When this news spread, the entire Sacred Institute was in an uproar.
"What? Someone’s challenging Lin Xuan again? Is that for real?"
"Lin Xuan is incredibly strong; most senior students are no match for him. I wonder who can withstand his Sword Intent?"
"I heard this challenge isn’t about martial arts, but alchemy."
"What? An Alchemy Duel!"
Everyone was stunned. Soon, they learned the full story. Apparently, Zhao Yue from the Star Alliance wanted to compete with Lin Xuan in alchemy.
"Why an alchemy contest?"
"Isn’t Lin Xuan not an Alchemy Master?"
"I heard Lin Xuan is a fourth-grade Alchemy Master."
"What? Really?"
"That’s impossible! How could he be a fourth-grade Alchemy Master?"
Almost no one believed it. Lin Xuan’s talent was indeed outstanding, but it had always been demonstrated in the Martial Dao. He had never shown any talent for alchemy, and in their view, he wouldn’t have had the time to cultivate the Alchemy Dao anyway.
"It seems it’s true," one person said. "Didn’t they say the Pill Pavilion was withholding elixirs from the Supreme Hall? Lin Xuan led a group to confront them and revealed his identity as an Alchemy Master. Only then did he receive the elixirs."
"What? Something like that happened?" the crowd exclaimed, finding it unbelievable.
At this point, someone else remarked, "At the time, Lin Xuan only showed a fourth-grade Alchemist Badge. That doesn’t necessarily mean he *is* a fourth-grade Alchemy Master. I heard that badge wasn’t his; he borrowed it."
"I bet the Star Alliance wants to expose him, which is why they proposed this alchemy contest."
"So that’s what this is about..."
"Well, is he a fourth-grade Alchemy Master or not?"
The crowd debated fiercely. Some believed Lin Xuan was a fourth-grade Alchemy Master; after all, he had created so many miracles that being skilled in alchemy wouldn’t be surprising. However, the vast majority believed he couldn’t possibly be one. They thought he had just borrowed someone’s badge to masquerade as a fourth-grade Alchemy Master.
"He probably won’t even dare to accept the challenge," someone speculated. "The moment he accepts, he’ll be exposed."
An imposter? When Steward Zhang heard this, his eyes blazed with fire. Back then, Lin Xuan had slapped him twice, and he hadn’t dared to retaliate solely because he feared the man’s status as a fourth-grade Alchemy Master. If Lin Xuan was a fake, he would absolutely not let him off the hook.
Amidst the countless discussions and intense scrutiny, Lin Xuan accepted the challenge.
When the news spread, the Sacred Institute was once again shocked.
"What’s going on? That kid actually accepted?"
"Didn’t they say he was a fake fourth-grade Alchemy Master? How dare he accept?"
"Could he actually be a real fourth-grade Alchemy Master?"
It was madness! At that moment, everyone was losing their minds.
Steward Zhang was also startled. Don’t tell me he’s actually a fourth-grade Alchemy Master! In that case, he would never get his chance for revenge.
Meanwhile, when the people from the Star Alliance heard the news, they were also in an uproar.
Shen Tang was astonished. "That kid actually accepted the challenge? How is that possible?"
Zhao Yue, however, remained calm and composed. "There’s no need to worry," he said. "Whether he accepts or not, he is doomed to lose. It’s even better that he accepted. This way, I can expose him in front of everyone."
Shen Tang nodded in agreement. Looking at Zhao Yue, she said, "We’re counting on you."
Zhao Yue smiled confidently. "When it comes to the Martial Dao, I may not be his match. But in the Alchemy Dao, ten of him combined couldn’t defeat me."
The two sides set the time for the duel: three days later. Everyone was fired up, and many planned to go watch the spectacle.
The news eventually reached the ears of some other Alchemy Masters, who simply rolled their eyes.
"You people are so amateur. There’s no way that Lin Xuan is a fourth-grade Alchemy Master," one scoffed. "There’s no point in watching this duel at all. That kid won’t be able to refine any elixirs."
They were all alchemy geniuses and knew firsthand how difficult it was to become a fourth-grade Alchemy Master. Even with top-tier talent, one had to start training from a young age. This Lin Xuan was cultivating his physique and practicing his swordsmanship; where would he find the extra time to practice alchemy? Therefore, he couldn’t possibly be an Alchemy Master.
However, some Alchemy Masters did plan to spectate. For instance, Zi Ling and Mo Fan from the Pill King Hall had extremely peculiar expressions when they heard the news.
"That Zhao Yue actually dares to challenge Lin Xuan in alchemy? He’s truly a fool!" Mo Fan shook his head. He had tested Lin Xuan before and knew exactly how potent his alchemy skills were. More importantly, Lin Xuan possessed an Anomalous Fire! With the enhancement from an Anomalous Fire, the elixirs Lin Xuan crafted would be of a much higher grade. What could Zhao Yue possibly use to compete against him? He was guaranteed to lose.
Zi Ling also smiled. "When Lin Xuan joined our Pill King Pavilion, the Hall Master didn’t want us to publicize the fact that he possessed an Anomalous Fire, so not many people know he’s an Alchemy Master. I didn’t expect it to lead to a situation like this."
"So," Mo Fan asked, "should we announce his identity now?"
Zi Ling shot him a look. "Why would we announce it now? Isn’t this a good show? Let’s go watch the fun. When Zhao Yue loses, I bet the look on his face will be priceless."
"Good point." Mo Fan nodded with a grin. They both had absolute confidence in Lin Xuan.
「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」
On the day of the duel, Lin Xuan set out for the Alchemy Room where the competition would be held. The members of the Supreme Hall followed him, their hearts filled with unease. Over the past three days, rumors about Lin Xuan being a fake Alchemy Master had spread like wildfire. More and more people, including members of their own Supreme Hall, had begun to doubt him. Perhaps Lin Xuan really had just borrowed a badge. If that was the case, his identity would be exposed the moment the competition started, and that would spell huge trouble. He had previously used his status as an Alchemy Master to suppress Steward Zhang. If he wasn’t one, Steward Zhang would certainly not let the matter rest and would retaliate viciously. Lin Xuan would be in grave danger.
Lu Jiu and Ning Xue rushed over, pleading with him earnestly not to participate in the duel.
"That’s right, Hall Master, why don’t we just call it off?" Zi Su, Zhang Shaochu, and the others chimed in.
Seeing their worried faces, Lin Xuan just laughed. "What are you all so worried about? You think I’m going to lose? How is that possible?" he said. "I am a fourth-grade Alchemy Master, capable of refining high-grade fourth-grade elixirs. There are almost no fourth-grade Alchemy Masters who can defeat me. Unless a Pill King themselves were to compete, no one can best me. So, just relax."
Zi Su was on the verge of tears. "Hall Master, this is no time for jokes!"
"Exactly!" Ning Xue stomped her foot in frustration. "You’re getting more and more outrageous! Do you really think you’re invincible? If you lose this time, you’ll be in serious trouble!"
"Don’t worry, I won’t lose."
Lin Xuan paid them no mind and strode forward.
Zhang Shaochu and Lu Jiu were frantic. Tears welled up in Zi Su’s eyes, and Ning Xue stomped her foot on the spot in agitation. But no matter how much they pleaded, Lin Xuan was determined to go. They couldn’t change his mind and could only follow him helplessly.
Meanwhile, a large crowd had already gathered in front of the Alchemy Room, all there to watch the duel. The people from the Star Alliance had arrived, and Shen Tang had come particularly early. This time, she would finally get to witness Lin Xuan’s downfall. The very thought of it thrilled her.
However, after waiting for a long time, there was still no sign of Lin Xuan.
Shen Tang frowned. "What’s going on? Don’t tell me that kid got scared and isn’t coming?"
"How disappointing," Zhao Yue said with a sneer. "If he was so afraid, why did he accept the challenge in the first place?"
The others began to murmur amongst themselves, all seeming to agree that Lin Xuan had chickened out.
"Of course he did! He’s not a real Alchemy Master, so how could he dare to participate in alchemy?"
"I told you all from the start he was a fake."
In a corner, Steward Zhang was also present. Hearing these words, a towering rage flared in his eyes. So, I really was tricked by him. Damn it! I will never, ever let him get away with this!