A Chance Meeting with an Old Friend

On these gleaming crystal floors, there were also many more exquisitely crafted crystal stands. And just by looking at the items displayed on these stands, one could tell from a distance that their appearance and the energy they emitted were far superior to the goods in the hall below.

The number of Alchemist here is far fewer than below, but their quality is significantly higher.

Most of them were composed and well-dressed. They quietly stopped in front of the items that interested them, and then whispered with the stall owner about the terms of the exchange. The atmosphere was quite harmonious and sophisticated.

Lin Ming's gaze, also carrying a hint of scrutiny, slowly swept over these crystal stands. His Soul Power, like invisible tentacles, quietly spread out, sensing the energy and properties contained within those items.

Just as his gaze swept over an inconspicuous crystal platform not far ahead, he paused slightly and stopped.

His gaze fell on an open White Jade Box placed on the crystal table.

Inside the warm Jade Box, an oval fruit, about the size of a fist and with an eerie blood-red color, lay quietly on the soft brocade. The fruit's surface was smooth, with faint natural patterns, and wisps of pure Blood Qi emanated from it, exuding an extremely rich vitality and fluctuations of some ancient bloodline power.

"This is... Blood Essence Demonic Fruit?" Lin Ming raised an eyebrow, recognizing this rather rare medicinal herb. After all, when he was refining the Bone-Regenerating Soul-Melding Pill for Elder Yao, the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit was one of the three main ingredients. However, Lin Ming didn't really need it now.

So Lin Ming immediately shifted his focus to searching for items he needed more.

A clear voice, tinged with both composure and urgency, rang out from the Jade Box containing the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit.

"Boss, how did you trade this Blood Essence Demonic Fruit?"

That sound...

Hearing that voice, which he hadn't heard in a long time but which still felt very familiar deep in Lin Ming's soul, Lin Ming was slightly taken aback. Then, an undisguised, bright smile, full of surprise and delight, instantly filled his face like sunshine.

Because he never expected to encounter an old friend here, in this way!

Beneath Lin Ming's bright smile lay a hint of mischief. He hadn't expected to encounter an... old friend here, in this way!

A mischievous thought instantly popped into Lin Ming's mind.

So Lin Ming immediately cleared his throat, adopted the arrogant and domineering tone of a spoiled brat, and called out to the stall owner behind the crystal counter:

"Boss! I've got my eye on this Blood Essence Demonic Fruit! I don't care what the guy in front of me bids, I'll pay double! I want this fruit!"

The voice rang out abruptly, carrying an undisguised air of wealth and arrogance, instantly shattering the previously relatively quiet and harmonious atmosphere on the second floor.

The person in front of the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit, who was whispering with the stall owner, visibly stiffened, and then a surge of anger welled up inside him.

I was having a great discussion with the boss, almost finalizing the price, when suddenly this troublemaker appeared out of nowhere, and in such an unreasonable, money-grubbing way? How am I supposed to negotiate now? Even if we eventually reach an agreement, this jerk will probably drive the price up to an exorbitant level! Besides, first come, first served is the most basic rule; does this person have absolutely no manners?

Driven by all this dissatisfaction and anger, the man abruptly shifted his gaze from the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit, and with a hint of rage, looked over in the direction of the sound. He wanted to see who this person was who dared to be so arrogant in this trade fair supported by the Pill Tower!

The first thing that catches the eye is a low-key yet high-quality blue robe.

As my gaze shifted downwards, and I could clearly see the badge on the other person's chest—a dark gold background, with seven purple-gold stars radiating a chilling majesty atop a giant tower wreathed in flames!

Rank 7 Intermediate Alchemist!

The man's pupils contracted slightly, and his anger dissipated by more than half, replaced by a sense of solemnity and apprehension.

Rank 7 Intermediate Alchemist has indeed reached the upper-middle level of the Alchemist class on this continent, possessing a status and power that ordinary people can hardly attain.

Such a person certainly... has the right to be "arrogant" to a certain extent.

However, considering the other party's lack of manners and unreasonable interference, he decided to take a closer look at this person, at least to find out who was being so domineering.

His gaze slowly moved upwards, and a face that was excessively young, even somewhat delicate-looking, came into view.

At this point, the man was quite shocked! Rank 7 Intermediate Alchemist at such a young age?! This talent is simply monstrous! He's probably the personal disciple of some super power or a reclusive old monster, right? If he had such talent and achievements, he'd probably... be able to walk sideways with impunity!

Thinking this to himself as if trying to console himself, he was almost prepared to swallow this bitter pill. After all, offending such a young Rank 7 Intermediate Alchemist for a Blood Essence Demonic Fruit was simply unwise.

Wait, something's not right...

That face... the more I look at it, the more familiar it seems.

That slightly cynical smile, those bright and deep eyes, that overall profile... how could it be so similar to that gifted yet occasionally mischievous junior brother I remembered from several years ago in the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy?!

The floodgates of memory suddenly opened, and the youthful face lingering deep in my mind quickly overlapped with the young yet already dignified face before me!

In an instant, all anger vanished, replaced by unbelievable surprise and immense joy at the long-awaited reunion!

"Lin... Lin Ming?! You... are you Lin Ming?" Xu Shilin's voice trembled slightly. Although the appearance matched almost perfectly, he was still hesitant to completely confirm it when he thought of the dazzling badge on the other person's chest that symbolized Rank 7 Intermediate Alchemist. He asked tentatively and excitedly.

"Hahahaha!" Seeing his senior brother Xu Shilin's wonderful expression, which went from mild anger to shock, and then to a mixture of surprise and disbelief, Lin Ming could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

His previous arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, and he returned to his original cheerful self.

"Senior brother! What's wrong? It hasn't been that many years since we last met! You've already forgotten your own junior brother? Believe me, when I tell Teacher, you'll get a good scolding from him again!"

Hearing that incredibly familiar teasing tone and that long-lost "Senior Brother," Xu Shilin's last trace of doubt vanished completely, and a surge of immense joy welled up inside him, causing him to burst into laughter.

He rushed forward to Lin Ming's side, patted Lin Ming's shoulder forcefully, and laughed and scolded, "Well! You brat! So many years have passed, and you're already trying to undermine your senior brother as soon as we meet, huh? You think you're all grown up now? When we see our teacher, you won't even need to complain; I'll be the one to tell him about you first, saying you've been bullying me outside because of your alchemy skills! Let's see who the teacher scolds then, you or me!"

"Hehe! Alright, alright! Senior brother, if we brothers keep undermining each other like this, we'll just make ourselves a laughingstock!" Seeing this, Lin Ming immediately "backed down" and said with a grin, "I won't compete with you for the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit. You can go and buy it in peace! I was just joking with you to lighten the mood!"

Seeing the two brothers instantly go from being at each other's throats to being all smiles and friendly, some of the bystanders who had noticed the commotion also smiled kindly. The stall owner behind the crystal counter also breathed a sigh of relief; he was really afraid that if these two got into a fight, they would destroy his little stall.

Subsequently, without Lin Ming, the "spoiled brat," causing trouble, Xu Shilin quickly reached a deal with the stall owner and successfully acquired the Blood Essence Demonic Fruit, which was quite beneficial to his cultivation.

Xu Shilin did not come alone. He was accompanied by a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor and sharp eyes. The man's strength was around Six-Star Dou Ancestor. He was his clan uncle and was responsible for protecting his safety.

The two groups joined together, with five people on Lin Ming's side and two on Xu Shilin's side, making a total of seven people. The group quickly grew larger and began to stroll around the second floor of the trade fair.

"Senior brother, you're really something! You've done really well these past few years!" As they walked, Lin Ming's gaze fell on the badge on Xu Shilin's chest that shimmered with six brilliant Purple-Gold Stars, and he exclaimed in sincere admiration.

"Back when you graduated from the academy, you were just stepping into the threshold of Tier 5 Alchemist under the guidance of Teacher Elder Huo, right? In less than ten years, you've already reached the Sixth Grade High-level! That's quite an astonishing speed of advancement! If Teacher knew, I don't know how happy he would be!"

He truly meant what he said. Xu Shilin was already quite talented, and with his hard work and diligence, his achievements are something to be proud of.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shilin rolled his eyes at Lin Ming, then chuckled and said, "You brat, stop making fun of me! Are you deliberately trying to mock your senior brother? You're already at the Seventh Grade Intermediate, and I've only advanced to the Sixth Grade High-level? You think that's 'not bad'? Compared to you, my progress is as slow as a snail!"

"Hey, senior brother, you can't say that!" Lin Ming immediately put on a serious face and waved his hand, saying, "That's different! After all, you know my talent... hehe, my speed is always a little bit faster. Don't compare yourself to me, comparisons will only make you miserable! Compared to others, you're already a genius among geniuses!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "a little bit," and his feigned humility masked his smugness, making Xu Shilin's teeth itch with envy.

"You brat! You've got a trick on me again, haven't you! I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your teacher!" Xu Shilin instantly adopted the air of a senior brother, pretending to hit him, and chased after Lin Ming for two steps while laughing and cursing. Lin Ming laughed and nimbly dodged.

Watching the two fellow disciples playfully banter without any barriers, Xiao Yi Xian's lips curved slightly, a hint of warmth flickering in her cool eyes. Elder Yao also stroked his beard and chuckled, seemingly recalling his own youth. Ye Zhong and Xin Lan wore smiles, sensing Lin Ming's genuine ease and joy. Xu Shilin's uncle also wore a gentle smile.

And so, the group of seven strolled through most of the second floor in this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

The items on the second floor were indeed much better than those on the first floor, and both Lin Ming and Xu Shilin made some purchases thanks to their sharp eyes.

Lin Ming traded some high-grade medicinal herbs that he didn't need for several rather obscure but potentially useful auxiliary materials in the future, as well as a piece of strange metal containing pure Star Power, which he felt might be helpful for the subsequent evolution of Puppet One and the others. Xu Shilin also obtained two rare medicinal herbs that would be helpful to his current alchemy.

Before they knew it, they had explored most of the noteworthy areas on the second floor and arrived at the staircase leading to the third floor, which was also the highest-level area of the trade fair.

At the top of the stairs, the guards were even more heavily armed, and their presence was even stronger. The stairs leading to the third floor seemed to be made of some kind of warm white jade, smooth as a mirror, radiating a faint energy fluctuation, showing its extraordinary nature.

"The third floor..." Xu Shilin looked up, a hint of longing in his eyes, but then he shrugged and smiled helplessly, "My Sixth Grade High-level badge isn't qualified to go up there yet. Looks like I can only accompany you this far."

His uncle nodded in agreement; the third floor was the domain of Dou Venerate or Seventh Grade Alchemist, and they were indeed not qualified.

Lin Ming smiled and patted Xu Shilin on the shoulder, "Don't worry, senior brother. I'll go up and see what good stuff I can find. If there's anything suitable for you, I'll let you know later."

"Alright! Then hurry up and go up, don't keep the treasures up there waiting." Xu Shilin laughed heartily, without a trace of jealousy, only happiness for his junior brother.

Lin Ming nodded, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Ye Zhong. Xiao Yi Xian and Elder Yao were naturally fine with it, and although Ye Zhong's alchemy skills were not as good as Lin Ming's, they had still reached the Seventh Grade Low-level, which already met the requirements for going to the third level.

"Xin Lan, why don't you stay on the second floor and show my senior brother around? We'll go upstairs and take a look," Lin Ming said to Xin Lan.

"Okay, Big Brother Lin, you guys go ahead." Xin Lan nodded obediently.

At that moment, Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, Ye Zhong, under the respectful gaze of the guards, stepped onto the white jade steps leading to the highest hall of the Alchemist Trade Fair.

Xu Shilin watched Lin Ming's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, his eyes filled with emotion and pride. The junior brother who once required him and Elder Huo to worry about had now grown into someone he could only look up to. This feeling was truly wonderful!

He withdrew his gaze and smiled at his uncle and Xin Lan beside him, "Come on, let's go take another look over there, maybe we can still find something worthwhile!"

Meanwhile, Lin Ming and his companions had already entered the third level of the trade fair—a true forum for the exchange of the continent's top Alchemist and powerful figures! What kind of scene awaited them?