Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Lin Hao rushed to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion as fast as he could. After he explained his purpose to the Pavilion Master, the Pavilion Master shot out without a second word, heading for the crucial pass.

Inside the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, Lin Hao sat in the VIP room, accompanied by Dan Fang.

"Young Master Lin, is there anything you need?" Dan Fang asked Lin Hao gently, a smile on his face.

He had to be polite. The Pavilion Master had instructed him before leaving to treat Lin Hao with the utmost courtesy!

Although he, Dan Fang, was a respected Alchemy Master, there were far too many like him in the Treasure Hunting Holy Hall. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been dispatched to a backwater place like War Dragon City.

An Alchemy Master, who was incredibly revered in the eyes of others, had to rely on actual skill to earn respect in the Treasure Hunting Holy Hall.

To think that he, Dan Fang, was already over seventy years old, yet he was still just a mortal-rank Pill Master, only capable of refining a Middle Grade Body Forging Blood Coagulation Pill at best.

This was likely where his achievements would end for this lifetime.

With his limited accomplishments, Dan Fang could only be more humble.

He had to take the Pavilion Master’s instructions seriously.

However, when he saw Lin Hao looking restless, as if he hadn’t heard him at all, displeasure already bloomed in his heart.

He was an Alchemy Master! Though he wasn’t top-tier in the Treasure Hunting Holy Hall, he was an incredibly revered figure in War Dragon City. How dare this little brat be so arrogant as to slight him!

’His surname is Lin. He must be a young master from the city’s Lin family.’

’Damn it! Just because a steward from the Lin family came to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion a few days ago with some amazing pill, don’t think the entire Lin family can just dismiss the Pavilion and dismiss me, Dan Fang!’

Dan Fang cursed endlessly in his heart.

"Young Master Lin, is there anything you need?" Although he was fuming inside, the thought of the Pavilion Master made Dan Fang swallow his anger. He raised his voice slightly and asked Lin Hao again.

"Huh? Were you talking to me?"

Although Lin Hao was physically present, he was constantly worried about Lin Tianxiao’s safety. His mind was elsewhere, so he hadn’t heard a word Dan Fang said earlier.

This time, although Dan Fang’s louder voice pulled him back to reality, Lin Hao still hadn’t caught what he said, hence his question.

Dan Fang was so angry he started trembling. He gripped the armrests of his chair, veins bulging on his hands.

He was an Alchemy Master, a noble Alchemy Master! For a mere brat from the Lin family to slight him like this... it was utterly humiliating!

"I asked you if you need anything!" Dan Fang repeated the sentence again, practically spitting out each word through clenched teeth.

Seeing his suddenly ferocious expression, Lin Hao was genuinely startled. He asked with concern, "Old sir, are you alright?"

Dan Fang had been fine, but hearing this, he was so infuriated he almost couldn’t breathe.

After a long moment, Dan Fang finally recovered, looking like he was about to cry. "My good lord, please just tell me, what is it you want? These old bones of mine can’t take this torment."

"The Treasure Hunting Pavilion really is in a class of its own. No wonder your business is so successful. For an old sir like you to be so humble and courteous to a young man like me, it truly makes a customer feel right at home."

Lin Hao smiled, trying to build some rapport with Dan Fang.

’Feel at home my ass! If the Pavilion Master hadn’t repeatedly instructed me, I’d have thrown you out long ago!’ Dan Fang’s mouth twitched as he cursed endlessly in his heart. He had nearly choked on Lin Hao’s words.

"Oh, right! Old sir, could I trouble you to help me find a few medicinal ingredients?" Lin Hao’s eyes suddenly lit up. He grabbed a nearby brush and paper and, in one smooth motion, wrote down more than a dozen ingredients.

He didn’t even ask if the old man would recognize them. In fact, from the strong scent of herbs on Dan Fang’s clothes, Lin Hao had already guessed that he was likely an Alchemy Master.

Dan Fang took the list of ingredients Lin Hao had written and stared at it for a long time, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

He deduced that this was likely a pill formula, probably one for treating internal injuries. However, several of the ingredients were mutually conflicting. This defied all logic.

"Young Master Lin, is this a pill formula?" Dan Fang asked.

Lin Hao nodded.

It had just occurred to him that he was in the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, a place that lacked for nothing, especially medicinal ingredients. His uncle had suffered internal injuries from recklessly using his Bloodline Power, so he decided to refine a furnace of pills called Life Reviving Pills.

For a Martial Artist, having one’s power damaged with no hope of recovery was no different from death.

And this Life Reviving Pill, as its name implied, could restore a Martial Artist’s power, effectively bringing them back from the dead. In the Divine Demon Destruction Domain, where the Carefree Divine Monarch resided, this pill was a true Healing Holy Medicine.

Unfortunately, this was the Celestial Yang Continent, and there was no one here who could recognize its true value. Dan Fang wanted to remind Lin Hao that several of the ingredients were conflicting, but thinking back to Lin Hao’s earlier attitude, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

’Hmph. Don’t think that just because a Lin family steward produced some incredible pill, every random person from your family is now an alchemy expert. You want ingredients? I’ll get them for you. We’ll see how you clean up this mess later.’

Dan Fang’s mind raced. He gave Lin Hao a smile, took the paper with its still-wet ink, and took his leave...

He was highly efficient. Lin Hao didn’t have to wait long before he returned with the requested ingredients.

As for the paper with the pill formula, he had casually tossed it into a trash bin.

"Young Master Lin, please take a look. Are these ingredients correct?" Remembering the Pavilion Master’s instructions, Dan Fang asked politely.

Lin Hao glanced at them and replied, "Not bad. It’s just that the Thousand Blood Vine is a bit too damp, and the Demon Flame Flower was picked before it fully matured. It will affect the efficacy somewhat, but it’s enough. It’ll have to do."

Dan Fang had only asked out of politeness, a casual question. But when he heard Lin Hao’s words, a tremor ran through him, and a flash of shock appeared in his eyes.

The Thousand Blood Vine and the Demon Flame Flower—Dan Fang remembered them clearly. They had just been acquired yesterday, and he had personally handled the purchase. At the time, it had taken him a long while of appraisal to reach the same conclusion that Lin Hao had just stated.

But now, Lin Hao had identified the issues with perfect accuracy from a distance, with just a single, casual glance. Was this a coincidence, or...

’No, that’s not right. When I acquired these two ingredients, there were a lot of people watching. He must have just overheard it from someone. Damn it, he almost had me fooled. If this kid wants to show off, he should pick a better target!’

Dan Fang instantly felt he had uncovered the truth of the matter, and his contempt for Lin Hao grew even stronger.

"Old sir, you’re an Alchemy Master, right? Could I borrow your Alchemy Room for a bit?" Now that he had the ingredients, the next step was, of course, alchemy.

Dan Fang smiled, a rather wicked smile.

He replied that he could and eagerly helped Lin Hao with the ingredients, leading the way.

He couldn’t wait to see how this ignorant brat from the Lin family would keep up his act in the Alchemy Room.

One following the other, they twisted and turned through several doors before arriving at Dan Fang’s Alchemy Room.

"Young Master Lin, this is my Alchemy Room. Feel free to use it. You don’t mind if I watch, do you?" Dan Fang’s smile was as sincere as that of a farmer who had toiled in the fields his whole life.

Lin Hao had already made a deal with Wenren Yuxin, so of course he wouldn’t mind Dan Fang observing. Besides, he wouldn’t be writing down the Alchemy Hand Seals; Dan Fang wouldn’t be able to learn them just by watching once.

"Sigh, just a Fire Crystal Stone. This will take much longer to form the pill." Seeing the red crystal beneath the only Pill Furnace in the room, Lin Hao sounded a bit helpless.

Fire Crystal Stones ignite easily, burn for a long time, and produce high temperatures, so they are often used as a primary fire source for alchemy.

’He’s putting on an act. Keep it up. He can’t be thinking of backing out just because I’m here, can he?’ The thought made Dan Fang panic. He was still waiting for Lin Hao to make a fool of himself.

What should he do?

The next moment, Dan Fang’s eyes lit up.

A few days ago, when Miss Wenren left, she had left behind a ball of exotic fire and a Pill Furnace, saying someone would need them in a few days.

And that exotic fire was in the room right next door.

HAHAHA.

Dan Fang laughed three times in his heart, exclaiming that the heavens themselves were helping him.

"Young Master Lin, if you hadn’t said anything, I would have forgotten. I have a ball of exotic fire here. If you want to perform alchemy, I even have a top-quality Pill Furnace for you."

As Dan Fang said this, he stared intently at Lin Hao’s expression.

At this moment, what he wanted to see most was an awkward look on Lin Hao’s face.

’I have an exotic fire here. You didn’t expect that, did you? Let’s see you keep up your act now!’

However, he was disappointed.

Upon hearing this, not only did Lin Hao show no sign of awkwardness, his eyes actually lit up.

Dan Fang was confused. Even as he led Lin Hao to the room where the exotic fire was sealed, he couldn’t figure out why.

But reality didn’t give him any more time to think, because Lin Hao had started the alchemy.

When Dan Fang saw Lin Hao casually toss more than a dozen ingredients into the Pill Furnace, he had to struggle to keep from laughing.

’If he can successfully refine a pill like that, I’ll eat my hat.’

"Um, Young Master Lin, you take your time with the refining. I’ll wait for you outside." The temperature of the exotic fire was simply too high for Dan Fang to bear. Besides, from what he could see, Lin Hao had thrown several conflicting ingredients in together. The furnace was going to explode, and he had no desire to lose an arm or a leg.

Just now, Lin Hao had seemed very casual, but he had actually placed the ingredients in a specific order. Now, at the critical moment of controlling the fire, his entire focus was on the alchemy, and he didn’t hear Dan Fang’s words at all.

Dan Fang gleefully exited and waited just outside the door. In his excellent mood, he even paced back and forth, humming a little tune.

Whenever he heard the occasional CRACKLE and POP from inside, the volume of his humming would involuntarily rise.

A little over half an hour later...

Lin Hao walked out of the Alchemy Room, drenched in sweat.

Seeing him come out so quickly, Dan Fang was stunned.

’The furnace didn’t explode? That’s impossible!’

"You refined the pill?" Dan Fang asked doubtfully.

Lin Hao smiled and opened his hand.

Dan Fang saw a single, reddish-brown, pinky-sized pill lying quietly in Lin Hao’s palm.

"I could have made three pills, but I didn’t have that much time, so I sacrificed the quantity to save time."

The pill was done, which meant his uncle’s internal injuries were no longer a problem. The thought put Lin Hao in a great mood, and in his excitement, he said a few more words than he normally would.

Dan Fang’s face was a mask of confusion. He reached out, intending to pick up the pill.

"Master, Master! Someone’s here looking for a person named Lin Hao! We couldn’t stop him. He’s already forced his way into the VIP room! You have to go see!" A servant ran over in a panic, shouting as he came.

Before Dan Fang could even reply, he felt a gust of wind tear past him.

In the next moment, Lin Hao had vanished.

His hand was left hanging in mid-air, having never touched the pill.