"Miss Qin, this brat tried to force his way into the Alchemy Master Guild! When I stopped him, he was about to attack me. He has absolutely no respect for the Guild!" Seeing the person who had arrived behind Shen Haoran, the guard was no longer afraid of his oppressive aura and spoke out, completely twisting the facts. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Upon hearing this, Shen Haoran turned around. He wanted to see just who had given this guard such courage.

As he turned, an overpowering perfume assaulted his senses. Shen Haoran couldn’t help but furrow his brow at the scent. He looked ahead to see a seductive woman in a red cheongsam sashaying toward him.

The woman wore a thick layer of foundation, and her scarlet lips were garishly bright. The tight-fitting cheongsam accentuated her voluptuous figure, and she constantly exuded a seductive charm that made the Heart Spirits of the onlookers flutter.

"That’s Miss Qin Mei’Er from the City Lord’s Mansion! This kid has really picked a fight with the wrong person!"

"I heard Qin Mei’Er is already a Third Grade Alchemist. She must be here at the Alchemy Master Guild to attempt the Fourth Grade assessment. To reach such a level at her young age... Miss Qin Mei’Er is a true genius!"

"Whoever marries Miss Qin Mei’Er would be blessed with the fortune of a dozen lifetimes!" The surrounding crowd murmured amongst themselves, their gazes filled with adoration for Qin Mei’Er.

Qin Mei’Er quite enjoyed their words. She slowly walked up to Shen Haoran, looked down at him, and said in a soft voice, "Little brother, you’ve got quite the nerve, daring to cause trouble at the entrance of the Alchemy Master Guild. Aren’t you afraid of playing with fire?"

Looking at Qin Mei’Er, who was now so close he could see her seductive, silken eyes, Shen Haoran’s brow twitched. He replied indifferently, "I’m just here to take the Alchemist assessment. How is that causing trouble or playing with fire?" His voice was so resonant that it forced Qin Mei’Er two steps back.

"Hm?" A flicker of astonishment crossed Qin Mei’Er’s face as she looked at Shen Haoran, who was completely unaffected by her. ’Just now, I laced my words with the charming arts I cultivate. I thought that for a naive kid like him, my techniques would be more than enough to wrap him around my little finger. I never expected him to be completely immune!’

After her brief surprise, Qin Mei’Er’s expression turned serious again. She asked, "Taking the assessment? I wonder, little brother, what Grade Alchemist assessment are you here to take?"

"Fourth Grade," Shen Haoran said flatly. ’Although I have the skill of a Fifth Grade Alchemist, it’s always wise to hold something back when you’re away from home.’ He didn’t dare to aim too high.

But the moment Shen Haoran finished speaking, the crowd erupted in derisive laughter.

"Fourth Grade? HAHA, did you hear what that kid said? He wants to test for Fourth Grade Alchemist? Get out of here! That’s the best joke I’ve heard all year! Haha... I can’t take it, my sides are splitting! HAHA..."

"Exactly! A Fourth Grade Alchemist? Do you really think you can pass just by saying so? Miss Qin Mei’Er’s Alchemy Talent is unparalleled in all of Luotian City; she’s already considered a Demon Level figure. Even a genius like her wouldn’t dare say for sure that she could pass the Fourth Grade Alchemist assessment. For a country bumpkin like you to make such a bold claim... you really don’t know your own limits!"

"I doubt this kid even understands the Alchemy Dao. He’s probably a fraud! What nerve, trying to pull a scam at the Alchemy Master Guild!"

The people in the crowd pointed at Shen Haoran and whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with contempt.

"Little brother, I suggest you leave. Otherwise, the Alchemy Master Guild won’t let you off easy!" Qin Mei’Er looked at Shen Haoran with disgust and waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.

"Mei’Er, what’s the use of talking to this piece of trash? Just have someone throw him out. Don’t let him dirty our sight," a handsome young man beside Qin Mei’Er said. From the very beginning, this man hadn’t even deigned to glance at Shen Haoran.

"Isn’t that Yang Hao, the chief disciple of the Alchemy Master Guild’s vice-president?" At this point, the crowd finally noticed the man standing beside Qin Mei’Er.

"Yang Hao is the chief disciple of the Alchemy Master Guild’s vice-president. I heard he’s already a Fourth Grade Alchemist. And it seems he’s been pursuing Qin Mei’Er! No wonder they’re together."

"Well, with his talent and her beauty, they do make a perfect match!"

"Compared to Yang Hao, that kid is dirt. Yang Hao would probably feel disgusted even if the kid offered to polish his shoes!" the crowd snickered.

Hearing Yang Hao’s words, Qin Mei’Er leaned softly against him and pouted, "Whatever Brother Yang says, goes. I’ll listen to you!"

Yang Hao wrapped his arm around the beauty in his embrace and shouted, "Men! Drag this troublemaker away and beat him to death! Let him know that there’s no good end for those who act wildly at my Alchemist Guild!"

Yang Hao’s voice was loud, but no one followed his orders. The guards at the gate all took a few steps back, their faces filled with terror as they looked at Shen Haoran. They had just felt the terrifying aura erupt from him; it was far beyond what they could ever hope to contend with.

"Didn’t you hear me? A bunch of useless trash! Drag him away!" Yang Hao roared at the Martial Artists who didn’t dare to move.

Startled by Yang Hao’s roar, the Martial Artists trembled, dropped their weapons, and simply fled!

Watching the Martial Artists flee in disarray, Yang Hao snorted in contempt. "Hmph. Those who pursue Martial Cultivation are all the same—a bunch of wastes who only know how to think with their muscles!"

Then, Yang Hao turned his gaze to Shen Haoran and said haughtily, "Kid, are you going to walk away on your own, or should I break your limbs and throw you onto a barren mountain to feed the Spirit Beasts?"

Looking at the supremely arrogant and condescending Yang Hao, Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. He took a step forward and said flatly, "And what if I don’t leave?"

"Then I’ll have to take care of you myself!" Yang Hao said with a cruel smile. An immense wave of Spiritual Thought burst from his body, coalescing into an eagle that shot directly toward Shen Haoran’s Sea of Consciousness. If that ferocious attack landed, he would become an idiot at best, or die on the spot at worst. Yang Hao was truly ruthless!

Yet, not a single person in the crowd sympathized with Shen Haoran. Instead, they all wore expressions as if they were watching a good show. Qin Mei’Er, still in Yang Hao’s arms, gave Shen Haoran a passing glance before looking away.

Shen Haoran took in the crowd’s expressions and snorted coldly. He stomped his right foot forward, and a wave of Spiritual Thought a hundred times more ferocious than Yang Hao’s erupted from him. It formed a giant hand that directly snatched the attacking eagle out of the air.

"To act so arrogantly before me... you’re truly courting death!" Shen Haoran scoffed. Then, with a mere thought, the giant hand squeezed violently, crushing the Spiritual Thought eagle until it burst apart...