Abyss Sovereign 91 to 100

 

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 91

“Let’s go down. Flying into the imperial city gate is not allowed.” At this moment, looking at the people landing intermittently and entering the city gate in succession, Wen Renliang spoke.

Nodding, the four of them descended to the ground. Since they were some distance away from the front, they didn’t attract much attention from others.

Moreover, in recent days, many third-grade spirit controllers had already arrived in the imperial city. Seeing people flying in the air had become a common sight, and no one paid much attention.

However, even in the imperial city, third-grade spirit controllers held a very high status. As Lin Xiao and the other three approached the imperial city, they attracted many respectful gazes.

Of course, these gazes were directed at Wen Renliang, while Lin Xiao, who had come to participate in the competition, was not wearing spirit controller attire.

When the four of them reached the city gate, the guards, recognizing the identity of a high-level third-grade spirit controller, respectfully welcomed and allowed them to pass.

After all, the Alchemy Competition was a grand event for spirit controllers, and even the royal family had no authority to stop them.

Even if one was only wearing the attire of a first-grade spirit controller, they would still be respected and allowed to enter the city without any questioning.

Upon entering the imperial city, the first thing they encountered was the massive main street, bustling with activity. Shops lined the roadside, and the sounds of buying and selling filled the air. The place was incredibly lively, and even in the evening, it gave Lin Xiao a sense of heat and excitement.

The imperial city was originally a place where dragons and tigers hid, gathering the major forces of the empire, along with some top-tier second-rate forces, and even some hidden experts.

However, with the Alchemy Competition approaching, various forces had flooded into the imperial city in recent days, turning it from a place of hidden talents to a mixed and chaotic environment. Conflicts broke out from time to time.

As Lin Xiao and the others walked, they witnessed quite a few fights, and even some killings on the streets.

But with only one or two people dying, the imperial family, who held nominal control over the city, turned a blind eye. Even the patrolling teams didn’t bother to intervene.

As long as innocent people weren’t harmed and the dignity of the royal family wasn’t affected, they simply didn’t care.

Even the ordinary members of the royal family didn’t intervene.

After all, martial artists had a competitive and bloodthirsty side, especially the younger ones, who were eager to showcase their talents and pride. Some conflicts were inevitable.

The major forces also tacitly allowed these conflicts to happen.

In the streets, Ge Mu found a luxurious inn to stay in, while Lin Xiao followed Wen Renliang to the headquarters of the Spirit Controller Alliance.

The Alchemy Competition required participants to go through multiple rounds of trials in various regions before they could enter the imperial city for the final competition. However, major forces had some recommended spots, especially organizations that gathered spirit controllers, like the Spirit Controller Alliance. Each branch of the alliance in different cities usually had at least one recommended spot.

Those with recommended spots could directly participate in the competition, but to avoid bringing in weak participants who would embarrass the alliance, a preliminary assessment was held three days before the main event.

Only those who passed the assessment could truly enter the Youth Alchemy Competition.

Of course, the difficulty of the assessment wasn’t too high, and most recommended participants could pass it.

After leaving the bustling market, Lin Xiao and Wen Renliang soon arrived at the headquarters of the Spirit Controller Alliance.

Unlike in other cities, the headquarters of the Spirit Controller Alliance wasn’t located in a busy area. Many high-level spirit controllers needed a quiet place for alchemy and cultivation, so it was situated away from the noisy districts.

In front of the Spirit Controller Alliance headquarters was a square spanning a thousand zhang. This was the location where the Alchemy Competition would be held in three days.

At the forefront of the square, facing the entrance of the Spirit Controller Alliance, a high platform had already been erected.

The platform was paved with precious white jade stones, exuding luxury. Around the square, rows of seats had been set up, arranged from low to high.

A large number of workers were still setting up, but it was clear that they were in the final stages of preparation.

At the same time, Lin Xiao noticed many people heading towards the entrance of the Spirit Controller Alliance, not far from the square.

According to Wen Renliang’s explanation, all members of the Spirit Controller Alliance would be accommodated for food and lodging during these days.

This showed how much importance the Spirit Controller Alliance placed on the Youth Alchemy Competition, and it also motivated the young spirit controllers who had come, fueling their passion for cultivation.

At the entrance of the Spirit Controller Alliance stood several receptionists, but these were all young members of the alliance, each wearing spirit controller attire.

“May I ask which branch of the alliance you two are from?” A young first-grade high-level spirit controller guarding the entrance asked as Lin Xiao and Wen Renliang approached.

“Linshui City branch,” Wen Renliang replied, presenting his identity badge.

After glancing at Wen Renliang’s badge, the spirit controller nodded respectfully. However, noticing that Lin Xiao wasn’t wearing spirit controller attire and was even wearing a mask, he asked with some confusion, “And this gentleman…?”

After all, all members of the Spirit Controller Alliance were required to take on disciples, and with so many people, even family members were not allowed to enter.

“He is a recommended disciple from the Linshui City branch,” Wen Renliang explained.

At this point, Lin Xiao didn’t want to trouble the gatekeeper and took out his identity badge.

Seeing that Lin Xiao, at such a young age, presented a badge indicating he was a guest vice-alliance leader, the young spirit controller was slightly surprised. He then said, “Please follow me!”

“Hahaha! Wen Renliang, what a coincidence! You’ve just arrived in the imperial city too!” Just then, a loud laugh echoed.

“Haha, Wen Renliang, I wonder what kind of disciple your Linshui City branch has brought this time? Hmm? He’s not wearing spirit controller attire? Is his rank too low to dare wear it? Hahaha…” Another elderly voice chimed in, carrying a hint of mocking excitement.

Frowning slightly, Lin Xiao turned around and saw four people standing before him.

One was a white-haired elder, and the other was a black-haired elder, both wearing dark yellow robes of high-level third-grade spirit controllers.

Beside them stood two stunning young women. On the right side of the white-haired elder was a slightly older woman, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old.

This woman wore a purple gauze dress, her figure graceful and her beauty naturally alluring, exuding a captivating charm.

On the left side of the black-haired elder was a younger girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing an orange spirit controller robe. Although not as revealing as the purple dress, the robe was exquisitely crafted, specially designed for female spirit controllers.

This girl, with her red lips, pearly teeth, and bright eyes, along with her small round face, looked incredibly cute.

“Wu Meng, Pang Po!” Recognizing the two elders, Wen Renliang was momentarily stunned, then his face showed displeasure as he muttered coldly, “I didn’t expect to run into these two old fools here!”

“Who are they?” Lin Xiao asked softly.

It was clear that the two elders’ mockery was directed at Wen Renliang, or rather, at the Linshui City branch, and Lin Xiao had been caught in the crossfire.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 92

“They are the chief and deputy chiefs of the Nanyang City branch of the alliance. In the past two competitions, their branch had participants who made it into the top ten, so they were allocated two recommended spots. Meanwhile, our Linshui City branch hasn’t had anyone in the top ten for a long time, which is why these two old men have been mocking me for the past few competitions,” Wen Renliang whispered into Lin Xiao’s ear, his voice tinged with both frustration and helplessness.

“I see,” Lin Xiao sighed inwardly.

At this moment, the white-haired elder, Wu Meng, laughed again and said smugly, “Master Wen Ren, come on, introduce us to this hidden genius from your Linshui City branch. What grade of spirit controller is this young man in plain clothes and a mask?”

Women love beauty, and it’s normal for them to wear other outfits to showcase their looks, as long as they have their identity badges to prove their status.

But for a man to wear ordinary clothes before the Alchemy Competition, there are only two possibilities: either his rank is too high, and he doesn’t want to attract attention, or his rank is too low, and he’s too ashamed to show it.

The young man beside Wen Renliang was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, and from his aura, there was nothing particularly special about him. It was clearly the latter.

In fact, based on their understanding of the Linshui City branch, they didn’t even need to look to know what level this young man was at.

The Linshui City branch hadn’t had anyone in the top ten for a long time.

The black-haired elder, Pang Po, also looked at Wen Renliang with a face full of “anticipation.”

“Humph, stop with the sarcasm. Your Nanyang City branch also has someone in plain clothes!” Wen Renliang snorted coldly, retorting. He refused to believe that their spiritual power could be higher than Lin Xiao’s.

“Master Wen Ren, this young lady… is a third-grade初级 spirit controller,” Pang Po pointed to the woman in the purple gauze dress beside Wu Meng, his face full of mockery.

“Third-grade初级 spirit controller?” Lin Xiao was shocked. A third-grade spirit controller at just over twenty years old?

Even he had only reached the third-grade初级 level with the help of spiritual energy, and this woman didn’t have such conditions.

At such a young age, reaching this level meant her talent was extraordinary, probably not far behind that super genius Ye Feng’s nephew, Ye Yu.

“What? She’s a third-grade初级 spirit controller?” Wen Renliang was equally astonished.

In previous competitions, the Nanyang City branch had sent geniuses close to thirty years old. This time, they had clearly sent someone younger, so he had assumed their strength would be weaker than before.

Unexpectedly, they had also sent a third-grade初级 spirit controller. With the experience and training these two old men had provided, Nanyang City would likely make it into the top ten again.

Seeing their shocked reactions, Wu Meng stroked his beard smugly and continued, “This is my granddaughter, Wu Sha. She’s twenty-two this year, three years younger than Alliance Master Ye’s nephew, Ye Yu. Come, Sha Sha, pay your respects to Master Wen Ren.”

“Wu Sha greets Master Wen Ren!” Wu Sha bowed slightly to Wen Renliang.

“No need for formalities,” Wen Renliang replied stiffly, clearly annoyed.

This wasn’t a greeting—it was blatant炫耀 and鄙视.

“Haha, this is my disciple, Xuan Xuan. She’s almost sixteen. Come, greet Master Wen Ren, and say hello to this ‘genius’ young man as well,” Pang Po added with a smile.

A sixteen-year-old second-grade中级 spirit controller was also an incredible talent.

Xuan Xuan nodded, took a step forward, and bowed, “Greetings, Master Wen Ren.”

After that, she didn’t wait for Wen Renliang to respond and instead turned to Lin Xiao. Her eyes scanned his exposed mouth, eyebrows, and overall appearance before she muttered to herself, “Huh, this guy is way too dark.”

“…” Lin Xiao was speechless.

Wen Renliang was stunned.

Wu Meng, Pang Po, and Wu Sha were also taken aback.

At this moment, Xuan Xuan glanced at Wu Sha and boldly added, “Sister Wu Sha, didn’t you say you like mature men? This guy is young but looks quite mature. He seems perfect for you.”

“…” The group fell silent.

“Xuan Xuan, what are you saying!” Wu Sha’s face turned red with anger.

To say such things in front of the elders was utterly embarrassing!

“Haha, Miss Xuan Xuan, you really know how to joke,” Lin Xiao couldn’t help but laugh and interject.

However, Xuan Xuan ignored him and instead exclaimed in surprise, “Huh, he looks even worse when he smiles…”

Lin Xiao: “…”

Lin Xiao was completely speechless. To avoid drawing attention, he wore a mask and applied some混息粉, which made him look a bit darker, but was he really that ugly?

Was she some kind of痴 who only cared about handsome men?

And even if he were ugly, what did it have to do with her?

The minds of young girls were truly hard to understand!

“Ahem, Xuan Xuan, stop talking nonsense,” Pang Po interrupted, feeling awkward. What was supposed to be a jab at Wen Renliang had turned into a farce thanks to Xuan Xuan’s antics.

Xuan Xuan grinned mischievously, revealing her small white teeth. “Sorry,丑男 (ugly guy), I’m just being honest. But with your dark complexion and hidden face, you definitely look older than your age. You might still have a chance with Sister Wu Sha…”

“What are you saying? Why don’t you go after him yourself?” Wu Sha couldn’t help but retort. She liked mature men, but not ones who just looked mature, okay?

“I’m not into mature men. The person I’m looking for is someone like Ye Yu, a talented and handsome genius,” Xuan Xuan shot back immediately.

“Cough! You two girls, behave yourselves,” Pang Po couldn’t take it anymore and quickly cut in. Discussing such matters in front of their elders and others was completely inappropriate.

“Haha, but to be fair, my granddaughter’s talent isn’t something just anyone can match. In the entire Lanlan Empire, aside from Ye Yu, I doubt there’s anyone who could catch her eye!”

Wu Meng sighed, making it clear that in the entire Lanlan Empire, aside from Ye Yu, no one was worthy of Wu Sha. Lin Xiao? Absolutely no chance.

“Haha, Miss Wu Sha’s talent has nothing to do with us. If you really want to compare with Linshui City, let’s do it at the competition. There’s no need for words here. Well, we’ve exchanged greetings, so if there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave.”

With that, Lin Xiao calmly turned around, levitated into the air, and flew gracefully into the building at a low altitude.

In that instant, Wu Meng’s smile froze on his face. Pang Po and Wu Sha were stunned, while Xuan Xuan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of her head.

The ability to levitate and fly—that meant he was a third-grade spirit controller. How was that possible?

The four of them were completely dumbfounded.

Especially Wu Meng and Pang Po, who had been mocking the Linshui City branch for not being able to produce any talent and bringing in an ordinary young man as a filler. They had proudly introduced their own disciples and granddaughter’s extraordinary talents, blatantly炫耀 in front of Wen Renliang.

And now, the young man from the Linshui City branch turned out to be a third-grade spirit controller. At sixteen years old, he had reached the third grade…

Wu Meng and Pang Po’s faces felt as if they had been slapped hard, burning with embarrassment.

Wu Sha was also stunned. Earlier, she had looked down on the young man, but now… his talent was clearly far above hers.

Xuan Xuan was equally shocked.

And it wasn’t just the four of them. Even the young gatekeepers were completely dazzled.

They had seen third-grade spirit controllers before, but one this young? This was a first.

“Hahaha…” At this moment, a burst of hearty laughter broke the stunned silence.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 93

“That’s right. Whoever is stronger or weaker will be determined on the stage. Nanyang City branch, our Linshui City branch is looking forward to the competition, hahaha…”

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Wen Renliang was absolutely thrilled. He turned and walked into the Spirit Controller Alliance, feeling as light as a feather.

“How is this possible? He’s only sixteen!” Wu Meng muttered, swallowing hard, unable to contain his astonishment.

“Even Alliance Master Ye Fenghua didn’t reach the third-grade spirit controller level until he was nineteen, and that was already considered exceptional. This young man surpasses even Ye Fenghua’s nephew…” Wu Meng stared at the departing figure, his voice trailing off in disbelief.

“This time, we’ve really misjudged. Linshui City branch has truly struck gold this time,” Pang Po also exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with envy, wishing Lin Xiao were his disciple.

“Sixteen years old, a third-grade spirit controller. If he continues at this pace, he will undoubtedly become another Ye Fenghua, or even surpass him…” The thought alone made Wu Meng excited. “We must befriend this young man. If there’s an opportunity, we should try to win him over…”

As he spoke, his eager gaze shifted to Wu Sha, causing her to blush and say awkwardly, “Why are you looking at me? I have nothing to do with him.”

“Relationships can be cultivated, Sha Sha. In the future, you should spend more time interacting with this young man,” Wu Meng advised.

“Look at you all. He’s just a third-grade初级 spirit controller. Is it really worth such a big reaction?” At this moment, an inappropriate娇喝声 (shrill voice) rang out. Xuan Xuan scolded the group, causing all three to turn their attention to her.

“And even if his talent is high, he’s still not as handsome as Brother Ye Yu,” Xuan Xuan added with a huff.

“…” The three of them were speechless.

Pang Po suddenly felt the urge to strangle his own disciple.

Inside the Spirit Controller Alliance, Lin Xiao quickly landed, and the young spirit controller who had followed him led him to the VIP room arranged for them.

Originally, Lin Xiao didn’t care about the sarcastic remarks from the others, but he couldn’t ignore Wen Renliang’s feelings. To give Wen Renliang some face, he decided to showcase his strength.

This display undoubtedly shocked the two elders, and they would likely never dare to mock Wen Renliang again.

Similarly, Wen Renliang was in high spirits, grinning from ear to ear the entire way.

He knew very well that Lin Xiao’s level had stunned the two old men.

Moreover, if they were to see that Lin Xiao possessed spiritual energy, their expressions would be even more priceless. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure about Lin Xiao’s alchemy skills, having spiritual energy meant that Lin Xiao might not lose to Wu Sha.

Even if Lin Xiao were to lose, given his age, his talent would still far surpass Wu Sha’s. The two elders would never dare to mock him again.

This time, Lin Xiao had truly vented his frustration for him—a frustration that had been building up over several competitions. If Lin Xiao were to make it into the top ten, his frustration would be completely released.

Of course, Lin Xiao didn’t think that far ahead. After returning to his room, he quietly focused on his cultivation, paying no attention to the spirit controllers gradually filling the nearby courtyards.

The next morning, after the bright sun had risen for a while, a voice woke Lin Xiao from his cultivation. Stepping out of his room, he saw Wen Renliang and a middle-aged receptionist standing at the door.

Immediately, Lin Xiao followed the two of them toward the alchemy hall of the Spirit Controller Alliance.

This time, it was an internal assessment for the participants of the Alchemy Competition. Spirit controllers from various factions were gradually gathering.

Before long, the alchemy hall of the Spirit Controller Alliance came into view. Seeing the slightly crowded entrance, Lin Xiao was slightly surprised. In just a short while, two or three third-grade spirit controllers in light yellow robes had already entered.

As expected of the recommended participants from various factions, there were quite a few third-grade spirit controllers just based on their ranks.

“Wen Renliang, you’re here early!” At this moment, a familiar elderly voice rang out.

Lin Xiao followed the voice and saw two elderly men in dark yellow robes and two women approaching.

These four were none other than Wu Meng, Pang Po, Wu Sha, and Xuan Xuan.

The one who spoke was Wu Meng. This time, there wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and both old men’s faces were slightly flushed.

Apart from the two elders, Lin Xiao’s gaze shifted to the two women. Xuan Xuan’s attire hadn’t changed; she was still wearing the bright orange robe.

However, Wu Sha’s outfit was completely different from the day before. She was now wearing a light yellow spirit controller gown, giving her a more refined appearance.

But her graceful figure and stunning beauty couldn’t be hidden, and as she walked, she attracted the gazes of many young men.

Of course, what shocked those young men wasn’t just Wu Sha’s beauty but also her attire. A third-grade初级 spirit controller at just over twenty years old was undoubtedly a genius among geniuses.

“Wu Meng, Pang Po?” Seeing the two, Wen Renliang was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily. “Haha, what a coincidence!”

Now, Wen Renliang no longer felt annoyed when he saw them. Instead, he felt a sense of excitement. In the past, he dreaded running into them, but now he almost wished he could see them all the time. This feeling was incredibly satisfying.

“Ahem, it is quite a coincidence…” Pang Po awkwardly chuckled. This wasn’t a coincidence; it was a place everyone would come to.

His gaze shifted to Lin Xiao, and he asked, “May I ask, young friend, what is your name?”

Seeing their attitude, Lin Xiao knew they now held him in high regard. However, he didn’t care much for them and replied indifferently, “Hei Mu.”

“Young friend Hei Mu, may I ask who your master is?” Pang Po pressed further.

“Haha, Pang Po, don’t bother trying to probe. Let me be honest with you—he’s not my disciple. But don’t get any ideas. His master is not someone just anyone can compare to,” Wen Renliang coldly responded. He knew exactly what they were thinking—they wanted to find out if he was Lin Xiao’s master.

But being Lin Xiao’s master was something even he, let alone Wu Meng and Pang Po, wasn’t qualified for.

“My apologies. My master prefers a quiet life and doesn’t wish for his information to be disclosed by his disciples,” Lin Xiao politely declined to avoid further questioning.

“Haha, anyone who can take you as a disciple must be a true master, far beyond our reach,” Wu Meng also laughed, his attitude toward Lin Xiao vastly different from the day before.

Then, he glanced at Wu Sha and said, “Sha Sha, you young people should come over and have a good chat.”

“Me?” Wu Sha was stunned. Her grandfather’s words clearly hinted at trying to set her up with this young man. At the thought, her face immediately turned red.

“Hey,丑男 (ugly guy), what are you standing there for? Do you expect Sister Sha Sha to come to you?” At this moment, Xuan Xuan suddenly called out to Lin Xiao.

Hearing this, Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned. What did this have to do with him? Wasn’t it Wu Sha who was hesitating?

Originally, the conversation between Wu Meng and the others wasn’t loud, and the bystanders hadn’t heard what was said. But Xuan Xuan’s shout made everyone nearby curious. Who was this young man, and how did he manage to befriend a third-grade spirit controller genius like Wu Sha?

However, seeing how familiar the elders from both sides were, they assumed it was all thanks to the elders’ connections. They couldn’t help but sigh at the young man’s good fortune.

“Third-grade初级 spirit controller?” Just then, an astonished elderly voice came from not far away.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 94

Hearing this, the group turned their heads, and Lin Xiao instinctively followed their gaze. He saw a tall, thin old man in a deep green robe standing not far away. After a moment of stunned silence, the old man quickly walked over.

“Fourth-grade中级 spirit controller!”

Lin Xiao was shocked. The deep green robe signified a fourth-grade中级 spirit controller. Being in close proximity to such a powerful figure gave him a sense of profound depth and mystery.

“Deputy Alliance Master Le Zheng? Long time no see!” Wu Meng was momentarily stunned, then his face lit up with excitement as he greeted the man.

“Wu Meng, is this your granddaughter? Wu Sha?” The deputy alliance master was too busy to exchange pleasantries. He immediately began scrutinizing Wu Sha, his eyes gleaming with a fervent light.

“That’s right,” Wu Meng nodded, a hint of pride appearing on his face as he saw the deputy alliance master’s astonished expression.

Having outstanding descendants was a source of pride for any elder!

“Greetings, Deputy Alliance Master!” Wu Sha quickly saluted.

“No need for formalities, no need. The last time I saw you, you were only a first-grade中级 spirit controller. I never expected you to progress so much in just five years,” the deputy alliance master praised enthusiastically.

“You flatter me, Deputy Alliance Master,” Wu Sha replied modestly, bowing her head.

The deputy alliance master nodded repeatedly, then glanced at Wu Meng and said, “Well done, well done, Wu Meng. You’ve raised an exceptional granddaughter. She’s even stronger than my own disciple!”

“…” Wu Meng was speechless.

His granddaughter wasn’t exactly “raised” by him, and the phrasing sounded a bit off. But he still humbly replied, “Haha, how could she compare to the deputy alliance master’s royal disciple? That’s a true dragon among men!”

“Ahem, Deputy Alliance Master Le Zheng, this is my disciple…” Pang Po couldn’t help but interject, feeling left out.

“Sixteen years old, second-grade中级 spirit controller. Such talent is also quite impressive. It seems the Nanyang City branch is thriving more and more!” The deputy alliance master continued to praise, his demeanor so approachable that it surprised the onlookers.

“Ahem, Deputy Alliance Master Le Zheng, it’s been a while!” At this point, Wen Renliang also greeted him.

From their conversation, Lin Xiao could tell that these people had a close relationship. Otherwise, how could a deputy alliance master of a branch be on such familiar terms with the deputy alliance master of the main alliance?

Hearing Wen Renliang’s greeting, the deputy alliance master instinctively glanced at Lin Xiao, who was standing beside him. He didn’t probe Lin Xiao’s spiritual power, but seeing Lin Xiao’s plain clothes and masked face, he naturally assumed that Lin Xiao’s rank was too low and that he was too embarrassed to wear spirit controller attire.

Comparing the talents of the Nanyang City branch with those of the Linshui City branch, the deputy alliance master immediately felt a huge gap.

“Too ashamed to even wear spirit controller robes, Wen Renliang. Your Linshui City branch is really slipping,” the deputy alliance master shook his head, sighing in disappointment.

Hearing this, Wu Meng and Pang Po’s faces twitched. It seemed the deputy alliance master had also made the same mistake they had—misjudging Lin Xiao.

But deep down, they cursed Wen Renliang for not having Lin Xiao wear spirit controller robes, leading to misunderstandings and ultimately slapping them in the face.

“Look at you. One has brought a third-grade spirit controller in their early twenties, while the other has brought such an unremarkable disciple. Sigh, both are third-grade高级 spirit controllers leading branches, yet the gap is so vast…” The deputy alliance master couldn’t help but sigh sarcastically.

At this, Wu Meng and Pang Po’s faces twitched again. How was this disciple “unremarkable”? The talent Wen Renliang had brought was clearly superior to Wu Sha’s.

They wanted to remind the deputy alliance master, but it wasn’t their place to do so. If they spoke up, they would be the ones to bear the brunt of the criticism.

At this moment, the deputy alliance master continued with a disappointed sigh, “The Linshui City branch is the closest to the headquarters. In the past, which Alchemy Competition didn’t have Linshui City branch in the top ten? But now…”

“Sigh, after several competitions without producing a single noteworthy disciple, it seems the funding for Linshui City should be reduced. In the future, you should learn more from the Nanyang City branch.”

Hearing that the branch’s funding might be cut, Wen Renliang panicked and quickly interjected, “Deputy Alliance Master Le Zheng…”

“Enough, let’s not discuss this now. Let’s see if they can even pass the assessment first,” the deputy alliance master waved his hand dismissively. “It’s almost time. Let’s head inside.”

With that, the deputy alliance master walked toward the entrance of the grand hall.

“Hmph, you old fool. Just wait until Lin Xiao makes it into the top ten. Then we’ll see about cutting our branch’s funding!” Wen Renliang muttered under his breath as he followed.

The elders went first, followed by the younger generation. As the group approached the entrance, many people bowed respectfully. However, when Lin Xiao neared the door, the crowd’s attention suddenly shifted to the rear.

Lin Xiao also stopped and turned to look. At that moment, a carriage slowly approached the grand hall.

The carriage was pulled by five sturdy golden-maned horses, and the carriage itself was extravagantly decorated, entirely gilded in gold and adorned with various golden ornaments. Under the morning light, it shimmered brilliantly, almost blindingly so.

For a moment, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. This level of luxury and grandeur was truly awe-inspiring. Just the carriage alone was worth millions of gold coins. Many of the spirit controllers present couldn’t even dream of owning such a carriage!

Surrounding the carriage were five powerful guards. When the carriage stopped about ten meters from the entrance, the golden curtains were drawn aside, and a golden fan emerged first, followed by a man in a golden robe who stepped out gracefully.

The man appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, exuding an extraordinary aura. His handsome face carried a mature charm, and every step he took radiated an elegant and noble demeanor. This kind of man was absolutely irresistible to young women.

“It’s the prince! That’s Prince Meng Sheng!”

“In the imperial city, only a prince could have such a carriage. As expected of one of the Four Great Young Masters. His demeanor is so refined, even I feel inferior.”

“Pfft, you? He’s a third-grade初级 spirit controller. Whether it’s looks, talent, or status, he’s miles ahead of you!”

“It’s Prince Meng Sheng. So handsome…”

The crowd buzzed with excitement, and many of the young female disciples present couldn’t help but gaze at him with starry eyes, their expressions turning dreamy.

This man’s charisma, strength, and status were enough to inspire admiration or infatuation in anyone.

At this moment, Meng Sheng’s gaze turned toward the entrance of the grand hall. He bowed slightly, cupped his hands in a polite salute, and said, “Master!”

“Wow, he’s so handsome. He’s on par with my Brother Ye Yu. But I still prefer my Brother Ye Yu… Sister Wu Sha, you can have the prince…”

Beside Lin Xiao, Xuan Xuan clenched her fists under her chin, her face filled with a dreamy expression as she sighed.

“…” Wu Sha was speechless.

The deputy alliance master’s face broke into a smile as he looked at the exceptionally handsome Meng Sheng. He nodded approvingly, his tone carrying a hint of something deeper as he said, “You’ve arrived. Well, you young people should get to know each other.”

With that, the deputy alliance master glanced at Wu Sha, his eyes flickering with a peculiar light. He waved his hand, signaling for Wu Meng and the others to follow him into the grand hall, leaving Wu Sha, Xuan Xuan, and Lin Xiao—the “young people”—behind.

Of course, Lin Xiao, the young man, had been completely overlooked by the deputy alliance master from start to finish.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 95

Upon seeing Wu Sha’s stunning appearance and her spirit controller robes, Meng Sheng’s eyes immediately lit up.

Not only was this woman breathtakingly beautiful, but she was also only in her early twenties and had already reached the third-grade初级 spirit controller level. Her talent far surpassed his own.

No wonder his master had told him to “get to know her” better.

“Brother Meng Sheng!” Just as Meng Sheng was about to step forward to greet her, a charming female voice suddenly rang out.

Following that, two dazzling figures appeared in everyone’s line of sight.

These two women were both around twenty years old. One wore a water-green dress and had an otherworldly beauty, while the other wore a white dress and exuded a sweet, delicate charm. The moment they appeared, they captured the attention of everyone present.

“That’s two of the Four Great Beauties of the imperial city—Zhou Ruoyi and Chen Qing’er!”

“The imperial city truly gathers the most beautiful women. Such beauty is rare!”

“If I could win the heart of even one of the Four Great Beauties, my life would be complete!”

“Dream on! The Four Great Beauties and the Four Great Young Masters are no ordinary figures. Both of these women are second-grade高级 spirit controllers. Their talent isn’t something just anyone can match.”

“That’s right. Among the Four Great Beauties and the Four Great Young Masters, apart from Feng Lanyue and Ye Yu, the other three are siblings. Zhou Ruoyi’s brother is Zhou Xiong, Chen Qing’er’s brother is Chen Yan, and Princess Meng Ying’s brother is Prince Meng Sheng. To win over any of these beauties, you’d have to deal with one of the young masters. These people aren’t easy to handle, even for us spirit controllers.”

“Not just that. I’ve also heard that Zhou Ruoyi likes Prince Meng Sheng, Zhou Xiong likes Chen Qing’er, and Meng Ying likes Ye Yu. The relationships are quite complicated. To win over one beauty, you’d have to deal with at least two young masters.”

“…”

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and every young man present was captivated by the Four Great Beauties. However, while they all harbored desires, none had the courage to act on them. After all, the talent and backgrounds of each of the Four Great Beauties were far too intimidating.

Hearing that Chen Qing’er was Chen Yan’s sister, Lin Xiao’s gaze immediately turned cold, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Anyone associated with Chen Yan was undoubtedly his enemy!

“Ruoyi, Qing’er, you’re here too?” Meng Sheng smiled and greeted the two women.

“Prince Meng Sheng, it’s been a while. Your strength has improved again. Are you preparing to aim for first place in this Spirit Controller Alliance competition?”

At this moment, a captivating yet aloof female voice rang out, and a stunning figure appeared in everyone’s sight.

This was a woman around thirty years old, with long eyebrows, a delicate nose, red lips, and pearly teeth. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her graceful figure swayed gently in a fiery red dress. She exuded an irresistible charm, radiating a mature femininity.

“That’s Feng Huo from the Feng family. She’s just thirty years old and a third-grade中级 spirit controller. She’s one of the top contenders for this year’s Alchemy Competition championship.”

“Feng Huo’s beauty rivals that of the Four Great Beauties of the imperial city. It’s just that she’s slightly older, which is why she wasn’t included in the Four Great Beauties list.”

“I heard that Feng Huo was originally supposed to become the young master of the Feng family, but then Feng Lanyue, who had even more astonishing talent, appeared. Otherwise, she would have been the future head of the Feng family.”

“Feng Huo’s talent lies in spiritual power. If she had become the young master, she would have been bogged down by trivial matters, which would have hindered her spiritual cultivation. Although her talent is slightly inferior to Ye Yu’s, reaching the third-grade中级 spirit controller level at thirty is extremely rare. Moreover, she’s also a disciple of another deputy alliance master of the Spirit Controller Alliance’s main branch. This Alchemy Competition will definitely boost her reputation.”

“That’s right. Apart from Ye Yu, no one can compete with her.”

“I also heard that Feng Huo likes Ye Yu. The two of them are rivals in the Alchemy Competition. This is going to be interesting.”

“Is that true?”

“It’s just a rumor, but given Ye Yu’s popularity, it’s likely true. Any woman with even a bit of charm who shows interest in Ye Yu gets talked about.”

…

The crowd buzzed with discussions and speculations, all of which highlighted Feng Huo’s charm and reputation in the imperial city. Her fame was almost on par with that of the Four Great Beauties.

Seeing this figure, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but marvel at Feng Huo’s mature and alluring beauty. However, as the second genius of the Feng family, she, like Chen Qing’er, was his enemy. His gaze turned icy.

“Miss Feng Huo, you flatter me. With you and Ye Yu here, how could I possibly aim for first place?” Meng Sheng smiled modestly, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

“Haha, I didn’t expect you all to be here already.” Just then, another hearty voice rang out, and a graceful, ethereal figure floated over like an immortal descending from the heavens.

Hearing this voice, Feng Huo immediately turned her head. Upon seeing the young man, her beautiful eyes flickered, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ye Yu, you’re here?”

“Brother Ye Yu, you’ve arrived too!” Prince Meng Sheng also greeted him with a warm smile.

“Is that Ye Yu, one of the Four Great Young Masters of the imperial city and the nephew of Ye Fenghua?”

“Reaching the third-grade中级 spirit controller level at twenty-five is incredible. His talent is truly remarkable, befitting someone of the same bloodline as Ye Fenghua. With Ye Fenghua’s guidance, his alchemy skills must be even more refined. He’s undoubtedly the favorite to win this year’s Spirit Controller Alchemy Competition!”

“So handsome! He’s the perfect man in my eyes!”

“If I could marry Ye Yu, I’d be willing to give up ten years of my life…”

“Brother Ye Yu!”…

As soon as Ye Yu arrived, the atmosphere instantly heated up. The male disciples present were in awe, their eyes filled with admiration, while some of the women couldn’t help but call out softly.

“Brother Ye Yu! Brother Ye Yu!”

However, while others called out softly, Xuan Xuan, standing beside Lin Xiao, shouted at the top of her lungs, drowning out all other voices. Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to her.

Her loud voice even startled Ye Yu, who instinctively turned toward the source of the noise. He saw a beautiful young girl calling out to him.

Noticing that she was only fifteen or sixteen years old and already a second-grade中级 spirit controller, her delicate and charming appearance made Ye Yu’s eyes light up.

Given his current achievements and popularity, few people could evoke such a reaction from him.

And when he looked beside her and saw a woman in a third-grade初级 spirit controller dress, with a stunning appearance, a graceful figure, and extraordinary talent, Ye Yu’s eyes widened even further.

“Early twenties, third-grade初级 spirit controller. Her talent might even rival mine. I didn’t expect to encounter such a talented woman during this trial,” Ye Yu murmured to himself, his steps carrying him forward.

This caused the gazes of countless women to freeze, and a cold glint appeared in Feng Huo’s eyes.

Ye Yu had ignored her and gone straight to greet that woman?

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 96

However, Ye Yu, disregarding the astonished gazes of the male disciples and the jealous, angry looks from the female disciples, walked calmly and gracefully towards Wu Sha Xuanxuan. He politely clasped his fists and humbly said, “I am Ye Yu, it’s an honor to meet you two ladies. May I know your names?”

“Brother Ye Yu, my name is Xuanxuan, you can just call me Xuanxuan,” Xuanxuan replied with a blush on her face, her excitement evident.

“Haha, Brother Ye Yu, I would also like to get to know these two ladies,” Meng Sheng said with a smile as he walked over.

As Meng Sheng’s voice faded, a series of murderous glances from the women, especially Zhou Ruoyi, fell upon Wu Sha.

She, one of the four great beauties of the imperial city and the granddaughter of the Zhou family head, couldn’t attract the prince’s attention, but instead, a strange woman did. This made her stomp her feet in anger, her gaze filled with hatred towards Wu Sha.

Then, an even more astonishing scene unfolded.

The woman who had been greeted by the two alliances said, “I am but a humble woman, unworthy of the attention of you two gentlemen. My apologies.”

After saying this, she walked towards a young man dressed in casual clothes, with dark skin and wearing a mask.

Everyone rubbed their eyes in disbelief—yes, she was walking towards that young man. Then, she spoke to him intimately, “Let’s go in.”

The scene immediately erupted in uproar.

“Damn, that really blindsided me. There’s actually a woman who ignores the two princes of the imperial city!”

“This is a good woman, not swayed by background or talent!”

“Good woman my foot, she’s blind. What’s so good about that guy? He’s definitely ugly, not even as good-looking as me. He doesn’t even dare to wear the spirit controller’s attire, his spiritual power must be pitifully low. How can he win the favor of such a stunningly talented woman?”

“Exactly, what right does such a man have to possess such a beauty?”

“She, she actually dares to ignore my Brother Ye Yu!”

“Even Prince Meng Sheng is snubbed, isn’t this a slap in my face? It’s really infuriating!”

The voices of the young men and women in the crowd were filled with stark differences.

Wu Sha’s actions had truly shocked everyone present, even Ye Yu and Meng Sheng were momentarily stunned.

In the imperial city, someone had blatantly rejected their advances—this was a first.

And they were merely asking for her name.

Their gazes also turned towards Lin Xiao in surprise.

Although Lin Xiao hadn’t done anything, this was already a slap in the face for the two princes. As the two leading young men of the city, such a situation was intolerable.

Facing countless stares, Lin Xiao remained indifferent. Looking at Wu Sha’s blushing face, Lin Xiao secretly shook his head.

However, since Wu Sha had staked everything to speak to him in this situation, he couldn’t be too harsh on her.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to speak, a clear laughter rang out. A pure and beautiful figure stepped forward lightly, walking towards him under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Lin Xiao’s gaze slightly focused.

This person was none other than one of the four great beauties of the imperial city, Chen Yan’s younger sister, Chen Qing’er.

As she approached Lin Xiao, her crystal-clear eyes blinked lightly, and she pouted with a light smile, extending her hand towards Lin Xiao, “I am Chen Qing’er, very pleased to meet you!”

“What, Chen Qing’er is actually going to shake hands with that young man?”

“Heavens, that’s Chen Qing’er, one of the four great beauties. Even Zhou Xiong hasn’t received such treatment, how can she want to shake hands with a young man? What on earth is going on?”

“That young man is only about sixteen or seventeen, not to mention his dark complexion, his aura is pitifully weak. How does he qualify for Chen Qing’er to speak to him?”

“Not only did that woman snub Ye Yu and the prince to approach that young man, but now another Chen Qing’er is going to greet him. This world is going mad…”

“This is simply a hard slap in the face for the two princes!”

The crowd was in an uproar, the four great beauties whom they could hardly approach were now seeking out an ordinary young man. They couldn’t make sense of it.

Ye Yu and Meng Sheng were also stunned on the spot, Xuanxuan and Wu Sha were equally shocked.

They knew Lin Xiao’s strength, but even their grandfathers and masters couldn’t detect Lin Xiao’s hidden aura. Chen Qing’er was only a second-grade high-level spirit controller, how could she possibly detect it?

But why then would she approach Lin Xiao in front of everyone?

Not only them, even Lin Xiao himself was momentarily stunned. He thought Chen Qing’er was here to pick a fight, but instead, she was here to befriend him.

This was something Lin Xiao couldn’t understand. As one of the four great beauties, a genius beauty surrounded by admirers, how could she so casually approach a stranger like him, who was neither handsome nor had an impressive aura, and even offer to shake hands?

What was Chen Qing’er really up to?

However, Lin Xiao didn’t ponder too much. Given Chen Yan’s enmity, sooner or later, they would be enemies. His first impression of Chen Yan’s sister wasn’t favorable either.

And not knowing Chen Qing’er’s true intentions, Lin Xiao simply and directly ignored her.

Yes, he ignored her. He didn’t respond to Chen Qing’er, but instead turned his gaze to Wu Sha and said indifferently, “Let’s go, we’re going in.”

With that, Lin Xiao turned and walked towards the grand hall, not even glancing at Ye Yu and Meng Sheng, nor caring about Chen Qing’er’s delicate hand awkwardly left hanging in the air.

At that moment, the entire scene erupted once again.

“What, he, he, he actually ignored Chen Qing’er?”

“How is this possible? Not only did he ignore Chen Qing’er, but he also didn’t even glance at Ye Yu and Meng Sheng. Is his brain waterlogged?”

“Mad, this world is truly mad…”

“If Zhou Xiong finds out, he’ll definitely chop this kid into pieces!”

“If Chen Yan finds out, he’ll also chop this kid into pieces!”

“No need for them to find out, Meng Sheng and Ye Yu will chop him up first!”

…

Chen Qing’er, one of the four great beauties, a goddess-like existence whom the young men present couldn’t even get close to, had lowered her noble status to greet him, and he had ignored her!

This was a hard slap in the face for everyone present!

This made the young men in the crowd curse and swear, wishing they could chop Lin Xiao into pieces.

Even Chen Qing’er herself was stunned. She hadn’t been disrespectful in her approach, and she had even tried to ease the atmosphere for the young man, yet he didn’t appreciate it and didn’t even accept her greeting. This was something she couldn’t understand.

Moreover, the expressions of Ye Yu and Meng Sheng also turned ugly.

This young man hadn’t just slapped Chen Qing’er in the face, but also theirs!

The two princes of the imperial city, ignored by someone, and then two beauties were drawn to him, and one of them was ignored by this young man. This was an insult upon insult…

“Stop!” Just as Lin Xiao was about to enter the grand hall, a stern voice rang out.

The one who spoke was none other than Prince Meng Sheng.

The crowd was slightly startled. Indeed, Prince Meng Sheng was about to explode. This young man was finally going to face some trouble!

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 97

“What do you want?” Lin Xiao’s footsteps slowly came to a halt as he turned around, asking indifferently.

“Didn’t you hear us talking to this lady?” Prince Meng Sheng’s voice carried an undeniable authority.

Lin Xiao remained composed, unaffected by the prince’s imposing demeanor, and countered lightly, “Didn’t you see that this lady doesn’t wish to speak with you?”

“Then didn’t you see Chen Qing’er speaking to you?” Ye Yu, standing nearby, couldn’t help but interject, his tone laced with anger.

“Then didn’t you see that I don’t wish to speak with her?” Lin Xiao retorted in the same indifferent manner.

“You…” Despite their high cultivation of patience, both men were thoroughly provoked.

“Do you know who we are?” Finally, Meng Sheng’s expression darkened.

“Who you are has nothing to do with me. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

After uttering these words indifferently, Lin Xiao turned and once again headed towards the grand hall, stepping inside under the stunned gazes of the crowd.

“Fine, fine, you’re the first in the imperial city to speak to us like this. Don’t regret it later!” Meng Sheng exclaimed, almost laughing in frustration.

“Hmph, no need, he’ll realize the gap between us during the assessment.”

Ye Yu also sighed coldly and walked towards the grand hall.

Subsequently, the crowd began to enter one after another.

“That damned Hei Mu, daring to slight Brother Ye Yu and even dragging my sister into it,” Xuanxuan stomped her foot in anger and followed into the hall.

At this moment, a group of elders sat inside the grand hall. Although the incident occurred outside, the elders inside had seen everything clearly.

“Wen Renliang, who have you brought here? Offending so many important figures at once, I won’t take responsibility for this!” The deputy alliance leader sighed suspiciously towards Wen Renliang.

“Deputy Alliance Leader, he is also a member of the Spirit Controller Alliance. This incident happened at the Spirit Controller headquarters, and one of them is your disciple. If you don’t intervene, it will chill the hearts of all Spirit Controller Alliance disciples and damage your reputation,” Wen Renliang retorted.

“Hmph, if I have to manage the affairs of juniors, that would truly damage my reputation,” the deputy alliance leader waved his hand dismissively. “You handle this yourself. A young man with no talent and no sense of propriety—I won’t interfere no matter what.”

“Le Zheng Hong Mao, you…” Wen Renliang was furious. “The person I brought is not without talent.”

“Deputy Alliance Leader, they are all juniors. After the assessment, please help smooth things over. Otherwise, once Hei Mu steps out, he might not even keep his life. Given our relationship, we can’t let Wen Renliang suffer so,” Wu Meng interjected to mediate.

“Right, although this old man Wen Renliang is quite annoying, we can’t ruin our virtue of valuing relationships, can we?” Pang Po also chimed in.

“Today the sun must be rising from the west, for you two to speak up for Wen Renliang…”

Seeing their reactions, Deputy Alliance Leader Le Zheng Hong Mao was momentarily stunned, then sighed:

“Alright, since you two are pleading for him, after the assessment, I’ll speak on his behalf. But these people aren’t all my disciples; whether they listen to me or not is another matter.”

Wen Renliang nodded indifferently.

At this moment, Lin Xiao and Wu Sha were the first to step into the grand hall.

“You’ve really drawn a lot of hatred towards me,” Lin Xiao couldn’t help but glance at Wu Sha as they walked. The saying ‘beauty brings trouble’ was indeed true. Just by standing next to Wu Sha, he had attracted the attention of both Ye Yu and the prince.

Of course, he wouldn’t grovel to please anyone, which led to immediately offending two young masters.

And then there was another beauty, Chen Qing’er, who had appeared out of nowhere.

With Chen Qing’er’s appearance, Zhou Xiong and Chen Yan might also get involved. The troubles after leaving here would likely be significant.

This wasn’t even a case of ‘beauty bringing trouble’ yet, and it was already causing such a stir. If it were, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Of course, Lin Xiao wasn’t afraid. Even if he didn’t wish to make enemies with the royal family and the Zhou family, if they overstepped, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach them a lesson.

He didn’t believe that the leaders of the Zhou family and the royal family would disregard the bigger picture and attack him if he were to take action against Feng Lanyue and Chen Yan.

“It was an emergency, and I had no choice. Although both of them are extraordinary, I have no feelings for them and didn’t want to get entangled,” Wu Sha whispered apologetically. “Later, I’ll ask my grandfather for help. He’s quite familiar with the deputy alliance leader. Perhaps the deputy alliance leader can mediate and ease the tension between you.”

“No need, they can’t do anything to me,” Lin Xiao shook his head.

Soon, Lin Xiao reached the interior of the grand hall, where he saw a row of small rooms ahead, presumably the places for the assessment.

On the main hall’s platform sat a group of elders, with the deputy alliance leader at the head, and Wen Renliang, Wu Meng, and Pang Po seated beside him, indicating their high status.

Noticing the unusual looks from the elders, Lin Xiao’s steps slowed to a stop.

At the same time, the crowd behind him had also caught up. Upon reaching this point, even though many had issues with him, they didn’t show it, instead bowing respectfully towards the front.

“Alright, it’s about time. This is an internal assessment. Only by passing it can you truly participate in the competition three days later,” Le Zheng Hong Mao’s gaze swept across the room as he spoke slowly. “Today’s assessment is simple: refine the medicinal herb, Nine Flame Wood.”

“Nine Flame Wood can be used as an ingredient in many pills, but it contains many impurities. It needs to be refined nine times to completely remove the impurities.”

“However, it’s extremely difficult. In the history of the Spirit Controller Alliance, no one at the third-grade Spirit Controller level has achieved this. The highest record was held by Alliance Leader Ye Fenghua, who refined it seven and a half times. Therefore, the assessment standard is set at refining it three times to pass.”

“Now, everyone enter your respective rooms and begin refining. Inside, there are spirit wood and Nine Flame Wood. You have half an hour.”

Hearing Le Zheng Hong Mao’s words, Lin Xiao quickly scanned the room. Among the young people under thirty present, including himself, there were actually fifteen third-grade Spirit Controllers. No wonder Wen Renliang was worried he might not make it into the top ten.

After the rigorous selection process from various regional Spirit Controller competitions, by the time of the alchemy competition, there might be over twenty third-grade Spirit Controllers.

For an ordinary third-grade初级 Spirit Controller, making it into the top ten would be quite challenging.

Of course, apart from Ye Yu and Feng Huo, everyone else present was a third-grade初级 Spirit Controller.

At this moment, a total of about fifty disciples each chose a cubicle and entered.

“Hmph, you’ll soon realize the gap between us and how foolish your earlier actions were,” Ye Yu sneered disdainfully as he passed by Lin Xiao.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 98

“Exactly, Brother Ye Yu, I support you. Let this ugly guy know the gap between you,” Xuanxuan gestured at Lin Xiao before following Ye Yu into a cubicle.

“Hmph, I hope he doesn’t even pass the assessment!” Meng Sheng deliberately passed by Lin Xiao, sneering as he turned his head.

However, whether it was Ye Yu, Meng Sheng, or even Xuanxuan, Lin Xiao ignored them all. From beginning to end, he didn’t say a word, his expression calm and unruffled.

“I really don’t know what gives trash like you the right to ignore my Brother Meng Sheng and reject Qing’er’s kindness. Just wait, you’ll get what’s coming to you,” Zhou Ruoyi walked up angrily, threatening Lin Xiao.

“Ruoyi, forget it. This young master might have some misunderstanding about me,” Chen Qing’er stepped forward, waving her hand. Her gaze at Lin Xiao carried a hint of confusion, and she immediately pulled Zhou Ruoyi towards a cubicle.

“You’re the first to dare ignore Ye Yu, hehe…” Coincidentally, Feng Huo also “passed by,” a wave of fragrance wafting into Lin Xiao’s nose. Feng Huo’s voice carried a seductive tone, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Watching everyone pass by Lin Xiao, Wu Sha now spoke with an apologetic tone, “Good luck, don’t let these people ‘down.'”

“Hehe, it’s quite an honor to be noticed by so many seeded contestants. I’ll do my best,” Lin Xiao chuckled lightly, then stepped forward, randomly choosing a room and entering it.

Closing the door, inside was a thumb-sized red wood branch with speckled impurities and a large piece of spirit wood. Lin Xiao smiled faintly, storing the spirit wood in his spatial ring, then immediately activated his spiritual energy, causing the Nine Flame Wood to float in the air.

Following that, a suppressed spiritual energy surged from his brow, flickering as it began to refine the Nine Flame Wood.

Outside the room, a group of elders chatted while waiting. To avoid affecting the assessment, no one was allowed to probe the cubicles with their spiritual senses. Only after half an hour had passed did the disciples begin to emerge one after another.

Most wore smiles, while a few had troubled expressions.

Ye Yu, Meng Sheng, and others also walked out with the crowd, their faces filled with satisfied smiles.

However, after everyone had come out, one room remained closed, the light inside flickering faintly.

“Is that Hei Mu?” Wu Meng frowned, somewhat surprised. Even second-grade Spirit Controllers had come out. Why was Hei Mu still inside? Could something have gone wrong with his refinement?

Wen Renliang’s gaze had been fixed on Lin Xiao’s cubicle the entire time, his fists clenched tightly under the table, sweat already visible on his forehead.

Beside him, Le Zheng Hong Mao glanced at the black curtain in front, then at Wen Renliang, shaking his head with a long sigh, “Ah…”

The room filled with low murmurs of discussion.

“Hehe, still not done refining at this point? His alchemy skills must be terrible,” Ye Yu chuckled lightly, feeling much better seeing Lin Xiao in trouble, especially when comparing his own refined Nine Flame Wood.

“Can’t even refine Nine Flame Wood properly, yet he dares to act so arrogantly. What a country bumpkin!” Zhou Ruoyi also sneered.

After a while, seeing the two sticks of incense burning beside him, Le Zheng Hong Mao slowly stood up. Looking at the still-unopened black curtain, he shook his head lightly and sighed, “Alright, this assessment…”

“Just in time!”

Before Le Zheng Hong Mao could finish, a young figure hurriedly stepped out of the cubicle.

Seeing this young figure, Wen Renliang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just a little more, and Lin Xiao would have failed to even qualify for the competition. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly—how could a third-grade初级 Spirit Controller take so long to refine Nine Flame Wood?

“Hmph, rushing like that, the purity of his refinement probably isn’t great either,” Zhou Ruoyi said disdainfully, while Ye Yu and Meng Sheng silently chuckled, waiting to see Lin Xiao’s embarrassment.

“Alright, this is a purity testing stone. Place your refined Nine Flame Wood on it. Based on the refinement quality, red lines will appear. Each line represents one refinement. If it’s half a line, it’s half a refinement. Now, let’s begin the test.”

After speaking, Le Zheng Hong Mao sat down, his gaze fixed on the testing stone on the table in front of the main platform.

The disciples below began to walk towards the main platform.

When the first young man placed his refined Nine Flame Wood on the testing stone, a wave of energy emanated from the stone, and three red lines appeared beside the Nine Flame Wood.

“Three refinements, just passing. Next,” Le Zheng Hong Mao said indifferently.

One by one, the disciples placed their Nine Flame Wood on the stone.

“Three and a half refinements, pass!”

“Two refinements, fail. Disqualified from the competition.”

“Three refinements, pass!”

…

Most of the tested results were three or four refinements, with some failures, showing the difficulty of refining Nine Flame Wood.

When Chen Qing’er placed hers on the stone, a brighter number appeared—five refinements.

For a second-grade高级 Spirit Controller to refine it five times was extremely rare, earning praise from Le Zheng Hong Mao.

“Five refinements!” Zhou Ruoyi’s test also showed the same number, making her secretly relieved.

Next, Xuanxuan placed her Nine Flame Wood on the stone, and five red lines appeared.

“Five refinements! It’s actually five refinements! Brother Ye Yu, I got five refinements!” Xuanxuan exclaimed in delight.

This surprised Le Zheng Hong Mao. Three refinements were somewhat challenging but not overly difficult for second-grade初级 Spirit Controllers with some skill. Four refinements were harder, but five refinements were significantly more difficult.

For Xuanxuan, a second-grade中级 Spirit Controller, to achieve five refinements, matching the likes of Chen Qing’er and Zhou Ruoyi—highly talented second-grade高级 Spirit Controllers—was truly remarkable.

“Excellent, truly excellent! With second-grade中级 spiritual power, you’ve refined Nine Flame Wood five times. Your alchemy skills must be quite impressive. I hope to see you break into the top thirty in the competition,” Le Zheng Hong Mao praised repeatedly, offering encouragement.

The top thirty would mostly be claimed by third-grade Spirit Controllers, leaving the remaining ten spots for second-grade高级 Spirit Controllers to compete for.

For a second-grade中级 Spirit Controller to make it into the top thirty was already a significant acknowledgment and encouragement from Le Zheng Hong Mao.

Beside him, Pang Po stroked his beard proudly. He had predicted Xuanxuan might achieve four and a half refinements, but five refinements exceeded his expectations.

However, five refinements were fine, but why did she have to call him “Brother Ye Yu”?

This earned her hostile glances from many female disciples.

“Hehe, Miss Xuanxuan is truly extraordinary,” Meng Sheng smiled with great appreciation.

“Thank you for your praise, Prince Meng Sheng,” Xuanxuan replied happily.

Hearing Meng Sheng’s praise, Zhou Ruoyi became displeased, casting a disdainful glance and snort, “Hmph, it’s just luck. The alchemy competition isn’t just about refining Nine Flame Wood once to achieve good results.”

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 99

“I wonder if it’s just luck if the alchemy competition turns out the same way,” Xuanxuan sneered in response, causing Zhou Ruoyi’s expression to darken slightly.

“Hehe!” Meng Sheng chuckled at the right moment, diffusing the tension between the two, and said, “I wonder how pure my refinement is.”

With that, Meng Sheng placed his refined Nine Flame Wood on the testing stone. Immediately, six red lines appeared on the stone.

“Six refinements!”

The crowd was shocked. This was the first peak result among all the disciples tested so far.

“As expected of one of the Four Great Young Masters and the deputy alliance leader’s disciple. Six refinements—probably not many can achieve that.”

“Most third-grade初级 Spirit Controllers can only achieve five or five and a half refinements. Six refinements indeed require extremely high spiritual control skills.”

The crowd’s exclamations of admiration made the deputy alliance leader nod in satisfaction.

This wasn’t just flattery. Achieving six refinements was indeed no easy feat, as even Ye Fenghua back in the day had only managed seven and a half refinements.

“Hehe, I wonder if some people’s results can even reach half of mine,” Meng Sheng glanced at Lin Xiao and muttered, sparking another round of criticism from the crowd.

However, Lin Xiao simply smiled without saying a word, which only fueled the crowd’s anger.

But since the deputy alliance leader and others were present, they couldn’t waste too much time. The testing continued, and after a few more disciples were tested, even many third-grade初级 Spirit Controllers only achieved five or five and a half refinements. No one came close to Meng Sheng’s result.

Finally, only Ye Yu, Feng Huo, and Lin Xiao remained.

The crowd had to admit the difficulty of refining Nine Flame Wood and acknowledge Meng Sheng’s talent.

Whether anyone could surpass six refinements now depended on the remaining three. However, in the eyes of the crowd, only two people mattered—Ye Yu and Feng Huo. Lin Xiao was naturally ignored.

“It’s our turn,” Ye Yu said, glancing at Feng Huo beside him.

“I’ll go first,” Feng Huo sighed lightly and stepped forward, placing her Nine Flame Wood on the testing stone.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!” Red lines appeared one after another, stopping at six and a half.

“Six and a half refinements!” The crowd was stunned. As expected of a third-grade中级 Spirit Controller, she surpassed Meng Sheng by half a refinement.

The higher the refinement, the more difficult it became. Half a refinement at this level was a significant gap.

“Miss Feng Huo is truly remarkable. Six and a half refinements—even among third-grade高级 Spirit Controllers, few can achieve that,” Ye Yu praised with a smile.

“Hehe, I’m not as impressive as Brother Ye Yu. I’m sure you won’t do worse than me,” Feng Huo replied with a faint smile. Her strength was on par with Ye Yu’s, so she naturally didn’t think he would underperform.

“We’ll only know after testing,” Ye Yu smiled faintly, then glanced at Lin Xiao and said, “Let’s see just how big the gap between you and me is.”

After disdainfully mocking Lin Xiao, Ye Yu stepped forward under the crowd’s gaze, took out a piece of fiery red wood, and slowly placed it on the testing stone.

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Red lines quickly appeared, and within moments, seven lines were visible.

The crowd gasped in astonishment. Seven refinements of Nine Flame Wood—this was very close to Ye Fenghua’s record of seven and a half refinements.

As expected of someone with the same bloodline as Ye Fenghua. His nephew was truly exceptional.

Just as the crowd was about to exclaim in surprise, another half line appeared, and the energy from the testing stone finally settled.

Seven and a half lines! Seven and a half refinements—matching Ye Fenghua’s record!

The crowd was once again filled with awe.

“Seven and a half refinements! It’s been many years since we’ve seen this. It seems Lanlan Empire is about to produce another Ye Fenghua!” Le Zheng Hong Mao couldn’t help but exclaim as he looked at the number on the testing stone.

Seven and a half refinements—even among third-grade高级 Spirit Controllers in the entire Spirit Controller Alliance, no one had achieved this.

Back in the day, only Ye Fenghua had accomplished this as a third-grade Spirit Controller. Now, another had emerged, and it was Ye Fenghua’s nephew. It wasn’t hard to imagine that Ye Yu’s future achievements would be on par with, or even surpass, Ye Fenghua’s.

“Brother Ye Yu is so amazing!” Xuanxuan clapped her hands repeatedly, her face filled with admiration and excitement.

“It seems the championship this time will undoubtedly go to Ye Yu.”

“Truly a genius bloodline!”

The entire hall was filled with praises. Ye Yu, however, simply wore a faint smile and humbly said, “Hehe, it’s just refining Nine Flame Wood. This doesn’t mean much.”

After speaking, he glanced at Lin Xiao, his face filled with mockery. Though he didn’t say anything, his disdain was evident.

“Hehe, Nephew Ye, you’re too modest. This is your uncle’s record. If he knew, he would surely be very pleased,” Le Zheng Hong Mao said with a smile.

“You flatter me, Deputy Alliance Leader,” Ye Yu replied modestly.

Nodding slightly, Le Zheng Hong Mao turned his gaze to Lin Xiao and said, “Alright, young man, it’s your turn. Three refinements count as a pass.”

When calling Lin Xiao, he couldn’t help but add a reminder, clearly not holding high expectations for him.

Under the crowd’s skeptical and disdainful gazes, Lin Xiao walked to the platform and took out a piece of black-red Nine Flame Wood.

“Hahaha, look! His Nine Flame Wood is black-red!” At that moment, someone couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What a joke! The more refined Nine Flame Wood is, the redder it becomes. His is black-red. This isn’t refinement—it’s clearly burnt, roasted to a crisp! Hahaha!”

“This is hilarious. Did he even manage one refinement? Which branch alliance is he from?”

Seeing the Nine Flame Wood in Lin Xiao’s hand, the crowd erupted in laughter.

Le Zheng Hongmo couldn’t help but rub his forehead. This indeed looked terrible, and it was very likely that Lin Xiao had rushed and burnt the Nine Flame Wood…

Wen Renliang’s heart raced. If the wood was burnt and didn’t even achieve one refinement, the embarrassment would be immense.

However, since Lin Xiao was a third-grade初级 Spirit Controller, Wen Renliang still held a sliver of hope. Surely, he couldn’t be that bad. His eyes were fixed on the testing stone.

Wu Meng and Pang Po were equally stunned, shaking their heads inwardly. Perhaps Lin Xiao had rushed at the last moment, suddenly increasing the refining heat, which led to this result. They secretly felt sorry for Lin Xiao.

Wu Sha was also puzzled, while Zhou Ruoyi, Ye Yu, and the others wore mocking smiles.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Xiao placed the black-red Nine Flame Wood on the testing stone.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 100

“Whoosh!” A wave of energy enveloped the Nine Flame Wood, but after a long while, the testing stone showed no reaction.

The entire hall fell silent for a moment, and then bursts of laughter erupted.

“Hahaha… no result at all. It really is burnt!”

“This guy is such a joke!”

“He’s set a new record for the alchemy assessment—the lowest record ever, hahaha…”

“Which branch alliance is he from? Their funding is probably gone this year!”

“And he dared to ignore Young Master Ye Yu. What a genius, hahaha…”

Unrestrained laughter filled the hall, reaching the ears of all the elders. Wen Renliang was dumbfounded. This result… was too hard to accept…

However, just at that moment, the testing stone on the table suddenly trembled. Everyone was stunned, and then they saw red lines appearing on the stone—one, two, three…

The crowd’s eyes widened in shock. Wasn’t there no result? Why were the lines lighting up now?

But the surprises weren’t over. The red lines continued to appear—four, five…

The crowd held their breath. After pausing at five for two breaths, a sixth line lit up.

“What? Six refinements? How is that possible? How could he achieve six refinements? On par with Prince Meng Sheng?”

The crowd was shocked, their faces filled with disbelief.

And then, just as they thought it would stop at six, a seventh line lit up.

“Seven refinements!” someone exclaimed in astonishment. Seven refinements—that was even higher than Feng Huo’s result, close to Ye Yu’s, close to Ye Fenghua’s record. The crowd’s jaws nearly dropped to the floor.

But it didn’t end there. Another red line lit up—yes, a full eighth line.

Eight refinements—half a refinement higher than Ye Yu’s result, higher than Ye Fenghua’s record.

By now, Le Zheng Hongmo had stood up in shock. Many others rubbed their eyes in disbelief, wondering if they were seeing things.

But after rubbing their eyes countless times, they confirmed it—yes, it was eight refinements. They weren’t mistaken.

Wen Renliang took a deep breath. Ye Yu and the others were dumbfounded. How could this country bumpkin achieve a higher refinement than him? How was this possible?

But just as the crowd was still reeling from the shock, another red dot lit up, followed by half a red line…

Eight and a half refinements. And before the crowd could even process this, another half line slowly appeared, finally revealing nine bright red lines on the testing stone.

“Nine refinements!” Wen Renliang and the others were utterly shocked. All the elders present stood up in astonishment.

“How… how is this possible?” Le Zheng Hongmo’s eyes gleamed, his body trembling with excitement.

“Am I… dreaming?” Wen Renliang stared at the number on the testing stone in disbelief. His emotions had just taken a nosedive, only to skyrocket moments later. It felt unreal.

At this moment, everyone was frozen in place. Nine refinements of Nine Flame Wood—even the current deputy alliance leader probably couldn’t achieve that. And this young man, at such a young age, had refined Nine Flame Wood to nine refinements?

The entire hall was silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

And then, just as the crowd was still processing this, another red line lit up—yes, a tenth line…

The entire hall was petrified…

Ten refinements. It was actually ten refinements. This was impossible. Nine Flame Wood could only be refined up to nine times. How could he achieve ten refinements…

“Cheating! This kid must be cheating! Nine Flame Wood can’t have ten refinements!”

“That’s right! Nine refinements is already 99.99% purity. How can there be something even purer? This must mean the testing stone is faulty. This kid tampered with it!”

Voices of accusation rang out. Hearing these, Ye Yu and Meng Sheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Lin Xiao had achieved nine refinements, how could they, who had always prided themselves on their talent, possibly accept it…

But just as the crowd was secretly relieved, Le Zheng Hongmo spoke up, his tone serious: “He didn’t cheat. Nine refinements of Nine Flame Wood is 99.99% purity, with only a ten-thousandth of impurities remaining, which has a negligible impact on alchemy. Ten refinements represent 100% perfect purity.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was stunned. Everyone was petrified…

Xuanxuan’s mouth hung open in shock.

Ye Yu and the others felt their heads buzzing…

After several breaths of suffocating silence, Wen Renliang burst into unrestrained laughter: “Hahaha, Hei Mu! Hei Mu is from our Linshui City branch alliance!”

“……” The crowd.

You didn’t say that when there were no red lines earlier!

“How… how is this possible?” Ye Yu’s heart shattered. Ten refinements—this was absolutely impossible. No matter what, he couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be real…

“Deputy Alliance Leader, could you check if this kid used some trick to refine the Nine Flame Wood?” Someone, like Ye Yu, couldn’t help but voice their doubts.

“Go ahead and use every trick you can think of. Refine a ten-refinement Nine Flame Wood for me to see!” Le Zheng Hongmo immediately scolded, shutting the person up.

Indeed, even if they used every trick and sought out every master, they probably couldn’t refine a ten-refinement Nine Flame Wood…

This forced them to accept that Lin Xiao’s ten-refinement Nine Flame Wood was real…

Taking a deep breath, Le Zheng Hongmo asked Lin Xiao, “Hei Mu, what level is your spiritual power?”

Hearing the deputy alliance leader’s question, many pricked up their ears, curious about Lin Xiao’s spiritual power level. What kind of strength was required to refine Nine Flame Wood to such purity?

Since the deputy alliance leader had asked directly, Lin Xiao saw no need to hide it and answered truthfully, “This disciple is untalented, only at the third-grade初级 spiritual power level—not as high as Young Master Ye Yu.”

“……” The crowd.

At sixteen or seventeen years old, reaching third-grade初级 spiritual power—and he calls that “untalented”?

If he’s untalented, then what are they?

*Slap!*

At that moment, Ye Yu felt as if he had been slapped hard across the face. Lin Xiao had just revealed his third-grade初级 spiritual power and even mentioned Ye Yu’s name…

If Lin Xiao’s spiritual power were higher than his, it would be even more unbelievable. Ye Yu was twenty-five, while Lin Xiao was only sixteen or seventeen!

And to think Ye Yu had arrogantly declared earlier that he would show the gap between them. This was the gap—he had achieved seven and a half refinements, while Lin Xiao had achieved ten…

Meng Sheng, Zhou Ruoyi, and the others were dumbfounded. Zhou Ruoyi, in particular, had harshly insulted Lin Xiao earlier, saying he might not even pass the assessment…

The others also felt a deep sense of shame. When Lin Xiao had taken out the Nine Flame Wood, they had laughed at him, saying it was burnt…

“A monster… truly a monster. Even I misjudged him,” Le Zheng Hongmo exclaimed in awe, then turned to Wen Renliang with a reproachful look. “Wen Renliang, you hid him well!”

“Deputy Alliance Leader, you were about to cut our Linshui City branch alliance’s funding earlier. I didn’t even have a chance to speak,” Wen Renliang retorted, stroking his beard with a smug expression.at five