"What?"

Pang Yunxiang heard this and took several steps back, his eyes filled with unconcealed shock: "The siege of the Yang Elixir in Lingzhou was actually broken by this person? Then why is he still able to appear safely in Xunyang Prefecture and even promoted to a Bronze Prefecture General?"

As for the matter of the Yang Elixir, the upper echelons of the Alchemy Master Alliance knew full well.

They were the ones secretly supplying the Yang Elixir to Lingzhou.

All of this was done under the covert orders of the Evil Extermination Bureau of Xunyang Prefecture.

When the Yang Elixir crisis in Lingzhou was resolved some days ago, the members of the Alliance were still speculating about which high expert might have intervened, and even guessed that this person had probably been secretly disposed of by the Evil Extermination Bureau.

But to their surprise, today this person appeared openly at the Alchemy Master Alliance, and what's even more shocking is that he held the position of a Bronze Prefecture General in the Evil Extermination Bureau.

"His achievements in Lingzhou are sufficient to counterbalance the matter of the Yang Elixir, moreover..." The Hierarch tapped the armrest of the throne lightly: "Behind him stands someone who can help him resolve the crisis; this matter will naturally come to nothing."

Pang Yunxiang's eyes sparkled: "So, this person is not only exceptionally powerful and decisive in killing but also has extraordinary backing. Hierarch, perhaps it would be beneficial to establish ties with him..."

In this entangled web of scheming in Xunyang Prefecture, the Alchemy Master Alliance could not remain uninvolved.

Pang Yunxiang immediately thought of establishing relations with Qin An.

"Let's observe for a few days first." The Hierarch suddenly spoke: "If his talent in the Alchemy Dao is truly outstanding, then perhaps I need to collaborate with him."

"Collaborate?" Pang Yunxiang slightly clenched his fists upon hearing these words: "Hierarch, do you mean that matter?"

The Hierarch nodded slightly: "That is indeed the matter."

Pang Yunxiang hesitated: "But even if he has talent in the Alchemy Dao, he doesn't qualify to be involved in this matter."

The Hierarch's gaze deepened: "Precisely because of that, I'm having you observe for a few days. If he qualifies, invite him to partake in the grand scheme, if not, this matter will be shelved."

Pang Yunxiang hesitated for a moment, seemingly having something to say but swallowed his words.

Seeing this, the Hierarch shook his head and said: "I know your concerns, but this matter concerns the Alliance's standing in Xunyang Prefecture."

"If done well, the Alliance's foundation will be more stable. If not, although we won't offend the Evil Extermination Bureau, advancing further will be difficult. We must gather all usable powers."

Hearing this, Pang Yunxiang sighed deeply: "I understand, if there's nothing else, allow me to take my leave."

The Hierarch waved his hand: "Go, remember to bring all the pills he has refined here. I want to see what capabilities this Alchemy Dao genius from Lingzhou truly has."

Pang Yunxiang agreed and left the place without staying any longer.

Once Pang Yunxiang departed, the main hall regained its silence.

The Hierarch's tapping on the armrest grew more urgent.

After a moment, he gradually stood up.

"It's so difficult, I hope this matter will eventually have a good outcome."

With that, the Hierarch stopped pondering and closed his eyes, relaxing on the throne.

However, the constant twitching of his fingers betrayed the turbulence in his heart.

...

Time flies quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several days passed.

During this time, Qin An resumed his two-point-one-line routine, returning to the Evil Extermination Bureau to rest solely in the evenings.

Most of his time was spent at the Alchemy Master Alliance, refining various simple pills.

For a Pill Master's proficiency to improve at the quickest pace, there was no need to refine extremely complex items, instead, the simplest pills turned out to be the fastest method of mastery.

During this period, the pills he refined were taken by Pang Yunxiang.

Regarding this, Pang Yunxiang explained that Qin An didn't need to spend silver coins purchasing materials and incurring the wear of the Pill Furnace, as he could offset these with the pills.

The pills Qin An refined were the simplest, so for him, this was quite a profitable trade.

Today, in the pill chamber, Qin An watched as the flame in front of him gradually went out, retrieving the pills from the Pill Furnace and carefully examining them.

After a moment, Qin An placed them aside.

In front of him, smoke appeared, eventually condensing into words that floated mid-air.

[Pill Master lv.10 (0/5000): Your pill-making success rate increases, and the efficacy of the pills is more pure, while the manufacturing time is reduced]

[Talent: Great Success in Pulse Condensation Realm Control, material consumption for Pulse Condensation Realm pills reduced, and Pulse Condensation Realm material refinement achieves Great Success]

When the words in front of him disappeared, they immediately transformed into a sea of information, crazily flooding into Qin An's mind.

Qin An closed his eyes, taking only a few deep breaths to fully grasp the Pill Master's tenth level profession.

Upon reaching level ten, all the talents of the Pill Master profession had achieved Great Success in the Pulse Condensation Realm.

Although it didn't enhance Qin An's combat power, his mind was filled with numerous pill recipes.

Each pill recipe was extremely valuable, and outside, many Pill Masters would undoubtedly fight fiercely over them.

The most delightful surprise for Qin An was the method of refining the Supreme True Elixir.

The so-called Supreme True Elixir is not something that can be refined simply by gathering eight hundred demon crystals, but requires an attached recipe and a Pill Master for refining.

Without the recipe and a Pill Master's assistance, even if one gathered the required materials, refining it would be as hard as ascending to heaven.

Now that Qin An possessed the method to refine the Supreme True Elixir, he only needed to collect the last Demon Pill to forge the Supreme True Elixir Foundation.

"A step closer to the Supreme True Elixir." Qin An gently caressed the hilt of the Cold Star Saber, eyes shining brightly: "Next, I should elevate the Scholar profession while collecting the remaining demon crystals. Once everything is ready, I can refine the Supreme True Elixir to forge an unparalleled foundation!"

Having made up his mind, Qin An prepared to leave, rising and walking out the door.

He found a disciple, intending to inform him that he would no longer be coming over, but to his surprise, the disciple bowed first.

Seeing this, Qin An frowned slightly: "What is it?"

He had been at the Alchemy Master Alliance for more than ten days, and no one had disturbed him during this period.

Besides Pang Yunxiang occasionally coming to take his refined pills, everything was normal.

Today, the disciple's appearance made Qin An feel that something might be up.

Sure enough, as soon as Qin An asked, the disciple respectfully began to speak.

"The Alliance Hierarch invites Mr. Qin to the main hall for a conversation."

"The Alliance Hierarch?"

Qin An raised an eyebrow: "What does he want to talk to me about?"

The disciple shook his head and respectfully said: "I do not know, but it must be important, otherwise he wouldn't ask Mr. Qin to go in person."

Qin An pondered for a moment and nodded: "Lead the way."

Since he was already here, and the Alchemy Master Alliance had done quite well this time, allowing him to successfully practice the alchemist profession up to level ten.

In that case, there's no harm in going to take a look.

The disciple quickly agreed and then led the way silently, guiding Qin An toward the most magnificent building of the Alchemy Master Alliance.

...

Main Hall.

At this moment, Pang Yunxiang stood in front of the Alliance Hierarch, watching the leader inspect the pills in front of him without making a sound.

The Alliance Hierarch held a Qi Blood Elixir, observing it carefully, and after a long time, he placed it down and sighed, "Elder, it seems our plan can indeed invite Qin An to join."

Pang Yunxiang showed a look of confusion: "Why does the Alliance Hierarch think so?"

"As far as I know, the pills Qin An has been crafting lately are not top-grade pills but rather simple Qi Blood Elixirs."

"Even a novice alchemist can craft this pill perfectly."

He couldn't quite understand why the Alliance Hierarch would determine that Qin An was suitable to join the plan.

After all, when observing recently, Pang Yunxiang felt Qin An seemed to be just having fun, crafting only the simplest Qi Blood Elixirs.

If it weren't for Qin An's status with the Evil Extermination Bureau, Pang Yunxiang would consider lending the Pill Furnace to Qin An a great waste.

The Alliance Hierarch shook his head: "Although this pill is no different from what other disciples are crafting, appearing ordinary, it harbors hidden mysteries. If you look closely, you'll see its internal differences."

Then the Alliance Hierarch crushed a pill.

After the pill shattered, its inner scene was revealed.

Pang Yunxiang's eyes widened, and his body trembled violently with shock, "This is Pill Pattern Radiance!"

Inside, a cloud-like radiance shimmered and disappeared in an instant.

The Alliance Hierarch nodded: "Indeed, it is Pill Radiance, achievable only with highly advanced alchemy skills. Pills with radiance are far more effective."

"In the Alchemy Master Alliance, how many can craft a Qi Blood Elixir with radiance?"

Pang Yunxiang came to his senses, smiling bitterly: "I can, but at Qin An's age, it would have been impossible for me."

"The simpler something appears, the more complex it actually is." The Alliance Hierarch took out a handkerchief, wiping away the pill's residue from his fingertips: "I believe Qin An's accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao are far greater than what is rumored in Lingzhou. Even in Xunyang Prefecture, he stands as a top-tier person."

Pang Yunxiang could scarcely contain his excitement: "If that's the case, the mission set by the Evil Extermination Bureau has hope of being completed!"

The Alliance Hierarch shook his head, with a profound gaze: "It's only increased our hopes by a margin. How deep his talent truly runs, I know not, but at the least, we can try."

As the two were speaking, footsteps outside the hall drew nearer.

The Alliance Hierarch glanced over, his face taking on a solemn expression.

He tidied his attire, rose briskly from his throne, and stepped forward with earnest clasped hands: "Zhang Yun, Alliance Hierarch of the Alchemy Master Alliance, greets Mr. Qin!"

At this moment, Qin An, dressed in black with the Cold Star Saber at his waist, was sizing up the Alliance Hierarch Zhang: "I did not expect the Alliance Hierarch of the Alchemy Master Alliance to be in the prime of life; surely under his leadership, the alliance must be thriving."

"I dare not claim such, I dare not." The Alliance Hierarch Zhang raised a hand in invitation: "Please, Mr. Qin, take a seat. Mr. Pang, prepare tea."

After their formalities, Qin An did not stand on ceremony, his gaze sweeping across the Qi Blood Elixirs on the ground, an enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

Pang Yunxiang had already offered a cup of hot tea, but Qin An did not drink it; instead, he remained fixated on the pills on the ground.

Zhang Yun was perceptive, taking a sip of tea: "To think Mr. Qin, as the Copper Prefecture General of the Evil Extermination Bureau, possesses such profound mastery of the Alchemy Dao, truly admirable."

Qin An smiled slightly, playing with the tea cup: "If the Alliance Hierarch is inviting me today, there must be a matter to discuss. If I'm not mistaken, it concerns the survival of the Alchemy Master Alliance?"

The Alliance Hierarch Zhang did not shy away, setting down his tea cup: "Indeed, I'm curious to know to what extent Mr. Qin has progressed in the Alchemy Dao?"

Qin An narrowed his eyes: "Is this important?"

Zhang nodded: "It is important. This matter involves a significant plan of the Evil Extermination Bureau. If we could have Mr. Qin's assistance, it would not only enhance your prestige within the Bureau but also earn the friendship of the Alchemy Master Alliance."

Qin An raised an eyebrow: "May I ask what kind of matter this is that the Alliance Hierarch speaks of? If it's something I can help with, I will naturally lend a hand."

At this point, it was clear—they knew what each other meant without saying.

This matter concerns both the Evil Extermination Bureau and the Alchemy Master Alliance.

Qin An was quite curious about what the matter was.

Of course, while he said so, if the task proved too challenging, Qin An would naturally decline.

Furthermore, he also wanted clarity on the benefits involved.

The Alliance Hierarch pondered for a moment, a gleam flashing in his eyes: "Has Mr. Qin ever heard of the Ancient Battlefield Ruins?"

Qin An furrowed his brow slightly: "I've heard a bit, I do know about it, but the Alchemy Master Alliance isn't a combat force, so why is it associated with the Ancient Battlefield Ruins?"

The Alliance Hierarch sighed: "Originally, there was no relation. The Alchemy Master Alliance consists of alchemists, not participants in the Ancient Battlefield Ruins. However, over the years, humans have been at a disadvantage in the ruins, so we're preparing to craft a batch of pills to send in."

"These pills are called... Divine Essence Elixir!"

Upon hearing this, Qin An's eyes shone brightly: "I see."

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