San Gu rubbed his eyes when he saw fifty disciples producing Fire Giving Birth.

What was going on? It couldn't be right.

It must be a dream.

He pinched his waist hard and then closed his eyes. However, nothing had changed when he opened them against. The fifty disciples in the yellow card exam had conjured different spirit animals in their palms.

How was this possible? When did a supreme technique become this easy? He needed a year to change the shape of the Qi Fire, and two more years to conjure his Spirit Beast - a Three Eyed Deer. Even elder Wun, a prodigy among prodigies, needed six months to conjure his spirit animal - a Winged Python.

It had to be a dream.

He rubbed his eyes, and then opened back up, but nothing had changed. The fifty disciples still had their spirit animal flaunting in the air, making moves on their own.

"What is going on?" Alchemy hall disciples standing behind him whispered, his voice on the verge of panic. "I am trying for years, and I can't do this and these people who had no training can do this? This is impossible."

"Stop it," Wun Xia Ja shouted, his face stern. "Something is wrong. Conjure the fire again, and this time only conjure a common fire. I want to test your aptitude for fire control."

All the ninety disciples nodded and conjured the fire once more.

The first one conjured a parrot, the second one a sphinx, the third one a dragon, the fourth one a mammoth, and then one by one, all ninety people conjured a spirit animal.

Wun Xia Ja shuddered, his face going pale. "What the fuck are you doing? I said normal fire. Why are you conjuring a false fire?"

The ninety people retracted their spirit animals, everyone looking at each other like they had seen a ghost.

"Once again," Wun Xia Ja shouted, his face paler than a white paper.

Ninety spirit animals sprung up to life like a slap on Xun Xia Ja's face.

San Gu had no idea what was going on, but whatever was happening, he was happy from deep within. This bastard Wun Xia Ja had barged in the exam San Gu was supposed to moderate, and then he changed the requirements, trying to be a hero. A mere core disciple was trying to put down an elder, but he was slapped to his grave instead.

"Shut up. Fuckers. You all are cheaters. You are disqualified," Wun Xia Ja shouted, his voice reaching the ceiling of the room.

San Gu frowned. "Wun Xia Ja, behave yourself. You can't disqualify anyone. You are only allowed to monitor them."

"Why can't I? I've every right."

San Gu stepped in front of Wun Xia Ja. "You have no rights. You can only help me, so don't try to take over the exam."

"Those are cheating."

"What cheating? Can't you see their exceptional fire control? What are you trying to do here? Cut off the young blood from the Alchemy Hall?"

"Elder San… you…"

San Gu stepped down from the podium and reached the first student from the yellow card exam. It was a petite, scared girl.

"What's your name?"

"Chi Jan, elder San."

"Have you ever conjured a Fire Giving Birth before?"

The girl shook her head, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Try conjuring one for me."

She gritted her teeth and fire burst out of her palm and took an elephant shape. An authentic elephant with white tusks, large ears, and everything else that an elephant would have.

San Gu conjured his own spirit animal and inspected the elephant, and he received the same pressure as his deer had. It was an authentic spirit animal.

But how was this possible? Fire Giving Birth was an elite technique, and one would have to spend years to learn it. Only the red card exam had such harsh requirements. And those who participated in the red card exam were prodigal talents or people with a good backup.

"Did you come from the Bijang City's Chi clan, girl?" Chi clan from Bijang city was famous for alchemy, and if she came from there, it might be possible for a prodigy to show up.

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"No, elder. I came from the desolate village in the Wuga Desert," the girl spoke, her voice smaller than a whisper.

"It's impossible. I don't believe this. There must be something wrong with the room." Wun Xia Ja muttered, his hands moving through his hair constantly.

"There's nothing wrong with the room," San Gu replied. How could a room allow ninety people to conjure Fire Giving Birth?

However, the impossible had become possible, and ninety disciples had done that impossible.

"I'm going to dissect you all and see what you can do." Wun Xia Ja shouted, his voice going berserk.

"Wun Xia Ja, don't speak…"

Suddenly, a voice cut through the chaos. "Senior Wun, perhaps you'd like to demonstrate your own fire control for us?"

San Gu's eyes darted to the source. It was Aiden, the labor disciple who'd declined to participate earlier. The guy's eyes glinted with mischief, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. What was he trying to here?

"After all," Li An continued, his voice dripping with mock respect, "surely a master such as yourself can outperform these 'cheaters' you're so quick to accuse."

Wun Xia Ja's face reddened, his jaw clenching visibly. "How dare you, you insolent--"

"What's the matter, senior?" Li An interrupted, his tone sickeningly sweet. "We are lowly disciples, and we want to learn from you. Are you not going to teach us? The mighty core disciple afraid of showing his talent?"

The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the confrontation. San Gu held his breath, torn between horror at Li An's audacity and a perverse desire to see Wun Xia Ja put in his place.

"You are courting death, boy." Wun Xia Ja raised his palm, ready to strike.

San Gu stepped forward. "Wun Xia Ja, what are you doing? The disciple wants to see your fire control, and what's wrong with that?" He had taken a decision. He was going to protect this young guy.

"Elder San, you want to go against me as well?" Wun Xia Ja's nostrils flaired, his eyes going red.

"Who are you? Just a core disciple. Talk to me once you become an elder. For now, show these poor disciple your fire control."

"I've already shown it," Wun Xia Ja replied, his face red like a tomato.

"I didn't see it clearly. I think you cheated, senior," Li An said, his tone arrogant as if he knew something.

"I won't show anything." Wun Xia Ja gritted his teeth.

"Wun Xia Ja, if you want to command, then you have to show your talent." San Gu chuckled. This was fun. Now he was interested in why Wun Xia Ja wasn't ready to show his talent.

"I'll show you fire control, boy," Wun Xia Ja snarled, raising his hand.

But as flames burst from his palm, they sputtered and wavered, barely forming a coherent shape before dissipating. Wun Xia Ja's eyes widened in shock, and he tried again, with similar results.

"Senior Wun, what kind of heavenly technique is this?" Li An's question echoed in the silent room. "Is that Cicada Leaving the Soul?"

Everyone chuckled. It was a vulgur comment, and Wun Xia Ja was seething, his body shaking.

San Gu watched as Wun Xia Ja's face contorted with rage and humiliation. It was like watching a proud mountain crumble, and San Gu couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. This bastard trampled on his authority and now everyone would laugh on him.

"This... this is impossible," Wun Xia Ja stammered, staring at his own hand in disbelief. "There is something wrong with this room. Elder San, show us your fire control."

San Gu frowned. He didn't think things would come to him. But he wasn't afraid.

With a wish, a fire bloomed over his palm and turned into his spirit animal.

"Impossible." Wun Xia Ja tried to conjure his spirit animal once more, but he failed again, his face turning black.

"Perhaps," Li An suggested, his voice dripping with false sympathy, "you should disqualify yourself from judging this exam, Wun Xia Ja. After all, how can you evaluate others when you can't even perform the basics? Is that right, elder San?"

San Gu breathed deeply. This guy, Li An was putting him on the pedestal. Sure, he didn't want to go down by alone and he was looking for a boat in the roaring sea.

So be it.

"Yes. You are correct. Only those can judge who can show results." San Gu smiled. "Wun Xia Ja, you are stripped off from judging the competition. If you have any questions then go and call your master."

The words hung in the air like a slap, and San Gu saw Wun Xia Ja flinch as if physically struck. The proud elder's shoulders sagged, defeat written in every line of his body.

"I'll be back, mother fuckers." Wun Xia Ja flicked his sleeves and left the room.

***

Aiden woke up from his trance suddenly, and he failed to understand what was going around him. The last thing he remembered was the warning message from the system, and then he forgot everything else.

Wait, no. He didn't forget everything else. He had attacked Wun Xia Ja verbally, and pounced on him again and again, and even questioned his qualifications for the judgement.

Fuck! What had happened? He had said something he didn't or wouldn't dare to say in current condition. Why did he insult Wun Xia Ja suddenly? Those sharp questions, and doubting his alchemy wasn't his idea. He just wanted to play with the Wun Xia Ja by making others show exceptional skills, and he had it hard on him.

Rubbing his face, he looked around, and everyone had a strange look on their faces.

"What the fuck happened?" He cried inside his mind, but no answer came. It was like he was possessed by old man Li.

Did he really possess him?

"Disciples, all of you show me your spirit beast." Elder San pointed and they conjured fire.

Aiden gritted his teeth and controlled their fire with Heart Fire. He had jumped on the tiger, and now he had to ride it till the end. However, he was having it tough. The mana consumption to maintain the ninety Fire Giving Birth was taking a toll on him, but he had to do it so he could make his own spirit animal look genuine. When he learned Heart Fire, he realized he could control the fire in the surrounding, but he couldn't create his own Fire Giving Birth with his Mana Fire. It was just impossible to achieve in a day's time, even with the knowledge of old man Li's memories.

At the max, he could only mix his Mana Fire and Alchemy Fire and create a weird black and blue fire which had no name. But if he displayed it in the red card exam, he bet someone will get suspicious, and his alchemy fire would be exposed.

However, if all hundred people conjured a spirit animal with Fire Giving Birth, then no one would suspect him. At least that was his plan earlier, but something happened and the plan became a necessity now.

"You all pass." Elder San clapped, his face full of energy.

"Wait, who said they pass the exam?" A familiar voice struck them and when they turned, Wun Xia Ja was back and following him was another man, elder Pan Shang, another scoundrel of the Pan faction.