"I don't understand, Sect Master. Why must we withdraw after we destroy the Bloodfiend Sect?"
The Sect Master's decision filled the inner elders with confusion. They could not comprehend why the Sect Master made such a decision, but they were unwilling to give up such a big that is the Valaran Kingdom.
Taking over the Valaran Kingdom meant access to more resources and a wider circle to scout for talented disciples to strengthen and expand their sect.
With such a temptation, how could they simply give up?
The Sect Master knew what they were thinking and snorted.
"Don't think for a second that the Valaran Kingdom is easy picking once the Bloodfiend Sect is removed from the picture. Do not let greed blind your judgment. Treasures are only good if you are alive to enjoy it."
Seeing that the inner elders were unconvinced and not comprehending his meaning, the Sect Master continued.
"Although we have learned to co-exist with the Ishaan Royal family and not control them, it is different for the Bloodfiend Sect and Illusory Butterfly Sect. The people of the Valaran Kingdom had been terrorized by the sect for so long that they formed a prejudice against sects, not to mention both sects had waged on the Crawford Kingdom. That is to say that if we do not pull out after assisting, it would be seen as us trying to reap the benefits of their efforts. Whatever favorable impression we are trying to build, would be lost, do you understand now?"
The inner elders scratched their bald heads with some realization.
Everyone at the round table was bald, tanned brown, topless, and packed with bulging muscles. This was the most distinctive trait of members of the Burning Heaven Sect, which was a result of training their bodies to the limits with the burning sands of the desert that occupied most of the Ishaan Kingdom.
Perhaps as a result of their extreme physical training, they had muscles for brains and were not able to see clearly as the Sect Master could.
Although none of them was a Transcendent due to the bottleneck of their poor cultivation method, each of them could stand their grown against a Transcendent in a fight. They could not win, but they would not lose either.
"Since no one no longer objects, start mobilizing the disciples immediately. We will hit them while they least expect it."
This time, the inner elders all silently agreed without complaint.
…
Capital.
The chaos within the Upper Districts was eventually quelled under everyone's united efforts. The disciples of the Bloodfiend Sect causing trouble in the Upper District were killed. After a quick count, Leon found that they had numbered over fifty people.
Fifty people who had been hidden inside the Upper District all this!
Leon felt grim but did not commence an immediate search for their hideouts.
The surface situation had stabilized for now but the same could not be said for the other cities. If all the people in the other cities were slaughtered, it would impact the whole Human Domain greatly.
A hint of urgency led him to visit the Royal Palace. The grave situation wasn't something he could resolve by himself.
"Grandpa Don!"
Leon immediately cried out the moment he saw the top Grandmaster Alchemist in the kingdom return to the palace from the sky.
Grandpa Don landed nearby after hearing his call.
"Brat, you're back."
The grandmaster was excited to see Leon for reasons unbeknownst to him.
"Where did you just go, Grandpa Don?" Leon immediately followed up with a question, finding it odd that the grandmaster didn't stay in the palace.
"I went to check out the city in the north. Why, what's the matter?"
"How is the situation there? Were there any disciples of the Bloodfiend Sect rampaging in the city?"
"Oh, there was, but they are all dead now." The grandmaster responded with a look of awe. The disciples of the Bloodfiend Sect had all died cleanly.
"As I expected, the Bloodfiend Sect was there." Leon nodded with a look of expectation, mistakenly believed that Grandpa Don was the one who wiped them out.
"Grandpa Don, I need your help. I suspect that every other city is facing the same situation. If we hurry, we might be able to save a few cities from a complete massacre." Leon continued with a grave look. He had already assumed that was the best they could hope for.
Grandpa Don realized the misunderstanding and shook his head. "There's no need for that. A hidden expert solved this problem for us. I just went to confirm that this was the case. All the disciples of Bloodfiend Sect had been dealt with by this person alone."
"A hidden expert?"
Leon was startled. It seems he had underestimated the Human Domain a tad too much.
A brief talk with Grandpa Don allowed him to learn more details on the matter. The hidden expert was a high-level Transcendent with great mastery over the Water Law, something he did not sense because he had reached to touch upon the Transcendent realm.
"By the way, brat. You need to do something about that disciple of yours. That little monster won't leave me alone." Grandpa Don said helplessly.
"My disciple…? Ah…"
Leon paused for a moment before he recalled that he did accept such a person under his tutelage.
However, the master had briefly forgotten about the disciple and the disciple did not seem to care about the master and went to seek someone else's teachings. This was probably the lousiest master-disciple relationship in the history of all worlds.
"Where is he now?" Leon asked.
"He is…"
"Grandmaster Don, there you are! I've been looking for you!"
Grandpa Don was about to answer, but a distant cry interrupted him, and his calm demeanor crumbled with embarrassment. "Ahem, anyway, do something about that little monster, and get him to stop bugging me, alright?"
Little did Leon know, the grandmaster alchemist had gotten his pill disciple to perform many pill refinement sessions in the name of guidance in the past 2 weeks, but in truth, the grandmaster alchemist had been the one to secretly learn from his disciple instead.
With little to teach, the grandmaster alchemist naturally resumed avoided the little monster. Don had once shouted the truth that he had nothing to teach, but the blockhead was not easily convinced.
Before Leon could say something, Grandpa Don had already legged it and disappeared from his view.
Leon was speechless.
"Grandmaster! Wait!" Reginald chased after.
"Stop! Aren't you going to greet your master?" Leon stopped him.
"Y-Your Highness."
Leon raised an eyebrow at this type of greeting. He quite liked Reginald's passion for alchemy and had a favorable impression, but it seems he had still rushed for a pill disciple a tad too much.
The disciple still doesn't seem convinced after all the knowledge he transmitted to the person.
"Call me master." Leon narrowed his eyes.
Reginald suddenly found himself under great pressure from the prince's stare and realized his appropriate form of address.
He was still not used to having someone only a few years older than him as the master as it was not normal. In fact, it was exceedingly rare.
Although it rings true that the proficient one is the teacher, but how many people can actually achieve great success in their profession without the cumulation of time and practice?
"Master." Reginald lowered his head with obedience, nevertheless.
Leon nodded satisfyingly. A rough jade that can still be carved.
"Don't chase after the grandmaster anymore and follow me."
"Yes, Master."
Reginald complied with cold sweat. He felt like an invisible pressure was suffocating him as he followed behind the prince's back.
In a spare pill refining room, Leon ordered with a stern face, "Show me the height of your progress. Refine a batch of All-Purpose Healing Pills and Golden Ointment for me to see."
Half an hour later, two sets of pills were refined with the spirit herbs Leon provided. He began giving guidance like a proper master when his disciple only produced Tier-1 spirit pills with mid-rank quality.
"The pill cauldron wasn't preheated enough…"
"You're spending too much time extracting the herbal essence, burning it in the process. This will lower the amount of herbal essence you can work with, alternatively lowering the quality of the final product…"
"You're being too careful with the merge process. You need to be swift and confident…"
After a round of preaching, Leon checked if Reginald understood. Receiving his disciple's affirmation, he said, "Good, do it again."
Leon took out another set of spirit herbs for his disciple to refine again.
After half an hour had passed, two sets of pills were presented in front of Leon. His disciple had corrected the minor mistakes he pointed out and the refined pills were the exact proof of that.
His disciple had not only succeeded in increasing the number of pills in a single batch of refinement to nine, there even a few high-rank quality pills in the batch.
"Good. Your hands are still a bit shaky, but the improvement is evident. Continue to practice at your own pace." Leon praised lightly.
"Thank you, Master!"
Reginald was inwardly shaken.
If he was unconvinced before, he was totally convinced now. His master possessed true skills. Just a few pointers were enough to raise the quality of his pill refinement.
His master had already given him the framework. He only needed to straighten out the rough edges.
"Alright, I have an assignment for you, my disciple."
"Please tell, Master," Reginald said with newfound respect.
Leon didn't say much and directly transmitted new knowledge and pill recipes to his disciple.
"These… These pills are… what kind of pills are these…"
The disciple was in disbelief as if he had just received something unbelievable. The pill recipes Leon transmitted were all related to divine cultivation.
They were namely, Spirit Enhancing Pills, Spirit Condensation Pills, and Core Strengthening Pills.
"You will know when you take the Spirit Enhancing Pills while practicing the Breathing Technique. Alright, I need you to refine as many of these pills as much as possible. I will pop by from time to time to check on your progress." Leon said.
"What about the shop, master?"
"It's been closed, right? Just continue leaving it closed for now. We will open it when we have a stockpile of the pills to sell."
After a brief pause, Leon also transmitted the first section of the original [Fiery God Manual].
"If you have time, practice according to this. It will help improve your fire control." Leon said.
These were all preparatory steps for the rejuvenation of authentic spirit energy in the world.
"Yes, Master!"
Reginald was completely mind blown. The things he kept receiving were otherworldly, and his respect, as well as his curiosity, were strengthened greatly.
"Very good. Make sure to refine lots, kay?"
After dumping out a truckload of spirit herbs into the room under his disciple's flabbergasted and jaw-dropping look, Leon grinned and left.
Reginald felt his scalps tingled at the mountain of herbs.
Alchemy was a money burning profession and no alchemists would ever complain about not having enough herbs to practice alchemy, but he was starting to feel that it was a mistake to accept the prince as his alchemy master.
It was clear to him that over the next few months, he would be doing nothing but refining pills on ends like a slave.
Was this his master's revenge?