Looking at the boy's bright and excited smile, Zhou Fuling smiled gently, her bright eyes shining.
She had seen many young prodigies full of vigor and ambition, including some Divine Ability Grandmaster, but for some reason, she always felt that none of them were as bright as the radiant smile of the young man in front of her.
This feeling suddenly made Zhou Fuling panic.
She quickly lowered her gaze, thinking to herself, " Zhou Fuling, Zhou Fuling, you're investing more and more in this kid. You must find a way to squeeze him out tenfold or a hundredfold in the future, otherwise how will you ever recoup this investment?"
Ye Changfeng and Su Wan's expressions changed, and they couldn't help but exclaim, "Old Pang..."
Zhou Xuan's ever-smiling face suddenly turned cold, his sharp gaze fixed on the two men. He said, "What? You two don't want to admit this result? This top-grade Thunderclap Pill speaks for itself; no one can question Lu Ming's achievement. If you still want to cause trouble, then I'll have to invite Huo Shanhe here and then make today's events public. You'll have to bear the consequences yourselves."
Ye Changfeng and Su Wan's expressions changed constantly. This was the first time Zhou Xuan had shown such a domineering attitude in front of them. Moreover, his direct address of Huo Shanhe by name was also a way of showing his background and that he did not care about Huo Shanhe, the prefect of Fengyang Prefecture.
Pang Qingsong sighed, slowly shook his head at the two of them, signaling them to calm down.
If Lu Ming had only refined a mid-grade Thunderclap Pill this time, he would still have some grounds to argue. But now that he has produced a high-grade Thunderclap Pill, it has truly blocked all other possibilities.
They had no choice but to accept it.
Pang Qingsong stretched out his palm, and the black gourd reappeared in his hand. He then tossed it gently, and the gourd flew out, landing on Lu Ming amidst many envious gazes.
Lu Ming hurriedly reached out and caught the slowly falling black gourd, his eyes revealing undisguised excitement.
After all this trouble, I've finally managed to get my hands on this low-level Spirit Fire.
"Congratulations! Your wish has come true," Zhou Fuling said with a smile.
"It's all thanks to my senior sister. I will always remember this great kindness and cherish it every day and night," Lu Ming said sincerely.
He had also witnessed Zhou Xuan's actions. It was clear that local Dao of Alchemy masters like Ye Changfeng and Su Wan were somewhat dissatisfied with his acquisition of the " Netherwater Flame." If he had only refined a mid-grade Thunderclap Pill this time, he would most likely have been sabotaged through underhanded tactics. Fortunately, Zhou Fuling was capable, and at the last moment, she used the " Fourth Refinement " to upgrade the Thunderclap Pill to a high-grade one, turning the tide and completely thwarting the old foxes' schemes.
Zhou Fuling's fair face flushed slightly, and she retorted playfully, "Who wants you to savor it every day and night?"
Lu Ming held the gourd, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
With this " Netherwater Flame," he will not only be able to refine and upgrade his Sub-Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone to the seventh glazed halo, taking him one step closer to a true Heaven-Grade Divine Ability Bone, but the power of the Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus will also be significantly enhanced.
At that time, once the Fire Lotus appeared, not to mention Great Divine Ability Practitioner like Han Feng with twenty-six Divine Ability Dharma Mark, even a true peak Great Divine Ability Practitioner with thirty patterns would die!
At this moment, Pang Qingsong and many other Dao of Alchemy masters descended from the platform. He looked at Lu Ming and congratulated him with a smile, saying, "Congratulations, young friend, on obtaining the Netherwater Flame. I hope this Spirit Fire can demonstrate its power in your hands and clear away obstacles on your path of Dao of Alchemy."
Lu Ming quickly returned the greeting and expressed his gratitude. He had no complaints about Pang Qingsong. Although Pang Qingsong had leaked the questions to Song Ren and the others because of Ye Changfeng and Su Wan's influence, as the president of the local Alchemist Association, it was understandable that he would give priority to local young alchemists.
"By the way, Chairman Pang, I have a small request. I wonder if you can grant it?" Lu Ming asked with a smile.
"Go ahead." Pang Qingsong nodded gently. He was naturally happy to go all the way since he had even given away the Netherwater Flame.
"Could you please return this superior-grade Thunderclap Pill to me? It's the first pill my senior sister and I refined together, and it holds great significance. I'd like to keep it as a keepsake," Lu Ming said sincerely.
Pang Qingsong was taken aback. He glanced at the bright and beautiful Zhou Fuling, then smiled meaningfully, nodded, and waved his hand, returning the high-grade Thunderclap Pill they had refined to Lu Ming.
Zhou Fuling, seemingly nonchalant, watched this scene, but her slender hands, gripping the hem of her clothes, clenched tightly. She then said in a casual yet disdainful tone, "Just a mid-grade pill, what's so special about collecting it!"
For some reason, her bright red lips couldn't help but curl slightly upwards, a strange sense of pleasure welling up inside her.
Lu Ming, who carefully put away the Thunderclap Pill, turned his head and whispered, "This high-grade Thunderclap Pill is perfect for enhancing physical abilities. If I eat it later, it will also benefit my cultivation of physical abilities. Even mosquito meat is meat, how can I give it away for nothing?"
Zhou Fuling's pretty face immediately froze.
" Lu Ming!"
Hearing the voice beside him suddenly turn icy cold, Lu Ming looked up in surprise and saw Zhou Fuling staring at him with icy eyes, gritting her teeth, and speaking in a fierce voice.
"If you dare eat this pill, see if I'll let you off the hook!!"
Zhou Xuan led Lu Ming and Zhou Fuling out of the Alchemist Association.
" Lu Ming, absorbing Spirit Fire is not simple. It requires special items to protect the body before it can be refined in the alchemy furnace. Someone needs to guard it during this process, but I think your grandfather should have the ability," Zhou Xuan said with a smile, looking at the black gourd hanging at Lu Ming's waist.
Lu Ming nodded in agreement. Actually, it wasn't that complicated. His Fire Lotus Mark seemed to be able to easily contain these Spirit Fire. After all, even the Flame of Life had been easily subdued back then, so this mere low-level Spirit Fire shouldn't be a problem.
"Master, Senior Sister, are you going Qingyuan Market?" Lu Ming asked, looking at the two of them.
Zhou Xuan nodded and said, "I've been out for a while now, and things are getting increasingly chaotic in Qingyuan Market. I need to hurry back and keep an eye on things to prevent any trouble."
Lu Ming frowned slightly and asked, "Has the news still gotten out?"
"That's inevitable. How could it possibly be completely stopped? Huo Shanhe can only try his best to limit it, but the effect is actually not that significant; at most, it only slows down the spread."
Zhou Xuan sighed and said, "I've heard that forces from other surrounding prefectures have already begun to probe towards Qingyuan Market."
"In the near future, the small Qingyuan Market will truly be a place where dragons and tigers gather."
Lu Ming sighed inwardly. He didn't want to see this scene either. After all, the arrival of too many top forces from other places would cause trouble for the local forces. Their Thunderfire Hall was currently very powerful, which inevitably attracted covetous eyes and prying eyes.
Of course, most importantly, he was worried about the Great Golden Crow Hall and had also received news of it.
This was a heavy weight on his mind, causing him sleepless nights and unease.
"When will His Highness arrive?" Lu Ming pressed.
Zhou Xuan, "It should be soon. His Highness has also received the news and may arrive ahead of schedule."
Lu Ming nodded. It was truly a case of the storm brewing. He hoped that their Thunderfire Hall could weather this storm smoothly and avoid causing any trouble.
Zhou Fuling, standing to the side, asked, "How much longer are you going to stay in the prefectural city? Are you so happy you don't want to leave? Have you been blinded by the noble ladies of the prefectural city?"
Lu Ming laughed and said, "Senior Sister, what are you saying? With you as a shining example, how could any noble lady from a powerful family in the prefecture even catch my eye? If I end up a bachelor, you will definitely be the culprit and bear the main responsibility."
"Who's taking the main responsibility?" Zhou Fuling said irritably.
Lu Ming explained with a smile, "My grandfather wants me to first master the three Upper Divine Ability of the Golden Bell Mystic Gang Hall before returning. I think it might take another month or so. Don't worry, Senior Sister, I'll come to report as soon as I Qingyuan Market."
"A month, that's so long."
The light in Zhou Fuling's bright eyes dimmed slightly, and then she gave a soft snort, saying, "There's no need for a visit. In a month, I might have already forgotten you."
Lu Ming chuckled to himself.
As they were talking, the carriage arrived. Zhou Xuan greeted Lu Ming and then boarded the carriage.
Zhou Fuling glanced at Lu Ming and warned him again.
"If you dare to eat that top-grade Thunderclap Pill, you're dead!"
She hesitated for a moment, then added, "If you really need a pill to cultivate physical supernatural abilities, I'll get you a high-grade one later."
Lu Ming was both amused and exasperated. Why was she still thinking about this? This senior sister could be quite adorable sometimes.
He nodded and said gently, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. This pill witnessed our first joint refinement. I will definitely keep it safe. If you ever decide you no longer want to acknowledge me as your junior brother, I will come to your door and, using this pill as proof, demand an explanation!"
"Keep being sarcastic."
Zhou Fuling rolled her eyes at him, said nothing more, and turned to enter the carriage.
The carriage started moving and traveled slowly along the street, eventually disappearing from Lu Ming's sight.