Chapter 1 The First Round of Testing
The first round of testing saw both Xia Feng and Lü Siyao's talents explode.
The Grand Elder of the Pill Sect had been closely monitoring the test results. Upon hearing the news, he immediately ordered Xia Feng and Lü Siyao to be brought to him separately.
He intended to test them personally, as their talents were far better than he had imagined.
Xia Feng, in particular, was a once-in-ten-thousand-years talent.
"With such incredible talent, you don't even know your own rank?"
As they walked along the small path, Lü Siyao looked at Xia Feng with astonishment and asked.
Her entire life, she had been the one praised to the heavens. Today, for the first time, she felt a sense of defeat.
If talent were measured by points, she believed her talent could score 90, an exceptionally high mark.
She hadn't expected Xia Feng to achieve a perfect score, which was why the Grand Elder decided to test them personally.
"I don't know. I just dabble in alchemy," Xia Feng shook his head.
Dabble in alchemy?
Lü Siyao gasped in disbelief, her small mouth agape.
Was this infuriating or what?
In the past, it was always others who envied her talent and diligence. Now, here was someone with superior talent, claiming it was just a hobby.
"I don't know what to say anymore," Lü Siyao shook her head rapidly.
Xia Feng smiled and asked, "Does the Pill Sect have any Alchemy Grandmasters?"
"I'm not sure. I only know that the Sect Master of the Pill Sect is a ninth-grade alchemist. Perhaps there are ancestors or the like," Lü Siyao shook her head.
Xia Feng nodded and said no more. He was eager to know his own rank and, if it was too low, how long it would take him to reach the Grandmaster level.
He only had ten years, and nearly a year had already passed.
Nine years would fly by in the blink of an eye, and some difficult-to-refine pills required years of practice.
"Do you think we have a chance to become direct disciples under the Grand Elder?"
Lü Siyao initiated a conversation to break the silence.
Xia Feng shook his head and replied, "I'm not here to become a disciple."
"Not here to become a disciple?" Lü Siyao was taken aback.
This left Lü Siyao bewildered, her delicate, pretty face etched with confusion.
"Yes, I'm here to test my rank and inquire about a few matters with the Pill Sect," Xia Feng said.
Lü Siyao found Xia Feng's tone overly arrogant, which made her cheeks flush slightly, and she no longer wished to speak with him.
She merely felt that Xia Feng's talent was a rare sight indeed, and she didn't want him to miss out on a great opportunity due to his overly proud demeanor.
After a moment's thought, she decided to offer a word of advice: "Your talent is a rarity unseen in millennia; you must maintain your disposition. The people of the Pill Sect are all quite eccentric. You'll suffer if you continue like this."
"I will," Xia Feng nodded with a smile.
The two soon arrived at the Grand Elder's palace. Tian Xun, the Grand Elder of the Pill Sect, was already waiting.
"Grand Elder, the people have been brought here," one of the Pill Sect disciples reported.
"Mm," Tian Xun grunted and turned his gaze towards Xia Feng and Lü Siyao.
Both were young, fitting his criteria for selecting disciples.
"Siyao pays her respects to the Grand Elder," Lü Siyao quickly and respectfully saluted Tian Xun.
Xia Feng, however, remained standing still. Lü Siyao gently tugged at Xia Feng's sleeve, signaling him to salute as well.
Tian Xun's expression was neutral, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure. He simply stared at Xia Feng with curiosity.
It was then that Xia Feng spoke, "Grand Elder, does your Pill Sect have any Grandmaster-level alchemists?"
This was Xia Feng's true purpose. Since he wasn't invited in, he was already being courteous and saw no need to waste time, getting straight to the point.
"How does that relate to you joining my tutelage?" Tian Xun glanced at Xia Feng and asked.
"If you don't, I'll find another Grandmaster," Xia Feng said nonchalantly.
"Are you implying that I am not qualified to teach you?" Tian Xun's expression finally turned cold.
He recognized Xia Feng's talent, but that didn't mean he would tolerate Xia Feng's attitude.
Xia Feng's independent spirit was admirable, but if he didn't put him in his place, he might as well have taken in a son.
"Yes," Xia Feng replied calmly.
"Presumptuous!" Tian Xun roared, his Immortal Emperor aura erupting and enveloping the entire hall.
Lü Siyao was petrified. This...
Xia Feng waved his hand gently, causing the aura in the entire hall to dissipate, and said, "I am here to ask questions. Please have a Grandmaster from the Pill Sect come out."
With a gentle wave of his hand, Xia Feng dispelled Tian Xun's aura. If Tian Xun couldn't understand by now, he would be a fool.
"Immortal Venerable?" Tian Xun shouted in a cracked voice, startled.
"Bring out the testing stone and test my alchemy rank first," Xia Feng commanded with a wave of his hand.
Only now did Tian Xun realize that Xia Feng wasn't here to be recruited as a disciple but to show off at the Pill Sect.
"Although you are an Immortal Venerable powerhouse, coming alone to the Pill Sect and acting so arrogantly, have you come to the wrong place?"
Tian Xun's expression was calm, though his heart churned like waves. However, his equally proud nature made him unafraid.
While alchemists could advance their realms relatively easily, they generally lacked practical combat experience, relying on pills for their cultivation. Their combat power was inferior to that of ordinary Immortal Emperors.
Despite this, these eccentric alchemists still showed no deference to Xia Feng.
"Then I shall make you submit," Xia Feng said, grabbing Tian Xun.
Tian Xun was completely incapable of resisting, and a hint of fear flickered across his face.
The disciples outside the hall quickly ran off to inform others.
Xia Feng didn't have much time for pleasantries. He always believed in resolving matters with force when possible.
He couldn't possibly start by slowly joining Tian Xun's tutelage and playing the part of the weak to defeat the strong, could he?
As for Lü Siyao, she was utterly stunned.
She had never imagined things would escalate to this point, nor did she realize Xia Feng was actually a super powerhouse at the Immortal Venerable realm.
Was this the same friendly, gentle neighbor she had been chatting and laughing with earlier?
He was too formidable.
Of course, Lü Siyao felt more admiration than anything, a genuine respect for the strong.
A moment later, three figures with powerful auras flew directly into the hall, including another Immortal Venerable realm expert.
The Pill Sect possessed considerable strength, as all cultivators required elixirs. Although they didn't engage in combat themselves, they housed many retainers.
These retainers acted as the Pill Sect's enforcers, in exchange for appropriate medicinal pills.
The Immortal Venerable before them was one such retainer, who had been cultivating at the Pill Sect for an extended period.
"Release the Grand Elder, or you will not leave the Pill Sect alive," one of the Immortal Emperors angrily shouted at Xia Feng.
He was Mu Liangchen, the Sect Master of the Pill Sect.
Upon hearing this, Xia Feng immediately released Tian Xun and looked at Mu Liangchen, saying, "I do not wish to cause trouble. I want to see your Pill Sect's Grandmaster."
Mu Liangchen, seeing that Xia Feng released the Grand Elder with just a single sentence, assumed Xia Feng was afraid and thus shouted, "An ancestor is not someone you can simply demand to see."
He then turned to the Immortal Venerable expert and said, "I'll trouble you."
The Immortal Venerable expert nodded, strode forward, and looked at Xia Feng, saying:
"Allow me to experience your strength."