The Strongest Talent Tree

Chapter 80: Chapter 78: Ninth-level Alchemist’s Recommendation Letter

He scanned the area, and after a good while, he finally spotted West Moon Ridge and Xiyue Frost. The two of them stuck out from the crowd, looking as if the day’s exam had nothing to do with them.

Seeing Feng Hao emerge, West Moon Ridge said gently, "It’s about time. Let’s head out."

"Alright." Feng Hao didn’t say much, just gave a slight nod.

Only when they stepped out of the hotel did Feng Hao truly understand what a madhouse it was. The wide street was a flood of people, a densely packed mass, all moving in the same direction.

Feng Hao was truly stunned by the sight. This scene alone was enough to show just how important Mages were in this world!

When they reached a fork in the road, West Moon Ridge turned to Feng Hao. "The combat division’s exam is more complicated, so I’ll go with Xiaoshuang first. You head to the alchemy department, and come find us after you’re done. Don’t let me down, okay?"

Feng Hao nodded confidently, then asked, a little confused, "Is the combat division exam really that much of a hassle?"

"More people and more events mean the exam is naturally a bit more tedious," West Moon Ridge explained with a light laugh.

"Makes sense." Feng Hao nodded in understanding. After saying goodbye to them, he headed toward the alchemy department.

Thanks to his scouting yesterday, Feng Hao had already memorized the way to the alchemy department. Unfortunately, the road was so crowded that his progress was as slow as a crawling turtle.

As he neared the alchemy department, the congestion finally began to ease. After all, there weren’t many candidates for the alchemy department.

Just as he entered the main gate, he saw Houhuiyao looking around. When Houhuiyao saw him arrive, he immediately waved his arms and came running over. "Brother Feng, I thought you weren’t coming! We agreed to have an alchemy match today, you can’t back out now."

"Don’t worry, I’m plenty confident," Feng Hao said with a smirk.

Houhuiyao gave him a sleazy grin. "So... how about we make a little wager? It’s no fun otherwise."

"Heh," Feng Hao chuckled humorlessly and shot him a sideways glance. "If you’ve got a scheme, just spit it out. Don’t beat around the bush."

"You really get me, Brother Feng. How about this: if I win, you introduce me to those three—oh, no, two—beautiful ladies from yesterday," Houhuiyao said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Feng Hao got an "I knew it" look on his face. His eyes glinted mischievously. "And what if I win?"

"Heh heh, that’s not going to happen. Let me be honest with you, I’m already a Level 5 Alchemist." As he said this, Houhuiyao unconsciously puffed out his chest.

Although Alchemy Techniques were much simpler than other secondary professions, Fifth-Level Alchemy Techniques represented a major turning point. As the saying went among Alchemists: everything before Level 5 is just the basics.

Furthermore, from Level 5 onward, huge gaps in skill would begin to appear between Alchemists. To put it simply, from Level 5, an alchemist’s rank was only tied to their refining ability, but the actual quality of that ability could be worlds apart. It wasn’t uncommon to see a Level 5 Alchemist completely crush a Sixth-level Alchemist.

Feng Hao glanced at Houhuiyao in surprise. ’No wonder this guy is so confident. He’s already a Level 5 Alchemist.’

"What a coincidence. I’m also a Level 5 Alchemist," Feng Hao said with a grin.

At these words, Houhuiyao was dumbfounded. His eyes widened as he said, "Brother Feng, don’t kid me. Before I left, my old man told me that in our entire generation across the whole Ancient Cang Realm, there’s absolutely no one else who has crossed the Level 5 threshold."

"I can only say your father was overstating things. I know one other person myself," Feng Hao said with a smirk.

"How is that possible?!" Houhuiyao was incredulous.

"Why would I lie? He’s my junior brother—the boyfriend of that beautiful lady from yesterday. He’s a year younger than me and will be enrolling here next year. I’ll introduce you then." Feng Hao stepped forward and patted Houhuiyao’s shoulder, as if telling him to accept reality.

Houhuiyao still couldn’t believe it. "Impossible. My old man might be a bit of an ass, but his knowledge of the alchemy world is second to none."

"We’ll find out soon enough if I’m a Level 5 Alchemist. For now, let’s talk about the wager," Feng Hao said with a smile.

"Fine. If I lose, I’ll be your man from now on," Houhuiyao said through gritted teeth.

Feng Hao scoffed. "Pfft, I’m not short on underlings. Give me something tangible."

Houhuiyao was taken aback. He scratched his head, thinking for a long moment, before saying, "How about a piece of Level 4 Refined Iron?"

"Level 4 Refined Iron? Your family must be loaded!" Feng Hao said, surprised.

In all the time since he had transmigrated, Feng Hao had come to fully grasp the basic knowledge of the Mage World. Level 4 Refined Iron was an extremely valuable material. It wasn’t just Refined Iron; for all metals, the higher the refinement level, the more valuable they were.

After all, a weapon’s grade was directly tied to the refinement level of its materials, and Level 4 Refined Iron was the good stuff—it could be forged into a Tier 4 weapon.

"So, is it a deal or not?" Houhuiyao pressed.

"Deal. Of course it’s a deal." Feng Hao agreed without a moment’s hesitation. A Level 4 refined metal wasn’t a treasure you could stumble upon every day.

With the wager set, both men were brimming with confidence. Too bad for Houhuiyao; under the glow of Feng Hao’s transmigrator halo, he was destined to end in tragedy.

Following the crowd, the two soon arrived at the fabled examination hall. As far as the eye could see, there were neat rows of Alchemy Platforms. Many of the candidates had already picked their spots and were waiting quietly for the exam to begin.

Feng Hao glanced at the surrounding candidates. There were a hundred or so at most. Compared to the thousands upon thousands in the other departments, the number was downright pathetic.

"The equipment isn’t bad. An Advanced Academy really is on another level," Feng Hao remarked, clicking his tongue in admiration as he sized up the Alchemy Platform before him.

Houhuiyao, on the other hand, was much more composed. After all, coming from an Alchemy Family, he had seen plenty of high-end equipment. "Brother Feng, what do you think the exam question will be?"

"Alchemy, obviously. What else could it be?" Feng Hao retorted with a shrug.

"Not necessarily. I did plenty of prep work before coming. According to my intel, the alchemy department at Five Provinces Academy is known for its unconventional exam questions. I heard last year’s question was how to extract medicinal substances from the blood of a common wild beast," Houhuiyao said conspiratorially.

Hearing this, Feng Hao couldn’t help but frown. ’Looks like the alchemy department at Five Provinces Academy is even weirder than I thought.’

"No need to worry. No matter how weird the question is, it can’t fall outside the scope of Alchemy Techniques," Feng Hao said with a confident smile, not letting it bother him in the slightest.

After all, he wasn’t like other Alchemists who had their strengths and weaknesses. Having inherited his Alchemy Techniques from the game *Mage*, he was a comprehensive, high-level Ninth-level Alchemist. As long as a task was related to alchemy, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

"That’s true." Houhuiyao smiled, relieved. He then began arranging the alchemy tools on the table according to his personal preference.

A few minutes later, three staff members—two men and a woman—walked in and began to check each candidate’s identification and exam eligibility.

Before long, it was Feng Hao and Houhuiyao’s turn. After a simple registration of their personal information, the female staff member frowned. "An auditor from Rongcheng Academy? I’m afraid you can’t take the exam without a diploma from a basic academy."

"Don’t worry, Ma’am, I’m not here to cause trouble." Feng Hao gave a small, wry smile and handed over the recommendation letter from Yue Linglong.

The female staff member took the letter and studied it for a long time. She seemed uncertain, so she called the other two staff members over to examine it as well. Only after a while did they confirm its authenticity. "A letter of recommendation from an intern instructor is acceptable. Work hard, and don’t let this letter go to waste."

Feng Hao nodded with a smile, though he felt a bit strange. ’Looks like this recommendation letter from Yue Linglong is something special.’

"Huh? A recommendation letter from a Ninth-level Alchemist?!"

Just then, a cry of surprise came from Houhuiyao’s station, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall. Although every year some people took the exam with a recommendation from an Alchemist, this was the first time a letter from a Ninth-level Alchemist had ever appeared.

Basking in the crowd’s shocked and doubtful gazes, Houhuiyao thoroughly enjoyed the attention. With an incredibly punchable look on his face, he asked, "What’s wrong? Is this recommendation no good?"

"It’s valid, of course it’s valid." The middle-aged staff member nodded, satisfied. He then let out a loud laugh, clapped Houhuiyao on the shoulder, and said, "Perform well. I’ll make sure the dean notices you."

"Thank you so much." Houhuiyao hurriedly bowed, then shot a deliberate, provocative glance in Feng Hao’s direction.