Chapter 298: The Ye Clan Comes to the Door

As Xiao Yi Xian had predicted, someone came knocking on the door half an hour later.

In the bright hall, Xiao Ming sat in the main seat, looking at the elderly man in the green robe below him with a curious expression.

"I am Ye Zhong, the First Elder of the Ye Clan. Greetings, Master Xiao Ming," Ye Zhong introduced himself with a bow.

"So it's Elder Ye Zhong. The reputation of the Five Great Clans of the Pill Tower precedes you. Please have a seat," Xiao Ming responded with a light chuckle.

As Ye Zhong sat down, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Most geniuses were known for their arrogance and pride, and he had even prepared himself to be turned away at the door. He hadn't expected Xiao Ming to be so approachable.

"I wonder, as one of the Five Great Clans of the Pill Tower, what brings the Ye Clan to me? It can't be to ask me to refine pills, can it?" Xiao Ming asked straightforwardly.

"Hehe, Master Xiao Ming is joking. I have another matter to discuss with you," Ye Zhong chuckled awkwardly.

"Please, go ahead," Xiao Ming said, gesturing for Ye Zhong to continue.

"Master Xiao Ming knows about our Five Great Clans, and I'm sure you know that our clans have been passed down for generations. The founders of our clans were all core members of the Pill Tower at the time. According to the conditions, as long as our clans can meet certain requirements in the future, we can occupy a seat in the Elder's Seat of the Pill Tower," Ye Zhong explained.

"The Five Great Clans wield significant influence in the Pill Region, and coupled with the reputation of the Pill Tower, we can move freely in this region. Even the Ice River Valley and other powerful forces have to be quite polite when they meet us... However, my Ye Clan will no longer be in this position," Ye Zhong said with a sad face.

"Oh? You came to me because of this matter," Xiao Ming asked knowingly.

"Yes, every once in a while, the Pill Tower assesses the Five Great Clans. Only those who pass the assessment can maintain their seats in the Elder's Seat. The Pill Tower values the cultivation of the younger generation, so the target of the assessment is naturally the younger generation. However, the younger generation of my Ye Clan has weakened and become less competitive. We failed to pass the last assessment."

"Next time, I want... cough... I mean, I want to ask Master Xiao Ming to take our place in the assessment. Don't worry, the reward will satisfy you. My Ye Clan has been one of the Five Great Clans for many years and has accumulated a lot. We can provide you with an eighth-tier pill recipe or anything else that you may require," Ye Zhong's voice accelerated towards the end. It was clear that he was afraid that Xiao Ming would refuse, so he offered this reward.

This reward could be considered high, as Xiao Ming did not have many eighth-tier pill recipes in his possession.

"The reward seems good..." Xiao Ming's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke softly.

"However, why don't you find other Alchemists to take the assessment? With these conditions, you should be able to find many young alchemists, right?"

"Ah, Master Xiao Ming, you don't understand. The minimum qualification for participating in this kind of assessment is to have an alchemist who has reached at least the sixth-tier, and to pass it, one must reach the level of a seventh-tier alchemist. Most young alchemists with such strength are supported by alchemy clans. Those clans would rather pull down the Ye Clan and replace us. How could they help us?" Ye Zhong sighed helplessly.

Xiao Ming nodded slightly and said, "Since that's the case, Elder Ye Zhong, I agree with your request."

"Really?" Ye Zhong was overjoyed and immediately stood up, wanting to express his gratitude to Xiao Ming.

"Master Xiao Ming..."

"Hold on! I have two more requests." Xiao Ming interrupted.

Ye Zhong was taken aback and then said, "Please, tell me. I will try my best to fulfill your requests."

"Elder Ye Zhong, don't worry. My requests are not difficult for your Ye Clan. The first one is that I want to participate in the Eight Great Elders Candidate Competition that will be held in just over a month. I recently joined the Pill Tower, and I want the Ye Clan to vouch for me."

"The Eight Great Elders Candidate Competition?" Ye Zhong murmured.

He knew about this competition. This time, there was even a reward of a Core Soul Marrow. As far as he knew, the other five great clans of the Pill Tower were all planning to participate.

"This old man agrees to this condition," said Ye Zhong. "What about the second condition?"

During the Ye Clan's peak, they would not have made guarantees so easily. But now, as long as they could maintain their position as one of the Five Great Clans, making guarantees was only a small matter.

Upon hearing Ye Zhong's agreement, Xiao Ming's smile grew wider.

"For the second matter, I need the Thousand Year Old Green Spiritual Vine, Blood Essence Demon Fruit, and Snow Bone Ginseng, especially the Thousand Year Old Green Spiritual Vine. With the Ye Clan's connections, you should be able to find them, right?"

"These few medicinal materials are not ordinary things..." Ye Zhong sighed lightly and said.

"However, the Pill Tower should have these in stock, and I can obtain them for you."

"In that case, I will trouble Elder Ye Zhong. The next assessment is on me, and there should be no problem passing it."

"When Master Xiao Ming takes action, there naturally won't be any problems." Ye Zhong laughed and joked.

For a high-grade seventh-tier Alchemist like Xiao Ming, wouldn't it be easy to pass that kind of assessment? Rather, the first place would be only natural.

Ye Zhong quickly left. Whether it was guaranteeing Xiao Ming's participation in the competition or searching for those medicinal herbs, he needed to go to the headquarters of the Pill Tower to operate.

...

After Ye Zhong left, other people came to visit, most of them to make friends, while others came to ask for pills.

For those who came to make friends, Xiao Ming brushed them off with a few words. He didn't have that much time to waste now.

As for those who requested pills, Xiao Ming talked with them for a while, mainly discussing the rewards and the time it would take to refine the pills.

As the evening approached, Xiao Ming finally retired to his bedroom, where he spent a long, passionate night with his partner, bringing her to the heights of ecstasy.

The next day, a revitalized Xiao Yi Xian left with Qing Lin. Before leaving, Xiao Ming gave her the Core Lightning Bead, which could be used as a trump card in times of danger.

In the following period of time, Xiao Ming focused on refining pills to improve his alchemy skills.

To put it another way, Xiao Ming was burning money, or rather, burning medicinal herbs. No matter how outstanding an alchemist's talent may be, practical experience is crucial.

And to practice alchemy, one naturally needs an abundance of medicinal herbs. At Xiao Ming's level, even the herbs used for practice were not ordinary. Without the support of a powerful force, it would be difficult to keep up.

This was also one of the reasons why it was difficult for alchemists to improve once they reached a certain level.

Fortunately, since becoming an alchemist, Xiao Ming had always been wealthy and had a rich collection of medicinal herbs. Coupled with the medicinal herbs provided by clients who sought his services, there were no major problems.

During this period, Pill Lightings frequently gathered near the Pill Tower, and it was the Man-Demon Puppet, which gradually transformed into a silver-colored puppet, that came out to greet them.

In the beginning, few people knew that the puppet's owner was Xiao Ming, but as time went by, most people understood that he was refining pills whenever they saw the puppet.