"Good. Very good. Then, you'll be the second official disciple of this old man from this moment onward. I am looking forward on how far you can grow." Elder Wei Xuan appeared very satisfied with Chen Tu's instant reply. This could also show how much Chen Tu had longed for this chance.
"Disciple understood!" Chen Tu kneeled and raised a teacup in both hands to the elder. Regardless of the custom, serving a cup of tea to your master is essential. This customary practice not only creates a proper master and disciple but also the connections in between.
"En... Those unimportant things will be told to you by Xiao Long later. For now, take this as your gift to study under my tutelage. It was the Pill Formula I promised you last time." the elder said after placing the teacup aside and taking something from nothingness.
Apparently, the elder had a piece of Spatial Jade too. And from the look of it, the quality is slightly better than what Tang Yun Long had.
"Why don't you take a look at it?" the elder suggested after handing the manual to Chen Tu.
[Crimson Emblazing Pill]
"Crimson... Emblazing... Pill?" Chen Tu read the name of the pill formula out for everyone to hear. He didn't anticipate that the rest would show an expression of shock after hearing him.
"Oh! This gift from the teacher is just too biased!" Xia Xuan-Xuan simply had no control over what she said and blurted out things she had no idea would offend anybody. But lucky for her, everyone here was as close as real brothers and sisters.
Hence, there's nothing for her to worry about. Instead, it would be restrictive to make Xia Xuan-Xuan behaves like she does outside this workshop.
"What is this Crimson Emblazing Pill for, teacher?" Chen Tu asked. As someone recently accepted into the Blood Refining Grotto for two mere months, it was normal for him to appear clueless about its usage.
"The Crimson Emblazing Pill is among the ten most favored pills in demand. It was said that only the Crimson Cloud County's Alchemy Department and our master had the recipe. Can you imagine this?" Tang Yun Long, who rarely speaks this much, joined the conversation.
Apparently, this pill recipe resulted from a joint research between Elder Wei Xuan and the Head Alchemist of Crimson Cloud County's Alchemy Department. This Crimson Emblazing Pill would appear once in a while in the pill market but would have its stock cleared in a day or two.
As for why it was so greatly sought after, it is thanks to its medicinal effect of strengthening the user's Spiritual ability by 50%. Of course, the effectiveness would drop to 25% if this pill were taken by a cultivator in the Spiritual Condensation Layer.
Giving this pill formula to Chen Tu also signifies that Elder Wei Xuan fully supports Chen Tu's Alchemist journey. Perhaps not far from the future, the Blood Refining Grotto will welcome two more young alchemists into their factions.
What was more worthy of being proud of was that the two were taught in-house and not hired from the outside. This means their sense of loyalty to the Blood Refining Grotto would also be considerably greater than those outsiders.
"This second disciple will ensure he remembers and appreciates everything bestowed on him." Chen Tu quickly responded after listening to what Tang Yun Long had just said.
"En. Having said that, this Crimson Emblazing Pill recipe is quite a complicated recipe. Although it is good to try refining it, do not go overboard, as the Spiritual Ingredients required are quite expensive."
"Try to build a much proper financial ability before you go for the Crimson Emblazing Pill, alright?" Elder Wei Xuan said.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, all of you can leave except Xiao Long and Xiao Tu." the elder said and turned his attention to the two official disciples. It appears that he had something to say to them privately.
"Teacher, do you need both of us to do something?" Tang Yun Long asked. Chen Tu stood beside him quietly to observe and listen to the conversation.
"Old Jiang came to have a word with me a while ago. I was told that the Verdant Sky Small World is opening its door to the people in this Crimson Cloud County five months later. The only problem is only those below the Spiritual Condensation Layer are allowed to enter." the elder said.
"Below Spiritual Condensation Layer? doesn't that means all senior brothers and sisters from Elder Jiang's side were all disqualified?" Tang Yun Long interrupted. Based on how familiar he called them, the friendship between these two elders and their disciples is quite harmonious.
"That's correct. That's why I called both of you over. How close are you to your promotion into the Spiritual Condensation Layer, Xiao Long?" the elder continued. In the meantime, Chen Tu's head stays blank with no valid information.
It was unavoidable because this was his first time hearing the name "Verdant Sky Small World." He could only guess that there was something special about this place.
"This disciple will likely be promoted into the Spiritual Condensation Layer in the next four to five months. Of course, that's if this disciple stays competitive in the leaderboard in the Outer Grotto." Tang Yun Long answered.
"If necessary, this disciple is willing to forgo his cultivation for a while and focus on Physique refinement instead, to stay at the peak Body Tempering Layer." he added.
"No... Don't do that. Able to enter the Verdant Sky Small World is all up to fate. It wasn't worth losing something just because you wanted to explore this independent space to take a share of the treasure within." the elder interrupted. Apparently, he valued Tang Yun Long's talent more than some treasure.
Furthermore, the treasure's level is scaled with the cultivation limit it imposed. Since this is just a trial for those in Body Tempering Layer, it obviously would be lacking for those expected to break through into their Spiritual Condensation Layer soon.
After all, a treasure in Body Tempering Layer would make the user mighty in that particular cultivation, but not anymore when promoted to a realm above.
"Furthermore...There's something else after the Verdant Sky Small World..." the elder added.
"I want both of you to attend the Titled-Alchemist Examination this year."
"Teacher, really? We're going to attend the examination for the Titled Alchemist this year?" Tang Yun Long couldn't help but feel excited. Naturally, he was very happy with what Elder Wei Xuan had said. After all, Tang Yun Long is turning eighteen this year. And even amongst all the disciples from both elders, his talent in Alchemy was the highest. But regardless of how he requested, Elder Wei Xuan would always reject him when it came to permission to attend the Titled-Alchemist Examination. No matter how much he begged, the elder would deem he was not ready for the test yet. Counting from the year he had been asking until now, it was almost four years past. But today, the sun seems to be rising from the west. Of course, Tang Yun Long realized that the change in Elder Wei Xuan's mind did not come from him but from Chen Tu. Without bathing in this junior brother's brilliance, he might have to wait another year or two before his chances arrive. Obviously, there was a reason for the
Next morning. Following Tang Yun Long's suggestion, Chen Tu made his way to the Registration Office after breakfast. And as usual, he waited with the others in the queue until it was his turn. "What can I do for you today, junior?" the worker asked with impatience in his tone. In his opinion, Chen Tu is likely another disciple coming to claim his monthly salary provided by the Blood Refining Grotto. But all his following words were stuck in his throat before he could continue after Chen Tu had his disciple token taken out. "Chen - Chen Tu? You're Chen Tu?" the worker's tone changed into a more polite and easy to the ear. His attitude also had 180 degrees of turnover. Chen Tu didn't reply to him but simply nodded with a smile. And to these workers who looked down on the weak disciples, such treatment was the best venom to reeducate them. The worker immediately changed how he addressed Chen Tu from "Junior" to "Fellow Disciple Chen." And needless to say, this instantaneous change
"Finally!" a creature roared. An expression of happiness could be seen on the creature's face for obtaining a legendary fruit, which rested in the heart of its palm.The fruit is also known as the Twin Physiques Creation Fruit.Based on what the legend about this fruit says, if this fruit was consumed by a human, it would grant them a second physique of a Divine Beast. On the contrary, if the Spiritual Creature is the one consuming this fruit, they would be given the ability to reform their body into a human.This explained how attractive the Twin Physiques Creation Fruit was.With one million years to sprout, one million years to develop its first leaf, and another million years for its consecutive leaves, this Twin Physiques Creation Fruit would only bear a single fruit in its eleven millionth year.The subsequent fruit would take ten million years to grow after the first fruit."Shall I eat this fruit right now, to avoid any mishap?" the creature continued. It was extremely careful
"I had to say, boy... Why would you keep running out of the manor knowing you'll get beaten after this?" said an old man in his seventies. While speaking, his hand didn't stay idle but instead rubbed an ointment on the scarred buttcheeks.From his words, this wasn't the first time he's applying the ointment on the boy's buttocks. In fact, something like this happened once a week.At first, the boy had a light punishment for attempting something like this. But gradually, it gets worst. Now, he's treated the same as the other adults and was given similarly harsh punishment for attempting to escape the manor.But surprisingly, no matter how painful the punishment was, the boy not only could overcome it, to the point it became a norm to the disciplinary servants and family elder."Xiao Tu... How many times did your grandfather tell you? The world outside there is harsher than what we have now inside this Chen Manor?" the old man continued.Although he calls himself Chen Tu's grandfather,
Chen Tu immediately slithered inside the courtyard like an agile snake. Sticking close to the walls wherever he goes, Chen Tu focuses on the ground, searching for a hole to crawl outside. To his disappointment, not even a gap existed along the walls. Furthermore, little did he know that he was tailed by another child about his age closely from behind. Maybe because he was still young and had little to no existence in the eyes of the adult, this allows Chen Tu to run around the courtyard without garnering others' attention. But the same explanation cannot be used on the other child who follows Chen Tu closely without getting caught. One has to know that while it was easy for one to sneak around, it is ten times more challenging to tail someone else without getting caught by all sides. Soon, Chen Tu gave up. He's not only feeling exhausted but also sad from not finding a hole to crawl outside. And during the process, Chen Tu also noticed that the door back to the servant's area wa
"Blasphemy!" the patriarch of the Chen Family shouted angrily at the two youngsters kneeling before him.Seated beside him were six other leading figures of the Chen Family. Based on seniority, Chen Zigang would have to address them as "uncles."Thanks to the mess they've made outside the Chen Manor, they were kneeling before the patriarch, awaiting their punishment."Sixth brother, let everyone know what the two useless bums did outside without missing a word." said the patriarch, Chen Tian Peng."As you ordered, Lord Patriarch." the sixth brother, Chen Tian Ma, responded. Turning his attention to the two brats kneeling in the middle of the hall, he recites what kind of mess was made.The destruction of a Spiritual Garden containing Crimson Marble Fruits.Two steads were taken, and only heaven knows where they ended up. The culprit, who kneels here, is said to be thrown from the horse midway and hurt their buttocks.Flirting with Liu Xiaofei, the princess of the Liu Family with a sim
Chen Tian Peng pondered while unconsciously rubbing his goatee with his thumb and index finger. In his mind, Chen Tu's reply actually made sense. As one of the five large families here in Crimson River Town, the duty of upholding the rules and safety of this settlement is their responsibility.Furthermore, this "Phoenix Pavilion" business is opened on the Chen Family's territory.Suppose they were caught by others before the Chen Family Policing Hall. In that case, the blame could be destructive when other families use it as a weapon to attack the Chen Family.It was not a secret that the five families were competing against one another for the sake of the leader of five families in this Crimson River Town. Obviously, the one named the family's leader would take the larger portion of the pie before dividing them into the rest.While the sum might be meager in the eyes of the county governors, it is still worth a bite to large families like the Chen.Who would complain if they're given
"Ah!!! Fresh air, at last!" Chen Zigang screamed after coming out from the dungeon, where he spent a night without worry. Needless to say, Chen Tu followed him closely but didn't behave as freely as Chen Zigang.After all, he was a mere servant while they were still inside the Chen Manor. Unlike Chen Zigang, who had absolute privilege inside this manor, Chen Tu would be punished if he followed everything Chen Zigang did.To him, Chen Zigang is the reincarnation of a law obstructor. Each step he took was right on the track to trashing all established rules. Still, it's not like Chen Tu is anywhere better.If Chen Zigang was the bulldozer of rules, then Chen Tu is definitely the stead that went amok for no reason.After returning to their respective room, they quickly clean themselves from all the filth before stepping outside the Chen Manor again. As Chen Tian Peng had guessed, the two did keep a secret from the family.The two proceeded without noticing they were followed. It was a gr
Next morning. Following Tang Yun Long's suggestion, Chen Tu made his way to the Registration Office after breakfast. And as usual, he waited with the others in the queue until it was his turn. "What can I do for you today, junior?" the worker asked with impatience in his tone. In his opinion, Chen Tu is likely another disciple coming to claim his monthly salary provided by the Blood Refining Grotto. But all his following words were stuck in his throat before he could continue after Chen Tu had his disciple token taken out. "Chen - Chen Tu? You're Chen Tu?" the worker's tone changed into a more polite and easy to the ear. His attitude also had 180 degrees of turnover. Chen Tu didn't reply to him but simply nodded with a smile. And to these workers who looked down on the weak disciples, such treatment was the best venom to reeducate them. The worker immediately changed how he addressed Chen Tu from "Junior" to "Fellow Disciple Chen." And needless to say, this instantaneous change
"Teacher, really? We're going to attend the examination for the Titled Alchemist this year?" Tang Yun Long couldn't help but feel excited. Naturally, he was very happy with what Elder Wei Xuan had said. After all, Tang Yun Long is turning eighteen this year. And even amongst all the disciples from both elders, his talent in Alchemy was the highest. But regardless of how he requested, Elder Wei Xuan would always reject him when it came to permission to attend the Titled-Alchemist Examination. No matter how much he begged, the elder would deem he was not ready for the test yet. Counting from the year he had been asking until now, it was almost four years past. But today, the sun seems to be rising from the west. Of course, Tang Yun Long realized that the change in Elder Wei Xuan's mind did not come from him but from Chen Tu. Without bathing in this junior brother's brilliance, he might have to wait another year or two before his chances arrive. Obviously, there was a reason for the
"Good. Very good. Then, you'll be the second official disciple of this old man from this moment onward. I am looking forward on how far you can grow." Elder Wei Xuan appeared very satisfied with Chen Tu's instant reply. This could also show how much Chen Tu had longed for this chance. "Disciple understood!" Chen Tu kneeled and raised a teacup in both hands to the elder. Regardless of the custom, serving a cup of tea to your master is essential. This customary practice not only creates a proper master and disciple but also the connections in between. "En... Those unimportant things will be told to you by Xiao Long later. For now, take this as your gift to study under my tutelage. It was the Pill Formula I promised you last time." the elder said after placing the teacup aside and taking something from nothingness. Apparently, the elder had a piece of Spatial Jade too. And from the look of it, the quality is slightly better than what Tang Yun Long had. "Why don't you take a look at i
"junior brother Chen, this Three-Star Pill... Did you refine them by yourself?" Tang Yun Long asked. Even he hadn't had success in refining a pill of this quality. At most, he is only confident in refining Two-Star Pill. Furthermore, this result was before Chen Tu was officially accepted by the elder as his second official disciple. If he was, would he be capable of Four-Star, or even a Five-Star? Of course, that kind of level is nowhere to be heard of... After all, no alchemist would dedicate all their time to researching and refining a four or Five-Star Grain Pellet. Even if that alchemist is the most foolish one, he would likely have zero to little interest in an entry-level pill like this. Looking at the Three-Star Grain Pellet sitting on the table, the elder couldn't calm his heart down. And without further ado, he put his hand out toward Chen Tu and asked for something. "Xiao Tu... Bring the Alchemist Token out." Elder Wei Xuan asked. It appears that what he will be doing
(Hmm... I wonder what kind of medicinal pill is this Spring and Autumn Profound Pill and Lesser Vitality Pill. Could their effect be something extraordinary, like the Spiritual Replenishing or Spirit Desertification Pill?) Chen Tu spoke to his own while flipping through the pages. The contents were fairly easy for him to understand, and there was nothing to be suspicious about. But when Chen Tu came to the ingredient part, he had the urge to scratch and pull his hair. (Aargh... Now, this is where my first obstacle comes in...) Chen Tu took a few deep breaths after he set the book aside. He had mixed feelings due to what was going on inside his mind. The reason for these confusing thoughts was naturally understandable. After all, this was a lost recipe Qin Lei's father, Qin Tianbao, found from excavating the tomb of a certain expert. Interestingly, this relic site was also where Qin Tianbao had a mishap and lost one of his legs. And no wonder he would be allowed to keep these two
(What an amazing feeling... Could this be something only those in the fourth level would realize?) Chen Tu remained seated, but for every breath he took, the Spiritual Energy of his surroundings was attracted over. His body was like a leaf sponging up all the dew as it absorbed all these blimps of Spiritual Energy to nourish his flesh. This mist-like Spiritual Energy is incomparable to what a Spiritual Replenishing Pill offers. Still, it was something nobody would complain about. After all, no matter how diluted and faint this Spiritual Energy was, they're still the Spiritual Energy everyone pursued. Nobody would cover their water well when it rains because they're afraid it would be overfilled by the rainwater. Apparently, Chen Tu's guess was correct. A feat like this was indeed someone above the Flesh Tempering Stage could enjoy. And thanks to his fully-tempered flesh, Chen Tu is now more than capable of applicating Spiritual Energy to strengthen his physique. Although the diff
A day ago. "Hmm... I wonder what insight that brat had for him to rework the Grain Pellet's Recipe until this level..." Elder Wei Xuan said while holding a Two-Star Pill between his two fingers. Apparently, he was studying the pill for flaws before giving a verdict. He was feeling neither prejudiced nor unhappy. But more or less, there was something he was unable to let go of in his heart for making him so indecisive at this moment. As Chen Tu's Alchemy Teacher, the elder naturally wanted to endorse Chen Tu's reworked recipe and the Grain Pellet he refined. But at the same time, his worries and self-ego made him couldn't help but be indecisive in this matter. In fact, this same ego of his was why Tang Yun Long has yet to participate in the Titled Alchemist Examination. It wasn't overrated to say that with Tang Yun Long's performance to date, he could easily pass the test. "Old Wei... What is occupying your mind so much until you didn't notice me coming in?" Another elder's voice
"Disciple understands." Chen Tu cupped his fists together and replied. His response also helps confirm that he will be taking the assignment seriously. "Xiao Tu will start paying more attention to his pill refinement after returning and wouldn't disappoint the teacher's expectation," he added. After saying what he should, Chen Tu excused himself from the workshop by giving a reason he'll have to get back and prepare. And obviously, the eight Grain Pellets were left in the workshop without saying. That's a must in case the elder changes his mind later. And regardless of how he decides, Chen Tu still has to leave a sample for Elder Wei Xuan to check on them, correct? This means a copy of everything from the ingredient, steps, and final product was left for the elder's inspection. Chen Tu's activities consisted of eating, sleeping, cultivating, and refining pills for the following days. Thanks to all these tasks in his hand, he hardly reported to the Spiritual Garden to work or assis
The question piqued the elder's interest after Xia Xuan-Xuan opened her mouth. Apparently, even the elder couldn't help but feel curious about Chen Tu's answer. But at the same time, he can't ask this question openly. After all, he was an elder. Someone who stood at least a few levels above them in alchemy and cultivation. Wouldn't it hurt his pride slightly to ask a junior about something he should know better? Luckily, there's a Xia Xuan-Xuan in the group. While her talent is neither good nor bad, she has this social commonsense that could make everything work. Hence, she was the elder's icebreaker, always the first to hear and know everything. Chen Tu didn't respond to Xia Xuan-Xuan's question instantly. Still, everyone here could see that Chen Tu's gaze was currently pointed at the pill mold. This reaction from Chen Tu can be partially translated to "look at the result yourself!" He stayed silent and observed the mold until it was completely cooled. Then, instead of inspecti