Elder Qin said with a wry smile, "Teaching you isn’t an issue, of course. However, to become an Alchemist, you must possess..."

"Martial Soul Fire."

Chu Qingyun finished Elder Qin’s sentence for him. As he spoke, a crimson flame erupted, which Chu Qingyun cradled in his palm as it burned fiercely.

One didn’t need to summon a Tier Four Martial Soul to use its Martial Soul Power, as long as their control was strong enough or their cultivation Realm was sufficiently high.

All one had to do was connect their mind to the Martial Soul within their Qi Sea.

Seeing the flame in Chu Qingyun’s hand, Elder Qin was instantly stunned. He was so shocked his jaw hung open.

As a Spirit Level Alchemist at the peak of the Earth Spirit Realm, he could naturally tell that the flame in Chu Qingyun’s hand wasn’t from a Soul Technique, nor was it generated by some martial art. It was a true flame, born from the Martial Soul Power of a Tier Four Martial Soul!

"Martial Soul Fire... It’s really Martial Soul Fire! I’ve never seen a Martial Soul Fire this pure in my entire life..." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Elder Qin was so astonished that he shakily rose from his recliner.

Qin Ya was also astonished. "Chu Qingyun, I remember your Martial Soul was the Tier Three Ten-Star Vine, wasn’t it? How is it Tier Four now? And where did the flames come from?"

"Ya! Don’t ask questions like that. Every Martial Artist has their secrets," Elder Qin said, his tone stern.

"But I’m just curious..."

Qin Ya pouted, looking at Chu Qingyun with a hint of grievance.

Chu Qingyun chuckled. "Elder Qin, since I plan to learn Alchemy from you, I have no intention of hiding things from you. The truth is, my Martial Soul is a mutated Tier Four Martial Soul: the Flame Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Soul."

Chu Qingyun recited the cover story he had prepared in advance.

As he spoke, with a thought, he simultaneously manifested his Flame Martial Soul and his Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Martial Soul. A two-meter-tall Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Martial Soul appeared behind him, its ten vines wreathed in flames.

"With my level of control, I can easily disguise it."

As he spoke, Chu Qingyun withdrew his Flame Martial Soul, leaving only the Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Martial Soul behind. Then, with another thought, he made it shrink to the size of a fist and cradled it in his hand.

Next, he controlled the Martial Soul to retract five of its vines, turning it into a Five-Star Vine. He also suppressed its aura, making it seem like a Tier Three Martial Soul.

Elder Qin and Qin Ya were once again stunned by the sight.

They had seen Martial Artists control their Soul Techniques, but they had never seen anyone control the very form of their Martial Soul. It was simply unbelievable!

"Y-You have a Tier Four Martial Soul! Why would you hide it?" After snapping out of her daze, Qin Ya couldn’t help but ask.

"Well... I have my reasons."

Chu Qingyun hesitated, looking helpless. The "reason" was simple: he hadn’t prepared an answer for that question in advance.

"Heh heh. ’The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be broken by the wind.’ I’ve heard Young Master Chu is a genius who came from a small mountain village. To know how to hide one’s true strength... now that is true wisdom. Haha..."

Elder Qin said with a hearty laugh, his gaze on Chu Qingyun growing more and more satisfied.

Chu Qingyun rubbed his nose and nodded along, silently accepting the explanation.

"Grandpa, didn’t you say that control over Martial Soul Power is a crucial fundamental for an Alchemist? Chu Qingyun can even control the form of his Martial Soul, so his control over its power must be even better! You should teach him Alchemy!" Qin Ya said to Elder Qin, her eyes shining.

Their interests were now aligned.

The stronger Chu Qingyun became, the better a backer he would be for her. After Elder Qin passed away, he could help her maintain the stability of the Qin Family and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower.

However, Elder Qin thought for a moment before shaking his head. He looked at Chu Qingyun and said, "Young Master Chu, to be perfectly honest, I am merely a self-taught Alchemist who came into the art late in life. Your control over Martial Soul Power is far beyond ordinary, which proves that your Soul Power must be incredibly strong. That is your natural gift, and I don’t want to teach you haphazardly and hinder your potential."

"Grandpa, what are you talking about? If you don’t teach him, are you suggesting he should go find Ye Tianyao?" Qin Ya said anxiously.

Chu Qingyun, however, just smiled and said, "Miss Ya, please don’t worry. If Elder Qin is saying this, he must have a plan."

Hearing this, Elder Qin smiled and nodded. "Ya, you’ve always been curious about where your grandfather learned Alchemy, haven’t you? Today, I’ll tell you both..."

When Elder Qin was a young man, he had accidentally stumbled into an Array within the County City. There, he encountered the Residual Soul of an incredibly powerful Alchemist who had lived long ago.

The Residual Soul saw that he possessed a Tier Four Martial Soul with fire affinity and gave him a trial. Unfortunately, despite having a Tier Four Martial Soul, Elder Qin’s performance was terrible.

Even though he failed, the Residual Soul didn’t let him leave empty-handed. It gave him some of the fundamentals of Alchemy and a few simple Pill Formulas before kicking him out of the Array.

From then on, relying on those fundamentals and the few Pill Formulas, Elder Qin began to delve into the Alchemy Dao. He slowly accumulated experience until he became a Spirit Level Alchemist. Later, using his skills, he started from nothing and founded the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, the number one mercantile house in Lianshan County.

"Heh heh. Now that I’ve said all this, I’m sure you both understand."

"Young Master Chu, that senior’s Residual Soul remains within the Array, undoubtedly searching for a worthy successor. I received a great kindness from that senior, and I naturally wish to repay it in some small way."

"If your talent were merely average, there’d be no point in wasting the effort, and I would simply teach you everything I know. However, since this opportunity exists, it would be best for you to try your luck."

"The secret passage to that Array is right here in my room. After I made my fortune, I bought up this entire plot of land and built this estate..."

With that, Elder Qin led Qin Ya and Chu Qingyun into his room.

After he pressed a hidden panel on the wall, a mechanism in the room was triggered. With a low grinding sound, two stone slabs in the floor slid apart, revealing a sloping secret passage that led deep underground.

"Young Master Chu, just follow this path and it will lead you into the Array. If you have the honor of meeting that senior, please give him my regards."

Chu Qingyun nodded. Gathering a ball of Primordial Power in his hand to act as a light, he stepped into the secret passage.

He wasn’t worried about traps. His current relationship with the Qin Family was one of mutual benefit; cooperation was profitable for both sides, while a falling-out would be detrimental to both. They had no reason to do something that would harm him without any gain for themselves.

Moreover, he had come to the Qin Family residence openly and aboveboard.

If he were to truly disappear here, the Qin Family would have a very difficult time answering to the Great Xia Dragon Guards.