Boom!!
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the area.
"Long Tianyang!!"
A thunderous voice rang out as Long Tianli, the head of the Long family, arrived at the scene with incredible speed. His face was contorted with fury, while several family members followed behind him, their expressions weary and resigned—as if this sort of chaos had become routine.
"How much longer are you going to cause trouble, Long Tianyang?"
His stern voice reverberated across the area, his sharp gaze locked onto the source of the disturbance, awaiting an answer from the one responsible—who had yet to make an appearance.
From within the lingering haze of smoke, a young voice called out.
"Father! At last, after hundreds of attempts, I've done it! I've successfully concocted a pill!"
Emerging from the smoke was a boy of around fourteen or fifteen, his black hair messy and disheveled from the explosion. His face was smudged with soot, and his once-pristine white robes were now stained with burn marks. Yet, despite his ragged appearance, his eyes shone with unshakable pride.
"I tried every possible method until everything turned out just as I envisioned!" Long Tianyang declared, his voice filled with excitement as he strode toward his father.
"Tianyang, you say you succeeded? Well then, let me see it!"
"Here, Father!"
With unwavering confidence, Long Tianyang extended a small glass vial toward his father. Long Tianli took the vial, inspecting it closely. Even after sniffing its contents and examining its color, he couldn't determine what kind of medicine it was.
"Tianyang… what exactly is this?" Long Tianli asked, his tone laced with suspicion. As the husband of a renowned alchemist—Long Tianyang's mother—he possessed a fair amount of knowledge about herbs and medicinal pills, yet he had never encountered anything like this before.
At his father's question, Long Tianyang suddenly averted his gaze, looking somewhat awkward.
"This… is a laxative, Father!"
Silence.
Long Tianli froze. The surrounding family members, who had been listening in, also fell into a stunned silence.
"So… for the past two to three months, all those countless explosions… they were all for a laxative? A pill that hasn't even solidified properly?"
"Yes!!" Long Tianyang responded with absolute certainty.
A dark vein throbbed on Long Tianli's forehead as his expression twisted with barely restrained rage. A powerful aura began to emanate from his body, causing the air around him to grow heavy.
"T-Tianyang! There's no need to be so angry, right? Every novice alchemist has to start with basic medicines, don't they?"
"Yes. But I have never—never—seen a novice alchemist cause hundreds of explosions just to make a first-tier pill. And of all things… a laxative!"
"But I still succeeded, didn't I, Father?"
Long Tianyang mumbled sheepishly, turning his face away.
"This is what you call success?" Long Tianli scoffed. "The issue isn't that I don't recognize a laxative. It's that what you've created cannot even be classified as a proper laxative, let alone a low-tier medicinal pill!"
With that, Long Tianli stormed forward, his rage nearly boiling over. Long Tianyang, sensing imminent danger, quickly darted behind the family's steward, Wang Hu.
Wang Hu was the Long family's head steward, and though he held the position of a servant, his strength was second only to Long Tianli himself.
Raising both hands in a placating gesture, Wang Hu spoke in a calm voice.
"Master, please calm yourself. At the very least, the young master has halfway succeeded in his attempt. It's an achievement, considering he has tried hundreds of times."
"Hmph. Wang Hu, are you speaking from the heart?"
"Father! Uncle Wang would never lie! Isn't that right, Uncle Wang?"
Long Tianyang turned to Wang Hu, seeking reassurance. However, what he saw was a forced smile. Despite his words, Wang Hu's eyes betrayed his reluctance.
"Even you…?" Long Tianyang muttered, his face falling in disappointment.
"Sigh… Alright, enough of this. In three days, Tianyang will undergo his awakening ceremony. If he suffers any injuries before then, it might affect his potential."
Wang Hu turned to Long Tianli, his tone growing serious.
"Hmph… Fine. I don't want any unnecessary complications either."
"Good. Young Master, for now, please rest and prepare yourself. The awakening ceremony is a crucial moment in your life."
Wang Hu's voice was gentle as he addressed Long Tianyang. The boy nodded reluctantly before trudging back to his quarters, his spirit visibly deflated.
Once Long Tianyang had left, Long Tianli folded his arms and glanced at Wang Hu.
"Wang Hu… what do you think Tianyang's awakened talent will be?"
Wang Hu remained silent for a moment before his eyes flickered toward the departing figure of the young master.
"I do not know, Master. But one thing is certain—it will not be related to alchemy."
"Sigh…" Long Tianli let out a long, exhausted breath as he watched his son disappear from sight.