《From Plaything to Tyrant: I Will Defy the Heavens to Return》


 The Exiled Heir

    At the gate of a majestic mountain, a lone young man was walking forward, his steps steady and calm. His deep brown eyes, far more mature for the young face, carried something few could understand.


    As he moved, he glanced behind at the sect that he once called his home and a deep sigh escaped his mouth. As his gaze surveyed the mountain, the conversation he just had a few minutes ago flashed before his eyes.


    "From this day forward, Bai Chen won''t be considered a disciple of the Azure Dragon Sect." His father announced to the elders and disciples present.


    His face was expressionless, and he clenched his fists slightly, only to release them the next moment, not betraying any hint of the turmoil inside of him.


    As his words spread, chatter began to fill the audience, and as Bai Chen glanced at those present, he saw pity in some eyes, while others held contempt.


    "I can''t believe our sect leader gave birth to such a trash."


    "Such a waste, only if he had talent..."


    As he heard all of this, Bai Chen''s face remained cold, but he kept quiet. But a hint of amusement can''t help but appear in his eyes.


    These murmurs meant nothing to him, from the start, glory and power held little meaning to him, his path was different from all the people in this world.


    As his mother heard all this, her fists clenched, but she loosened them immediately, although it pained her to no end, she wasn''t able to show it on her face as if even a single trace of favoritism appeared in her behavior, the news might leak and their enemies might grow suspicious.


    "Silence,"


    The murmurs started to grow louder and louder, the sect leader''s strong voice resounded once again, silencing everyone present.


    "Bai Chen, hand over the sect''s sword and your disciple badge and you can leave."


    When he said this, a disciple of the disciplinary hall came forward to collect the items from Bai Chen.


    Bai Chen''s eyes narrowed a little, and a deep glint that no one noticed flashed in his eyes, he unfastened the belt around his waist, and as he was handing it over, he felt the weight of his beloved companion one last time.


    As he reminisced those moments, another deep sigh escaped his lips and he started walking again.


    ''One day, I will come back and tell this world, I, Bai Chen, am not trash, but the strongest genius this world has ever seen.'' he thought, but then he burst out into an amused laughter, ''Maybe I am also getting the main character syndrome.''


    ''When did I start to care about other''s opinions, my path is different from theirs after all,'' his amusement only grew with the realization and he shook his head before continuing on his long journey.


    At this moment, he had already climbed down the mountain and was on the path to a nearby city.


    While trotting on this path, scenes of his past life flashed through his eyes, scenes when his life was simple, scenes where fate hadn''t twisted his life.


    "Brother Feng, hurry up, we are going to be late for the festival." A young girl with a face full of smiles said as she pulled his hand.


    "Alright, I am coming, I am coming, no need to pull me," he said, happiness blooming in his heart, "geez, Fei Mei, you can be so impatient at times, there are still two hours until the festival starts."


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    As Fei Mei heard this, her rosy cheeks puffed as she pouted, and her lips pursed into frustration as she glared at Xiao Feng, making her look incredibly cute.


    "What does Brother Feng mean I am being impatient? Can you blame me, It is going to be our first Valentine together." She said as she started to pull him even harder.


    As Xiao Feng looked at the beautiful girl in front of him, his heart started to race and he once again realized, how lucky he was, to have someone genuine like her, to fill his monotonous life with happiness.


    "What are you daydreaming about, hurry up," A sharp voice pulled him out of the trance as Fei Mei once again glared at him, already annoyed. Her hair was already sticking to her forehead from the summer heat.


    As Xiao Feng looked at this, he chuckled as he took out a napkin to wipe her face, and said, "I was once again entranced by the fact that how can someone be so beautiful."


    As Fei Mei heard this, a small squeak escaped her lips as her face turned a bright shade of red and she ran away like a scared deer while covering her face with her hand.


    Looking at this, Xiao Feng just chuckled and started to follow behind her, the warmth in his eyes growing as each moment passed.


    As Bai Chen was still immersed in his past life, the cold evening wind blew unto his face and a rustle in a nearby bush brought him back to reality.


    He grew vigilant as he scanned his surroundings to find the source of the sound.


    "Who''s there?" Bai Chen asked as he reached out to his waist, but when he found it empty, he remembered that he had given his sword back to the sect.


    "AHAHAHAHA, isn''t that the useless young master of the Azure Dragon Sect?" An arrogant female voice sounded as a figure stepped out of the nearby bushes.


    "Who are you?" Bai Chen''s vigilance increased as he scrutinized the figure in front of him.


    "Me? I am nobody, just a passerby who loves to watch the misery of others." The woman said as a playful smile adorned her beautiful lips.


    At this moment, Bai Chen realized that he was only sensing the aura of a foundation establishment 3rd stage cultivator from her body and his guard relaxed a little.


    "Did the sect send you?" He tentatively asked, trying to fish out more information to check which power he might need to deal with in the future.


    "The sect?" The woman seemed surprised for a second but then a mocking look appeared on her face as she sneered, "Do you really think someone would send me here to mock you? How arrogant."


    The arrogance that was in the woman surprised Bai Chen but he remained quiet, his long golden hair dancing with the cool wind, his deep brown eyes observing her beautiful visage as the evening sunlight fell on his face, further highlighting his sharp features.


    "I only act on my whims, and my whims led me here," the woman continued, " and right now, they are telling me to enjoy these moments as much as I can."


    A blank look appeared on Bai Chen''s face as he heard this, naturally, he was not going to believe her, who would, after all, this is a dog-eat-dog world, where a moment of carelessness would have you end up dead.


    "What? don''t belive me?" When the woman saw his blank face, she asked in a somewhat irritated tone, but then she got back to her mocking again, "Do you really think you are worth someone wasting their time to deal with you?"


    "You are weak, Bai Chen, nothing more than trash," She said the mocking look intensified, "you are not worth anyone''s attention, not even your parents. Honestly, your situation makes me almost want to pity you, almost."


    Although Bai Chen was keeping a blank look on the outside, he was actually trying to feel her aura, and trying to understand the reason why he, a golden core peak cultivator, wasn''t able to sense her till she revealed herself.


    As the woman''s mocking grew more and more, Bai Chen finally started to get annoyed and asked, "You still haven''t told me your name and purpose."


    "Oh, where are my manners, right, the weak don''t deserve to be treated with respect, AHAHAHA," The woman appeared to be a little embarrassed at the start, but then she went back to mocking him again.


    "Anyway, since you are so curious, My name is Qiao Xue, and as for my purpose? well, let''s just say I don''t have one," She continued.


    "Don''t have one? Who doesn''t have a purpose?" Bai Chen surprised, asked her in a questioning tone.


    "I don''t, I just go wherever fate takes me, and it also led me here, anyway, see you around," Qiao Xue replied before starting to walk back into the bushes.


    "Wait, you haven''t answered all my questions," Bai Chen tried to stop her, but then he realized that he couldn''t sense her presence at all, just like before.


    "That woman," he murmured as their conversation started to run through his mind again, but the words that stuck out the most and the words that he felt were the most true overshadowed everything else.


    "Yes, the weak don''t deserve to be treated with respect," A determined look appeared on his face as he once again realized his purpose in this world and why he needed to get stronger."


    ''Just wait for me, Fei Mei, I will surely come back to you,'' He thought to himself as he continued on his journey.

 Arrival

    After a long walk, while enjoying the beautiful and untainted scenery along the way, Bai Chen finally reached the Azure Dragon City.


    Looking at the majestic city, whose walls seemed to penetrate heaven and spanned till the end of sight, the people riding on various beasts that he had only heard about. The ancient-style building, and the cracks and weapon marks on the walls, increase and show the rich history of the city.


    Bai Chen once again realized the immense difference between his current and past worlds. Looking at the city in front of him took his thoughts back to his city on earth, the city he grew up and lived his whole life in.


    His mind gradually turned toward his last moment on earth and how his life was suddenly turned upside down when he was brought into this world.


    Earth, China, Lijiang,


    A young man around the age of 20 was seen walking in an empty street, his steps were light and carefree, and the neon lights on the street glowed enough to cover the dark street in colorful lights.


    Distant sounds of vehicles moving echoed in the background and a sweet aroma of grilled meat from a nearby street wafted in the air.


    But Xiao Feng ignored it all, instead, his mind was filled with the scenes about his wedding that was planned for next year with the love of his life, Fei Mei.


    He and Fei Mei were childhood sweethearts and he had just proposed to her last week, she accepted and they had just finalized their wedding date to be just one week after their graduation.


    Both of them were really excited about that, even though there were almost 2 years before the actual wedding, it still couldn''t dampen the excitement and expectations in their hearts.


    As he kept walking, a sudden glow started to emerge around him, and all the hair on his body started to stand up.


    Before he could understand what was happening, a sharp searing pain ran from his head to toe and his body felt like it was on fire.


    In the midst of this agony, he heard the sound of a thunderstrike and lost consciousness.


    When he opened his eyes again after an unknown amount of time, he, for the first time in his life, saw his own body from a third-person perspective.


    "What....What the F**K is happening?" He asked.


    The process was so fast that his thoughts were all over the place, and not a single reasonable idea came to his mind.


    "Is that my body? Then what am I now?" he questioned as he tried to look at his hand, which was not translucent.


    "I get it, this must be a strange dream probably," he thought, "I''ll wake up soon enough."


    Just as Xiao Feng was trying to delude himself with his imagination, he felt a strong pull on his soul, like a power beyond his comprehension was pulling him toward itself. Power he wasn''t able to resist.


    His vision blurred, and time seemed to have lost its meaning for him, he saw the land below his feet get smaller and smaller until he was able to see the whole world at a single glance, yet he didn''t stop and continued on his forced journey.


    His translucent figure, which seemed to be his soul, tore through the space-time spectrum and reached an area filled with nothing but darkness.


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    Xiao Feng continued to drift in total darkness.


    How much time had passed, maybe a day, maybe a year, or even perhaps just a few seconds, he didn''t know that. Time seemed to have lost any meaning for him.


    His consciousness tittered on the brink of madness, and he was even starting to forget himself.


    ''What am I? Am I Xiao Feng?''


    ''Or was that all just a dream? Or is this a dream?''


    He wanted to scream, he wanted to shout and ask, why was he here, but no matter how much he tried, no sound came out of his mouth.


    He neither felt warmth nor cold, it got to the point, where he started to question whether he was even real.


    ''Where is this? Is this death?'' His thoughts were all over the place. But he was able to hold on with the help of the memories, memories of him having a joyful dinner on Christmas Eve with his and Fei Mei''s family.


    Memories of the Fun time he spent with his brothers, the time he spent arguing with them over small things, and the time when they once fought literally because he breathed on his younger brother''s face.


    He held on by remembering his mother''s worry-filled face when he got home a little late, and his father''s stern attitude when he didn''t take his studies seriously.


    He kept holding on to the little sense of self he had by thinking about the first time he met Fei Mei, and how much of a brat he was back then.


    And he stopped himself from losing himself by replaying the memories in which, Fei Mei turned from a naive little girl into a beautiful young lady in front of his eyes.


    But even with all that, he was having a hard time keeping himself sane, after all, no matter how good, they were just memories and the absolute silence around him wasn''t helping at all.


    Just as he was about to lose himself to the darkness, he saw a light.


    Faint and distant at first, it quickly grew to be as huge as the sun itself. And finally, he was able to see what the light was.


    It was a world, a world so vast that, earth, the planet Xiao Feng belonged to, seemed nothing more than a spec of dust in front of it.


    He also realized that he was getting pulled from somewhere in this world, he just didn''t know who or what was pulling him and why.


    When he arrived at what seemed like a barrier of this world, his soul abruptly stopped and the pull vanished like it never existed.


    This confused Xiao Feng but, more than that, it scared him, he was extremely afraid, afraid that he would be left alone, to float in this infinite void without a companion for infinity.


    The fear that he would be left in this absolute silence, a place where he could not even feel his own weight, a place where he could see nothing but darkness for all of eternity made him feel as if his very existence was unraveling.


    The longer he drifted, the more he felt like a mere thought lost in the void. No sound, no warmth, no sense of self¡ªjust an endless abyss stretching infinitely in all directions.


    A suffocating dread clawed at his mind. Would this be his fate? Would he simply cease to be, forgotten even by himself?


    Just as he was losing himself in his fears, his soul felt a slight ripple in space, before an intense pressure started to bore on him from all directions.


    "Hmm, You are not supposed to be here little guy, so tell me, what are you doing here?" A voice sounded in the void, though light, it made him feel intense terror and awe from the deepest part of his very being.


    As though if the voice told him to die at this moment, he would end his own existence without a second thought, that is, if he could.


    Xiao Feng''s soul trembled under the weight of the voice, it wasn''t just a voice, it was something way beyond that, something that commanded absolute submission, something so powerful that even the concept of resistance felt foreign to him.


    He franticly tried to explain his situation but he had no voice.


    Perhaps looking at the panicking ant in front of it, the voice chuckled, it wasn''t malicious or carried even a hint of animosity, but it still sent chills down the translucent spine of Xiao Feng.


    "Ah... I see." The voice spoke, with a hint of curiosity perhaps, "a soul from beyond the veil of the void, which was never meant to be here"


    "I don''t know what happened, I was on earth one moment, and then... and then I was struck by lightning, and the next moment I was in the fucking void and I just don''t know what is happening."


    As the voice spoke, another ripple coursed through the void, and suddenly Xiao Feng was able to speak and without even realizing it, he started to blurt out everything that was going on in his mind.


    "Struck by lighting you say? fascinating, but, no matter how strong the lightning is, it shouldn''t be able to rip your soul and throw it out of its natural order." The voice spoke once again.


    "Something must have interfered in the process."


    At this moment, Xiao Feng felt as if his entire existence was being seen through, as though someone was stripping him layer by layer and learning everything about his existance.

 The Divine Realm

    At this moment, Xiao Feng felt as if his entire existence was being seen through, as though someone was stripping him layer by layer and learning everything about his existence.


    While Xiao Feng continued to have this feeling, far away from his location, a divine entity was stirred in a separate realm.


    Fragments of Xiao Feng¡¯s memories kept drifting around him, revealing everything about his past, from his birth to his first steps, and his first words to his transmigration.


    Although lazy at first, the entity¡¯s expression finally changed when it saw the memories of his transition, it saw something, something really subtle yet undeniably present, something familiar.


    When the divine entity focused, it confirmed what it felt was divine interference.


    ¡®A soul from beyond the great void, and there are signs of divine interference as well,¡¯ the entity thought, ¡®yet, no god shall act in another¡¯s domain with severe consequences.¡¯


    ¡®The God of the Earth Realm¡­ But why?¡¯ Its thought lingered about it for a few moments before settling on the inevitable conclusion.


    The Earth God had broken a law. Now, it was up to the council to decide his fate.


    Meanwhile, in a distant divine realm, the Council of Gods convened.


    The twenty-four high gods sat on their seats, looking down upon everything, even the other gods and goddesses, their eyes revealing a myriad of emotions.


    Some showed calculated coldness, some empathy and kindness, while others remained distant and unfettered.


    No matter the emotions shown in their eyes, one thing remained absolute, and that was their power, each one of the twenty-four high gods ruled over something fundamental for reality to exist.


    Each one of them held the power to destroy everything from its core, which is why the council of gods was established¡ªto maintain order and to keep the gods and goddesses in check.


    At this moment, the God of Order stood up from his seat and spoke in a majestic voice.


    ¡°Today¡¯s council has been convened because the God of the Earth Realm has broken the following divine laws,¡± The God of Order stopped for a few moments, his sharp eyes looking at every entity present.


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    ¡°Interfering with the mortal realm by causing the death of a mortal.¡±


    ¡°Breaking the law of not interfering in any other God realm.¡±


    "Forcefully stripping a mortal of their chance for reincarnation by transmigrating them into another realm."


    ¡°Because of past incidents, we already know the consequences of the God of the Earth Realm''s actions. For those of you born after these incidents, the simple answer is a Divine War in which gods fell left and right.¡±


    As the God of Order finished speaking, murmurs rippled through the audience.


    The gods and goddesses murmured in low voices, with some older gods teaching the younger ones about the history of the council and the establishment of the laws.


    ¡°Before the council was established, gods were able to interfere in each other¡¯s domain at will, and this led to dissatisfaction and dispute among some gods.¡± An older goddess said in a gentle voice.


    ¡°These disputes, though small, gradually built up to the level of a war of the worlds,¡± she continued ¡°And as you know, when a god loses the thing it is born from, it dies, and the war of the worlds became the catalyst for the destruction of a lot of worlds.¡±


    ¡°At first, it was still manageable, but soon the conflict spiraled out of control, and almost all of the gods began participating in the wars, millions of worlds were destroyed,¡± another god, taking the form of a mysterious entity, continued.


    ¡°When the destruction spiraled beyond control, the twenty-four high gods decided to act, creating the divine laws that forbid gods from acting on their own will," it spoke in a strange voice. "They also shaped the great void to act as a barrier between the worlds.¡±


    ¡°But why did they act? Weren¡¯t they already the strongest? Why would they care about those puny mortals?¡± a young god, taking the form of a child, asked, clearly confused.


    ¡°You do know that us gods get our power from the prosperity of the things we are born from, Right?¡± Another God who took the form of a horse asked, to which, the younger god nodded in response.


    ¡°It is the same with the high gods, but during the war of the infinite void, so much destruction happened that it started to affect even them,¡± The horse-shaped god said with a serious expression.


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    Just as another younger god was about to ask a question, the God of Order, seeing that the murmurs continued to grow instead of stopping, spoke in a heavy voice.


    ¡°Now we will bring the God of the Earth Realm to be judged by the council members.¡±


    As the God of Order¡¯s words fell, a burly man with brown skin and golden hair was dragged into the chamber by two beings who, although similar to the gods, had their clear distinctions which signified their status as a separate species.


    "The God of the Earth Realm had a chiseled jaw, blue eyes, and a muscular body, making him look like a model from modern Earth. But at that moment, his body was heavily chained, his divine form drenched in sweat¡ªclearly deprived of the divine power that once flowed through it."


    But, his deep blue eyes still held the ruthlessness befitting his status as a god. Yet, if one were to look deeply into them, one would find a carefully hidden trace of tiredness.


    As he tried to look up at the high gods sitting on their seats. The divine patterns on the chains started to glow in an ethereal light and the chains started to contract with several clanks but, the God of the Earth Realm still looked up, directly locking eyes with the God of Order.


    ¡°Now the trail of the God of the Earth Realm will begin,¡± The God of Order spoke again, as he looked directly into the eyes of the God of the Earth Realm.

 A New Identity

    On a small hill just outside a bustling city, a young man with brown eyes stood, and his golden hair fluttered as the gentle wind drifted past.


    Though the young man seemed to be unaware of this, his eyes held a distant gaze, as if lost in reminiscence about something from the distant past.


    Suddenly a bird flew near him, catching a rodent and flying again on its merry way.


    The strong gust of wind and the agonized screeches of the rodent brought the young man out of his trance. His lost gaze sharpened and he took a deep breath while shaking his head.


    After steadying his mind, the young man started walking towards the nearby city, thinking about his future steps ¡ª though the first priority in his mind was to discard his current identity as the exiled young master of the Azure Dragon Sect.


    As he walked, Bai Chen¡¯s spiritual sense started to spread around him, carefully sensing for anyone who might be spying on him.


    Having confirmed no one was nearby, he took a ring from his pocket, a storage ring, given to him by his father in secret a few days prior to his exile.


    He probed the ring and took out a piece of paper with strange symbols written on it and injected his spiritual qi in it. This activated the symbols that flew into the air and created a barrier that prevented spying from someone even at the shattering void stage.


    Making sure that the barrier was activated and didn¡¯t malfunction in any way, he once again probed the ring with his senses and took out a small purple pill.


    ¡°Though this world is really backward in terms of technology, there are some really fascinating things here. Who would have thought that such a small pill can change anyone¡¯s appearance to their desire.¡±


    Looking at the small pill in his hand Bai Chen whispered in a fascinated tone and gulped the pill in one smooth motion.


    As the pill reached his stomach, he felt a strange energy starting to surge through his meridians. Remembering the method taught by his father, he started to control the energy to reshape his body.


    His hair started to change color, from golden to a deep shade of black, and his eyes changed as well, turning from deep brown to a beautiful shade of blue.


    His facial features also started to change as his sharp nose lengthened lightly, and his jaw became a little round and less chiseled. His height increased by three inches and his body became slightly less lean.


    After the transformation was over, Bai Chen took out a small mirror from the storage ring and studied his own reflection in it.


    As expected, the face staring back at him was his old identity¡ªthe appearance of Xiao Feng from Earth.


    Once he ensured nothing was wrong with his new appearance, he confidently walked toward the city gates.


    The closer he got to the city, the more hustle and bustle he saw on the stone path leading to the gates, with merchants constantly moving in and out and cultivators returning to rest from their adventures.


    Occasionally, a luxurious carriage passed by, signifying the status of the nobility within the city.


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    Though with Bai Chen¡¯s cultivation, he could cover the distance in a few moments if he wanted to, he walked slowly like an ordinary person, enjoying every sight his eyes could capture.


    As his parents had never allowed him to leave the sect, he was quite oblivious to the beauty of this world.


    Thus, even the simplest sight intrigued and fascinated him, especially when he saw the strange beasts that were pulling the nobel''s carriages.


    There were all kinds of beasts, with some looking like the ancient dinosaurs imagined by the scientists on modern Earth, while others looked like creatures from the mythology famous in various cultures back in his home world.


    He was particularly interested in the beast that looked like the halberd golem from his favorite game from Earth.


    While watching all this, Bai Chen unknowingly reached the city gates and was stopped by the guards for identification.


    Although Azure Dragon City welcomed everyone, being the main city near the Azure Dragon Sect, it was also important to keep the city stable, otherwise, the sect leader wouldn¡¯t hesitate to change the management staff in the city.


    Thus the Azure Dragon City lord always gave his best effort to maintain the peace in the city and inspecting the newcomers to the city was one such effort.


    "M-My lord! How may I be of service?" the guard stammered, instinctively lowering his head and asking with a nervous look on his face.


    Usually, the guards at the city gate are quite arrogant and unruly when dealing with low-level cultivators and merchants as they themselves, are foundation establishment cultivators with the support of Azure Dragon City.


    But when they sensed the Golden Core peak level aura coming from Bai Chen¡¯s body they became subservient and nervous, after all, even the city lord of Azure Dragon City was at this level only.


    And now a figure equal to their city lord was standing right in front of him, how dare the guard not be nervous.


    ¡°I want to enter the city, here are my identity documents,¡± although Bai Chen noticed the guards nervousness, he ignored it, as it was not worth to waste his time with these small figures.


    The sole purpose of these documents was to prove that he was not a wanted criminal and Bai Chen did not thought much about it.


    ¡°N-no need my lord,¡± the guard almost freaked out as he saw Bai Chen pull out his documents and hurriedly said, ¡°We just need the lord''s great name to add to our register and the lord can enter the city.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, isn¡¯t there supposed to be an entry fee for the city?¡± Bai Chen asked in a curious tone when he heard the guard''s words.


    ¡°There is a fee, but that fee is for the commoners, I dare not take the lord''s money.¡± As if waiting for the question, the guard immediately answered Bai Chen¡¯s question.


    ¡°Alright, my name is Xiao Feng, you can add it to your register and also, you can inform your city lord if you want to.¡± Bai Chen gave his previous mainly because of his familiarity with it.


    When the guard heard that Bai Chen didn¡¯t stop him from informing the city lord, he breathed a sigh of relief as he was not sure what would he do if Bai Chen forbade him from informing the lord about his arrival.


    ¡°Yes my lord,¡± the guard said in a respectful tone before hurriedly running toward the other guards nearby who held the city¡¯s record book.


    ¡®I guess not suppressing my aura was a good thing, though I should control it if I want to lay low in the future,¡¯ Bai Chen thought as he saw the guard''s reaction to his aura.


    After a few moments, the guard returned to Bai Chen¡¯s side and spoke in the same respectful tone, ¡°you can enter the city my lord, also if you don¡¯t mind it, I can be your guide in the city if you want to visit any particular place.¡±


    Hearing the guard''s words, Bai Chen was delighted in his heart but still kept a cold face on the outside, ¡°alright I need a place to stay for a few days,¡± he said.


    ¡°About that, When I informed the city lord about the arrival of the lord, he said that if the lord wants a place to stay in the city, he is welcome to visit his mansion at any time.¡± The guard told Bai Chen about the city lord''s instruction to him.


    ¡®It seems keeping a low profile will be harder than I thought,¡¯ Bai Chen mused after he heard the guard''s words, his gaze flickering with unreadable emotions as he prepared to meet the city lord.


    ¡°He also said that if the lord doesn¡¯t mind waiting, he would personally like to welcome you in the city,¡± just as the guard finished speaking, exclamations were heard from the nearby people.

 City Lord Shen

    "He also said that if the lord doesn''t mind waiting, he would personally like to welcome you in the city," just as the guard finished speaking, exclamations were heard from the nearby people.


    As Bai Chen and the guard heard the noise around them, they turned to see a middle-aged man in a luxurious robe walking toward them.


    The middle-aged man had kind eyes, and wrinkles were starting to form on his face. Few streaks of white lines could be seen in his hair, but all this just enhanced the noble air around the man.


    Wherever the man passed, people would bow in respect and even those nobles in their carriages came out to greet the athletic man.


    Behind him walked two stout guards, and Bai Chen sensed the aura of peak core formation martial artist from both of them.


    Feeling the golden core peak realm aura coming from the middle-aged man, Bai Chen knew that he was the city lord of Azure Dragon city, Shen Canglong.


    He took his current name after taking the role of the city lord of Azure Dragon City, as for his real name, no one knew.


    ¡°At ease,¡± Shen Canglong said after stopping in front of Bai Chen. He first told the people around him to continue their work and then smiled and asked ¡°Greetings, fellow Daoist, what brings you to my humble city?¡±


    When Bai Chen heard the friendly tone that City lord Shen used, he immediately understood the other party''s intentions of making friends with him.


    ¡°Greetings, I was just passing by and decided to take a rest in your city, I hope fellow Daoist won¡¯t mind my intrusion.¡± Bai Chen also responded with a friendly tone, after all, one does not strike a smiling face.


    Hearing the tone Bai Chen used, City lord Shen immediately became happy, and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me at all, I heard that you were stopped by the guards at the gate.¡±


    Suddenly City lord Shen stopped laughing and a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he looked toward the nearby standing guard.


    The guard felt a chill crawl up his spine and his forehead started to sweat profusely. He was so scared that his legs were shaking.


    ¡°No, he did not make things difficult for me at all, in fact, he was quite understanding and even wanted to act as my guide,¡± when Bai Chen heard the City lord¡¯s words and saw his reaction, he immediately understood that just a word from his was enough for the guard to lose his life.


    But he was in a good mood as he got a free place to stay and cultivate, so he decided to add a few good words for him and there was no need for meaningless credulity.


    When the guard heard Bai Chen¡¯s words, he breathed a sigh of relief before becoming ecstatic, ¡®Who would have thought that losing the rock, paper, scissors, game would end up with the Golden Core lord putting a good word for him with the City lord.¡¯


    The guard thought silently in his heart, he was well aware of the significance Bai Chen¡¯s words carried, and how they were going to change his life from that moment on, and the envious looks his fellow guard and the nearby people were giving him were only increasing his happiness.


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    When Shen Canglong heard Bai Chen¡¯s words, the coldness in his eyes receded and he said, ¡°You did a good job, when you get off your duty, go to the Azure spring to cultivate for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°This humble servant thanks the city lord for his boundless grace!¡± hearing the City lord¡¯s words, the guard, who was close to the peak of the foundation establishment realm instantly bowed and praised the city lord.


    Originally, if nothing went wrong, the peak of the foundation establishment realm was supposed to be his limit, but with the help of Azure Spring, he might have a chance to step into the core formation realm and truly become a free man.


    For years, he had resigned himself to his fate ¡ª the fate of being just another nameless guard in the Azure Dragon city. But now? he also has a chance. A chance to break through the shackles forced by his talent and reach a higher level, a level he never dreamed of.


    Ignoring the guard''s reaction, City lord Shen turned toward Bai Chen and once again asked, ¡°I still haven¡¯t gotten fellow Daoist name, ah, my name is Shen Canglong.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Feng,¡± Bai Chen gave a simple reply without going into too much detail.


    ¡°So it fellow Daoist Feng, alright then, since you are here to rest, why not go to my mansion, I am sure you would like the environment there.¡± Hearing Bai Chen¡¯s reply, City lord Shen didn¡¯t get angry, instead, he warmly invited Bai Chen to his mansion.


    ¡°Alright let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Chen also nodded as he quickly needed to find a place to go into close-door seclusion.


    After hearing Bai Chen¡¯s words, City lord Shen invited Bai Chen to his carriage which was parked nearby.


    The carriage was much more luxurious than the carriages those nobles and aristocrats rode on, and it also held the insignia of Azure Dragon City on its sides. Two strange beasts at the initial stage of core formation realm were tied to the front side of the carriage.


    Entering the carriage, Bai Chen realized that the interior of the carriage was much larger than the outside, probably because this carriage was a spiritual artifact crafted by a grandmaster blacksmith.


    The inside of the carriage was probably large enough to hold a comfortably hold a  gathering of over thirty people. Proving that the craftsmanship of this carriage must be the work of a grandmaster blacksmith.


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Bai Chen was almost in awe of the immense wealth possessed by the City lord, meanwhile he was worried about how long his limited wealth would last him in the outside world.


    It was not that his father didn¡¯t wanted to give him more, it¡¯s just that whatever he gave him was all he could give Bai Chen without others noticing anything strange with the sect¡¯s finances.


    After all, even if his father was the sect leader, he didn¡¯t have absolute authority over the sect and needed to consider the opinion of the other elders as well.


    Thinking about this, Bai Chen felt quite helpless but he could understand his father¡¯s troubles and also, it didn¡¯t bother him much since wealth was temporary, and the most important thing was to quickly increase his strength and return to his normal life.


    Once they were comfortably settled in the carriage, the strange beast at the front started walking, pulling the carriage with them. Meanwhile, City lord Shen pulled out a set of tea utensils and started to brew tea.


    Soon, the sweet aroma of the tea filled the inside of the carriage.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, have some of this Verdent spirit tea, it can nourish the soul and refresh the mind.¡± City lord Shen said as he presented Bai Chen with a cup of tea.


    Bai Chen silently took the cup and inspected it for a few seconds before taking a sip, and indeed, a gentle energy started to spread through his body, nourishing his soul and clearing his thoughts from the matters bugging him.


    ¡°Good tea,¡± Bai Chen said as he smacked his lips.


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s great that fellow Daoist feng also knows how to appreciate tea,¡± City lord Shen said, ¡°this verdant spirit tea is made from the leaves of the verdant spirit tree, which only grows by the side of Azure spring.¡±


    ¡°And not all leaves are able to make good tea, there are only few of those and most of them are paid as a tribute to the Azure Dragon Sect while I get to keep some of them.¡± the city lord seemed quite excited when talking about tea.


    Shen Canglong swirled his tea, his friendly smile never fading. ¡°Fellow Daoist, you seem well-traveled. Would you indulge an old man¡¯s curiosity and share some stories from the outside world?¡±


    Though his tone remained light, Bai Chen could sense the underlying intent¡ªShen Canglong was probing for information.

 Full Core Realm

    ¡°Sigh! I am afraid that I might have to disappoint Fellow Daoist as I was injured a while back and it is only recently that I have gotten back to my peak again,¡± Bai Chen tried to avoid the topic by giving a random but plausible excuse.


    ¡°Ho ho,¡± when City lord Shen heard Bai Chen¡¯s words, he gave a light laugh before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Fellow Daoist, I don¡¯t mind listening to your old tales.¡±


    Sensing that City lord Shen was not going to let this matter go, Bai Chen decided to tell him some stories he had read on earth while adding and removing a few details to suit his narrative.


    And with how well these stories were written, City lord Shen was immediately hooked, and even held a bit of awe for Bai Chen, thinking that he had gone through all that himself. Though hints of skepticism kept surfacing in his eyes whenever he tried to probe for more details.


    Bai Chen noticed this as well but didn¡¯t care as it didn¡¯t matter whether the city lord thought his words were true or not, he was just reciting a few novels he had read while tweaking the details a bit.


    Time went by and before long, the carriage arrived outside a huge mansion, covered in intricate designs and strong formations, workers kept moving from one spot to another and the hustle and bustle made it truly feel like a place for a ruler to live.


    After getting out of the carriage, City lord Shen called for a butler and turned toward Bai Chen, and spoke in a somewhat apologetic tone,


    ¡°I hope Fellow Daoist Feng won¡¯t mind going with the butler to your accommodations, although I personally wanted to escort you but, as the ruler of a city, I always have many matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I wouldn¡¯t dare take up too much of City Lord Shen¡¯s time,¡± Bai Chen responded with a nod, his expression calm and unreadable.


    City lord Shen chuckled when he heard that, but a glint flashed in his eyes that Bai Chen did not miss. The city lord was still testing him, trying to find his true intentions in any way possible.


    Regarding this, Bai Chen felt quite helpless as what he said was true, he was only here to rest for a few days before starting his new journey.


    At this moment the butler, a dignified elderly man with sharp eyes arrived at the scene, he first bowed toward the city lord and then turned to Bai Chen and spoke with a light bow, ¡°Esteemed lord, your courtyard has been arranged, please follow me.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Chen gave a slight nod to City lord Shen before following the butler into the mansion.


    As they walked through the halls, Bai Chen took note of the intricate patterns on the pillars, the spiritual formations embedded into the walls, and the well-disguised guards hidden in key positions.


    There was also a faint spiritual sense of City lord Shen who was constantly monitoring his every move.


    ¡®He is still wary of me,¡¯ Bai Chen silently mused, ¡®perhaps he has already started to investigate everything he could about my background.¡¯


    Meanwhile, City lord Shen entered his study room and sat down on his chair, after that he called out, ¡°Rat.¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, a short man suddenly came out from behind the pillar and immediately knelt down in from of him.


    ¡°I want you to investigate everything about this Xiao Feng,¡± City lord Shen instructed the short man,¡± but don¡¯t do it too openly and try to cover your tracks as much as possible.


    ¡°Yes my lord,¡± the short man said a few words before once again disappearing in the shadows of the pillar.


    On the other side, Bai Chen was comfortably sitting on a futon placed in the cultivation room that was adjacent to his bedroom.


    He first let out his spiritual sense to block the City lord¡¯s probing, then he finally started to circulate his spiritual energy and pull it toward the golden core spinning in the center of his dantian.


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    At this moment, there was not much spiritual energy left in his body and most of it had already merged with his core, and the rest was also quickly merging together forming a Full Core, the symbol of the Full Core Realm.


    Bai Chen has been at the peak of the Golden Core Realm for quite some time, and it was only to avoid attention that he was holding his realm back.


    In fact he has been doing this from the very start of his journey, when he started his cultivation journey, even though he could have covered the entire body cultivation realm in just two days, he held it back for almost two years.


    Just to avoid alarming his parents and the grand elder too much.


    Similarly, when he was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, he could have reached its peak and broken through to the Core Formation Realm in just three months.


    But he held himself back and only broke through when he was fifteen, delaying his progress by five whole years.


    And now, after holding himself back for another two years, he was finally ready to break through the Full Core Realm.


    After Bai Chen had merged almost all of the spiritual energy in his meridians and body with the Golden Core, he stopped for a moment to steady his breath, and then he resumed once again.


    Once the final strand of spiritual energy started to merge with the core, the golden core that was previously spinning slowly, suddenly trembled as though a beast was being awakened from its sleep.


    When Bai Chen sensed the changes in his dantian, his expression changed. He immediately took out a concealing talisman from his storage ring and activated it without any hesitation.


    At this moment, a deep, rumbling energy stirred from within, spreading through his meridians like a raging river breaking through a dam.


    Bai Chen¡¯s entire body trembled, his bones were creaking under the pressure as waves of spiritual energy crashed against the core, pushing it past its limits.


    As the final strand of energy merged into the core, it condensed, refining itself into something purer¡ªdenser, more profound.


    The once-fluid golden core solidified, turning into a resplendent, almost crystalline sphere. A suffocating force radiated outward, shaking the very air in the room.


    Finally, the energy in the room started to get agitated and moved toward Bai Chen, whose body absorbed it all like a hungry beast.


    Soon, all the energy in the room was absorbed by Bai Chen and the Spiritual Qi gathering formation started to work rapidly, quickly replenishing the lost energy in the room.


    This formed a cycle where natural Spiritual Qi from the surroundings was absorbed by the formation to fill the room and then Bai Chen was absorbing all the spiritual energy in the room.


    Though the process might seem fast, it was actually quite slow, with each cycle taking around two hours to be fully completed.


    This was because the Spiritual Qi was slowly being assimilated into his body and soul, nourishing them constantly. Giving him a cumulative boost in combat power.


    Meanwhile, City lord Shen noticed a slight disturbance in the spiritual energy.


    But with Bai Chen blocking his spiritual sense, he soon connected the dot and guessed that it might be because Bai Chen was cultivating and dismissed it before resuming his work.


    On the other side, Bai Chen guessed that by his current speed, it would take him around twenty-eight hours to fully step into the full core realm.


    Then he can begin preparing to break through the nascent soul realm and truly step into the realm of powerhouses.


    And because he had held back at every breakthrough for so long, his control over energy had already reached unprecedented levels, allowing him to avoid alerting anyone nearby of his breakthrough.


    Twenty-eight hours passed by in a flash.


    ¡°So this is the Full Core Realm.¡± Bai Chen murmured as he felt the changes in his body.


    First of all, his vitality got a lot stronger, increasing his lifespan by another thousand years while also increasing his regenerative capabilities.


    His physical body was also strengthened and became twice as strong as before the breakthrough.


    But the largest boost was received by his soul, it got stronger and more robust, allowing him to see the laws and functions of the world from an even higher stage making it easier to perceive them.


    The breakthrough also increased the range of his spiritual sense by almost three times while also pushing him one step closer to the Nascent Soul Realm.


    That will allow him to break free from the shackles of the mortal body and get a chance to survive catastrophic disasters.


    ¡®But I should be more careful with concealment, I almost let out the fact that I broke through,¡¯ Bai Chen suddenly thought about how he had almost let the energy burst through the room before using the concealing talisman.


    ¡®If people knew that there was a Full Core Realm cultivator here, it might reach the ears of the Azure Dragon Sect, and they might notice something,¡¯ he decided to be much more careful in the future, as to not give himself away.


    ¡®Anyway, now what should I do?¡¯ Bai Chen asked himself as one thought after another kept coming to his mind.


    Suddenly a smiled appeared on his face as he remembered something and decided what¡¯s he going to do next.

 Alchemist Association

    Bai Chen decided to act on his plans immediately and left the cultivation room in secret.


    Once outside, he carefully made his way to the exit of the mansion and entered the streets of Azure Feng City.


    He casually strolled in the streets, looking at different shops and people who passed by.


    The aroma of the grilled meat filled the streets and merchants in colorful outfits hawked their wares in loud voices.


    Occasionally, cultivators with powerful auras strode past, their presence commanding respect.


    Bai Chen was not worried about being found out because at his level unless the city lord personally paid close attention, no one would be able to notice him even if he stood in front of them.


    This allowed him to move freely throughout the city, though he knew he would need to be cautious near the city lord¡¯s mansion.


    After strolling for a while, Bai Chen finally came in front of a majestic pavilion, with a sign that read, Alchemist Association.


    A place where all of the alchemists in each city gather, a behemoth of the Alchemy world, and a trusted place to have your pill refined. It held immense influence, commanding respect from rogue cultivators as well as the various sects.


    People constantly moved in and out of the building, most of them wearing expensive clothing and sporting arrogant expressions as if the world revolved around them.


    There were some commoners in rags mixed in, but they were mostly ignored by even the staff working in the building.


    Bai Chen controlled his aura to reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm and took another appearance-altering pill before entering the building, garnering quick attention from a seductive attendant.


    ¡°How may I help you today sir?¡± The attendant leaned in a little bit to reveal her deep cleavage as she asked.


    Looking at the attendant, the only emotion Bai Chen felt was disgust, but he suppressed it to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Instead, he just spoke with a cold face,


    ¡°I want to take the alchemist exam.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the attendant''s expression changed, and a trace of amusement appeared in her eyes.


    Alchemists were highly respected individuals who commanded immense authority and respect wherever they went.


    But, becoming an alchemist wasn¡¯t an easy task and most of the time, those who became alchemists came from a distinguished background or had an alchemist as their master.


    Even though it was commonly known that becoming an alchemist was easier said than done, there was no shortage of hot-blooded individuals who came to take the test every day.


    And it was precisely because of this that the Alchemist Association decided to put a fee to attend the exam.


    Otherwise, they would not have time to do anything else other than taking the exams.


    The attendant¡¯s lips curled up into a knowing smile as she spoke, ¡°To take the exam, you would need to pay a fee of 500 low-grade spirit stones.¡±


    She was looking forward to seeing a look of hesitation or frustration on Bai Chen¡¯s face as most newbies balked at the cost.


    After all 500 low-grade spirit stones were equal to 500,000 gold coins, which were enough to feed a family comfortably for several generations.


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    This was also a profitable business for the Alchemist Association as usually, the cost of the materials used by each examinee didn¡¯t exceed 50 spirit stones,


    If a candidate failed, the Alchemist Association would profit 450 spirit stones and even if they passed, the pills that passed the test usually go between 70 to 100 spirit stones, still giving the association a small profit.


    But to her surprise, Bai Chen wordlessly took out a pouch and handed it to her.


    She checked the pouch content and was astonished to see that it contained exactly 500 spirit stone.


    ¡®A nobody with such an amount of wealth? Interesting,¡¯ the attendant thought to herself but outwardly, a professional smile appeared on her face as she spoke,


    ¡°Alright, please follow me to the exam room,¡± the attendant gestured toward an empty corridor as she started walking.


    ¡°The entrance exam will be based on two stages, theory and practical, if you fail any of these two, you would be considered to have failed,¡± while walking she started to introduce Bai Chen to the exam procedures.


    ¡°You will also considered to have failed the exam if you fail to refine pills of a certain quality and the higher the quality of the pills you refine, the better your starting rank would be.¡± she continued.


    ¡°But, if you pass both of them, then you will receive your fee back, but the Alchemist Association will keep the pills you refined.¡±


    Bai Chen nodded, showing no reaction to these rules as he had already known about them in the sect.


    After a short walk through the corridors, they finally arrived at a gate with Exam Hall written on it.


    The attendant pushed open the door and entered without a pause and Bai Chen followed her inside.


    There were a few people already seated in the room, likely other participants.


    When they saw an unfamiliar face enter with the attendant, a few of them sneered and snarkily remarked,


    ¡°Another nobody who thinks he can easily pass the exam and ascend the heavens in a single step?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, the Association should just increase the threshold to take the exam.¡±


    ¡°Let''s see how long he can last.¡±


    Meanwhile, most of them didn¡¯t even bother to take a second glance at Bai Chen, already considering him to have failed.


    Bai Chen gave an indifferent glance to these participants as if they were nothing more than air and started looking around the room, there were shelves all around the room, filled with books.


    The soft scent of books was mixed with the calming scent of the herbs, relaxing one¡¯s mind and making the atmosphere feel more tranquil and calm.


    However, the calm in the room was greatly contrasting with the tension among the candidates, with some having sweaty hands, some fidgeting nervously, and some constantly repeating what they had learned.


    The attendant told Bai Chen to take a seat and wait for the start of the exam before leaving the room.


    Thirty minutes later, a middle-aged man with messy hair strolled into the room, there was still some charcoal on his robes and an annoyed expression on his face, indicating a failure in concoction of a pill.


    A badge, which was also a little dirty signified his status as a mid-level Master Alchemist.


    The few knowledgeable candidates got a little worried after realizing that the examiner must have failed in refining a pill and would probably take his frustration out on them.


    After reaching his desk, the examiner glanced at the people there to take the exam and spoke in a neutral voice, though there were still hints of annoyance leaking here and there.


    ¡°You would have 30 minutes to answer all ten questions on the paper, after that, I''ll assess them and notify you whether you passed or not.¡±


    ¡°If I catch you cheating, you would be banned from taking the alchemist exam for three years and the Alchemist Association would not work with you in this time period as well.¡±


    ¡°Any questions?¡±


    When the examiner finished speaking, a candidate in a luxurious robe raised his hand and asked, ¡°Sir, isn¡¯t the time usually 45 minutes?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel satisfied, get out, otherwise shut up, in my class you follow my rules,¡± the examiner replied in an even more annoyed voice.


    Hearing the examiner''s words, some participants groaned, meanwhile, some complained that it was unfair for them to bear the backlash of something they had no involvement in.


    But all of them were silenced with just a cold glance from the examiner.


    Bai Chen on the other hand, had no reaction to this as he was confident he could pass the test, even with the increased difficulty.


    Bai Chen¡¯s confidence mainly stemmed from him already reaching the level of a high-level Master Alchemist, a level above the examiner, after learning alchemy from his uncle, the Grand Elder of the Azure Dragon Sect.


    This was already a respectable level among the Alchemist just below the Grandmaster.


    ¡®I am so glad that uncle was an Alchemist as well, otherwise, I would really be racking my brain on how to earn money¡¯ Bai Chen thought.


    At this moment the examiner waved his hand and the exam sheets started to float toward the examines.


    ¡°The time begins, now,¡± the examiner announced the start of the exam with the flip of a sand dial.


    Bai Chen caught the exam sheet that was floating toward him and in just a glance, had already solved the entire paper in his head.


    ¡®Is this the best they could come up with?¡¯ He thought indifferently before picking up the quill and starting to write the answers on the sheet.

 The Alchemy Exam

    Bai Chen¡¯s fast writing speed soon caught the attention of other candidates, who thought that he might be an idiot who didn¡¯t know anything but was too stubborn to back down.


    Thinking this, they wanted to sneer but stopped themselves to avoid provoking the examiner.


    Time passed and soon twenty minutes went by.


    At this moment, Bai Chen put down his quill and started to review his answers, a habit formed in his past life as a student.


    Bai Chen¡¯s casual attitude while flipping the papers also caught the attention of the examiner, who raised an eyebrow at the scene.


    ¡®Most students are struggling with their answers and this nobody has already finished?¡¯ He thought.


    ¡®Either he is an extraordinary genius or a rich fool, though I am more inclined to believe the latter,¡¯ thinking of this, the examiner scoffed internally.


    Soon, Bai Chen was finished reviewing his sheet and turned toward the examiner, who, with a nod, gestured for him to sit quietly in his seat.


    Another ten minutes quickly flew by and the last bit of sand in the hourglass fell.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± the moment the last bit of sand fell, the examiner¡¯s voice sounded in the room.


    Hearing the examiner¡¯s voice, most of the candidates¡¯ faces fell and despair became visible in their eyes.


    It was clear that they weren¡¯t able to complete all ten questions in time, thus failing the test.


    But there were some, like Bai Chen, who didn¡¯t have any reaction to this as they had already finished their paper.


    At this moment, the examiner waved his hand again and the papers started to float back to him and soon he had collected all the sheets into a neat stack.


    After collecting all the sheets, the examiner started to sort them based on his first impression.


    Some were hopeless, filled with unfinished answers and incoherent rambling, while others showed a glimmer of understanding.


    Soon all of the sheets were neatly arranged and the examiner started grading them randomly, a standard procedure to avoid any perceived bias.


    As the examiner picked up the first sheet, his brows frowned a little and he soon put it aside and picked up a new one.


    When he read the second paper, his eyes started to show a hint of disdain, then the third, then the fourth, and so on, with each passing sheet, the contempt in the examiner¡¯s eyes became clearer and clearer.


    The candidates watched with bated breath as the examiner continued to grade the sheets and set them aside at a quick pace.


    Each second dragged on like an eternity, and the disdain in the eyes of the examiner only increased their anxiety.


    Just as the examiner picked up another paper, his expression at first still dismissive soon, stiffened. The previous scorn in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sense of curiosity.


    He carefully read each word of the paper and occasionally let off murmurs like ¡°ah,¡± ¡°oh,¡± and ¡°indeed¡±.


    The candidates craned their necks to try and see what got the examiner so excited, but due to the distance, failed.


    The previous swift and almost dismissive movements slowed to a deliberate, almost reverent pace.


    The examiner re-read certain passages, tracing his finger on every word of the elegant script as if trying to absorb every nuance of the writer¡¯s thought.


    ¡°This,¡± the examiner finished reading the paper and spoke as his eyes scanned the room, passing each candidate''s face before finally stopping on Bai Chen.


    ¡°This is the work of a master,¡± He said as he held up Bai Chen¡¯s paper, ¡°this is the paper that sets the standard.¡±


    A hush fell over the room for a few seconds before the candidates erupted into an uproar and surprised murmurs spread in the room.


    But the examiner gestured them to stay quiet before speaking again.


    ¡°This exam was meant to test your knowledge and the ability to articulate it, and only one of you has truly passed this exam.¡± He declared.


    At this moment, he had no intention of assessing the rest of the sheet so he soon called his assistant, a high-level Alchemy Apprentice, to access them for him.


    Meanwhile, he busied himself in reading the paper written by Bai Chen, trying to comprehend all the mysteries within.


    The more he read it, the more he felt that there were things that even he didn¡¯t know written in that paper, fascinating him to no end.


    As for Bai Chen having plagiarized his sheet from a Grandmaster?


    Impossible, every alchemist has their unique style, and even if one were to copy another¡¯s work. They would fail to capture the essence because of their lack of understanding.


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    Moreover, every Grandmaster Alchemist is a prideful individual, they would never stoop so low as to allow their descendants to cheat on a simple exam.


    It should be known that the difference between a mid-level Master Alchemist and a high-level Master Alchemist is vast like the difference between a Golden Core Realm and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Impossible to bridge, and so, a guide written by a high-level Master Alchemist is like the most precious treasure for a mid-level Master Alchemist.


    This was also the reason the examiner was so fascinated by Bai Chen¡¯s paper.


    Soon, the Alchemy Apprentice finished grading the rest of the paper and informed the examiner about it.


    The examiner took the papers from his student¡¯s hands and started calling out names,


    ¡°Xiao Lingfeng,¡±


    ¡°Shen Cangye,¡±


    ¡°Ji Wushuang,¡±


    ¡°Feng Qianyu,¡±


    ¡°Shen Qingyue,¡±


    ¡°Gu Chenhai,¡±


    ¡°Ba,¡±


    After announcing these names, the examiner looked up from the sheets and said, ¡°Those who were called¡ªstay. The rest of you¡ªget lost.¡±


    When the examinees whose names have not been called out heard this, their faces fell and despair clearly became visible on their faces.


    Some of them wanted to protest that it was unfair and if they were given the whole time they could have passed but held back.


    They knew that if they managed to annoy the examiner, he could ban them from taking the Alchemist Association exam for the next three years just by claiming he caught them cheating.


    Even if they were unwilling, the thirty-three candidates whose names had not been called out soon started to leave, leaving only seven in the room.


    With the leave of the failed candidates, the room started to feel a lot more empty, allowing the remaining candidates to focus on the upcoming exam.


    The examiner told his assistant to start asking for the equipment and materials the candidates would need for the practical exam.


    Most of the candidates listed the materials for the Qi Replenishing pill, a Tier 1 pill used to replenish qi, it was relatively simple to refine and was almost always in demand.


    Bai Chen on the other hand requested the equipment and materials for the Appearance Altering Pill, a high-end Tier 3 pill that only the Master Alchemist can refine.


    The Alchemist Association gives candidates the choice of choosing the pill they want to refine because every alchemist has different specialties.


    Though most of the time the candidates only try to refine low-level Tier 1 pills, there are always some people who don¡¯t take the exam till their skills have reached a certain level, allowing them to directly refine a higher Tier pill.


    So when the examiner heard Bai Chen¡¯s request, he wasn¡¯t surprised in the least and in fact he would have been surprised if Bai Chen asked for the materials of a Tier 1 or 2 pills.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was, that Bai Chen could already refine high-level Tier 4 pills and wasn¡¯t far from the level of a Grandmaster Alchemist.


    The only reason he asked for a Tier 3 pill¡¯s material was to avoid attracting too much attention, as though a mid-level Master Alchemist was rare, there were still quite a few of them.


    On the other hand, a high-level Master Alchemist was much rarer, so much so that some cities might not have a single high-level Master Alchemist stationed at them.


    As the assistant went to grab the materials and equipment requested by the candidates, the examiner approached Bai Chen and started to speak,


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Ba, I am known as Alchemist Yun Feng, but you can call me Alchemist Yun¡± he introduced himself, carrying no air of superiority.


    Because even though Bai Chen was not an alchemist yet, the paper he wrote was enough for Alchemist Yun to treat him like an equal.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Yun,¡± Bai Chen also gave a nod of acknowledgment to the Alchemist without showing any sign of arrogance or pride.


    ¡°I must say Fellow Daoists, your insights are as deep as the ocean when it comes to alchemy,¡± Alchemist Yun said with a smile, ¡°you explained somethings that had even stumped me for some time now.¡±


    ¡°I hope Fellow Daoist won¡¯t mind me observing your refining process,¡± Alchemist Yun finally asked his true desires.


    ¡°Of course not Fellow Daoist Yun, we are all alchemists, and if we don¡¯t look out for each other who would?¡± Bai Chen replied with a smile.


    ¡°Well said, Fellow Daoist. However, I alone am not qualified to fully assess your skills, so I will invite a few others to assist in the evaluation.¡±


    Regarding this, Bai Chen didn¡¯t have any opinion as he had already expected it.


    The assistant soon returned with all the equipment and materials requested by the candidates but, this time he wasn''t alone.


    There was a middle-aged man and a beautiful lady alongside him, both of whom, had the insignia of a mid-level Master Alchemist.


    ¡°So, where is the Master Alchemist candidate you told us about in your message?¡± The beautiful woman turned toward Alchemist Yun and inquired.


    Alchemist Yun gestured toward Bai Chen and spoke, ¡°This is the candidate in question¡ªFellow Daoist Ba,¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you claim he has the skill of a Master Alchemist? But, he seems quite young to be this skilled in Alchemy,¡± the middle-aged alchemist said with skeptisem as he felt the vigorous vitality emanating from Bai Chen¡¯s body.


    ¡°Nobody claimed he was a Master Alchemist; his paper proved it. Anyway, I am sure you would also believe me if you read the paper yourself,¡± Alchemist Yun replied as he handed Bai Chen¡¯s paper to the middle-aged alchemist.


    At first, the middle-aged alchemist was dismissive of Bai Chen¡¯s paper, thinking that Alchemist Yun had made some kind of mistake.


    After all, how much can a young fellow like Bai Chen learn in his limited lifespan? Moreover, alchemy was a super delicate job, requiring years of practice and countless resources for one to just become a low-level Alchemy Apprentice.


    However, as the middle-aged alchemist read the paper, his expression gradually shifted and the disinterest in his eyes soon disappeared, giving way to faint interest.


    His fingers subconsciously tightened around the paper as he re-read certain passages and fell into deep contemplation.


    ¡°This¡­,¡± He took a deep breath then glanced at the beautiful female alchemist and without a word handed her the paper.


    She accepted it with grace, her sliver eyes flickering between Bai Chen and the document. As her eyes traced the intricate formulas and insights recorded on the paper, her expression became solemn.


    ¡°Now do you believe why I called you here?¡± Alchemist Yun said after looking at the changin expressions of his fellow Alchemists.


    The beautiful alchemist put down the paper and regarded Bai Chen carefully. ¡°Your theoretical knowledge is indeed impressive. However, alchemy is not just about theory. Without practical refinement skills, all of this is meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why we are here, aren¡¯t we?¡± Bai Chen responded with a casual tone.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hope that your skills are as good as that mind of yours,¡± the middle-aged man said and turned toward Alchemist Yun.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s your class, you decide the rules,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hmm, no worries,¡± Alchemist Yun replied and his gaze moved toward the rest of the candidates, who felt like they were no more than mere spectators in Bai Chen¡¯s show.


    ¡°Since all of you have chosen a Tier 1 pill you will have five hours to refine your chosen pill, and the pill¡¯s purity must be more than 85%¡ªAnything below that would be considered a failure.¡± Alchemist Yun announced.


    He then looked toward his assistant and spoke, ¡°You will be responsible for keeping an eye on them. Make sure there¡¯s no foul play involved.¡±


    ¡°Now then, Alchemist Gao, Alchemist Yue, shall we start Fellow Daoist Ba¡¯s assessment?¡±


    Hearing Alchemist Yu¡¯s words, both Alchemist Gao the middle-aged man, and Alchemist Yue, the beautiful lady, nodded and all three of them turned toward Bai Chen.

 The Alchemy Exam 2

    Seeing that he was the focus of attention, Bai Chen remained composed and fired up the cauldron and added the spiritual qi-infused water to it.


    After that, he took the first ingredient, the Phantom Lotus Flower, and gently plucked one of its petals before carefully securing the rest.


    He added the petal into the cauldron and gently stirred it, making sure to avoid damaging the spiritual essence of the flower.


    Soon, the petal started to merge with the water, and faint distortions of light started to become visible, signifying that the process was going in the right direction.


    Once this was done, he waited till the water was at a high temperature before adding the second ingredient, Moonshadow Grass, which was used to suppress aura and avoid detection.


    He gently plucked the leaves of the Moonshadow Grass and covered them in his Spiritual Qi before lowering them into the cauldron.


    Seeing Bai Chen¡¯s meticulous technique, the three alchemists watching the process nodded but remained silent to avoid disturbing Bai Chen.


    At this moment, the Moonshadow Grass had already started mixing with the spiritual water, suppressing the effect of the Phantom Lotus Flower and making the distortions more subtle.


    When the Moonshadow Grass completely dissolved, a serious look appeared on Bai Chen¡¯s face as he increased the flame and started mixing the solution.


    The three alchemists nearby also had serious expressions, as this step was one of the most important steps in refining the Appearance Altering Pill.


    At this step, the alchemist needed precise control over the fire, otherwise, if the temperature was off even by a little bit, it could destroy the purity of the pill.


    Bai Chen kept constantly stirring the cauldron, carefully controlling the temperature of the flames. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead, and his Spiritual Qi reserves started to drop rapidly.


    Of course, all this was a deliberate act in order to make sure the three alchemists watching his every move wouldn¡¯t suspect his true cultivation.


    He even went ahead and made some minor mistakes that wouldn¡¯t affect the final product too much, just to make his act look even more real,


    After twenty minutes of constant stirring and precise flame control, the spiritual water in the cauldron was mostly absorbed, and all that remained was a thick, crimson-hued goo.


    A sign that the base of the Appearance Altering Pill was nearly complete.


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    Realizing that it was time, Bai Chen took out the third ingredient for the pill, Chameleon Beast Blood. This was going to allow the pill user to alter their skin color and texture.


    Bai Chen delicately added a few drops of the Chameleon Beast Blood one at a time to the crimson-hued goo with constant careful stirrings.


    As the drops of blood mixed with the goo, the previously crimson-hued mixture gradually began to shift colors, slow at first, then in a continuous rhythmic cycle.


    When Bai Chen saw this, a small smile appeared on his face as this rhythm signified that the refining process was going smoothly and there were no major issues.


    After reaching this step, Bai Chen finally took the last ingredient, the Mist Orchid Pollen. He carefully measured the amount required and sprinkled it in the cauldron.


    As the fine pollen fell into the cauldron, it was quickly absorbed by the swirling, color-changing goo, which then started releasing a pleasant aroma that spread throughout the entire room.


    With this step complete, Bai Chen finally took out the Ethernal Soulwood Sap, a stabilizer used to preserve the effect of the pill for a long time as well as to decrease the chances of failure in pill concoction.


    He carefully cut the required piece and ground it into a fine powder before sprinkling it onto the medical paste being refined in the cauldron.


    Finally, Bai Chen stopped stirring the goo and used his Spiritual Qi to lift it into the air.


    At this moment, the muscles on his face tensed, his eyes narrowed, and his expression became serious. This was the most important step, and a single mistake would mean true failure.


    The three alchemists watching this also started to revolve their Spiritual Qi, ready to take action in case of a failure.


    After all, if a Tier 1 or Tier 2 pill failed, it would just turn into medical waste of no use. But a Tier 3 pill?


    The medical properties of the ingredients are too strong, and there¡¯s always a chance for an explosion, which could seriously injure even a Core Formation Realm martial artist, much less a Peak Foundation Establishment martial artist.


    Bai Chen finally started to use his Spiritual Qi to compress the paste into a round pill shape.


    This process might sound easy, but a single misstep could cause the medical properties to destabilise, rendering it useless¡ªor worse, causing it to shatter apart.


    Bai Chen kept using his Spiritual Qi to apply equal pressure from all sides, trying his best not to make a mistake.


    Soon, a round purple pill started to take shape in front of Bai Chen, who became even more attentive and careful after realizing he was at the final moment of pill concoction.


    The three alchemists also got nervous, gesturing for the other candidates, who had already finished refining their pills, and the assistant to move back, just in case something went wrong.


    After constantly applying pressure for more than two minutes, a pill finally formed in front of Bai Chen, and he caught it in one swift motion of his hand.


    Seeing that Bai Chen had finished refining the pill, the three alchemist quickly came forward, eager to see the pill.


    Bai Chen opened his hand and, looking at the purple pill silently sitting in his hand, he breathed a sigh of relief before presenting it to the alchemist for assessment.


    After getting the pill from Bai Chen, the three alchemists quickly gathered around the pill, trying to see its purity and judge its quality.


    They looked at the pill for a while, astonishment visible in their eyes.


    At this moment, Alchemist Yue, the beautiful lady, unconsciously murmured,


    ¡°Amazing...¡±

 Master Alchemist

    ¡°So how is it?¡± Bai Chen asked, looking at the three alchemists in front of him.


    The three alchemists exchanged glances with each other, and finally, Alchemist Yun spoke,


    ¡°The purity of this pill has reached at least 85%, perhaps even higher.¡± He paused for a moment, trying to process his own words.


    ¡°This is undoubtedly a top-notch Appearance Altering Pill,¡± Alchemist Yun continued, ¡°something that can only be refined by a mid-level Master Alchemist who is infinitely close to becoming a high-level Master Alchemist¡­or perhaps someone who has already reached that level.¡±


    Alchemist Gao and Alchemist Yue also nodded, agreeing with Alchemist Yun¡¯s statement.


    Alchemist Yun then turned toward the other candidates and said, ¡°All of you have been successful in refining the pills, so from today forth, you are considered certified Alchemists of the Alchemist Association.¡±


    ¡°Now, you all can follow my assistant here to obtain your Alchemist token and learn about the benefits of associating yourself with the Alchemist Association,¡± Alchemist Yun continued.


    ¡°Wei Rong, take them with you and also, send Zhu Shou here as well.¡± Hearing Alchemist Yun¡¯s instructions, Wei Rong nodded and, albeit reluctantly, ushered the candidates out of the room.


    Soon, only Bai Chen and the three alchemists were the only people in the entire exam hall.


    After a moment, Alchemist Gao turned toward the other two and asked, ¡°So, does either of you have any complaints in giving Fellow Daoist Ba the mid-level Master Alchemist rank?¡±


    Hearing Alchemist Gao¡¯s words, both Alchemist Yue and Yun chuckled softly before Alchemist Yue spoke, ¡°Complaints? I feel like giving a mid-level Master Alchemist rank to Fellow Daoist Ba is not doing his skills any justice.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Alchemist Yun said, a soft sigh escaping his lips, ¡±But unfortunately, mid-level Master Alchemist is the highest rank we are authorized to bestow in Azure Dragon City.¡±


    As Bai Chen heard the discussion between the three, his expression remained composed, as if the result of the discussion did not affect him in the least.


    Getting the approval from both Alchemist Yue and Alchemist Yun, Alchemist Gao clapped his hands and spoke, ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any time. Zhu Shou, bring the Ethereal Trace Stone.¡±


    Soon, the high-level Alchemy Apprentice, Zhu Shou, carefully brought the Ethereal Trace Stone to Alchemist Gao, who took it from him and moved it in front of Bai Chen.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Ba, this Ethereal Trace Stone can remember the soul aura of those that inject their soul power into it. It could be used to identify the members of the Alchemist Association in case of losing one identity token.¡±


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    Alchemist Gao introduced Bai Chen to the Ethereal Trace Stone as he presented the bluish glowing crystal to him.


    Bai Chen looked at the crystal with curious eyes. Even without Alchemist Gao¡¯s introduction, he was familiar with the use of the Ethereal Trace Stone ¡ª his uncle told him about it when he was still learning alchemy under him.


    Without hesitation, Bai Chen separated a trace of his soul and gently injected it into the Ethereal Trace Stone, and the previously bluish crystal turned a light shade of golden, signifying the completion of the process.


    Satisfied, Bai Chen withdrew the trace of soul and looked toward the three alchemists, who also looked pleased.


    After carefully storing away the Ethereal Trace Stone, the three alchemists turned toward Bai Chen,


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Ba, please inject a trace of your soul into this token to make sure no one else can use this,¡± Alchemist Yue said as she took out a token with ¡°Master¡± written alongside two lines on it.


    ¡°This will act as your identification as an alchemist that is verified by the Alchemists Association in the outside world.¡± She also explained the purpose of the token to Bai Chen.


    Bai Chen took the token and inserted a trace of his soul into it as instructed, causing the previously gray stone to change color and become a bright red with dragon patterns on the sides of the words written on it.


    ¡°Great, since Fellow Daoist Ba is also considered a mid-level Master Alchemist now, should we hold a celebration banquet?¡± After Bai Chen had finished, Alchemist Gao suggested with a deep smile.


    ¡°Fufufu, you are as scheming as always, Alchemist Gao. Alchemist Ba¡¯s token hasn¡¯t even cooled down, yet you are already planning to curry favor with him.¡± Alchemist Yue was quick to expose Gao Mu¡¯s schemes with an elegant laugh.


    ¡°Hahahaha, Alchemist Yue, you have already seen Alchemist Ba¡¯s talent.¡± Seeing his plans exposed by Alchemist Yue, Alchemist Gao didn¡¯t fluster. Instead, he laughed. ¡±I am afraid if I miss the chance now, I won¡¯t even be able to look up to him in the future.¡±


    ¡°And shameless as well.¡± When Alechmist Yun heard Alchemist Gao laugh, he snidely commented.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s true that I was planning to ask Alchemist Ba for help with the refinement of a certain pill.¡± Alchemist Yun admitted, ¡°I have been trying to refine this pill for a while now, but I have yet to see success.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll properly compensate Alchemist Ba for his time. How about twenty-thousand mid-grade spirit stones?¡±


    When Bai Chen heard this, a strange light flashed in his eyes. Twenty-thousand mid-grade spirit stones were equal to two million low-grade spirit stones.


    This figure was already close to his entire wealth, yet he was offered the same amount just for a few hours of work.


    On the outside, Bai Chen remained composed, but inwardly, he was weighing his pros and cons. Such a large sum was truly tempting for him, but he had already decided to put alchemy aside for a while and focus on increasing his cultivation first.


    After deliberating for a while, Bai Chen looked at Alchemist Yun and spoke, ¡°Fellow Daoist Yun flatters me,¡± he said with a modest smile, ¡°I am just a mid-level Master Alchemist just like you. if you can solve something, how would I be of any help?¡±


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Ba is too modest.¡± Hearing Bai Chen¡¯s modest words, Alchemist Yun replied, ¡°All three of us have seen your talent in alchemy and know that your skills far surpass a typical mid-level Master Alchemist.¡±


    ¡°If not for the restrictions of Azure Dragon City, I dare say you would already be recognized as a high-level Master Alchemist at the very least.¡±

 Leaving the Alchemist Association

    Even when Bai Chen heard Alchemist Yun¡¯s flattering words, he still hesitated to make a final decision.


    Seeing his hesitation, Alchemist Yue finally spoke up, ¡°Is it that Fellow Daoist Ba had already joined another faction?¡±


    ¡°Factions?¡± Bai Chen was caught off guard by Alchemist Yue¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Hmm, you don¡¯t know about factions?¡± Seeing the surprised look on Bai Chen¡¯s face, Alchemist Yue asked, to which Bai Chen just shook his head.


    ¡°Ah, well, it is like this, since the Alchemist Association is a huge organization with many alchemists, there are naturally clashes of interest between them.¡± Realizing that Bai Chen truly didn¡¯t know anything, Alchemist Gao started explaining.


    ¡°This has led to the Alchemist Association having been divided into many factions, who only join forces in case of an outside threat.¡± Alchemist Gao¡¯s words started to give Bai Chen a new perspective to look at the Alchemist Association¡¯s inner workings.


    ¡°But when there is no outside threat, the competition inside the Association is really fierce, with each side trying to gain the most interest.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you wanted to befriend me, so that I join your faction?¡± Bai Chen¡¯s face had a look of realization when he heard Alchemist Gao¡¯s final line. ¡°But I would have to disappoint you as I have no plan to join any faction for the moment.¡±


    When Alchemist Yue heard Bai Chen¡¯s words, a look of slight regret appeared on her beautiful face.


    She thought for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. How about this? As long as Fellow Daoist Ba promises not to join any other faction, I am willing to give you twenty-thousand mid-grade spirit stones and the pill you just refined as compensation.¡±


    Alchemist Gao and Yun didn¡¯t react to her words, signifying they had similar thoughts to hers.


    Hearing her words, Bai Chen hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.


    When the three alchemists saw this, they all smiled, and Alchemist Yue took off a ring from her finger. She then handed this ring to Bai Chen and said, ¡°You can check; there¡¯s twenty-thousand mid-grade spirit stones inside it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make me take some kind of oath? What if I change my mind in the future?¡± Bai Chen asked, confused, after Alchemist Yue readily handed him the ring.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in that,¡° Alchemist Yue calmly replied. ¡±Although very rare, there are ways to bypass a heavenly oath, and Fellow Daoist Ba¡¯s Spiritual Qi signifies that you are a righteous cultivator.¡±


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    ¡°So as long Fellow Daoist doesn¡¯t fall to the demonic path, I am sure you won¡¯t go back on your word.¡± She gave him a meaningful look.


    ¡°Besides, at your current level, no one is going to waste a treasure of that caliber on you,¡± Alchemist Yue said as she handed him the pill, which was now placed in the Qi-locking box to preserve its effects for a long time.


    ¡°But I am certain that with your potential, the other factions will soon be more than willing to make such a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like this.¡± Bai Chen nodded when he heard Alchemist Yue''s explanation. He then thought for a moment and handed the ring back to Alchemist Yue and said, ¡°I¡¯d prefer materials for refining instead of these.¡±


    ¡°Also, can you add a set of refining tools? My previous ones were damaged in an ambush.¡± Bai Chen said as he also handed her a list of the materials he wanted. He had created this list on his way to the Alchemist Association.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s just a small matter anyway.¡± Alchemist Yue smiled at Bai Chen¡¯s request and handed the ring to Zhu Shou, who was like a statue, standing completely still.


    ¡°Zhu Shou, please go to the trading hall and buy the materials for Fellow Daoist Ba here. Also, use my 30% discount when making the payment,¡± She instructed the assistant and handed him her token as well.


    ¡°Yes, senior,¡± Zhu Shou quickly took the items from Alchemist Yue and went to buy the materials written on the list.


    ¡°So, what are Fellow Daoist Ba¡¯s plans for now?¡± while waiting for Zhu Shou to come back, Alchemist Yun decided to make small talk to pass the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a plan right now,¡± Bai Chen also decided to make small talks to avoid awkwardness, ¡°I¡¯ll just roam around the world, going wherever fate takes me.¡±


    ¡°That must be nice,¡± Alchemist Gao said after he heard Bai Chen¡¯s word, longing filling his face, ¡°to not be part of any faction and be able to go wherever you want to.¡±


    ¡°Unlike us old-timers, who are bound by our duties and rarely get the chance to go on an adventure,¡± Alchemist Gao sighed, clearly, his free-spirited character wasn¡¯t satisfied with staying in a single city.


    ¡°Not like you would have chosen anything else even if given the chance, and who are you calling an old-timer?¡± Hearing Alchemist Gao¡¯s words, Alchemist Yue interjected, an annoyed look on her beautiful face.


    ¡°No need to get angry. I was talking about Old Yun and me over here,¡± Alchemist Gao hurriedly replied, not wanting to anger Alchemist Yue.


    ¡°And it is true that I would still choose the same path. After all, without the faction¡¯s resources, I would have never been able to become a mid-level Master Alchemist.¡±


    At this moment, Zhu Shou returned from the trading hall with a ring in his hands, which he handed to Alchemist Yue.


    Alchemist Yue inspected the ring for a moment before passing it to Bai Chen and saying, ¡°All the resources you requested are in this ring. There is also a set of Master Grade refining tools as you requested.¡±


    Bai Chen also probed the ring with his spiritual sense and found everything was in order. Then, he bade farewell to the three alchemists and left the Alchemist Association.


    His original plan was to go back to the City lord¡¯s mansion and continue cultivating for a while, but he changed his plans when he sensed a few presences following him from the shadow.


    Bai Chen changed his route and moved between the streets, finally arriving in an empty alley at a relatively remote area of the city.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very gentlemanly to follow someone from the shadows, don¡¯t you know that?¡± Arriving there, Bai Chen spoke loudly, a small smile hung on his lips, and his demeanor was relaxed.