The jealousy in Lu Xianming’s eyes became even more p.r.o.nounced.
He could only ever dream of becoming a Five-Star Alchemist. Furthermore, with this comparison, the gulf between himself and Ling Han was practically overwhelming.
…He had taken the initiative to seek out Ma Tongguang, curried favor with him, and the latter still treated him uncaringly. In the end, he was finally accepted, and he was allowed to perform duties like a doorman. Though this was slightly humiliating, it had ultimately won him a chance to go to the Western Celestial Realm. Furthermore, if others wanted to seek an audience with Ma Tongguang, they would need Lu Xianming to announce them, and they, too, would have to curry favor with him, which brought back to him the feeling of superiority that he had dearly missed.
But in Ling Han’s case?
Ma Tongguang was the one to invite him himself. Furthermore, he had even promised that the other party would definitely become a Four-Star Grandmaster, and there was hope of advancing to Five Stars!
Lu Xianming’s hands balled into tight fists at this. In fact, even his nails had sunk deeply into his flesh. He had no choice but to lower his head, or he feared that he would lose control of the flames burning fiercely in his eyes, causing others to mock and jeer at him.
Ling Han showed an expression of understanding. The other side had gone around in a circle, but his true purpose was still to return to the topic that they had begun with.
…Ma Tongguang wanted to gain authority over Alchemy City.
As for the reason why a person of the Western Celestial Realm would be interested in the Alchemy City of the Eastern Celestial Realm, Ling Han could not guess.
However, a mere Three-Star Alchemist actually dared to boast so shamelessly?
‘Heh.’
Ling Han shook his head, and said, “I appreciate it, but I have never had the habit of being someone’s helper. That was the case in the past, it is the same now, and it will not change in the future, either.”
Ma Tongguang looked at Ling Han, a smile curving up his lips as he said, “I am sure you will regret this.”
“I have only come to tell you that it is about time to set out to the Yang Soul Ocean, but as for other issues… you had best not think too far ahead,” Ling Han said evenly, clear displeasure evident in his tone.
Ma Tongguang slowly nodded. “I am already prepared, and can set out any time. However, I wish to ask for someone from you, Brother Ling.”
“Hmm?”
“And that is this Brother Lu.” Ma Tongguang pointed at Lu Xianming. “Brother Lu and I have become friends at first sight, and I plan to invite him to the Western Celestial Realm as a guest, so I hope Brother Ling would allow it.”
Ling Han couldn’t help but smile, and said, “Alchemy City has never clasped shackles on any of our alchemists. Every single person is free, so why should my approval be sought? Whether he is willing or not to leave with Brother Ma is his own personal affair, and none of my concern.”
“Since Brother Ling does not disagree, that is good,” Ma Tongguang said smilingly. “Then, my heart can rest at ease.”
“We set out 10 days later,” Ling Han said these last words, and left.
“Young Master Ma, I was right, wasn’t I? Ling Han is an incredibly arrogant man, and would not accept Young Master Ma’s invitation.” Lu Xianming approached, looking very much like a nasty character.
Ma Tongguang showed a smile filled with utter pride. “Believe me. Whoever I set my eye on, there is not one of them that will not ultimately submit to me!”
Lu Xianming quickly nodded, but he did not agree internally. His understanding of Ling Han far surpa.s.sed Ma Tongguang’s. If Ling Han had really been someone that could so easily be bribed or submit to another, then Ling Han wouldn’t have possibly reached such a high station by now.
He did not have the slightest intention of pointing this out. Firstly, even if he did, Ma Tongguang might not believe him, either, and secondly, he hoped more for Ling Han and Ma Tongguang to turn against one another instead of the latter taking the former as a subordinate—what position would he be in by then?
***
Ling Han returned to his quarters. When he told the Empress and the others about Ma Tongguang, the women were all raging furiously. Who did this guy think he was, to actually dare to want their husband as his subordinate?
“Niu will go destroy him!” Hu Niu rolled up her sleeves, blazing with killing intent.
Ling Han held the little girl back. This little girl was rash and bustling, and was definitely not joking around when she said she would kill someone.
“Even if you want to commit murder, you can’t do it here,” he said, actually quite devious himself.
Hu Niu immediately understood. “After we go to the Yang Soul Ocean, we’ll kill this guy!”
Ling Han only smiled in response. If Ma Tongguang was really so insensible, and so determined to court his own death, he would not mind sending him off to the afterlife. However, if others did not come to trifle with him, he would not kill others out of boredom, either. This was not a matter that brought him pleasure.
They made some slight preparations, and 10 days later, Ling Han went to inform Ma Tongguang that they could set out.
It was definitely not just Ling Han and Ma Tongguang that would be going off on this trip to the Yang Soul Ocean. There were a considerable number of people who had waited more than 100 million years, all for the sole purpose of this opening of the Yang Soul Ocean—indeed, there were other places that had Yang Soul Oceans, but there was basically no one that would dare travel across such a far distance. Who knew, they could die on their way there, so what was the point then?
100 million years, for a peak stage Severing Mundane Tier elite, was really no big deal. They just had to wait a bit of time, and it would be over before they knew it. Anyone could afford the wait.
Unless it was that kind of old monster that had pa.s.sed hundreds of billions, or even thousands of billions of years in the Severing Mundane Tier, and had endured enough suffering from the Immortal’s Tribulation. Then, they definitely would be constantly antic.i.p.ating the opening of the Yang Soul Ocean, which could give them the hope of extending their lifespan.
“Brother Ling, we meet again.” MMa Tongguang appeared, his hands crossed behind his back. LLu Xianming followed closely behind him. This ex-Holy Son’s head was slightly lowered, his demeanor extremely humble, and he had gotten completely adapted to his ident.i.ty—that of a lackey.
Ling Han nodded, and said, “Let’s set out then.”
Ma Tongguang showed a cold smirk. He was already throwing out commands? Did he really think that there was anything so impressive about being the Holy Son of Alchemy City?
‘Would you believe that I can suppress you with one hand?’
Ma Tongguang looked down very much on the people of the Eastern Celestial Realm, not only in terms of alchemy, but also cultivation.
That was because not only was he a prodigy of alchemy, he was also a prodigy of cultivation. He had delivered the fifth severance, and was a monarch tier among cultivators.
Monarch tiers, to say nothing of the fact that there were pitifully few of them in the Eastern Celestial Realm, there were only a limited number of them even in the Western Celestial Realm. There would only be a dozen or so in a single Heaven, and some greater Heavens would have slightly more, but there would only be 100 at most.
It should be known: just how many years and how many generations had they been acc.u.mulated over?
How big was the population of the Celestial Realm? Even with this, the total number of monarch tiers that could be produced would not exceed 1,000—this was referring to a single time period because some monarch tiers had already advanced into the Dividing Soul Tier, Immortal Palace Tier, or even Ascending Origin Tier and Celestial King Tier.
In a tiny place like Alchemy City, he, as a fifth severance monarch tier, was naturally invincible, and what Severing Mundane Tier emperor tier could sustain a single blow from him?
‘In the future, you will come to understand just how vast the gap is between you and me.’
Ma Tongguang’s eyes drifted, and when they swept over the Empress, Hu Niu, and Bewitching Maiden Rou, his pupils dilated involuntarily, and he looked stunned.
These three women were truly beautiful, with exquisiteness that he had never glimpsed before!
But such delicate beauties were actually all Ling Han’s women?
Ma Tongguang was stunned, but at the same time filled with envy towards Ling Han. Even if he cultivated both martial arts and alchemy, and who knew how many top-tier beauties would willingly throw themselves into his arms usually, none of them could match any single one of these three women.
It looked like… he definitely had to subdue Ling Han. By then, he only had to slightly show a sliver of opinion, and Ling Han would take the initiative to present these three women to him.
As Ma Tongguang thought this, an involuntary smile curled up the corners of his lips, making him look very vulgar.