Two days later, the three major families, including the Wang Family, reached an agreement to jointly expel the Crystal Palace cultivators from the Three Families Island. At the same time, Enlightened Master Bi and the other two Enlightened Masters represented the Northern Alliance to announce that the Crystal Palace was not welcome in the Northern Alliance's sphere of influence. They requested the Crystal Palace cultivators to return to their own sects immediately.
The Crystal Palace's thirty-six people team, which was originally made up of Late Blood Condensation cultivators, was not weak, but there was no concrete evidence to prove that the Crystal Palace cultivators had anything to do with the trade fair. However, they did not dare to violate the agreement made by the Enlightened Masters of the Three Families Island. Although these cultivators had repeatedly stressed that the trade fair had nothing to do with the Crystal Palace and pulled out the Crystal Palace's strong name, the cultivators of the Three Families Island had clearly determined that the Crystal Palace cultivators were plotting something on the Three Families Island. The Crystal Palace cultivators had no choice but to leave the Three Families Island and return to their own sects.
After the Crystal Palace retreated, the eldest son of the Wang Family, Wang Yishan, also left. It was said that he was recommended to become the personal disciple of a Enlightened Master of the Crystal Palace.
The situation on the Three Families Island changed. On the surface, the Wang Family was being suppressed, and the Northern Alliance declared its suzerainty. However, the Crystal Palace had planted a chess piece in the Northern Alliance through the Wang Family, extending their influence into the Northern Alliance's sphere of influence in another way.
At the same time, although the Wang Family was slightly weaker than the Zhang Family, it was not easy for the Zhang Family to occupy the Three Families Island with the support of the Northern Alliance. Therefore, the Li Family became the target of the Zhang Family. At the same time, the Northern Alliance also made a promise to the Li Family. Although the Li Family remained neutral in the Three Families Island as usual, they began to part ways with the Wang Family and secretly began to flirt with the Zhang Family. Their previous awkward position in the Three Families Island had been alleviated a lot.
The changes in the Three Families Island did not affect Lu Ping who was preparing to refine the Seven Step Marked Elixir.
Just as Lu Ping was about to go into seclusion to refine pills, he received another invitation from Li Maolin.
When Lu Ping arrived at the Li Clan's reception room, apart from Li Maolin and his daughter, there was also a female cultivator playing with a jade pendant in her hand. She looked at Lu Ping with a scrutinizing gaze.
Li Maolin pointed at the unfamiliar female cultivator and introduced her with a smile, "Brother Lu Jiu, this is the daughter of a good friend of the Old Man. Her name is Chu Ting. We haven't seen each other for decades. I didn't think that this niece of the Old Man would also be fated to receive the inheritance of an alchemist in her early years. Now, she can actually refine pills that are half a step into the Core Forging Stage. The Old Man is very pleased that his old friend has such a daughter!"
Lu Ping was startled. He bowed slightly and said, "I am Lu Jiu. Greetings, Miss Chu!"
Out of politeness, Chu Ting got up from her seat and greeted Lu Ping. After the two sat down, Li Maolin was about to say something, but Chu Ting spoke first, "I didn't expect Brother Lu to be able to refine pills that are half a step into the Core Forging Stage even though you have just reached the late Blood Condensation Stage. It's really admirable."
Lu Ping could tell that although this Miss Chu spoke politely, there was a trace of arrogance in her tone. She must be a cultivator of noble birth. He calmly replied, "I was just lucky. It's not worth mentioning!"
Chu Ting obviously didn't care about Lu Ping's perfunctory reply. She continued to ask, "May I ask what kind of pills Brother Lu has refined in the past?"
This was a bit rude. Lu Ping glanced at her and didn't answer.
Li Maolin quickly said, "The difficulty of refining a Seven Step Marked Pill is no less than an ordinary Core Forging Stage pill. Moreover, the spiritual herbs required to refine a Seven Step Marked Pill are extremely difficult to find. My Li Family has been collecting spiritual herbs for many years, but we barely managed to gather four furnaces. This matter concerns whether my daughter can successfully advance to the Core Forging Stage. The Old Man has to be cautious. Brother Lu will refine two furnaces, and Niece Chu Ting will refine the other two furnaces. Both of you only need to refine one Seven Step Marked Pill each. What do you think?"
Lu Ping naturally knew that the Li Family didn't trust him. After all, the Li Family invited him here based on their own guesses. Compared to the Li Family, the daughter of Li Maolin's old friend was obviously more trustworthy.
As an alchemist, Lu Ping naturally had his own pride. He quietly stood up and said, "Since Clan Master Li doesn't trust me and even invited a brilliant alchemist, I'll withdraw from the concoction. However, the recipe for the Seven Step Rune Pellet has already been memorized in my mind. Forgive me for not being able to return it."
Lu Ping's words were quite heavy. Li Maolin suddenly panicked. However, he was, after all, a Daoist Master. He immediately weighed the pros and cons. Once today's matter was spread out, he was afraid that in the future, no Alchemist would come to the Li Family.
Every single Alchemist was arrogant to death. At the same time, they were also extremely conservative and paranoid. If Lu Ping was directly driven away by Chu Ting today, in the eyes of the Alchemists, Lu Ping deserved to be humiliated because his skills were inferior. However, if the Li Family invited a brilliant Alchemist and they despised Lu Ping's alchemy skills, then not only would the Li Family become the enemy of the Alchemists, but Chu Ting would also be isolated by the Alchemists.
Chu Ting obviously wasn't familiar with these unspoken rules among the Alchemists. Although Li Maolin wasn't an Alchemist, with his hundreds of years of experience, he had obviously heard a lot about these unspoken rules. He hurriedly stood up and stopped Lu Ping, saying, "Brother Lu, please calm down. It's not that the Old Man doesn't trust Brother Lu. It's just that whether or not my daughter can advance to the Core Forging stage is of great importance. Brother Lu must have some understanding of the situation on the Three Families Island. The Li Family is weak. If we can't produce another Daoist Master, I'm afraid we won't be able to have a foothold on the Three Families Island."
Seeing Li Maolin like this, Lu Ping knew that a Daoist Master had given him enough face. Moreover, he had also taken the Seven Step Marked Pill's recipe. If he just left like this, it would be a bit dishonorable. So, he said, "Since Patriarch Li has said so, this Junior is not someone who doesn't know what's good for him. I will do my best."
Li Maolin was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered his servants to lead Lu Ping to the Alchemy Room. At the same time, he sent two furnaces of spirit herbs to refine the Seven Step Marked Pill.
After Lu Ping left, Li Xiuzhu asked in a puzzled tone, "Father, since Senior Sister Chu has already arrived, we can only speculate about this Lu Jiu's Alchemy skills. We haven't seen it with our own eyes. If he wants to leave, he can leave. Why did Father stop him? What if this person is just a deceiver? Wouldn't it be a pity to waste two furnaces of spirit herbs?"
Li Maolin shook his head and explained some of the Alchemist's rules one by one. Although he was explaining it to Li Xiuzhu, he was actually telling it to Chu Ting.
After Chu Ting heard everything, she placed the jade pendant on her waist and murmured, "No wonder Master repeatedly told niece to befriend an Alchemist no matter how good or bad his Alchemy skills are. Niece didn't think much of it, but it turns out this is the secret."
Li Maolin shook his head and said, "That person's Alchemy skills aren't necessarily bad. Ever since he came to the Three Families Island, the rogue cultivators in the market square often asked him for some spirit herbs. He answered all of them one by one. He has never encountered a spirit herb that he doesn't recognize. It's obvious that his Alchemy foundation is quite solid."
Chu Ting thought for a moment and said, "This Three Families Island is only a small area. I'm afraid there won't be any rare spirit herbs here. It shouldn't be too difficult for him to recognize all of them."
Although Chu Ting said so, the arrogance on her face had disappeared and was replaced by a trace of seriousness.
Li Maolin didn't pay attention to Chu Ting's words and continued, "Moreover, this person is very mysterious. I can't see through him. He should have a high-level Secret Technique that allows him to completely change his aura. Moreover, he might not be a Seventh Layer Blood Condensation Realm cultivator. Zhu 'er, I'm afraid you might not be his opponent."
When Li Xiuzhu heard his father's words, he said in disbelief, "How can that be? Doesn't that mean he's a Core Forging Realm cultivator?"
Li Maolin said seriously, "Nonsense! Zhu 'er, do you think you're invincible among the Blood Condensation Realm cultivators? I'm afraid even your Senior Martial Sister Chu isn't his opponent. "
Li Xiuzhu knew he had said the wrong thing, but he was still a little unconvinced. Chu Ting said thoughtfully, "Indeed. Junior Martial Sister Li, do you remember the cultivator number 57 from the trade fair? That person's strength is very high. I'm afraid even I am not his opponent. Originally, I thought that person must be a Core Forging Enlightened Master who sealed his cultivation. Now that I think about it, I feel that person is similar to Lu Jiu. No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity when I saw him. "
When Li Maolin heard this, he was shocked and asked in unison, "Is this true?"
Chu Ting shook her head and said, "I can't be sure, but it feels similar. That person was extremely cunning. He didn't leave any traces of himself behind. He was even able to break a spiritual sense imprint. Moreover, that person should be proficient in a concealment technique that lowers his cultivation. This is also the reason why I suspected he was a Core Forging Enlightened Master."
Li Maolin said, "It's a pity that I couldn't meet Martial Niece Chu at that time. Otherwise, that person wouldn't have taken advantage of the chaos to sneak into the crowd of survivors. Martial Niece, are you sure your identity hasn't been discovered by that person?"
Chu Ting thought for a moment and said, "I don't think so. The moment the cloak broke, I used the Cloud Shroud to conceal my appearance and aura. I don't think that person noticed me."
In the Li Clan's pill refining room.
Lu Ping had already made up his mind. Regardless of whether the Seven Step Marked Pill was successfully refined or not, he had to leave the Li Clan as soon as possible. Lu Ping didn't expect that the people involved in the underground trade fair attack were from the Li Clan. Moreover, that Chu Ting just now was cultivator 72 who fought with Lu Ping.
That day, Lu Ping and cultivator 72 fought twice. Although Lu Ping used the Qinghan Sword to cut the cultivator 72's cloak, the other party's reaction was very fast. In an instant, she covered her face with a layer of muslin, only allowing Lu Ping to know that she was a woman.
However, when Lu Ping saw Chu Ting, he saw that the jade pendant she was playing with was exactly the same as the one on cultivator 72's waist. Moreover, Lu Ping also smelled a serene and distant fragrance.
This fragrance was very familiar to Lu Ping. It was a rather elegant fragrance that cultivators would have after taking the Hundred Flower Pill. Although the Hundred Flower Pill's fragrance could be changed according to the cultivator's preferences, as an alchemist, he would naturally know whether the fragrance came from the Hundred Flower Pill or not. Moreover, Chu Ting's fragrance hadn't changed, it was exactly the same as the one emitted by cultivator 72.
The Cloud Shroud concealed one's appearance and aura, but it couldn't conceal a cultivator's body fragrance. This was probably what it meant to know a woman by smell!
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