The disciples all took out their savings to purchase some pills, preparing for any future needs.
Even some stewards, supervisors, and even elders came to the Pill Hall to make purchases.
Moreover, after the news spread,
Even within the Cangyuan Kingdom, many scattered cultivators at the Opening Spirit and Spirit Yuan realms came to Flowing Cloud Sect to buy pills.
This also became quite a spectacle.
...
Outside the Pill Hall.
Fifth Elder Chen Hua, Elder Chen, walked out with a gray-robed old man, a scattered cultivator whose aura reached the Spirit Yuan realm.
They chatted cheerfully, faces full of smiles.
"Old Chen, it's been years since we last met. That old Zheng of your Flowing Cloud Sect's Pill Hall has really improved his alchemy skills.
Even a seventh-grade lower-tier pill like the Spirit Transformation Pill, which is notoriously difficult to refine, he can now produce, and it's a two-mark pill at that.
This is something even the head of the Alchemist Guild in Wind Cloud City might not be able to achieve!
Even if he's not yet a mid-grade Earth-tier alchemist, he must be close, right?"
The gray-robed elder said with a hint of flattery, smiling.
Fifth Elder, however, shook his head with a faint smile:
"Old Liu, we've known each other for decades. You know old Zheng's alchemy level well enough.
He only knows how to refine the most common seventh-grade pill, the Spirit Gathering Pill. Every so often, our Flowing Cloud Sect still has to go to Wind Cloud City to buy pills.
It's been like this for decades. How could his alchemy suddenly skyrocket?"
"Hmm?"
The gray-robed elder's interest was piqued, and he probed:
"Old Chen, do you mean...
Could it be that your Flowing Cloud Sect has an Earth-tier alchemy master?"
"Exactly!"
Fifth Elder said with a broad smile:
"It's none other than our Flowing Cloud Sect's top genius, Lin Xuan!"
"Lin Xuan..."
The gray-robed elder murmured, momentarily stunned.
Then, realization dawned, and he looked at Fifth Elder with disbelief, exclaiming in shock:
"You mean the one who's currently at the top of the Cangyuan Kingdom's potential rankings, hailed as the fifth公子-level genius, Lin Xuan?!?"
The gray-robed elder's exclamation was loud.
It immediately drew the attention of the disciples around the Pill Hall who were buying pills.
"That's him!"
Fifth Elder said calmly with a smile.
"This... how is that possible?!?"
The gray-robed elder lost his composure upon hearing this.
Even though he was at the Spirit Yuan realm, he couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
The surrounding disciples, upon hearing this, were instantly stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.
It took a while before some gradually snapped out of it.
Then, amidst a chorus of gasps, the scene erupted into commotion.
"Whoa, am I hearing this right?"
"So, all the various pills that the Pill Hall has been well-stocked with lately were refined by Senior Brother Lin?"
"Is Senior Brother Lin really this incredible?"
"Yeah, his martial arts talent is already so strong, comparable to the Four公子.
And now he suddenly shows such amazing alchemy talent too? That's just too insane, right?"
"What a freak!"
"No wonder he's our Flowing Cloud Sect's top genius. He might even be called the top genius of the Red Sun Domain!"
"..."
The disciples buzzed with discussion, their hearts shaken.
They never imagined that so many pills recently, all with cloud patterns, including plenty of two-mark and three-mark pills,
were all refined by Lin Xuan.
Remember, Lin Xuan had only shown martial arts talent before.
In martial arts, he was already on par with the Four公子, even hailed as the fifth公子 of the Red Sun Domain.
Throughout the entire Flowing Cloud Sect, and even the Cangyuan Kingdom, no one could match him.
That was already incredibly impressive!
But no one expected Lin Xuan to now reveal alchemy talent as well,
refining so many pills of high grade and quality.
This level of alchemy skill was already deeper than even the sect's Pill Hall master.
His martial arts talent was already terrifying, and now his alchemy talent was equally fearsome.
Everyone was deeply shocked, unable to calm down.
The gray-robed scattered cultivator at the Spirit Yuan realm also took a while to recover, his face still showing shock as he sighed:
"I never thought your Flowing Cloud Sect would produce such a freak. He's probably another prodigy.
Congratulations, congratulations."
His tone carried more respect and envy than before.
Fifth Elder smiled upon hearing this.
But he still humbly said:
"Junior Disciple Lin just has a bit of talent."
Yet the pride in the corners of his eyes was impossible to hide.
"It seems your Flowing Cloud Sect is about to rise."
The gray-robed elder added a few more flattering words.
Suddenly, he changed the subject, smiling:
"The Spirit Transformation Pill is very important to me, especially one of two-mark quality—it's extraordinary.
This is a small token of thanks. Please pass it to your sect's young friend Lin Xuan.
Also, I have a granddaughter, sweet sixteen, fair-skinned and beautiful, in the bloom of youth.
She greatly admires your sect's young friend Lin Xuan. I'd trouble Elder Chen to put in a good word."
"Of course, of course."
Fifth Elder replied politely.
The two gradually walked away.
The disciples on the scene also dispersed.
Spreading this astonishing news.
Instantly, the entire sect was shaken.
Almost everyone in Flowing Cloud Sect, from top to bottom, was talking about Lin Xuan.
"I only knew Lin Xuan's strength was terrifying, comparable to the Four公子. I never thought his alchemy talent had reached this level."
"I've also been to the Alchemist Guild in Wind Cloud City recently, going with the Pill Hall elder to buy pills.
But even the pills sold in the guild aren't as high quality as those refined by Senior Brother Lin!"
"So, Senior Brother Lin is also an Earth-tier alchemy master, even stronger than the elders in the Wind Cloud City Alchemist Guild?"
"Is Senior Brother Lin really this incredible?"
"No wonder he's our Flowing Cloud Sect's top genius. What a freak and a monster!"
"..."
Flowing Cloud Sect was in an uproar, buzzing with noise and constant exclamations.
If not for the short time, preventing the news from spreading further,
it might have shaken the entire Cangyuan Kingdom, or even the whole Red Sun Domain.
Meanwhile,
Lin Xuan was in the alchemy room, unaware of the earthquake he had caused outside.
He casually tossed a batch of materials into the pill furnace.
The semi-golden pill flame split into dozens of parts, each wrapping around different herbs.
Roasting them to extract the essence.
Next came merging into liquid, removing impurities, evaporating moisture, solidifying...
Each step flowed smoothly, with a strange beauty.
This was clearly far beyond what an ordinary low-grade Earth-tier alchemist could achieve.
Lin Xuan himself didn't know how far his alchemy skill had reached.
But after his alchemy talent was elevated to the Xuan grade, refining sixth- and seventh-grade pills no longer posed any difficulty.
That was enough.
Crackle...
Before long, one batch of materials was finished, and ten finished cloud-mark pills landed on the jade plate on the nearby table.
Only then did Liu Qianyu, who had been waiting outside, walk in, accompanied by a round of applause.