The night was cool as water, the moon bright, and the stars sparse.
A dead silence permeated the main hall.
Everyone's gaze was focused on Ling Xian, filled with surprise, confusion, disdain, and a hint of mockery.
Although their cultivation wasn't high, most were ninth-grade alchemists, with only two elderly men in their sixties being eighth-grade. However, in a small city like Qingcheng, they were considered renowned alchemical masters. They had come today at Ye Xiaotian's invitation. Even with a dozen people gathered, they couldn't solve the strange poison, so they naturally didn't believe Ling Xian could have a method. To be precise, they didn't believe an alchemist above the seventh grade would arrive.
Ye Xiaotian shot up from his chair, his voice urgent: "Does Your Excellency truly have a way to treat my daughter?"
Ling Xian nodded lightly, his body shrouded in a black robe, calm and composed. The strong confidence emanating from within him infected Ye Xiaotian, causing a flicker of hope to appear in his eyes.
"City Lord Ye, please rest assured. This master's alchemical skill is the highest Qingyi has ever seen. I believe he can definitely cure Youlan," Lin Qingyi smiled brightly, causing a flash of astonishment in everyone's eyes. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Especially the young man with the oily hair and powdered face from before, his gaze towards her was filled with heat and lust.
"I didn't expect such a beauty in little Qingcheng. I wonder which family's young lady she is. I must abduct her later," the young man thought to himself, licking his lips. A naked possessiveness flashed across his pale face, clearly showing signs of excessive indulgence.
"Master Lin, you've arrived," Ye Xiaotian's expression brightened. He asked, "May I know this master's name?"
"This master is unwilling to reveal his name, but Qingyi can guarantee that he can definitely resolve the strange poison your daughter is afflicted with." Lin Qingyi's words were firm and resounding. How could she not be convinced by an alchemist who could refine spiritual pills with eighty percent efficacy and possessed a supreme divine flame?
Ling Xian was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Lin Qingyi to praise him so highly.
"Fortunately, the divine flame I possess is the Evil Purging Divine Flame, specifically designed to counter evil poisons. Otherwise, you and I would both be embarrassed today," he sighed inwardly. A warmth surged in Ling Xian's heart; the feeling of being completely trusted was truly wonderful.
Hearing the guarantee from Lin Qingyi, an eighth-grade alchemist, Ye Xiaotian's expression was agitated. At this moment, he wasn't the most esteemed and powerful man in all of Qingcheng, but a loving father. He looked at Ling Xian, whose face was hidden, and said urgently, "This master, please, you must cure my daughter. I am willing to pay any price."
"I will do my best to try. City Lord Ye, please lead the way," Ling Xian said directly.
"Good, good. Master, please follow me," Ye Xiaotian extended his right hand.
"Wait."
A slightly arrogant voice suddenly rang out. It was the young man, Wang Chen. He wasn't from Qingcheng but was passing through. He was a ninth-grade alchemist. Among these dozen alchemists, who were generally quite old, he stood out, naturally giving rise to a sense of superiority. Coupled with a powerful master, he was known as an alchemical genius in the local area, which fostered an arrogant and condescending personality.
"What is it?" Ye Xiaotian's tiger-like eyes turned cold. He had no fondness for this extremely arrogant young man, but he had to admit that among these dozen alchemists, he was at least somewhat capable, having at least temporarily suppressed the spread of the poison.
"City Lord Ye, your daughter's poison has spread throughout her body. This subordinate just temporarily suppressed it using a secret technique passed down from my master. If she is disturbed at this time by someone incapable of removing the poison, your daughter will immediately die from the poison. Are you sure you want to let such a secretive person of unknown identity extinguish your daughter's last glimmer of hope?" Wang Chen looked at Ling Xian haughtily, his gaze filled with contempt and a hint of displeasure.
"That's right, City Lord Ye. We, a dozen of us, couldn't come up with a solution. What ability could a person of unknown origin have?"
"Exactly.
I think, eight times out of ten, he's just here to try his luck. And he's boasting that he has a solution? Your daughter is in critical condition. Please think carefully, City Lord Ye."
"And listening to his voice, he sounds like a child, right? What does he know about alchemy? It's a joke."
A hint of hostility also flashed in the eyes of the other alchemists. They spoke over each other, saying all sorts of things, but in short, they didn't want Ling Xian to detoxify the City Lord's daughter.
These people were narrow-minded. Their inability to remove the City Lord's daughter's poison had already made them lose face, and they had exaggerated, saying that other alchemists also had no way. However, at this moment, Ling Xian appeared and said he had a solution. Wasn't that saying they were incompetent?
This naturally aroused the hostility of these people. They didn't want anyone to succeed at something they couldn't do.
As for the vibrant life of the City Lord's daughter, they didn't care in the slightest.
"This..." Ye Xiaotian hesitated. What Wang Chen said hit a nerve. He indeed didn't dare to gamble with the life of his most beloved daughter. Although he was quite convinced by Lin Qingyi's strong recommendation, Ling Xian's rather young voice and his concealed attire, which didn't show his face, also caused him some doubt.
"City Lord Ye, this master's voice just sounds young, but his alchemical skill is absolutely beyond reproach. Qingyi believes in him," Lin Qingyi glared at Wang Chen with disgust. She was inherently intelligent and, with a little thought, understood what these people were thinking. A surge of anger couldn't help but rise in her heart.
Ling Xian also understood the selfish thoughts of these people. They were afraid that if he truly cured the City Lord's daughter, it would expose their incompetence, which was why they obstructed him in every possible way, regardless of the City Lord's daughter's life or death.
"A bunch of incompetents! They're afraid of others succeeding where they failed, for fear of losing face. Truly shameless to the extreme!" Ling Xian was furious, his cold gaze sweeping over this group of people one by one, killing intent boiling.
A cold voice rang out, mercilessly exposing the true thoughts of these people, causing them to become enraged and embarrassed. A middle-aged man stood up, pointed a finger at Ling Xian, and sneered: "Who are you calling incompetent? Everyone here is a master of their region, respected by others. As for you, you don't dare to show your true face; perhaps you have malicious intentions."
Ling Xian was unable to contain his anger and sneered: "A bunch of old fools! Living in luxury and lording over others on a daily basis, completely useless at the critical moment, truly the waste among wastes. If you can't do it, just shut your dog mouths obediently! You even obstruct me from saving someone, truly the pinnacle of scum, the supreme among degenerates! You don't deserve to be called alchemists! I am ashamed to be associated with you!"
Everyone was stunned. Ling Xian's sharp words made the faces of these so-called alchemical masters turn red. Three parts were due to shame, and the remaining seven parts were due to anger. On normal days, they were all masters of their region, highly respected. When had they ever received such merciless criticism?
Therefore, after a moment of silence, there was a wave of overwhelming curses.
"Arrogant! Unfilial!"
"When this old man entered the path of alchemy, you were still in your mother's womb! How dare you speak to me like this! You're truly infuriating!"
"A secretive person dares to call us wastes! This old man must teach you a good lesson today and make you understand what it means to respect your teachers and value the Dao!"
"Respect your teachers and value the Dao?" Ling Xian scoffed, his voice cold: "What are you? Do you even deserve to talk to me about respecting your teachers and valuing the Dao? If you were talking about respecting the old and cherishing the young, perhaps I might say a few fewer words out of consideration for you having one foot in the grave. It's truly laughable. Your meagre alchemical skill, your dirty and despicable character, you have neither talent nor virtue, just a waste. Do you even deserve to teach me a lesson?!"
"You, you, you!" The white-haired alchemist said "you" three times in a row, trembling with anger. A hint of malice flashed in his cloudy old eyes.
Not just him, but the other alchemists were also filled with killing intent. If it weren't for the presence of Ye Xiaotian, a Foundation Establishment realm expert, they would have likely attacked already.
Sensing the chilling killing intent, Ling Xian's expression grew even colder. A ball of anger burned in his chest. What a group of so-called alchemical masters! They only thought about their own face, disregarding the lives of others. Now that their true thoughts were exposed by his words, they were enraged and embarrassed, and actually harboured killing intent towards him.
"They truly are a bunch of scumbags," Ling Xian said indifferently, scanning their ugly faces, sighing.
Wang Chen's face sank, and he said sinisterly, "If you have the ability, show it to us. Don't just rely on your glib tongue here."
His words resonated with the group, and immediately there was a chorus of shouts.
"That's right, if you have the ability, show it! Hiding your face and only knowing how to curse, you're clearly someone without ability!"
"Exactly, judging by the voice, he's just a little kid who hasn't even fully grown his hair. How dare he speak so arrogantly?"
"A strange poison that we, over a dozen masters, couldn't solve, and you can? Pure nonsense, truly laughable!"
Ye Xiaotian frowned, hesitating for a moment, and said: "This master, my daughter is indeed not suitable to be disturbed at this time. If you..."
"This is you begging me to slap your faces, ah. If I don't fulfil your wish, then I'd be too heartless," Ling Xian smiled, interrupting Ye Xiaotian. He then extended his right hand, and a ball of silvery-white flame slowly rose from his palm.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Except for Lin Qingyi, who smiled knowingly, everyone else's face changed. The alchemists who had been mocking him now widened their eyes, staring at the scorching silver flame in disbelief.
Shock, envy, greed; everyone's expression was different, but without exception, they were all stunned. The arrogance and mockery on their faces were gone.
"Divine flame?" Wang Chen was filled with disbelief, staring at the silver flame, his eyes flickering with shock and greed.
"It seems you only know this is a divine flame, but you don't know which specific kind. Truly ignorant, and you dare to call yourselves masters?" Ling Xian mocked mercilessly.
Wang Chen and the others were so angry they felt like their lungs would explode, their faces turning red. But this time, no one dared to say anything.
"This is the Evil Purging Divine Flame. I presume you have heard of it," Ling Xian said lightly.
"It's actually the Evil Purging Divine Flame, said to counter all poisons in the world?"
"What, it's the supreme divine flame that repels all evil and is immune to all poisons?"
Ye Xiaotian, who was nearby, heard this and his eyes flickered with ecstasy. He knew his daughter was saved.
Ling Xian glanced indifferently at the group. Those he looked at lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Now, does anyone have any objections?"
No one answered.
With the Evil Purging Divine Flame present, let alone the poison of a mere ninth-grade demonic beast, even the poison of a first-grade demonic beast would be no match for it.
Who could still have objections? Who would still dare to have objections?
But Ling Xian didn't want to let this group of scumbags off so easily. He looked at the sullen-faced Wang Chen, the corner of his mouth curving slightly, smiling brightly.
"I remember someone just said I only relied on my glib tongue. Was it you?"
A hint of panic flashed in Wang Chen's eyes. He said, "I admit I was wrong just now, but please, Your Excellency, don't go too far. I, Wang Chen, am not someone to be easily bullied."
"Going too far?" Ling Xian chuckled and shook his head. Who was really going too far? Can you shout and bully me?
"Didn't you want me to prove myself? I think the Evil Purging Divine Flame alone isn't enough to prove my alchemical realm. Then let me show you my divine soul power."
Ling Xian's eyes turned cold, and a vast and mighty divine soul power emanated from his body, like an ancient Heavenly Venerate awakening, surging forth and shaking the eight directions.
Irresistible, unstoppable, everyone's face turned pale, and their bodies couldn't help but tremble. Under that powerful divine soul power, anyone could only bow in submission, without the slightest power to resist.
"Bang!"
The divine soul roared, shaking the surroundings. The alchemists, including Wang Chen, were struck by this divine soul power and were all sent flying several meters away, collapsing on the ground and coughing up blood repeatedly.
Ye Xiaotian's eyes were filled with terror. Even though he was a Foundation Establishment realm expert, under this supreme divine soul power, he had no power to resist. If Ling Xian hadn't spared him, he would likely be among those lying on the ground, coughing up blood at this moment.
"Cough, cough, such powerful divine soul power! You're actually a fifth-grade alchemist?"
A white-haired old man looked at Ling Xian with fear, his voice trembling as he said these words.
Immediately, the hall fell into dead silence.
Wang Chen was so scared that he fainted directly.