This night is very long for many people, and the Black Cloud Valley is full of patrolling monks.
The mountain-protecting formation is also in a state of readiness. As long as there is any slight movement, the entire mountain will turn into a huge talisman formation, smashing the intruder into pieces! Unfortunately, it was a very peaceful night, not to mention that there was no trace of the traitor.
Not even a mouse was seen.
The sky was getting brighter, and the monks guarding the ancestral temple breathed a sigh of relief.
Quda's face remained as gloomy as the night, and he warned coldly: "Don't take it lightly, that traitor is so bold that he might choose to come out during the day!"
These words made the monks who had finally breathed a sigh of relief become nervous again. Only Li Xuan disagreed.
The sun rises, and the valley is filled with bright sunshine.
A group of monks came to change the shift, and everyone who had been waiting all night finally relieved the heavy burden on their hearts.
Li Xuan just returned to the alchemy room and met Yi Keqing head-on.
"Master!"
Li Xuan walked over and saluted.
Yi Keqing's cold expression also showed a bit of exhaustion, and it seemed that she had not been idle these days.
"Have you prepared the medicine cauldron?"
Yi Keqing asked.
"It's ready."
Li Xuan said.
"Very well, then come with me.
I have something else to tell you before the exam."
Yi Keqing's tone was calm, but Li Xuan could hear a hint of expectation in it.
After entering the alchemy room, Yi Keqing went to change clothes first, while Li Xuan waited alone.
This time, Yi Keqing had five disciples taking the alchemist grade examination. In addition to Li Xuan, there were two female cultivators, Lu Qingchen and Xi Ruyan, as well as Zhang Chuan and Dewei. Several of them were already waiting in the alchemy room.
Dewey and Zhang Chuan were the monks who wanted to patrol with Li Xuan a few days ago. When they saw Li Xuan appear, their expressions changed slightly.
The two female cultivators were very happy. They grabbed Li Xuan and asked in a low voice about the situation in the ancestral temple.
Listening to Li Xuan's embellished description of the strange scene of exploding the tomb, both of their pretty faces turned pale with fear.
"This damn pretty boy..." Zhang Chuan had been pursuing Lu Qingchen. When he saw Li Xuan talking eloquently and Lu Qingchen listening very seriously, he felt a surge of sourness in his heart.
"Senior Brother Zhang, this guy has only been a disciple for a few days, and he actually came to take the grade examination.
He really overestimates his abilities!"
Dewey snorted coldly.
He was always courteous to Xi Ruyan on weekdays, and he was only a little more jealous than Zhang Chuan.
"Does he think he can pass the rank test by being favored by Elder Yi?"
Zhang Chuan was also a little angry.
Zhang Chuan followed Yi Keqing for three years.
Yi Keqing has very strict requirements for his disciples, and it took him three years to get the opportunity to take the grade examination.
As for Dewey and the two female nuns, both of whom have about two years of experience, they were recommended to take the grade exam this time just to get a feel for the atmosphere. There was no expectation that they would get any outstanding results.
And who is Li Xuan?
Didn't he become qualified to take the grade exam just by becoming his disciple?
Zhang Chuan felt it was extremely unfair, and even suspected that Yi Keqing was acting for personal gain.
"This pretty boy might have an affair with Elder Yi."
Zhang Chuan thought narrowly in his heart, "Otherwise, how could we recommend him to occupy a precious spot!"
Dewey said disdainfully: "I'm afraid he can't even make the simplest satiety pill. Don't lose our face later!"
"Let's just wait and see the show."
Zhang Chuan said coldly, "The two junior sisters will definitely understand who is the truly powerful alchemist!"
Li Xuan didn't know that he was inexplicably regarded as a love rival. After chatting with the two female cultivators for a while, Yi Keqing walked in.
"You are all the younger generation disciples of our sect. The arrival of the special envoy from the Alchemist Alliance this time is a good opportunity for you to show your strength.
If you can successfully be promoted to Alchemist, it will also be extremely beneficial to your development in the Valley Lord's Mansion.
You all know these things yourself, so I won’t say more.”
Yi Keqing maintains her usual cool and calm style and doesn't speak much.
She briefly introduced some precautions, then led everyone out of the alchemy room and went straight to the quiet room square.
When everyone arrived, nearly a hundred people had gathered in the square.
"Are there people from other places?"
Li Xuan saw some unfamiliar faces and couldn't help asking Lu Qingchen beside him strangely.
"Why don't you know anything?"
Lu Qingchen said, "The grade examination cannot be held just anywhere. Our Black Cloud Valley is a small place compared to Youzhou City, but it has gathered geniuses from dozens of nearby tribes.
Those monks were all members of small sects and tribes nearby. They came from all over when they heard there was an exam.
For this exam, each of them paid a hundred spiritual stones."
"We are really good at making money..." Li Xuan said with a wry smile.
"What is this?
If they can really obtain the alchemist level, they will be happy no matter how much spiritual stones they have to pay."
A trace of envy appeared on Lu Qingchen's face, "After becoming an alchemist, you can get as many spiritual stones as you want."
"That's true."
Li Xuan nodded.
While the two were talking, they had already arrived at a corner of the square.
Yi Keqing walked over to say hello to a monk in black. The monk in black had a blue flame pattern on his chest and looked very arrogant.
"That is the special envoy of the Alchemist Alliance. I heard he is a high-level alchemist."
Lu Qingchen whispered.
Li Xuan saw many people in the square staring at the black monk with envy.
For most people here, as long as they can become a junior alchemist, they are satisfied, while a high-level alchemist is a completely unattainable dream.
"Heiyun Valley has a total of eleven people registered this time, please take your seats."
The monk in black exchanged greetings with Yi Keqing and then announced loudly.
A huge circle was drawn on the square, with small squares inside. Li Xuan and the other five walked into the circle and each sat in a small square.
The other six people came with Song Lin, another elder of the Valley Lord's Mansion. They also sat in the square, and one of them, a tall and thin monk, happened to be sitting on Li Xuan's right hand side.
He sat down with an indifferent expression, not even looking at Li Xuan.
Li Xuan had long known that the relationship between Yi Keqing and Song Lin was not harmonious, but he did not expect that the disciples on both sides would be so at war with each other.
He was too lazy to pay attention to these bad things and simply pretended not to see them.
After everyone in Black Cloud Valley was seated, it was the turn of other small sects and small tribes.
Soon the sixty-four squares in the square were filled with people, and the alchemist grade examination was about to begin.
"Everyone must know the rules of the exam. Everyone can use their own medicine cauldron, and I will distribute the materials uniformly.
The exam has three levels of difficulty that you can choose at will, and the time is four hours, no waiting will be done after the deadline."
The black monk simply stated the rules.
There was silence in the square, and even the monks who were watching remained absolutely quiet.
"Now please take out the medicine cauldron, I want to check it."