C7 Mr Lin!

Zhao Danhua's body jolted as a searing aura burst forth, warping the air around him. With a low battle cry, he slammed his palm against the base of the earthen-yellow Pill Furnace!

A whooshing sound filled the room as flames roared to life, engulfing the Pill Furnace in a fiery glow.

Zhao Danhua then gracefully swept his hand, methodically adding a dozen medicinal herbs into the furnace one after the other.

As the herbs settled, a white mist swiftly emerged from the Pill Furnace.

But no sooner had the mist appeared than the Pill Furnace began to buzz and quiver!

Zhao Danhua's expression soured. He recognized the trembling as a sign of volatile medicinal power—a misstep now could ruin the herbs.

Lin Tian's brow furrowed in concern. He could tell Zhao Danhua was giving his all, but a year away from pill refining had left his skills rusty, leading to the instability.

"Fetch the Green Spirit Flower and the Water Spirit Wood and toss them in," Lin Tian instructed plainly.

"The Green Spirit Flower and Water Spirit Wood?" Zhao Danhua's eyes flickered with doubt. "Both are water-attribute herbs, and the Qi Cultivating Pill I'm working on is also water-attribute. If the medicinal power is already unstable, wouldn't adding these herbs make it worse?"

"What do you know?" Lin Tian retorted, his patience wearing thin. "Just do as I say. You won't regret it."

A flash of anger crossed Zhao Danhua's eyes, but he forcefully reined it in and replied icily, "Fine, you call the shots. I'll do as you say. But remember, you're on the hook if anything goes awry!"

With that, he snatched up the Green Spirit Flower and Water Spirit Wood and hurled them into the Pill Furnace.

Weng!

The vibration intensified, the Pill Furnace nearly leaping from its place.

Zhao Danhua shot Lin Tian a frosty glare.

Yet Lin Tian remained serene, his gaze fixed on the trembling Pill Furnace. After a mere three breaths, a loud bang echoed as the Pill Furnace ceased its shaking and settled firmly in the center of the room.

"What?!" Zhao Danhua exclaimed, his eyes brimming with disbelief. Lin Tian, however, instructed, "Keep intensifying the flame—let's produce the pill in one fell swoop!"

Zhao Danhua's heart pounded with shock, yet he didn't hesitate. He quickly channeled his power into the flame as Lin Tian had directed.

The Pill Furnace glowed fiery red, and as the hue deepened to its zenith, Zhao Danhua swept his hand through the air!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The lid flew off, and ten thumb-sized green Qi Cultivating Pills soared out!

Lin Tian's eyes sparkled, and with a swift motion, he caught all ten pills in his hand.

"Excellent! With these pills and the right herbs, enhancing physical strength will be a breeze!" he whispered to himself, tucking the pills into his chest, securing them out of sight.

Beside him, Zhao Danhua stared at Lin Tian, utterly astounded. He couldn't fathom how Lin Tian had managed to successfully refine the Qi Cultivating Pills using his technique—let alone produce ten in one batch! Even at his best, he had only ever managed to refine five at a time. Where did such abundance come from?

Lin Tian then addressed Zhao Danhua, "The acupoints I targeted on you earlier—the Shanzhong, Baihui, and Tiantu—will be crucial. Next, channel your Inner Strength through these points in sequence. Afterwards, grind a piece of Water Spirit Wood into powder and take it daily. It will neutralize the fire poison within you. I estimate that in no more than three days, the fire poison will be completely eradicated from your system."

With those final words, Lin Tian turned and vanished from Zhao Danhua's courtyard in a series of agile bounds.

Watching Lin Tian's abrupt departure, Zhao Danhua's face flickered with the impulse to follow, but he quickly stilled. He knew Lin Tian couldn't escape; he had overheard the conversation with Ye Feng and was aware that Lin Tian belonged to the Celestial Dragon Sect. Where could he possibly flee?

But what truly rooted Zhao Danhua to the spot was his awe of Lin Tian.

"Who is this young man? How can he possess such formidable knowledge of alchemy? His grasp of medicinal properties and his mastery over the alchemical process are nothing short of flawless! I feel like a mere joke in his presence! How can such a prodigy exist in this world?" Zhao Danhua murmured to himself, experiencing for the first time in his life what it was like to be so profoundly schooled in the art of alchemy.

"I need to rethink my approach. This kid must be harboring some monumental secret! After all, I'm just a common level pharmacist; I'm in no position to provoke him."

Zhao Danhua's expression shifted, his previous intent to confront Lin Tian completely dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of reverence.

He was well aware of the formidable foundation underlying Lin Tian's casual advice—a foundation not even the royals of the Celestial Dragon Country possessed!

Unaware of Zhao Danhua's thoughts, Lin Tian had already departed the Eastern District, making his way to the Celestial Dragon Sect.

As Lin Tian strode past the entrance of the Pill Tower, two familiar figures emerged—Ye Feng and Liu Muer, whom Lin Tian had previously rendered unconscious.

Both were seething with rage, clearly fixated on their earlier encounter with Lin Tian. Seeing him now passing by ignited their fury.

"Lin Tian! You cur, how dare you ambush us!"

Ye Feng bellowed, charging at Lin Tian.

"Scram!"

Lin Tian's brow furrowed as he casually swung his hand, backhanding Ye Feng across the right cheek.

"You're asking for it!"

Ye Feng, incensed that Lin Tian would strike again, let out another roar and aimed a heavy blow at Lin Tian's chest.

Lin Tian merely scoffed, his hand continuing its arc while his inner strength surged explosively.

Smack!

The slap echoed as Lin Tian's hand, swift as lightning, connected with Ye Feng's face before his palm could reach Lin Tian.

Sent spinning like a top, Ye Feng crashed to the ground, blood spewing from his mouth.

The spectacle left onlookers on the street dumbfounded. Lin Tian, shaking the fresh blood from his hand, sneered, "Ye Feng, you're pathetic. Even with your Spirit Body awakened, you can't take a hit. If I were you, I'd just find a block of tofu to dash myself against and end it—save yourself the embarrassment of living."

"Ah!"

Bloodied, Ye Feng let out a furious roar, his eyes blazing red with rage. Pushed to the brink, he lost all semblance of reason. With a flick of his wrist, he drew a short sword from his sleeve and lunged at Lin Tian's chest.

"Heh, a loser is always a loser, using such a pathetic weapon. It's laughable."

Lin Tian watched the scene unfold with a cold chuckle, ready to make his move once more.

But at the pivotal moment, an angry roar erupted!

"Show some respect to Mr. Lin!"

Whoosh!

A wave of formidable Inner Strength burst forth from behind, slamming into Ye Feng and sending him reeling to the ground, coughing up blood once again!

All eyes turned to see Zhao Danhua charging from the rear, causing a stir among the crowd. Liu Muer quickly stepped forward, greeting him with a bow, "Great Master Zhao..."

"Step aside!"

With a dismissive wave, Zhao Danhua pushed Liu Muer aside and approached Ye Feng with an icy tone, "Ye Feng! Have you lost your mind? Attacking Mr. Lin? He is a dear friend of mine. To target him is to provoke me, understand?"

Zhao Danhua's aura bristled with lethal intent as he spoke, leaving Ye Feng completely bewildered.

The onlookers were equally confused, murmuring among themselves, "What's happening here? Who is this Lin Tian that Great Master Zhao holds in such high regard? I'm familiar with Ye Feng, the scion of the Celestial Dragon Sect's Ye family, but where did Lin Tian spring from?"

"Lin Tian? Never heard of him, but it looks like we're in for quite the spectacle. Great Master Zhao is an elder of the Pill Tower. The Ye family might be something in the Celestial Dragon Sect, but they're nothing to the Pill Tower. He's made a grave mistake crossing Great Master Zhao's friend. He's done for."

Ye Feng stood there, utterly clueless, unable to fathom how Lin Tian, the so-called trash, had suddenly become Great Master Zhao's friend—especially since he had often ridiculed Lin Tian!

Luckily, Ye Feng had some cunning about him. He quickly got to his feet and bowed, "Great Master Zhao! This is all a misunderstanding! I had no intention of harming Brother Lin Tian! I merely sought to exchange a few friendly moves. It's quite normal among fellow disciples..."

"Enough!"

Zhao Danhua cut him off with a sharp gesture, his voice frosty, "Spar or harbor malice, the truth is clear to all. Spare me your explanations! I'll make this simple: Lin Tian is my friend. Treat him with the respect he deserves from now on! Go and apologize to my friend! His forgiveness is the only thing that will save you now. If not, you'll answer to me first!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Ye Feng's body tensed up. Liu Muer, standing next to him, couldn't help but gape in astonishment. They were completely clueless about what was happening. Why had Zhao Danhua suddenly started treating Lin Tian with such high regard?

Bystanders gawked at Lin Tian, their shock evident. They had never even heard of Lin Tian before. His attire was nothing out of the ordinary, so what was it that made Zhao Danhua value him so greatly?

"Go, now!" Zhao Danhua commanded once more. Ye Feng shuddered but didn't dare linger. He turned and approached Lin Tian, fixing his gaze upon him.

Lin Tian regarded Ye Feng with a sly grin, his eyes brimming with mockery, which only served to inflame Ye Feng's rage, veins throbbing visibly on his forehead.

Yet, Ye Feng managed to contain his fury. Despite being incensed beyond measure, he composed himself, clasped his fists, and bowed, "Senior Brother Lin…"

"Kneel when you speak," Lin Tian cut him off, his smile unwavering. "How else will you demonstrate true sincerity?"

Ye Feng's body shook, his eyes blazing with a blood-red intensity as he glared at Lin Tian.

"Oh?" Lin Tian's eyebrows lifted in amusement. "Refusing to kneil?"

"You're asking for it!" Zhao Danhua bellowed, instantly at Lin Tian's side, and delivered a resounding slap to the back of Ye Feng's head. With a thud, Ye Feng found himself kneeling on the ground.

"Ye Feng! This is your final chance! Apologize to Mr. Lin, and do it with respect!" Zhao Danhua's chilling voice echoed as Ye Feng trembled.

Never before had Ye Feng felt such humiliation. With no choice but to swallow his pride, he looked up at Zhao Danhua, standing protectively by Lin Tian, and gave a deep, reverent bow.

"Senior Brother Lin, I was wrong. Please accept my apology!"

At those words, Lin Tian burst into hearty laughter.