Chapter 105: Chapter 105: They Believe
He walked to the ninety-foot-tall Alchemy Platform and ascended the steps, slowly climbing under the gazes of the crowd. Qin Ya looked at Nangong Wen, bowed slightly, and said in a clear, poised voice, "Greetings, Your Majesty. My apologies for the wait."
A peculiar look flashed in the eyes of the princes, especially Nangong Luoyu. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with fascination. ’So this is the famous Qin Ya of the Imperial Capital? He’s quite handsome and carries himself with an extraordinary air. I wonder what his skills are actually like.’
Nangong Wen smiled faintly and said, "Think nothing of it, Teacher Qin. Your Alchemy demonstration today is the center of attention. All the influential figures of the Imperial Capital have gathered here. We had this Alchemy Platform specially constructed for you, so you must perform well."
"I will not disappoint."
"Good. ’I will not disappoint,’ indeed." At this moment, Nangong Luoyu smiled faintly, stood up, and addressed Qin Ya, "Teacher Qin seems quite confident. In that case, I shall wish you success right from the start."
Nangong Wen smiled. "This is our seventh daughter, named Luox Yu."
Qin Ya had heard a little about this Seventh Princess, who was pursued by countless admirers. Seeing her today, he found her reputation to be well-deserved. She was devastatingly beautiful and carried an additional air of nobility. Moreover, despite her young age, her Cultivation was not weak. In the Imperial Capital, her Talent could be considered that of a top-tier prodigy.
Status, looks, Talent!
All were impeccable. No wonder she was so adored by the masses.
"Greetings, Princess Luox Yu. Thank you for your kind words."
His gaze only lingered on Nangong Luoyu for a second before he took out the Primordial Heaven Qi Furnace. This couldn’t help but surprise Nangong Luoyu.
She knew just how much charm she possessed.
The sons of influential families in the Imperial Capital couldn’t tear their eyes away from her, looking as if they wanted to devour her whole. Even those who put on a show of indifference would secretly sneak glances at her; nothing escaped her notice. But she could tell that Qin Ya wasn’t pretending. He truly didn’t care about her at all.
To him, she was like a mere passerby.
For some reason, a flicker of annoyance sparked within her.
’Qin Ya, I will make you see this princess’s charm.’
Qin Ya had no idea that his unintentional act had incurred the resentment of this proud princess. But even if he had known, he probably wouldn’t have cared. In his eyes, a mere Imperial Princess was nothing.
The assets she took such pride in were even more worthless to him.
Looks? Muu Xue, Gong Yu, Leng Ningshuang, and the others by his side—which one of them wasn’t a top-tier beauty? Leng Ningshuang was an era-defining belle, a cut above even Nangong Luoyu. His standards had long since been spoiled.
Talent? His own Talent, along with that of Muu Xue, Leng Ningshuang, and the others, was not weak. He himself had advanced from the Human Element Realm to the current Spiritual Element Perfect Realm in less than a year. Furthermore, he possessed the Leakless Body, enough to crush most prodigies.
As for status, he didn’t even care about Nangong Wen, the Emperor of the Yunxiao Empire. How could a mere princess possibly attract his attention?
So, one really couldn’t blame Qin Ya for this.
However, his recent actions had sparked outrage among the crowd.
"Damn it, my goddess actually seems interested in that bastard Qin Ya."
"Damn you! The Seventh Princess is mine! No one can take her away!"
"The Princess spoke to him, and he was so lukewarm! He’s unbelievably arrogant! Does he have any idea how many suitors the Princess has in the Imperial Capital?"
"Damn, how dare he be so arrogant! It’s infuriating!"
Naturally, Qin Ya was oblivious to the crowd’s indignation. He called out to Nangong Wen, "Your Majesty, are the medicinal ingredients I require ready?"
"Haha, of course. We would not be neglectful."
With a wave of his hand, several Iron Armor Soldiers carried a few chests of ingredients up to the platform. Qin Ya sniffed the air and caught a faint medicinal aroma. The chests were made of a special material that prevented the loss of the ingredients’ medicinal properties.
He opened two of the chests.
An explosive torrent of medicinal fragrance, like a mountain flood, erupted from them.
Everyone’s faces filled with intoxicated bliss, especially the Alchemists. They stared at the two large chests of ingredients with bloodshot eyes, panting heavily, like starved lechers who hadn’t touched a woman in decades and had suddenly stumbled upon a peerless beauty.
And this peerless beauty was completely naked.
"That’s a Fifth-Grade Marvel, the Moon Sun Flower!"
"Qixi Begonia, Thousand-Year Ginseng Fruit, Dragon Beard Root, Earth Soaring Flower... Good heavens, these two chests are filled with ingredients all at the Fourth Grade or higher!"
"Holy cow, is that a Sixth-Grade Marvel, the Magma Extreme Fruit!"
"That thing supposedly only grows inside volcanoes, absorbing extreme heat to mature. Only an Extraordinary Martial Artist could venture into such a dangerous place! That means whoever retrieved it must have been an Extraordinary Martial Artist."
"I’ve never seen so many high-grade ingredients in my entire life."
"If I could use them for Refining just once, I could die happy."
"What a terrible waste! So many rare and precious ingredients, being handed over to a mere child for Refining. I can’t imagine how he’s going to ruin them."
"Yeah, my heart aches just thinking about it."
There were those who were shocked, those who were excited, and those who felt it was a pity. But without exception, all the Alchemists were now consumed with envy, jealousy, and hatred for Qin Ya. All those high-grade ingredients now belonged to him.
Just then, someone snorted coldly, "So what? These ingredients are good, but if he can’t produce a Seventh-Grade Elixir, he’s still dead! Compared to ingredients, one’s own life is the most valuable thing. What an idiot."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
That’s right. No matter how good the ingredients, you had to be alive to enjoy them.
Thinking of this, their envy subsided, replaced by looks of ridicule, pity, and contempt. In their eyes, it was impossible for Qin Ya to refine a Seventh-Grade Elixir. They wouldn’t believe it even if their lives depended on it.
A Seventh-Grade Alchemist was a major figure not just in the Yunxiao Empire, but in the entire Azure Sky Realm. How could a young man, not even twenty years old, possibly reach such a level? The very thought was utterly ridiculous.
"For Your Majesty to provide so many rare ingredients for his Refining, he must have invested a fortune. If he fails, he’s undoubtedly dead."
"Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous."
"Such a young talent, yet he will die from his own arrogance. It’s truly tragic."
"I, for one, want to see just how he dies."
Across the entire Imperial Capital, almost no one believed Qin Ya could refine a Seventh-Grade Elixir. It wasn’t that they were being cruel; the matter was simply too unbelievable.
And yet, in the crowd, a few pairs of eyes watched Qin Ya, filled with anticipation and confidence. They belonged to Muu Xue, Leng Ningshuang, Li Peiyi, and their companions.
’No matter what anyone else thinks, I’ll always believe you can do it. Go, Brother Qin!’ Leng Ningshuang, wearing a veil, silently cheered for Qin Ya. Beside her, Qin Yuxiang, Li Peiyi, and the others also had encouraging looks on their faces. They believed Qin Ya could do it.
’You absolutely cannot fail before I get the chance to defeat you!’
’Teacher Qin, Muu Xue believes in you.’
