Crimson Sun Melting Snow Pill
Although he had made up his mind, seeing the two families arguing, should he help the Wu Family? No, Lin Ming didn't need to depend on either side. What he needed to do was to use his own identity to contact Blazing Flame Valley and secure the alchemy spot!
Just then, a commotion arose outside the square.
"Look! It's Elder Chi Yun from Blazing Flame Valley!" a sharp-eyed person immediately exclaimed.
"And the master that the Zheng Family invited has also arrived!" someone exclaimed from not far away.
The crowd parted automatically to make way, and an elderly man Red Alchemist Robe walked in proudly, surrounded by a group of high-ranking members of the Zheng Family.
The old man wore a badge on his chest with seven silver ripples and a small tower-shaped mark—this was the symbol of Seventh Grade Alchemist recognized by the Pill Tower!
Having the status of Seventh Grade Alchemist recognized by the Pill Tower is enough to warrant a grand reception anywhere in the Middle Continent.
On the other side, an elderly man dressed in a simple red robe, with a ruddy complexion and an aura like a dormant volcano, walked over, accompanied by several attendants of considerable bearing.
He didn't deliberately exude any aura, but the subtle pressure he revealed made many Dou Emperors and Dou Zong present feel their hearts tremble. This person was none other than Elder Chi Yun of Blazing Flame Valley, whose strength was probably already at the Peak Dou Ancestor, and might even have touched the threshold of Dou Venerate!
The Zheng Family patriarch hurriedly greeted them, bowing respectfully to Elder Chi Yun and the Seventh Grade Alchemist, his face beaming with smiles. "Elder Chi Yun, Master Xiao, you two have finally arrived. Our Zheng Family has prepared Quiet Room; please come and rest."
The Seventh Grade Alchemist, known as Master Xiao, merely gave a faint "hmm," his gaze sweeping over the Wu Family members with an obvious hint of contempt.
The faces of the Wu Family members immediately turned extremely ugly. Master Xiao's arrival practically sealed their defeat in this competition. Seventh Grade Alchemist was extremely rare, even in the entire Northern Region of the Central Plains, and the Wu Family had no chance of finding Alchemist who could rival him in a short period of time.
Elder Chi Yun's gaze remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the dispute between the two families. He simply stated routinely, "I have come on the orders of the Valley Master to select a suitable Alchemist. The Zheng Family has recommended Master Xiao; does the Wu Family have anyone to recommend?"
The Wu Family patriarch's lips moved, his face ashen, and in the end he could only shake his head bitterly. "My Wu Family... has no suitable candidate to recommend at the moment."
Upon hearing this, the Zheng Family members immediately broke into victorious smiles, while the Wu Family remained deathly silent.
Just when everyone thought the situation was settled, a clear and calm voice suddenly rang out in the square:
"Wait a minute."
The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a blue robe, with a handsome face and outstanding temperament, slowly walking out from the crowd. It was Lin Ming.
In an instant, all eyes were on him. The Zheng Family members looked displeased, while the Wu Family members looked bewildered and confused.
"Who are you?" the Zheng Family patriarch asked, frowning, his tone unfriendly.
Elder Chi Yun and Master Xiao's gazes also fell on Lin Ming. The former's eyes flashed with curiosity, while the latter frowned impatiently.
Ignoring the Zheng Family head, Lin Ming walked straight to the center of the arena, bowed slightly to Elder Chi Yun, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "Junior Lin Ming greets Elder Chi Yun. I have heard that Blazing Flame Valley is seeking Alchemist. I am unworthy, but I would like to offer my services."
"Recommending himself?" Master Xiao scoffed upon hearing this, his tone full of sarcasm.
"Where did this ignorant brat come from? Among Alchemist, rank is paramount! Do you even know what Tier 7 means? How dare you speak so arrogantly here?"
The Zheng Family members also burst into mocking laughter.
Looking at Lin Ming's youthful face, the Wu Family members secretly shook their heads, holding no hope whatsoever. Such a young Alchemist, already a genius at the Fifth Grade, how could he possibly compete with Tier 7 master?
Elder Chi Yun did not immediately deny it. He sized up Lin Ming, sensing the subtle yet exceptionally pure and powerful Soul Power within the other's body, as well as a scorching aura that even he found somewhat elusive. With a slight tremor in his heart, he asked, "Young friend, since you are Alchemist, may I ask what rank you are now?"
Lin Ming smiled slightly, but did not directly answer the question about the rank.
With a slight thought, a vast and boundless Soul Power, like a tidal wave, slowly spread out from him as the center! The strength of this Soul Power far surpassed that of an ordinary 6th Grade Alchemist! What was even more astonishing was that within this Soul Power, there was also a trace of Destruction Intent that made one's soul tremble!
At the same time, with a flick of his finger, a wisp of cyan flame with a hint of gold inside leaped out from Lin Ming's fingertip. The flame seemed weak, but the moment it appeared, the temperature of the entire square seemed to rise a few degrees. The dazzling golden light at the center of the flame exuded a terrifying aura capable of burning everything!
The Flame Gold Earth Heart Fire! After being strengthened by the Life-Transforming Fire, its power is not to be underestimated!
"Soul Power... Spirit Realm?! And this flame..." Elder Chi Yun's pupils shrank slightly, and a solemn expression appeared on his face for the first time. He could sense that although this cyan -Golden Flame was not Heavenly Flames, it was of extremely high quality, had great potential, and was perfectly compatible with the soul of the young man in front of him.
Master Xiao's mocking expression froze instantly, replaced by a look of surprise and uncertainty. As Seventh Grade Alchemist, he possessed keen Soul Perception and could naturally sense the extraordinary nature of Lin Ming's powerful Soul Power and Strange Flame.
"Rank is merely an empty title." Lin Ming extinguished his flames, calmly looking at Xiao, his tone indifferent. "The way of alchemy ultimately depends on true skill. If you don't believe me, Master, you'll know once you try."
His calm words carried unparalleled confidence and sharpness!
The plaza fell silent. Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events. This mysterious young man in blue robes actually dared to step forward and confront a Seventh Grade Alchemist!
A spark of hope rekindled in the eyes of the Wu Family members. Although they still found it hard to believe, at least... things had changed!
The Zheng Family members, however, had grim expressions and stared intently at Lin Ming.
Elder Chi Yun looked at Lin Ming, who exuded an extraordinary air and confidence, and then at Master Xiao, whose face was grim. After a moment of contemplation, he had already made up his mind.
The pills that the Valley Master needs to refine are extremely special, requiring very high levels of fire and Soul Power. Although this young man is young, the foundation he has shown is extraordinary, and he may indeed be qualified to give it a try.
Furthermore, taking advantage of this nominal competition, hehe, isn't it possible to get two Seventh Grade Alchemists for me for free?
You should know that normally, hiring an Alchemist to refine a pill requires not only a generous reward, but also, according to Alchemist's custom, three sets of medicinal herbs. Regardless of how many Alchemist successfully refines, you can only receive a maximum of one pill.
Of course, the reason I say "most" is because three sets of medicinal herbs were not successfully refined. They were given a reward for nothing, yet still wasted three sets of herbs, and most importantly, there was nothing they could do about Alchemist.
Under the guise of this competition, not only were the rewards waived, but each person was also given a portion of medicinal herbs, ostensibly for the purpose of testing them.
Thinking of this, Elder Chi Yun immediately shouted, "Good!"
This drew everyone's attention to him. Elder Chi Yun immediately clapped his hands and laughed, "Since you are so confident, young friend, then let's proceed according to the rules. This time, our Blazing Flame Valley is seeking talent, not based on background, but solely on ability. Three days later, right here in this square, I will personally set the test. The two of you will refine the medicine together. The winner will be an honored guest of our Blazing Flame Valley, accompanying me back to the valley to assist the Valley Master in refining medicine!"
Master Xiao snorted coldly. Although he felt offended, he didn't dare to act rashly in front of Elder Chi Yun. He could only give Lin Ming a cold look. "Boy, since you've brought this upon yourself, let's see who's truly capable in three days! I hope you won't lose too badly then!"
Lin Ming smiled calmly, ignoring his threat, and simply bowed to Elder Chi Yun again, saying, "This junior will certainly keep the appointment on time."
Elder Chi Yun's decision to hold the competition in three days was like pouring cold water into a boiling oil pan, causing the entire Crimson Flame City to boil over.
On one side was Master Xiao, a renowned Seventh-Grade Alchemy Grandmaster who was a guest elder of the Pill Tower; on the other side was Lin Ming, a young man in a blue robe who was unknown but possessed extraordinary bearing and unfathomable depth. The spectacle of this duel was enough to attract all the prominent figures within a thousand miles to come and witness the event.
The Wu Family and Zheng Family temporarily ceased their quarrel, placing all their hopes on the Alchemist they had each supported. The Wu Family treated Lin Ming like an honored guest, providing him with the best accommodations and everything he needed, despite their lingering unease.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
As the sun rose again, the Central Plaza of Crimson Flame City was already packed with people. In the center of the square, two spacious areas had been temporarily cleared out, where Elder Chi Yun stood calmly with his hands behind his back. Master Xiao and Lin Ming stood on either side.
Master Xiao's expression was cold and arrogant. He glanced at Lin Ming and snorted, clearly not taking the young man seriously. With a flick of his sleeve, a deep blue flame rose from his palm. As the flame rolled, it vaguely transformed into a huge blue fire whale phantom, emitting a low roar. The surrounding temperature suddenly dropped, but it carried a sense of oppression like the deep sea.
"Deep Sea Blue Whale Fire!" someone knowledgeable exclaimed.
"This is an extremely rare high-level Beast Flame, said to have originated from the depths of the ocean, where a blue whale perished on lava, thus forming this extraordinary Beast Flame that combines the enduring power of water with the ferocity of fire!"
Master Xiao proudly controlled the blue fire whale, drawing cheers from the Zheng Family.
In contrast, Lin Ming was much calmer. He did not immediately summon flames, but simply stood quietly, adjusting his breathing, as if he were out of place with the noisy environment around him.
Seeing that the time had come, Elder Chi Yun announced loudly, "Today, the two of you will be refining a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill, the 'Crimson Sun Melting Snow Pill'!"