Chapter 136: Three Scrolls, One Revolution
Silence fell over the ancestral hall like a heavy blanket.
Every gaze in the room converged on a single figure—Su Tianhao. Within moments, he had become the undeniable center of attention, standing alone before the assembled elders with three scrolls held firmly in his grasp.
Hmph.
A sharp snort cut through the silence, dripping with disdain.
Everyone turned toward the source. Su Liang. His expression twisted with mockery. "Such bold words. Do you think this is a game?"
"Silence."
Su Huiqing's voice rang out sharp and cutting—like a hammer striking an anvil. The room immediately returned to decorum.
All eyes fell back on Su Tianhao, faces carrying a mix of doubt, curiosity, and the faintest flicker of anticipation.
"Tianhao, please explain," Su Huiqing said, leaning back slightly, his gaze steady.
Su Tianhao nodded. "My plan is simple. Since we are going against the He family's Peak-level grade two alchemist, we need a Peak-level grade two alchemist of our own."
Frowns rippled around the table. Even Su Yuan was no exception. They had been expecting something more inventive—not the same approach that had already failed them.
Su Liang's lips curled. The look on his face said everything.
Su Huiqing couldn't hide his disappointment. "Tianhao—didn't I tell you we already tried that? It didn't work."
Su Tianhao smiled faintly, seemingly unmoved by the weight of the room.
"Allow me to finish," he said, his voice trailing deliberately. "We aren't going to hire a Peak-level grade two alchemist. We are going to make one."
"Hahahahaha!"
Su Liang's laughter burst forth—unrestrained, mocking, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Make a Peak-level grade two alchemist?" he sneered. "How exactly are you planning to do that?"
Skeptical looks passed around the table. Make one? That was the most difficult thing anyone could imagine. An alchemist didn't simply advance to Peak-level because they wished it.
Su Qingfeng was the most skeptical of all—even offended. He had been fighting to break through to Peak-level for years, and even now that bottleneck had not yielded. And here stood a young man who had barely seen the world, speaking of creating an alchemist of that caliber as though it were a trivial matter.
"Boy," Su Qingfeng said coldly, his eyes sharp. "I know you mean well—but what you're saying is unthinkable. I will not allow you to insult the alchemy path."
Su Tianhao glanced briefly at Su Liang—a look that carried hidden meaning—before turning to face Su Qingfeng directly.
"I apologize if I gave that impression, First Elder," he said, cupping his fists respectfully. "But I am truly certain about this."
Su Qingfeng's frown deepened. If becoming a Peak-level grade two alchemist were so easily achieved, wouldn't he have already reached that level long ago? Was this young man not mocking his own talent?
Su Qingfeng was a kind elder who valued justice and honor—but he wasn't about to sit quietly while someone looked down on his alchemy path. Not even someone he privately admired.
Before he could respond, Su Yuan's voice cut through cleanly.
"As I've said before—give him the chance to explain himself before we start condemning him."
Warmth bloomed quietly in Su Tianhao's chest as he heard those words.
'It isn't only the Su family I owe a favor to,' he thought. 'Uncle Yuan has always been good to me. Even when I was cast out to Fei Wu Quarter, his opinion of me never changed—he still provided me the medicine I needed for training, and the Basic Qi Tempering Method that started my cultivation. I owe him a great deal.'
'I must find a way to repay him.' he vowed inwardly.
Su Qingfeng exhaled slowly, then turned to Su Tianhao with a measured look. "Kid. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself. Don't waste it."
Su Tianhao nodded calmly. "As I said—these scrolls are the key."
"What exactly are they?" Su Minghe asked, leaning forward slightly, interest sharpening in his eyes.
"It's useless to explain to most of you," Su Tianhao said. His gaze settled on Su Qingfeng. "None of you are alchemy experts—except him. It's better if I simply show you."
He stepped forward and passed two of the scrolls directly to Su Qingfeng—the one containing the alchemy insight, and the one detailing the refinement technique.
Su Qingfeng accepted them with obvious skepticism written across his weathered face. It was clear to everyone present that he was doing so purely out of formality.
But the moment he opened the first scroll—he froze.
The Doctrine of Elemental Subjugation.
'This—' His eyes widened as the words registered. 'The Doctrine of Elemental Subjugation... One of the Seven Profound Truths of the Alchemy Dao... To comprehend this truth is to comprehend the very essence of the alchemy dao itself.'
His heart trembled as he read on.
'A cauldron must not dominate the flame, nor must the flame dominate the ingredient. All three must submit to the alchemist's will—not as tools, but as allies.'
"Hahahaha! This is it!"
The exclamation tore from him before he could stop it, his voice filled with a pure, unguarded awe. His grip on the scroll tightened—as if he were afraid it might vanish.
"What is it, First Elder?"
The question came from around the table in near-unison. Shock was plain on every face. It was deeply unusual to see Su Qingfeng lose his composure like this. In that moment, he looked no different from an excited child who had just received something he had longed for his entire life.
Su Qingfeng looked up, face alight. "Just as my junior brother said—none of you are alchemy experts. There's no point in explaining the details. But know this—this scroll holds the answer to our problem. Without question."
Visible swallows moved around the table. The sight of the First Elder's transformation was enough to leave every elder visibly shaken—and then came the term he had used.
Junior brother.
That wasn't something a powerhouse used casually. It was an acknowledgment of a peer. An equal.
"First Elder," Su Liang said, his tone carrying a slight edge. "Don't keep us guessing. What could Su Tianhao have possibly given you to make you think so highly of him?"
"Hmph!" Su Qingfeng snorted, shooting Su Liang a sharp glance. "What do you know! From this day forward, Su Tianhao is my junior brother. You will respect him accordingly."
Color drained from Su Liang's face instantly. His eyes went wide—as though he were staring into his worst nightmare made real.
"Ahem."
Su Tianhao cleared his throat deliberately, drawing the room's attention back. "Please, First Elder—it's too early to celebrate. Wait until you've seen the second scroll."
Su Qingfeng's eyes lit up like a lantern beneath an evening sky.
Without hesitation, he unrolled the second scroll with trembling hands—movements quick, too eager.
What revealed itself ignited something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
Passion.
The Trinity Harmonization Method.
A powerful pill refinement technique—focused not on control, but on harmony. The synchronization of will between flame, cauldron, and material. Meditative preparation before each refinement. Precise breathing during flame infusion. A unique rhythm for channeling spiritual energy—all designed to train the alchemist to treat each element as a partner rather than a pawn.
The technique unrolled further, revealing its deeper layers.
"This changes everything!"
Su Qingfeng's voice rang out again, face flushed red with a passion that had no interest in being contained.
The room stirred. Then a calm, measured voice cut through.
"What is it this time, First Elder?" Su Yuntian said. "You don't want to keep us guessing."
Even she couldn't conceal her curiosity entirely.
Su Qingfeng drew a breath, reining himself in. When he spoke again, his voice carried the weight of someone stating an absolute truth.
"The first scroll contains a profound insight of the alchemy dao. The second contains a pill refinement technique. I cannot explain the details—you wouldn't understand. But know this." He paused. "With these two scrolls, advancing to Peak-level is only a matter of time."
Silence.
Then—"Really?"
The question surfaced from around the table almost in unison, every face still struggling to absorb what they were hearing.
Su Qingfeng nodded—there was no doubt in his eyes at all. "Give me a few weeks." He paused, reconsidering. "No. A few days. I will become a Peak-level grade two alchemist."
"Impossible!" Su Liang gasped.
"Nothing is impossible," Su Tianhao said quietly, his gaze cutting briefly to Su Liang before moving away.
"Hahahaha!" Su Yuan laughed—warm and full, the kind of laugh that filled a room. "I knew we could count on you, Little Tian."
Su Minghe turned to Su Tianhao, astonishment plain on his face. Even Su Yuntian allowed the faintest flicker of it to show.
At the head of the table, Su Huiqing's fingers interlocked slowly. A quiet smile settled on his lips—composed, unreadable, and entirely his own.
'You never cease to surprise me... Su Tianhao.'