As these people were sizing up Lin Xuan, Lin Xuan was also observing them. He noticed there were over a dozen people inside the hall, all of whom were fourth-grade Alchemy Masters. Their ages varied, but even the youngest were middle-aged, while the majority were elders.
Sitting at the head of the hall was an elder in a white robe, none other than the Master of the Pill Tower. Beside him stood a young woman of incomparable beauty, but she had an extrely cold deanor. She was the Tower Master’s disciple, Bing Qing. Lin Xuan had seen her before at the conference for new Alchemy Masters.
"Young Master Lin, you’ve finally arrived!"
Upon seeing Lin Xuan, the Master of the Pill Tower stood up and greeted him with a smile. The surrounding Alchemy Masters looked on in surprise. They had guessed wrong; this young man wasn’t a servant there to pour tea. It seed he was an Alchemy Master as well. Moreover, his status must be quite high for the Master of the Pill Tower to greet him personally. Truly incredible!
"Greetings, Tower Master," Lin Xuan said, cupping his fists in a bow.
"Young Master Lin, no need for formalities. Please, have a seat!" the Tower Master replied, waving with a smile.
Lin Xuan found an empty seat and sat down. At that mont, soone asked, "Tower Master, who is this?"
"Yes, please introduce him. Is he a genius from one of the great families?"
"Don’t you recognize him?" the Master of the Pill Tower asked, puzzled. "He is Champion Marquis Lin Xuan. A young alchemical prodigy and the possessor of an Anomalous Fire."
"What? Champion Marquis! It’s him!"
The surrounding Alchemy Masters were in an uproar. They had certainly heard the na, as it had recently been the talk of the town. However, not many had actually seen Lin Xuan in person. Most of these Alchemy Masters spent their ti either in secluded cultivation or refining elixirs. Hearing Lin Xuan’s na now, they were exceedingly astonished and turned their heads one by one to size him up again.
So looked on with curiosity, marveling that the Champion Marquis was so young, while others wore expressions of pure disdain.
One of them, an elder nad Master Song, sneered, "Does a liar and a braggart have any right to be here?"
Lin Xuan frowned. How am I a liar? When did I brag? Who is this old man? Why is he targeting right from the start?
"That’s Master Song," Bing Qing explained quietly from the side. "The Song Family is a family of Alchemy Masters. You’re familiar with their peerless genius, Song Xingyun, aren’t you? He’s a disciple of the Pill Master, and also Master Song’s grandson."
Oh, so he’s Song Xingyun’s grandfather. No wonder he’s being so snide. Previously, Song Xingyun had not only lost to him at the Alchemy Masters’ conference but had also been severely humiliated.
Lin Xuan said coldly, "Master Song, you claim I’m a braggart. Do you have any proof?"
"Proof? What proof do I need?" Master Song rolled his eyes. "Everyone in the Great Xia Country knows you’re full of hot air! You claid the Green Lotus Anomalous Fire was in your hands and that you’d absorbed it. If that isn’t bragging, what is?"
The other Alchemy Masters began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Exactly! How could the Green Lotus Anomalous Fire be in his possession?"
"It’s surely in the hands of the Pill King!"
"And absorbing an Anomalous Fire? How is that even possible?"
"Anomalous Fires are incompatible with one another. To absorb even one is a trendous stroke of luck."
"Absorbing a second one? Dream on."
A few of them, who were on good terms with the Pill King, also spoke up. "Tower Master, I don’t think he is qualified to be here."
"Indeed! Why was he invited? What help can a young brat like him possibly offer?"
These n were all dismissive of Lin Xuan, so even wanting to drive him out.
Bing Qing patted his shoulder and sighed, "Lin Xuan, you really went overboard with your bragging this ti. I think you should just apologize publicly. Otherwise, these masters won’t let it go."
Lin Xuan shook his head. "Why should I apologize? I’m not bragging. I really do have the Green Lotus Anomalous Fire."
Bing Qing was speechless. Forget it. I’m done with this guy. Annoyed, she turned and walked away. He’s still bragging even now. He’s impossible!
"Alright," the Master of the Pill Tower’s voice cut through the noise. "Everyone, quiet down."
The Alchemy Masters fell silent.
The Master continued, "Even if the matter of the Green Lotus Anomalous Fire was just a boast, Young Master Lin does possess an Anomalous Fire, and thus has a chance to help . I ask that you all please exercise so restraint. Give so face and do not criticize Young Master Lin further."
"Fine, we’ll give the Tower Master that much face." The Alchemy Masters reluctantly agreed, finally letting Lin Xuan off the hook.
Lin Xuan paid them no mind. A bunch of frogs in a well. What do they know? He turned to the Tower Master and said, "Tower Master, I heard that to help you, I must first pass a test. What kind of test will it be?"
The other masters were taken aback. There’s a test? But they weren’t worried. They were all fourth-grade Alchemy Masters with top-notch alchemy skills. What kind of test could possibly stump them? On the contrary, they figured this Lin Xuan would probably be eliminated in no ti.
The Master of the Pill Tower glanced around, saw that everyone had arrived, and said, "Then I will get straight to the point. The elixir I intend to refine is of a very high grade: a fifth-grade elixir. This elixir is exceedingly difficult to create, and the success rate is very low. I doubt I can succeed on my own, so I need to find two or three people to assist ."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Alchemy Masters fell silent, their faces masks of shock. A fifth-grade elixir! Isn’t that sothing only a Pill King can refine? The Master of the Pill Tower is powerful, but he’s not a fifth-grade Alchemy Master. He’s at the peak of the fourth grade, but there’s still so distance to the fifth. Can he really refine a fifth-grade elixir now? Truly incredible! So even wondered if it was possible. This was refining an elixir beyond one’s grade.
The Master of the Pill Tower explained, "With my strength alone, it would indeed be impossible. However, this ti I will activate a formation array to assist the process. Therefore, there is so chance of success. As for the assistants I need, besides powerful alchemy skills, the most important requirent is a powerful fla. Only then can you assist effectively. Next, there will be a small test."
"I will activate the array required for the refinent. This array releases a type of earth fla. You simply need to enter the array and release your own flas. If you can withstand it for ten minutes, you pass the test."
Just endure for ten minutes? The masters collectively sighed in relief, feeling it would be quite easy.
The Master of the Pill Tower simply smiled. He ford a seal with his hand and waved it toward the empty space in the hall. The entire hall shook violently as countless runes materialized on the floor.
In an instant, a fla array enveloped the entire hall. Clusters of fla erged from within the runes. Shockingly, they were white flas. The mont they appeared, the temperature in the hall plumted, and it felt as if frost was about to form on everyone’s bodies.
What is happening? What kind of fla is this? The faces of the Alchemy Masters changed drastically.
The Tower Master announced, "This is the Nine Nether Fire. It possesses an extrely cold Fla Power. Your task is to withstand it for ten minutes. Who would like to go first?"
The hall fell deathly silent. The faces of the Alchemy Masters were grim. Just monts ago, they had been laughing, saying the test was simple and they could pass it with ease. Now, they were thoroughly humiliated. This fla posed a fatal threat to them! They feared that lasting ten minutes would not be easy at all; it was highly likely they couldn’t withstand it. For a mont, no one dared to step forward.
Lin Xuan, however, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Although this fla is powerful, it doesn’t concern in the slightest. I’ve already mastered my Nine Heavens Mysterious Fla to an expert degree, so withstanding the Nine Nether Fire will be no problem. Besides, I also have the Green Lotus Earth Core Fla. With two flas working together, resisting this will be as easy as flipping my hand. I have nothing to worry about.
He spoke aloud, "I thought the test would be difficult. Turns out it’s quite simple."
"What?"
The surrounding Alchemy Masters were dumbfounded, doubting their own ears. Simple? Is he joking?
Master Song rolled his eyes. This kid is bragging again. Simple, he says? I bet you can’t even last a single second!
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