Soon after, Zhang Chen returned and handed Lin Xuan a storage ring, offering a faint smile: "The Alchemy Hall has a rule that non-members cannot access internal related texts, so there's nothing I can do. These are my personal notes and insights from years of studying alchemy, along with some basic alchemy manuals I purchased over the years. They're mostly useless to me now, just keepsakes. I'll give them to you, Junior Brother Lin, hoping you'll achieve something in alchemy."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang!" Lin Xuan nodded in gratitude, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected the Alchemy Hall to be so strict—non-members couldn't even buy basic alchemy books. If he hadn't stepped in to resolve Zhang Chen's trouble and build a closer bond, he wouldn't have managed this. But soon, Lin Xuan understood. This was likely the sect's rule, discouraging disciples without alchemy talent from wasting time on it and ending up with nothing. After all, alchemy and martial arts were entirely different paths, with alchemy being even more challenging. Without the right talent, years of study might not even lead to a breakthrough, only squandering one's prime years. If he hadn't discovered his own alchemy talent—a gift he could replicate to greatly reduce the difficulty without hindering his martial cultivation—he wouldn't have dabbled in alchemy either.
"Junior Brother Lin, shall we head out?" Zhang Chen said after a few more exchanges. Lin Xuan nodded slightly, and Zhang Chen led him out of the inner hall. Staying there with an outsider wasn't ideal; if higher-ups noticed, a scolding would be inevitable. In the outer hall, Zhang Chen showed Lin Xuan around various public areas, explaining the properties of different herbs and pills, genuinely trying to help. Lin Xuan silently acknowledged this. After another half hour or so, Zhang Chen saw Lin Xuan out of the Alchemy Hall.
"Junior Brother Lin, feel free to come to the Alchemy Hall anytime to discuss alchemy with me." "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang. I will." Lin Xuan replied with a smile before striding off. Soon, he returned to his quarters in the inner disciple residential area. After packing everything into his storage ring, he left for the core area reserved for elite ranking disciples. Having defeated Hu Yuanhua, he had taken his place as the new twenty-eighth on the elite ranking list, earning the right to live there. As second only to core disciples in the Flowing Cloud Sect, elite ranking disciples enjoyed exceptional perks—most notably, the density and purity of spiritual energy in their living area far surpassed other zones, aiding cultivation and breakthroughs. Lin Xuan knew how to choose.
Before long, he arrived at the elite ranking residential area. As expected, it consisted of thirty-six separate pavilions, each enclosed in a small courtyard, assigned to the thirty-six elite ranking disciples. The pavilions were far more luxurious than the humble huts of other disciples. A faint mist swirled around, cool and refreshing—this was the spiritual energy gathered by the grand formation, far superior to other areas. Lin Xuan glanced around, nodded, and found Pavilion No. 28 by its plaque.
"Who are you? This is the elite ranking residential area; ordinary inner disciples are not allowed near!" A middle-aged martial artist at the mid-Condensation Whirlpool realm stepped out from the courtyard, barking coldly.
"Lin Xuan, the new twenty-eighth on the elite ranking. Open the gate." Lin Xuan produced his elite ranking token calmly. Seeing the token, the man's expression shifted, and he quickly opened the gate, bowing respectfully: "So it's Young Master Lin! Please, come in! I'm Zhou Yun, the steward assigned to you by the sect to handle all your affairs. The previous master, Young Master Hu, already informed me of your arrival. Rest assured, the pavilion has been cleaned, and you can move in now."
"Mm." Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn't expected elite ranking disciples to enjoy such high treatment, even being assigned a Condensation Whirlpool realm steward. For context, the strongest in Qingyu City was only at the second layer of the Condensation Whirlpool realm, and most outer sect elders were at that level too. Though elite ranking disciples were at least at the peak of the Condensation Whirlpool realm, they were still in the same realm—yet they got a steward of that caliber. It showed how highly they were valued. Still, this was good. Better treatment meant more cultivation resources, allowing him to advance faster. With that, Lin Xuan stepped into the courtyard.
The elite ranking area was usually quiet, but the commotion drew attention from nearby pavilions. Several elite ranking disciples peered over, murmuring. "Who's that guy? He got into Old Hu's pavilion, and his steward let him in?" "Could Old Hu have been defeated? His spot taken?" "Probably. But who is he? He looks unfamiliar, not an inner elite either. His aura seems weak—how could he beat Old Hu?" "Some unknown expert, I guess." "I don't recognize him either." "..."
Suddenly, a shout rang out: "I know! He's Lin Xuan, the new disciple who's been making waves lately!" The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in noise. "How is that possible? Lin Xuan only joined a month ago—how could he break into the elite ranking?" "I heard a rumor that Old Hu challenged Lin Xuan in the betting arena and got crushed in two moves..." "Damn, Lin Xuan's that strong? Old Hu couldn't even last two moves?!" "And that's not all—Lin Xuan supposedly shattered the entire arena platform, nearly wrecking the betting grounds! I thought it was fake, but seeing him with Old Hu's token, it must be true!" "Two moves to beat Old Hu and destroy the arena? That's insane! He might even have top-ten strength!" "..."
After one person identified Lin Xuan, another recounted his exploits at the betting arena that day. Gasps and sharp intakes of breath spread through the crowd. The elite ranking disciples stared at Lin Xuan in shock and disbelief, especially when they realized he was a new disciple with such terrifying power. Inside the small courtyard, Lin Xuan smiled faintly, ignoring the noise, and entered the pavilion. He had Zhou Yun show him around and redecorate the place. Then, he headed to the cultivation room, took out some spirit stones, and prepared to continue training. Originally, he had planned to visit the Alchemy Hall to check for alchemy talent and replicate it.