Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Luo Chen did not stop this change.

He faintly realized that if he kept living with this mindset, his Mental State would rise to another level, and even his Divine Soul would benefit from it.

”Although I didn’t sense much Spirit Mechanism within the Su Ling Sect, which is disappointing, just this change in Mental State alone might mean this trip wasn’t for nothing.”

Luo Chen closed his eyes and lay down by the lakeside.

When he opened them again, it was already dawn, the sun just rising.

...

A few days later.

In the Xu Jingtian Villa on Miao Dan Peak, a startled shout suddenly rang out.

”It moved, it moved, it’s moving!”

Five or six figures heard the shout and hurried over without delay.

Then they saw, on Little Poison Lord’s body, those faint little vortices of air.

That was the Heaven and Earth Qi from the Outer World being drawn into his body!

And in this process, Little Poison Lord was not actively circulating a Cultivation Technique, nor did he show any particular pain; he wasn’t even in a cultivation state.

Yet the Spirit Power in his body was already following the circulation route of his original Cultivation Technique, completing one Circulation after another.

This was exactly the description of the Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill taking effect!

Seeing this scene, everyone cheered in unison.

They had succeeded!

About half a stick of incense later, the vortices abruptly vanished.

Little Poison Lord touched his own body, feeling a bit at a loss.

”Just for that short while?”

The others were also caught off guard.

”Could it still have failed?”

But He Jun stepped forward.

”No, what just happened is exactly how the Third Order Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill is described to work in the Pill Formula, only the duration was shorter. That means it wasn’t a failure, merely that the medicinal strength was insufficient.”

As he spoke, he instinctively looked toward Zhu Xiao, who was in charge of Pill Refinement, and Ning Fu, who was responsible for studying the pharmacology.

”What was different in this round of Pill Refinement compared to before?”

Zhu Xiao first shook his head. ”No difference at all!”

But then he frowned. ”Though it seems the Pill Formula Ning Fu gave me swapped out one auxiliary ingredient?”

Ning Fu bit her white teeth lightly and turned her gaze toward the silent Luo Chen.

”Yes, one auxiliary ingredient was replaced. I took junior brother Xuan Luozi’s suggestion and substituted Flame Spirit Flower with Bodhi Insect.”

Bodhi Insect?

Everyone present knew this medicinal material.

It looks like a silkworm, but is actually a grass root that remains buried deep underground until it matures.

Its nature is gentle, and it is one of the main ingredients used to refine the Soul Calming Fragrance Stick.

Within the Su Ling Sect, there are several medicine gardens cultivating this material in large quantities.

They all followed Ning Fu’s gaze and looked at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen let out a sigh of emotion; he hadn’t expected a casual remark he’d made earlier, guided only by intuition, to actually pinpoint the optimal auxiliary ingredient for the Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill.

Facing everyone’s stare, he shrugged.

”What are you waiting for? Since we’ve found the right direction, we should thoroughly study everything from the ratio of ingredients, to control of the fire, and the timing of adding materials and drawing the pill out. Perhaps before long we’ll be able to produce stable pills and start mass-producing this elixir.”

No one hesitated anymore. They all clenched their fists and threw themselves into the subsequent experiments with full passion.

The entire Xu Jingtian Villa became a hive of activity.

Even deep into the night, the lights remained bright.

Everyone understood what this step forward represented.

As long as they truly succeeded, even if they couldn’t become Sect ancestors in the future or achieve Divine Transformation through Advancement, they would still leave a heavily inked stroke in the history of the Su Ling Sect.

...

On Spirit Pill Peak, separated from Miao Dan Peak by a single mountain.

Gongsun Mao’s residence was there.

He had long since given up his Cave Mansion within the Sect, and for many years now had lived permanently in the Alchemy Institute.

Compared with the high-spirited Master Gongsun of the past, he was now old beyond measure, his decrepit appearance impossible to conceal.

In recent days his Qi-Blood had declined to the point of being unsustainable, and his whole person seemed somewhat despondent.

Especially after reading the content of the pill trial reports sent over from Miao Dan Peak, his mood had sunk to the lowest point.

”In the end, it still doesn’t work?”

”Before my life’s limit arrives, will I still be unable to see the Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill successfully mass-produced?”

Just as he closed the last page of the report, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

After a moment, the attendant Pill Child led a middle-aged man inside.

”So it’s He Jun. Have you made any progress on your side?”

Facing Gongsun Mao’s question that held no expectations, He Jun took a deep breath, lifted up a Jade Box with both hands, and presented it.

”Master, it’s done!”

Gongsun Mao’s eyes snapped wide open; the usually turbid gaze actually took on a few hints of bright, dazzling light.

His hands trembling, he received the Jade Box.

After a while, invitation letters were sent out one after another from Spirit Pill Peak.

...

Inside Xu Jingtian Villa.

The members of He Jun’s group, who had already rested for a few days, once again gathered together.

The topic of discussion was only one.

”Who’s going?”

Master Gongsun would soon convene a [Pill Tasting Conference] on Spirit Pill Peak, inviting many big figures.

Not only Pill Refiners from Spirit and Miao Peaks, but even many Fourth Order Pill Refiners from Dan Emperor Mountain would rush over.

There were even Hall Masters and Deans from the Three Halls and Five Courtyards included in the invitations.

Some Nascent Soul experts in the Sect who were interested in the Dao of Alchemy would also be present by then.

For the tiny Miao Dan Peak, this might well be the first time in history!

But no one would question whether Miao Dan Peak was worthy of such an honor.

If the Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill could truly go into mass production, that would not only mean Su Ling Sect was about to gain a new signature pill, but also that the Cultivation Realm of Su Ling Sect’s Lower Order Disciples would receive a huge boost.

In the future, the birth of High-level Powerhouses would also increase!

And at this Pill Tasting Conference, Master Gongsun specified that He Jun’s group must send out one Pill Refiner to perform a complete Pill Refinement from nothing to finished product in front of everyone.

This would also be a demonstration of whether the Zhou Liuxing Qi Pill could be put into mass production.

For the members of He Jun’s group, this was also a great opportunity to make a name for themselves.

But there was only one slot!

”Naturally, it should be Brother Zhu. After all, all these years he’s been the one in charge of the experimental refinement work.” Luo Chen said so.

At first, the others still had thoughts of competing, but once Luo Chen said that, they also gave up on the idea.

Yet this time, Zhu Xiao fell silent for a long while.

Only after a long time did he smile and speak: ”Forget it, I won’t go up. If I happen to fail the live refinement, I’ll be utterly embarrassed.”

He Jun frowned. ”Are you scared?”

Zhu Xiao shrugged. ”You could say that. After all, this Pill Tasting Conference is too important—I don’t want to mess it up. And you all know, my success rate each time isn’t exactly high. I’ve wasted a lot of medicinal materials for it. I bet, Senior Brother He, every time you go to get ingredients, you get complained at, right?”

He Jun opened his mouth, but didn’t deny it.

Zhu Xiao suddenly turned his gaze onto Luo Chen.

”You go, Xuan Luozi!”

”Me?”

Luo Chen was slightly surprised. It wasn’t that he lacked confidence; he had simply never expected the other to voluntarily give up such a chance to show his face.

”Yes, you.” Zhu Xiao said calmly, ”The theoretical direction of our group is something you proposed; the most important auxiliary ingredient was also found by you; and even the first batch of Zhou Liuxing Qi Pills that met the standard was refined by you. If you don’t go up, who should?”

This time, even the others were persuaded.

Just as Zhu Xiao said, although Luo Chen had joined this group for the shortest time, barely a full year if counted carefully—

The contribution he had made was the greatest.

Besides, he was the youngest and most gifted. If he could successfully refine a pill that might change the historical course of Su Ling Sect on such a highly watched stage, this would be the perfect rise of a genius Pill Refiner!

Many years from now, Su Ling Sect Disciples would surely remember this Pill Tasting Conference!

”Yes, let Xuan Luozi go!”

”I know my Patriarch will be there. I don’t dare to go up anyway.”

”The pills refined by Xuan Luozi taste better. It should be you up there.”

”Maybe if you perform well, those senior figures of the Sect will shower you with rewards. Don’t you hog them all for yourself then.”

”Junior Brother Xuan Luozi, you aren’t scared, are you? Senior Sister supports you the most.”

Amid the eager voices, He Jun gave a heavy cough.

He looked at Luo Chen with gentle eyes.

He didn’t ask whether Luo Chen had confidence, nor did he worry about his Pill Refinement Technique.

He merely uttered two words.

”You go.”

At that moment, Luo Chen actually felt a natural surge of emotion.

In a thousand years of Cultivation, he had seen too much scheming and betrayal, people turning on each other, fighting to the death for the tiniest bit of profit.

Now, with such weighty benefits in front of them, these ”Senior Brothers and Sisters” whom he hadn’t known for long could actually set aside the struggle for gain and collectively hoist him onto a stage that was, in others’ eyes, unimaginably important.

This feeling was as if he had returned to the early days of Luo Tian Sect’s founding, when a group of friends beside him fought side by side.

He took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

”If I go up, I’ll go up. I definitely won’t let everyone down!”