Aiden froze for a moment, the acrid taste of sweat still lingering inside his mouth. His tongue felt thick and dry, and he could almost feel the salt crystals forming on his lips. The bitter flavor clung to the back of his throat, a stark reminder of the body's recent exertion. His nostrils flared slightly, catching the faint scent of the rose from a girl passing by him briefly.

"Senior brother, why do I've a red card?" He glanced at the glossy card he had just handed to the senior brother. Red meant danger, and as per Li An's memories, it was the hell mode of the exam. What the fuck had he gotten himself into this time?

"How would I know that?" The crooked senior brother replied with another question.

Aiden glanced at the exam hall. It was a big berth and at least three hundred people were sitting inside. It had three sections. Yellow, blue and red. Only three people had brought a red card. Aiden knew it because there was a separate section for them - in the front - right on the nose of the examiner.

The exam was divided into three difficulties because the outer sect disciples had three sections. Yellow, blue and red. Yellow card disciples were the basic ones who received better treatment than labor disciples, but not much. They received a standard ration and had more opportunities, like attending lectures, assisting senior disciples.

Blue card disciples received better treatment. They had more ration and alchemy ingredients. They could rent an alchemy room, and also got Mana Crystals. They could also ask senior disciples for help in refinement once in a month.

Red card disciples were the cream of the top, and they could even participate in the inner disciple trial very soon. They received the best treatment in outer sect disciples, and could even get a chance to help elders in refinement. Based on the color, one would get difficulty of the exam.

Aiden didn't care about this because he had knowledge of old man Li, but he was trapped in something he wanted to avoid at any cost.

"Senior brother, can I go back and change that one?" Aiden asked, feeling depressed, sweat running down his lower back partly because of all the running and the tension of the exam. He used to be a star student in his school, but after getting into the college and knowing what a sweet animal a girl's body was, he could barely pass his exams. Of course, he changed in the later years and even joined an IT company and worked on many prototype models.

Li An was no better when it came to his studies. He also had a fickle heart and chased after girls constantly. Based on the memories Aiden had tapped into, Li An hardly cracked open any of the books the sect had given him. If it weren't for his natural talent for cultivation, he wouldn't have even qualified to be a lowly guard at the sect's entrance.

"Absolutely not. I gave you two chances, and you turned them down both times," the senior brother manning the entrance replied in a harsh tone.

"But I accidentally picked that one because…" He gulped down as he spotted Lan Yueya rushing over the stone-paved path.

"Brother An, I'm here. Why were you running?" She almost crashed on the pedestal the senior brother stood behind. Stopping next to him, she patted her chest, trying to calm her heaving body. "Senior brother, please give me a seat next to brother An. We are together."

"No, you aren't." The senior brother frowned.

"How can you say that?" Lan Yueya looped her arm through Aiden's, but he jerked away as if her touch scorched him like a white-hot ember.

Lan Yueya gave him a puppy look.

"We aren't together. Sister Lan, please find a place for yourself. I'm going away." Shaking his head, Aiden walked toward the red card section. Anyway, he would not make through the exam and attended it for the sake of it, so it didn't matter what section he failed through. In a few steps he reached the red section without any further drama.

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"Wait, I'm coming." Lan Yueya ran behind her.

The senior brother rushed in front of her and stopped her from entering into red card section.

"Little sister, you can't go in there," Senior brother said, his eyes fuming.

"Do you know who am I? My father is elder Lan from the Sword Hall. Do you really want to mess up with me?" She threatened him by placing her finger on his chest. This girl never accepted defeat. Well, she had a backing to say those things - what could Aiden do about that?

"Junior sister. Please don't make this hard for me." The senior brother's tone changed like a salamander changing colors. "That junior brother brought a red card, and you brought a blue card. I can't let you sit with him. Even elder Lan wouldn't like to break rules like this. If he finds out, you will be in trouble, junior sister," he said softly. "Please don't make it hard on me and take your seat. In return, I'll help you pass this exam, okay?" Senior brother's muffled tone fall on his ears as he took his seat.

"Red card, what's that? I like color blue so I got that one. Give me a red card then."

Senior brother gulped loudly, his face twitching.

"Junior sister Lan, this is about the exam difficulty. The red card is the most difficult one, and with junior brother An's aptitude he wouldn't pass it."

"He won't? Then I will fail as well. We can study together." Her eyes became dreamy, and Aiden considered running away from this place.

"Everyone, take your seats." An elder entered through the entrance near the stone platform at the front. He wore a flowing ivory-colored robe and held a slender fan, giving him a somewhat feminine. His smooth face and flawless complexion only added to that impression. "Lan girl, what are you doing here? Alchemy Hall is not your playground. Go back or I'll tell your old man." He snorted.

"Uncle San, it's you." Lan Yueya leaped from her seat and reached the platform. She was smiling like a happy puppy. "I want to seat with brother An, and your people are stopping me."

Elder San coughed while looking at Aiden.

"Lan girl, this is Alchemy Hall examination center. Stay out of this place." He glared at Aiden as if it was his fault.

Fuck! Did he not know how mischievous this Lan Yueya was?

"Uncle San, you can't throw me out. I enrolled for this exam. Let me show you my slip." A red ribbon appeared in her hand, which she flashed in front of the elder. "See, I choose your trash hall and you want to kick me out? My father won't protect your caravans anymore. I'll…" She clenched her fingers, tears rolling down her eyes.

The elder San sighed out loud.

"Lan girl, you are making it hard for me." The elder San gave her an angry look, but his soft voice betrayed his intention. "You are in Alchemy Hall, so you have to follow rules. Sit near the edge of the red section, and you Li An, seat near the edge of blue section."

"But elder…" Aiden gulped his words when he saw the furious look on the elder's face.

Fuck face. Why was the elder pushing him into a dragon's mouth? Lan Yueya was going to eat his head for the entire exam, and if he got out she would do that, not leaving him any chance of running away.

Fuck's sake.

Elder San clapped, and everyone stared at him diligently.

"Listen everyone. I will tell you the rules, and if you break them, you will be banned from the exam for next one year. Are you with me?"

Everyone nodded despite half of them had already been here once.

"The entire exam is divided into three parts," the elder said while pacing around the front platform, his gaze jumping to Lan Yueya from time to time, who was staring at Aiden.

"The first part is a written exam where you have to identify the herbs I place in front of you and then write ten lines about it. In an hour I'll place six herbs in total, and you will have to identify and write down about three herbs to pass yellow card exam. Four herbs to pass the blue card exam and five herbs to pass red card exam. Am I clear?"

Aiden rubbed his forehead. He was going to fail badly in this exam. He bet he wouldn't know a single herb as he hadn't looked at any book at all.

Elder San waved his hand and a herb appeared on each table. Each one was different, so there was no cheating in the exam. Everyone was on their own.

Aiden frowned as he stared at the small plant in front of him. It had a thin waist, but had long blade-like leaves that stood tall in the air despite the frail body of the plant. They had a white line zig-zagging over the edge, and it exuded a sweet scent.

Was it a Long Sword Plant, or Sword Plant Long. This world had some weird names, and it must be one of those weird ones.

Sword Leaf Plant.

System: You have identified Sword Leaf Plant.

Aiden was taken aback by the sudden discovery. How the fuck did he know that name?

A string of memories flooded his mind, and he understood this was a Low Tier Bronze Grade herb which could be used by sword cultivators to practice their sharpness. By soaking their swords in the juice of this herb, it would gain sharpness well beyond mechanical tools could do it.

"Brother An, do you know this plant?" Lan Yueya whispered.

Aiden glanced at her Red Mushroom Gurry and muttered. "Red Mushroom Gurry. It's used in Spider Poison Antidote potion. It's a rare plant and only grows in the damp places."

"Woho," Lan Yueya shouted, almost knocking the herb from her table.

The exam hall turned silent, watching them with killing intent.

Aiden grasped hard. Was he going to get kicked out because of this?