Han Yu held the key in both hands like a holy relic. "Thanks, Master."
"I'm not your master," she snapped, walking away.
"You scold me like one."
"I will throw you into nettle fields."
He laughed, still holding the token and the scroll. The plan was clear now:
If they wanted to make him kneel, he'd make them bow first.
Some time later...
The sky above Alchemy Peak was a blazing silver-blue, clear and unclouded—the kind of day where everything seemed to shimmer with potential.
The banners of the peak fluttered along the walkways, and incense burners released streams of fragrant smoke that curled through the air like winding dragons. Disciples from all ranks, not just of the Alchemy Peak but from across the sect, had gathered in droves for the Optional Alchemy Excellence Test.
