Eternal Life by Daily Divination

However, what happened next was beyond most people’s expectations.

Li Chang’an’s breathing was steady. Unhurried, he methodically placed each ingredient into the Pill Furnace, refining them one by one into Elixir Liquid. The entire process went off without a single hitch.

On the other side, however, Xiao Yiyue’s brow was furrowed and her breathing was ragged. Her body was tense, clearly nervous, and she ended up making several mistakes.

Although she managed to correct them, the mistakes inevitably affected the pill’s potency.

「Before long.」

The Elixir Pills in both their furnaces were about to take shape.

Li Chang’an remained calm and focused, patiently controlling the Pill Fire to complete the final steps.

A moment later, a rich Pill Fragrance wafted from his furnace.

“Come!”

He raised his hand and beckoned, and a perfectly round Elixir Pill flew out from within.

The pill was a uniform, frosty white, as if condensed from ice. It wasn’t hot to the touch; instead, it carried a faint chill. It was the Profound Frost Pill!

The quality was excellent, without a single flaw!

「At that same moment.」

Xiao Yiyue, on the other hand, had also finished her refining.

With a light wave of her slender hand, she retrieved the Elixir Pill, her expression turning grim.

This was because the pill’s surface was pitted and uneven. It wasn’t a pure, frosty white, but was marred by discolorations.

The quality was very poor, only barely reaching Inferior Grade!

Any worse, and it would have been a complete Wasted Pill!

’The Profound Frost Pill is truly as difficult to refine as I expected.’

Xiao Yiyue sighed softly.

’If even I can’t refine it properly, Li Chang’an will most likely fail as well.’

At this thought, she turned to look toward Li Chang’an.

’That’s…’

Xiao Yiyue’s gaze froze as she stared, stunned, at the flawless, frost-white pill.

’The quality of that pill is obviously far superior to the one in my hand.’

’They were worlds apart.’

Xiao Yiyue couldn’t believe it. She wanted a closer look, but her pride kept her from asking.

Li Chang’an, however, paid it no mind.

After centering himself for a moment, he began refining the second Elixir Pill.

BOOM!

The Pill Fire roared to life, blazing with intense heat.

Seeing this, Xiao Yiyue gritted her teeth and began to refine her second Elixir Pill as well.

But perhaps because she was too hasty and her thoughts were in turmoil, this time she failed to produce even an Inferior Grade pill.

An accident during the final stages caused the entire mass of Elixir Liquid to be incinerated into ash!

’I actually failed…’

Xiao Yiyue stared at the pile of ash, completely stunned.

「A moment later.」

Li Chang’an’s refining was a success.

An emerald-green pill flew out of the Pill Furnace and landed in his hand. It, too, was perfectly round and flawless, of exceptionally high quality.

He put away his Pill Furnace and walked toward Zhou Shangshan with the two Elixir Pills.

“Daoist Zhou, I’m happy to report I was successful.”

“Haha, thank you, Daoist Li! It looks like I’ll be able to hang on for a few more years!”

Zhou Shangshan laughed heartily and took the Elixir Pills from Li Chang’an’s hand.

Without any concern for their quality, he tossed both Elixir Pills into his mouth at once and began circulating his Magical Power to expel the poison.

Li Chang’an stood to one side, protecting him.

In reality, even if the Elixir Pills had been ineffective, Li Chang’an had other methods.

Both the Ten Thousand Poison Gu and the Evergreen Technique could have saved Zhou Shangshan.

「Not far away.」

Xiao Yiyue put away her Pill Furnace, her thoughts in turmoil, and silently crushed the Inferior Grade Profound Frost Pill in her hand.

’Li Chang’an is just a Loose Cultivator. How can he possess such brilliant Alchemy Skill?’

She couldn’t calm her heart, finding it all utterly unbelievable.

She knew that her own accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao were only possible because she was born into the Xiao Family. Since childhood, she had received guidance from many elders and had frequent opportunities to hear a Tier Three Alchemist share his insights.

Every step of her path, from childhood to the present, had already been trodden by her family’s elders.

But Li Chang’an was just a Loose Cultivator.

Perhaps he had also been guided by a senior in the dao of alchemy.

But no matter how skilled those seniors were, they could never compare to the Xiao Family’s Tier Three Alchemist.

「At this moment.」

Mo Wenyuan, Zhou Sheng, and the others were also astonished.

“Daoist Li, you really know how to hide your true strength!”

Jin Ming exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.

In his view, Li Chang’an had clearly become a Tier Two Top Grade Alchemist long ago but had always kept it under wraps, only willing to publicly sell Tier Two Middle Grade Elixirs.

Li Chang’an smiled and didn’t explain anything.

「About an hour later.」

The Demon Poison in Zhou Shangshan’s body was completely purged, and his overall condition had improved significantly.

Beaming, he rose to his feet to express his gratitude.

“Daoist Li, I have no way to repay you for saving my life! If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word!”

“Alright!”

Afterward, Zhou Shangshan thanked the others one by one.

After all, everyone had contributed materials, so in a way, they had all worked together to save him.

…

「That evening.」

The group rested in the valley.

With a complex expression, Xiao Yiyue looked at Li Chang’an and suddenly extended an invitation.

“Daoist Li, are you willing to become an Honored Guest Elder of my Xiao Family?”

“I appreciate the offer, Daoist Xiao.”

Li Chang’an, having anticipated this, politely declined.

From the side, Jin Ming laughed. “Daoist Xiao, you can save your breath. I just made Daoist Li an excellent offer myself, and he didn’t accept it.”

At his words, Xiao Yiyue fell silent.

The Xiao Family’s greatest allure was, of course, its legacy in the Alchemy Dao.

Everyone present knew.

To refine a Tier Three Elixir, one’s own Magical Power and Divine Sense must be strong enough.

Li Chang’an’s Spiritual Root was too poor and his Magical Power insufficient. He would never be able to reach that level in his lifetime; Tier Two Top Grade was his absolute limit.

Therefore, the legacy of a Tier Three Alchemist held no appeal for him.

At this thought, Xiao Yiyue suddenly felt a little better.

’Though I can’t match Li Chang’an right now, my own path is still long. His, on the other hand, already has a visible end.’

…

「In the middle of the night.」

Everyone was meditating and resting.

Zhou Shangshan suddenly sent a Sound Transmission to Li Chang’an.

’Daoist Li, might we step aside for a private conversation?’