"I am your new master, Yang Cheng."
Yang Cheng stood beside the lecture platform, his voice clear and resonant like jade being struck by a chime. "Today's class will be on the Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon."
"This canon was originally compiled by the Grand Dean himself after countless years of study. I am merely the one passing it on."
"As for what the Myriad Phenomena Alchemy Canon truly is, there's a saying that summarizes it well: 'Take the heart as the furnace, take intent as the fire.' In alchemy, what matters is the heart, not the furnace—what matters is the intent, not the formula."
The moment his words fell, someone stood up abruptly. "I disagree."
"It's Lecturer Lu Ben speaking," someone whispered.
Lu Ben was known to be highly skilled in Alchemy—his mastery was already close to the level of a full master—but the academy had rejected his promotion multiple times. Now, seeing a twelve-year-old boy become a full-fledged master, it was no wonder he couldn't accept it.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
The man who spoke looked around forty years old—indeed, it was Lecturer Lu himself.
Before Yang Cheng could even respond, Lu Ben raised his voice. "First, everyone knows how important a pill furnace is. A good furnace often determines the quality of the pill."
"Second, every pill formula we have today was created by the sages of old and verified through countless trials before being passed down. Some of those ancient formulas even came from the saints of antiquity themselves."
"And yet, Master Yang stands here claiming that the furnace and formula are secondary—that is a complete denial of Alchemy's essence! That's not insight, that's ignorance!"
As soon as he finished, many of those already dissatisfied with Yang Cheng laughed mockingly.
"I'm not even from the Alchemy Hall, but I agree with Lecturer Lu."
"'The heart matters more than the furnace, intent matters more than the formula'? What nonsense! That sounds like something a delusional beginner would say, not a real alchemist."
"Ha! A twelve-year-old kid teaching Alchemy—what could he possibly understand about alchemy?"
Shaking heads and mocking smiles spread across the hall.
But Yang Cheng remained calm, unshaken. His voice stayed steady as he said, "The pill furnace is a tool created by men. The formulas you mentioned were also written by those before us. If everyone clings blindly to what already exists, then how will Alchemy ever advance?"
"Hahaha! We advance by building upon existing formulas, of course," Lu Ben shot back immediately. "Pill formulas are the foundation of Alchemy, just like cultivation techniques are the foundation of Martial Dao. If your foundation is unstable, what right do you have to talk about alchemy? Ridiculous!"
His reasoning sounded convincing, and many nodded along.
More and more eyes turned toward Yang Cheng, filled with mockery and disdain.
To them, this twelve-year-old "Master" was nothing but a fraud with a powerful background.
Even Wang Rou couldn't help covering her face, her heart sinking. She knew Yang Cheng's knowledge of Alchemy ran unimaginably deep, so why—why would he say something that sounded so heretical?
Someone muttered with a sneer, "I wonder what Great Zhou paid the Grand Dean to make him promote this boy."
Zheng Qiu's expression darkened. So he had overestimated Yang Cheng after all.
Before, he had even thought of Yang Cheng as a potential rival—but now, it seemed the boy didn't need anyone to bring him down. He'd destroy his own reputation before the lecture was even over.
Yang Cheng's tone remained calm, his words flowing like a slow current. "The true essence of Alchemy lies in resonance with heaven and earth, and harmony with one's own heart. Look around—the myriad things of this world can all be used as medicine; the sun, moon, and stars are all sources of heat; the billions of written scriptures are all pill formulas. To cling only to herbs, furnaces, and recipes—that is the path of the small-minded."
"Utterly laughable!" Lu Ben scoffed, his lips curling. "Do you think Alchemy Masters are gods of creation now?"
"Alchemy Masters are creators," Yang Cheng said evenly. "Yet for generations, the so-called traditional Alchemy has trained Alchemy Masters to be mere craftsmen—that is the true mistake."
As his words fell, the entire hall erupted into chaos.
"Alchemy Masters are creators?"
The audacity of it shocked them all.
But even those mocking him couldn't help but feel a strange tremor in their hearts.
Because though the words were outrageous—there was something in his voice, something vast and unshakable—like the echo of truth itself.
Many disciples of the Alchemy Hall found their blood stirring from Yang Cheng's words.
When they had first chosen to pursue Alchemy, they had dreamed of becoming creators—of crafting their own pill formulas and embodying their own ideals.
But reality crushed those dreams.
Bound by countless rigid rules, they could only follow prescribed formulas word for word. Even the slightest deviation in ingredient ratios was forbidden.
Their vision of becoming creators had long been shattered. They had realized that alchemists weren't divine creators—they were merely craftsmen bound to repetition.
Day after day, their competitions weren't about whose pills held deeper spirit or innovation—but about whose pills most precisely matched the formula.
Somewhere along the way, they had lost their original passion.
Now, Yang Cheng's words stirred something buried deep within them—memories of their first dreams when they had entered the path of Alchemy.
"Alchemy Masters are creators?"
Lecturer Lu laughed loudly, as though he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "Since you talk so big, why don't you prove it? Right now, in front of all of us—create a pill from scratch. No existing formula. If you can do that, I'll believe you."
Before Yang Cheng could respond, Lu Ben continued, his tone cutting. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask—where exactly did Master Yang learn Alchemy? Who is your teacher? Which Alchemy classics have you studied? Have you ever written a single treatise on alchemy?"
He'd decided not to waste time arguing. Instead, he struck straight at what he believed was Yang Cheng's weakest point.
At any Dao Academy, one could only be recognized as a master by meeting strict standards.
For An Alchemy Master, that included having one's own written work of sufficient scholarly level—proof of one's understanding and contribution to the Dao.
If Yang Cheng had none of those, then he was completely unqualified to stand here as An Alchemy Master.
Swish—
Countless eyes turned to fix on Yang Cheng at once.
Everyone waited for him to make a fool of himself.
Even many of the female disciples who had earlier cheered him on were only dazzled by his looks. None truly believed he was worthy of being called a master.
"This is bad. Could it be that Master Yang will be dismissed on his first day?"
Liu Hongfu whispered with a sigh. "If that happens, we won't get to see him anymore—or that face fit for the ages."
Tang Xingyu, however, only smiled faintly. "Not necessarily."
Then, under the gaze of the entire hall, Yang Cheng said calmly, "I have never studied Alchemy. I have no Alchemy teacher. I've never read any Alchemy classics—and I have not written any Alchemy treatise."
For a heartbeat, silence fell.
Then chaos exploded.
The lecture hall erupted with gasps, laughter, and disbelief.
Wang Rou felt her heart sink completely. She buried her face in her hands, despair flooding her. 'Master Yang, how could you say that yourself? Even the Grand Dean wouldn't be able to save you now!'
Zheng Qiu chuckled coldly, shaking his head. He now felt that attending this lecture had been a complete waste of time.
"I really must've been stupid," he murmured to himself. "To think I ever saw a twelve-year-old as a threat."
He stood up and walked straight out, not bothering to listen any further.
"Never studied Alchemy, no teacher, no classics, no writings?"
Lu Ben laughed angrily. "Then I'd love to know—how can someone completely ignorant of Alchemy stand here in my Alchemy Hall as a master?"
"If this isn't investigated properly, it'll go down as the greatest disgrace in the history of the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy—and the greatest insult ever dealt to all of us in the Alchemy Hall!"
His words drew loud shouts of agreement.
Rage filled the room.
Many disciples clenched their fists, their faces red with fury.
Before, even if they doubted Yang Cheng's qualifications, they had at least assumed he had some level of alchemical understanding.
But now they learned he hadn't even studied Alchemy!
Yet he stood here, speaking with calm confidence as if he belonged above them all—wasn't that the very definition of mockery?
If such a person were allowed to continue teaching in the Alchemy Hall, then wouldn't the reputation of the entire Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy be destroyed in his hands?