Chapter 88: Chapter 88- Becoming a Minor Celebrity

The Alchemy Pavilion Mountain at the moment was devoid of disciples walking around with crazed looks.

Today was the day of the monthly exams for every disciple, both in the Inner Mountain and in the Outer Mountain.

Currently, inside a large hall somewhere in the Inner Mountain, a sea of disciples could be seen taking the Alchemy Pavilion’s monthly exam.

Despite the number of disciples here, this was only one of the five exam locations in the Inner Mountain.

The layout of the exam was rather relaxed compared to the importance of the exam itself.

Disciples were seated in rows of desks while projections of plants and herbs they should name and describe were shown to them. Along with that, they had to list the ingredients, and the concoction methods of various pills.

Meanwhile, each desk has a Formation that blurred prevented one from seeing the desk next to them. Even though disciples were taking the exam three feet apart, they were unable to see each other clearly to cheat.

However, they wouldn’t dare to even if they could. They were too scared of being kicked out of the Alchemy Pavilion and potentially the Academy itself. So, the disciples’ fear of cheating was a major part of why the exam was so relaxed.

Among one of the rows of disciples, Sol was sitting at his table scratching his head. He was looking at a plant that he couldn’t identify.

The exam had a point system where for each answer he got right, he would receive one point. The maximum points that he could get as someone from the Inner Mountain was fifteen thousand for the pill formula section, and thirty thousand for the plants and herbs section.

However, the academy at least acknowledged the difficulty of the exam. As not only did the exam force disciples to memorize thirty thousand Tier 1 and Tier 2 plants as well as fifteen thousand Tier 1 and Tier 2 pill formulas every month! They also didn’t specify which plants or pill formula they should memorize. So, one could understand why the disciples looked so crazed and suffered from Alchemic Formula Disease.

However, to help the disciples, they did add several bonus questions for each section which awarded more points if answered correctly.

These questions for the plant and herbs section were to identify the characteristics of several plants and herbs that were combined into one.

For the pill formula section, the questions were originally to just list the formula of the pill and its concoction method, but for the bonus questions, disciples had to identify the pill from images. In addition, to help with this, they were actually able to create illusory images of the pills with medicinal aroma so disciples could better identify them.

Currently, Sol had already finished the pill formula section and was now on the plants and herbs section.

If he had to guess, he had gotten the maximum points for the pill section and even more for answering the bonus questions. However, the plants and herbs section were rather difficult, especially the bonus questions that would pop up randomly.

He had about a dozen more questions left when this abomination of a medicinal plant appeared in front of him.

Sol scratched his head before he tentatively began deconstructing the mixture of plants.

He pinched and detached a few stems and roots from the illusory image in front of him before arranging them into a plant he thought existed. However, as soon as he finished creating that single plant, the illusory image of the combines plants disappeared along with the one he just created.

Sol sighed. He didn’t even get one right. After completing the last dozen questions, he got up from his seat to leave.

He wondered how he did on his first exam, but he would need to wait until the next day to see the results.

While looking around as he got up, Sol realized he was one of the few people who had finished first.

As he carefully walked out of his row to exit the hall, the dozen or so disciples who had finished the exam were standing around chatting about the answers.

When this group saw Sol getting up, they paused their conversation and silently watched as he exited the hall. After he was gone, their discussions shifted to him.

“That’s him, right? The person who fought Byeong-Ho?”

“Yeah, it’s him. However, if you had told me before that someone from our Alchemy Pavilion was talented enough to fight Byeong-Ho on equal grounds I would have scoffed at you!”

“Bah! What equal grounds? I was there and I never saw Byeong-Ho use the Martial Art Techniques from the Huashan Sect or released his Tier 8 Innate Dharma! That means he wasn’t using his full strength. If he had, that brat wouldn’t be a match for him!”

One disciple in the group turned to this person and stared at him with derision in his eyes, then said.

“I was there as well, and I specifically remember Brother Byeong-Ho admitting that Brother Sol wasn’t using his full strength either.”

The disciple huffed and continued to argue.

“Unless he comprehended a Heavenly Martial Art do you think Byeong-Ho would lose to him?”

“Well, you can’t rule out that possibility. There is obviously a reason why Senior Brother Byeong-Ho was so eager to spar with him and even treated him as an equal.”

“That’s right! Plus, haven’t you heard the rumors going around? Senior Brother Sol has become the second disciple of the Grand Elder, Byeong-Ho’s Master! He was using the same Movement Skill as Brother Byeong-Ho in the match so that confirms it!”

Sol who stepped out of the hall, rubbed his nose and blushed a bit. Everywhere he went in the Academy these days he would hear people discussing his battle with Byeong-Ho.

“It has been almost a week since then, I can’t believe the gossips haven’t died down yet.”

Sol had no idea this sort of situation would happen just because he sparred with Byeong-Ho. He essentially became a minor celebrity in the academy overnight.

There were even people debating on whether he deserved the title of a ’Rising Star’.

But Sol was still trying to decide if being a public figure was a disadvantage or an advantage. However, he couldn’t help it even if he wanted to.

He was talented and that would draw people’s attention. Sol wasn’t going to hide; he didn’t see the need to suppress himself for anyone.

While Sol was walking, he suddenly received a message via his Disciple Token. When he took it out and checked, he saw that it was from Byeong-Ho.

“Brother Sol, meet me on the Weapon Pavilion Mountain.”

Sol’s expression lit up when he saw this message and he rushed to the Teleportation Hall.

After he teleported to the Weapon Pavilion Mountain, someone immediately approached him and led him to a small open pavilion in the Inner Mountain.

The male disciple stopped a distance away from the open pavilion and motioned for Sol to continue.

“Brother Sol, Young Master Byeong-Ho will visit you shortly.”

Sol nodded before he walked to the open pavilion. There was a small table with two chairs at the center, but he didn’t sit and instead waited by the side.

There was garden that surrounded the open pavilion. While Sol was overlooking the colorful flowers, he noticed a white butterfly dancing gracefully through the air.

Smiling, Sol lifted his hand and extended his index finger. A faint green light slowly appeared around his index finger before a fragrant scent spread into the surroundings.

The white butterfly smelt this aroma and became agitated. It left the colorful flowers and hurriedly flew to land on his extended index finger.

Sol admired the white butterfly for a moment before a someone spoke from behind, causing it to fly away.

“Brother Sol, I apologize if I kept you waiting. I had to speak with my father.”

“No worries, I didn’t wait long.”

Sol turned and said with a smile. However, he subconsciously thought in his head.

’You might as well just enter the Academy at this point.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep