Devouring Soul Emperor

"This is…"

Apparently, Master Kang hadn't seen through Chu Qingyun's Mutated Martial Soul.

He also found it strange. Why would a plant-based Martial Soul like the Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Martial Soul have flames? It defied all logic.

"Ahem… Master Kang, this is my Martial Soul—a mutated Tier Four Martial Soul, the Flame Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Soul," Chu Qingyun said with a light cough.

So that's it!

A look of sudden realization dawned on Master Kang's face.

"No wonder the Martial Soul Fire is so pure! So it's a Mutated Martial Soul. No wonder, no wonder… haha! What incredible talent…"

Master Kang beamed, pleased to have learned something new. He looked Chu Qingyun's Martial Soul up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Chu Qingyun, as I'm sure you know, a Martial Soul is merely the most basic requirement for an Alchemist. Therefore, to participate in the Pill Battle Conference, you'll have to demonstrate your skill in alchemy."

"Of course, with a Martial Soul like that, it doesn't matter if your current abilities are still a bit weak. As long as your Soul Power isn't lacking, you're certain to become an outstanding Spirit Level Alchemist after three to five more years of practice."

Master Kang said with a broad smile.

After seeing Chu Qingyun's Martial Soul, his attitude toward the young man had clearly improved a great deal.

Whereas before he'd only felt a bit of surprise and favor, he was now encouraging Chu Qingyun as if he were one of his own juniors.

However, one could also tell from his words that despite his good intentions, Master Kang didn't truly believe in Chu Qingyun's abilities. After all, he was just too young.

Being an Alchemist, after all, was a profession that required a wealth of experience.

One needed to accumulate knowledge of the properties of thousands of Spiritual Medicines, experience in refining elixirs, and even an understanding of various Pill Formulas—all of which took time.

And so, Master Kang, who was over three hundred years old himself, simply regarded Chu Qingyun as a talented but impatient little fellow, eager to prove himself.

Chu Qingyun, however, offered no explanation.

Actions were the best explanation.

The main hall was hardly a suitable place to light a fire for alchemy, so he and Master Kang headed toward a dedicated Alchemy Room in the back.

Watching the two of them leave, the two men who had been working the registration desk couldn't help but start whispering.

"Hey, you think Young Master Chu can actually pull it off? He's only seventeen… that's way too young. I don't think I'd even broken through to become a Martial Spirit when I was seventeen."

The other man shot him a look of utter disdain. "Don't flatter yourself. Seventeen? You were twenty-seven when you finally broke through to become a Martial Spirit, alright? But this Young Master Chu is a true genius. A Tier Six Martial Spirit at seventeen… tsk, tsk. Even the so-called super-geniuses from the major sects are probably only at his level. I bet he'll have no problem satisfying Master Kang and getting registered!"

On the way to the Alchemy Room, Chu Qingyun pondered, 'What kind of elixir should I refine to satisfy Master Kang?'

'A Rejuvenation Pill, or a Cyan Wind Pill… though they're Spirit Level elixirs, they're far too simple. They'd never be enough to impress a King-level Alchemist.'

'In terms of difficulty, the hardest elixir I've ever refined has to be the Spiritual Longevity Pill.'

'A Spiritual Longevity Pill can add a century to the life of a Martial Spirit Realm expert. Its effects are practically heaven-defying, and the difficulty of refining it is naturally immense. I doubt any Spirit Level Alchemist would dare claim a one-hundred-percent success rate.'

'However, the ingredients for a Spiritual Longevity Pill are far too rare. I don't even have a single complete set in my Storage Ring.'

After a moment of thought, Chu Qingyun decided to refine a Giant Elephant Frenzy Pill.

Among Spirit Level elixirs, the difficulty of refining a Giant Elephant Frenzy Pill was considered upper-middle grade. It was by no means a simple pill, but for the purpose of registration, it should be more than enough.

More importantly, he had refined this particular elixir dozens of times, even in the real world, so he had a wealth of experience with it.

His confidence in succeeding was also much higher than with the Spiritual Longevity Pill.

Upon entering the Alchemy Room, Chu Qingyun gave a casual wave of his hand. From his Storage Ring, he withdrew his Pill Cauldron—the very same Spirit Level Pill Cauldron that had once sealed the azure power.

As soon as the black Pill Cauldron appeared, flames erupted from the cloud-shaped reliefs carved into its surface, instantly enveloping the entire vessel.

A Spirit Level Pill Cauldron: the Fire Cloud Cauldron.

The flames erupting from the reliefs weren't just for show; they served a unique purpose.

These external flames heated the Pill Cauldron, giving it a thorough preheating before the alchemy process began. This, to a greater or lesser extent, could improve both the efficiency and the success rate of the refinement.

"A Storage Ring… a Spirit Level Pill Cauldron… Hmm, not bad, not bad at all…"

Master Kang stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. It seemed he felt that an Alchemist ought to be wealthier than an ordinary Martial Artist; possessing Spirit Level Treasures and a Storage Ring was only proper.

With a wave of his hand, Chu Qingyun sent a ball of Martial Soul Fire into the Pill Cauldron. The flame swelled rapidly, filling the entire vessel in an instant. Then, Chu Qingyun took out the various Spiritual Medicines required for the Giant Elephant Frenzy Pill and began the refinement process.

While Chu Qingyun was inside performing alchemy, Mu Xiaoxiao, Dai, Zhou Wushang, and the others were still waiting outside.

After a short wait, Zhou Wushang grew impatient.

He, of course, had no idea that registration was so involved, requiring one to personally refine an elixir to be approved.

In his mind, registration should have been a simple matter of signing up—at most, they might test one's Martial Soul.

'There's no way that kid is an Alchemist. He's been in there this long and still hasn't come out? Something must be wrong…' Zhou Wushang thought to himself.

"Mu Xiaoxiao, I say we stop waiting. That kid definitely realized he couldn't keep up the act and has already skipped town!" Zhou Wushang shouted.

"Impossible! Chu Qingyun isn't like that!" Mu Xiaoxiao said, shooting him a look.

"Why is it impossible? It's just a simple registration! Does it really take this long? His bluff must have blown up in his face, and now he's too ashamed to show himself! Isn't that right, everyone?" Zhou Wushang yelled, turning to the surrounding crowd.

At this moment, he was actually a little frustrated.

'Chu Qingyun had actually fled, robbing him of the chance to properly ridicule him.'

'But if that was the case, then his only option was to completely ruin Chu Qingyun's reputation. Tarnish his name so badly that he'd never have the gall to show his face in Celestial Martial City again!'

"How could some hick from a poor, backwater kingdom be an Alchemist? He was just puffing himself up to look important, and now he's too scared to come out!"

"If he's an Alchemist, then the gunk I could rub off my own body would be a Top-Grade elixir! HAHAHA…"

Zhou Wushang's two lackeys were the first to chime in, roaring with laughter.

Many others in the crowd also began to laugh.

Mu Xiaoxiao was so angry she scrunched up her nose.

Just then, Chu Qingyun happened to walk out. "The gunk you rub off your body is a Top-Grade elixir? You sure talk a big game."