After several hours had passed since Wang Ming had achieved the esteemed rank of 2-star Alchemist, he was engrossed in a discussion about the profound Dao of Alchemy. However, just as he was about to leave the Alchemy hall, he was stopped by three fellow Alchemists: Yang Baihu, Zhang Zhi, and Ning Chu.
These three Alchemists were eager to impart their knowledge of the intricate and arcane practices of the Dao of Alchemy to Wang Ming, not only to aid him in his future pursuits but also to test the theoretical limits of his current knowledge. Upon hearing their suggestion, Wang Ming furrowed his brow with mild skepticism, as the vast troves of knowledge he had acquired through the God of Alchemy's Technique surely dwarfed theirs.
Despite his initial reservations, Wang Ming sensed the good intentions of his three senior colleagues and accepted their offer to impart their knowledge. He recognized that this could be a unique opportunity to learn from seasoned experts and perhaps gain some new insights into the Dao of Alchemy.
Seeing the current predicament he found himself in, he was convinced that he made a wrong decision previously, he had expected that he might learn something new from them which had even less than a 1 percent chance of happening but did not expect that he would turn into their teacher instead
From the moment they approached Wang Ming, Zhang Zhi, Ning Chu, and Yang Baihu exuded an air of confidence, convinced that they were about to teach a prodigy. They were sure that no one in the past or future could rival Wang Ming's talent in the Dao of Alchemy at his age, except for perhaps an ancient master.
However, their smugness quickly evaporated as they delved deeper into their discussion of the Dao of Alchemy. They were left in awe of the vast knowledge that Wang Ming possessed on the subject. In fact, they even began to suspect that he might be an old master in disguise, toying with them as if they were mere juniors.
As the session progressed, Zhang Zhi, Ning Chu, and Yang Baihu became obedient students, entranced by the depth and breadth of Wang Ming's knowledge. When it was time for him to leave, they found themselves begging him to stay and teach them a little longer.
But Wang Ming remained adamant about leaving, much to their disappointment. In a moment of desperation, Yang Baihu remembered that Wang Ming had expressed an interest in acquiring some pill recipes. Sensing that he was dealing with a greedy person, he offered 2 million low-grade spirit stones as a bribe.
To Wang Ming, the offer of spirit stones was like a siren's song as he had a debt to repay to the system, and he immediately agreed to the trade. However, his elation was short-lived, as he later realized that he had been too hasty to accept the stones. He had overlooked the fact that the pill recipes were worth far more than the paltry sum he had accepted.
Though he had already agreed to the trade, Wang Ming did not give the information worth the price as retaliation for their trickery. He would not be played for a fool, and he would not allow himself to be taken advantage of in the future.
Wang Ming, his face bearing a weariness that had settled in from long hours of discussion, stifled a yawn before rising from his seat. "Yawn, I am too tired, let's end this now," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion. His companions, who had reaped great rewards at a cost that could not be denied, found themselves unable to counter his statement, and with heavy reluctance, they too rose from their seats. Their eyes betrayed their lingering hopes of continuing the meeting, yet they knew better than to press on, for Wang Ming's weariness was evident, and their gains, were undeniably significant.
"Alright, cough up the goods," demanded Wang Ming with a stern tone, causing their eyebrows to twitch in surprise. This kind of rowdy behavior was uncommon among alchemists, and the current demeanor of Wang Ming resembled that of a bandit trying to extort money from them. The intensity of his gaze was unwavering, and it was clear that he meant business.
"Ah, dear Wang Ming, I implore you to take heed and attend to your demeanor. Behaving in such a boisterous and unsavory manner could irreversibly tarnish your reputation as a revered alchemist," Yang Baihu admonished with a weariness etched on his face. With a flick of his hand, he produced a small space pouch, containing a generous amount of precious spirit stones, and tossed it toward Wang Ming as a gesture of appeasement
Wang Ming cleared his throat in an attempt to mask his embarrassment and regain composure, which had been shaken by their pointed comments about his behavior. He caught the space pouch that was thrown toward him with a hint of shame written on his face
"Esteemed elders," Wang Ming addressed the group with a respectful tone for his previous behavior
"If I may, I would like to inquire about the possibility of taking possession of the pills I have successfully concocted." He gestured towards the jade bottle that contained the rare Peak-Grade Pills, his pride evident in his gaze.
As soon as Wang Ming posed his question, Zhang Zhi's eyes darted nervously to the jade bottle containing the precious Peak-Grade Pills, as though he feared that Wang Ming would snatch them away at any moment. With a quick motion, Zhang Zhi snatched the bottle from the table and stashed it away, as if shielding it from the grasp of a ruthless bandit intent on stealing their treasure. A wry smile tugged at Wang Ming's lips as he observed this reaction from Zhang Zhi
"Dear Wang Ming," Zhang Zhi inquired with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "May I ask why you wish to take away those exquisite pills that you've so masterfully concocted?" he queried, causing Wang Ming's eyebrows to the furrow with confusion.
Zhang Zhi's voice dripped with a hint of persuasion as he continued, "It would be a great asset for the Alchemists who are striving to improve their craft. The study of these pills would grant them a better understanding of the Dao of Alchemy," he explained, trying to convince Wang Ming to leave the pills with them.
Wang Ming's mouth hung open, considering Zhang Zhi's offer. However, before he could respond, Zhang Zhi interrupted again, "In fact, I'm willing to pay you handsomely for them. I'll offer you 500,000 low-grade spirit stones for those pills," Zhang Zhi said with a gleam in his eye as he tossed a pouch in Wang Ming's direction, which he caught absentmindedly.
As he heard Zhang Zhi's offer, Wang Ming couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. 'Well, well, looks like these Peak-Grade Pills that I concocted with such ease are worth a fortune. I guess being an Alchemist is truly the quickest way to amass wealth,' he mused with a sly grin.
Even though he had the option to argue and fight for his right to take the pills with him, he decided against it. After all, he could always concoct more pills, and it wasn't worth creating an unnecessary rift between him and the other Alchemists.
" Thanks for the spirit stones senior, I will take my leave now" Wang Ming said as he vanished from their sight
Near the result hall
A collective of eager cultivators stood before a gleaming white screen, their anxious eyes fixated upon it as they yearned for the results of their alchemy test. The fate of their future hung upon the presence or absence of their names on the screen - a clear indicator of whether they would be granted the title of an esteemed Alchemist.
Yang Jia stood amongst a group of equally anxious cultivators, but her source of anxiety was not whether she would pass the test to become an alchemist or not. She had more than enough confidence in her abilities to pass the test. Her anxiety stemmed from the possibility of Wang Ming outperforming her yet again. Despite her initial smugness and confidence, she had been repeatedly defeated by Wang Ming, causing her nerves to be on edge. Her nervousness only increased when the hall master himself decided to conduct the test due to Wang Ming's exceptional talent and potential
" Hey look the results are appearing" Yang Jian snapped out of her thought by the voice of the people in the crowd who were looking eagerly at he white screen for their names to appear
As the names began to appear on the screen one by one, the group of people grew increasingly anxious. Those whose names appeared let out a sigh of relief while those who did not hung their heads in disappointment
" Hey, look at the top name"
" It's someone named Yang Jia, I have never heard of her before, who is she and where is Wang Ming's name??"
" You idiot, don't you know her she is considered to be one of the most talented disciples of the Pure Herb Sect and granddaughter of t a 3-star alchemist"
"Who cares about Wang Ming"
" Hahaha, looks like he failed to live up to the hall master's expectation"
The nervousness that Yang Jia was feeling finally came true when she heard a commotion happening near the other screen