Rudy finally had a better impression of Phoenix Valley because of that.
"I've already made some marks the last time I went to Holy Cloud Mountain, and I won't go anywhere else this time. I'll first find my mark and pick up some Wind Spirit Grass."
"Why didn't you pick it up last time? Why did you have to wait for this time? It hasn't been that long, do you think it would really get better in just a few months?"
"Do you have a brain? I made a mark and didn't pick it last time because those guys were around. I noticed it at that time, but they didn't. Don't you think they would've snatched it from me had I taken it at that time?"
"That's true... With how they are, the moment they find something good, they'll try to take it for themselves. The Wind Spirit Grass is a seventh-grade medicine, and an upper-rank one at that. If they noticed it, they'd take it, whatever it may cost."
The flurry of discussions had caught Fane's attention. He turned to look around to notice a few familiar faces. He had seen them in the Elder Hall before but did not know what they were called.
Rudy had naturally heard their exchanges as well. He
frowned as he thought about it for a while before he whispered, "The conflicts happening here aren't hidden at all. Those who think they are talented will just take things from others without bothering to hide it, and that's a bother. Why do you think the elders just allow them to do anything they want to?"
Rudy got more frustrated the more he thought about it. No matter how he looked at it, he was at the end of the line in Phoenix Valley. In that case, if he picked up anything that was at a high level, it would be forcibly taken away by those who were talented if they noticed him.
They might not be that much stronger than Rudy in terms of martial arts, but they would no doubt try to push Rudy down with their power. Anyone who learned the Way of the Phoenix Pill thought they were better than all the others.
Furthermore, the whole Phoenix Valley supported that idea. After all, the Way of the Phoenix Pill was incredibly hard to understand and learn. Regular alchemists never even dared to try.
The Way of the Phoenix Pill was open to all in Phoenix Valley. Any alchemist was allowed to try to learn it, yet not many managed to learn it even though it was in the Elder Hall for all to see.
The harder a Way of the Pill was, the more potential a person had in alchemy if they mastered it-this was common knowledge.
Anyone who mastered the Way of the Phoenix Pill would at least become a seventh-grade alchemist. The power of ranks between alchemists was incredibly huge, and a seventh-grade alchemist could easily deal with a sixth-grade alchemist without any issues.
That was why alchemists who were not as talented would never dare cause trouble to those who were. Even if the talented ones looked for trouble, the non-talented ones would just have to tolerate it and suck it up. As long as the talented ones got what they wanted and were satisfied, they would leave.
Frustrated, Rudy looked up at Fane. "If I had your talent and courage, I wouldn't be so afraid or conflicted right now."
Fane glanced at Rudy and saw the frown on Rudy's face. When he thought back to what the others were saying, he immediately knew why Rudy was so frustrated.
Fane merely sighed; there were some problems that he just could not be solved.
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