A Four-Star peak disciple, capable of killing a top-ranked genius — number thirty-three on the Elite Ranking — with just one strike?The crowd swallowed hard, their throats suddenly dry. The way they looked at Dorian now was unmistakably tinged with awe.Who is this guy? How is he so strong?!"Remember this — my name is Dorian Ash."As if reading their thoughts, Dorian clasped his hands behind his back, sweeping his gaze across the crowd before adding with a smirk,"Of course, if you'd like to call me something more endearing, I wouldn't mind — Dad."Dad?Oh, for heaven's sake!Instantly, a collective wave of exasperation swept through the crowd — some disciples nearly choked on their own indignation. If not for the lingering fear of Dorian's reputation, a few might have lunged at him right then and there.But Dorian couldn't be bothered with them.He turned and strode over to Brogan, looming over him with an air of cold authority."You look pretty banged up — doubt you can even pack

Before them, the nine dark crystal stone tablets were now fully illuminated, radiating a dazzling crimson glow that filled the entire space with unparalleled brilliance."Holy heavens... Transcending the ninth rank? A once-in-a-millennium prodigy?"Elder Renwick stood frozen, his eyes glazed over as he muttered to himself in disbelief.Then —Snapping out of his daze, Elder Renwick turned his gaze toward Dorian, enveloped in the radiant white light. His eyes suddenly burned with blazing intensity.The upper limit of an alchemist's rank is profoundly tied to their spiritual power!While one can cultivate spiritual power through specialized techniques later in life, such methods are exceedingly rare, and their effects are limited. They pale in comparison to the innate strength of one's spiritual power from birth.Take Elder Renwick himself, for example. Born with seventh-grade spiritual power, he has spent decades honing his techniques, yet he still hasn't broken through to the eighth g

An overwhelming surge of fist energy tore through the air, splitting the roaring blade force clean in two!"Holy hell, that's insane! No wonder Dorian took down Brogan — that punch must've packed the force of two elephants and four horses!""Seriously, what's the deal with that staff on his back? Just for show? Dude's clearly a fist fighter!""Uh... word is he told Brogan he didn't use it cause he'd have smashed him to pulp...""Damn, what a flex!""Totally!""Hahaha! Dorian, your strength's impressive — but if that's all you've got, you're dead today!"Reyven let out a wild laugh, his eyes suddenly twisting with malice.Raising his narrow blade high, he brought it crashing down toward Dorian's skull!"Shimmer —"A dazzling arc of blade light erupted, its power multiplying severalfold from the previous strike. An inexplicable aura surged from Reyven's body as the radiance of his blade intensified to blinding brilliance.The onlookers' eyes widened instantly, gasps escaping their lips.

Once the heavy door of the chamber was sealed shut, Elder Renwick turned to Dorian with a serious expression. "Before we begin, let me explain the key principles of alchemy. Pay close attention...""Before alchemy, three essential items must be prepared: the cauldron, ingredients, and the refining flame.""First, the cauldron — an alchemist's most vital tool. The quality of the cauldron significantly impacts the final elixir. For instance..." Elder Renwick gestured proudly toward a waist-high, square cauldron before them. "This is my Heaven-Scorching Cauldron, a top-tier Mystic-grade treasure! Revered as the finest cauldron in the Ironveil Kingdom, it boosts my elixir success rate by a full 10%. Impressive, isn't it?""Damn impressive," Dorian nodded along, suppressing an inward chuckle. The old man was practically worshipping this cauldron like some priceless relic, yet a mere 10% improvement? His own mastery of the alchemical arts granted him a straight 50% success rate boost.Revea

Suddenly, Dorian's eyes lit up as he spotted a newly posted mission."Gather ten stalks of century-old Crystal Bell Flowers (Note: Found near Mistveil Mountains. High difficulty — recommended for those below peak Five-Star strength. Proceed with caution). Reward: 50 Contribution Points."The "high difficulty" here implied two things: first, the area was somewhat dangerous, and second, century-old Crystal Bell Flowers were rare and time-consuming to locate.But for Dorian, that wasn't an issue!After all, the Mistveil Mountains were also home to exotic beasts — he could treat this as a training opportunity to boost his strength. The mission was just a bonus, and the reward wasn't bad either!Without hesitation, Dorian immediately accepted the task and set off at once, swiftly making his way toward the Mistveil Mountains.Meanwhile, at the Stormcrest Inner Sect —A towering, broad-shouldered elder with wild golden hair and an imposing aura strode into the Alchemy Pavilion. Clad in black