After Sirius received his badge as a Grade One Alchemist, the judges eagerly gathered around him to discuss advanced alchemical concepts.
"Sirius, your ability to manipulate fire and ice energy simultaneously is remarkable," one judge commented, his tone filled with admiration.
"It's thanks to my unique physique," Sirius replied with calm confidence.
Another judge, intrigued, asked, "If an alchemist can only harness fire energy, how could they successfully concoct the Fire Blood Pill?"
Sirius responded effortlessly, "The solution is simple. You use an Ice Burst Formation. Set it up on the cauldron beforehand and activate it at the precise moment during refinement."
The judges continued asking questions, fascinated by Sirius's composed demeanor and insightful answers. After several more exchanges, Sirius stood tall and declared:
"I intend to take the examination for Grade Two Alchemist next."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Even the more composed judges glanced at each other, uncertain whether they'd heard him correctly. Only Master Tao remained unfazed. He had anticipated this.
"If you wish to qualify as a Grade Two Alchemist, you must successfully create two Grade Two pills," Tao stated evenly. "Which pills do you plan to make?"
Without hesitation, Sirius replied, "The Ice Spirit Pill and the Earth Dragon Pill."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the room. These were no ordinary pills.
The Ice Spirit Pill was famed for its potent ice energy. Crafted correctly, it could summon rare Ice Spirits—elemental entities drawn to its purity. Fusing with even one such spirit could unlock the Ice Spirit Constitution, a rare mystical physique that enabled the user to control ice with instinctive ease.
The Earth Dragon Pill was a treasure for those cultivating earth-element Mystic Arts. Infused with the blood essence of a creature carrying an Earth Dragon bloodline, it greatly enhanced defensive attributes and physical resilience.
Master Tao nodded and immediately arranged for three full sets of ingredients. With everything ready, Sirius approached the cauldron and began.
Sirius started by placing Ice Mushrooms into the cauldron, followed by a measure of Ice Spring Water, which shimmered faintly with natural mana. He then set five Ice Mist Formations around the base of the cauldron. These formations caused the temperature inside the chamber to drop dramatically.
Simultaneously, he summoned a controlled flame from above—not too hot to disturb the formations, but steady enough to refine the ingredients. This dual-energy approach—cold from below and heat from above—was incredibly difficult, but Sirius handled it flawlessly.
Next came Spirit Ginger and Water Spirit Lily, both refined with gentle mana pulses. Their essence melded into the icy brew, creating a soft, ethereal fragrance.
He added the final ingredients: Ice Lotus Petals and Mist Lavender Pollen.
As the cauldron's temperature dropped further, the air began to shimmer with spiritual density. One by one, Ice Spirits emerged from the air—translucent, graceful, and radiant.
The judges watched in disbelief. Normally, one or two Ice Spirits might respond to such a concoction. Sirius had drawn twelve.
Channeling his mana with masterful control, he shaped the condensed essence into a dozen crystal-clear pills, each imbued with the spirit that had entered it. Each bore a faint snowflake mark—the sign of an Ice Spirit Constitution awakening potential.
He carefully stored the pills in a set of specially prepared preservation boxes, carved from Spirit Wood and layered with ice-sealing runes.
The judges were speechless.
Sirius took a short breath before beginning the next.
First, he placed a Tyrrakar Beast Core into the furnace. The Tyrrakar, a crocodilian creature, was known to carry faint traces of the Earth Dragon lineage.
He added the blood of a Terraborous, a massive, python-like earth beast, and began heating the cauldron. Red and golden vapors rose, releasing a scent like molten stone and raw vitality.
Then came a thousand-year-old ginseng and finely shredded petrathorn roots. The mixture thickened into a dense, earthy fog.
Sirius added powdered dustcap mushrooms, golemroot, and terrafungus spores, each in a specific sequence that only a true alchemist could perfect.
Once all elements had fused, he cooled the mixture with ice energy, condensing the medicinal mist into four golden-brown pills with a deep earthy aroma.
To finish, he placed the pills into a flame for final purification.
The pills darkened, turning completely black.
A few judges gasped—they thought Sirius had ruined them.
But Tao squinted and then asked with a knowing look, "Is that the Black Rock Layering?"
Sirius nodded.
Black Rock Layering was an ancient technique, used to preserve a pill's essence by sealing it within a thin, soot-based shell. This soot layer would naturally crack when the pill was ready.
As if on cue, the black coating cracked open.
Golden light burst forth. Within the cauldron, four majestic golden pills gleamed, with a spiritual image of an Earth Dragon coiling faintly above them.
Sirius gathered both sets of pills and presented them to Master Tao. "Can I receive my Grade Two Alchemist Badge now?"
Tao, clearly impressed, took one of each type of pill, nodded solemnly, and said, "You may keep the rest. You've earned it."
He left to fetch the badge.
The other judges bowed to Sirius—true respect in their eyes. They were Grade Three Alchemists, but they could already see that Sirius would one day surpass them.
Sirius conversed with them a while longer, discreetly correcting a few misunderstandings in their techniques without arrogance, offering deep insight wrapped in humility.
Soon, Tao returned holding a Grade Two Alchemist Badge and a folded jade-green robe.
"This robe was soaked in medicinal baths for six months," he said. "Its scent soothes the mind. It will help your focus."
Sirius accepted both and bowed in return. He exited the Alchemist Pavilion calmly, storing his new items into his ring.
"Next stop—Celestial Formation Palace," Sirius muttered.
The palace stood like a fortress of symbols and sigils. Even before entering, Sirius could feel the pressure of a Mana Gathering Formation in place—efficient, elegant, and very familiar. It reminded him of the one he'd inscribed at the Arya estate.
Inside, he approached the front desk.
"I wish to apply for Formation Apprentice status," he said.
"That will be ten silver coins," the receptionist replied.
Sirius retrieved a single gold coin from his ring and placed it down.
The receptionist's eyes widened. Gold coins were rare even in Crimson Bloom Town. She bowed slightly and returned ninety silver coins in change.
"Please head to Assessment Room at the end of Hallway Seven."
Sirius followed her directions. Inside, a room awaited with materials neatly arranged on a table and an elderly examiner sitting quietly in a corner.
Sirius nodded respectfully.
He surveyed the materials and began.
First, he made a bluish silver paste using Gale Rabbit Core, Azure Falcon Core, Golden Peach juice, Quicksilver, and Comet Dust.
He dipped a brush into the paste and drew swift, elegant symbols onto parchment paper—Quick Wind Talismans, designed to boost agility through wind Dao.
Ten copies were made in total.
Next, he made a red-hot paste using Fire Python Vine, Blazing Ruby Powder, Crimson Berries, and Exploding Walnut.
This time, the sigil was complex—holding the Dao of Explosion and Fire. These became Crimson Explosion Talismans, designed to be affixed to ranged weapons and explode on impact.
The elderly examiner, silent until now, looked visibly impressed.
Dao was not mere symbolism—it was a manifestation of spiritual understanding and universal law. Only the most talented cultivators could grasp it.
When he finished, the examiner stood and bowed slightly.
"You may call yourself a Formation Apprentice," he said, presenting the official badge.
Sirius nodded. He could easily pass for a Grade Nine Formation Master, but that would draw too much attention. For now, apprentice was enough.
He turned and left, his next steps already in mind.