Fanatical Follower

Soon, hurried footsteps came from inside the Alchemists' Guild.

Immediately afterward, Lu Qingshan saw a stunningly beautiful woman walk gracefully toward them, a smile in her eyes.

"Senior, I am a manager of the Alchemists' Guild. You may call me Miaoyan or Miss Miao."

Miaoyan spoke and laughed softly, giving off a very approachable impression.

Ancestor Danyang wasted no words and said directly, "I am Danyang. I have come to help your Alchemists' Guild refine pills."

At those words, Miaoyan's smile froze.

Help our Alchemists' Guild refine pills?

Miaoyan's expression suddenly turned strange, and she scrutinized Ancestor Danyang.

With her strength, she naturally could not see through Ancestor Danyang's cultivation, much less know just how much weight the name Danyang carried.

After a moment's silence, Miaoyan nevertheless invited the two inside the Alchemists' Guild first.

She also arranged a VIP room for them right away.

"Senior, there is no one else here now, and the room has a formation to conceal information. You can tell me now what brought you to the Alchemists' Guild."

Miaoyan smiled.

Hearing this, Ancestor Danyang frowned slightly. "Did I not just tell you? I am here to help your Alchemists' Guild refine pills. Can you not understand plain speech?"

Miaoyan smiled awkwardly.

As a manager of the Alchemists' Guild, she had naturally met countless alchemists. She knew that because alchemists were so highly valued, they all had rather bad tempers.

She was used to it.

"Senior Danyang, our Alchemists' Guild has many alchemists. Almost every alchemist in Central Province belongs to it. If you wish to join us, you need only demonstrate your identity and your skill in alchemy. As long as you meet our requirements, we will naturally turn no one away."

This was the first time Miaoyan had heard of such a thing, so she could only think that he wanted to join their Alchemists' Guild.

But by now, Ancestor Danyang's patience was nearly exhausted.

Join your Alchemists' Guild?

And I have to meet your requirements?

Back in the day, your guild master begged me to join.

Seeing that his ancestor was growing impatient, Lu Qingshan immediately understood and hurriedly said, "Miss Miao, there is naturally no need to doubt my ancestor's alchemy skills."

"Come to think of it, it is an honor for your Alchemists' Guild that my ancestor is willing to help refine pills for you."

At those words, even Miaoyan, good-tempered as she was, could not help letting her smile fade.

"Our honor?"

Lu Qingshan nodded.

In the past, Lu Qingshan would naturally have chosen to keep a low profile.

But this time was different. Ancestor Danyang was the only ninth-grade alchemist on the Cangxuan Continent, so naturally they had to make the grandest possible show of it.

More importantly, they intended to use this matter with the Alchemists' Guild to accomplish some of the Lu Clan's aims.

First, they had to make the biggest possible name for themselves.

Looking at Lu Qingshan and Ancestor Danyang, Miaoyan no longer wore the pleasant expression she had at first. She even suspected that they were dissatisfied with the Alchemists' Guild and had come to suppress it.

"Might I ask what grade of alchemist Senior Danyang is?"

After a moment's silence, Miaoyan spoke calmly.

Ancestor Danyang snorted softly. "Ninth grade."

"..."

The spacious VIP room suddenly fell silent.

Miaoyan stared blankly for a long while before she came to her senses. But immediately afterward, she slapped the table and rose to her feet.

"Senior, are you making fun of me?"

Miaoyan glared, her pleasant expression now gone.

A ninth-grade alchemist? Their guild master was only eighth grade. If there were a ninth-grade alchemist on the Cangxuan Continent, how could their Alchemists' Guild not know about it?

Thus, she immediately concluded that these two were playing her for a fool.

Just as Miaoyan was about to call for someone, an unmistakable presence slowly spilled from Ancestor Danyang's body.

A Sage King Realm expert!

Feeling that presence, Miaoyan's face turned deathly pale. Her legs gave way, and she fell to her knees before Ancestor Danyang.

"Please forgive me, Senior. I lost my composure for a moment just now, so..."

Miaoyan's delicate body trembled, and she dared not look at Ancestor Danyang again.

She had never imagined that this elderly senior was a Saint King expert.

If she had known that Ancestor Danyang was a Saint King expert, even if he had claimed to be a tenth-grade alchemist, she would not have dared say she disbelieved him.

After all, Saint King experts were practically at the pinnacle of the Cangxuan Continent. With a casual wave of his hand, he could probably kill her and leave her without even a place to be buried.

If the Alchemists' Guild learned that she had angered a Saint King expert, she would certainly be abandoned in an instant.

Such was the deterrent power of a Saint King expert.

As the Sage King Realm expert's presence spread, the entire Alchemists' Guild began to stir.

Rumble!

Countless presences awoke, then sped toward them.

In only a moment, the VIP room was packed with people.

These were all elders of the Alchemists' Guild, people of lofty status whom countless others went to every imaginable length just to meet.

And now, they had gathered together, all looking at Ancestor Danyang.

Without a doubt, none of them recognized Ancestor Danyang either.

After all, he was a figure from over eight hundred thousand years ago. No matter what, they could never have imagined that someone from over eight hundred thousand years ago could still be alive.

"May I ask what brings you to our Alchemists' Guild, Senior?"

"If you wish to ask us to refine pills, you need only say so. There is no need for this."

An elder spoke to Ancestor Danyang, his tone calm and without the slightest fear.

This was the Alchemists' Guild. Someone would have to be mad to attack them here.

In the elders' eyes, Ancestor Danyang, a Saint King expert, was probably trying to use his status to obtain some favors here.

Such things were not uncommon in the Alchemists' Guild's history.

But they were not afraid. If he tried to use force, he could see whether the other Saint King experts would stand for it.

At that moment, Miaoyan, who was kneeling on the ground, said shakily, "Elders, this elderly senior said he came to help our Alchemists' Guild refine pills."

Miaoyan dared not lie and told everyone exactly what Ancestor Danyang had said.

Finally, she did not forget to add one more thing.

"Elder Senior Danyang claims to be a ninth-grade alchemist."

At those words, the entire VIP room seemed to freeze for a moment.

"A ninth-grade alchemist?"

"What kind of joke is this? How could that be possible?"

"It truly defies belief."

Several elders of the Alchemists' Guild shook their heads, rejecting the claim.

Seeing the disbelief on all their faces, Lu Qingshan knew it was about time. He said directly, "If you do not believe it, you are welcome to put him to the test."

"My ancestor came here this time to help your guild refine a ninth-grade pill."

"Of course, your guild will have to provide all the raw materials yourselves. My ancestor will charge no refining fee; he asks only that you agree to one request."

Hearing Lu Qingshan's words, the elders of the Alchemists' Guild all frowned slightly.

They were weighing the pros and cons.

They were highly skeptical of Ancestor Danyang's claim to be a ninth-grade alchemist.

But, truth be told, they very much hoped it was true.

Because if it was true, not only could they obtain a ninth-grade pill, they would also, in a roundabout way, make the acquaintance of a ninth-grade alchemist. Why would they not welcome that?

Of course, all of this rested on Ancestor Danyang actually being a ninth-grade alchemist.

Several elders gathered together and began to discuss it.

Some thought that a dignified Saint King expert surely would not stoop to deceiving them. Who would be so bored?

Others firmly believed it was impossible.

Whenever a ninth-grade alchemist appeared in history, it usually caused an enormous stir. It was not that they could not conceal their presence, but that no ninth-grade alchemist would do so. They would even wish the whole world knew they were a ninth-grade alchemist.

Yet recently, they had received no news whatsoever of a ninth-grade alchemist.

At that moment, another elder suddenly said, "That's right, didn't our guild once have a ninth-grade alchemist as a grand elder who went by the name Danyang?"

At those words, everyone immediately remembered.

That Ancestor Danyang had been a genuine ninth-grade alchemist.

"Could it be that the man before us is a fanatical follower of Ancestor Danyang?"