A stern, tall elder with eyes like the starless night stood at the front of the room. He looked too young to be an elder, but he was standing on the podium, so he must be an elder. His gaze settled on Aiden for a moment before moving away. Arrogance streamed through his eyes as he studied the entire class of hundred odd disciples.

Feminine elder San stood next to him, uptight, with eyes closed, lips pressed tightly into a thin line. Either he was feeling cold because of the room temperature, or he didn't want to be here. The first one was impossible as he was a cultivator, so it could mean only the second reason.

Aiden felt a deep hatred for the newcomer, like seeing an old arch-enemy who he couldn't wait to kill. Who was this guy?

The man beside Aiden sneezed loudly. The room felt colder than ice, with the temperature dipping below freezing. After entering the testing area, a hundred students were crammed into this odd square space, bringing to mind the walk-in cooler at the fancy restaurant. During his time as a part-timer at a posh restaurant, Aiden always dodged trips to the freezer, as it sent shivers down his spine. Now, he sensed that same unwelcome chill on the end of his tongue, but the smell of preservatives was missing.

"I'm core disciple Wun Xia Ja." The tall man clapped once he was done checking on everyone. "This is your second trial to become an outer disciple in the Alchemy Hall and, through a special order, I'll be judging you all today."

"Core disciple Wun, you are here to help me. Not judge the competition." Elder San opened his eyes, shooting invisible fire balls at the tall guy Wun.

"Elder San, with due respect, this hall master decree says something else." He flashed a document in front of elder San, and elder San's delicate features twisted with fury, his normally soft expression hardening into a masculine scowl for the first time.

Aiden felt the same rage toward Wun Xia Ja. It seemed like he came with a backing, otherwise no one would allow to be this much arrogant in front of an elder. Technically speaking, a core disciple could be an elder, but there were many advantages in both positions, and one had to go through elder selection exam to become an elder.

"Okay." Wun Xia Ja clapped his hand and everyone focused on him. Elder or Core Disciple, both positions were very high in the sect hierarchy and labor disciples had to listen to them. "Today, we will test your fire control, and this will not be easy. I will demonstrate three types of control to you, and I expect nothing less than them," Wun Xia Ja said, his eyes judging everyone in the room to make sure they had his attention. "The basic yellow card will need to show a fine control of their qi fire." A small ball of fire appeared on his palm, licking the air coarsely. It danced over the chilly winds of the evening. A normal fire would have been extinguished by the biting cold, but the fire on his palm remained steady.

One of the disciple conjured his fire, and it fizzled out instantly. "It's impossible. The cold air is extinguishing my fire," the disciple said in a heart-broken tone.

Wun Xia Ja snorted coldly.

Aiden had an urge to slap this bastard and snap his teeth. Those teeth irritated him.

What was happening to him? Why was he feeling so much hatred for this core disciple?

"I said this will be tougher than the last year's exam," Wun Xia Ja said. "If you can't maintain a simple fire at the zero degree temperature, then you are not suitable for alchemy. Pack your bags and go back to your house and drink milk from your mom's tit." His tone was unbearable and harsh.

A hushed voice murmured, its owner sounding defeated, "There's no way we can do this. Even the blue card disciple in the previous year faced a simpler challenge than this. This is cheating. They want to put us out."

"You, tall breed. Get out of the exam." Wun Xia Ja pointed at the owner of the voice, and two senior brothers came and dragged him away.

"Did I go overboard with the punishment?" Wun Xia Ja asked in an arrogant tone after the tall guy was thrown out of the exam hall. "In normal times I wouldn't do this, but the hall master have issued a new decree. There will be no free lunch anymore. If you want to learn alchemy, you have to earn it by showing your talent. Now, if you want to participate in the yellow card exam, walk to the left of me."

Forty people walked to the left, their faces deadpan.

"This is the test for the blue card exam." Wun Xia Ja raised his arm and the qi fire, which was a mere ball, roared like a dragon and turned into a beast shape - a lion. If not for the fire leaking out of its body, people would have considered it as a real miniature beast. Its mane, claws and everything looked so real that many people couldn't control the grasp in their hearts.

In a flash, Aiden understood the source of his deep-rooted hatred for this man - as if he'd murdered his own child. In truth, he had taken a life, but it wasn't Aiden's daughter. It was old man Li's.

A vivid scene played out in Aiden's thoughts: old man Li locked in fierce combat with this person, desperately trying to end Wun Xia Ja's life. Wun Xia Ja had wormed his way into old man Li's inner circle as his personal disciple, using the old man's daughter as his ticket in. He'd put on a show of affection, getting cozy with the family. Once he'd gained entry to the sect, he'd killed his daughter, making it look like an accident.

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Old man Li believed in the Wun Xia Ji's lie at first, but later he found out the reality and tried to kill him, but when he couldn't he tried to kick him out of the sect, but even then old man Li failed to do anything.

Aiden sighed hard. This enmity came from the memories, and no matter what, he couldn't just get rid of the hatred. Something had to be done. Aiden just couldn't let this motherfucker do whatever he wished.

But what could he do as a labor disciple?

"Wow! I never thought Core Disciple Wun would show the Fire Giving Birth to the move this time. It was a red card test last time," someone whispered.

Wun Xia Ja nodded, his eyes scanning the group of students. "That's correct," he said casually. "This technique is called Fire Giving Birth, and to succeed, you must reveal your spirit creature. If you can't manage it, you're free to leave or try for the yellow card instead."

"Core Disciple Wun, can we really choose a yellow card now?" someone asked.

After Wun Xia Ja nodded, fifty people sighed in relief and joined the group of yellow card test disciples.

"Whoever wants to participate in the blue card exam step to the right."

Eight people stepped to the right with a confident look on their faces. Lan Yueya was one of them. Surprisingly, she hadn't pestered Aiden since she came to the exam hall. It made him wonder if Mi Tha had really taken over her. It had to be the case, otherwise Lan Yueya had no talent in alchemy. There was no way she could have learned fire control in a night.

"You two. If you fail this exam, then you can't participate ever again. It's your last chance to go to the blue card exam. This is a onetime offer," Wun Xia Ja said with a salesman smile, trying to sell something.

Aiden peeked at the fatty beside him. The guy's face looked gloomy, like he was trying to figure out what to do next. His hands were balled up so tight, it seemed he was about to make a huge choice that would change everything.

"I will stay and try it," the fatty said out loud, attracting everyone's attention. It might be more for himself than for others. He definitely lacked courage and needed external confidence.

"That fatty is a son of a deacon in alchemy hall. I bet he has practiced the Fire Giving Birth many times." Someone sighed. "But I've very little hopes for him as the Wun Xia Ja doesn't seem to want anyone to join the red card exam this time."

"I heard they announced a special quota for some clans in the city," someone else added.

"What quota?"

"There is a special quota for the yellow, blue and red disciples. Those are directly recommended by the high elders, and they might want to distribute resources to them. It's all clan politics."

"Isn't this cheating? They will get to enjoy the special resources for the red disciples and we common disciples would suffer because of this," a girl whispered, but her whisper ended up being audible to half of the exam hall.

"Shut up if you don't want to be kicked out." Wun Xia Ja's face retorted. "This is your fortune that sect is allowing you to take this exam, and yet you insolent bastards talk things against the alchemy hall?"

There was some truth in the girl's accusation, and this meant he was sent here to eliminate people from the exam.

Aiden smiled inwardly as he shifted his weight on the other leg. This would be interesting. Although he couldn't slap this guy, he had a way of making fun of him.

"Wun Xia Ja, are you going to suppress the freedom of speech now?" Elder San opened his eyes, staring bleakly at Wun Xia Ja. "I'm not going to tolerate this. Stay within your limits."

"Elder San, I can't stand folks who just run their mouths without the guts to face real tests," Wun Xia Ja said, his eyes still fixed on the fatty and Aiden. His stare was cold and threatening. "And I'm just a step away from being an elder. I'll tell you a little secret. Soon I'll be offered an elder position, so I'm already a half-elder."

"I give up." the fatty couldn't bear the pressure. "Please forgive me, elder Wun."

"Disciple, are you sure?" Elder San asked. "Red disciples get to converse with the elders for their questions, and this year onward they will also get more Mana Crystals and herbs to practice on. Don't give up on your dream so easily."

"I'm sorry elder San, but I don't have confidence to pass the exam," the fatty said in a grim tone and walked to the blue test disciples.

"Young man, you seem confident, so watch me what I want you to do." Wun Xia Ja clapped his palms and a fire lion appeared, who spit a ball of fire and it turned into a small bird that moved around the lion's head. "This is an essential technique for one to master alchemy."

"Fire Birthing Fire. Wow! I've never seen this technique before. Core Disciple Wun is really the prodigy from the decade ago." People clamored in the crowd, their voice on the edge of reverence.

"Can you do this, junior?" Wun Xia Ja asked, his voice provoking and unbridled, his eyes trying to bear a hole in Aiden's mind.

Aiden smiled. This was nothing. Alchemy Fire was the highest fire technique the sect knew, and it could give birth to the ten beasts like this and play with fire all day long. Only old man Li had awakened the Alchemy Fire in the sect, so these people's display of skills was like a child's play in front of Aiden.

However, he couldn't expose the Alchemy Fire in front of others. However, he also had to slap this motherfucker without getting kicked out of the exam.

"Senior Wun, if you say that technique is needed to master the alchemy, then how can I, a lowly disciple would know this," Aiden said in a calm tone. He didn't use the word core disciple as it wasn't a mandatory, but people liked getting called as core disciple for fame, but Aiden wasn't going to give that to this bastard. "I'm just a labor disciple, so I can't learn the sacred technique of the sect. If you don't want me to participate, please forgive this disciple. I give up. Just say the word."

"He is right. How can they expect a labor disciple to know this technique? Even asking the Fire Giving Birth is too much." Someone hushed.

"I bet they want to give entry to others through the backdoor. This is too much. I lost my trust in the alchemy hall," someone else whispered.

"Senior Wun, I give up too. I shall ask my father if such conditions are performed in the sword hall as well," Lan Yueya spoke up, her face calm like lake water.

Wun Xia Ja's face twitched, as if someone slapped him hard.

"Of course not." Wun Xia Ja smiled a smug smile. "I don't want you to show me Fire Birthing Fire, but I want you to make your spirit beast spit out a small ball of fire."

"Even that is too much," someone shouted.

"If you can't even do that, then you won't deserve to be a red card disciple." Wun Xia Ja shook his head disdainfully.

Aiden gave him a thoughtful look. This was the moment everything was focused on. If he had to perform the Fire Birthing Fire with Alchemy Fire, he could easily do it, but now he had to hide his Alchemy Fire and still perform the Fire Birthing Fire.

Everything depended on his answer, and he was going to make life difficult for Wun Xi Jia.