While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 161 Alchemist Assessment, Black-Clad Figure Departs

After waiting silently in the quiet room for several days, they saw that Venerable Tianhuo still showed no signs of waking up.

Lu Yu shook his head and raised his hand to set up a level four spirit-gathering array. Once everything was in place, he slowly walked out of the meditation room.

As soon as she came out, Little Fairy Doctor immediately came forward, her beautiful eyes full of concern, and asked, "How are you?"

Lu Yu nodded and said in a deep voice, "Everything went smoothly. The physical body has now been formed. Now we just need to wait quietly for Senior Tianhuo to complete the final fusion process."

"However, the time required for this process is uncertain, ranging from a few days to several months."

After a moment's thought, Lu Yu turned his gaze to Venerable Feng beside him and respectfully asked, "Senior, I plan to go to the Pill Tower to take the alchemist certification exam. I wonder where I should go?"

Venerable Feng stroked his beard and smiled calmly, saying, "With your abilities, young friend, if you want to participate in the eighth-grade assessment, you must go to the headquarters of the Pill Tower. After all, in the outer domain, the highest level you can be certified is a seventh-grade alchemist."

"Young friend, you must first pass the seventh-rank examination in the outer domain before you are qualified to enter the inner domain to continue to participate in the eighth-rank examination."

He paused, then added with concern, "However, young friend, you have just successfully refined the Bone-Melting Blood Pill and helped that person reshape their physical body. Your soul power must have been greatly depleted. In my opinion, it would be best to rest and recuperate for a few days before going."

Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded in agreement, indicating that he understood.

……

Time passed, and soon night fell.

Inside an elegant house, on a bed.

Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor sat facing each other, their hands clasped together. At this moment, the bright moonlight poured in through the window, and in the hazy light, it seemed as if countless rays of moonlight transformed into streams of light, continuously flowing into their bodies.

In that instant, the aura within Little Fairy Doctor's body suddenly changed. Almost simultaneously, both of them opened their eyes.

Lu Yu's expression remained unchanged, but with a slight thought, in an instant, the vast and powerful golden battle qi within his body surged towards Little Fairy Doctor's body like a river bursting its banks.

There was a soft "click" sound!
A blush instantly spread across Little Fairy Doctor's fair face, like a peach blossom, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead. The invisible bottleneck within her body shattered instantly, her aura surged dramatically, and her clothes fluttered without wind as she successfully completed her breakthrough—

Four-star Dou Zong!

Seeing that Little Fairy Doctor had successfully broken through, Lu Yu calmly withdrew his palm, his expression indifferent as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Afterwards, Little Fairy Doctor reacted extremely quickly. With her slender fingers flying, she quickly formed hand seals, and the surrounding天地能量 (heaven and earth energy) instantly surged in and was absorbed into her body like a whale swallowing its prey. Her aura became more and more solid and stable.

After her breathing had completely stabilized, Little Fairy Doctor slowly opened her eyes, her eyes brimming with smiles and barely suppressed joy: "I've successfully broken through!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu smiled with satisfaction. After pondering for a moment, he asked gently, "Xian'er, do you still have that half-step eighth-tier Seven-Patterned Jade Spirit Grass you obtained before?"

Little Fairy Doctor nodded gently, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, and asked, "You're still here? What's wrong?"

Lu Yu stroked his chin and explained, "It doesn't mean anything special. I just think it's a waste to blindly consume it; it's a bit of a waste of its medicinal properties. I want to keep it for now and think about whether I can improve a prescription for you so that the medicinal properties of that herb can be used to their fullest potential..."

Before she finished speaking, Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes lit up. She immediately took out a cold jade box from her storage ring. Inside the box, the Seven-Patterned Jade Spirit Grass shimmered with emerald light, and its seven golden patterns seemed to be alive.

"I'll do whatever you say." She gently placed the jade box into Lu Yu's palm, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Lu Yu took the jade box and then took out a jade slip that shimmered with light: "This is the complete inheritance of the second volume of the 'Great Emperor's Inner Classic,' the Supreme Volume. You and I have already mastered the first volume and done everything we needed to. We can start to understand this volume in advance..."

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor's pretty face flushed red, and even the tips of her ears turned crimson. She gently scolded, "This cultivation technique actually has a second volume? Where did you find such an improper cultivation technique?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but poke his heart with her fingertip.

Lu Yu smiled and grasped her mischievous hand: "There's no such thing as a proper or improper cultivation method; it all depends on the person practicing it."

He lightly tapped the jade slip with his fingertip, and a diagram of yin and yang intertwined appeared. "This Supreme Scroll emphasizes the dual cultivation of spirit and body. It can nourish the spiritual veins, and upon reaching mastery, it can also sublimate the spiritual veins within the body and elevate their level. It is a first-rate and wondrous method in the world..."

"Haven't you always wanted to improve the spiritual veins in your body? This is a rare opportunity..."

Little Fairy Doctor took the jade slip, sensing the profound meaning of the cultivation technique within, and suddenly looked up at him: "You didn't plan this all along, did you? From the moment you taught me the Foundation Establishment chapter..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yu lowered his head and sealed her lips with a kiss. The jade slip slipped from her hand, shimmering on the soft couch.

The gauze curtains moved without wind, and two figures could be vaguely seen gradually overlapping in the moonlight. The seven-patterned jade spirit grass on the table also swayed, as if breathing gently with some special rhythm.

……

The next day,

Lu Yu pushed open the door, feeling refreshed. Little Fairy Doctor followed closely behind, her beauty even more radiant than before, her skin glowing with a warm, jade-like luster, and her aura harmonious and clear.

"Let's go." Lu Yu naturally took her hand. "We'll go to the Pill Tower today to get certified as an alchemist."

The two walked side by side toward the outer domain's branch tower of the Pill Tower, looking like a perfect couple, attracting the attention of alchemists along the way.

"Look at those young people... their cultivation is so profound..."

"Could he be a personal disciple of some reclusive old monster?"

Amidst the murmurs, Lu Yu calmly escorted Little Fairy Doctor through the crowd. Following the map given by Venerable Feng, after traversing several streets, an ancient stone tower came into view.

Outside the tower, a throng of people thronged, and the deafening noise was overwhelming. The various alchemist robes shimmered in the sunlight, creating a dazzling display of colors.

"This is the branch tower of the Pill Tower."

Lu Yu protected Little Fairy Doctor as they passed through the crowd, explaining with a smile, "According to Senior Feng, the North District of this branch tower is the trading market, while the South District is the assessment and certification office. Let's go take care of the important business first."

He smiled and lowered his head, whispering in Little Fairy Doctor's ear, "After the assessment is over, shall I accompany you to stroll around the North District?"

The Fairy Doctor smiled faintly and gently grasped his hand in return: "Whatever you say."

The two entered the stone tower hand in hand, immediately surrounded by a cacophony of voices. The interior was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, with many alchemists dressed in robes representing various ranks moving about, the lowest being fifth-rank alchemists.

The most eye-catching spot was in the southeast corner, where a seventh-grade alchemist was sitting on the ground, discussing and exchanging ideas with a few friends, surrounded by layers of alchemists listening attentively.

"I didn't expect the Outer Realms Tower to be so lively."

Little Fairy Doctor slightly turned aside, avoiding a young apprentice carrying a medicine cauldron who was running around, and said with a curious expression.

Lu Yu glanced at the alchemists arguing heatedly and chuckled, "Most alchemists are straightforward and honest. This kind of scene is much more interesting than those hypocritical social niceties."

The two talked as they walked south. The further south they went, the sparser the crowds became, and the noise was gradually shut out behind them.

Upon arriving at the southern assessment area, more than ten long queues snaked like snakes. Only the area in front of the deepest sandalwood sign was empty, the four gilded characters "Seventh Grade, High Level" on the sign exuding authority.

"Young man, are you going to take the seventh-grade advanced exam?" The white-bearded old man waiting in front of the card raised an eyebrow and asked, his teacup pausing slightly, but the tea in the cup did not ripple at all.

"Exactly."

As Lu Yu chuckled, a vast spiritual power swept over them like a spring breeze, causing all the alchemists present to tremble slightly for a moment.

The old man's teacup shattered on the ground with a "crash," the tea splashing onto his clothes without him noticing. He exclaimed in a trembling voice, "A...a spirit from the Spirit Realm?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man quickly stood up, not even bothering to tidy his appearance, and respectfully bowed to lead the way: "Please follow me, sir!"

Surprisingly, there was no scene of him being humiliated or showing off.

After sensing Lu Yu's unfathomable soul power, the alchemists in line not only did not question him, but instead showed awe and consciously made way for him, watching the old man lead Lu Yu away.

Soon after, the room was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense.

Three elderly men dressed in the robes of high-ranking seventh-grade alchemists sat upright in the examiners' seats, scrutinizing the newcomer with piercing eyes.

The elderly man in the red robe at the head of the group stroked his beard and smiled, "I wonder if you are from the Cao family or the Dan family, young friend? To have a spiritual soul at such a young age is truly remarkable."

Lu Yu smiled calmly and did not answer. He lightly spread his sleeves, picked up the examination prescription on the stone platform, and carefully read it, his fingertips gently tracing the ancient scroll.

After a moment, he smiled slightly: "That's quite interesting."

Before he finished speaking, a dazzling golden flame rose in his palm, and medicinal herbs swirled around him like a galaxy, the refining process had already begun.

……

After a few days,

When Lu Yu walked out of the examination room holding the badge inlaid with seven purple-gold stars, the three examiners personally saw him off.

The red-robed elder clapped his hands in praise, his voice full of anticipation: "A truly formidable young man! I eagerly await your performance at the Pill Tower Conference!"

"Danta Conference?"

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow, then gently shook his head.

There are still at least five or six years until the next Pill Tower Conference. By then, he will probably have already broken through to the ninth-grade alchemist realm, and may even have reached the level of a Dou Sheng powerhouse. So why would he need to use this conference to prove anything?
"Is the assessment over?" Little Fairy Doctor came forward and naturally straightened his clothes with her delicate hand.

"Ah."

Lu Yu casually pinned the badge to his chest. "Let's go check out the North District. If they have any seventh-tier poison-attribute medicinal herbs, we'll buy some. After that, we'll head back..."

The two arrived at the North District Trading Market and soon found a stall in a corner that specialized in selling rare medicinal herbs.

The stall owner was a veiled woman. Seeing Little Fairy Doctor stop to examine a purplish-red Ganoderma lucidum, she chuckled softly, "Young lady has a good eye. This seventh-grade Dark Poison Ganoderma lucidum is a top-quality poisonous medicinal material."

Little Fairy Doctor's eyes brightened slightly as she lightly touched the poisonous patterns flowing across the surface of the Ganoderma lucidum with her fingertips: "The quality is excellent, I'll take it."

Lu Yu readily paid the money and then accompanied Little Fairy Doctor to carefully search the market. In the end, they purchased three rare poisonous medicinal herbs before leaving the stone tower satisfied.

……

"Go back first."

Lu Yu naturally took Little Fairy Doctor's hand, "I wonder if Senior Heavenly Fire has emerged from seclusion yet? That girl Zi Yan has probably turned the courtyard upside down..."

Little Fairy Doctor smiled and said, "I should have bought her some snacks earlier."

The two exchanged a smile and walked to a market, where they specially picked out several bags of candied fruit. The proprietress skillfully packed them up, a knowing smile spreading across her face: "Young man, you really care about your wife. These candied amethyst fruits just arrived this morning, they're very fresh..."

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor blushed slightly, and Lu Yu smiled and immediately paid a few more gold coins.

As they returned to the courtyard, chatting and laughing while carrying dried fruit, Lu Yu's expression suddenly turned serious. Little Fairy Doctor followed his gaze and saw a figure in black standing by the railing of the stone pavilion in the courtyard.

The woman wore a long dress with black cloud-patterned sleeves, her hair loosely tied up in a cloud-like bun with a black jade hairpin, and a few strands of black hair fell down to her snow-white neck. Her eyes were clear and cold, like the water in an autumn pool, which added to her cold and beautiful appearance.

It was indeed black!

Upon seeing the two return, Xuan Yi raised his eyes and said calmly, "I have discussed this with Feng Xian, and we are now setting off for the Northwest Continent to find Yao Chen."

Her voice was clear and resonant, carrying an undeniable determination.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu cupped his hands and said, "Then congratulations, senior."

As he spoke, he pondered for a moment, then took out a silver-white puppet from his storage ring. Although the puppet was missing an arm, it still emanated a chilling energy fluctuation, and it was the Hong Qi puppet he had previously crafted.

"In that case."

Lu Yu pushed the puppet toward Venerable Feng, saying, "When you travel to the Northwest, please take this to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion in the Black Corner Region and give it to a woman named Cai Lin."

"Oh?"

Venerable Feng stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes as he took the puppet. He said, "A seven-star Dou Zong level puppet? Although it's somewhat damaged, it's still priceless. Are you an old acquaintance of that Miss Cai Lin?"

Lu Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled calmly, saying, "We are not old acquaintances. Cai Lin is a member of my Lingbao Pavilion and is temporarily in charge of the affairs of Lingbao Pavilion on my behalf. This thing is useless to me, so it is good to send it back to Lingbao Pavilion."

"I see."

Venerable Feng nodded, put the puppet into his storage ring, and solemnly said, "Young friend, rest assured, I will personally deliver it to Miss Cailin."

Xuan Yi stood up, her dark skirt fluttering in the wind: "It's getting late, we should get going."

With a light tap of her fingertip, a spatial rift slowly unfolded. "Take care, young friend."

As the two figures disappeared into the spatial rift, Zi Yan suddenly tugged at Lu Yu's sleeve, her face unusually showing confusion: "Lu Yu, I feel like something is calling to me... right in that direction."

As she spoke, she pointed in the direction of the inner domain of the Dan Tower.

Lu Yu's expression hardened, and his spiritual power surged forth, but after careful examination, he shook his head and said, "Nothing unusual was found..."

Before he could finish speaking, his mind suddenly raced, and a guess suddenly came to mind. He looked up at the sky above the inner region, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Could it be that thing?"

……

(End of this chapter)