The Ye Clan manor.
After leaving the inn and dispersing the crowd with ease, Liu Xi followed Ye Zhong through the gates. The scent of herbs and refined pills lingered in the air, weaving through every corridor of the vast estate.
Liu Xi nodded inwardly. Even from such small details, he could see it clearly—the Ye Clan, though fallen from its former glory, still possessed the deep foundation of one of the Pill Region's famed alchemy families.
Zi Yan lifted her delicate nose and took in a soft breath, her gem-like eyes sparkling. "Big brother, there are so many high-tier medicinal herbs here! And rare ones too!"
Ye Zhong glanced back in mild surprise, then looked more closely at the girl following Liu Xi. Stroking his beard with pride, he said, "Little girl, quite the keen sense you have. My Ye Clan, as one of the Five Great Alchemist Families under the Pill Tower, has collected more high-tier herbs than one could count."
Liu Xi quickly shot Zi Yan a warning glance—this wasn't the place to go sniffing around.
Zi Yan's lips twitched. She didn't argue, but her heart was itching. She, the infamous troublemaker of the Inner Academy—the "walking herb radar"—had always been the number-one suspect in every missing-ingredient mystery. Now, standing inside a treasury of rare herbs she couldn't touch, she felt like a mouse trapped in a granary: surrounded by grain, unable to take a single bite.
Liu Xi looked back at the proud elder, silently thinking, 'You'd better stop bragging, old man, or your herb vault might mysteriously lose a few treasures tonight.'
A thought flickered through his mind, and he smiled. "Senior, your clan's collection truly inspires envy. By chance, I've been looking for a Blood Essence Demon Fruit. Would your Ye Clan happen to have one in storage?"
The name alone made Ye Zhong's eyes widen. His hand twitched so hard he nearly yanked a tuft from his beard. That was a rare herb used only in refining 7th Tier Pills. 'Could this young man be… a 7th Tier Alchemist?'
Such individuals were rarer than phoenix feathers. Even within the Ye Clan, Ye Zhong himself was the only one who had reached that level. His mind turned sharply—Liu Xi could already refine a Zong Breaking Pill, which meant he had touched the peak of the 6th Tier. Combined with that astonishing Spiritual Power…
To befriend such a person might bring the clan great fortune—or great risk. After a pause, Ye Zhong shook his head slowly. "Alas, that herb is extremely rare. The Ye Clan does not currently possess one. But if you truly need it, I can make some inquiries within the alchemy circles."
"I'll trouble you for that, then." Liu Xi inclined his head politely. With Ye Zhong, the Ye Clan's First Elder, helping to search, it would certainly be easier than doing it alone.
They passed through a fragrant garden and into a long corridor. Every Ye Clan member they encountered stepped aside respectfully. Two clan elders escorting a guest personally—such treatment was unheard of. Curious and astonished gazes fell upon Liu Xi, wondering who this young man was to walk so casually beside Ye Zhong.
Even more gazes, however, were drawn to Xiao Yixian, whose calm, frosted beauty radiated quiet power.
Ye Zhong hid his thoughts behind a placid smile. "Little friend, your talent is extraordinary. Even among the geniuses of the Five Great Families—the Cao and Dan Clans—you would not be outshone. Might I ask… under whom did you study? To possess such profound alchemical mastery at so young an age is no small feat."
'Trying to probe my background, are we?' Liu Xi smiled faintly. 'Even if I told you, would you believe me?'
"My teacher was only a 4th Tier Alchemist," he said casually, "but he guided me into the path of pill refinement. Later, I studied further at Jia Nan Academy, and without realizing it, I came this far."
Ye Zhong blinked, utterly unconvinced. 'What nonsense. If high-tier alchemists were that easy to train, my Ye Clan wouldn't be struggling right now. Young people these days—so bold with their stories!'
Liu Xi's expression remained calm. "Speaking of which, Senior, I refined that Zong Breaking Pill to prepare for my breakthrough to Dou Zong. I've heard your clan possesses the Sun Fire Ancient Altar—a place of extreme yang fire. I'd like to borrow it to assist in my breakthrough. What does Senior think?"
Ye Zhong stopped mid-step. The smile faded from his face as he turned, his eyes sharp. "So that's your purpose. The Sun Fire Ancient Altar belongs to the Ye Clan—it is our sacred ground, and has never been lent out to outsiders."
At his side, the Second Elder, Ye Tao, moved swiftly to block the corridor. Dou Qi surged from his body, a storm of power filling the air.
Xiao Yixian instantly stepped before Liu Xi, her gray-violet eyes turning cold, deadly calm. Zi Yan raised her chin and took position on his other side, her small frame tense, ready to tear open the void at a moment's notice.
The cheerful air vanished. Killing intent spread like frost.
Liu Xi stood at the center, expression unchanged, the faintest smile curving his lips. The Ye Clan? Hardly worth fearing. Even one strike from Ah Da, his Earth Demon Puppet, could annihilate this entire manor.
But he wasn't some wanton killer. The Sun Fire Ancient Altar was the Ye Clan's property, not an unclaimed relic. He couldn't simply take it by force. Besides, the Ye Clan was one of the Five Great Families under the Pill Tower—slaughtering them would make him enemies of the entire alchemist community.
Hands clasped behind his back, he spoke calmly. "Senior, rules are dead, but people live. I only seek to borrow the altar, not seize it. The Ye Clan loses nothing and gains my favor in return. Surely that's a fair exchange? After all, I don't only refine Zong Breaking Pills—I can refine 7th Tier Pills as well."
Ye Zhong fell silent. Liu Xi's words weren't wrong. From that angle, the Ye Clan would benefit—but it would still break their ancestral rules.
Ye Tao suddenly snorted, his tone sharp. "If you're truly a 7th Tier Alchemist, then show your Pill Tower badge! Otherwise, why should we believe you?"
Liu Xi didn't even turn around. "I've never been to the Pill Tower, so I don't have their badge. But an alchemist's rank isn't determined by the Pill Tower's approval—it's determined by his skill. If I can refine 7th Tier Pills, then I am a 7th Tier Alchemist. Whether you believe it or not, I think First Elder already knows the truth."
His calm voice cut through the heavy air. Yet the tension in the courtyard only grew. Two more Dou Zong experts arrived, bringing with them several Dou Wang and Dou Huang guards, surrounding the trio completely.
"Young man, don't overestimate yourself," one elder barked. "Remember—there are always stronger skies above!"
"Arrogant youth," another scoffed. "You'll learn your place soon enough."
'If I weren't young and proud, could I still call myself young?' Liu Xi thought dryly, though his face showed nothing. Unruffled, he quietly prepared to unleash his Earth Demon Puppet if needed.
The manor buzzed with restless energy. Many thought they had Liu Xi cornered, yet Ye Zhong stood frowning, studying the youth before him—calm, unflinching, as if this pressure meant nothing at all.
He hesitated to speak.
(End of Chapter)
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