"Miss Black Lotus, please follow me," the woman gestured politely, leading Nangong Huan to the side hall, the place for potion master certification.


    As they approached, a rich aroma of herbs filled the air, invigorating their senses.


    Dong Yan Chao also caught a whiff, swallowing hard, his hands itching to touch the magical herbs. But just then, he was handed a few candies instead.


    Whoa, you can’t just touch anything here!


    As they walked through, both sides of the path were lined with shelves displaying a plethora of magical herbs.


    Over the years, with the help of the Spirit Elder, Nangong Huan had learned to simulate the potion-making process using spirit energy, becoming familiar with these herbs and their refining methods.


    Dong Yan Chao waited outside the side hall while Nangong Huan stepped inside. What greeted her were several gray potion furnaces of varying sizes, the smallest one could be held in the palm of her hand, while the largest required both arms to embrace.


    Inside the hall, a distinguished woman dressed elegantly was chatting amicably with an elderly man.


    "Princess Chang, if you have any requests, feel free to speak," Elder Xue said with a warm smile, his demeanor kind.


    "Teacher, please just call me Xiran. To be honest, I..." Song Xiran’s words trailed off as Nangong Huan was brought in.


    Nangong Huan caught only the tail end of their conversation and glanced at the noblewoman. Was that the Princess Chang?


    It was rumored that the royal family of the Fengxuan Empire had a particularly beautiful princess, ethereal and graceful. Seeing her today, the rumors were indeed true.


    "Here for the assessment? Step over here, child," Elder Xue beckoned to Nangong Huan, then turned back to Song Xiran. "Please wait a moment, I’ll assess this student first."


    Song Xiran fell silent, sitting elegantly with her hands resting in her lap, her demeanor graceful as she secretly scrutinized Nangong Huan.


    Elder Xue glanced at the form Nangong Huan had submitted, then pointed to a nearby crystal ball. "Place your hand on this to test your affinity."


    Seeing that Elder Xue didn’t mind Song Xiran’s presence, Nangong Huan placed her hand on the crystal ball.


    In that instant, the crystal ball shimmered with vibrant colors, gradually turning red!


    "Hmm?" Elder Xue’s eyes widened, his neck stretching as he leaned closer, nearly pressing his face against the crystal ball!


    Within seconds, the crystal ball transformed into a bright red!


    A number appeared in the center: one hundred!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "One hundred percent affinity?!" Elder Xue exclaimed, stunned into silence!


    Could it be broken? He pulled his hand away and placed his own on the ball, quickly revealing a number: eighty-one.


    Well, it wasn’t broken! She truly had one hundred percent affinity!


    He recalled historical records—the last person with one hundred percent affinity was over three thousand years ago!


    Elder Xue looked at Nangong Huan in shock, finding her equally astonished.


    Nangong Huan knew she had an affinity for magical herbs but didn’t know how high it was. To find out it was one hundred percent was astonishing!


    "Foolish disciple, the Earth Spirit Energy possesses an absolute affinity for all natural beings," the Spirit Elder scoffed proudly.


    Song Xiran’s eyes brightened, contemplating how talented this girl was. If she could recruit her...


    "You’re called Black Lotus? Only sixteen years old? Can you remove your veil?" Elder Xue took another serious look at the form, wondering when Jianglou City had produced such a genius. Was she a disciple of some old master?


    Nangong Huan hesitated before responding, "I’m sorry, senior. I was burned as a child, and my face is scarred. I don’t want anyone to see."


    "No problem, you can start refining potions now," Elder Xue nodded, not pressing further, feeling sympathetic towards Nangong Huan.


    Nangong Huan approached the herb shelves, selecting several magical herbs before choosing a suitably sized furnace. She ignited it with her spirit energy, carefully adding the herbs one by one.


    This time, she was refining a special potion for digestion.


    While the steps seemed simple, the actual execution required precise control and mental focus from a potion master.


    Nangong Huan infused her spirit energy into the herbs, constantly monitoring the changes.


    As time passed, the potion in the furnace began to emit a strange blue glow.


    After about fifteen minutes, the potion turned a deep blue. At that moment, Nangong Huan extinguished the flame, quickly pouring it into a glass vial and sealing it.


    The deep blue liquid glimmered with an ethereal light, reminding Nangong Huan of the deep blue in Dong Yan Chao''s eyes.


    Both Elder Xue and Song Xiran gasped in awe!


    "A digestion potion, grade three, with a one hundred percent fusion rate!" Elder Xue was stunned!


    Potions were graded from one to ten, with one being the lowest and ten the highest. The fusion rate directly corresponded to the potion''s efficacy.


    Most potions on the market had a fusion rate of around fifty percent, meaning they could only deliver half their potential. For example, this digestion potion, at the same grade, would last a month with Nangong Huan’s formulation, while one with a fifty percent fusion rate would only last half a month.


    For potions that required a success rate, like promotion potions, the success rate was often only fifty percent, so everyone aimed for high fusion rates when buying.


    Even high-level potion master elders typically achieved a maximum fusion rate of ninety; no one had ever managed one hundred percent!


    "A chosen potion master!" Elder Xue exclaimed, stepping forward to grasp Nangong Huan''s hands. "May I ask who your master is? Can I meet him?"


    "My master... is called the Spirit Elder. He enjoys wandering and I’m not sure where he is," Nangong Huan replied, twitching her lips. Well, he was actually in her Dimensional Ring.


    The Spirit Elder? Elder Xue pondered. Among the top potion masters he knew, none had the surname "Spirit." Could he be some hidden powerhouse?


    Elder Xue looked at Nangong Huan with increasing admiration.


    "Alright, if there’s a chance, I hope to meet him. By the way, here’s a badge for you." Elder Xue rummaged through a drawer for a while before producing a unique black-gold potion master badge, inscribing "Black Lotus" on the back before handing it to her.


    "This badge seems different?" Nangong Huan examined it closely, noticing it was quite distinct from ordinary potion master badges, feeling exquisite in texture with intricate carvings.


    "Hehe, this is a special badge for esteemed potion masters. With this badge, wherever you go, you’ll be treated as a guest of honor!" Elder Xue proudly explained.


    Esteemed badge! Nangong Huan nearly dropped it in shock!


    Who would have thought that in just a certification, she would receive a badge of such high status!


    At this moment, Nangong Huan was unaware of just how precious this badge was; even in the entire Fengxuan Empire, there were no more than five holders!