Shun Long looked at Yao Huang curiously, who then started explaining
''Aside from the 'Alchemists' Guild', there are also many other strong powers in the 'Heaven's Dome city' who want to have their own private alchemists, and not have to rely on the Guild at all times. These powers would usually offer, far more benefits to promising alchemists like brother Shun, than the guild usually does.''
Shun Long smiled lightly when he heard Yao Huang's words, as he then asked in a seemingly interested tone
''In that case, I wonder if you are also a member of one of these strong powers, brother Yao!''
Yao Huang nodded his head seriously
''Indeed, although I am working for the Guild, I have also joined another strong power.
The 'Alchemist's Guild' doesn't have any restrictions to its alchemists joining other powers after all.
You can think of the Guild as a large place, where all of the alchemists are part of a big family. The Guild can provide you with alchemy recipes if you are willing to pay the corresponding price, or you can also sell a unique recipe of your own, and request what you want from the Guild.
The same thing works for medicinal ingredients as well.
Additionally, you can also choose to work for the Guild, and either become an overseer like me, or an exclusive alchemist. After all, the Guild also sells pills, so it needs its own alchemists to concoct them, while usually, the strong powers of the 'Heaven's Dome city' will be the biggest customers who purchase these pills.''
Shun Long's eyes widened slightly, as he seemed to have just understood even more things regarding the 'Heaven's Dome city', while countless thoughts were now flashing through his mind
''It seems that the 'Alchemist's Guild' has even more power than I imagined. According to Yao Huang's words, the guild practically controls the mass flow of pills in the 'Heaven's Dome city', making these 'strong powers', reliant to it. These powers also want promising or strong alchemists that they can exclusively work for them, in order to escape the 'Alchemists' Guild's' shackles.
However, no matter what benefits these 'strong powers' are willing to offer, in the end, I would have to be a personal alchemy slave once I joined them. Whereas, if I use the 'Alchemist's Guild's' network and connections, I can spread my name and sell my personal pills through the guild.
Although my profits wouldn't be as high as if I had opened my own alchemy shop, with the 'Alchemist's Guild''s' backing, I will probably not have to worry about any of the underlying threats of the 'Heaven's Dome city' as well.''
Seeing that Shun Long had fallen deep into thought, Yao Huang guessed that he was probably trying to gauge the benefits that each power would be willing to offer him upon joining. After all, for a talented young alchemist who was at the same level as him, many of the strong powers in the 'Heaven's Dome city' would be interested in recruiting him.
With a smile on his face, the spiky-haired Yao Huang looked at Shun Long and said
''Younger brother Shun, actually, I'm also a member of the 'Blood Moon sect'. Our sect is one of the more powerful ones in the 'Heaven's Dome city', and I am certain that younger brother Shun will be greatly valued by the higher-ups once you join.''
Shun Long recovered himself from his thoughts, as he had already made his decision.
Shaking his head, he looked at the spiky-haired man next to him and said
''For now, I don't plan to join any power aside from the 'Alchemist's Guild'.''
Seeing that his offer was rejected, Yao Huang then guessed, that Shun Long wanted to fish for better offers. But since he was the first to found him, the spiky-haired Yao Huang was planning to return to the 'Blood Moon sect' and report everything.
If the higher-ups from the sect decided to contact Shun Long and managed to successfully recruit him, then by bringing a young and promising alchemist to the sect, he would also obtain bountiful rewards.
Nodding his head, the rank 2 silver grade alchemist then smiled as he asked with a friendly look on his face
''In that case younger brother Shun, do you plan to take the test to become a rank 1 silver grade alchemist? If so, you can follow me.''
Shun Long nodded his head, as he followed Yao Huang to the room where the tests for the silver grade alchemists were taking place.
Entering inside, Shun Long saw a man in his middle 40s, with a long ponytail and a stern expression on his face, supervising the 2 alchemists who were taking their tests.
The man threw a scornful look at Yao Huang as soon as he entered the room, before he turned his attention to Shun Long.
Yao Huang however, didn't seem to have paid much attention to the ponytailed man, as he smiled brightly at Shun Long, and pointing at the silver grade cauldrons on the floor he said
''Younger brother Shun, you can choose any of these cauldrons for your pill refinement. For the test to become a rank 1 silver grade alchemist, you will have to pay the Guild 1000 low-grade spirit stones.
You also have 2 hours to refine a high-grade rank 3 pill, in order to pass the test. Additionally, after becoming a rank 1 silver grade alchemist, you can purchase medicinal ingredients or alchemy recipes from the guild directly at a 20 percent discount.''
Shun Long nodded his head, as he then took out 1000 spirit stones from the 'Stone of Time' and handed them to Yao Huang, before he turned his attention to the 20 silver grade cauldrons on the floor.
After randomly picking one, Shun Long didn't hesitate, as he picked more than a dozen rank 3 medicinal herbs from the 'Stone of Time', and placed them in front of him.
Since he wanted to spread his name as an alchemist and attract more attention, the best way to do that was by showing his real abilities.
Time soon passed like this, and Shun Long took on, one test after the other.
4 hours quickly passed, while Yao Huang and the ponytailed man were now staring at Shun Long with their mouths agape.
Shun Long instead smiled lightly as he opened the lid of his cauldron, revealing 6 golden-colored pills, as a powerful medicinal scent wafted throughout the room. A revitalizing feeling swept the 2 silver grade alchemists bodies.
Seeing the top-grade rank 4 'Sun-healing pills', both Yao Huang as well as the ponytailed man, were now at a loss for words.
Yao Huang wanted to speak, but the ponytailed man took a step forward first, as he took out a silver-colored badge from his spatial ring and handed it to Shun Long as he said smilingly
''Brother Shun...no senior Shun... I offer you my congratulations! This is the first time that I have seen such a young rank 3 silver grade alchemist! I am certain that the higher-ups of our 'Alchemists' Guild' will be very excited.
From the way that this ponytailed man was speaking about the 'Alchemists' Guild', Shun Long guessed, that he most likely wasn't a member of some other power, like Yao Huang.
Yao Huang instead was alarmed, when he saw the attention that the ponytailed man was now placing on 'his target'. He had originally hoped to find a promising silver grade alchemist, but Shun Long had already passed all 3 tests, to become a rank 3 silver grade alchemist.
Probably, even the higher-ups of the 'Alchemists' Guild' wouldn't allow other powers to poach him.
Shun Long's lips slowly curved up into a smile, as he received the cauldron-shaped badge with 3 stars from the ponytailed man in front of him.
The man then looked at Shun Long who was holding the badge in his hands with a respectful look on his face, as he asked
''Senior Shun, would you like to come with us and meet with the higher-ups of our 'Alchemists' Guild'? After all, me and Yao Huang both have to report it, when a rank 3 silver-grade alchemist appears in the examination.''