'That's right, there's still the practical portion. Even if this mortal boy is a genius in theory, mortals who can sustain their soul qi long enough to concoct even one immortal pill are too rare, let alone three of them.'
Venerable Taline had no idea that her thoughts were nearly identical to Venerable Piers. Unfortunately for them, the disappointment would be just as profound.
"You choose." Dyon said with a shrug.
"What?" Not just Venerable Taline, but all of the Venerables were shocked beyond belief.
Which of them hadn't drilled themselves, slaving over the same three pills for countless years? Before they even set foot into their certification exams, they had had this list of three prepared. Yet this mortal boy actually asked them to choose?
What they didn't know was that this would truly be Dyon's first time concocting immortal grade pills, if what he had done for the hook-nosed old lady was ignored, that is. There simply weren't any immortal grade herbs on the mortal plane, so where would he?
He would have used [Simulating the Hands of a Deity], but he had to lay his eyes on the real herb before he could do so. And for obvious reasons, Dyon wouldn't have been able to meet this requirement.
If the Venerables knew this truth, they likely would have laughed uproariously, finally believing that they had cornered him. But they had no ability to read Dyon's mind even if he had gotten rid of The Seal. His soul was too much more powerful than their own.
"I'm only thinking of your establishment. If I named some obscure pill, what are the odds this small place would have all of the ingredients?"
Dyon's sly words lit a flame under the Venerables, but at the same time, they bit their tongues.
Piers had indeed been planning on naming one of the more difficult pills of the Lower Venerable grade, but he just barely hid his blush of embarrassment when he realized they simply didn't have the heavenly herbs needed for it.
Venerable Taline's delicate jaw set, suppressing her rage once more.
"Since you look down on our little establishment, I will name three for you. Heart Cleansing Pill. Qi Coagulation Pill. And the Soul Replenishment Pill."
The Venerables sucked in a cold breath. They were certain their alchemy guild didn't have these things. Taline most definitely took them out of her personal collection. And, when the difficulty of concocting these pills was known, it was obvious why.
Of them, the Qi Coagulation Pill was the easiest, but even it was a tall mountain to climb. The Immortal Essence Gathering pill was the easiest among the Lower Venerable Pills to concoct and was often chosen for this exam. However, the Qi Coagulation Pill was several levels above it despite having similar functions.
The simpler of the two helped gather qi at a faster rate. However, the Qi Coagulation Pill condensed gathered qi, improving its quality. What made this pill so difficult to concoct was the fact it had to be perfectly calibrated to the one consuming it.
If the qi coagulated too much in a weak body, the meridians would split and become crippled. If it was too little in a strong body, you would be left with an unsatisfied customer. After all, it had to be remembered that repeatedly taking the same pill lowered its effect. As a result, an alchemist had to give their clients a satisfactory result.
This wasn't too much of a problem in an exam since Dyon didn't have a 'client'. But, what was difficult was that since Taline was providing the ingredients, she would most definitely provide the modified list of herbs for the high coagulation pills. This version had difficulty comparable to a Middle Venerable Grade pill!
The Heart Cleansing and Soul Replenishment Pills were even worse. The former created a pill that targeted the Dao Heart, increasing comprehension and extending life for some weaker immortals. The latter was essential for alchemists, allowing them to replenish their soul stamina mid-concoction.
The areas of the body they targeted were incredibly sensitive. By extension, their concoction methods were unique and stood apart from their peers. Most Peak Venerable Grade pills weren't as difficult to form!
"Hold on."
Dyon's words caused Taline's sneer to deepen.
"What is it? Don't tell me you've changed your mind? This is a certification exam, not a playground. I've already inputted your choices. Or is it that you believe my small establishment can't take these things out?"
Dyon smiled lightly, shaking his head. "No, I'm sure you can. I can see that you're no longer a virgin, yet your soul isn't bound to anyone, so you aren't married nor do you have a dao companion. A beauty like you could surely… trade for these things."
"What did you just say to me?!"
Taline's aura rampaged, causing the stunned civilian observers to retreat several hundred meters. Unfortunately for her, her reaction caused many to look toward her skeptically.
"I was only speaking the truth, no need to get angry. I only had a simple question. These pills I concoct, can I keep them?"
Taline's chest rose and fell with alluring and violent rolls, her visage a deep shade of red. It seems Dyon had struck a nerve.
Who asked her to try to insult Saru and Lilith before? As if she could afford these ingredients by normal means with her meagre skills.
"… I hope for your sake that you don't fail…"
A bloodthirsty aura wafted from the vice deputy. It was clear to them that this wasn't only a warning to Dyon, but a warning to them as well. If she heard anyone spreading rumors, their death would be imminent.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to undo what Dyon had already done. Absolutely Impossible.
It was a secret that the vice deputy and the guild head had an ambiguous relationship. However, who would peek into such a thing? They all wanted to keep their lives.
