Volume One, Chapter 19: Brimming with Confidence!

“Reporting to Senior Brother, I have thoroughly inquired—he truly is Chu Tianxing, the Crown Prince of Chu Kingdom,” the alchemy hall steward replied respectfully.

Li Daoyuan’s face turned cold, disdainfully saying, “You infamous useless one, how did you even manage to enter the Core Alchemy Hall? Are you here to tarnish its reputation?”

“And you! As a steward of the Alchemy Hall, how dare you recklessly bring someone in? If you don’t want to be punished, throw him out immediately!”

At these words, Chu Tianxing frowned slightly but felt helpless deep down—after all, he had indeed been a useless layabout for two years.

“Senior Brother, don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?” Shangguan Han said displeased. “Since the steward brought him in, it means he passed the verification and has the talent for alchemy. As the Senior Brother of the Alchemy Hall, you can’t just abuse your power for personal reasons. Just because Mu Yuyao and Xing Bufan are your friends, does that mean you can—”

“Han!” Shangguan Miaotong suddenly interrupted, shaking her head slightly at Shangguan Han.

Yet what Shangguan Han said made Chu Tianxing narrow his eyes.

At first, Chu Tianxing thought Li Daoyuan was just afraid he would drag down the Alchemy Hall and so spoke harshly. Given he had indeed been useless outside the Sanctuary’s outer gates for two years, it was understandable that others looked down on him; his reputation could be redeemed through strength.

But Shangguan Han claimed Li Daoyuan was friends with Mu Yuyao and Xing Bufan, using official power to settle personal scores?

“Sister, don’t stop me! I’ve disliked him for a long time! He has bullied junior brothers and sisters in the Alchemy Hall more than once because of personal matters.”

Shangguan Han pointed at Chu Tianxing. “I approved his entry into the Alchemy Hall. Do you think my words as the Young Hall Master mean nothing to Senior Brother?”

“Third Junior Brother, the reason I forbid him from entering the Alchemy Hall is for the hall’s reputation,” Li Daoyuan said coldly. “He is, after all, a notorious layabout! No matter how he got into the Core Hall, we cannot accept him! Since he comes from a martial background, he should be training in the Two Palaces and Two Halls, not wasting time with us!”

At this, a cold light flashed in Li Daoyuan’s eyes, and he shifted tone: “But since Third Junior Brother has spoken, I cannot ignore it. However, if he fails to meet the Alchemy Hall’s standards and drags down our overall performance, what will you do then?”

“Understand, only geniuses among the Sanctuary’s martial disciples can enter the Core Hall, and our Alchemy Hall only trains genius alchemists.”

“Only then will our Core Alchemy Hall be valued by the Sanctuary, and only then will it have a reason to exist.”

“This is not the outer gate; there’s no room for idlers! If you insist on accepting him, you must bear the responsibility!”

Hearing this, Shangguan Han took a deep breath. Even knowing Li Daoyuan was abusing his power, he couldn’t argue.

In just a few words, a trap was set—if Chu Tianxing dragged down the hall’s performance, he alone would bear the blame!

But now the arrow was already nocked. If he backed down now, how could he compete with Li Daoyuan later? What face would the Young Hall Master have?

“I will accept him into the Alchemy Hall! If he fails to meet the hall’s requirements, I will take full responsibility and accept any punishment!” Shangguan Han shouted, face flushed with anger.

Beside him, Shangguan Miaotong wanted to intervene but it was too late; she knew her brother was truly angry, and stopping him was pointless.

“What are the Alchemy Hall’s requirements?” Chu Tianxing asked calmly.

Li Daoyuan squinted, sneering, “Promote to second-rank alchemist within three months, third-rank within half a year, and fourth-rank within a year.”

“Chu Tianxing, Mu Yuyao and Xing Bufan are indeed my friends. If you leave the hall now, I won’t bother dealing with a useless person like you.”

“But if you insist on staying, once I catch you slipping up, I will punish you harshly on behalf of Sister Yuyao and Brother Bufan!”

At this, Shangguan Han laughed bitterly with anger, “Sister, listen to this! Isn’t this an abuse of power? How could he be worthy of being your fiancé?”

Shangguan Miaotong, emotionless on the surface, said calmly, “The choice is Chu Tianxing’s, not Senior Brother Daoyuan’s.”

As Miaotong said, if Chu Tianxing didn’t want to be targeted, he could simply leave the hall.

If he chose to stay and got caught, it would be his own doing.

“You may look down on me for being useless for two years, but if you oppose me just because of Mu Yuyao and Xing Bufan…” Chu Tianxing’s gaze turned cold, “then I absolutely cannot let you, nor Mu Yuyao and Xing Bufan, have your way!”

“If I fail to meet the Alchemy Hall’s requirements and the hall blames me, I Chu Tianxing will take full responsibility! It has nothing to do with Young Hall Master Shangguan.”

Li Daoyuan’s pupils constricted, unable to fathom where Chu Tianxing’s confidence came from—such a fool!

If it were truly that easy to climb the ranks as an alchemist, everyone could be one.

Unbeknownst to them, Chu Tianxing had already possessed the qualifications to be an alchemist before entering the Sanctuary two years ago—his talent was extraordinary.

He simply hadn’t studied alchemy yet after entering the outer gate, as there was no alchemy hall there.

“Maybe he really can?” Shangguan Han had calmed down, feeling both regret and hope.

Regret for acting impulsively and not considering whether Chu Tianxing could meet the hall’s standards, falling into Li Daoyuan’s trap.

But since things had come this far, he couldn’t back down, even if Chu Tianxing failed.

His hope was that Chu Tianxing was confident enough; if he truly could meet the requirements, it would be a complete victory over Li Daoyuan.

It would also teach Li Daoyuan a lesson, making him more restrained in the future and preventing chaos in the Alchemy Hall.

“Chu Tianxing, since you passed the steward’s test, it means you have awakened your alchemical flame.”

Suddenly, Shangguan Miaotong softly suggested, “Why don’t you show us your alchemical flame?”

The alchemical flame, an innate talent for alchemy, was the threshold for becoming an alchemist.

“Alright.” Chu Tianxing extended his left hand and opened his palm, where a crimson flame suddenly ignited and burned.

Seeing this, Shangguan Miaotong nodded lightly.

The many disciples newly admitted to the Alchemy Hall were unsurprised; all of them had alchemical flames.

Only those who had awakened their flames were accepted into the Sanctuary’s Core Alchemy Hall.

“Since you have the talent for alchemy, why did you train in martial arts in the outer gate instead of studying alchemy here? Did you just awaken your flame recently?” Shangguan Miaotong asked with curiosity.

“I awakened my alchemical flame two years ago but chose to train in martial arts because I am focused solely on martial cultivation,” Chu Tianxing said frankly. “Although alchemists hold a noble status, their combat strength is inferior to martial artists—they can only assist, not lead.”

“Chu Tianxing, isn’t that a bit inappropriate to say?”

“Alchemists are indeed weaker in combat, but they can use their alchemy skills to command martial artists to serve them!”

“That’s right! The faction supporting an alchemist will protect them with all their might.”

“Exactly, if you can command martial artists at will, why fight personally?”

“As far as I know, acquiring a strange flame can completely make up for a lack of combat power!”

For a moment, many of the newly admitted disciples spoke up, arguing their points.

Chu Tianxing said lightly, “I do not despise alchemists, but our pursuits differ. I seek supreme combat power.”