Yue Zheng Hongmao felt his face burn as he suddenly remembered that he had just compared Lin Xiao to Wu Sha, openly mocking Wen Renliang. How could the gap be so large?
He had spoken so confidently, praising Wu Sha while completely ignoring Lin Xiao, even suggesting a reduction in the funding for the Linshui City branch. Who could have expected that Lin Xiao would possess such talent?
This made Yue Zheng Hongmao’s old face flush with embarrassment.
“You old fool…” Yue Zheng Hongmao couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, cursing both himself and Wu Meng Pangpo in his heart.
No wonder those two had spoken up for Wen Renliang. They had already known that this young man was a third-grade spirit controller. Yet, they had kept it completely hidden from him…
“Ahem… Nephew Hei Mu, you are truly a dragon among men. I look forward to seeing your performance in the upcoming alchemy competition,” Yue Zheng Hongmao finally coughed awkwardly, shifting the topic away from Wen Renliang and offering Lin Xiao a hopeful compliment.
Seeing Yue Zheng Hongmao’s reaction and the stunned expressions of the crowd, Lin Xiao simply smiled faintly and repeated the humble words Ye Yu had said earlier:
“Ah, it’s just refining Nine Flame Wood. It doesn’t really mean much…”
As soon as these words left his mouth, everyone in the room cursed him inwardly!
Even if it was just refining, one still had to be capable of doing it! They had worked so hard and only managed a few refinements, while he had achieved ten refinements. And then he had the audacity to say it was nothing special? This was blatant showing off!
Ye Yu’s face twitched in discomfort…
“Alright, today’s assessment ends here. I will report this matter to the alliance leader. Everyone, go back and prepare. Oh, and let’s not spread this too widely,” Yue Zheng Hongmao finally waved his hand, addressing the crowd.
With that, the group left one by one, still in shock. The assessment had been too overwhelming for them, but at least witnessing such a scene made the trip worthwhile.
“Humph, don’t get too cocky. True alchemy skills will only be revealed during the alchemy competition. I hope you can still perform like this then,” Ye Yu sneered at Lin Xiao before storming out of the hall.
“I hope Young Master Ye Yu can also demonstrate such skills,” Lin Xiao replied with a light smile, causing Ye Yu to seethe with anger as he walked away.
Feng Huo followed Ye Yu out but stopped beside Lin Xiao. Her enchanting eyes blinked as she leaned in close, whispering with a smile, “Hehe, I suddenly feel like you’re even more of a man than Ye Yu.”
Her breath tickled his ear, sending a shiver down Lin Xiao’s spine. Fortunately, Feng Huo quickly walked away, her graceful steps swaying as she left.
Zhou Ruoyi, before leaving, merely let out a cold snort, her face flushed with embarrassment as she stormed off.
Behind Zhou Ruoyi was Chen Qing’er. Her clear eyes seemed to see right through Lin Xiao as she smiled sweetly and said, “I could tell you were a third-grade spirit controller from the start. I just don’t know what I did to earn your displeasure. If I’ve offended you in any way, I hope you can forgive me.”
“So that’s it!”
Lin Xiao finally understood. No wonder one of the four great beauties had主动 approached him—she had seen through his talent.
At the same time, he was puzzled. Even the deputy alliance leader hadn’t noticed his hidden strength, yet Chen Qing’er, a second-grade advanced spirit controller, had somehow seen through it.
“Perhaps she has some special method,” Lin Xiao thought to himself before smiling at Chen Qing’er and saying, “Miss Qing’er, you misunderstand. I hold no grudge against you. It’s just… I don’t want to cause trouble.”
In other words, his refusal to shake her hand earlier was simply to avoid trouble. In reality, since Chen Qing’er was Chen Yan’s sister, Lin Xiao didn’t want to stir up more trouble. What he said was indeed the truth.
“That’s good to hear!” Chen Qing’er smiled softly, lowering her head as she brushed past Lin Xiao and left.
“That guy… he stole all of Brother Ye Yu’s spotlight. How infuriating!” Xuan Xuan stomped her foot in anger, wishing it had been Ye Yu who achieved ten refinements.
“What’s wrong with him?” Wu Sha asked.
“It’s just…” Xuan Xuan initially thought of Ye Yu’s talent, which she admired so much, but then remembered Lin Xiao’s performance and stammered, “It’s just… he’s not as handsome as Brother Ye Yu.”
“…” Wu Sha was speechless.
“But in the real alchemy competition, he definitely won’t be a match for Brother Ye Yu!” Xuan Xuan added.
“Hehe, Brother Hei Mu, you’ve been hiding your talents well!” At that moment, a cheerful voice rang out as Prince Meng Sheng walked over with a smile.
“Oh? I must be the first person to speak so boldly to Prince Meng Sheng,” Lin Xiao replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Meng Sheng chuckled awkwardly, a touch of apology in his voice. “Earlier, I didn’t know Brother Hei Mu possessed such talent. I misspoke, and I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“Typical of royalty!” Lin Xiao thought to himself. Just half an hour ago, they had been at odds, but now that his talent was revealed, Meng Sheng’s attitude had completely changed.
However, having grown up in a royal family, Lin Xiao understood. Assessing others’ potential and background was a necessity for those in power.
Moreover, having already made enemies with the Chen and Feng families, he didn’t want to add the royal family to that list.
“Prince Meng Sheng, you flatter me. I’m not one to hold grudges. If someone treats me as a friend, I will respond with sincerity. If someone treats me as an enemy, I will repay them tenfold,” Lin Xiao replied solemnly.
“The royal family naturally considers Brother Hei Mu a friend,” Meng Sheng said with a smile before leaning in closer and whispering, “My younger sister, Meng Ying, is also one of the four great beauties of the royal city. I’m sure she would love to meet you. When you have time, please visit the city so we can properly welcome you.”
Seeing Lin Xiao about to refuse, Meng Sheng quickly added, “Oh, and by the way, she currently manages nearly half of the royal city.”
“His sister holds the power?” Lin Xiao was slightly surprised. It was Meng Sheng’s sister, not Meng Sheng himself, who was in charge?
“Perhaps I’ll pay a visit when I have the time,” Lin Xiao replied with a faint smile.
“Then we will await your esteemed presence,” Meng Sheng said with delight, fanning himself with a golden fan as he left.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, still buzzing with excitement, Lin Xiao was “entertained” by Yue Zheng Hongmao for a while before finally leaving the assessment hall of the Spirit Controller Alliance with Wen Renliang.
While the disciples didn’t openly spread the news, they privately discussed it among themselves. Meanwhile, the news quickly reached the families of the disciples outside the alliance.
**Zhou Family Residence.**
When Zhou Ruoyi angrily recounted the events of the assessment, adding her own embellishments, Zhou Xiong nearly jumped out of his seat in rage.
“What? Qing’er主动 greeted him? And even tried to shake his hand?” Zhou Xiong roared.
“Yes!” Zhou Ruoyi nodded. “And that guy didn’t even acknowledge her.”
“What?!” Zhou Xiong was even more furious. Naturally, he didn’t want Lin Xiao to shake hands with Chen Qing’er. He had been openly pursuing her for so long, yet he hadn’t even been able to touch her hand. How could some country bumpkin have the audacity to reject her?
The fact that he, Zhou Xiong, had tried so hard and failed, while this kid had the nerve to act indifferent, only made Zhou Xiong angrier.
This was tantamount to saying that the woman Zhou Xiong had been chasing was nothing more than an afterthought in Lin Xiao’s eyes. It was a slap in the face for Zhou Xiong…
“Humph, once he leaves the Spirit Controller Alliance, I’ll teach that kid a lesson. I don’t care if he’s some alchemy genius or not. I won’t stand for this!” Zhou Xiong growled.
Zhou Ruoyi nodded with satisfaction.
