Chapter 133: The Challenge

Anthony had heard of Luo Lin. In his impression, this was a guy whose early cultivation speed had rivaled Victoria’s, only to later fade into mediocrity. Previously, he had no interest in him, but things were different now, as the girl he adored seemed to harbor a shred of affection for this very person.

Facing Anthony’s burning gaze, Luo Lin nodded, sizing him up in return. As Thomas’s disciple and the most promising candidate for the next head of the Alchemist Guild, Anthony gave off three impressions: first, he was handsome; second, he was arrogant; and third, his strength was a match for that arrogance!

Hearing the affirmative response, the corners of Anthony’s mouth curled slightly as he spoke, enunciating every word: "Luo Lin, here is a piece of advice: regardless of whether you are a peerless genius or a useless waste, from today on, you had best keep your distance from Victoria!"

"And what if I refuse?" Luo Lin had not taken Bill’s comments about his sister to heart, but hearing Anthony threaten him now sparked a fierce sense of rebellion within him.

Anthony seemed surprised by the reply. He scrutinized Luo Lin once more before sneering, "You are welcome to try, but you will regret it!"

"Anthony, stop your arrogant blathering!" Bill snorted.

Though Ma Le and Gebazi were feeling rather wounded inside, seeing Anthony’s attitude, they couldn't help but step forward. "If you want to make a move on our Fourth Brother, you’ll have to get through us first!"

Anthony seemed not to hear them. He looked tenderly at the beautiful woman behind him. "Victoria, it seems today is a bit inconvenient. Let’s talk properly another time." Without another glance at Luo Lin and his companions, he led his entourage toward an opening in the crowd.

As the heroic and stunning woman behind him passed by, Ma Le suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Princess Nancy, why are you acting like a shadow again, trailing after this pretty boy?"

Hearing Ma Le’s crude words, Princess Nancy glared at him fiercely and snapped, "You fat oaf, you didn’t even manage to act as a shield just now, and yet you have the nerve to lecture me!" Leaving that jab behind, she ignored the rolling eyes of the furious Ma Le and followed Anthony, leaving a trail of fragrant scent in her wake.

"Princess Nancy really has quite the personality!" Bill murmured, watching her depart.

"Damn it, Third Brother, you haven't fallen for this little brat, have you?" Ma Le’s beady eyes widened.

"Uh... no, no. Let’s go," Bill stammered.

Although he said as much, those around him knew him too well; it was clear he didn't mean a word of it. However, no one pointed it out, and the group soon found a less crowded spot to stand.

Just then, a wild, arrogant laugh rang out. "Hahaha... is the Light Alliance really so devoid of talent that even drawing a four-star high-level alchemy array is as slow as a tortoise?"

Luo Lin focused his gaze on the clearing ahead, where two sets of a dozen alchemy stone tables were arranged. The speaker was a man in black. On his side of the stone tables, six alchemy arrays were glowing, while only four were lit on the opposing side. A middle-aged man walked away from the tables, his face flushed with shame as he ducked into the crowd.

At this moment, Simone’s voice reached Luo Lin’s ears. "That man in black is an alchemist from the Dark Alliance. The challenge he set is to see who can draw the most alchemy arrays within half an hour. This guy has a profound understanding of alchemy arrays. The six he just drew are far from his limit; when he competed against me, he drew eight at once, and I suspect he wasn't even using his full strength!"

Luo Lin nodded, his eyes flashing. He noticed a dozen or so others dressed similarly to the man in black standing nearby. Among them were two figures who stood out, and when he recognized them, his gaze sharpened—they were Simone and Karina.

"I didn't expect this Trieshi to not only be with the Dark Alliance but also to be acquainted with these alchemists," Ma Le remarked.

Gebazi glanced at Trieshi and said, "Trieshi’s family is among the top ranks in the Dark Alliance, and since he is an alchemist himself, it’s no surprise he has ties to these alchemists."

The group nodded. Seeing Luo Lin’s eyes fixed on Trieshi and Karina, Bill advised, "Fourth Brother, Karina’s actions aren't worth your anger. There are plenty of women in the world!"

Luo Lin let out a long breath. "Third Brother, you underestimate me. Seeing them together, I feel nothing. From the moment she left, she and I were people from two different worlds."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Victoria, standing beside Luo Lin, felt a strange sweetness in her heart, and the lingering unpleasantness from her encounter with Anthony vanished without a trace.

At that moment, the man in black’s arrogant voice boomed again. "Earlier, a kid named Simone—the son of the deputy head of your Light Alliance’s Alchemist Guild—only managed five arrays in half an hour. The two nobodies who followed were even worse. Tell me, is there any decent alchemist in your Light Alliance willing to challenge me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, angry shouts erupted from the crowd. Most of the people present were from the Light Alliance, and they were incensed by such insolence. Simone spat on the ground and grumbled, "Damn him!"

Ignoring the outrage, the man in black sneered, "If you aren't convinced, come up here. I, Leiton, will be happy to play with you!"

Although his words were arrogant, everyone had just witnessed his prowess. Simone and the others were among the best of their peers, yet Leiton had defeated them with ease. Assessing their own abilities, no one felt confident enough to accept the challenge.

Seeing this, Leiton curled his lip. "Since none of you dare to step up, I’ll call someone out by name. I’ve heard you have an alchemist named Anthony, a disciple of the guild head. Legend says his alchemy is mysterious and unpredictable, and he is hailed as the number one young alchemist of the Light Alliance. I would like to learn from him. Is Anthony here?"

Nearby, Anthony heard his name. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and he was about to step forward when Princess Nancy grabbed his arm and shook her head.

Trieshi was feeling incredibly satisfied. His Dark Alliance friends were envious of him for having such a quiet and sweet girlfriend as Karina, which made him feel quite smug. He squeezed Karina’s hand tighter, but at that moment, he spotted a few people entering the opposite crowd, one of whom was his old rival, Luo Lin.

Seeing him, a shadow flickered across Trieshi’s face. He leaned over and whispered to a yellow-haired man in black, "Gavin, look at that guy with short black hair—that’s Luo Lin. According to Karina, his alchemy is quite remarkable. You should have Leiton challenge him!"

Gavin glanced at Luo Lin and scoffed, "He’s just a brat. What kind of skill could he possibly have?"

"G-Gavin, don't underestimate Luo Lin," Karina hesitated. "Three or four years ago, he was already capable of concocting four-star high-level potions, and his alchemy was highly regarded by a deputy head of the Alchemist Guild." Though she felt uneasy standing with the Dark Alliance while being a member of the Light Alliance, Trieshi’s presence gave her some comfort.

"Fine, I’ll tell Leiton!" Gavin walked toward Leiton. As he moved away from Karina, he sneered to himself, "Slut. You’ve only been apart from your ex-boyfriend for a short while, and you’re already trying to deal with him like this. It seems you’re not a good person either. I’ll have to have a word with Brother Trieshi about this later."

Leiton, having received the word from Gavin, changed his tone. "Since Anthony doesn't dare to step up and face me, I’ve heard of another person whose alchemy is supposedly quite formidable. His name is—Luo Lin!"