painting of the nine immortals
Chapter 12: Humiliation
Translator: /Tatienne Editor: Tennesh/Rundi
The stars were scattered all over the sky.
The night was chilly.
The central hall was dead silent.
All eyes were on Ling Xian, some were surprised, some were ignorant, some were disdained, and some were sarcastic.
Majority of the alchemists here belonged in the Ninth Realm with only two elders belonging in the Eighth. Though their rankings were not exactly spectacular, to all be converged here in the small City of Qing was still a rare occasion. Despite their teamwork, they could not figure out a cure and naturally, they did not believe that Ling Xian would somehow have a way. More accurately, they did not believe that any alchemist above the Eighth Realm would be here.
Ye Xiao Tian stood up from his chair abruptly, “Your honorable, do you really have a way to save my daughter?”
Ling Xian nodded. Immersed in his black robe, he was relaxed and calm. The huge amount of confidence that diffused out of him infected Ye Xiao Tian, providing him hope.
“Mayor Ye please do not worry. The grandmaster here is profound in alchemy. He is the best alchemist I have ever encountered in my entire life and I trust that he will for sure heal your daughter, You Lan,” Lin Qing Yi grinned brightly. Everyone in the room felt a spark of chemistry as her beauty shook their souls.
The pale faced young man sitting at the front especially felt the spark. The way he looked at her was filled with immorality and passion.
[I cannot that believe that someone so gorgeous lives in this small City of Qing. Whichever Clan she belongs to, I will snatch her over,] the young man thought to himself as he licked his lips. His over-pale face was shining with desires of domination.
“Master Lin you came,” excitement flashed across Ye Xiao Tian’s face. He asked, “And the Master you brought is…?”
“This grandmaster here does not want to reveal his name. However, Qing Yi can promise that he will find a way to save your daughter,” Lin Qing Yi’s voice was stern and bold. How could she not be? He was an alchemist who possessed a Godly Fire and easily brewed an eighth-ranked Dan.
Ling Xian froze a little. He underestimated the admiration and respect Lin Qing Yi felt towards him.
[Luckily I have the Flame of Purity that neutralizes all venom. If I didn’t, you and I both would be losing our faces,] Ling Xian thought to himself as warmth washed over him. [To be so trusted and relied on really was a wonderful feeling.]
Hearing Lin Qing Yi, an Eighth Realm Alchemist make such a promise, Ye Xiao Tian became delighted. At this very moment, he was not the most respected man in the city as the mayor, rather, he was a loving father. Looking at the expressionless Ling Xian, he quickly requested, “Grandmaster, please find a way to save my daughter. I am willing to you give you anything.”
“I will try my best. Mayor Ye please lead the way,” Ling Xian wasted no time.
“Of course, please follow me, grandmaster.”
“Slow down.”
An unknown voice suddenly spoke up. It was the young man standing in the front. His name was Wang Chen, who was a visitor to the City of Qing. He too, was a Ninth Realm Alchemist and was rather accomplished when compared to the elders here. Highly respected in the city he was from, he was well-aware of his achievement and his young age. Due to this reason, he was accustomed to his arrogant ways.
“Do you have anything you want to say?” Ye Xiao Tian’s tiger-like eyes turned cold. He did not like this cocky young man one bit. However, he could not deny the fact that he was the most skillful one out of all the alchemists here. He, at least, helped put a pause on the spread of the poison for his daughter.
“Mayor Ye, right now, the poison in your daughter has spread to her entire body. I only put a pause to it after casting my secret technique. If the spell is disrupted by someone, then your daughter will lose her life to the poison really quickly. Are you certain that you want a stranger, who refuses to reveal his identity, to experiment on your daughter and risk her last chance at survival?” Wang Lin looked down on Ling Xian, his eyes full of dissatisfaction and despise.
“He is right, Mayor Ye. If all of us here could not figure out a way, how can a stranger find a solution?”
“I agree. I believe he just came and hoped that luck will take care of the rest. How could he so shameless say that he has a way? It is a matter of life and death for your daughter. Mayor Ye please think carefully.”
“On top of that, based on his voice, he is merely a young man. Skillful in alchemy? What a joke.”
All the alchemists turned defensive and began to gossip amongst themselves. The point was that they did not want to give Ling Xian the opportunity to try and heal the mayor’s daughter.
Everyone here had a small heart. It was humiliating enough that they could not produce an antidote for the mayor’s daughter and they already made the claim that no other alchemists would have a way. Just when they were about to get the mayor to give up, Ling Xian showed up and declared that he had a solution. His competence would only accent these alchemists’ incompetence.
As anticipated, this created hostility towards Ling Xian. None of them wanted someone to accomplish something they could not.
In regards to the mayor daughter’s life, they did not care one bit.
“I…” Ye Xian Tian hesitated. What Wang Chen said was true, he did not dare to risk his precious daughter’s life. Even though he full-heartedly trusted Lin Qing Yi, Ling Xian’s immature voice and his obvious attempt to hide himself made him very suspicious.
“Mayor Ye, this grandmaster here does seem to have a young voice. But you should not deny his alchemy skills because of it. Qing Yi trusts him fully,” Lin Qing Yi glared at Wang Chen. She was naturally intelligent and observant. It did not take a lot to understand the true desire of these people. She felt rather disgusted.
Ling Xian also understood these people’s selfish thoughts. He knew that they were afraid that they would be disgraced if Ling Xian does heal the mayor’s daughter.
“A bunch of useless scums. Just because you cannot do something, you are afraid that you would lose face if someone else does it. You should all be ashamed!” Ling Xian’s anger was burning within him. He coldly glanced at each one of them, a murderous desire boiled inside him.
Hearing his ruthless words, these people became insanely angry and embarrassed. A middle-aged man stood up and pointed his finger at Ling Xian. He mocked, “Who are you calling useless scums? Everyone here is highly respected and renowned. You on the other hand, are afraid to show your face. What kind of hidden agenda are you hiding?”
Ling Xian found it hard to soothe his anger. He snickered, “A bunch of confused old men… Everyday you sit in peace and indulge in bribery and applauses. When a crucial situation arises however, you all become such useless beings. Can you not simply shut your dog-like mouths? I cannot believe you would try and stop me from saving a life. You are all the worst of the scums and you do not deserve to be cultivators. I am ashamed to have the same title as you!”
Everyone froze. Ling Xian’s blunt words turned the alchemists’ faces bright red from both embarrassment and exasperation. How could someone disgrace them like this?
After a moment of silence, the room was filled with profanity.
“How dare you, you bastard!”
“When I became an alchemist, you were still kicking in your mother’s belly. Who do you think you are to talk to me in such manners!”
‘You hide your head and hide your tail and you have the audacity to lecture us? Let me teach you a lesson today. You must learn what it means to respect your teachers!”
“Respect my teachers?” Ling Xian sneered, “Who do you think you are? Are you qualified to tell me what respect is? I would’ve let it go if you asked me to respect the elders seeing that you are half-way buried six feet underground. But to respect you as a teacher? Don’t make me laugh! Such low alchemy skills and such low behaviors. You’re a waste! You think you are qualified to teach me?!”
“You…! You…! You…!” the grey-haired alchemist could not find words angry enough to describe how he was feeling.
He was not the only one feeling that way. All the other alchemists had thoughts of killing him right now. If Ye Xiao Tian was not here, stopping them with his title as a core-building cultivator, they would’ve really started a fight.
Feeling the surge of their murderous intent, Ling Xian’s face turned stone cold. A burning flame was scorching his heart. [What a bunch of selfish freaks. First, they disregarded someone’s life in order to fulfill their own ego, now they want to kill someone because their thoughts were exposed?]
“Despicable,” Ling Xian exclaimed as he once again glanced at each one of their ugly faces.
Wang Chen’s face darkened, “If you really have the skills then show us. Don’t stand there and bluff with your tongue.”
What he said affected the crowd and things turned rowdy.
“Yeah! If you really have the skills then show us! You’ve done nothing but putting us down! I do not believe you have actual skills!”
“Exactly, your voice alone shows you are a little kid who doesn’t even have a full head of hair. How could you make so many rude comments!”
“The ten of us here have no solution for the poison and you say you have a way? What a joke! We are real alchemists with ranking!”
Ye Xiao Tian frowned and he hesitated, “Grandmaster, my daughter right now really should not be disturbed. If you-”
“Just know that all of you here are asking me to humiliate you. If I do not do what you have asked of me, then it would be too rude of me,” Ling Xian interrupted. He raised his right hand and a silver flame appeared on his palm.
Dead silence.
Other than Lin Qing Yi’s smiling face, everyone’s face turned chalk white. Some alchemists widened their eyes in shock while others closed their eyes to avoid looking at the silver flame.
Shock, jealousy, and fondness. Everyone had a different reaction but one thing was common, they were shut down. All the arrogance and mockery they had on their faces were lost.
“A Godly Fire?” Wang Chen asked, bewildered.
“So you are aware that this is a Godly Fire. But do you know which one? You really have no actual experiences and knowledges, how dare you call yourselves masters?” Ling Xian taunted.
Wang Chen’s lungs were about to burst with anger. His face was bright red but this time, he did not dare to breathe.
“This is the Burning Flame of Purity, I’m sure you have all heard of it.” Ling Xian said matter-of-factly.
“The flame that can fight against all poison?”
“The flame that can cleanse all that’s impure?”
Ye Xiao Tian was flooding with joy and excitement. He knew then, that his daughter was going to live.
Ling Xian proudly looked around. Everyone’s head was down and nobody could look him in the eyes.
“Who objects now?”
No answer.
Everyone knew that when the Burning flame of Purity was involved, even First Realm poison can be easily reversed.
Who could have objections now? Who dared to have objections now?
Ling Xian had no intention to let them go this easily. He stared down at Wang Chen with a bright smile on his lips.
“You were the one that said I only have a bluffing tongue right?”
Wang Chen panicked a little. He explained, “I admit that I was wrong. However, please do not insult me beyond my limitation. I am not someone that can be easily bullied.”
“Insulting you beyond your limit?” Ling Xian shooked his head and laughed.
“You wanted me to prove myself. If the Burning Flame of Impurity is not enough to justify my place in the alchemy community, then let me show you what I am capable of with my spiritual mana.”
Ling Xian’s eyes glazed over, and majestic and powerful spirits permeated out of his body. As if the ancient Buddha was awakened, the earth shook with great vigor.
Inescapable and unavoidable, everyone’s face turned even paler as their bodies shook uncontrollably with fear. The overpowering spirits he emitted forced everyone to give up their defense and abandon their pride.
Roar!
His spirit howled like a wild animal. It clutched onto the group of alchemists and pounded on them until all of them were kneeling on the ground, spitting out blood.
Ye Xiao Tian himself was displaying signs of fear. Despite him being in the core-building stage of training, he felt a little taken-back. He was only feeling fine because Ling Xian did not target him. If he did, Ye Xiao Tian would definitely be joining the group of alchemists who were puking out blood.
“Such powerful spirits… You… you are a Fifth Realm Alchemist?”
An elderly alchemist stared at Ling Xian fearfully and stuttered out this question.
At once, the central hall again fell into dead silence.
Wang Chen himself fainted from shock.