the second paper, his eyes started to show a hint of disdain, then the third, then the fourth, and so on, with each passing sheet, the contempt in the examiner's eyes became clearer and clearer.
The candidates watched with bated breath as the examiner continued to grade the sheets and set them aside at a quick pace.
Each second dragged on like an eternity, and the disdain in the eyes of the examiner only increased their anxiety.
Just as the examiner picked up another paper, his expression at first still dismissive soon, stiffened. The previous scorn in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sense of curiosity.
He carefully read each word of the paper and occasionally let off murmurs like "ah," "oh," and "indeed".
The candidates craned their necks to try and see what got the examiner so excited, but due to the distance, failed.
The previous swift and almost dismissive movements slowed to a deliberate, almost reverent pace.
The examiner re-read certain passages, tracing his finger on every word of the elegant script as if trying to absorb every nuance of the writer's thought.
"This," the examiner finished reading the paper and spoke as his eyes scanned the room, passing each candidate's face before finally stopping on Bai Chen.
"This is the work of a master," He said as he held up Bai Chen's paper, "this is the paper that sets the standard."
A hush fell over the room for a few seconds before the candidates erupted into an uproar and surprised murmurs spread in the room.
But the examiner gestured them to stay quiet before speaking again.
"This exam was meant to test your knowledge and the ability to articulate it, and only one of you has truly passed this exam." He declared.
At this moment, he had no intention of assessing the rest of the sheet so he soon called his assistant, a high-level Alchemy Apprentice, to access them for him.
Meanwhile, he busied himself in reading the paper written by Bai Chen, trying to comprehend all the mysteries within.
The more he read it, the more he felt that there were things that even he didn't know written in that paper, fascinating him to no end.
As for Bai Chen having plagiarized his sheet from a Grandmaster?
Impossible, every alchemist has their unique style, and even if one were to copy another's work. They would fail to capture the essence because of their lack of understanding.
Moreover, every Grandmaster Alchemist is a prideful individual, they would never stoop so low as to allow their descendants to cheat on a simple exam.
It should be known that the difference between a mid-level Master Alchemist and a high-level Master Alchemist is vast like the difference between a Golden Core Realm and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Impossible to bridge, and so, a guide written by a high-level Master Alchemist is like the most precious treasure for a mid-level Master Alchemist.
This was also the reason the examiner was so fascinated by Bai Chen's paper.
Soon, the Alchemy Apprentice finished grading the rest of the paper and informed the examiner about it.
The examiner took the papers from his student's hands and started calling out names,
"Xiao Lingfeng,"
"Shen Cangye,"
"Ji Wushuang,"
"Feng Qianyu,"
"Shen Qingyue,"
"Gu Chenhai,"
"Ba,"
After announcing these names, the examiner looked up from the sheets and said, "Those who were called—stay. The rest of you—get lost."
When the examinees whose names have not been called out heard this, their faces fell and despair clearly became visible on their faces.
Some of them wanted to protest that it was unfair and if they were given the whole time they could have passed but held back.
They knew that if they managed to annoy the examiner, he could ban them from taking the Alchemist Association exam for the next three years just by claiming he caught them cheating.
Even if they were unwilling, the thirty-three candidates whose names had not been called out soon started to leave, leaving only seven in the room.
With the leave of the failed candidates, the room started to feel a lot more empty, allowing the remaining candidates to focus on the upcoming exam.
The examiner told his assistant to start asking for the equipment and materials the candidates would need for the practical exam.
Most of the candidates listed the materials for the Qi Replenishing pill, a Tier 1 pill used to replenish qi, it was relatively simple to refine and was almost always in demand.
Bai Chen on the other hand requested the equipment and materials for the Appearance Altering Pill, a high-end Tier 3 pill that only the Master Alchemist can refine.
The Alchemist Association gives candidates the choice of choosing the pill they want to refine because every alchemist has different specialties.
Though most of the time the candidates only try to refine low-level Tier 1 pills, there are always some people who don't take the exam till their skills have reached a certain level, allowing them to directly refine a higher Tier pill.
So when the examiner heard Bai Chen's request, he wasn't surprised in the least and in fact he would have been surprised if Bai Chen asked for the materials of a Tier 1 or 2 pills.
But what he didn't know was, that Bai Chen could already refine high-level Tier 4 pills and wasn't far from the level of a Grandmaster Alchemist.
The only reason he asked for a Tier 3 pill's material was to avoid attracting too much attention, as though a mid-level Master Alchemist was rare, there were still quite a few of them.
On the other hand, a high-level Master Alchemist was much rarer, so much so that some cities might not have a single high-level Master Alchemist stationed at them.
As the assistant went to grab the materials and equipment requested by the candidates, the examiner approached Bai Chen and started to speak,
"Fellow Daoist Ba, I am known as Alchemist Yun Feng, but you can call me Alchemist Yun" he introduced himself, carrying no air of superiority.
Because even though Bai Chen was not an alchemist yet, the paper he wrote was enough for Alchemist Yun to treat him like an equal.
"Fellow Daoist Yun," Bai Chen also gave a nod of acknowledgment to the Alchemist without showing any sign of arrogance or pride.
"I must say Fellow Daoists, your insights are as deep as the ocean when it comes to alchemy," Alchemist Yun said with a smile, "you explained somethings that had even stumped me for some time now."
"I hope Fellow Daoist won't mind me observing your refining process," Alchemist Yun finally asked his true desires.
"Of course not Fellow Daoist Yun, we are all alchemists, and if we don't look out for each other who would?" Bai Chen replied with a smile.
"Well said, Fellow Daoist. However, I alone am not qualified to fully assess your skills, so I will invite a few others to assist in the evaluation."
Regarding this, Bai Chen didn't have any opinion as he had already expected it.
The assistant soon returned with all the equipment and materials requested by the candidates but, this time he wasn't alone.
There was a middle-aged man and a beautiful lady alongside him, both of whom, had the insignia of a mid-level Master Alchemist.
"So, where is the Master Alchemist candidate you told us about in your message?" The beautiful woman turned toward Alchemist Yun and inquired.
Alchemist Yun gestured toward Bai Chen and spoke, "This is the candidate in question—Fellow Daoist Ba,"
"Hmm, you claim he has the skill of a Master Alchemist? But, he seems quite young to be this skilled in Alchemy," the middle-aged alchemist said with skeptisem as he felt the vigorous vitality emanating from Bai Chen's body.
"Nobody claimed he was a Master Alchemist; his paper proved it. Anyway, I am sure you would also believe me if you read the paper yourself," Alchemist Yun replied as he handed Bai Chen's paper to the middle-aged alchemist.
At first, the middle-aged alchemist was dismissive of Bai Chen's paper, thinking that Alchemist Yun had made some kind of mistake.
After all, how much can a young fellow like Bai Chen learn in his limited lifespan? Moreover, alchemy was a super delicate job, requiring years of practice and countless resources for one to just become a low-level Alchemy Apprentice.
However, as the middle-aged alchemist read the paper, his expression gradually shifted and the disinterest in his eyes soon disappeared, giving way to faint interest.
His fingers subconsciously tightened around the paper as he re-read certain passages and fell into deep contemplation.
"This…," He took a deep breath then glanced at the beautiful female alchemist and without a word handed her the paper.
She accepted it with grace, her sliver eyes flickering between Bai Chen and the document. As her eyes traced the intricate formulas and insights recorded on the paper, her expression became solemn.
"Now do you believe why I called you here?" Alchemist Yun said after looking at the changin expressions of his fellow Alchemists.
The beautiful alchemist put down the paper and regarded Bai Chen carefully. "Your theoretical knowledge is indeed impressive. However, alchemy is not just about theory. Without practical refinement skills, all of this is meaningless."
"Of course, that's why we are here, aren't we?" Bai Chen responded with a casual tone.
"Alright, let's hope that your skills are as good as that mind of yours," the middle-aged man said and turned toward Alchemist Yun.
"Since it's your class, you decide the rules," he said.
"Hmm, no worries," Alchemist Yun replied and his gaze moved toward the rest of the candidates, who felt like they were no more than mere spectators in Bai Chen's show.
"Since all of you have chosen a Tier 1 pill you will have five hours to refine your chosen pill, and the pill's purity must be more than 85%—Anything below that would be considered a failure." Alchemist Yun announced.
He then looked toward his assistant and spoke, "You will be responsible for keeping an eye on them. Make sure there's no foul play involved."
"Now then, Alchemist Gao, Alchemist Yue, shall we start Fellow Daoist Ba's assessment?"
Hearing Alchemist Yu's words, both Alchemist Gao the middle-aged man, and Alchemist Yue, the beautiful lady, nodded and all three of them turned toward Bai Chen.