Chapter 1071: Unsatisfied
Duan Ling Tian did not even get the chance to reject Lu Zhi before the group of elders from the Lu Clan spoke up one after another. He did not get a chance to reject them at all.
Meanwhile, the Clan Leader of Lu Clan, Lu Rui and the other Lu Clan's Guardian Elders were looking at him with anticipation.
How could he reject them?
Naturally, he could reject them if he really wanted to. However, he dismissed the thought of rejecting them since he would benefit from the Lu Clan in the future.
"I'll join the fun then." Duan Ling Tian nodded and accepted the offer.
He did not feel any pressure at all being the main judge of the Alchemist Competition organized by the Lu Clan. Moreover, he would be able to observe the alchemists' techniques up close.
He did not intend to venture into the Medicine Refinement Dao. The memory of medicine refinement that the Rebirth Martial Emperor left behind was sufficient for him to be at the top in Cloud Continent.
One must know the Rebirth Martial Emperor was even higher than a grade one alchemist. He was a Royal Grade Alchemist back then!
As someone who had inherited the memory of a Royal Grade Alchemist, it was not difficult for Duan Ling Tian to judge the medicine refinement level of a group of grade five and grade six alchemists.
Duan Ling Tian wanted to reject the offer earlier because he thought it was troublesome.
However, he had no choice but to do it now even if it was troublesome.
There was a saying that went, 'If someone invites you to a meal and you accept his hospitality, you'll find it difficult to say anything against him'.
Although he had yet to benefit from the Lu Clan, he would benefit from them in the future.
That was the main objective of him joining the Lu Clan after all!
"Stop!" Suddenly, a fierce scream entered Duan Ling Tian's ears. He was shocked and turned to look at the person who shouted.
"Lu Bai?" Soon after, Duan Ling Tian saw the person who had shouted was the Lu Clan's Second Young Master, Lu Bai. He was shouting at three middle-aged men who were secretly trying to leaving.
When Duan Ling Tian looked in the direction where Lu Bai was looking at, he saw the three men and recognized them with just a glance.
The three middle-aged men were none other than the three who had disrespected Feng Tian Wu who was lying in the ice coffin and was subsequently injured by him.
The three of them wanted revenge. The green-clad middle-aged man worked with the Lu Clan's elder, Lu Zhao, in an attempt to prevent Duan Ling Tian from participating in the Alchemist Competition organized by the Lu Clan.
Unfortunately, things did not go their way. It was to the extent that Lu Zhao even died in Duan Ling Tian's hand.
After that, Duan Ling Tian no longer bothered with the three of them. He was busy dealing with the Lu Clan's Third Young Master, Lu Huai.
In the end, he became the Lu Clan's Interim Elder.
It was obvious the three middle-aged men wanted to flee after they saw him achieving his goal.
'However, isn't it too lenient to let them leave just like that?'
Duan Ling Tian's eyes gleamed when he looked at the three middle-aged men. His face turned somber.
Following Lu Bai's fierce scream, everyone, including Duan Ling Tian, had their eyes trained on the three men. The three of them froze as though they had turned into sculptures.
"Master Duan Ling Tian, please let us go!" Soon after, one of them turned around and kneeled on the ground. He proceeded to kowtow to Duan Ling Tian and begged for mercy.
"Master Duan Ling Tian, please spare my life! This has nothing to do with me." Another man followed by kneeling and kowtowing.
Only the green-clad middle-aged man was left standing and staring at the Duan Ling Tian who killed his uncle.
"Hmph! How dare you stare at Elder Duan with your filthy eyes?" A scream reverberated in the air suddenly.
Subsequently, Duan Ling Tian felt a gust of wind at his side. It was obvious that somebody had dashed past him. It was so fast that he could not react in time at all.
'Bang!'
When he regained his senses, he immediately heard a loud thud.
He saw a bamboo-like silhouette at the place the green-clad middle-aged man was standing. It was one of the Lu Clan's three Guardian Elders, Lu Gui.
Blood mist hung in the air near Lu Gui, and the green-clad middle-aged man was nowhere to be seen.
Duan Ling Tian knew very well that the green-clad middle-aged man was dead. He was killed by Lu Gui. The blood mist was a result of his body exploding.
Lu Gui, the Lu Clan's Guardian Elder, was a Martial Monarch powerhouse.
It was extremely easy for him to kill the green-clad middle-aged man. Before the Heaven and Earth Energy even appeared, the green-clad middle-aged man had died and vanished completely from the world.
"Master Duan Ling Tian, please have mercy! Master Duan Ling Tian, please have mercy!"
"Elder Gui, please have mercy! Elder Gui, please have mercy!" The two remaining middle-aged men's expressions changed when they witnessed the death of their friend. They kowtow hard on the ground and begged for mercy fearfully.
Soon after, their heads began to bleed.
"Elder Duan, what should we do about them?" Lu Gui turned around and smiled as he looked at Duan Ling Tian.
However, the smile on his sunken cheeks looked even more awful than crying.
"I don't care." Duan Ling Tian said casually as he shrugged.
At the same time, he looked away from the two middle-aged men. He ignored them as though they were made of air.
Lu Gui was momentarily stunned before he looked at the Clan Leader of Lu Clan, Lu Rui.
"There's no reason for the people who have offended Elder Duan to live in this world," Lu Rui said indifferently.
"No..." The two middle-aged men who were kneeling on the ground shuddered and lifted their heads immediately. The expression on their faces changed drastically when they heard Lu Rui's words.
'Bang!'
Almost as soon as they lifted their heads, a loud explosion reverberated like thunder in the air.
Under everyone's watch, they experienced what the green-clad middle-aged man experienced. They turned into blood mist and vanished completely from this world.
'Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!'
...
Most of the alchemists participating in the Alchemist Competition could not help but inhale sharply.
Their eyes were filled with respect as they looked at Duan Ling Tian again.
"Ever since this Elder Duan joined the Lu Clan, it seems like his position in the clan is even higher than the Clan Leader of Lu Clan!" Someone exclaimed.
"That's normal... After all, he's a grade one alchemist!"
"I bet somebody regrets it now."
...
Many people were whispering among themselves while the others were looking at a middle-aged man standing nearby.
The middle-aged man had an ugly expression on his face.
"I remember him... He and Duan Ling Tian conversed for a while earlier. It seemed like everything went well and they became friends. However, he avoided Duan Ling Tian as though he was the God of Misfortune when the Lu Clan's elder, Lu Zhao, made it clear he was against Duan Ling Tian."
"I remember him... Back then, he said he didn't know Duan Ling Tian!"
"However, Duan Ling Tian's position rose in a blink of an eye after he revealed his identity as a grade one alchemist! If the man didn't do what he did, perhaps he might be able to rise with Duan Ling Tian."
"That's fate! Some people have the opportunity but didn't grab it. In the end, all they can do is feel helpless."
...
More and more people began to discuss the man. Some people sympathized with him, and some took pleasure from his misery.
The middle-aged man was none other than Huang Chun!
Huang Chun stood there while the discussion around him entered his ears like piercing needles. His body trembled involuntarily.
The discussion was akin to pouring salt on his wound!
His heart was already filled with regrets. The mockery he received was like adding fuel to the fire. It made him feel even more remorseful.
"Why did I do that?"
"If I didn't do that, perhaps I don't even have to participate in the Alchemist Competition. I might be able to join the Lu Clan directly!"
...
Apart from feeling regretful, he also blamed himself for this.
'Whoosh!'
Eventually, he could no longer endure it and leaped up into the sky. He disappeared before everyone's eyes.
It was clear he did not want to participate in the Alchemist Competition any longer.
Duan Ling Tian watched Huang Chun leave emotionlessly.
He understood Huang Chun abandoned him to protect himself earlier.
However, Huang Chun stated that he did not know him later on.
When Huang Chun said that, Duan Ling Tian also acted like he did not know Huang Chun. Therefore, he remained emotionless even when Huang Chun left.
"Let the Alchemist Competition begin!" When Lu Sou raised his voice, the people present snapped back to reality and stopped discussing Huang Chun who had just left.
"It's starting now!"
"In the entire history of the Lu Clan's Alchemist Competitions, I don't think they ever had a grade one alchemist as their judge!"
"It's worth the trip even if I get disqualified today."
"People would be so envious and jealous even if it was just getting disqualified by a grade one alchemist!"
...
The group of alchemists discussed among themselves excitedly.
Duan Ling Tian was speechless when he heard their discussion.
Meanwhile, the senior officials from the Lu Clan could empathize with them. They would feel the same way if they were in the alchemists' position and participating in the Alchemist Competition.
Soon after, the Alchemist Competition began.
The competition was divided into the preliminary round, semifinal round, and the final round.
Half of the participants would be eliminated in the preliminary round.
In the semifinals, there would be thirty participants left after the elimination. The thirty remaining participants would be able to enter the Lu Clan.
In the finals, the participants would be given their rankings and receive rewards from the Lu Clan.
In the Alchemist Competition, regardless of the round, everyone would be refining the same pill. Duan Ling Tian as the judge would personally inspect the result.
In the past Alchemist Competitions that Lu Clan organized, the participants would only be tested on the purity of the pill.
However, it was different for Duan Ling Tian.
Apart from testing the pill's purity, he was able to see how good the participants' techniques were through the pills and determined who was more outstanding.
Duan Ling Tian did that during the preliminary round and did encounter any objection.
However, somebody was unsatisfied during the semifinals.
"Elder Duan, it's obvious that the purity of the pill he refined is lesser than mine. Why did he pass while I'm being eliminated?" An alchemist pointed at the other alchemist next to him and looked at Duan Ling Tian with a dissatisfied expression.