I Can Control Resources

"Elder Qin!"

Nearly all the Alchemists standing near Gao Neng, including Wu Qingjing and Yutian, spoke respectfully upon seeing the person at the very front.

Gao Neng, in fact, recognized him too.

The old man standing directly before him was the same Strongest he had seen speaking with the Little White Dragon in the video from the South District City Gate.

"Hello, Captain Gao. My name is Qin Lei." After nodding to the people around him, Elder Qin’s gaze returned to Gao Neng.

He didn’t have the arrogance one might expect from a Strongest.

But he wasn’t as casual and carefree as Li Tiannan, either. This Strongest named Qin Lei gave Gao Neng a very steady and composed impression.

Gao Neng glanced at Li Tiannan.

Li Tiannan gave Gao Neng a subtle nod.

"Greetings, Elder Qin. You can just call me by my name." Receiving Li Tiannan’s signal, Gao Neng didn’t act coy.

"Mm, alright then. I’ll call you Gao Neng." Qin Lei didn’t refuse. After nodding, his eyes shifted to the elemental materials in the display area not far away. "These high-grade and premium-grade elemental materials, did you evolve all of them with evolutionary energy in the past three days?"

"Yes." Gao Neng thought for a moment and nodded.

"You’ve made a great contribution. However, we still don’t know the medicinal efficacy of these evolved elemental materials," Qin Lei said again, very seriously.

"Is Elder Qin looking to have a match with me?" Gao Neng could naturally guess Qin Lei’s intention. For him to step forward at a time like this, what else could it be but a challenge?

"No. I, like the other Alchemists present, admit I cannot achieve a one hundred percent success rate in Alchemy," Qin Lei replied directly, shaking his head.

"Mm," Gao Neng hummed softly, not saying anything more.

After all, the man was speaking the truth.

He knew it too.

Aside from a cheat like him, there was no one else in this world who had a one hundred percent success rate. So, there was no point in arguing about it.

"I see the other Alchemists are still performing Alchemy. It’s a waste to let this time pass, so why don’t we put it to good use? What do you think, Gao Neng?" Qin Lei continued.

"Please instruct me, Elder Qin."

"Then let’s take a look at the medicinal efficacy of these materials you’ve evolved." Qin Lei pointed to the display area.

"How does Elder Qin plan to ’take a look’?" Gao Neng didn’t fully understand what Qin Lei wanted to do.

"It’s simple. We just need to take some premium-grade materials and refine a pill." As Qin Lei finished speaking, he casually reached out a hand.

Several premium-grade thunder-elemental materials that had been in the display case were suddenly in his hand.

And besides the thunder-elemental medicinal herbs, there were also some premium-grade thunder-elemental ores, which were arguably among the most valuable items in the display area.

Watching this scene unfold,

Gao Neng was slightly stunned.

To preserve the medicinal efficacy of the elemental materials, the display area had been sealed with glass during Gao Neng’s competition with the other Alchemists.

In other words, Qin Lei had just bypassed the glass barrier and taken the premium-grade elemental materials from inside the display case.

’This technique...’

’If I could learn that!’

’Wouldn’t I become a legendary master thief?’

"Elder Qin, that skill of yours, taking things from behind glass... can you teach me?" As this thought occurred to him, Gao Neng’s eyes instantly lit up.

"Oh? You want to learn this?" Qin Lei seemed a little surprised.

"Yes, yes, I want to learn!" Gao Neng said with certainty.

"Haha, Li Tiannan, this disciple of yours is quite interesting. He asks to learn my ultimate technique right off the bat. He’s really... a lot like you," Qin Lei remarked with a sigh.

"Like master, like disciple. What’s so strange about that?" Li Tiannan pursed his lips.

Qin Lei smiled again.

He carefully organized the premium-grade elemental materials in his hand, then laid them out in a neat row on a table next to Gao Neng.

Then, he spoke again.

"You want to learn my Spatial Mark, and naturally, that’s not a problem. However, you first need to use these premium-grade materials to refine a pill."

"Just refining a single pill is enough?" Gao Neng was a little surprised. For him, that condition seemed a bit too easy.

"Yes, but this is no ordinary pill. Its name is... the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill," Qin Lei nodded and continued.

"The Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill?!"

"..."

Everyone in the vicinity was shocked.

It wasn’t just the people around them; even Li Tiannan and the Sword Elder stared at Qin Lei in astonishment.

Because the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill was the very pill Li Tiannan had been clamoring for Qin Lei to help him refine back in the private room. But now, Qin Lei was asking Gao Neng to refine it?

Was that even possible?

The Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill! That was a top-tier, premium-grade pill!

Gao Neng could refine low, mid, and high-tier pills, but top-tier, premium-grade pills were an entirely different concept.

"I can give you the detailed Pill Formula for the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill. You just need to refine one. As for whether you use one set of materials or two, that’s up to you," Qin Lei added.

"The detailed Pill Formula?!" This time, it wasn’t just Li Tiannan and the Sword Elder who were shocked; Fairy Liu and the remaining Strongest also looked at Qin Lei in utter disbelief.

Because they all knew.

The Pill Formula for the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill was one of Qin Lei’s most closely guarded secrets.

Across the entire Alliance, the number of people who knew the detailed Pill Formula for the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill could probably be counted on one hand.

But now, Qin Lei was actually planning to give this Pill Formula directly to Gao Neng.

By that token, even if Gao Neng failed to refine the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill, he would still be coming out way ahead, in a sense.

"Gao Neng, Elder Qin is being generous! Hurry up and accept!" Li Tiannan spoke up immediately, afraid that Gao Neng would refuse.

"Thank you, Elder Qin. But no matter what pill I’m refining, I don’t need two sets of materials. One is enough!" As Gao Neng spoke, his face filled with confidence.

After all, he had a cheat ability.

This was a confidence that stemmed from his very soul.

Qin Lei looked at Gao Neng, his eyes narrowing as if trying to see through to his true thoughts. But after a moment, he began to laugh.

"Hahaha, the younger generation is truly formidable! Truly formidable! Excellent. If you can really refine a Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill with just one set of materials, then I believe no one in the entire Alliance will dare challenge you in Alchemy ever again!"

"Not even Elder Qin would dare?" Gao Neng smiled back. The meaning of his words was quite clear—it was for Chairman Sheng and the third-party notary, Wu Qingjing, to hear.

"Naturally, I would not dare," Qin Lei stated with certainty.

"Mm, then this junior will be so bold as to try." Gao Neng smiled, because he understood Qin Lei’s underlying meaning. This was him helping Gao Neng deliver the final blow.

’Succeed, and no one will ever again contend with you for the chairman position of the Elixir Medicine Federation.’

’Fail, and don’t even think about trying to take it!’

Gao Neng understood Qin Lei’s meaning, so how could Chairman Sheng and Wu Qingjing fail to understand?

However, with Qin Lei personally administering the final test, neither Chairman Sheng, Vice Chairman Lei, nor anyone else present would dare to voice any more dissatisfaction.

"The Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill!"

"He can’t possibly refine that, can he?"

"If he can really refine even the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill... just how monstrous would his talent have to be?"

"Perhaps we’ll actually have a chance to witness the refining process of a Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill."

The young masters from the sects and prestigious families all scrambled to get closer.

Even Wei Wuya and the old monk from the Esoteric Sect, who had been seated, now stood up and walked toward Gao Neng’s position.

This was the final test.

If he passed, Gao Neng’s title as the Alliance’s number one Alchemist would be well and truly deserved.

"This is the detailed Pill Formula for the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill. You can take a good look at it first, Gao Neng, and then decide how you want to refine it." At this moment, Qin Lei took out a Pill Formula.

It was also an extremely ancient-looking Pill Formula.

It even looked older than the high-grade, fire-elemental Pill Formula Luna had given him.

Most importantly, this was a complete Pill Formula.

"This junior has an audacious request, if I may," Gao Neng said after taking the Pill Formula and glancing at it. His gaze then returned to Qin Lei.

"Speak," Qin Lei nodded.

"To ensure impartiality, so that Chairman Sheng is fully convinced, and also to prove that I will only use one set of materials, could I ask Elder Qin to help me measure out the required amounts?" Gao Neng pointed to the premium-grade thunder-elemental materials laid out before him.

"Hahaha, Li Tiannan really has taken on a fine disciple! Already knows how to order this old man around, does he? Fine, then I’ll be your assistant today!" Qin Lei naturally knew what Gao Neng was thinking.

’Ensure impartiality? What a load of bullshit!’

How could Qin Lei not see through Gao Neng’s ploy?

He was obviously unfamiliar with the medicinal properties and was afraid of messing up the proportions, so he was having him—the Alchemist who actually understood the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill—act as his assistant.

Qin Lei saw it all clearly.

But he didn’t expose him.

Because he truly wanted to see just how Gao Neng would refine the Celestial Thunder Extremity Pill without understanding the medicinal properties and without any Alchemy Technique.

’Is it evolutionary energy?’

’Or the new civilization in the magnetic pile?’

’Or perhaps... both?’

Several thoughts flashed through Qin Lei’s mind. Without another word, he walked straight to the table and began preparing the materials for Gao Neng.

Meanwhile, Shen Ning’Er and Fang Tangtang, who had been behind the scenes, reappeared in the exhibition hall. Their work was finished.

Gao Neng had successfully won his challenge against the eighty Alchemists.

Now, only the final hurdle remained.

Qin Lei’s test.

And for this round, they no longer needed to feed Gao Neng data from behind the scenes. After all, Qin Lei himself had already given Gao Neng the Pill Formula.

"Gao Neng, you’re amazing! I never knew you could perform Alchemy in addition to making weapons?! Hahaha..." The moment she returned, Fang Tangtang started laughing like a fool.

Compared to Fang Tangtang, Shen Ning’Er was clearly much more composed.

"Are you confident?" Shen Ning’Er asked simply.

"Yes. One hundred percent!" Gao Neng’s reply was just as brief.