Chu Ming was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what he was doing. He carefully looked at the white-bearded old man in front of him, his cheeks twitching involuntarily.
This looks too similar!
Is he really Santa Claus?
"Deacon Chu, can you please come with me?"
Old Man Shengdan stroked his beard and smiled, his tone was particularly sincere, which dispelled Chu Ming's concerns, but he was still a little doubtful in his heart.
What does the Lord of the Holy Pill Hall want from me?
Could it be that the fact that he collapsed the alchemy room and failed to pay back the debt was exposed?
Such a big man shouldn't care about such a trivial matter like me...
With an anxious mood, Chu Ming followed Old Man Shengdan to a simple teahouse deep in the bamboo forest.
After the two sat down, no one spoke first. After a steward brought a pot of tea, Old Shengdan broke the silence.
"Taste it?"
Seeing the old man Shengdan making tea and pushing the cup, Chu Ming cautiously held it in his hands and took a sip.
In an instant, the strong aroma of tea spread from the tip of the tongue to the limbs and bones of the body, causing a burst of spiritual energy to boil.
"Hmm~"
Chu Ming squinted his eyes and hummed in relief, and then couldn't help but praise.
“Great tea!”
Even though he doesn't know how to taste tea, judging from the sweetness with a hint of bitterness in his mouth, this tea is really top quality!
"This tea is called the leaves of Yushan. It is collected from the top of Yufeng Mountain. It has been processed and flavored through ninety-nine and eighty-one steps. It has the effect of clearing the heart and rejuvenating the spleen."
After taking a sip, the old man of Shengdan stroked his beard and chuckled.
"It's my favorite tea, old man."
“Really good.”
After some compliments, Chu Ming put down his tea cup and asked tentatively with some restraint.
"So, Palace Master, do you have any business with me today?"
"Can't I come and have tea with you if I have nothing to do?"
The old man Shengdan smiled slightly, and Chu Ming couldn't help but smile bitterly when he saw this.
"You are always in charge of the entire Shengdan Palace and are busy with daily affairs. It is really a blessing for me to take the time to meet with you."
"Even if I were in charge of the entire Holy Alchemy Palace, I still couldn't find a talented young man who was accomplished in alchemy cultivation!"
The old man Shengdan couldn't help but sigh, and then looked into Chu Ming's slightly surprised eyes and said softly.
"I have come to see you this time. I really have something to ask for."
"You tell me."
Chu Ming said respectfully. When Old Man Shengdan saw this, he stroked his beard and looked at the swaying bamboos outside the window, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
"I want you to replace our Tianyan Sect Holy Alchemy Hall to participate in the alchemy competition jointly organized by the five major sects..."
"!?"
Chu Ming looked slightly stunned, then full of confusion.
In the Northern Territory, in order to promote the practice exchanges among the disciples of various sects and expand their horizons and experience, the five major sects will hold a certain conference every once in a while, such as a practice exchange meeting, an alchemy competition, etc.
As one of the five major sects, Tianyan Sect naturally sends disciples to participate every year.
However, isn’t this kind of thing usually left to the senior brothers and sisters in the inner sect?
Why is it my turn this time?
Seeing Chu Ming's confused look, Old Man Shengdan seemed to see through his inner doubts and sighed helplessly.
"I know you may have some doubts about this matter, but you are the only one in the entire Shengdan Palace who is qualified to participate."
"Juniors don't quite understand."
Chu Mingcheng asked sincerely.
"Although this junior has some achievements in alchemy, he is still too mediocre in front of so many geniuses. This matter is related to the face of Tianyan Sect. Shouldn't you go to the inner sect's senior brothers and sisters to participate?"
"I wish I could find it."
Old Man Shengdan took a sip of tea, his tone slightly sad.
"Deacon Chu, you don't know something. Our Tianyan Sect mainly recruits disciples who are talented in their cultivation, and rarely recruits geniuses who have excellent qualifications in alchemy."
"This has led to the fact that the young disciples of our Holy Alchemy Hall are not as good as the previous generation. In addition, among the five major sects, there are sects such as the Hanhai Alchemy Sect that specialize in alchemy. Most of the monks who are talented in alchemy have been expelled.
They recruited..."
"boom!"
Before Chu Ming could say anything, Old Man Shengdan slapped the teacup on the table with anger.
"I have responded to the elders of the inner sect many times in the past few years, asking them to increase their support for alchemy cultivation and increase the funds of the Holy Alchemy Palace, but all of them turned a deaf ear!"
"What do you mean, 'Alchemy is a vulgar magic. If you really want to practice it, you have to be down-to-earth to improve your realm.'"
"..."
Chu Ming nodded sympathetically, and after waiting for the old man Shengdan to calm down slightly, he sipped his tea and said helplessly.
"But Palace Master, with my level, it would be a bit embarrassing to participate..."
"If a sixteen-year-old fifth-grade alchemy cultivator is still embarrassed, then the entire Tianyan Sect will be humiliated."
"puff--!"
Chu Ming choked and took a sip of tea. He was immediately hit by the old man Shengdan with a wave of his hand and spiritual power. A sly smile that did not match his age appeared on his old face.
"Do you think you're hiding it well enough that I can't tell?"
"..."
Chu Ming wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled awkwardly, and couldn't help but murmur in his heart.
After only a few years of contact, you can tell that I am a fifth-grade alchemist... Isn’t it okay to be stubborn now?!
"How did you tell?"
"You can tell at a glance."
Old Shengdan laughed and pointed at his head.
"Your mental strength is already comparable to that of a monk in the foundation-building realm."
so tall?
Chu Ming's eyes widened in surprise.
Although he had already expected the level of his spiritual realm, he didn't expect it to be so high!
Why do you feel like you are gradually becoming a genius subtly?
No, bad things will happen if this continues, so you have to live with it!
Just when Chu Ming was deep in thought, Old Man Shengdan tapped his fingers on the table, and the depths of his pupils were filled with fanatical appreciation and approval.
"Deacon Chu, how are you thinking?"
"Well..."
Chu Ming scratched his head and was about to say something, but was immediately interrupted by the voice of the old man Shengdan.
"Don't even think about rejecting it yet."
"First of all, there are no performance requirements for you to participate in the alchemy competition. After all, with the existence of the Vast Sea Alchemy Sect, it is difficult to get good results."
"So, you only need to protect the face of our Tianyan Sect."
"?"
Seeing that Chu Ming was a little confused, the old man Shengdan chuckled.
"This alchemy competition will not only be attended by people from the five major sects, but also talented disciples from many sects in the Northern Territory will come to ask for advice and learn."
"So, your final score just needs to be higher than the disciples of other sects except the five major sects."
"..."
Chu Ming scratched his head. He had something in his mind but was too embarrassed to say it.
I haven’t said that I want to participate, so why do you act like I will definitely participate...
"Of course, our Holy Pill Palace will also give you some subsidies and remuneration."
Old Man Shengdan leaned down and whispered with a hint of mystery.
"Deacon Chu, I wonder if you know anything about Tianyan Shenmu Jue?"
