The door to the assessment room was slowly pushed open, and a hearty laugh startled Qinglin and Little Fairy Doctor, who were chatting idly. Their faces immediately lit up with delighted smiles.
"Brother Lin Feng!"
The mischievous Qinglin rushed towards Lin Feng first, catching him and spinning him around.
Lin Feng held her in his arms and then took Little Fairy Doctor's hand.
"Brother Lin Feng, did you succeed?" The small figure in Lin Feng's arms looked up at Qinglin expectantly.
Seeing this, Lin Feng's eyes flickered, and a look of disappointment quickly appeared on his face. "Qinglin, I'm sorry, brother, I failed."
"It's okay, it's okay," Qinglin quickly got up from Lin Feng's arms, grasped his large hand, and hurriedly comforted him.
"Brother Lin Feng, don't be discouraged. Even if you failed, there will be another chance next time. You have to believe in yourself." Little Fairy Doctor also hurriedly comforted him.
Seeing the two anxious people, Lin Feng's expression flashed with self-reproach. "Qing Lin, Little Fairy Doctor, I'm sorry, I lied to you." He
then presented a badge engraved with the mark of a fourth-grade alchemist to Qing Lin and Little Fairy Doctor, quickly raising his hands and slightly closing his eyes in a pleading gesture. The
Heavenly Rank Battle Skill, the Kidney-Grabbing Technique, which he had been waiting for, hadn't appeared. Lin Feng was secretly puzzled and secretly opened one eye.
Suddenly, Qing Lin's face came into view. Seeing Qing Lin's smiling face and Little Fairy Doctor's cheerful laughter beside her, he immediately understood.
"Thank you, Qing Lin, Little Fairy Doctor," Lin Feng secretly resolved to protect them and prevent them from getting hurt, even at the cost of his life.
"Ahem," looking at the three young men and women in the arena, Fa Ma's eyes narrowed with envy, and he immediately interrupted.
"Lin Feng, now that you've become a guest elder of the guild, how about we arrange a grand celebration banquet to let everyone get to know you, this genius alchemist?"
After giving the old man a reproachful look, Lin Feng refused, "Pharaoh, let's forget about the banquet. Let's wait until you become a fifth-grade alchemist."
"Oh, are you sure?" Pharaoh looked at Lin Feng with a strange expression and said quietly, "At the alchemist's advancement banquet, the guests usually bring generous gifts to make an impression and get their hands on the pills in the future."
After a pause, Pharaoh's expression became even stranger, as if he couldn't believe that the Gama Empire had produced a genius like Lin Feng.
"Don't underestimate yourself. A fourth-grade alchemist at such a young age, your future achievements are immeasurable. Those guys will probably spend a lot of money to curry favor with you!"
Upon hearing this, the slight impatience on Lin Feng's face disappeared instantly, his eyes narrowed, and his tone became subtle.
"Oh! That was my fault, young man. The Alchemist Guild gaining another fourth-grade alchemist and a guest elder significantly strengthens the Empire's power and makes a huge contribution to the overall progress of alchemists."
After a pause, Lin Feng dropped a bombshell, "It must be done, absolutely must be done, and it must be done on a grand scale. I'll trouble Pharaoh to invite all forces with at least the Dou Ling level."
Fama was stunned, looking at Lin Feng's drastically changed attitude, his mouth agape, unsure what to think.
Finally, he said, "In that case, we'll need half a month to prepare."
Leaving a maid to arrange the accommodations for Lin Feng and his companions, Fama quickly departed, unwilling to stay any longer.
In the heart of the capital, within a dark and secluded courtyard, there was not a sound, an eerie silence.
Suddenly, an aged voice rang out, slightly hoarse, as if someone had been in seclusion for years, never speaking to anyone.
"An eighteen-year-old fourth-grade alchemist, personally appointed by Fa Ma as a guest elder of the Alchemist Guild?" The aged voice paused, seemingly astonished by the alchemist's talent.
"Oh? Accompanied by two ladies!? Have Ye'er take some precious medicinal herbs to pay them a visit," the voice paused, seemingly hesitant, before continuing,
"Let Yue'er come along too. Doesn't she like alchemy? It's good for young people to exchange ideas. Ye'er will understand what I mean." The voice seemed to turn ruthless at the end.
"Yes," a figure flashed out from the shadows, knelt on one knee in response, bowed deeply, took a step back, and retreated.
Inside a magnificent, golden palace at the Mittel Auction House, an elderly man sat at the head of the table, his face also extremely aged—it was Mittel Tengshan.
However, below, things were extremely lively, or rather, noisy.
"Since he's a genius alchemist, we should invest heavily in him and firmly bind him to the Mittel family. I refuse to believe that a mere youth can escape the vortex of a powerful family."
"You idiot! To cultivate alchemy to the fourth rank at such a young age, even if he's a fool, the alchemist behind him is someone we can't afford to offend."
"Two brainless fools. In my opinion, this young man has two female companions with him; he must be quite the character. Why not send some beautiful women from the family to test him?"
"What?! You old scoundrel! How dare you humiliate me like this? Today I'll suppress you in the latrine!"
"Come on, let's see who suppresses whom!"
"..."
"Bang! Enough!" Mittel Tengshan slammed his hand on the eight-immortal table beside him and shouted. "Stop arguing!"
Seeing the angry elder, the arguing crowd immediately quieted down. It seemed that this elder, Mittel Tengshan, who was actually the acting clan leader, still held considerable prestige.
Stroking his head with a headache, Mittel Tengshan looked down at the crowd pretending to bury their heads in the sand, feeling troubled.
Although he knew they were all acting in the family's best interests, every meeting turned into arguments, with no reliable advice offered.
In the end, he still had to make the decisions. He sighed inwardly, "Back when I was still around, my word was law. Am I really that much worse off?"
At that moment, in a city bordering the Gama Empire and the Tager Desert, an old man dividing a strange map suddenly sneezed.
"No need for further arguing. This time, I will personally lead the team to the treasury to prepare several sets of fourth-grade pill ingredients, as well as several pill formulas that the Alchemist Guild doesn't have, catering to their preferences."
He paused, then continued, "Also, remember to inform Ya Fei; she should come along too. Young people, after all, have things to talk about."
Upon hearing this, the many elegantly dressed middle-aged men present exchanged glances, none of them offering any objections.
"So, it's time for me to sacrifice myself for my family, isn't it?"
In an elegant courtyard, a graceful woman in red stood, her bright red fingernails piercing her palms, dripping blood as if it were a taste. "
Heh, an eighteen-year-old fourth-grade alchemist, how could he possibly want a mediocre vase like me?" She paused, her voice turning icy. "Perhaps, I'll just become his plaything." (End of Chapter)