227: Chapter 227 Just who is this friend?

After Great Master Changming finished speaking, the hall first fell into a deathly silence, followed by an outburst of irrepressible exclamations.

Hundreds of gazes were fixed directly on Zhou Tianchen. These gazes were mixed with shock, disbelief, awe, and a hint of indescribable confusion.

The expressions of the Earth-tier Alchemists in the front row were the most fascinating. The white-haired old woman who had just voiced her doubts now had her lips slightly parted, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.

She had been practicing Alchemy for thousands of years and considered herself quite knowledgeable in the art of refining Alchemical Fire. Yet, regarding the Yin and Yang Fusion that this young man had just performed, she had not even fully grasped it.

The Green Jade Cold Flame was as obedient as a living creature in Zhou Tianchen's hands. The image of the golden and green flames merging in his palm replayed repeatedly in her mind. With every replay, she felt as if her thousands of years of cultivation in the Dao had been in vain.

Changming Lingxi stood up directly from her cushion. Having followed her grandfather to study Alchemy since she was young, she knew better than anyone how difficult that Green Jade Cold Flame was to handle.

Back then, to subdue this cold flame, her grandfather had crouched at the edge of the Extreme Cold Ice Abyss for three whole years. After returning, he had spent decades refining it with countless Spirit Medicine before he could barely manage to control it at will.

Yet, this young man, who looked only a few years older than her, had casually lifted his hand to draw the cold flame away and effortlessly merged the Yin and Yang, something her grandfather had failed to achieve for decades.

She stared at Zhou Tianchen's profile. The usual sharpness in her almond eyes was replaced by shock. Her lips moved, but for the first time ever, she did not speak.

Lu Jinghan and Duan Xinghe remained in their seats, their expressions as calm as usual.

Lu Jinghan simply picked up his teacup and took a sip. His gaze swept over Zhou Tianchen and fell back onto the transformed Green Jade Cold Flame on the table, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a mundane trifle.

Duan Xinghe did not even lift his eyelids. He continued to hold his pitch-black longsword, his long fingers tapping against the hilt rhythmically.

Lu Jinghan had spent a long time with Zhou Tianchen and knew very well how deep his Junior Brother's attainments in Alchemy were—to a degree that even a Heaven-Tier Alchemist would praise.

Great Master Changming withdrew his finger from the Green Jade Cold Flame. The tiny Yin and Yang cycle at his fingertip was still slowly rotating. An unprecedented sense of clarity spread up through the Meridians of his arm, making him feel much more invigorated.

He took a deep look at Zhou Tianchen, did not inquire further about his Revered Master, nor did he say anything else. He simply stood up slowly and bowed to the people in the hall.

"Fellow Daoists, today's lecture ends here." His voice was still gentle, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.

"Three days from now, I will hold another session. By then, I will have integrated what I gained today and will discuss the Dao of refining Alchemical Fire with everyone again. As for those Fellow Daoists who have requests for me, please return in three days. I will certainly receive you one by one."

A low murmur of discussion immediately arose in the hall. Great Master Changming's lectures were always set in stone; there had never been a precedent for ending early.

Many Cultivators who had come from afar to seek Alchemy pills looked troubled. Some subconsciously took half a step forward, wanting to plead with Great Master Changming to stay a while longer.

But upon seeing Great Master Changming's eyes, which were still shining and immersed in some kind of Epiphany, they swallowed the words that had reached their lips.

An Opportunity that could make Great Master Changming end his lecture early was definitely not ordinary. Who would dare to court trouble at such a time?

Great Master Changming ignored the discussions in the hall. He turned to look at the four, including Zhou Tianchen, his tone even more polite than before: "Young friends, would you be willing to accompany me to the back hall for a chat?"

Zhou Tianchen looked back at Lu Jinghan, who nodded slightly, and the four of them stood up.

Great Master Changming gestured for them to proceed and personally led the way. Changming Lingxi followed at the end. When she passed by Sun Mingcheng, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

Sun Mingcheng was tugged until he stumbled. He turned back to meet the surging questioning look in a pair of almond eyes.

Changming Lingxi did not speak, but compressed a trace of extremely subtle Divine Sense fluctuation into a line and sent it precisely into his ear. Her tone was urgent and fast:

"Sun Mingcheng, what exactly is your friend's background? My grandfather's Green Jade Cold Flame is something even a Heaven-Tier Alchemist might not be able to tame, yet he casually fused the Yin and Yang dual attributes into it. This isn't something one can achieve just by talent. Which aristocratic family is he from? Or is he a direct Disciple of some Holy Land?"

Sun Mingcheng's ears went numb from her rapid-fire questioning. He smiled bitterly and replied via voice transmission:

"Miss Lingxi, don't be anxious. You will know in a moment. I can only tell you that this Young Master Zhou is not from the Central Plains. His Revered Master is an existence that even a Tribulation Transcender must treat with respect."

The hand Changming Lingxi was using to pull his sleeve stiffened slightly, and the questioning look in her almond eyes was replaced by surprise.

Although she did not ask further, her eyes were firmly fixed on Zhou Tianchen's back, her curiosity growing stronger.

Sun Mingcheng took the Opportunity to pull his sleeve from her hand and hurried to catch up with the group in front. As he walked, he secretly glanced at Zhou Tianchen, his heart also churning with turbulent waves.

Although he knew Zhou Tianchen was a Disciple of the Lord of Kunlun, he had always thought Zhou Tianchen was only formidable in combat.

Moreover, Sun Mingcheng did not know about Zhou Tianchen's deeds at the Medicine King Valley back then; otherwise, he would not have been so surprised.

The group passed through a moon gate, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

It was a quiet and elegant inner courtyard, paved with bluestone slabs. A few clumps of green bamboo were planted at the corner of the wall, rustling when a breeze blew past. The air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.

In the center of the courtyard, there were several stone tables and stools. A set of purple clay tea set was placed on the stone table, and wisps of white steam were still rising from the spout.

A maid wearing a green long dress was adding water to the teapot. Seeing Great Master Changming leading a group of strangers in, she hurriedly put down the tea spoon in her hand, bowed, and retreated to the side.

Great Master Changming sat down on the stone stool in the main seat and gestured for the four to take their seats.

The transformed Green Jade Cold Flame was still hovering beside him. The golden threads within the flame shimmered with a warm luster under the sunset, making his wrinkled face flicker between light and shadow.

He looked at the flame, remained silent for a long while, and then slowly turned to Zhou Tianchen, bowing solemnly: "I have been trapped at the Earth Rank Advanced level for hundreds of years. Today, having received your guidance, Young Friend, I have had a sudden realization. I will remember this kindness."

Zhou Tianchen quickly turned aside to avoid this bow and shook his head: "Senior, you are too kind."

"This Junior was merely sharing some insights on Alchemy that my Revered Master taught me daily. I do not deserve such a great bow from you. Senior, your Green Jade Cold Flame was already refined to be extremely pure with a solid Foundation. This Junior merely gave it a nudge. The true Breakthrough was due to the deep accumulation you have built up over decades."

Upon hearing this, a complex light flashed in Great Master Changming's eyes.

He straightened up and personally poured a cup of tea for each of the four. The emerald green tea soup rippled gently in the white porcelain cups. The fragrance of the tea was quiet and elegant; smelling it made one's mind calm down.