Gu Qingcheng leaned back against the jade chair, folding her arms across her chest. Her probing gaze sharpened, measuring the courage of the young man sitting before her."An Earth-tier Meridian Restoration Pill is not a commodity you can buy with just a pouch of spiritual stones, Young Master," Gu Qingcheng said, her tone shifting from melodious to heavily emphasized."Even in the entire Fang City region, our Medicine Pavilion possesses only a single pill remaining in stock. That pill is guarded by a high-grade formation and is not casually sold to the public, because its refining process requires extremely rare, borderline-extinct materials in a peripheral region like ours."Wang Chen remained unmoving, his expression as rigid as stone, awaiting the continuation of the manager's words. He knew this woman was not finished.Gu Qingcheng drew a deep breath, letting the fragrance of snow lotus fill the room once more before continuing with a mysterious smile gracing her lips."Not that

"Hahaha! Seek tutelage? You say you're forced to?!" The Mad Alchemist suddenly burst into boisterous laughter—a raspy, bone-chilling laugh that vibrated through the ceiling of the medicine hall.However, a second later, his laughter abruptly ceased. His gaze sharpened once more, peeling back every layer of Wang Chen's body. Within his mind, a ferocious storm of thoughts raged wildly.‘Dragon Flame... The legendary Divine Dragon Flame?! How is that possible?!’ the Mad Alchemist screamed internally in utter disbelief.According to the ancient records he had once read, a flame possessing such characteristics should only belong to the bloodline of the extinct Divine Dragon race, or at the very least, a top-tier ancient monster from the Central Continent. Looking at Wang Chen—who was merely a tattered young human from the continent's fringes—his common sense refused to accept it. Yet, the terrified trembling of the alchemy cauldrons around them was undeniable proof that this golden fire po

"Do you know an alchemist's greatest risk, Kid? Becoming arrogant just because you possess a formidable flame," the Crazy Alchemist continued, his tone suddenly solemn as he stared intensely into Wang Chen's golden eyes."That flame of yours is both a blessing and a curse. Without solid medical understanding and refined alchemical control, the Earth-grade pill you take home will be nothing more than a poison of mass destruction to the person you wish to save. So, show me in three days whether you are truly worthy of holding that pill or not!"Wang Chen remained silent. A suffocating stillness hung over the private room. In his mind, he cursed the situation. Time was short; Mei Lu was still under threat, held hostage as leverage by her family.Yet, he had no other choice."I still have over a month to return to the Wang Clan," Wang Chen hissed, his voice as cold as ice frozen atop a mountain peak. "So I will prove it to you in three days. After that, no more excuses. Give me the pill."

"Alright... I will begin shortly..."Wang Chen glanced at the pile of low-grade medicinal herbs resting at the corner of the stone table. Without a word, he stepped toward the three-legged bronze cauldron, his golden eyes gazing coldly into the dusty, empty furnace.He then extended his right hand.Whoosh!A brilliant burst of golden Dragon Flame erupted from his palm, blasting directly beneath the cauldron to preheat the furnace.Wang Chen picked up his first herb: a stem of Frost Dew Grass. Based on the theory he had just absorbed, he needed to maintain micro-control over the fire's fluctuations so that the ice element within the herb would melt into liquid essence while its freezing toxins were completely burned away.However, theory and practice proved to be two vastly different realms.The moment the Frost Dew Grass was tossed into the cauldron, the sheer ferocity of the Dragon Flame—naturally infused with pure Yang energy—clashed violently with the herb's pure Yin energy. Wang C

Wang Chen's golden eyes narrowed coldly, piercing straight into the blood-red eyes of the Mad Alchemist, which were overflowing with veiled greed. A faint yet suffocating ancient dragon aura slowly permeated the air of the private room, abruptly bringing the old man's pacing to a sudden halt."Do not waste my time with the fantasies inside your head, master," Wang Chen hissed in a low voice laden with threat.He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. The thud of his boot heel against the stone floor echoed like a death knell."I have proven my capability and fulfilled all conditions. Three alchemical stages, one hundred percent purity, in a matter of minutes," Wang Chen continued, extending his right hand with an open palm."A promise is a promise. Hand over the Earth-tier Meridian Restoration Pill right now."The Mad Alchemist flinched. The sudden cold sensation creeping up his spine instantly swept away the sinister intentions and foul thoughts in his mind. The old