Rise of the Alchemy God

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The following day, at the Peng family manor, Ethan and Da Shu stood in a large hall before a group of seven people, three women and four men.

On one side of the hall, the patriarch of the Peng family observed.

Intrigued by Ethan's proposal, he had decided to personally attend the gathering.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Da Shu stepped forward and began the introductions:

"First of all, let me make the introductions," he said, pointing toward Ethan, who was currently in disguise.

"This is the alchemist who, in recent months, has helped our family sell the high-quality pills that have shaken the market of Sun City," he said, emphasizing key points to give a clearer picture of Ethan's identity.

The feats of Nuyu had yet to spread widely among the public of Sun City, and only members of the most powerful factions were aware of him.

Therefore, it was to be expected that these people did not know who he was.

The moment Da Shu mentioned that Ethan was a three-star alchemy master, everyone in the room, including the patriarch, was stunned by the revelation.

The patriarch, who had already recognized Ethan's extraordinary capabilities, almost spat out a mouthful of blood upon realizing the truth.

"So all this time, we've been benefiting from the assistance of a three-star alchemy master for free?"

Needless to say, the news of Ethan's apparent level of mastery shook everyone present to their core.

Watching their reactions, Ethan wondered how they would react if he revealed that being compared to a great master alchemist would not be an exaggeration.

But observing their current shock, he thought it might even cause heart attacks if he had said so, and therefore chose to keep his thoughts to himself.

The individuals summoned by Da Shu that day were all novice alchemists.

Some of them were mere apprentices, while the most skilled among them was only at the expert level.

Ethan had specifically requested at least one person from each tier because, depending on the alchemist's level, his teachings would have varying effects.

For instance, teaching the least skilled alchemist would be simpler in his eyes compared to instructing the most advanced one.

Because on one hand there was someone highly malleable, whose knowledge was still forming and required solidification, while on the other, there was someone whose knowledge was already solidified, making it challenging to alter within a short period.

This was because one would take his words at face value, while the other would analyze and compare them with their existing knowledge, which, although not negative, slowed the learning process.

That said, for his level of alchemy and with the help of some of his skills, Ethan believed it wouldn't be difficult to teach anyone present.

He had decided to spend at most a year organizing everything before going into seclusion to cultivate and believed this period was more than enough to transform all present into truly high-level alchemists.

His goal was to ensure that they achieved perfect mastery, allowing them to in turn train others, thus ensuring that the Peng family would have many more capable alchemists in the future.

The seven individuals summoned by Da Shu were not chosen at random but rather filtered based on criteria provided by Ethan, which he believed would identify those most suitable for his teachings.

While Ethan began his initial lessons for the Peng family alchemists, a significant event was unfolding in the capital of the empire.

In the imperial palace's conference hall, several figures sat around a large round table with a vacant space in the middle.

Starting with the emperor, seated in a chair visibly distinct from the others, the lineup extended to the right, where the master of the White Tiger Sect was seated.

He was a tall and robust man who didn't bother concealing his toned arms and bare chest, wearing an open, sleeveless shirt.

His face was angular, his deep gray eyes piercing, and a short beard adorned his chin. Long gray-white hair was tied back behind him.

Next to him was the master of the Qilin Sect, a man who could be described as the White Tiger Sect master's opposite.

Standing no taller than 180 cm, he had a leaner build and a more refined demeanor, with a clean-shaven face that made him appear no older than 30.

He, too, had long, thick black hair tied back. His gaze was calm, with a faint spark flickering in his dark violet-black eyes.

Finally, there was the only woman present at the table—Feng Huang, the current master of the Phoenix Sect and Ethan's mentor.

Apart from these three and the emperor, Prince Jian sat to the emperor's right.

The rulers of all three realms within the Long Empire were present, listening intently with concerned expressions as Long Hao spoke.

When the meeting was initially called following the alchemy tournament, many of them had doubts about the gathering's purpose.

Many assumed the emperor intended to discuss the being that emerged from the portal a few months ago.

However, when the day of the meeting arrived, they were shocked to see the emperor visibly injured, even missing an arm.

This sight alone made everyone realize the situation was far more severe than they had imagined.

After all, Long Hao was the most powerful expert of the fifth stage, and seeing him in this state could only mean that whatever he faced was at a level capable of threatening even him.

This fact alone made the situation dire, but what they heard next exceeded their expectations.

"Wait, are you saying the barrier has been breached?" said Jiang Zheng, the White Tiger Sect master.

"No, but it's weak enough to allow some of them to cross. In a decade or two at most, it will likely shatter completely," replied the emperor.

Clearly, this news did not lift anyone's spirits.

"Just a decade or two? That's not much time to prepare. If attacked in our current state, our chances of victory won't be high," said Lei Jun, the Qilin Sect master.

Everyone silently nodded at his remark.

They were all aware of the existence of the demon race and had spent centuries cultivating and strengthening their forces.

But if what the emperor said was true, they likely still didn't have enough strength to counter the other side.

"Is there any chance we can contact

them

?" Feng Huang asked.

Everyone in the room understood who she was referring to,

the rulers of the Beast Continent.

With their alliance, humanity's chances of resisting the demons would be far greater, something everyone in the room understood well.

"They are already aware of the situation on our continent.

From what I've learned, they've had no attacks from the demons, likely because we hold two of the three artifacts," said the emperor before pausing, reflecting on what his son had told him.

The discussion among the powers continued for a while longer, as they brainstormed how to make the most basic preparations.

At the same time, Ethan was engaged in a similar discussion with Bai Yu about the same topic.