Lord of the Demon Sect

When Jiang Chen heard this, he felt relieved. With his cultivation level at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement Stage, along with Xiao Qian, who was also at the fourth layer, defeating those junior brothers at the Early Qi Refinement Stage shouldn’t be a problem. However, during the minor examination, Ghost Mist Ancestor, who was already at the golden core stage, would definitely be watching. With his cultivation level, he would naturally notice that Jiang Chen had reached the fourth layer of Qi Refinement. How would he explain that?

This left Jiang Chen in a bit of a dilemma.

Zhang Fei, seeing the worry on his face, thought Jiang Chen was concerned about coming in last. He quickly reassured him, “You don’t need to worry too much. After all, you still have the hundred souls banner! It’s a powerful spiritual artifact; although it’s low grade, it’s not inferior to an average medium-grade spiritual artifact in usage. I doubt those junior brothers who just started have one. If you get familiar with it in the next few months, you should be able to handle two or three of them!”

Jiang Chen pondered that mastering the hundred souls banner in just three months might be a bit difficult. However, he was grateful for Zhang Fei’s concern, promptly thanking him and Zhang Pang before returning to his room to think about how to deal with the upcoming minor examination.

Given his current power, it was unlikely he would come in last, but how could he explain such rapid progress in his cultivation if discovered?

Moreover, should he really focus on mastering the hundred souls banner now? It seemed a bit late for that, as capturing yin spirits would also take a considerable amount of time.

With this in mind, he glanced at the Jiangshi Bag. If he could refine more Jiangshi cultivation pills, he could potentially raise Xiao Qian’s cultivation level within three months, which would be a significant advantage during the minor examination. After all, Xiao Qian was stronger than him and could use spiritual artifacts, making her smarter than average zombies with spiritual awareness.

However, he currently had only a bit over two hundred spirit stones, and his contribution points were completely depleted. If he were to take on sect missions to gather the materials for the cultivation pills, time would be tight… Perhaps he should first obtain his alchemist qualification. If he returned to the sect with that status, he might earn some recognition. Plus, being an alchemist would help explain why his cultivation speed was so rapid.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Chen steadied his mind and opened the door, heading down the mountain. He was preparing to go to Blood Shadow City to take the alchemist qualification exam!

Blood Shadow City was very close to the Ghostly Slaughter Sect, just 250 kilometers away. Jiang Chen arrived in just two hours. This city was the largest cultivation city within a radius of several hundred thousand kilometers, controlled by the prominent Bloodshadow Sect. Other sect’s cultivators and rogue cultivators were very welcome to settle, live, and work in Blood Shadow City, as it brought in more tax revenue for the sect.

After Jiang Chen arrived at Blood Shadow City, it was already afternoon, and the sun was gradually descending, casting its warm glow across the ground.

Walking along the main street of Blood Shadow City, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but chuckle and sigh as he recalled the amazed and flattering expressions of the passing cultivators when he had inquired about the location of the Alchemist Guild.

It seemed clear that in this land of Shenzhou, being an alchemist truly held a distinguished status that resonated deeply with every cultivator. Even he, a small cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, experienced a dramatic change in how others treated him once he hinted at his intention to participate in the alchemist qualification examination.

Blood Shadow City indeed deserved its reputation as one of the top cultivation cities in Yi Prefecture. The city spanned about 25 kilometers, and beyond its walls lay vast spiritual fields owned by the local cultivation families and the Bloodshadow Sect. Although it was currently the busiest time of day, the bustling streets remained vibrant, filled with chattering voices. Occasionally, law enforcement teams dressed in the striking red uniforms of the Bloodshadow Sect would pass by, each boasting a foundation establishment stage cultivation level, a presence that cultivators like Jiang Chen looked up to in awe.

Following the directions given by others, Jiang Chen gradually navigated through several clean and tidy streets. After some time, he finally came to a halt at the grand and impressive building that appeared before him.

The architecture was quite unique. It stood five stories tall, with a facade of bluish-red colors and a roof that resembled a lid of a pill furnace. The windows on the building were intentionally designed to resemble ventilation openings, and the overall shape of the structure closely resembled a pill furnace. Anyone passing by would instinctively think: Where else could this be but the Alchemist Guild?

Jiang Chen whispered softly to himself, “I’ve finally made it!”

Ignoring the curious gazes of those around him, he strode confidently toward the entrance.

At that moment, two cultivators stationed as gatekeepers immediately raised their hands to stop him, their voices booming, “Young cultivator, this is the Alchemist Guild. Please present your alchemist jade token to enter!”

“Jade token?” Jiang Chen replied with a wry smile. “I’m here to take the alchemist qualification exam. I should receive a jade token only after passing the exam, right?”

“You’re here for the alchemist qualification exam?” The two gatekeepers exchanged glances, skepticism evident in their expressions. With their foundation establishment stage cultivation levels, they could easily see that Jiang Chen was only at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

“You’re only at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement and you want to take the exam? That’s not easy! The registration fee is 100 spirit stones!” one of the gatekeepers cautioned.

“That expensive?” Jiang Chen was taken aback. He only had a little over two hundred spirit stones on him.

“That’s right! You must be here to take the junior alchemist qualification exam! The Alchemist Guild provides all applicants with the necessary alchemy materials, tools, and ground fire consumption. The costs can add up quite a bit!” the gatekeeper explained.

In his view, Jiang Chen was likely a spoiled second-generation disciple from a wealthy cultivation family or sect, someone who was used to a comfortable life and didn’t understand the challenges involved. Having heard about the esteemed status of alchemists, he thought he could waltz in to take the exam. However, mastering the control of fire and the crafting of pills required not only exceptional mental and spiritual strength but also extensive experience to handle the various changes that occur during the alchemy process.

Typically, those who came to participate in the beginner alchemist certification were cultivators at the foundation establishment stage and above. Even those with remarkable talent usually had at least reached the late stage of Qi Refinement. Given Jiang Chen’s cultivation level and age, it was likely that he had only just begun learning alchemy. Did he really think the alchemist exam was that easy?

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Chen decided to pay the one hundred spirit stones. He was confident that once he obtained his qualification, he could earn back more spirit stones later.

Just then, he felt a fragrant breeze wafting in from behind him.

Turning slightly to look back, he saw a small and delicate figure appearing before him. The young girl looked around eighteen or nineteen years old, with a slender and charming physique, a complexion as smooth as jade, lips like cherry blossoms, and eyes that seemed to be painted with elegance. Dressed in a vivid green skirt, she stood out strikingly amid the group of men, exuding a sense of ethereal grace.

Under the green dress, a soft curve was subtly highlighted on her chest. The enchanting glance in her eyes and the elegantly curved neck resembling that of a swan added to her noble and beautiful aura. Although she appeared somewhat petite, her matured and well-defined body was surprising, accentuated by a badge shaped like a hammer with a star on it.

“Are you a junior artifact craftsman?” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. He was astonished not only by the girl’s beauty but also by her identity as an artifact craftsman. It was well known that roles like alchemists, artifact craftsmen, talismancers, and formation masters were highly sought after.

Moreover, he could not gauge her cultivation level, indicating that her strength surpassed his significantly. Still, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but wonder why this girl, an artifact craftsman, would come to the Alchemist Guild. He found himself stealing a few more glances at her.

Noticing Jiang Chen’s gaze, the beautiful young girl slightly turned her head and caught sight of his red and black Ghostly Slaughter Sect attire, which caused her brow to furrow slightly.

After glancing at Jiang Chen, she assessed that he was at most one or two years younger than herself. With a cultivation level at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement and possessing impure spiritual roots, he didn’t seem particularly remarkable aside from his looks. With that in mind, she turned away and sweetly addressed the two gatekeepers, “Is Senior Luo in? I’d like to see him!”

“Sorry, Miss Liu. Master Luo instructed that if it’s Miss Liu asking to see him, then he’s not available!” one of the burly gatekeepers replied in a gruff voice.

Jiang Chen almost laughed aloud. The way this gatekeeper spoke was quite amusing. It was odd for such a beautiful girl with the identity of an artifact craftsman to request an audience, yet Master Luo was refusing to see her.

Noticing Jiang Chen’s faint smile, Miss Liu couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. She asked, somewhat agitated, “Why won’t Senior Luo see me? He’s been friends with my grandfather for decades! Is he really going to allow our Liu family to be bullied?”

The other gatekeeper seemed to understand the situation and sighed, saying, “Miss Liu, please go back! Although the power of the Shang family in Blood Shadow City isn’t absolute, it’s still not something that Master Luo can offend lightly. However, Master Luo has informed the head of the Shang family that they must not use force against your Liu family under any circumstances. Otherwise, he will not stand by and watch. That’s about the most help he can provide!”

Miss Liu bit down on her cherry lips, her beautiful eyes revealing a look of sorrow. The tearful expression on her delicate face stirred feelings of protectiveness among the men nearby. But those who understood the situation knew who they were dealing with and could only remain silent.

“Miss, we should go back! Alchemists aren’t so easy to find! And given the current situation, even if we could find one, it’s likely they wouldn’t dare to help us!” one of the guards advised.

Yet Miss Liu was not ready to give up. After composing herself and hiding her troubled expression, a gleam appeared in her round, bright eyes, revealing that she had a plan in mind.

She whispered, “Let’s wait here for a bit. If an alchemist comes out, we’ll invite him to be our family’s guest alchemist. We might just be able to hire one!”