Rise of the Alchemy God

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When Ethan's turn came, he stepped forward without hesitation toward the examination area and positioned himself in the center of the field.

There, in front of him, stood a black-red stone pedestal upon which rested a pitch-black sphere.

The sphere had a smooth, glass-like surface, and while it seemed plain from the outside, Ethan could immediately sense that the object in front of him was anything but ordinary.

'Interesting'

He could perceive a series of inscriptions within the sphere, and through his senses, he was able to discern their structure and arrangement, easily deducing their purpose.

The inscriptions in question formed a mechanism designed to absorb demonic energy and, based on its intensity, categorize it into specific grades.

Ethan had already figured out that this was how the demons precisely determined someone's cultivation level.

For someone inexperienced in the art of inscriptions, it would be difficult to bypass the sphere's control over demonic energy and, consequently, lower their actual ranking.

Unfortunately for the demons, Ethan was not only a level-4 Array master but also a human with a unique physique.

These two traits not only allowed him to manipulate the inscriptions within the sphere but also dilute the concentration of demonic Qi in the energy he channeled into it.

On the opposite side of the sphere stood a demoness with a simple appearance.

She had short, dark pink hair that barely reached her shoulders, violet skin, and, Oddly enough, despite her small frame and cute face, she had a certain charm.

Ethan, while not particularly skilled at judging the beauty of demons, could still appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one.

That said, in his eyes, the demoness's charm was only slightly above average.

Having been surrounded by a certain dragon woman for nearly two centuries, he had become immune to such levels of allure.

The demoness glanced at him, unable to resist giving him a second look before gesturing toward the sphere and nodding as she said,

"You may begin whenever you're ready. If you don't understand any part of the test, feel free to ask." Her tone was teasing yet kind.

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The other demons nearby, seeing this treatment, were infuriated as they recalled that none of them had even received so much as a single glance from her, let alone the chance to interact.

"Damn it, where did someone like him come from?" muttered a demon resembling a minotaur, complete with bat-like wings and a snake-like tail.

"Tch, the world is unfair. Even weaklings like him can get by just because they have a pretty face," sneered another demon with a skinny figure and a donkey-like face.

"Speak for yourselves. Just wait until it's my turn. You'll see her fall at my feet with a single look," boasted another demon, who was immediately mocked by those around him.

Ethan's presence undoubtedly drew attention, and even among the spectators, many cast envious and admiring glances his way.

While a series of murmurs spread, Ethan simply nodded in acknowledgment and placed his hand atop the black sphere.

Immediately, those who had been gossiping fell silent as an inexplicable chill swept over them, causing goosebumps to rise.

The sensation lasted only a moment, but it was enough to silence everyone present as they looked around in search of the source.

Even the demoness administering the test glanced around, caught off guard by the sudden feeling.

'What was that just now?' she wondered, as bewildered as the others.

Everyone was confused, but no one noticed the expression on Ethan's face as he let out a sigh of relief while channeling his dark aura into the sphere.

'That was close.' He felt fortunate to have suppressed his aura in time.

As he released his demonic energy, believing he had sufficiently diluted it, an invisible pressure radiated from him. It wasn't linked to the concentration of demonic energy but rather to his unique demonic physique, which emitted that sensation.

Ethan hadn't seen that coming and was caught off guard too.

It seemed that his demonic physique had a suppressive effect on others of the same race.

He wasn't sure if it was the same ability that had activated when he first met Lin Yu, but for now, that wasn't important.

He could only breathe a sigh of relief as he hurried to complete the examination of his demonic Qi.

He didn't want any more incidents like this to happen.

Soon, the pitch-black sphere began to emit a faint yellowish aura that surrounded it. The aura lingered briefly before gradually fading away.

Ethan wasn't entirely sure what the phenomenon indicated, but he had a guess.

'Yellow stands for the second grade?' he thought, turning his attention to the demoness.

The demoness, now out of her temporary daze, had written something on a rectangular stone tablet in her hand.

She then looked up at Ethan with a smile and said,

"Peak of the second stage cultivation. You've passed the examination," she announced, congratulating him.

Needless to say, even this treatment was something reserved solely for him, and seeing it, even participants at the third stage struggled to maintain their composure.

'You can congratulate him but not me, even though I'm stronger?' thought a few third-stage demons bitterly.

Ethan paid no attention to any of them as he stepped aside to make way for the elven girl behind him.

He intended to introduce her as his servant and request her evaluation as well, but just as he turned to speak to her, he noticed she was looking at him strangely.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

'Could she have...' He wasn't sure, but recalling her unawakened law and affinity for the elements, he began to form some speculations.

As expected, the elven girl, unlike the demons, had been able to determine that it was Ethan who had emitted that aura.

However, knowing that he was hiding things, she didn't dwell on it and stepped forward when he made way.

Ethan, realizing Lin Yu wouldn't question him about the matter, set it aside and addressed the demoness.

"I'd like her to take the examination as well."

The demoness didn't ask any questions and simply nodded as she pulled out a different object and handed it to Lin Yu.

Ethan could tell they were going to use a tool designed for spiritual energy to measure her cultivation level, as the earlier sphere was clearly unsuitable.

Lin Yu's examination concluded quickly, and though slightly surprised, the demoness congratulated Ethan for having such a young servant already at the peak of the first stage.

She handed both of them gray badges marked with what appeared to be a single red star.

These were proof of their status as one-star soldiers, the minimum requirement to join the demon army and gain the opportunity to join a team for missions.

Without it, using the portals would attract unwanted attention.

Ethan glanced at the simple-looking badge.

He had finally taken the first step toward leaving this place.

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