I alone am the Honoured One!-Chapter 774: Alchemy Examination [2]

Looking at Qi Nue entering the examination room, Zhao Tian smiled in his heart ’I hope everything goes well...’

Just then, the middle-aged man who had spoken to him earlier stepped closer, clasping his hands respectfully.

"Why don’t you come with us to oversee the examination, Lord Zhao Tian?" he asked, his tone respectful yet cautious, as though even the offer itself might be too bold.

Hm? Zhao Tian turned to look at him and that man just showed a smile "It is our honor to have you in our Pavilion today."

"If you are willing, we would be pleased to have you sit as a guest overseer for the Flame Forger trial. Naturally, you may remain impartial. Your presence alone brings prestige to the event."

Hearing this, Zhao Tian nodded his head "Alright..."

...

Entering the room, Qi Nue looked around at the room and saw the benches placed there along with numbers.

Looking at the number on her badge, she looked around, searching for it.

"Seventy four.. Seventy four..."

In the vast room, she finally found her number and it was in the forefront, first bench from the judges platform.

Her eyes twitched in frustration ’Why am I at the front? This is rigged.. damn it.’

She looked around at the other examinees taking their seats and reluctantly, she also took her seat.

With a deep sigh, she looked up at the three chairs placed in the front, which are vacant for judges.

A bit later, three people entered the room and everyone in the room stood up in respect.

A middle aged man, a woman and Zhao Tian.

Huh? Looking at Zhao Tian, Qi Nue was dumbfounded and stared at him in disbelief.

"Is that..."

"Yeah, its him."

"He is here for judging?"

Qi Nue heard whispers from behind and snapped out of her shock ’He didn’t say that he is one of the judges, what?’

Her gaze locked with Zhao Tian and saw his eyes softening as he looked at him.

A faint blush crossed her cheeks and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Some contestants stiffened, while some stood straighter in Zhao Tian’s presence.

One young man three rows behind Qi Nue visibly gulped and started whispering frantically to his seatmate.

Qi Nue gently raised her head and saw the middle aged man leading Zhao Tian to the center seat.

She pursed her lips slightly ’Now, I am even more nervous when he is looking at me... what do I do?’

The contestants slowly began to take their seats.

The woman stepped forward and spoke "Welcome, aspiring alchemists, to the Flame Forger Examination. The first part will test your flame control, the second your knowledge of rare ingredients, and the third… your ability to form a Three-Turn Pill under time constraints."

"Passing this examination will earn you the Flame Forger Seal, an official recognition from the Royal Alchemist Pavilion."

"And it is our pleasure to have Lord Zhao Tian as our judge." She spoke, subtly gesturing towards Zhao Tian.

The whole hall tensed again as they knew how terrifying of a man Zhao Tian is...

He is the princess’s husband, killed the Emperor Zhao Hein, killed a lot of powerful people that day in the marriage hall.

He even declared he would personally kill whoever defies the new Emperor.

The judging woman, feeling the tension spike, only gave a small knowing smile before clapping her hands softly "Please distribute the first component—Flame Crystal Spheres."

"You will use these to demonstrate your flame resonance and control. No ingredients will be used yet. This is a test of your base."

As the jade trays were passed out, Qi Nue straightened in her seat as she tried to suppress the slight shake of her hands.

She gently raised her eyes and saw Zhao Tian looking at her.

The blush on her face deepened ’Stop looking at me, little brother, its embarrassing.’

She closed her eyes for a second, ’No... little brother is watching me, so I need to give it my very best.’

She placed her palms on either side of the crystal sphere, centering her breathing.

The hall was still noisy with whispers and fidgeting, but she shut it all out.

In her heart, a quiet flame stirred.

She focused her astral energy, letting it slowly flow through her meridians.

A golden thread of flame stirred beneath her palms, her Twin Flame, blooming slowly into the crystal.

Around the room, others were starting too, their spheres flickering to fire with all shades of red and orange, some with dazzling flares, others struggling to ignite.

Qi Nue’s sphere flickered... and then glowed.

Not with harsh brightness, but with a gentle, steady light.

Looking at this, Zhao Tian smiled in his heart ’She is doing good...’

The female judge raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her flame.

The male examiner leaned forward slightly, scribbling something in his scroll.

And some of the students nearby? They stared at Qi Nue with disbelief.

Not because her flame was the brightest... but because it was the calmest.

In an exam designed to test foundational control, she was already standing out.

But Qi Nue didn’t notice any of it.

She was still focused, pushing everything she had into this moment.

The room settled into a hushed stillness, only interrupted by the soft crackling and occasional flicker of spiritual fire reacting within the crystal spheres.

For many students, it was the first true test of their control, but how calm and centered they could remain beneath pressure.

And today, that pressure was doubled, tripled even, with Zhao Tian seated at the front of the examination hall.

Qi Nue’s sphere continued to glow softly.

Around her, some other examinees tried too hard to make their flame spheres blaze, mistaking intensity for mastery.

Their orbs flared too hot, flickering wildly before dimming into chaotic pulses.

The two judges exchanged subtle glances.

The female judge, seated to Zhao Tian’s right, leaned forward and wrote something on her slip, clearly noting down observations.

Qi Nue’s heart was pounding like a drum inside her chest, but she didn’t let it shake her control.

She focused herself entirely on the sphere before her.

This wasn’t just about impressing Zhao Tian.

It was about proving to herself that she was worthy of standing beside him... not as a weak, shy girl, but as someone with skill, talent, and will.

As the final moments of the resonance test ended, a soft bell rang out through the hall, signaling the conclusion of the first round.

The spheres were collected by the attendants.

Qi Nue’s crystal sphere was carefully taken away, still glowing faintly even as it left her hands.

She let out a soft breath, wiping the faint sheen of sweat from her brow, allowing her tense shoulders to relax slightly.

She didn’t look up at Zhao Tian again, she knew he was watching, and for now, that was enough.

The female judge stood and clapped her hands once, "That concludes the Flame Resonance Round. Your next trial will be split into two and the first one is to test your foundational knowledge of alchemical theory, flame behavior, and pill composition."

"You will each be given a parchment containing five complex questions, each designed to evaluate your understanding of pill structure, elemental affinities, flame synergy, and reaction timings."

With a simple gesture, she nodded toward the attendants once more.

Neatly rolled scrolls tied with red thread, were distributed to each examinee.

Qi Nue took the scroll gently in her hands and untied it.

Her eyes skimmed the questions... and her heart sank for a moment.

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I hope you guys liked thsi chapter!