Author’s note: Chapter is sponsored by Adinugraha T, Aliyah C, and Jesus A!! Thank you so much!

Host’s note: Host here, not the author.

After explaining the rules and giving a brief guide to the rankings of medical masters, Instructor Guang finally started the test.

“Each medical master’s exam has only one part. For 1st Petal masters, you need to be able to create at least a 2-star pill. And for today’s test, I would like you to make a Blood Cleansing Pill using the ingredients provided to you on this table. You have approximately one and a half hour to complete this exam. If you are unable to finish in time, or if your pill is not up to quality, I will unfortunately have to disqualify you. You may begin now.”

Instructor Guang finished saying as he went back to sit down on his seat.

One and a half hour? Jin Xia glanced at the ingredients on the table. “To make such a simple pill, a few minutes should be more than enough!” Jin Xia thought as he got to work.

In one fluid movement after another, he began to toss the ingredients into the cauldron. While Jin Xia looked as if he was just randomly tossing in the materials, he was in fact being extremely precise in his pickings, making sure that neither too much or too little of one ingredient is put into the kettle.

Seeing this, Instructor Guang was secretly shock in his heart. He did not imagine the youth in front of him could have such precise skills. The latter did not look like an amateur at all.

In a minute, Jin Xia finished compiling his ingredients into the cauldron. Placing his palms around the cauldron, he began to channel his soul force into as he refined the materials inside. The herbs and special ingredients started to condense and merge under the pressure of Jin Xia’s soul force.

In a few minutes later, a soft explosion sounded out from within the cauldron before black smokes began slowly pouring out of its holes.

Hearing this, Instructor Guang slightly furrowed his eyebrows as he sighed in his head: “Aiya…as expected, he failed, eh….but to think it didn’t even take a quarter of an hour before he messed..”

Jin Xia still looked calm as he turned to Instructor Guang. “Instructor, I have finished. Please take a look.”

Instructor Guang strolled over to Jin Xia’s side as he reached to open the cauldron. Although he himself already felt that Jin Xia had messed up during the pill making process due to the soft explosion he had heard earlier, he did not neglect his duty as an examiner and still went over to take a proper assessment.

But the moment Instructor Guang opened the cauldron, a powerful, fragrance assailed his nostrils. Startled, he glanced down at the cauldron and saw a light red colored pill. Picking up the pill and examining it, Instructor Guang felt surprised as he thought in heart:

“Oh? To think the pill was not destroyed during that explosion and was still able to take complete form, not bad at all…”

But he turned the pill over and carefully scrutinized it, his body immediately froze on the spot.

“This…this is a 4 Stars Pill?!” If Instructor Guang had felt surprised when he saw the complete pill, it could be said that now he felt a deep shock upon seeing the four small star imprints on the pill.

To create a 4 stars pill would require an expert with a powerful soul, a condition that many would not be able to meet in the Great Azure Country. Moreover, the control over one’s soul must be high, otherwise it risks destroying the pill in the making process. Adding on to the extreme scarcity of 4 stars pills in the Great Azure Country, only the true elites of the country would be able to procure such luxury.

Even Instructor Guang had only been able to make a 4 stars pill at best, with a varying 30-40% chance of success at that!

Thus, it took him a while to recollect himself, before Instructor Guang slowly turned to look at Jin Xia once more. This time, he was carefully assessing Jin Xia from head to toe, memorising the youth’s face into his memory. After all, to be able to create such a “high rank” pill at such a young age was very rare.

While Instructor Guang knew that there were geniuses across the world who could create high quality pills at a young age, those were only rumors and sayings of the people. This was the first time he had actually met a youth who could create a 4 stars pill, even if the latter’s success rate was low. To be able to create a 4 stars pill once would already be enough to consider the other party a true medical master.

Jin Xia silently waited for the instructor to finish the appraisal. This time around, given the poor quality of the ingredients, Jin Xia was only able to create a 4 stars pill after bringing out the entire essence of the ingredients to make a pure quality pellet. But if the ingredients had been of greater quality, with Jin Xia’s immense soul, even if it’s still damaged, it would definitely not have ended with merely a 4 stars pill…

“Have I passed the exam, Instructor Guang?” Jin Xia asked as he looked calmly at the middle aged man,

Snapping himself back to reality, Instructor Guang hurriedly replied with a smile: “Y-yes, haha, you did extremely well, young man! Never would I have thought you could bring out a 4 stars pill at your age; truly a talent that would make one envious!”

“It was merely luck.” Jin Xia humbly replied as he smiled back. “Since I have completed the first exam, I was thinking of trying out the 2nd medical master exam as well. Is that possible?”

Hearing this, Instructor Guang did not seem surprised as he answered: “Haha, young man, since you were able to make a 4 stars pill, you have already passed the 2nd medical master exam! As such, you will naturally receive a 2nd Petal Medical Master robe, and the status that comes with it.”

“To think I took one exam and came home with double the rewards…truly timesaving.” Jin Xia thought to himself as he nodded to the instructor.

After another moment, Jin Xia asked: “Then…what if I wish to try the 3rd medical master exam?”

Given Jin Xia’s soul level, passing a few mortals’ exams should be simple, even if his soul was still recovering. Jin Xia estimates that if the exams later on continued to test one’s ability to concoct pills, then he should be able to last till the 5th or even 6th exam!

Instructor Guang had a complex look in his eyes when he heard Jin Xia’s question this time. With a slightly awkward tone, he said:

“Although you have indeed created a 4 stars pill, remember to not get overconfident and rush on ahead. Otherwise, you will only fall that much quicker. Moreover, being a Medical Grandmaster would already be considered of incredibly high status in this country. I’d assure you even the royal family would wish to befriend a genius such as yourself once they find out about you.

Now, as for exams for 3rd medical masters and up, unfortunately, our Great Azure Country do not possess the power nor the necessary test materials to grant such ranks. If you wish to take the 3rd medical masters exam and higher, then you would have to travel outside the country.”

“Oh? Then where should I go to take this 3rd Petal exam?” Jin Xia asked.

“The country of Luo Sheng.” Instructor Guang softly said. There was a look of reverence in his eyes.

He continued on to explain: “If you go there, it should sustain you up until the 4th level exam when you wish to become a 4th Petal medical master. After that, for even higher exams, you will have to seek out another location to take higher leveled exams, possibly at a more distant country.

“But it should take you quite long time before you reach that level, so going to the Luo Sheng country should be sufficient for now. It is the second largest country after all, besides the Golden Tai Empire. Its resources and manpower far outstrips many of the countries in the Eastern Moon Continent.

And to tell you the truth, not many people know about this, but many countries, including our Great Azure Country, also have to pay a small amount of contributions to the Luo Sheng Country every year. Otherwise, even if we do not get invaded by the Golden Tai Empire, we would’ve long been conquered by the Luo Sheng Country instead.”

While most people know that each country has to pay an offering to the Golden Tai Empire, very few actually know about the fact of other countries having to pay a contribution to the Luo Sheng Country as well.

Only those at the upper echelon of the society would know about this. Since two petal medical masters were so rare in the Great Azure Country, naturally, Instructor Guang was able to access knowledge of such degree.

By telling Jin Xia of this sensitive information, however, was a mean on Instructor Guang’s part to curry favors from the youth.

After all, given the high potential of Jin Xia, it won’t be long before a prominent being would rise up in this country. Befriending such a person early on would then, most likely bring great benefits later on!

Jin Xia nodded as he thought: “Since I’ll be leaving the Great Azure country in the near future, I will visit Luo Sheng country one of those days. I’m not in any hurry to tackle all those annoying exams anyways.”

Later, after chatting a while longer and getting to know Jin Xia’s name, Instructor Guang left the room to fetch the medical master robe for Jin Xia. When he came back, there was a clean, white robe in his hands. Two pink colored petals were present on the chest area of the robe.

“Oh, if I may inquire, young master Jin Xia, who is your honorable master? To be able to raise such a great disciple, I imagine they must be of incredible status,” Instructor Guang suddenly asked while he was personally escorting Jin Xia out of the testing room.

His tone had shifted towards a much more respectful tone, when he spoke with Jin Xia.

“My master? I do not…” Jin Xia was about a reply when suddenly, a fuzzy image flashed in his mind. His head was instantly flooded with strange memories and a particular scene began to play before him.

Jin Xia saw the back of an old man standing on top a large mountain of corpses. Blood were constantly flowing everywhere and tiny sparks lingered around the air.

The old man was wielding what seemed to be a heavy sword, yet that sword was almost three times the length and twice the width. He had a hair full of white, but there were black and gold colored streaks mixed within in.

Standing upon what seems to be a battlefield, the old man looked like a tyrant of war. Blood was slowly trickling down his arms, but the elder remained standing; the flames of blood flickered around him.

The old man slightly tilted his face to the right, Jin Xia saw a line of blood on the side of the elder’s face. There was even a strange black horn protruding from the man’s forehead, and the elder’s scleras was pitch black, except for his crimson irises.

He seemed to be saying something, but Jin Xia could only make out parts of his words..

“….Your master, I…after death…watching over you….must never forget…us…[???]…don’t die yet.”

(TL note: “[???]” is Jin Xia’s deity name that was not revealed.)

*Bzzt!*

A sudden sharp invaded Jin Xia’s head after the strange scene appeared in his mind. Clutching his head, Jin Xia struggled to endure the piercing sensation.

“Master? I have a master? Who? Arghh…wh-what is this pain…” Jin Xia’s thoughts raced as he tried to recall his master, but as if something was blocking his memories, he could not recall anything. Instead, the pain in his head became increasingly sharp. The level of pain Jin Xia was feeling made even his battle-hardened heart tremble.

“Y-young master Jin Xia? Are you alright?!” Instructor Guang hurriedly asked when he saw Jin Xia’s pale expression. What was happening?