The crowd made way as Han Yu walked forward, confident and calm. The energy that had once ignored him now gravitated to him. Some disciples whispered his name with new respect. Others simply stared, mouths open.
He stopped in front of the judging table.
Elder Wei, the silken-bearded man who’d posted the scores, looked down with mild interest.
"You made the Mind-Mender Spirit Pill, yes?"
"Do you know the passing rate for this pill among Intermediate Rank alchemists?"
"I heard it was below ten percent, Elder."
"Correct. And yet your pill was not just formed—but of high purity and peak stability. That is extremely rare."
Han Yu bowed politely. "I practiced it thoroughly. I had a good teacher."
Han Yu gave a small, respectful smile.
The elder chuckled. "Of course. Only she would pick such a troublesome pill for a student."
Then, looking at his jade tablet again, the elder tapped the screen. "As of now, you are officially recognized as an Intermediate Rank Alchemist of the Alchemy Peak."
The announcement echoed across the test hall, and a few of Han Yu’s fellow students broke into quiet applause—his name, once whispered with suspicion, now carried with admiration.
"And your reward, of course..." Elder Wei said, smiling faintly. "Is this."
A glowing Alchemist’s Emblem—silver and ringed with violet inscriptions—floated down from the judging platform and landed in Han Yu’s palm. It pulsed with gentle warmth, binding to his spirit instantly.
Recognition. Status. Merit.
Han Yu had just stepped into the next tier.
And soon—he’d make sure everyone on the peak remembered his name.
The moment Han Yu walked down from the judging platform, the entire test hall buzzed with stunned disbelief.
The announcement had rippled across the Alchemy Peak like a thunderclap. Some disciples stood frozen, while others whispered furiously among themselves, trying to recall if anyone had even heard of someone becoming an intermediate ranked alchemist in such a short time.
A few elder disciples furrowed their brows, murmuring,
"Wasn’t he the one giving those tutoring lessons?"
"He’s Li Mei’s student, right?"
"No, I heard he started off as her pill tester first."
"He only joined the peak two months ago..."
"And he’s not even eighteen yet!"
Han Yu, on the other hand, remained calm.
His silver alchemist emblem shimmered softly as it hung from the inner lining of his robes. He didn’t flaunt it, but its presence was unmistakable.
With each step, the eyes of the crowd followed him, their once dismissive or curious glances now filled with complex emotions—envy, awe, irritation, admiration.
But while the students were busy murmuring, a few instructors on the side had already begun taking note of his name seriously.
As Han Yu walked back to his own station, he recalled something Li Mei had explained long ago—the distinction between an alchemist’s official rank and their standing within a sect peak.
1. The Alchemist’s Rank was the one acknowledged across the entire cultivation world. It was standardized and recognized by sects, empires, guilds, and wandering cultivators alike. These were divided into:
Apprentice Alchemist – Usually someone who can reliably refine a single basic pill.
Beginner Alchemist – Can refine a few low-grade pills with modest success rates.
Intermediate Alchemist – Capable of refining mid-grade pills and beginning to explore specialty and multi-ingredient reactions. This was where most functional sect alchemists remained for years.
Advanced Alchemist – A rare rank, known for producing high-purity or rare-type pills.
Master Alchemist – Revered, often heads of sect peaks or important state officials.
Grandmaster Alchemist – Near-mythical. Capable of creating unique pill formulas, refining peak-grade pills or even Pseudo-Immortal pills...
Han Yu had just stepped into the Intermediate Alchemist tier—the gateway to being respected in most sects and the minimum qualification to teach or manage alchemy affairs.
2. Peak Rank, however, referred to one’s internal status within a sect’s alchemy peak.
Outer Court Member – Entry-level, whether basic alchemist or not.
Inner Court Member – More trusted and given priority access to resources.
Core Member – Elite contributors. Often help in peak affairs or assist in sect-wide projects.
Elder/Instructor – Appointed by senior elders. Usually advanced-ranked or even master-ranked alchemists.
Promotion here wasn’t just about ability—it included contributions, consistency, loyalty, and mission success. That’s why many disciples remained stuck as outer court members for years even after reaching an intermediate rank—they lacked the dedication or results needed to be formally elevated.
For Han Yu though, this wouldn’t be a problem.
With his current record of pill refinement, tutoring success, and now this shocking result in the Alchemy Excellence Test, his path to the inner court was practically laid out.
All that remained was for him to continue producing high-grade pills, perhaps assist in a few alchemical missions or group projects, and wait for the elders to take note—which they surely would now.
Li Mei had told him once,"The moment your skills speak louder than your cultivation, they’ll have to acknowledge you."
Han Yu sat on a bench just outside the testing hall, letting the residual buzz of the crowd wash over him. Students came and went, throwing occasional glances his way, some even bowing their heads slightly in acknowledgment.
He pulled out a small booklet and jotted something down.
Check mission board for Alchemy Requests.
Try dual pill refinement again (Memory Echo variation test).
Begin study on Qi-Rebinding Pill theory.
At that moment, Chitterfang emerged from the ground and sat next to him, nibbling quietly on a shelled nut. The rat general’s whiskers twitched as he glanced at Han Yu’s merit badge and gave a satisfied squeak.
"You think I should’ve bet more?" he asked casually.
The rat gave an affirmative hop.
Han Yu grinned wider.
Back in the betting shed, the disciple who took Han Yu’s bet had fallen into a deep existential crisis.
’Three hundred thousand merit points.’
Word had begun to spread too—Han Yu had not only won the bet, he’d destroyed the competition.
"...I need to quit this job," the disciple muttered.