"Sorry. I encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation, and my Dou Qi burst out of my body for a moment, startling everyone."
Xiao Lin took a deep breath, and the surging Dou Qi flowed back into his limbs and bones, where it was refined away.
Rewards and pressure had both been applied, and the benefits offered were generous enough. Now it was time to show some strength, which was why Xiao Lin had put on that display.
The effect was surprisingly good. Only now did everyone remember that the Xiao family was ruthless enough to have destroyed the Misty Cloud Sect.
They were rather polite now, but once the sect was established, if they were not part of it, would they not become outsiders?
By this point, no one in the Jia Ma Empire wanted to face an opponent like the Xiao family. Their only choice was to become the Xiao family's friends...
However, President Fa Ma of the Alchemist Association was somewhat conflicted. His expression changed several times before he finally spoke.
"Our Alchemist Guild differs from families. The guild does not impose overly strict restrictions, so many alchemists are free agents. The Alchemist Guild cannot make their choices for them, so..."
The moment those words were spoken, the previously relaxed atmosphere in the hall instantly tightened.
Everyone appeared calm on the surface, but their thoughts were already racing. Judging by the look on old Fa Ma's face, he seemed unwilling to merge the Alchemist Guild into this alliance.
Although the Xiao family had said that joining was optional, considering the special nature of the Alchemist Association, they likely would not allow such an influential force to remain independent. It seemed that today would not end without some trouble.
Yet, contrary to everyone's expectations, the Alchemist Association was actually