Mr. Qiao looked impatient. "Zixuan, hurry up and ask everyone who's been to your place recently. The most powerful one-star formation mage on earth must be hidden among them."
Lin Zixuan shook her head. "Mr. Qiao, apart from the three people here now, the only other person who's been to my place is Horn. You just saw him."
Mr. Qiao frowned. "You mean the young boy on the terrace? He's barely twenty! How could he possibly perfect a one-star formation? Think again."
Wang Menglu, who had been listening, spoke up. "Dean Lin, it's impossible for Horn to be a formation master. He's focused on refining elixirs and can produce one-star elixirs without any loss of potency. He's the strongest one-star alchemist on Earth."
Lin Zixuan was aware of Horn's achievements. She knew he was a one-star alchemist in the Linzhou Alchemist Association and had already advanced to the early stage of the Sky Control Realm at just twenty-one. It was hard to believe he could also master formations, a path far more difficult than alchemy.
"Zixuan," Jiang Wan interjected, intrigued, "I didn't expect Linzhou to produce Earth's most powerful one-star alchemist. Why don't you call him over? I'd like to meet him."
Lin Zixuan couldn't think of anyone else who had been to her place. She sent a message to Horn, asking him to come to the front yard. Then she said to Mr. Qiao and Mr. Wei, "Let me think about it a bit more."
Horn, upstairs, was contemplating how to help Tang Yuxin improve her cultivation without damaging her foundation when he received Lin Zixuan's message. He walked down to the front yard.
Jiang Wan smiled at Horn as he approached. "Your name is Horn, right? Are you interested in joining our Tianhai Immortal Martial Academy?"
Before Horn could respond, Lin Zixuan snapped, "Jiang Wan, stop trying to poach him! Horn isn't going anywhere. Drop the idea."
Jiang Wan, still smiling, said, "Zixuan, I'm asking Horn, not you."
Mr. Wei cut in, "Girl from the Jiang family, enough. Don't interrupt Lin Zixuan's thoughts."
Jiang Wan, not daring to defy Mr. Wei, fell silent but remained curious about the identity of the mysterious one-star formation mage.
After a moment, Lin Zixuan tentatively asked Horn, "Has anyone else been here today? Did anyone touch the Spirit Gathering array I set up?"
Horn answered casually, "Yes, someone did."
Lin Zixuan's face lit up. "Who was it? Why were they here?"
Horn, who had never intended to hide the truth, answered calmly, "The one who modified your formation is right in front of you."
Mr. Qiao, Mr. Wei, and the others were stunned.
Lin Zixuan frowned. "Horn, stop joking. Who really helped me change the formation?"
Horn replied seriously, "Do you think I'm joking? I didn't like the one-star Spirit Gathering array you arranged, so I changed it. Are you satisfied with the result?"
Lin Zixuan hesitated, her mind racing. Tang Yuxin, noticing the tension, tugged at Horn's clothes, worried he might offend someone. She knew Mr. Qiao and Mr. Wei were respected figures in the formation world. Wang Menglu urged Horn, "Please apologize to these seniors. You're the strongest one-star alchemist, but it's impossible to master formations too."
Mr. Qiao coldly remarked, "Youthful arrogance is one thing, but don't treat us as fools!"
Mr. Wei added, "You're bringing shame to the alchemy world. No one can master both alchemy and formations simultaneously."
Horn responded calmly, "You've seen it today, haven't you?"
Mr. Wei's anger flared, and Jiang Wan, losing interest, snapped, "You should apologize immediately. You're insulting the art of formations. Zixuan, Mr. Qiao, and Mr. Wei are all formation masters. We won't allow anyone to mock this sacred path. Do you understand?"
Tang Yuxin clung to Horn, ready to stand by him even if it meant facing the wrath of the masters.
Horn, unfazed, replied, "It's just a one-star formation. If I perfected a two-star formation, would you doubt everything you know?"
Jiang Wan, incredulous, asked, "Do you mean to say you can perfect a two-star formation?"
Horn answered casually, "Yes. Perfecting a two-star formation isn't difficult."
Jiang Wan, now entirely dismissive of Horn, said coldly, "Alright, if you're so capable, show me an ultimate two-star formation right now. If you succeed, I'll warm your bed tonight. I, Jiang Wan, keep my word."
Her confidence was unwavering, convinced that Horn was merely boasting.