Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk
**
"Master Wei, forgive me for being rude, but may I ask—are you really only twenty-one years old?" A Tier 2 alchemist asked cautiously, his expression stiff with nerves.
"Of course. There's no need to hide it," Wei Yang nodded.
Hiss—
Everyone present gasped sharply.
Right—everyone suddenly recalled, Wei Yang had mentioned earlier that he was twenty-one years old, and his wife… only nineteen.
What kind of heavenly pairing is this?!
"Then... may I ask what your grade is?" The middle-aged fourth-grade alchemist opened his mouth with difficulty, his voice dry and strained.
Everyone stared nervously at Wei Yang.
"My grade? I can refine the Dou Spirit Pill," Wei Yang said with a faint smile.
The room fell into complete silence.
Dou Spirit Pill.
A peak Tier 5 pill!
If one could refine the Dou Spirit Pill, then without question, they were a peak Tier 5 alchemist.
For example, the Association's President, Lord Fa Ma, was precisely a peak Tier 5 alchemist.
Even so, President Fa Ma's success rate for refining a Dou Spirit Pill was reportedly only about thirty percent.
In other words, even peak Tier 5 alchemists might not necessarily succeed in refining one.
But anyone who could successfully refine a Dou Spirit Pill must at least be a peak Tier 5 alchemist—or perhaps even stronger.
Thus, in terms of alchemy skills, Master Wei could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Fa Ma.
Everyone's expressions immediately grew even more respectful.
Today, at the headquarters of the Alchemist Association, a true titan had arrived!
It wouldn't be long before today's events spread like wildfire, shocking the entire imperial capital, and even the whole empire.
The status of a peak Tier 5 alchemist was by no means something to be taken lightly.
...
A moment later.
Xian'er also finished nurturing her pill.
As expected, although she had spent a little more time, the pill she refined had likewise developed a Pill Line and was of high-grade quality.
This alone allowed everyone present to judge that Xian'er's alchemy skills were at least not below peak Tier 2.
Creak—
At that moment, the heavy doors suddenly swung open.
Both doors opened wide.
Everyone turned to look.
Outside the doors, the four guards stood respectfully bowed, heads lowered, not daring to glance around.
A group of elderly men, all dressed in alchemist robes, walked in with smiling faces.
At the head of the group, a snow-haired old man laughed heartily and said, "We heard that a fellow alchemist had arrived, so we came especially to meet him."
This was the Association's Vice President—Qie Mi Er.
Next to Qie Mi Er was another old man dressed in a purple alchemist robe.
His face was like a withered piece of tree bark, his eyes cloudy— at first glance, he looked like someone at death's door.
Yet strangely, it was clear that among all the elders who entered, he was subtly at the center.
Even Vice President Qie Mi Er walked slightly behind him, revealing his superior status.
This group of elderly men were the core leadership of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association headquarters.
Any one of them, out in the world, would be enough to shake the ground with a single stomp of their foot.
At a glance, not a single one of them was below peak fourth-grade.
Everyone's expressions shifted in shock as their eyes fell on the purple-robed elder.
They hadn't expected even the President himself to be alarmed into coming personally!
President Fa Ma— that venerable elder was notoriously reclusive, rarely showing his face.
It was said that nowadays, he was already on the verge of advancing to the level of a Tier 6 alchemist.
Within the Jia Ma Empire's alchemy world, President Fa Ma's prestige could rival even the legendary Pill King Gu He.
Even Gu He, upon meeting Fa Ma, would have to show due respect and pay formal homage.
After all, back before Gu He rose to fame, President Fa Ma had given him much guidance and assistance— it could be said that he had been a benefactor of great favor to him.
...
"Greetings, President, Vice President, Elders!"
Everyone bowed deeply, their faces full of respect.
Xian'er also dipped in a polite curtsey.
Wei Yang simply smiled and offered a slight cupped-fist salute.
"No need for excessive ceremony," Vice President Qie Mi Er waved his hand.
Immediately after, the gazes of the entire group of elderly men turned, their expressions faintly serious, locking onto Wei Yang.
Because—the salute Wei Yang had given was the etiquette reserved for greeting equals.
The first impression when they laid eyes on him was— young, far too young.
Not just outwardly young, but energetically young.
That youthful, vigorous aura couldn't be faked.
"You are the Master Wei we've heard about?" Qie Mi Er asked, sounding a bit hesitant.
Even the withered, cloudy-eyed elder—the President— now kept his gaze tightly fixed on Wei Yang. Within his turbid old eyes, a flash of sharp light quietly flickered.
"Wei Yang, pays respects to all of you," Wei Yang cupped his hands politely.
The group of old men also cupped their hands in return.
"Indeed, each generation brings forth new talents, leading the way for hundreds of years."
President Fa Ma's withered face revealed a kind smile, and he chuckled lightly:
"Young man, you have truly amazed this old one!"
Yes, he was shocked.
Because, with his strength and soul perception, he actually couldn't see through this young man standing before him at all. This was incredibly strange.
After all, he was a peak Dou Huang, and his soul strength was comparable to that of a mid-to-high level Dou Zong.
If judged purely by soul realm, Fa Ma's soul was at the peak of the Middle Stage Mortal Realm — a notch higher than Xian'er's.
While Fa Ma was still reeling from his surprise, his gaze swept casually toward the young woman standing beside Wei Yang.
And then, he froze.
His pupils shrank dramatically, his dried-up face twitching violently — as if he had seen a ghost.
This time, he saw clearly.
But it was precisely because he saw clearly... that he felt not just shock, but outright terror!
A Six-Star Dou Huang!
What kind of joke was this?!
Fa Ma was nearly scared witless, his heart almost stopping for a moment.
His gaze locked tightly onto Xian'er, his mouth agape in disbelief. "You..."
"Ye Xian'er greets the senior," Xian'er said with a soft smile.
She clasped her hands at her abdomen, bent her knees slightly, and bowed respectfully.
"This is our President, Lord Fa Ma," Ao Ba whispered from the side in introduction.
Wei Yang merely nodded, having already guessed it.
President Fa Ma took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.
When he reopened them, he looked at Xian'er meaningfully and said, "No need for such courtesy, miss. You truly astonish this old man."
"Senior flatters me," Xian'er responded with a gentle smile.
The atmosphere in the room immediately turned a little strange.
Everyone exchanged glances in confusion, wondering why President Fa Ma was acting this way.
Could it be that this white-clothed, white-haired woman, with her celestial beauty and pure, ethereal aura, had something even more shocking about her?
Wasn't she just Master Wei's wife?
Wasn't the main character today supposed to be Master Wei?
After giving Xian'er a deep look, Fa Ma seemed to deliberately hold back from revealing anything.
Instead, he shifted his gaze back to Wei Yang, his expression becoming more serious.
Meanwhile, Ao Ba discreetly used voice transmission to briefly explain the situation to the newly arrived elder alchemists.
Very soon, all the old men were staring at Wei Yang with stunned faces.
Capable of refining a Dou Spirit Pill?!
They stared at him with eyes full of shock, admiration, and disbelief.
Wei Yang, however, remained calm and collected, without the slightest sign of nervousness on his face.
"Haha, truly, heroes come from the youth! At your age, to have raised your alchemy skills to such a height... this old man, who has lived for so many years, must admit it's the first time I've heard of such a thing. Truly shameful, truly shameful," Fa Ma spoke slowly.
His voice, though slightly hoarse, had a commanding tone that made people subconsciously refrain from interrupting.
"Senior flatters me. I just have a bit of natural talent," Wei Yang said modestly with a smile, not elaborating further.
"Would you be willing to give us a demonstration?" Vice President Qie Mi Er asked, picking up the conversation with a friendly smile.
After all, words alone weren't enough — it needed to be witnessed firsthand.
This matter was simply too unbelievable.
Everyone present looked at Wei Yang with eager, expectant faces.
"Of course," Wei Yang nodded.
"How about refining a Dou Spirit Pill? I'm quite good at it, and I happen to have the ingredients."
The crowd immediately grew excited.
Some even trembled slightly from excitement.
Heavens!
They had truly come to the right place today.
What a lucky day!
What kind of fortune must they have to encounter such an event?
A peak Tier 5 alchemist personally refining a Dou Spirit Pill in front of them!
Such a sight — many might not witness it even once in their entire lives.
As for the examination?
Nobody cared about such a trivial thing anymore.
"Refining a Dou Spirit Pill? That would be excellent!" the group of old men chimed in, nodding enthusiastically and rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
"Right here?" Wei Yang's gaze swept over the surroundings, pausing particularly on the six new candidates still awkwardly standing on the stage.
"Would you prefer to move to a quieter place, Master Wei?" Vice President Qie Mi Er asked nervously.
Everyone else also looked nervously at Wei Yang.
Some alchemists preferred a quiet environment when refining, without any disturbances.
"That won't be necessary," Wei Yang chuckled. "Here is fine."
"Yay~ Wonderful! Thank you, Master Wei!" the crowd instantly burst into cheers.
They hurriedly scrambled to find seats, sitting properly and orderly.
Even the elderly alchemists rushed to grab seats, moving with surprising agility — no worse than the younger generation.
Naturally, the elders had their privileges and quickly claimed the front rows without anyone daring to compete with them.
However, a few still stood out awkwardly among the seated crowd.
Ao Ba stood up, pointed sharply at the six candidates still standing frozen on stage, and barked,
"Why are you still standing there?! Get down immediately! We are all sitting down to watch — do you think you can just stand there on display? Hmm?"
"Ah? Yes, sir!"
The six newcomers jolted as if shocked by electricity and almost peed themselves on the spot.
Under everyone's eyes, they scrambled down from the stage, hunching over and tiptoeing until they sat at the very back.
"Close the doors!" Vice President Qie Mi Er ordered loudly,
"Guards outside — close the doors immediately. And remember: no matter who comes, do not open them! If anyone disturbs Master Wei's refinement, it will be tantamount to opposing all of us!"
Everyone nodded with bright smiles, including President Fa Ma.
Damn!
These old geezers were hogging it all for themselves!
The four guards had black lines running down their foreheads.
They wanted to watch too!
But, duty was duty.
"Understood!" the four guards bowed respectfully, exchanging helpless glances before reluctantly shutting the heavy doors from the outside.
Creaaak—
Boom!
The massive doors closed with a heavy thud.
---------------------------------------------------
Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk