61 The result of the bet Part-2 (1/2)
Long Yu frowned as he stared at the instruction for the first part of the exam inside the room, everyone who spoke about this trails had told him how difficult they were he was expecting many things but this, he has to separate and arrange various medicinal plants into stalks of 10 each from a place where they are all dumped in a single place. He would have time of 3 incense sticks to burn to separate and arrange as many as he could and place them on a given place. A single mistake would cause the test to end then and there. He was disappointed at that, he was used to such things as he his master would make him handle various ingredients for Alchemy. Suddenly a stray thought ran through his head, 'Maybe very difficult mixture ingredients will come out, making it difficult to not only separate but arrange them.
With a gulp he prepared for the worst activating his Jade Hands, he began the test, soon couple of trays full of ingredients came in front of him, all herbs and medicinal plants were mixed together. His hands blurred as he separated and arranged them neatly into stalks of 10 and placed them on a tray each labeled with a name indicating the place where each stalk would go. Long Yu was so engrossed in his work that he did not even notice when his time was up, he left out a huff and a deep disappointed sigh really this was underwhelming seriously what a letdown. A score flashed out, 100000, each successful stalk of 10 was 10 points. He shrugged at the score while idly wondering what is the highest score received by a participant. He moved towards the next part of the exam, a cauldron appeared in front of him with various sets of ingredients.He was given 5 different pills to concoct, he had 5 hours to make them.
Long Yu's heartbeat increased he was going to concoct some pills, 'Will I be able to concoct the desired pills, if I fail how will I show my face to my master.' He did not want to disappoint either his mother or his masters. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, and then proceeded to start with the test.
He saw the test, he saw the name of the pills he has to concoct, and he trembled before he raised his hands as he shouted out with anger, ”Who created this type stupid tests I demand to meet him what is this things I can breeze through with my eyes blindfolded and hands tied behind my back. Where is the legendary test, the test that caused people to tremble in fear having nightmares for decades, why oh why you are such a disappointment? Why….” he ranted on and on for few minutes before he plopped on the ground as he glared at the test before he started taking it.
He saw the five types of pills he had to make,
1) Ki gathering pill
2) Bone mending pill
3) Blood forming pill
4) Marrow cleansing pill
5) Cosmeticpill
He let out a growl as he quickly gathered the required ingredients from a pile of different types of ingredients organizing them in required limits and proportion in order to concoct ten sets of each.
He quickly sat in front of the cauldron as he used proper type of wood which he separated from a pile of different types of woods. He picked the logs from 100 year old 'Checkered tree', a tree with checkered spots on its bark, it was his favorite to as it is smokeless and odorless as such it does not interfere with the pill concoction by polluting the pills.
He lit the Cauldron as he started heating it as he waited for required temperature level in order to concoct the pills, then he quickly drained the essence of the herbs as he poured them inside the cauldron, as he channeled his Ki through the cauldron as he closed the lid and before long a batch of 10 Ki gathering pills. The current cauldron was of same quality as his current cauldron which according to him was at least the only thing that was not a disappointment. Within half an hour he had finished the test. After finishing concocting the pills he inspected them, the quality ranged from 70 to 85%, he was disheartened and sad no matter how much he tried he could not reach the 90% threshold limit, no matter how much precaution or how much focused he was he could not reach it, he wished that one day his pills would cross the legendary threshold and will be purified under tribulation like his First Mistress's does.He pouted every time he concocted pills he felt as if something was missing and whenever he complained to his First Mistress she would simply smile and wave it off saying he will after gaining some more experience and a little bit more insight on Dao. 'Aww how I wished I could gain insight on the Grand Dao of Alchemy, I wish I could concoct like my First Mistress.'
If the people from the sects waiting outside could hear his thoughts most of them would have spurted blood and fainted from jealousy. 'Insight on Dao, some people spends an entire lifetime yet they could never gain an insight, a simple glimpse whereas 7 years old child had a glimpse of Dao, yet was not satisfied at the result.'
He knew that this was the best result as he deposited the pills on denoted region, and after a few minutes the test was over, he felt a tingling sensation on his wrist, as he looked up to see a violet colored band forming just above the band which form when he entered, he did not know the meaning of the band so shrugged and exited the room.
Kyouki and Veronica were startled to see Long Yu leaving looking tired as he dragged himself out of the room within less than an hour since the start of the test. Suddenly a hope blossomed in Kyouki's heart, 'Did the brat failed and ran away from the exam, does this mean we have won.'
Veronica stood up as he went towards Long Yu as she inquired of him with a concerned face, ”Brother Long Yu are you alright? How was the test?”
Kyouki: ”Oi brat was the test so hard that you ran away from it.”