Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

Yet not much time had passed, and upon his return, he was already an Earth Martial Artist at the Second Layer, brimming with vitality.

This twist of fate, a journey from hell to heaven, still felt unbelievable and thrilling to him even now.

And it was all thanks to Ye Xuan.

"Uncle, I’m taking Father to the Alchemist Association. You should go find us a place to stay and check out the nearby estates. If you need anything, come find us at the Association."

"Alright. You two be careful." Ye Zhanxiong nodded. With Luo Zhan present, he truly wasn’t worried about Ye Xuan’s safety.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the Alchemist Association.

At the front counter, Lu Yue was just about to lead a few people upstairs when she saw Ye Xuan. Her eyes instantly lit up. After offering a quick apology to the group, she hurried over to him. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Young Master Xuan," Lu Yue said, her tone deeply respectful.

"Is Chairman Hua in?"

"Yes, he’s upstairs. Shall I take you to him?"

Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "Then I’ll have to trouble you."

"Not at all. It is my honor to be of service to you, Young Master Xuan." A blush rose on Lu Yue’s cheeks. ’If it weren’t for Ye Xuan, I’d still be just an ordinary attendant.’

Beside them, Ye Zhanyun and Luo Zhan exchanged a look of utter astonishment. ’Chairman Hua? Could he mean Chairman Hua Luoxuan of the Alchemist Association?’

Although they knew Ye Xuan had some connections at the Alchemist Association, they never imagined they were strong enough for him to meet the chairman directly.

"Lu Yue, what’s going on? Weren’t you about to take us to see Steward Zhou? Who is this kid?"

Suddenly, a cold snort rang out. It came from the group Lu Yue had been attending to. Seeing her abandon them for a mere boy, their expressions instantly soured.

Lu Yue said apologetically, "Director Liu, my sincerest apologies. A friend of mine has just arrived. How about I have Dongmei take you upstairs instead?"

"A friend? What kind of friend is more important than our Director Liu? It seems to me this little girl doesn’t want her job anymore!"

Before Director Liu could even speak, a man with narrow, triangular eyes standing beside him barked out, his tone aggressive and strange, "Our Director Liu is a good friend of your Alchemist Association’s Steward Zhou. Can you bear the responsibility for delaying his important business?"

"That’s right! You abandoned Director Liu to attend to your so-called friend. Are you looking down on him?"

"You’re just an attendant. Who gave you the nerve to act this way?"

It had to be said, the people around Director Liu were clearly used to acting like big shots, throwing their weight around even here at the Alchemist Association.

"How dare you speak to Miss Lu Yue like that? Fix your attitudes." Director Liu, aware of his surroundings, reprimanded his two subordinates before saying coolly, "Lu Yue, I have urgent business with Steward Zhou and no time to waste. You should take us upstairs personally. As for your friends, they’re just here to buy something, aren’t they? Someone else can help them."

Director Liu had already sized up Ye Xuan and his companions. Seeing they weren’t scions of any major Blue Moon City family he recognized, his tone naturally took on an air of superiority.

"Director Liu, these friends of mine are truly special. Steward Zhou is just upstairs, so Dongmei can take you to him. I apologize if this is poor service on my part." Lu Yue tried to placate him.

Director Liu’s face darkened instantly. He knew Lu Yue had become quite popular at the Alchemist Association recently, which was why he had been so patient, thinking he was giving her plenty of face. He never expected she would be so ungrateful.

"Insolence! Do you know who our Director Liu is? He’s honoring you by speaking to you for this long! Take us upstairs at once. Our time is precious." Seeing Director Liu’s brow furrow, the triangular-eyed man immediately began to shout again.

"Director Liu? You wouldn’t be Deputy Director Liu Cheng of the Blue Moon City Inspection Office, would you?" Luo Zhan asked with a frown.

"So you do know!" The triangular-eyed man looked Luo Zhan up and down and sneered. "If you know what’s good for you, tell your young master to step aside. Otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Blue Moon City is a big place, but it can also be very small. If you provoke the wrong people, you’ll find yourself in over your head."

Ye Xuan was speechless. He couldn’t believe that simply asking Lu Yue to show them the way could lead to this much trouble.

’But this Director Liu is far too arrogant,’ Ye Xuan thought. ’It’s just a guide. Anyone could do it, but he has to insist on the team leader to show off his status. He must have nothing better to do.’

At this thought, Ye Xuan’s gaze turned cold. "Lu Yue, what is going on with your Alchemist Association? How can you let all sorts of riffraff in? Some things are no better than rabid dogs; it’s best to just throw them out."

The moment he spoke, the entire hall fell into a stunned silence.

"Kid, who the hell are you talking about?" the triangular-eyed man roared furiously. Beside him, Director Liu’s face was ashen, clearly enraged.

Just then—

"What’s going on down there? Why is it so noisy?"

A cold voice drifted down from the upper floor as Zhou Huarong, wearing a magnificent alchemist robe, slowly descended the stairs.

His robe was majestic, lending him a powerful aura. Around the cauldron insignia on the black iron badge on his chest was a silver trim—the clear mark of a Second Grade Alchemist’s robe.

Upon seeing Zhou Huarong, Director Liu, whose face had been ashen moments before, was suddenly all smiles. He hurried forward and said with a humble grin, "Steward Zhou, you look absolutely majestic in that Second Grade Alchemist robe. Tsk, tsk, so suave and dashing."

"Haha." Zhou Huarong clearly enjoyed the flattery and laughed heartily. "Director Liu, what brings you here?"

"Ahem." Director Liu wrung his hands and said respectfully, "It’s about the Pill I asked you to help me with last month..."

"Oh, that. I’ve been rather busy lately, so I haven’t gotten to it yet. But rest assured, I haven’t forgotten. Come back in a few days, and it should be ready."

Director Liu mentally rolled his eyes, feeling utterly frustrated. ’It’s been over a month, and he hasn’t even started the Alchemy?’ He was so angry he could spit, but he kept the smile plastered on his face and said obsequiously, "Of course, of course. Steward Zhou, as the General Steward of the Alchemist Association and a newly advanced Second Grade Alchemist, your status is noble. You must take care of your health during your busy schedule. It’s no problem at all if my Pill takes a little longer."

"Director Liu, you exaggerate. By the way, what was going on just now? I thought I heard a commotion downstairs." As Zhou Huarong descended the stairs, the service counter blocked his line of sight, leaving him unaware of the situation in the hall.

"Heh heh, it was nothing. Just one of your Alchemist Association’s attendants being a bit negligent. Someone called me a rabid dog and threatened to throw me out, which led to a small dispute. It is my fault for disturbing you, Steward Zhou."

Zhou Huarong’s expression darkened. "Oh? And which attendant was that? Tell me. It seems they no longer want their job."

"It was..."

Before Director Liu could finish, a calm voice suddenly cut through the hall, clear enough for everyone to hear.

"Zhou Huarong, feeling pretty high and mighty, are we? Just because you broke through to Second Grade, you’re acting this imperious? How impressive."

The speaker was none other than Ye Xuan. As his voice echoed, everyone present froze in disbelief.

’Which family is this kid from? Does he have any idea who he’s talking to? That’s Lord Zhou Huarong, the General Steward of the Alchemist Association, a newly advanced Second Grade Alchemist!’

’A person of his stature is a major figure in all of Blue Moon City. "Just" breaking through to Second Grade? Does this kid even know what being a Second Grade Alchemist means?’

Silence. The great hall of the Alchemist Association was utterly quiet.

The voice sounded familiar to Zhou Huarong, but he didn’t dwell on it. His face sank, and he snorted coldly. "What arrogance. I’d like to see just who dares to speak to me in such a manner."

’It’s over!’

A chill ran through Ye Zhanyun’s heart. ’We haven’t even met the person we came to see, and we’ve already offended the General Steward of the Alchemist Association—a Second Grade Alchemist. Even if my son knows the chairman, this will be difficult.’

Luo Zhan also looked at Ye Xuan, his expression troubled. Director Liu was merely the Deputy Director of the Blue Moon City Inspection Office. After his own breakthrough, Luo Zhan didn’t need to pay much mind to such an official, especially since he wasn’t the head director.

But Zhou Huarong was the dignified General Steward of the Alchemist Association and a Second Grade Alchemist. Even for a powerhouse like Luo Zhan, a Second Layer Earth Martial Artist, this was not someone he could afford to disrespect.

Just as Luo Zhan was preparing to intervene, Zhou Huarong finally saw Ye Xuan and the others standing before the counter.

His furious expression froze, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Young... Young Master Xuan!"

Zhou Huarong’s pupils dilated. "Was that... you who spoke just now?"

Director Liu’s subordinates, failing to notice the change in Zhou Huarong’s tone, immediately piped up. "Steward Zhou, that’s him! That’s the guy who just offended you! He’s the one who called our Director Liu a rabid dog and wanted to throw him out! And it seems he’s a friend of your attendant, Lu Yue. Just some brat from who-knows-where who doesn’t know his own limits."

"That’s right, Steward Zhou! Just give the word, and we’ll throw him out immediately!"

The men clamored, sneering inwardly. ’Hmph, acting so arrogant in the Alchemist Association. Let’s see how you get out of this one!’

Zhou Huarong’s frozen expression slowly relaxed, only to instantly contort into a mask of pure fury. He trembled with rage, pointing a finger viciously at Lu Yue and practically roaring, "Lu Yue, you fool! Young Master Xuan is here! Why didn’t you inform me immediately?! Do you have any idea how precious his time is? You actually made him wait here! Do you not want your job as team leader anymore?!"

After his tirade, he quickly pasted on a smile, trotted over to Ye Xuan, and bowed obsequiously. "Young Master Xuan, when did you arrive in Blue Moon City? Why didn’t you send someone ahead to let us know you were coming to the Alchemist Association? I would have personally come to the entrance to greet you."

This...

What was happening?

Everyone felt a wave of dizziness and frantically cleaned out their ears, wondering if they had misheard.