Chapter 635 629: The Real Second Round Assessment

After jumping into the spatial rift, Shen Haoran's vision blurred. When he came to his senses, he was on a massive stone platform surrounded by the dark, deep void of Chaos Space. This Medicinal Garden had actually been built within Chaos Space. It was common knowledge that Spirit Emperor Level experts could control space, but creating one's own personal space required even greater power. This Medicinal Garden must have been built by an unbelievably powerful expert.

Shen Haoran looked around and saw several thousand contestants gathered on the stone platform. They were all staring out at the surrounding Chaos Space and discussing it animatedly. For most, it was their first time seeing such a sight, and their curiosity was piqued.

As the crowd was deep in fervent discussion, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, slowly hovering above their heads and instantly capturing everyone's attention.

The old man had a stooped figure, his skin clinging so tightly to his frame that he looked skeletal. He seemed as if he could pass on at any moment, yet as the deep eyes in his sunken sockets swept over the crowd, it felt as if he could see right through them.

"I am the Guardian of the Medicinal Garden. You may call me Elder Shi!" the old man in the air said slowly, his raspy voice as grating as glass scratching a blackboard.

"Elder Shi!" Although Elder Shi looked somewhat frightening, no one present dared to underestimate him. If Yao Wuchen had entrusted such a crucial task as guarding the Medicinal Garden to him, then Elder Shi was definitely not as simple as he appeared. Therefore, everyone bowed in respect to the little old man floating in midair.

"Your task this time is simple. Find the Spirit Medicine assigned to you within the Medicinal Garden and return here within seven days. That will count as passing the assessment," Elder Shi said flatly. With that, he waved a hand, and countless streams of light shot out with extreme precision toward every Alchemist present. Such precise control left the crowd in awe once more.

Shen Haoran looked at the items in his hand: a Sheepskin Scroll and a Crystal Stone.

"The Sheepskin Scroll contains a map of the Medicinal Garden and marks the location of the Spirit Medicine you need to find. The purple Crystal Stone is a Spatial Crystal Stone. All the Spirit Medicines within the Garden are protected by Spirit Beasts. If you find yourselves in mortal danger, crush the purple Spatial Crystal Stone in your hand, and you will be teleported back here. However, this also means you have failed the assessment. I advise you not to throw your lives away for the sake of this test. After all, you are all talented disciples of our Medicine Hall. The death of even one of you would be a great loss. You'd best look after yourselves!" Elder Shi explained to the crowd.

Hearing this, everyone looked at the purple Spatial Crystal Stone in their hands. It was a life-saving item, so they all immediately tucked it away somewhere safe.

Seeing that everyone understood the rules, with a thought from Elder Shi, the great gates to the Medicinal Garden behind him rumbled open. He then announced, "The assessment begins now. Good luck!"

Seeing the gates of the Medicinal Garden open, the competing Alchemists grew eager. They excitedly rushed toward the garden, and Shen Haoran, following the crowd, soon plunged in as well.

Upon entering the Medicinal Garden, the contestants' faces fell. This wasn't a garden; it was an entire mountain range! The Spirit Medicines were scattered everywhere, just as they would be in the wild, not cultivated for easy picking.

"I knew the Medicine Hall's assessment wouldn't be this simple," people muttered in low voices. They then opened their Sheepskin Scrolls to find the location of their required Spirit Medicine. They had no choice. This was an assessment organized by the Medicine Hall. Even if it were a vast ocean instead of a mountain range, they would still have to brave it.

In no time, the contestants followed the directions on their maps and dispersed. The once-bustling entrance to the Medicinal Garden was instantly deserted, save for a handful of remaining Alchemists.

"Brother Shen, want to team up?" Just as Shen Haoran was studying his map, Long Aotian and Yan Jue came over and asked softly.

"You should come with us. I heard Hall Master Yao say this Medicinal Garden is crawling with Spirit Beasts, and their Levels aren't low. If a Tier One Spirit Aspect like you runs around alone, you'll probably end up as Spirit Beast food in no time. If you die, there'll be no one left to play with me!" Yan Jue added, tilting her head with an extremely serious expression. Shen Haoran and Long Aotian could only roll their eyes. This little girl really couldn't say anything nice.

"No need. I have some confidence in my own strength. If I can't win a fight, I can still run. Besides, the Spirit Medicines I'm looking for are in some pretty remote areas, so our paths likely diverge. We only have seven days, so it's better to act separately," Shen Haoran said, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Long Aotian nodded and then pulled Yan Jue away. Before leaving, however, he added a warning, "Be careful of certain people with malicious intent. After all, not everyone is so magnanimous!"

Shen Haoran nodded. He naturally knew who Long Aotian was referring to. However, Shen Haoran wasn't the least bit afraid of him. If that person dared to come looking for trouble, Shen Haoran wouldn't mind making him stay in this Medicinal Garden forever.

After Long Aotian and Yan Jue left, Shen Haoran picked a direction and shot off into the distant depths. This time, he needed to find three types of Spirit Medicine: Dragon Saliva Fruit, Red Spirit Root, and Ice-Skin Jade Vine. All three were Top Grade Spirit Medicines and were also the core ingredients for refining a Seventh Grade Elixir.

'This hunt for Spirit Medicines isn't as simple as it looks,' Shen Haoran thought, his brow furrowing as he stared at the three locations marked on the Sheepskin Scroll. Although Yao Wuchen had said before they entered that this was a test of the alchemists' individual strength, that seemed to be just his Blinding Technique. Seven days to find three Spirit Medicines… the timeframe was a little too generous.

Shen Haoran's thoughts raced. 'The final assessment for the Pill Emperor competition must be a test of Alchemy. After all, for an Alchemist, Alchemy is the most important skill. In that case, this second assessment must be closely related to the third one. Finding Spirit Medicines… Dragon Saliva Fruit, Red Spirit Root, Ice-Skin Jade Vine… These three seem to be the main ingredients for the Great Heaven Creation Pill. Could it be that we're not just supposed to find these three, but all the Spirit Medicines needed to refine the Great Heaven Creation Pill? Is that why they gave us seven days?'

At this thought, Shen Haoran suddenly understood. He now knew why they were given seven days and what the second round was truly testing. First, it was indeed a test of an Alchemist's personal strength; after all, the place was teeming with Spirit Beasts, and one had to defeat them to get the Spirit Medicines. Second, it was a test of an Alchemist's mental acuity. He wondered how many people would truly understand the purpose of this hunt. Finally, it was a test of an Alchemist's familiarity with Pill Recipes and Spirit Medicines, which was, after all, a required subject for any Alchemist.

'The pressure is really on now,' Shen Haoran thought, rubbing his temples after figuring out Yao Wuchen's true objective. The Great Heaven Creation Pill required more than fifty kinds of Spirit Medicines. Finding over fifty types of Spirit Medicines within the Endless Mountain Range in just seven days was indeed quite difficult.

'As expected of the contest for Pill Emperor. I wonder how many people will pass this round. Looks like I'll have to step up my game,' Shen Haoran thought with a bitter laugh. Then, the speed beneath his feet suddenly increased, and he vanished into the mountain forest as a series of afterimages…