Chapter 56

But now, Barro really used the respectful "you"...

Because just a moment ago, the president of the Alchemists' Guild, Rais, had someone deliver a message.

"Ask that Mage Merlin if a three-month study opportunity at the Mercury Tower can be exchanged for the remaining alchemy formula."

At that moment, Barro's expression changed...

What is the Mercury Tower? It is the alchemical holy land of the kingdom, a place every alchemist dreams of entering. Not only does it have the best research atmosphere, but it also has the most comprehensive and profound alchemical knowledge. With enough luck, one might even receive personal guidance from a grandmaster.

However, the Mercury Tower rarely interacts with the outside world and does not recruit disciples from the outside. The alchemists there are like ascetic monks, buried in their research day after day, year after year. In a sense, the Mercury Tower is a truly independent kingdom, a kingdom that belongs only to alchemy.

This independent kingdom is almost completely isolated from the world. Only when those legendary grandmasters need to replace their assistants do alchemists from the outside world get a chance to enter the Mercury Tower.

Such opportunities are very rare...

At most, there are only a dozen or so in a year. Those who can get this opportunity are usually from the major alchemists' guilds of the kingdom, like the Thousand Sails City Alchemists' Guild, which only gets one every few years. Without mentioning others, Barro himself has been applying for ten consecutive years, and although he has been rejected every year, he has never given up.

Because Barro knows that with his talent, he has already reached the limit of his alchemical path. If he relies solely on his own efforts, he will likely remain at his current level for the rest of his life. To make further progress, he must enter the Mercury Tower, where he can access the legendary alchemical knowledge and receive guidance from the legendary grandmasters.

But this opportunity is extremely rare...

Even though Barro has a high position in the Alchemists' Guild, to get the chance to enter the Mercury Tower, he can only rely on luck.

But now, such an opportunity is being used to exchange for an alchemy formula!

When Barro heard this, his expression changed...

Not because the opportunity to go to the Mercury Tower was given to someone else, but because of the value of the alchemy formula.

Rais's reputation in Thousand Sails City may not be very loud, but in the Alchemists' Guild, his prestige is so high that it is almost deified. No matter how significant or complex the decision, as long as Rais speaks, the entire Alchemists' Guild will not have a single dissenting voice.

This is different from Saruman's situation in the Sages' Tower...

Although Saruman is renowned in Thousand Sails City, in the Sages' Tower, he is just one of the three-member council. For major issues, a three-member council must be convened, and the three giants must deliberate and decide together.

But in the Alchemists' Guild, Rais is truly supreme, almost dictatorial in his decision-making.

Just like now, the opportunity to go to the Mercury Tower is extremely precious, but Rais decided its归属 with just a word, and there was no questioning.

Even Barro, who has been applying for ten consecutive years, when he heard this news, only gave Lin Yun a look of envy...

"Grand Alchemist Barro, this question seems a bit inappropriate..." Lin Yun looked at Barro with a smile that was not quite a smile. Although he did not say it outright, the mockery in his smile was clear even to a fool.

"This..." Barro's expression became awkward when Lin Yun smiled like that.

The question was indeed a bit inappropriate...

For an alchemy shop, alchemy formulas are everything. Whoever has better alchemy formulas can create better recipes, and whoever creates better recipes can dominate the market.

Just like the Gilded Rose, originally a small alchemy shop with a scale of only a few hundred thousand gold coins, but with the appearance of the Hope Potion, it instantly became the focus of the entire Thousand Sails City. After the hearing, business will inevitably flourish, and as long as there are no major mistakes in management, becoming the top alchemy shop in Thousand Sails City is just a matter of time.

Such core technology that can determine life and death, asking about it so rashly really seems a bit inappropriate...

But not asking is not an option...

"That, Mage Merlin, our Alchemists' Guild does not intend to take your alchemy formula for free. We can offer conditions to exchange with you..."

"Oh?"

"A million gold coins, what do you think?"

"Ha ha..." Lin Yun, of course, knew the value of the remaining alchemy formula. Any alchemist of a certain level would not be able to resist it.

So Barro's offer of a million gold coins was directly "ha ha"ed by Lin Yun...

"Alright!" Barro became anxious when Lin Yun "ha ha"ed, and quickly changed the conditions: "Formula for formula, as long as you are willing to hand over this formula, our Alchemists' Guild is willing to offer three... no, five unique formulas in exchange. We guarantee that these five formulas are unique to the Alchemists' Guild, and you cannot find them anywhere else in Thousand Sails City!"

"Ha ha..."

"..." Barro was almost sweating. Why "ha ha" again...

As a grand alchemist, saying all the good words and getting only two "ha ha"s, Barro almost wanted to die at that moment.

And he couldn't be forceful...

This person has Saruman backing him. If that old butcher is unhappy, even President Rais will have to take the blame.

Moreover, this Mafa Merlin is most likely a grand mage himself. Just look at that wind blade; it was so fast that even three grand mages couldn't react in time. In a real battle, Barro had no confidence in surviving that wind blade.

In terms of strength and background, this Mafa Merlin already has the qualifications to stand on equal footing with him, let alone the fact that he has an alchemy formula that even President Rais is interested in.

Faced with such a person, even if Barro was unwilling, he could only patiently negotiate...

Finally, Barro gritted his teeth and played his trump card.

"Alright, Mage Merlin, a three-month study opportunity at the Mercury Tower in exchange for the alchemy formula in your hand."

By the end, Barro's face was contorted with pain...

Gone, gone...

An opportunity that takes years to wait for is gone...

Then, Barro saw the young mage smile: "No deal!"

"No... no deal!" Barro almost jumped up, his expression and demeanor were like seeing his wife go into a hotel with someone else.

No deal, no deal...

Barro's mind was filled with nothing but "no deal"...

"You... how can you not deal!" At this moment, Barro no longer cared about his dignity. His face was contorted, and his eyes glared at Lin Yun fiercely.

If it weren't for the other party's astonishing combat ability, Barro would have wanted to grab his neck and ask, "Are you an idiot? How can you not deal? Do you know what the opportunity to study at the Mercury Tower means? Do you know how many alchemists apply every year and are rejected every year? Do you know that I am one of those alchemists?"

"Alright, Grand Alchemist Barro, the alchemy formula can be exchanged, but I am not interested in the study opportunity at the Mercury Tower."

Seeing Barro so agitated, Lin Yun didn't want to keep him in suspense. After some thought, he gave a hint...

In fact, Lin Yun came to this hearing today to sell the alchemy formula.

As for the other things...

Like slapping Granjer's face, for Lin Yun, it was just a side effect...

Otherwise, Lin Yun wouldn't have written down those four alchemy formulas on the manuscript. If he just wanted to prove that Kru had taken the dissipation potion, he had a hundred ways to do it, and he wouldn't need to use such a complicated method. So, Lin Yun wrote down four alchemy formulas but deliberately hid the most critical one.

Ordinary grand alchemists might not notice...

But those top grand alchemists who have been at the grand alchemist level for many years and are eager to enter the grandmaster ranks would certainly see that these four alchemy formulas must have a fifth one. This fifth formula is the most important and core one. As long as the last formula is added, the entire recipe will undergo a dramatic change. At that point, the potion created will be a completely new alchemy potion, one that can make a grand alchemist enter the grandmaster ranks.

So, what Lin Yun is selling today is actually an opportunity to become a grandmaster!

This is much more precious than a study opportunity at the Mercury Tower...

Moreover, for Lin Yun, entering the Mercury Tower is just for learning knowledge.

Lin Yun doesn't lack knowledge...

What Lin Yun lacks is more alchemists...

The only place in the entire Thousand Sails City that can quickly provide more alchemists is the Alchemists' Guild!

However, there's no need to tell Barro this. Business is about negotiation. Give Barro a hint and let him come to negotiate slowly.

"By the way, Grand Alchemist Barro, I think the Alchemists' Guild should thoroughly investigate who is behind the smear campaign against the Gilded Rose. This is a challenge to the entire industry's rules. If it happens a few more times, the prestige of the Alchemists' Guild will be greatly affected..."

After saying this, Lin Yun didn't give Barro a chance to retain him and left the spacious meeting room directly.

Leaving the three grand alchemists looking at each other in shock...

For a moment, the three grand alchemists were speechless.

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