Led by Su Wan, Li Yun ventured deeper into Pill Flame City.
The farther they went, the more astonished he became. Pill Flame City followed an unspoken rule that everyone knew. The deeper one lived within the city, the higher the cost and the greater the status.
Buildings near the city gates sold for only a hundred low grade spirit stones per square meter, yet prices in the inner districts could soar tenfold or even a hundredfold, an increase so steep it was almost frightening.
Living deeper inside the city was not merely a matter of wealth but also a clear symbol of prestige and influence.
After only a short while, Li Yun could no longer hide his surprise. Judging from this alone, Elder Lin’s standing in Pill Flame City was clearly far from ordinary.
Roughly ten minutes later, Su Wan brought him to a vast compound that spanned several thousand square meters.
At the entrance stood two neat rows of black armored martial artists, upright and imposing like spears planted in the ground. Their auras were sharp and disciplined, and each of them possessed at least seventh level Body Tempering Realm cultivation.
Li Yun could not help but inwardly exclaim at the sight. Using seventh level Body Tempering cultivators as guards was an extravagant display of strength.
In places like the Azure Wind City, cultivators of this level were already considered experts, capable of competing for elder positions. Yet here, in Pill Flame City, such people were stationed as gatekeepers. The contrast between a great city and a small region was laid bare in front of him.
Suppressing his amazement, Li Yun lifted his gaze toward the building itself. Hanging above the entrance was a massive golden plaque bearing three bold characters, Spirit Pill Pavilion.
Only then did realization strike him. This was not a mere branch or storefront. This was the headquarters of Spirit Pill Pavilion, one of the two dominant powers of Pill Flame City.
A thought stirred in his mind, and he turned to Su Wan with curiosity. "Miss Wan, may I ask what position Elder Lin holds within Spirit Pill Pavilion?"
Su Wan smiled faintly, her expression calm and confident. "My master is known as Pavilion Master Lin. What position do you think that would be?"
Li Yun sucked in a sharp breath.
He had assumed Elder Lin was, at most, an elder of Spirit Pill Pavilion. He never imagined that Elder Lin was actually the pavilion master himself. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Back in Azure Wind City, Pavilion Master Guan Long had also been the owner of the Treasure Pavilion. Figures of such standing naturally knew others of similar stature.
Seeing Li Yun’s stunned expression, Su Wan let out a light, bell-like laugh. "Alright, stop staring in shock. Come, I will take you to meet my master."
Under the respectful gazes of the black armored guards, Su Wan led Li Yun into the grand and imposing halls of Spirit Pill Pavilion.
Inside Spirit Pill Pavilion, a secluded bamboo forest rustled softly in the wind. At its heart stood a simple wooden hut that looked plain at first glance. Wisps of green smoke drifted steadily from its windows, spreading a rich medicinal fragrance throughout the grove.
Though the place appeared unremarkable, everyone within Spirit Pill Pavilion knew its true significance. This bamboo forest was a forbidden area. Anyone who dared trespass would face the harshest punishment imaginable.
The reason was simple. This was the residence of Lin Shan, the supreme authority of Spirit Pill Pavilion.
Inside the wooden hut, a massive pill furnace dominated the room. Fierce flames burned beneath it, dyeing the metal a blazing red. Waves of scorching heat rolled outward, turning the entire space into something like the heart of a volcano.
Seated cross-legged before the furnace was a figure forming intricate hand seals, carefully regulating the flame temperature and guiding the fusion of spirit medicines within. The scene made it clear that alchemy was underway.
Yet the one refining pills was not Lin Shan himself.
Instead, it was a young girl of around sixteen or seventeen. She wore a pink long dress, and her delicate features carried a carefree, almost indifferent expression, completely at odds with the seriousness of the alchemy process.
Beside her sat an elderly man in gray robes. He was none other than Elder Lin, the ruler of Spirit Pill Pavilion.
"Su Lan, how many times have I told you that alchemy requires absolute focus?" Lin Shan said sharply, his brows drawn together in irritation. "Your mind must be single-minded, without the slightest distraction. Look at you now, drifting off again in the middle of refinement. What kind of attitude is this?"
Anyone else would have been terrified by such a rebuke. Yet the young girl, Su Lan, merely laughed lightly, her expression carefree. "Master, I am still young. How could I possibly be as steady as you? Let me play for a couple more years. Once I am satisfied and calm down, I will refine pills properly, I promise."
Su Lan was Su Wan’s younger sister and also Lin Shan’s youngest disciple.
"You always have excuses," Lin Shan said with a heavy snort, glaring at her. "Su Lan, your talent in the Dao of Alchemy is astonishing, but with your current temperament, even reaching the third star of alchemists will be exceedingly difficult. If you wish to climb higher and go further on this path, this attitude simply will not do."
Su Lan puffed out her cheeks in displeasure and said, "Master, why are you always urging me to break through to the third star Alchemist realm? With my current alchemy skills, if you look at the younger generation in the entire Pill Flame City, there is not a single person who can compare to me."
"You only know how to measure yourself against those youngsters in Pill Flame City," Lin Shan replied impatiently. "You must understand that although Pill Flame City seems vast, within the scope of the entire Martial Dragon Continent, it is nothing more than a small and insignificant corner. There are always greater heavens beyond and stronger people beyond that. You have never seen how terrifying the true geniuses outside this city are, so naturally you cannot comprehend it."
"Master, you always talk about how incredible the geniuses of the outside world are," Su Lan retorted with a pout. "But after all these years, how come I have not seen a single genius who is stronger than me?"
"You little rascal, you dare to talk back to your master now?" Lin Shan said angrily, his face twisting in frustration. "How did I ever end up taking in such a rebellious disciple? If I had known, I would have gone to Azure Wind City back then and taken that young man Old Guan mentioned as my disciple instead."
Lin Shan snorted heavily and continued, "Unfortunately, I was tied up with other matters at the time..."
"Master, you have already said that more than a hundred times," Su Lan interrupted impatiently before he could finish. "My ears are practically numb from hearing it. Is he not just a Body Tempering Realm youngster who managed to refine excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions? What is so remarkable about that? It is still just a potion, not a pill, and in terms of alchemy, he is far inferior to me."
If Li Yun were present at this moment, he would likely realize that the outstanding young man Elder Lin often mentioned was none other than himself.
"You little girl..." Lin Shan let out a long sigh, utterly helpless.
Just as he was about to continue scolding her, a clear and gentle voice suddenly came from outside the hut.
"Master, are you inside?"
"Su Wan?" Lin Shan recognized the voice immediately. "Weren’t you handling matters at Spirit Pill Pavilion? Why have you returned so suddenly? Come in."
Creak.
As his words fell, the wooden door of the hut was gently pushed open, and a graceful figure stepped inside.
"Sister!" Su Lan exclaimed happily the moment she saw her.
That elegant figure was none other than Su Wan.
"Little girl, I could hear Master losing his temper from far away. Did you make him angry again? Didn’t I tell you to behave yourself and stop upsetting Master?" Su Wan first looked at Su Lan with gentle affection before lightly scolding her.
"It’s all Master’s fault!" Su Lan said with a pout, her tone full of grievance. "Why does he keep comparing me to some kid who is clearly not as good as me for no reason at all? Isn’t that just dragging my standards down?"
"You unruly brat!" Lin Shan shot Su Lan an annoyed glare before turning his attention to his eldest disciple, Su Wan. The irritation on his face quickly faded, replaced by a mild smile, as he asked, "Su Wan, you came back so suddenly. Did something happen?"
"Yes," Su Wan replied with a nod. "While I was handling matters at Spirit Pill Pavilion, I encountered a guest. He said that an old acquaintance of yours sent him here to Pill Flame City."
"An old acquaintance of mine?" Lin Shan frowned slightly, confusion appearing on his face.
If it truly was someone he knew, they should have come in person rather than sending someone else.
As Lin Shan was still puzzling over this, his gaze shifted past Su Wan, and he noticed a refined young man who looked no more than sixteen standing behind her.
"Wait a moment... could it be you?" Lin Shan exclaimed, his eyes widening as excitement surged through him. "Are you the young man Old Guan kept talking about?"

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