Chapter 133: Genius from the Dan League
Aragon Country’s vast territory stretched for millions of miles from north to south, a land where
countless powerful cultivators had risen throughout history.
Scattered among the mountains and ravines were remnants of ancient cultivators—ruins left
behind by those who had once walked the path of immortality.
For those fortunate enough to stumble upon such places, there was always the possibility of
inheriting a great legacy.
Thus, it was not uncommon for cultivators in Aragon Country to chance upon fortuitous
encounters.
At this moment, the seventh-rank alchemists of the Pill Alliance had already mentally painted
Arius as a man of extraordinary destiny.
In their eyes, his meteoric rise and remarkable mastery of alchemy could only mean that he had
stumbled upon the inheritance of a long-deceased seventh-rank alchemist, hidden within some
ancient ruin.
“This one does have some talent.”
“And the De Molinos family backing him is nothing more than an insignificant faction… With
Aragon Country in turmoil and the conflict between the righteous and demonic factions on the
verge of engulfing Mist Province, he would likely agree without hesitation if we offered him a
place in the Pill Alliance.”
A short, dwarf-like man finally spoke.
His appearance was grotesque—his features twisted and menacing, reminiscent of a demon or
a nightmarish ghoul.
Yet, no one in the room dared to look down on him or show the slightest contempt.
On the contrary, as soon as he spoke, the other seventh-rank alchemists revealed expressions
of respect.
Though this dwarf-like man was only at the Early-Stage of Level 3 and had only recently
advanced to the rank of seventh-rank alchemist, his true worth lay in something far more
astonishing—he was only sixty years old.
Even without his status as an alchemist, a sixty-year-old Level 3 cultivator would be enough to
send shockwaves through all of Mist Province.
Moreover, his alchemical skills were extraordinary.
Even some of the ancient figures within the Pill Alliance had personally declared that if he ever
reached the rank of sixth-rank alchemist, they would take him in as a direct disciple.
His presence in Aragon Country’s Pill Alliance branch was merely part of his training.
Or rather, it was less about training and more about inspecting the various regional Pill Alliance
branches.
Once he advanced to the sixth rank and further elevated his cultivation, he would likely become
a core disciple of the Pill Alliance.
A figure of his caliber was someone that even the Level 5 Realm seventh-rank alchemist
overseeing Aragon Country’s Pill Alliance branch dared not slight.
“Alchemist Victor speaks reason!”
“I fully agree that we should consider recruiting him.”
“Once he exhausts the last of his ingredients, I will personally go see him.”
The goateed elder immediately voiced his agreement, his tone laced with deference.
His name was Danny Coleman, a Peak Level 4 cultivator and a seventh-rank alchemist on the
verge of advancing to the sixth rank.
Yet, even with his impressive status, he still paled in comparison to Victor, the dwarf-like prodigy.
Danny Coleman had already reached the limits of his potential. At best, he might break through
to Early Level 5, but after that, both his cultivation and alchemy would stagnate.
But Gu…
Victor’s potential was boundless.
Forging a good relationship with him had become one of Danny Coleman’s top priorities.
If he could make a favorable impression now, perhaps when Victor eventually ascended to the
core ranks of the Pill Alliance, he would lend him a helping hand.
Unfortunately, Victor showed no reaction to Danny Coleman’s attempts at flattery.
Though his appearance was fearsome, Victor was a man of integrity.
Aside from alchemy, his primary cultivation method was the Ancient Confucian Sword Dao—a
path of righteousness that left no room for scheming or empty social pleasantries.
He had little patience for such matters.
Still, he made no effort to openly reject Danny Coleman’s gestures.
His current “training” across Mist Province was, in reality, an inspection of the local Pill Alliance
branches.
This was an assignment given to him by the Pill Alliance itself.
While the organization was loosely structured, when it came to matters concerning its core
interests, its internal regulations were strict and unwavering.
As someone destined to enter the core disciple ranks—and potentially even become the next
Pill Alliance leader—tasks such as overseeing regional branches were part of his early
grooming.
After witnessing Arius’s impressive alchemical talent and assessing his future potential, Victor
saw an opportunity.
With no major faction supporting him, Arius was an ideal candidate for recruitment.
“Ten furnaces… All ten were successful!?”
Just as Danny Coleman was busy trying to win favor with the dwarf-like man, the elderly female
alchemist from earlier suddenly let out a cry of astonishment.
Hearing this, even Victor’s expression flickered with surprise.
Arius had refined ten full sets of treasured ingredients, turning all of them into completed pills
without a single failure… There might have been some element of luck involved.
But even if luck played a role, achieving such a feat was proof of his exceptional mastery of
alchemy.
Barring any unforeseen accidents, Arius was almost guaranteed to become a seventh-rank
alchemist, perhaps even a sixth-rank one in the future!
Such a talent…
As long as he wasn’t some ruthless, depraved demonic cultivator, Victor was willing to recruit
him.
Though Victor was a man of unwavering principles, he was no fool.
Despite his high status in the Pill Alliance, revered by countless people, he had faced years of
jealousy and suppression from his peers due to his appearance and stature.
The struggles among alchemists were something even the ancient figures of the Pill Alliance
chose not to interfere in.
If you couldn’t compete, you only had yourself to blame.
In truth, Victor’s position within the Pill Alliance was far from secure.
More importantly, he had yet to form his own circle of influence.
This journey through Mist Province was not merely an inspection—it was also an opportunity to
recruit talent.
Whether as followers or allies, gathering capable individuals could slowly shift the power
dynamics in his favor.
For now, the pressure on him wasn’t too severe, since he had yet to officially become a core
disciple of the Pill Alliance.
But once he did… the true challenges would begin.
Where there were people, there was conflict and scheming—there was no avoiding it.
No matter how talented or extraordinary one was, it was nearly impossible to escape such
struggles.
As Arius completed his final batch of pills, the Level 1 cultivator overseeing the process stood in
stunned silence, his expression completely numb.
Ten furnaces. Not a single failure.
Boom!
Boom!
At that moment, the stone doors slowly creaked open.
Before Arius could react, several powerful seventh-rank alchemists strode into the assessment
chamber.
Their gazes upon him were filled with shock, admiration, and envy.
With Victor having set his sights on recruiting Arius, his future in the Pill Alliance was almost
guaranteed to be smooth and unimpeded.
“Congratulations, Daoist friend. You have successfully passed the assessment. This is your
identification token.”
Danny Coleman retrieved a jade token from his robe, directly inscribing Arius’s information onto
it before formally announcing his advancement to ninth-rank alchemist.
Normally, even after passing the assessment, a ninth-rank alchemist would have to wait for the
bureaucratic process to be completed—anywhere from half a month to two months—before
finally receiving their identification token.
But due to Victor’s involvement, Danny Coleman personally waived all those unnecessary
procedures, ensuring Arius received his token immediately.