Chapter 25: Watch closely, I will only show you this once.

"I will accept the Ling Clan's invitation; I will join the Ling Clan."

Lin Hao stood up abruptly, his tone surprisingly firm, the light in his eyes piercing with an intensity never seen before.

"No, I don't agree!" Ren Baichuan was agitated, convinced that Lin Hao had lost his mind.

"What is there to fear? I am Tian Bao now. Who knows that I am Lin Hao? No one in the Ling Clan has ever seen me. Since they want to recruit me, I will grant them their wish. Not only will I accept, but I will penetrate deep into Mount Lingyun. I will eat their food, drink their wine, use their supplies, and take their belongings. I will use their own resources to strengthen myself."

Lin Hao said coldly, "I won't just consume their resources; I will drink their blood as well."

Beside him, Ren Baichuan was dumbfounded. He suddenly felt that the world had gone mad—it was like a mouse offering to be a bridesmaid for a cat. This was playing with fire, and if not done carefully, it would lead to self-immolation.

"Didn't the Ling Clan vow that they would never let me step foot into the Imperial Capital alive? Well, I am here now. Not only have I entered the capital, but I am going to step into their very lair." Lin Hao was growing excited.

Ren Baichuan was speechless, managing only to grit out two words through his teeth: "Madman." He had never seen someone so insane, but for some reason, Lin Hao's words suddenly made his own old blood boil.

"You... have you decided?" Ren Baichuan's expression was grave.

"Decided, and it will not change." Lin Hao's words were absolute. "Old Ren, I know you are worried for my safety, but I hope you will let me make my own decisions regarding my feud with the Ling Clan. There are some things one must face sooner or later."

"But you are gambling with your life."

"On the path of cultivation, how can one be timid? The future must be fought for with one's own life. Perhaps one day I will die at the hands of the Ling Clan, but for now, I want to make them sick to their stomachs."

Lin Hao was suffused with a faint, regal aura—the stirring of the hot blood deep within his bones. Ren Baichuan sighed, feeling his age and the loss of his own youthful ferocity. Youthful arrogance and fearlessness were the hallmarks of a true man. Ren Baichuan said no more, feeling as though he were indulging in this madness with Lin Hao, and for some reason, he found himself looking forward to it.

Lin Hao happily accepted the ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. This was only the beginning; he intended to extract much more from the Ling Clan. Ever since he last broke through to the Qi Sea Realm, Lin Hao had sensed changes in his Supreme Body. This physique was too tyrannical; the energy required for every advancement was a hundred times that of an ordinary person. Just to reach the Qi Sea Realm, he had consumed two low-grade spirit stones. He could feel that each future breakthrough would require a massive amount of energy. From now on, spirit stones would be an essential foundation for his cultivation—the more, the better.

Using an enemy's resources to empower oneself—there was nothing more satisfying in the world.

The next morning, the Pill Pavilion was bustling. At its center lay a massive alchemical arena, already packed with people. This pill exchange was grand in scale, drawing alchemists from all 108 sects; it was essentially a summit for alchemists. Despite the sea of people, the order remained intact.

"I heard that Master Jingyang is presiding over the exchange today."

"Really? He is the alchemical master I admire most. Years ago, he could already refine half-step nine-pattern pills. I hear his cultivation has now reached the eighth level of the Heaven Realm, and there is hope he might break through to the Divine Realm in his lifetime."

"Master Jingyang presiding personally shows how much the Pill Pavilion values this exchange. Look, the elites of the three great clans have arrived too. That is Ling Shaoqing of the Ling Clan; he entered the Divine Realm at such a young age. His father is a steward at the Lingyun Pavilion."

"The pride of the Xuan Clan has appeared as well, and I hear a prince from the royal family is here too. Whoever can make a name for themselves on an occasion like this will surely be courted by all parties and rise to the heavens in a single step."

The arena was filled with hot-blooded youths, mostly from various sects, visiting the capital for the first time and seeing such grand scenes and prominent figures; their excitement was natural. This was the Pill Pavilion, after all, and the presence of the royal family and the elites of the three great clans—each exuding arrogance and noble grace—made the youths from afar burn with envy.

Someone spotted Lin Hao walking over from nearby and couldn't help but laugh on the spot.

"Look, isn't that the 'Nonsense' kid?"

"Don't say that. That is Master Tian Bao of the Taixuan Sect. After all, he is a warrior who dared to question the Pill Pavilion's topics on the spot. Pity he was kicked out of the assessment hall right then and there."

"Yesterday was so embarrassing. If it were me, I would have left the Pill Pavilion overnight. I certainly wouldn't show my face here today."

"It's not easy to get to the Pill Pavilion; even if he lost his eligibility, it's normal to want to see the world."

Lin Hao, having gained fame for his single word of "nonsense" yesterday, was met with a chorus of mockery the moment he arrived at the arena. Lin Hao sneered, too lazy to argue with this crowd. He had indeed been stripped of his qualification for the preliminary round, but these people seemed to have forgotten one thing: out of the hundreds who participated, only four were chosen. They were here only to watch the excitement.

At the very front of the arena stood a high platform. Amidst the anticipation of countless burning gazes, three figures descended from the sky. The man in the lead was an old man of about fifty, dressed in a light grey alchemist's robe. He was lean with piercing eyes and a faint smile, giving off an approachable air.

"Look, that is Master Jingyang!" someone exclaimed.

"Elder Ling, have the candidates been selected?" Master Jingyang asked, getting straight to the point after his arrival.

"They have been selected." Ling Zhen bowed to Master Jingyang, then swept his gaze across the arena. Under the gaze of countless expectant eyes, he announced loudly, "For today's alchemical competition, the Pill Pavilion has carefully selected ten people. Let the six pre-selected individuals come forward first."

With that, six people walked into the arena from different directions—three men and three women, each looking spirited and brimming with arrogance.

"That is Ling Chi. I know him. He has unique talent in alchemy and is at the eighth level of the Qi Sea Realm. He can already refine seven-pattern pills."

"The pre-selected ones are indeed all from the three great clans and the royal family, but that's normal. They are truly excellent."

As the six pre-selected individuals appeared, the crowd began to stir, eyes filled with envy and jealousy. This was the importance of resources; many geniuses from the various sects were no less skilled in alchemy than these six, but they lacked the backing.

"I wonder who the four selected from yesterday's preliminary round are?"

The arena suddenly fell silent, countless eyes fixed on Ling Zhen, each person hoping to hear their own name.

"Next, I announce the four who advanced from yesterday's preliminary round," Ling Zhen proclaimed loudly. "From the Qingfeng Sword Sect, Liu Rusi; from the Kongling Sect, Jin Ao; from the Haoyue Sect, Chen Shuang; and the last one, from the Taixuan Sect, Tian Bao!"

As Ling Zhen's voice fell, the entire arena erupted.

"What? Tian Bao of the Taixuan Sect? Did I hear that right?"

"Damn, how is that possible? Wasn't Tian Bao kicked out of the hall by Elder Ling and stripped of his qualifications? How did he advance?"

"Inside job! It must be an inside job!"

Tian Bao of the Taixuan Sect had actually become one of the four—who could have foreseen this? Eyes turned toward Lin Hao, especially those who had mocked him just moments before, their faces turning uglier by the second.

"Silence!" Ling Zhen bellowed. "Those whose names have been called, enter the arena immediately. The alchemical competition begins now."

The arena instantly went quiet; no one dared to speak. A man who had been kicked out of the hall during the preliminaries had suddenly advanced—this was clearly a fixed outcome. Everyone knew it was rigged, but no one dared to say anything. This was the Pill Pavilion, after all; the spots were theirs to give, and they held the final authority. If you weren't happy, you had to keep it to yourself.

The ten stood in a row before the high platform. The six pre-selected individuals felt nothing toward Lin Hao, but Liu Rusi and the other two looked at him with strange expressions. They had come from the preliminary round and seen him kicked out; yet here he was, standing with them as if he had earned the spot without writing a single word.

"Brother Tian Bao, you have skill," Jin Ao of the Kongling Sect gave a thumbs-up.

"I wonder how much it cost you to secure this spot, Brother Tian Bao?" Chen Shuang of the Haoyue Sect whispered.

Lin Hao smiled without a word. *Didn't spend a cent, and I made ten thousand.* But I can't say that; I'm afraid I'll kill you with envy.

"Let the competition begin," Master Jingyang announced.

Ling Zhen stepped forward and waved his hand. A pill formula and a pile of medicinal herbs appeared before each of the ten. Ling Zhen then announced, "You are all the elites of the younger generation, the best of the best. Standing in this arena is the greatest honor of your lives. Before you lies the formula and materials for the Spirit-Nourishing Pill. Today's competition will be judged based on the quality of your pills and the time taken to refine them. The prize for first place, besides one thousand low-grade spirit stones, is a Breakthrough Pill."

"As expected of the Pill Pavilion, the rewards are truly generous. I'll take that first place," Chen Shuang's eyes gleamed.

The Breakthrough Pill was the real treasure. Given by the Pill Pavilion specifically for them, it could elevate their cultivation by an entire level within the Qi Sea Realm without any side effects. Breakthrough Pills were extremely precious because their formulas were usually held only by these top-tier powers.

The ten picked up their formulas and materials, took their places on the platforms, brought out their cauldrons, and began to refine.

"Tian Bao, let's see what you've got."

"That's right, let's see how a first-level Qi Sea Realm alchemist from the Taixuan Sect justifies standing on the Pill Pavilion's stage."

People began to jeer. Many were dissatisfied with Lin Hao's presence, believing he was unqualified. Even the six pre-selected ones looked at him with disdain. This was normal; among the ten young alchemists present, the weakest was at the seventh level of the Qi Sea Realm. He was the only one at the first level, a massive disparity—not to mention the reputation of the Taixuan Sect. A sect ranked 108th was nothing but a laughingstock wherever it went.

On the high platform, even Master Jingyang and the other two elders frowned, unable to help but glance at Ling Zhen, convinced he must have accepted a bribe. If this Tian Bao turned out to be nothing, the Pill Pavilion would be the subject of ridicule.

Lin Hao sneered, took out the alchemical cauldron Ren Baichuan had given him from his storage ring, and slammed it onto the platform with a loud *thud*. He declared loudly, "Watch closely. I'll only perform this once."