Unbeatable Martial Emperor

C22 – Two-star Alchemist

“I can’t believe someone actually squandered a level four medicinal herb for this worthless piece of paper.”

“Hey, did you see that? That eccentric old man’s blank paper actually got traded for a level four herb.”

“I’m not blind yet. Are we the fools, or is that guy just ridiculously wealthy?”

“Have you figured out what’s so special about that paper over the last few days?”

“Nope, have you?”

“Not a clue.”

“How about we take a leaf out of the old man’s book and set up a stall with our own piece of white paper?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Witnessing the scene, the two individuals next to the odd old man decided to emulate his tactics. One of them produced a piece of white paper, deliberately soiling it, ready to go “fishing.”

“Boy, don’t underestimate the value of this old man’s Qiankun diagram, or else, no matter where you hide, I’ll find you and destroy your ability to cultivate.”

With those words, the old man departed.

Onlookers gave the departing old man peculiar looks, then simultaneously turned to stare at Min Zhenkang.

Encountering three supreme fools in one day was indeed a rarity.

Min Zhenkang had traded the Fire Dragon Grass for the paper because he had uncovered its secret.

To others, Min Zhenkang might seem like a complete idiot for making such a trade, but to him, it was like striking gold.

Having secured the Qiankun diagram, Min Zhenkang made his way to the third floor.

The second floor was as bustling as ever, the only change being an additional human-shaped indentation on the wall, two extra pieces of white paper on the floor, and two sellers feigning depth.

The third floor was significantly quieter than the second, divided into thousands of small rooms, each serving as a testing chamber.

“Excuse me, which room is for the examination?” Min Zhenkang asked someone passing by.

“These rooms are for first-time examinees. The rooms further in are for those seeking to advance to higher alchemy ranks.”

“Thanks for the info.”

Min Zhenkang proceeded in the direction indicated by the helpful stranger.

Each door was marked with a sign, either red or green.

A red sign indicated that someone was inside refining pills, while a green sign meant the room was unoccupied.

Min Zhenkang chose a door with a green sign and entered.

Upon his entry, the sign at the door automatically switched to red.

“What star level are you aiming for in the alchemist robe test?”

The person inside the room inquired as soon as Min Zhenkang stepped in.

“I’m aiming for the 2-star alchemist robe.”

“You’re young. It’s best to keep your feet on the ground.”

“Thank you for the advice, sir. I’m just looking to challenge myself.”

“Ah, young people these days are increasingly bold. Are you supplying your own herbs, or do you need me to provide them?”

“I don’t have any herbs for pill refining on me, so I’ll need you to supply a set for a second-grade pill, please.”

“Very well.” The examiner nonchalantly retrieved a variety of herbs from his Bag of Heaven and Earth.

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“Here are the herbs needed for the Golden Crow Pill, a second-grade pill. You’ve brought your own pill furnace, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I have my own.”

Min Zhenkang casually pulled out the Nine Dragons Cauldron from his Bag of Heaven and Earth.

“Nine Dragons Cauldron,” the examiner remarked, surprised that Min Zhenkang had a pill furnace of superior quality to his own.

With a puff, a flame leapt from Min Zhenkang’s fingertip.

The flame’s high level was evident, even to those unfamiliar with it.

He wondered, with the Nine Dragons Cauldron and such a high-level flame at his disposal, were all young people nowadays so well-equipped? The examiner pondered.

Min Zhenkang then began the pill-refining process.

Two hours later, he emerged from the room holding a token engraved with two flames.

He proceeded with the token to the fourth floor’s entrance.

The fourth floor was not divided into thousands of rooms like the lower levels but into two areas: one for collecting high-grade robes and the other for first-time robe recipients.

Min Zhenkang made his way directly to the area where he had first received his robe.

“Show me your token.”

The attendant behind the counter lounged in his seat with an air of disinterest.

Min Zhenkang produced the token and laid it on the counter.

“Two stars.”

Upon seeing the token Min Zhenkang presented, the attendant snapped to attention.

“Is this your first time collecting an alchemist’s robe?” he asked, seeking confirmation.

“Yes.”

“That’s quite impressive. To achieve a second-grade alchemist status on your first robe collection is no small feat!”

“Young man, have you taken a master yet?”

“Sorry, I have no intention of taking a master at this time.”

Min Zhenkang was well aware of the attendant’s intentions. During the examination, an examiner had expressed a desire to take him on as a disciple, which Min Zhenkang had gracefully declined.

“What a shame. Here is your robe.”

“Thank you.” Min Zhenkang took the robe and was ready to depart.

“If you ever decide to take a master, feel free to seek me out. Or if you have any alchemy queries, even without the intention of discipleship, I’m here to help.”

“Thank you.”

Min Zhenkang exited the Alchemists Union and made his way back to the inn. Now that he had the alchemist robe, many things would undoubtedly become more convenient.

“Zhenkang, there’s trouble.”

No sooner had Min Zhenkang returned to the inn than Min Qigang came to him in a flurry of panic, as if some grave matter had arisen.

“What happened? Take your time and explain.”

“Your uncle… Your uncle has been captured by the people from Min’s mansion. They also said…”

“What did they say?”

Hearing that Min Qi had been seized by the people from Min’s mansion, Min Zhenkang immediately stormed out of the inn, heading for the Song Mansion.

“They threatened that if he tries to flee or hide, they will torture him slowly until you show yourself or until he dies. And if he dies from the torture and you’re still in hiding, they vowed to leave his body to rot in the wilderness!”

“They’re asking for trouble. It seems some people have a death wish. Do you know who took my father?”

“It appears to be the Second Young Master from the Song Mansion.”

“Jee Gong, you’ve provoked me over and over. Today, if I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll continue to think I, Min Zhenkang, am someone to be trifled with.”

Jee Gong had repeatedly provoked Min Zhenkang, and now, by capturing Min Qi, he had fully unleashed Min Zhenkang’s wrath.

In that moment, Min Zhenkang felt like a lion within him was gradually awakening, its fierce eyes slowly opening.

A dragon has its vulnerable spot, and to touch it invites death.

For Min Zhenkang, his loved ones were that vulnerable spot.

Sensing Min Zhenkang’s fury, streams of Profound Qi surged from his dantian. This was not the backlash of the Sun Devouring Demonic Fire, but energy emanating from other areas within.

Yet, blinded by rage, Min Zhenkang failed to perceive this anomaly. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to introspect.

Only a true warrior can introspect to examine his meridians, dantian, and sea of consciousness.

But!

Min Qigang, trailing behind, felt as if the Min Zhenkang before him was a stranger.

Min Zhenkang’s presence was becoming increasingly formidable.

Min Qigang had the sense that…

One day…

This man would pierce the heavens,

This place…

Would be shattered beneath his feet,

This realm…

Would eventually be too small to contain him.

“Jee Gong, come out and meet your end.”

Min Zhenkang’s fury was palpable even before he reached the Jee family’s doorstep.

“Who dares to run wild at the Song residence? Are you seeking death?”

The guards, spotting Min Zhenkang’s furious approach, recognized an ill-intentioned visitor.

“Summon Jee Gong to face his demise, or I will raze the Jee family to the ground.”

“Who are you to disrespect the Second Young Master and threaten to destroy the Jee family? You must have a death wish.”

When Jee Gong failed to appear, Min Zhenkang made his way toward the Min’s mansion with measured steps.

“Stop him.”

The two guards exchanged a glance and charged at Min Zhenkang.

Min Zhenkang barely gave the oncoming guards a second thought. He found it almost amusing that two mere eighth-level Martial Stage guards would dare to make a scene in his presence.

Bang! Bang!

The guards didn’t even come close to grazing Min Zhenkang’s clothes before they were hurled through the air, slamming into the door behind them, which shattered on impact.

“Who dares to cause such a ruckus?”

At the sound of the commotion, the Jee family’s people quickly came running out.

“Summon Jee Gong, or with each step I take, a life will be taken. I’ll continue, one by one, two by two, until Jee Gong shows himself.”

Min Zhenkang didn’t pause, his footsteps steady as he advanced inward.

“Seize him!”

A commanding guard barked the order.

“Kill.”

Two more assailants lunged at him.

Unfazed, Min Zhenkang didn’t even blink as he kept moving.

“Seeking death!”

The two guards, incensed by Min Zhenkang’s disregard, unsheathed their swords and charged at him.

“Thousand Buddha Palm!”

Bang! Bang!

The sounds echoed, but the movements were too swift to see. The two guards were propelled through the air.

It was only after they hit the ground that the onlookers could see the damage – each guard had a palm-shaped cavity in their chest.

They were dead before they touched the ground, never grasping how their ninth-level Martial Mortal Realm cultivation was so effortlessly crushed by this young man.

“Form up the Thousand Killing Array!”

The guard commander, witnessing the scene, wasted no time in ordering his men to deploy the lethal formation.

“Understood.”

The Thousand Killing Array required a minimum of ten people to activate. Ten formed a group, a hundred a banner, and a thousand a full array.

Initially a defensive strategy, the formation had been acquired by the Jee family’s ancestors and refined over generations. It had evolved into a versatile tool – formidable in offense and steadfast in defense.

The formation had been perfected to its current state.

Suddenly, ten figures emerged from around the captain of the guards, swiftly forming a compact, lethal formation. Nine formed the perimeter, their stance sharp and pointed, while one stood at the core, the pivotal eye of the formation.

Min Zhenkang nonchalantly retrieved a long sword from the ground and made a beeline for the Thousand Killing Array.

“Kill!”

The individual at the heart of the formation bellowed, and the Thousand Killing Array surged towards Min Zhenkang with deadly intent.

“Die!”

With a casual flick of his wrist, Min Zhenkang unleashed a burst of sword qi that surged forward, followed by several more seemingly effortless strikes. The chaotic streams of sword qi merged seamlessly, transforming into a singular, formidable force. The power of the fused sword qi exponentially increased, far exceeding the sum of its parts.

The inevitable collision came.

The sword qi dissipated.

The formation shattered.

The formation’s eye perished.

In that moment, those who made up the tip of the Thousand Killing Array were sliced cleanly in half at the waist, their flesh and entrails strewn about.

“So powerful!” That was the overwhelming impression Min Zhenkang left on Min Qigang. Despite his superior cultivation, Min Qigang knew better than to recklessly challenge the Thousand Killing Array.

The head guard, witnessing the scene unfold, beat a hasty retreat, his mind reeling at the sight of the Jee family’s mightiest formation crumbling so easily before this adversary.

“Reform!”

The survivors hastily regrouped, with the head guard assuming his position at the heart of the main formation. Meanwhile, two more Thousand Killing Arrays took shape on either side.

The three formations now faced Min Zhenkang with a palpable tension, their members too wary to advance, their gazes fixed on him with a mix of fear and anticipation.

The commotion within the Song Mansion had long since captured the attention of the onlookers outside. Jee Luoyang, the head of the Song family, emerged with his entourage.

“Who are you to wreak such havoc in my Song Mansion?”

“Patriarch, this man came seeking the Second Young Master,” the guard captain reported, visibly relieved at the arrival of his leader.

Despite having set up three units of the Thousand Killing Array, he harbored serious doubts about his ability to defeat the youth before him using this tactic.

“Regardless of whom you seek, if you dare to cause trouble on Jee family grounds, I’ll ensure your journey is one-way,” declared the Third Elder of the Jee family.