I alone am the Honoured One! - Chapter 777

Chapter 777: Unacceptable [1]
Walking out of the examination hall, Qi Nue clutched her badge tightly in her hand as she looked at it proudly.

A bit later, Zhao Tian stepped out and walked to her “Sister Nue.”

Qi Nue turned around to look at him with a big smile on her face “Little brother.”

“Congratulations.”

Keeping her smile, she showed him the badge “See, I passed.. I passed.”

Zhao Tian chuckled lightly, nodding. “You didn’t just pass. You impressed everyone. That pill was nearly perfect.”

She smiled even brighter and leaned closer to him “I am dedicating this badge to you.”

Before he could reply, a sudden yell shattered the gentle atmosphere.

“Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!”

Both turned toward the source.

A tall man in deep crimson robes walked into the courtyard, his face fuming with anger.

A badge with the symbol of a Sun-Ember Furnace hung from his chest, a high-ranking figure within the Alchemy Pavilion’s upper echelons.

Gasps rose from several other examinees and attendants as they noticed who it was.

Even some judges in the distance turned with horrified expressions.

The man stormed toward the judges who had exited moments earlier and stood near the edge of the courtyard.

“You allowed some outsider to oversee an official alchemical examination?”

The judges stiffened.

The female judge stepped forward calmly, “Elder Yong Wu, Mister Zhao Tian was acting as an observer… an honorary one at that.”

Elder Yong Wu’s gaze narrowed “Honorary? He has no official certification! No Alchemist’s Seal! He isn’t even a registered practitioner in our Pavilion’s rolls! What authority does he have to present Flame Forger badges, much less participate in evaluations?”

Murmurs spread through the courtyard like wildfire.

Some disciples looked toward Zhao Tian in confusion.

The female judge’s gaze flickered to Zhao Tian “But.. it is Mister Zhao Tian, I think he has every right to-”

“No… how could you allow some random people to oversee an examination like this?”

“He can be whoever, even the Emperor himself… but how can someone who doesn’t even have basic knowledge of alchemy sit there and oversee an examination?”

Some nodded faintly, cowed by his status, while others simply looked between Zhao Tian and the elder, waiting for the storm to break.

The female judge stayed silent for this and lowered her head.

Seeing this, Zhao Tian’s gaze narrowed slightly, but before he could say anything, Qi Nue stepped forward “You old man, how dare you belittle Tian?”

Elder Yong Wu turned his head and looked at Qi Nue “Little girl, what do you want?”

Qi Nue looked at Zhao Tian and then at the Elder “Zhao Tian is more qualified than half of the elders here to oversea a Flame Forger examination.”

Yong Wu glanced at Zhao Tian “Huh? So you are that guy huh?”

He slowly folded his arms across his chest. “You look barely older than a fresh disciple… and already, you’re more qualified than the elders of this Pavilion?”

He scoffed, shaking his head in exaggerated disbelief. “These new generations, so full of pride and delusion.”

Qi Nue gripped her fist, her fingernails digging into her palm “Yes, he is. He is even more qualified than you.. you fatass old man.”

The entire courtyard went silent.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

Apprentices gasped audibly, and some judges’ jaws dropped in shock.

Seeing this, Zhao Tian let out a soft sigh and stepped forward, standing beside Qi Nue.

The Elder’s anger fumed hearing her words “You little girl.. HOW DARE YOU…”

Qi Nue didn’t flinch and replied equally “And you dare insult someone who’s saved more lives than you’ve refined pills in the last decade?”

Seeing the situation spiraling, Zhao Tian muttered “There’s no need to raise your voice. If you believe I’m unqualified, then prove it. Let our flames decide.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Nue smirked in her heart proudly and hugged Zhao Tian’s arm ‘That’s my little brother…’

Zhao Tian just smiled in his heart; He didn’t really want to challenge the elder, not really. He had given the challenge because the situation demanded it.

Since Qi Nue has already gone deep into it, how can he back away now?

He can only support her.

Hearing the bold challenge, Yong Wu let out a thunderous laugh, “You… challenging me to a pill-refining contest?!”

“Boy, do you even know who you’re speaking to?! I am an Empyrean Deity, crown elder of this Pavilion! I’ve refined over a thousand Radiant-grade pills in my life.”

The onlookers were also surprised.

“Did… did he just challenge Elder Yong Wu?”

“Is he mad?”

“I know he is really a powerful person, but this is alchemy… he can’t brute force through it.”

Zhao Tian smiled slightly “Then it shouldn’t be difficult for someone of your caliber… to defeat someone so young and unqualified, right?”

The words landed like a slap.

A murmur spread like wildfire across the gathered crowd.

Even the other judges exchanged glances, unsure if they should intervene or watch it unfold.

One of the Pavilion’s head coordinators, who was watching from the sides, stepped forward. “Enough,” he said, raising a hand.

“Since both parties are willing…”

He looked to Yong Wu. “…you wouldn’t dishonor the Pavilion by backing down from a challenge, would you, Elder?”

Yong Wu’s eyes twitched.

“…Hmph. Very well.” He turned toward the raised platform at the side of the courtyard. “Let’s end this farce. I’ll crush this brat’s pride and toss it into the ashes.”

Qi Nue’s grin widened as she watched them both walk toward the pill refinement stage “I can’t wait to see his face when he loses to Tian.”

A few moments passed, and two identical cauldrons were placed side by side, set atop reinforced alchemy pedestals.

A crowd had already gathered in a semi-circle, murmuring with each other.

Looking at the cauldron, Zhao Tian sighed in his heart.

He didn’t raise the challenge blindly; he knows his opponent is an alchemist with an Empyrean Deity badge.

His own flames may lack the destructive force of an Empyrean flame, but the purity of his flames is the same as an Empyrean flame.

Till now, the only thing that restricted him from creating high-grade pills was his own cultivation.

But now, with his recent breakthrough, he has a stronger cultivation base than before.

And in the past three months, he did a crash course on alchemy…

His knowledge and experience in alchemy might be shallow compared to his opponent.

But his physique and the purity of his flames are superior.

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!