If It Blows Up, Don't Ask Me to Pay

"Her Soul Value, as measured back then, reached an astonishing 976! This record remains unbroken to this day!" Elder Sheng's voice paused for a moment before tinged with a hint of emotion.

976! This number struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart. The Alchemist present all knew that Soul Value exceeding 500 was considered excellent, exceeding 700 was considered genius, and approaching 1000... that was already a monstrous level existence! Cao Ying's alchemy talent was indeed terrifying!

"Hehe, now that the rules are clear, let's begin." Elder Sheng withdrew his gaze and smiled at the five people in the room. "Who wants to go first?"

Logically, in this kind of test, the later you go on stage, the greater the psychological pressure, and the better you can adjust your mindset based on the scores of those before you. However, Lin Ming had no such concerns at all.

Lin Ming had no intention of pulling off a grand finale; in the face of absolute power, order was meaningless. He immediately took a step forward, his posture as straight as a spear, his voice clear and resonant:

"Elder Sheng, let me go first!"

His initiative caused a slight commotion in the room. Ye Zhong and Xin Lan's hearts were in their throats.

"Very well, it's a good thing that young people have drive." Elder Sheng's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, then he nodded and did not refuse.

Lin Ming's first appearance instantly drew everyone's attention. It could be said that the vast majority of people present were most eagerly anticipating Lin Ming's performance. Because he represented not only themselves, but also the Ye Family, which was on the verge of collapse! The result of his first test would, to a large extent, foreshadow the fate of the Ye Family today! Whether they could retain their glorious title as one of the Five Great Families depended entirely on his performance!

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, a mixture of tension, anticipation, curiosity, and even schadenfreude, Lin Ming's steps came to a steady stop in front of the crystal-clear Crystal Stone.

He slowly raised his right hand, and his Soul Power began to subtly fluctuate on his palm. Just as his fingertips were about to lightly touch the smooth Mirror Disk, Lin Ming's movements suddenly stopped, much to everyone's surprise.

He withdrew his hand, and amidst the various puzzled, confused, and urging gazes of the crowd, he turned around to face Elder Sheng, a harmless yet slightly embarrassed smile on his face, and asked a question that instantly stunned everyone present, making them almost think they had misheard:

"Um... Elder Sheng, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is the maximum Soul Value that this Crystal Stone for testing Soul Value can withstand?"

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, then added in a tone that was both concerned and somewhat worried:

"You see, what if... I mean, what if, by accident, the amount of Soul Power inputted is just a tiny bit too much, exceeding the Stone Stele's tolerance limit... wouldn't it just explode with a 'bang'?"

Finally, he blinked, revealing an innocent expression, and solemnly said:

"If I accidentally destroy this precious Stone Stele, Elder Sheng, you are of such high moral standing, so please make it clear beforehand that you don't want me to compensate you! This junior cannot afford to pay for such a valuable treasure of the Pill Tower!"

This series of seemingly naive but actually earth-shattering questions was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a calm oil pan, instantly silencing the entire hall for a moment!

Immediately, countless gazes turned to the "innocent" and "worried" young man in the center of the field, their eyes instantly becoming extremely strange, as if they were looking at a... utterly ignorant and foolish fool!

Lin Ming's seemingly "worried" but actually shocking question was like pouring a ladle of ice water into a boiling oil pan, instantly plunging the entire hall into an eerie silence. Countless gazes were first stunned, then filled with disbelief and a sense of absurdity as if they were looking at a fool.

He blew up the testing Stone Stele? Does this kid even know what he's saying? This Stone Stele is an ancient artifact passed down from the Pill Tower, specifically used to test Soul Power. Its material is special and incredibly sturdy; historically, only those with insufficient Soul Power have failed to trigger a reaction. No one has ever been known to have managed to shatter it! Is Lin Ming so nervous he's gone mad? Or is he deliberately trying to attract attention?

At the Cao Family's seat, Cao Dan sneered, his face full of disdain. "Ignorant fool! Elder Sheng, this boy is clearly belittling the assessment and showing contempt for the Pill Tower!"

Even Cao Xiu, who had remained calm throughout, frowned slightly, feeling that Lin Ming's actions were too frivolous. Dan Xuan, Bai Ying, Qiu Ji, and the others also wore strange expressions, their gazes towards Lin Ming filled with scrutiny and incomprehension.

On the high platform, Elder Sheng was also taken aback by Lin Ming's sudden question, a look of surprise flashing across his wrinkled face. He had been presiding over the assessment for many years and had seen all kinds of geniuses, some arrogant, some humble, some nervous, but Lin Ming, who was worried about breaking the testing equipment before the test even started, was truly an unprecedented case.

He carefully examined Lin Ming and found that the other man's eyes were clear, though tinged with a hint of "worry," but without any sign of madness. Instead, he possessed a kind of... confident calmness? Elder Sheng had lived for hundreds of years and was a shrewd old man. A thought that even he found somewhat absurd arose in his mind: Could this kid... be serious? Is he really worried that his Soul Power will exceed the Stone Stele's tolerance limit?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Elder Sheng himself found it amusing, shaking his head to dismiss the unrealistic idea.

He stroked his beard and smiled, his tone carrying a hint of gentleness and admonition. "Hehe, the little fellow is quite meticulous. But you can rest assured, this 'Soul Testing Crystal Tablet' was forged by my predecessors of the Pill Tower with great power, and it is exceptionally sturdy. Not to mention you, even if I were to exert my full strength, I might not be able to damage it in the slightest. Go ahead and exert all your strength; if you can burst it, not only will you not have to pay compensation, but I will also have to ask the Pill Tower for credit on your behalf!"

Elder Sheng's words drew a low chuckle from the hall, clearly indicating that everyone thought it was a harmless joke, which also confirmed Lin Ming's "nonsense" impression.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ming's "worried" expression slowly faded, replaced by an inscrutable calm. He bowed slightly to Elder Sheng: "With Elder Sheng's words, this junior is relieved."

Having said that, Lin Ming no longer hesitated. Under the still mocking and schadenfreude gazes of the audience, he slowly turned around and faced the crystal-clear Crystal Stone again.

Lin Ming raised his right hand again, this time with a steady and firm movement. His fingertips finally gently touched the smooth, mirror-like, and icy-cold Mirror Disk.

"Hiss--"

The sensation from my fingertips wasn't simply cold; it was a chill that seemed to freeze my soul, accompanied by a subtle yet sharp stinging pain that pierced deep into my soul, making me extremely uncomfortable. This discomfort was a sign that the Stone Stele was actively contacting and probing the Soul Origin.

Lin Ming gently closed his eyes. The instant his fingertips touched the Mirror Disk, his aura suddenly became completely suppressed, as if he were utterly isolated from the world around him. Even his breathing became barely audible, almost imperceptible...

Silence, like an invisible tide, instantly enveloped the entire hall. The whispers and low laughter that had been there vanished without a trace. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the young figure standing silently before the Stone Stele. A faint yet unsettling atmosphere permeated the entire hall.

This profound silence lasted for about five breaths...

Sudden!

An indescribable grandeur and vastness erupted from that seemingly frail young figure, like a primordial beast that had slumbered for millennia suddenly awakening, or a volcano that had been suppressed for billions of years finally finding an outlet.

"Boom--!!!"

A deep, muffled sound, seemingly originating from the soul, exploded without warning in the space surrounding Lin Ming!

Immediately afterwards, an invisible yet terrifying Soul Storm, whose distorted spatial trajectory was visible to the naked eye, suddenly formed around Lin Ming!

Where the storm swept, the air howled under its own weight, the light was stretched and bent wildly, and the entire Central Plaza of the hall was violently and visibly distorted and deformed, like water with pebbles thrown in!

In the instant this devastating Soul Storm appeared—

Elder Sheng, who was closest to Lin Ming, had his expression change drastically for the first time! His originally composed figure suddenly trembled, as if he had been struck by an invisible giant hammer. His Protective Dou Qi was activated on its own, but it still could not completely offset the terrifying Soul Pressure. His figure was uncontrollably pushed back several steps before he could barely stabilize himself.

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the blurry figure at the center of the distorted space, his aged pupils filled with unprecedented shock and horror!

"This... this is... Spirit Realm Storm?! And... such a scale?!"

This wasn't the first time he'd witnessed the strange phenomenon of Soul Power manipulating space during Soul Measurement.

When Cao Ying took the test back then, it also caused a similar Soul Storm, which has been hailed as a rare spectacle that is only seen once in a century.

But... but the storm that Cao Ying caused back then is nothing compared to the one Lin Ming is causing now. In terms of scale, intensity, and the domineering will that seems to tear the sky apart, it's like a stream compared to a river, a firefly compared to the bright moon! They are simply incomparable!

Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying, Qiu Ji, who were not far in front of the Stone Stele, were the first to be hit!

The moment that vast, Soul Pressure swept out, the four men's faces turned deathly pale, as if their very souls had been gripped by an invisible giant hand! They couldn't even muster the thought of resistance; their bodies were sent flying like leaves in a storm, violently blasted away by the invisible Shockwave. They staggered back nearly ten feet before barely managing to regain their footing. Each of them was breathing heavily, their eyes filled with horrified disbelief as they stared at the eye of the storm!

Especially Bai Ying, who had previously looked down on Lin Ming, now had his mouth agape, his face ashen, and his eyes filled with utter shock and despair.

He simply couldn't imagine that this young man representing the Ye Family could possess such terrifying, inhuman Soul Power! This was completely beyond his understanding of the younger generation of Alchemist! Even among the older generation, those who could reach this level were few and far between.