Heaven-Class Private Room

"Wrong? Of course you were wrong!" Master Mo had already calmed down. His aged eyes stared coldly at Li Jun. "You erred in being an apprentice alchemist yet possessing none of an alchemist's basic qualities. You must understand that the path of alchemy yields true knowledge through practice. You never tested it yourself, so how could you bite down and insist that the other party was putting on an act?"

"Th-this..." Li Jun had not expected Master Mo to rebuke him so harshly, leaving him frozen for a moment.

The apprentices beside him immediately began chattering all at once. "It couldn't have been a scam. We all saw it with our own eyes." "Exactly. That old senior's injuries really did improve quickly. It couldn't have been faked..."

In truth, the reason Master Mo had rushed out in such a blazing panic was that a formula using Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to treat Coldheart Python venom was precisely the prescription his own teacher had spent half a lifetime researching without ever finding the key to it!

Though Master Mo was old now, he too had once been young, and he too had had a master who taught him. Master Mo clearly remembered that this formula contained nothing else complicated. Its essence lay in the ratio between Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb; even the slightest deviation would result in failure.

Yet after many years of research, his teacher had never managed to find the correct ratio.

Before his death, his teacher had specifically instructed him to inherit his final wish and determine the proper proportions for this formula.

Master Mo had always regarded his teacher's dying command as an imperial decree. Unfortunately, he was now past seventy, yet his teacher's final wish remained unfulfilled.

Therefore, the moment he heard that someone in the front hall had used Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to cure a Coldheart Python bite, Master Mo had hurried there at top speed, only to miss the other party by a hair's breadth.

Thinking of this, Master Mo could not hide his immense disappointment. He asked the others present, "Did that young man mention his name or background?"

At that, one apprentice remembered and hurriedly said, "Yes, I heard him say that his name was Su Chen."

"Su Chen?" Master Mo softly repeated the name. He then immediately summoned one of his subordinates and ordered, "Search all of Clear River City for this young man named Su Chen. The sooner, the better!"

Naturally, Master Mo did not believe that a mere youth could accomplish what even his own master had failed to achieve. He only believed that there had to be an expert behind the youth, and that expert was the person Master Mo wished to find.

After giving his orders, Master Mo was preparing to return to the rear hall when the corner of his eye caught the uneasy Li Jun nearby. His gaze immediately turned cold. Looking calmly at Li Jun, he said icily, "As an Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist, you casually slandered another alchemist without any evidence. In this old man's opinion, the title of Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist does not suit you. You should return to being an alchemy apprentice and temper yourself properly for a while longer."

"What?" Li Jun felt as if he had been struck by lightning. No matter what, he had never expected Master Mo to strip him of his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title over such a trivial matter!

It had to be known that alchemist titles were certified by the Alchemy Guild. Thus, as the president of the Alchemy Guild, Master Mo had the authority to strip an alchemist of his title.

However, Master Mo rarely did such things. Li Jun instantly found himself on the verge of tears. Having lost his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title, how could he continue throwing his weight around in Five Treasures Hall?

If Five Treasures Hall learned of this, they would definitely dismiss him without the slightest hesitation!

Not to mention that Li Jun had once relied on his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title to act outrageously and arrogantly, offending who knew how many people. Now that he had been reduced to an alchemy apprentice, his old enemies would likely be unable to wait to settle their accounts with him.

In the blink of an eye, Li Jun had lost everything, and all because he had spoken ill of that young man behind his back.

As for Su Chen, not long after leaving Five Treasures Hall, he unexpectedly discovered that the old man and young woman from earlier had not gone far. They were standing beside a carriage, watching him from afar.

Immediately afterward, a delicate-looking maid appeared before Su Chen. Lowering her head, she respectfully said, "Young Master, to thank you for saving her life, my young lady has prepared a banquet for you at Drunken Immortal Residence at noon today. She hopes you will honor us with your presence."

Su Chen furrowed his brow. Just as he was about to politely decline, the maid added, "Young Master, my young lady heard that you were seeking to purchase an Ice-Snow Cold Cicada at Five Treasures Hall. Ice-Snow Cold Cicadas are difficult to find on the market, but my young lady happens to know where one can be obtained..."

Su Chen's eyes shifted slightly, and he finally nodded. "All right."

The Century Sunlight Herb was medicinal material for treating his aunt's illness, while the Ice-Snow Cold Cicada was an indispensable material for Su Chen's future cultivation.

Since the other party knew news of the Ice-Snow Cold Cicada, there was no reason for Su Chen not to attend the banquet.

Hearing Su Chen agree, the maid finally smiled with pursed lips. "Then in half an hour, my young lady will await you in the Heaven-Class Private Room at Drunken Immortal Residence."

Drunken Immortal Residence.

It was the most luxurious restaurant in Clear River City, with guests flowing like clouds all year round and a table nearly impossible to obtain.

Naturally, its prices were not low. Only those of high status could afford to dine there, and the Heaven-Class Private Rooms were even more extravagant. To enjoy a meal in one was an absolute symbol of status in Clear River City.

Arriving at Drunken Immortal Residence ahead of the agreed time, Su Chen intended to head straight for the Heaven-Class Private Room on the third floor.

However, just as he reached the first floor, the door of a Human-Class Private Room happened to open. Jiang Tingyi then appeared standing at its entrance, her expression unpleasant. "Su Chen? Why are you here?"

"Didn't I tell you to go back on your own? You actually secretly followed me here. Have you no shame?" Anger surged within Jiang Tingyi. She had come to Drunken Immortal Residence for Young Master Ye Xuan's welcome banquet, yet Su Chen had actually followed her here in secret!

If Su Chen truly wanted to come, couldn't he have just told her? Why pretend to be uninterested at the time, only to secretly follow her afterward?

A person like this truly disgusted her to the core!

Just as Jiang Tingyi glared furiously and was about to say more, another person emerged from the Human-Class Private Room. It was Wang Bingyan, whom they had encountered earlier at Cloud-Brocade Tower.

Wang Bingyan gave Su Chen a surprised look, then immediately smiled maliciously. "Oh my, who did I think it was? So it's Tingyi's cousin. Tingyi, you brought your cousin to the banquet—why didn't you tell us? Hurry and bring your cousin inside so everyone can get acquainted!"

Jiang Tingyi's face looked terrible, and she nearly bit through her lips. This Su Chen truly was shamelessly thick-skinned. He had actually followed her all the way to Drunken Immortal Residence, and to make matters worse, Wang Bingyan had caught him!

"Wrong? Of course you were wrong!" Master Mo had already calmed down. His aged eyes stared coldly at Li Jun. "You erred in being an apprentice alchemist yet possessing none of an alchemist's basic qualities. You must understand that the path of alchemy yields true knowledge through practice. You never tested it yourself, so how could you bite down and insist that the other party was putting on an act?"

"Th-this..." Li Jun had not expected Master Mo to rebuke him so harshly, leaving him frozen for a moment.

The apprentices beside him immediately began chattering all at once. "It couldn't have been a scam. We all saw it with our own eyes." "Exactly. That old senior's injuries really did improve quickly. It couldn't have been faked..."

In truth, the reason Master Mo had rushed out in such a blazing panic was that a formula using Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to treat Coldheart Python venom was precisely the prescription his own teacher had spent half a lifetime researching without ever finding the key to it!

Though Master Mo was old now, he too had once been young, and he too had had a master who taught him. Master Mo clearly remembered that this formula contained nothing else complicated. Its essence lay in the ratio between Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb; even the slightest deviation would result in failure.

Yet after many years of research, his teacher had never managed to find the correct ratio.

Before his death, his teacher had specifically instructed him to inherit his final wish and determine the proper proportions for this formula.

Master Mo had always regarded his teacher's dying command as an imperial decree. Unfortunately, he was now past seventy, yet his teacher's final wish remained unfulfilled.

Therefore, the moment he heard that someone in the front hall had used Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to cure a Coldheart Python bite, Master Mo had hurried there at top speed, only to miss the other party by a hair's breadth.

Thinking of this, Master Mo could not hide his immense disappointment. He asked the others present, "Did that young man mention his name or background?"

At that, one apprentice remembered and hurriedly said, "Yes, I heard him say that his name was Su Chen."

"Su Chen?" Master Mo softly repeated the name. He then immediately summoned one of his subordinates and ordered, "Search all of Clear River City for this young man named Su Chen. The sooner, the better!"

Naturally, Master Mo did not believe that a mere youth could accomplish what even his own master had failed to achieve. He only believed that there had to be an expert behind the youth, and that expert was the person Master Mo wished to find.

After giving his orders, Master Mo was preparing to return to the rear hall when the corner of his eye caught the uneasy Li Jun nearby. His gaze immediately turned cold. Looking calmly at Li Jun, he said icily, "As an Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist, you casually slandered another alchemist without any evidence. In this old man's opinion, the title of Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist does not suit you. You should return to being an alchemy apprentice and temper yourself properly for a while longer."

"What?" Li Jun felt as if he had been struck by lightning. No matter what, he had never expected Master Mo to strip him of his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title over such a trivial matter!

It had to be known that alchemist titles were certified by the Alchemy Guild. Thus, as the president of the Alchemy Guild, Master Mo had the authority to strip an alchemist of his title.

However, Master Mo rarely did such things. Li Jun instantly found himself on the verge of tears. Having lost his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title, how could he continue throwing his weight around in Five Treasures Hall?

If Five Treasures Hall learned of this, they would definitely dismiss him without the slightest hesitation!

Not to mention that Li Jun had once relied on his Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist title to act outrageously and arrogantly, offending who knew how many people. Now that he had been reduced to an alchemy apprentice, his old enemies would likely be unable to wait to settle their accounts with him.

In the blink of an eye, Li Jun had lost everything, and all because he had spoken ill of that young man behind his back.

As for Su Chen, not long after leaving Five Treasures Hall, he unexpectedly discovered that the old man and young woman from earlier had not gone far. They were standing beside a carriage, watching him from afar.

Immediately afterward, a delicate-looking maid appeared before Su Chen. Lowering her head, she respectfully said, "Young Master, to thank you for saving her life, my young lady has prepared a banquet for you at Drunken Immortal Residence at noon today. She hopes you will honor us with your presence."

Su Chen furrowed his brow. Just as he was about to politely decline, the maid added, "Young Master, my young lady heard that you were seeking to purchase an Ice-Snow Cold Cicada at Five Treasures Hall. Ice-Snow Cold Cicadas are difficult to find on the market, but my young lady happens to know where one can be obtained..."

Su Chen's eyes shifted slightly, and he finally nodded. "All right."

The Century Sunlight Herb was medicinal material for treating his aunt's illness, while the Ice-Snow Cold Cicada was an indispensable material for Su Chen's future cultivation.

Since the other party knew news of the Ice-Snow Cold Cicada, there was no reason for Su Chen not to attend the banquet.

Hearing Su Chen agree, the maid finally smiled with pursed lips. "Then in half an hour, my young lady will await you in the Heaven-Class Private Room at Drunken Immortal Residence."

Drunken Immortal Residence.

It was the most luxurious restaurant in Clear River City, with guests flowing like clouds all year round and a table nearly impossible to obtain.

Naturally, its prices were not low. Only those of high status could afford to dine there, and the Heaven-Class Private Rooms were even more extravagant. To enjoy a meal in one was an absolute symbol of status in Clear River City.

Arriving at Drunken Immortal Residence ahead of the agreed time, Su Chen intended to head straight for the Heaven-Class Private Room on the third floor.

However, just as he reached the first floor, the door of a Human-Class Private Room happened to open. Jiang Tingyi then appeared standing at its entrance, her expression unpleasant. "Su Chen? Why are you here?"

"Didn't I tell you to go back on your own? You actually secretly followed me here. Have you no shame?" Anger surged within Jiang Tingyi. She had come to Drunken Immortal Residence for Young Master Ye Xuan's welcome banquet, yet Su Chen had actually followed her here in secret!

If Su Chen truly wanted to come, couldn't he have just told her? Why pretend to be uninterested at the time, only to secretly follow her afterward?

A person like this truly disgusted her to the core!

Just as Jiang Tingyi glared furiously and was about to say more, another person emerged from the Human-Class Private Room. It was Wang Bingyan, whom they had encountered earlier at Cloud-Brocade Tower.

Wang Bingyan gave Su Chen a surprised look, then immediately smiled maliciously. "Oh my, who did I think it was? So it's Tingyi's cousin. Tingyi, you brought your cousin to the banquet—why didn't you tell us? Hurry and bring your cousin inside so everyone can get acquainted!"

Jiang Tingyi's face looked terrible, and she nearly bit through her lips. This Su Chen truly was shamelessly thick-skinned. He had actually followed her all the way to Drunken Immortal Residence, and to make matters worse, Wang Bingyan had caught him!