Chapter 553: Chapter 553: The Hall Master Arrives
At the southern gate of Xuan City, the members of the Pill Alliance, lead by Elder Chen Yongnian, and the Xuan Country royalty, headed by the Co-King, had been waiting for quite some time.
Given the status of Elder Chen and the Co-King, there were only a few people in the entire Xuan Country who could have them both coming out of the city to welcome in unison.
That’s because this time, a Hall Master of the Pill Alliance would be coming.
A Hall Master is a person with real power in the upper echelons of the Pill Alliance. If the Pill Alliance is viewed as a large country, then a Hall Master is analogous to a high-ranking official vested with real power.
The arrival of a Hall Master in Xuan City is an extremely solemn occasion. The Xuan Country Royal Family had to show a gesture, so the Emperor of the Xuan Country sent the Co-King to represent him in greeting the Hall Master of the Pill Alliance.
“Elder Chen, do we know which Hall Master is coming? Can you shed some light on it?” the Co-King asked Chen Yongnian.
Up to now, they didn’t even know which Hall Master was coming.
Not just them, but other than Elder Chen, no one else knew which Pill Alliance Hall Master was coming.
“It should be the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace.” said Elder Chen Yongnian.
Upon hearing this, the Co-King showed no surprise. The Western Guarding Palace was closer to the Xuan Country, and in his guess, this Hall Master should be the one coming.
After all, a Hall Master rarely leaves his post, and those too far from Xuan City are unlikely to travel all the way here.
Only the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace seemed possible.
The Co-King glanced at Fang Lin, who was amongst the people of the Pill Alliance, a chill ran through his heart. The Lord of the Western Guarding Palace was probably coming to Xuan City for Fang Lin.
If Fang Lin was valued by the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace, then Fang Lin’s value would need to be reassessed.
Not only the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace, but anyone with any status was silently weighing their thoughts at the bottom of their hearts.
Everyone knew that the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace, was coming for Fang Lin. If Fang Lin was really taken in as a disciple by the Lord and taken back to the Western Guarding Palace, then Fang Lin’s future prospects would be self-evident.
With a powerful Hall Master supporting him, it would be unlikely that anyone in the Pill Alliance would dare to provoke Fang Lin. As Fang Lin continues to grow, with the push of a Hall Master, it’s very possible for him to become one of the high-ranking members of the Pill Alliance.
Many people secretly admired Fang Lin, even some of the older Pill Refiners were envious.
Helplessly, many Pill Refiners struggle their whole life and find it hard to touch the upper echelons of the Pill Alliance. But Fang Lin, still under twenty, seemed already on the high road.
Comparing oneself with others could really be maddening.
Fang Lin was also contemplating, if he was really favored by the Hall Master, should he latch onto him?
After thinking seriously for three seconds, Fang Lin told himself – he must grab onto this enormous opportunity, and tightly at that! Once he had it, he would not let it go!
It’s a joke, that’s a Hall Master! Even Qi Sanxuan, who had merely won over a confidant of a Hall Master, was gleaming with pride every day.
Fang Lin thought that if there was a chance to climb the hierarchical ladder, he must seize it, and absolutely not miss it.
If the same opportunity had arisen earlier, Fang Lin might have hesitated, as he had always been somewhat wary of the murky water that is the Pill Alliance.
But now, Fang Lin had enemies on all sides in Xuan City. If he could establish a relationship with a Hall Master, it would considerably alleviate the current situation. It’s likely that many who want to target Fang Lin would hold back.
In a nutshell, establishing a relationship with a Hall Master, or even becoming a disciple of one, would bring more benefits than drawbacks for Fang Lin.
Of course, the prerequisite to all this was for the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace to take a liking to Fang Lin. If he didn’t, everything would be wishful thinking.
However, Fang Lin thought, given his eminent abilities and youthful vigor, as long as the Hall Master wasn’t blind, there should be no problem.
Feeling somewhat excited about this prospect, Fang Lin seemed on the verge of breaking free from the quagmire of Xuan Country.
“Here he comes!” At this moment, a startled shout arose, invigorating everyone as they all looked up.
They saw a few figures flying through the air, moving with extreme speed. Everyone narrowed their eyes and saw that the person flying at the front was a middle-aged man dressed in black, stern-faced, and warm-hearted. Although he showed signs of age, he still gave off the aura of a handsome man when he was younger.
“We welcome the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace!” said Elder Chen Yongnian, who was the first to greet the man in black, with a great deal of respect.
Although Elder Chen was also a high-ranking member of the Pill Alliance, even his position when he was high-ranking was less than a Hall Master’s, so even though the Lord of Western Guarding Palace was much younger, Elder Chen still maintained a humble demeanor.
Everyone from the Pill Alliance followed Elder Chen in greeting the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace.
“We welcome the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace!” The Co-King, too, showed respect. He didn’t show a hint of his royal demeanor.
The Co-King knew that although he held high status in Xuan Country and was second only to the Emperor himself, he meant nothing to a Hall Master of the Pill Alliance.
The Lord of the Western Guarding Palace arrived, followed by two confidants, a man and a woman, both young with a prolonged aura, who had long ago stepped into the Heavenly Origin realm.
The Lord of the Western Guarding Palace was even more terrifying. He stood in the sky, steady as a mountain, seeming to merge with the world around him. The entire sky seemed to respond to his every move.
“He has exceeded the Heavenly Origin, even beyond the Spirit Vein realm!” someone secretly exclaimed. Befitting a Hall Master, this level of strength was truly terrifying.
The Lord of the Western Guarding Palace gazed at the crowd below, not a hint of arrogance on his face, only indifference.
“Elder Chen, it’s been many years. You’ve gotten much older.” the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace said, looking at Elder Chen.
Elder Chen gave a bitter smile, “Indeed I have aged a lot, but you Lord are right at the prime age. I hope you will continue your support to the Pill Alliance of Xuan Country.”
“Hmm.” the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace nodded, effectively agreeing.
The Co-King was about to greet the Hall Master but was ignored entirely which made him feel very hurt.
Fang Lin carefully looked up, wanting to see the face of the Hall Master. But to his surprise, the sight of him nearly made his soul jump out of his body.
“Huh?” the Lord of the Western Guarding Palace also noticed Fang Lin, his sharp eyebrows immediately furrowed.