"Herbs!" Grace exclaimed. "There are so many herbs growing on this island! Can you bring me back here to gather more next time?"
Evan Xiao swept his divine sense across the fairy island. What was once a beautiful place had now been dug up and left pockmarked by her...
Evan Xiao resisted the urge to bury her in the dirt, and through gritted teeth, he spat out three words: "No. Way. Ever!"
Grace couldn't help but feel a little regret—she should've dug up even more...
After sending them back, Evan Xiao called out, "Grace."
"Hmm?"
"Don't think that just because I took you to my Royal Domain, you can start having wild fantasies."
"Huh?" Grace looked confused. "What's a Royal Domain? And what wild fantasies am I supposed to have?"
Evan Xiao said nothing and simply turned to leave.
Later, Grace flipped through that book called "The Divine Race." After searching for ages, she finally found out that princes and princesses of the Divine Race, once grown, could receive their own Royal Domain as a reward for military achievements.
This Royal Domain is basically the same as the fiefdoms that human lords have.
But there are some differences—Royal Domains for the Divine Race are actually independent little worlds.
Only those who have the owner's permission can enter that little world.
In the Drake Abyss, Royal Domains are usually private residences for Dragon Clan members after they start a family. In other words, only their wives and children are allowed in.
Grace curled her lips in disdain.
Just endless water, not even a single house—who'd want to go there? Not her! No way!
...
In the blink of an eye, the Alchemist Certification Exam was about to begin.
The higher the rank of the Alchemist Certification Exam, the harder it gets.
That's why they don't take the exam every year—only when they feel ready do they sign up for the test.
There are over twenty alchemists in the Herb Division, but only five signed up for the exam. That says a lot about how tough it is.
Grace was one of those five.
She went straight for the Level Thirteen Alchemist Certification!
This caused quite a stir within the Guild.
Some said she was arrogant and didn't know her own limits.
Others thought she was mysterious and unfathomable.
And some just said she must've lost her mind...
On the day of the exam, every alchemist in the Eastern Luo Empire who wanted to rank up was there—a seriously huge crowd.
All the prep work had to be handled by the Guild, so the Six Departments were super busy. The Herb Division, of course, was in charge of gathering all the backup medicinal materials.
The day before the exam, Ms. Rachel Zhang, the Division Chief, called all the alchemists together for a meeting.
All the alchemists gathered in the Chief's Hall, seated according to rank, while the attendants served tea.
Honestly, if Grace were Rachel Zhang, she'd be way too embarrassed to show her face in public again.
But when Rachel Zhang appeared, she acted completely normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
That level of thick skin was honestly impressive.
Ms. Rachel Zhang gathered everyone to talk about the upcoming exam.
She announced that the Guild Master had ordered everyone—alchemists and attendants alike—to stay at the Guild overnight, ready to be called on at any time.
Then she encouraged this year's exam participants, wishing them success, and singled out Grace for special mention.
"Grace, it's been less than two years since you passed Level Nine, and now you're going for Level Thirteen. That's a genius-level pace! I hope you succeed and let us witness a miracle," Ms. Rachel Zhang smiled at her.
Grace replied, "Thank you for the encouragement, Chief. I'll do my best."
Ms. Rachel Zhang then turned to Mason Fu and said, "Mason, you've been at the Eastern Alliance for years but still haven't passed Level Ten. Compared to Grace, you're practically useless! You need to learn from her and work harder."