Chapter 78 Alchemist
Chapter 78 Alchemist
After hearing this, Chen Yuan felt relieved. It turned out that Yi Jin and Huang were not on good terms.
At this time, Yi Jin spoke again:
"Since Junior Brother Chen has decided to enter Dongxu Mountain, you need to make preparations early and not waste time on sect missions."
Chen Yuan was startled, then said:
"Uncle Yi, please give me some advice."
The fifth-level tasks are all trivial matters, and all of them are time-consuming, but since Yi Jin said so, he must have his reasons.
"During the test of conscience yesterday, Junior Brother Chen said that he was an alchemist. I wonder what kind of elixir Junior Brother Chen can make now? What is the success rate?"
Chen Yuan's mind changed, and he replied:
"My disciple can refine the Green Heart Pill and the Jade Flower Pill, and the success rate is 60% for both."
Yi Jin was surprised:
"My nephew's alchemy skills are so extraordinary. This makes things easier. After you go back, you can go to the Alchemy Pavilion to take the alchemy test. After you pass, you can receive the alchemy tasks issued by the Alchemy Pavilion. You don't have to waste time on the fifth-level tasks, and you can also avoid Huang's use of this opportunity to cause trouble for you."
Chen Yuan's mind became active when he heard this:
"Uncle Yi, if I join the Alchemy Pavilion directly, won't I no longer have to worry about Huang's revenge?"
Yi Jin laughed and said:
"Of course you can, but if you do that, you will have to serve the Alchemy Pavilion for ten years before you have the chance to build your foundation."
Chen Yuan was puzzled:
"Although my alchemy skills are not outstanding, I still have a 60% success rate. I think I have a chance to become an alchemy master. Why do I have to do hard labor?"
Yi Jin sighed softly:
"A 60% success rate is indeed extraordinary. It is rare even among the alchemists in Lingyun Sect. But even if it is 70%, I will have to serve 10 years of hard labor first."
Chen Yuan frowned:
"Could it be... because I am a casual cultivator?"
Yi Jin nodded slightly:
"That's right! Brother Chen had practiced in Huanyue Market before, so he must have known that spiritual herbs under 100 years old can be ripened by magic power. Our sect also has a market to recruit a large number of independent cultivators to ripen low-level spiritual herbs, so the supply is sufficient. Our sect's alchemy heritage is also very complete, enough to train a large number of alchemists. They control the Alchemy Pavilion, so how could they let independent cultivators from outside enter easily?"
Chen Yuan said unwillingly:
"What about the alchemy master? Doesn't our sect lack one?"
Yi Jin shook his head:
"No, our sect is only short of spiritual herbs. The hundred-year-old spiritual herbs used to refine foundation-building elixirs cannot be ripened by mana. Only the pure spiritual energy in large spiritual veins can quickly ripen them. In the entire Qi State, only the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm has such conditions. Our sect only has one medium-sized spiritual vein. Even if we build a large number of spiritual medicine gardens, we can only shorten the time slightly. We must wait for them to grow naturally."
"There are more than 300 foundation-building cultivators in our sect, all of whom need elixirs for cultivation, so hundred-year-old spiritual herbs are naturally insufficient. However, there are a large number of alchemists in the Alchemy Pavilion, waiting for hundred-year-old spiritual herbs to practice. In this case, if you were a Jindan elder, would you train alchemists who have been practicing since childhood, have excellent qualifications, and have a good family background, or would you train casual alchemists who have joined the sect through the Ascension Conference and have only pseudo spiritual roots?"
Chen Yuan smiled bitterly:
"If it were me, I would also train disciples who started from a young age."
Yi Jin sighed:
"That's why the alchemists who come from the casual cultivation background in our sect don't have the chance to become alchemy masters. No matter how extraordinary your alchemy skills are, our sect doesn't lack the extra pills you make in one furnace. Unless your success rate reaches 80% or 90%, and you have the potential to become an alchemy master, you will be looked at with respect by the Alchemy Pavilion. Or if you were already an alchemy master when you joined the sect, you can also join the Alchemy Pavilion."
"Uncle Master, you are joking. A hundred-year-old spiritual herb costs nearly a hundred spiritual stones. Not only is it expensive, but it is also extremely rare. How can I have the chance to refine a foundation-building pill?"
Yi Jin smiled and said:
"So, Junior Brother Chen, you should just give up on this idea. Our sect held the Immortal Ascension Conference to recruit independent cultivators to enter the secret realm of Dongxu Mountain and snatch the rare spiritual herbs, especially the three spiritual herbs used to refine the foundation-building pill. If you don't want to enter the secret realm of Dongxu Mountain, Junior Brother Chen can only endure ten years of hardship and then look for an opportunity to build a foundation."
Chen Yuan nodded:
"Disciple understands. I will go to participate in the alchemy test and receive the alchemy task."
Yi Jin smiled and said:
"Junior Brother Chen is an extraordinary alchemist. It will be no problem for him to pass the alchemy test. Remember, you must choose the third-class alchemy test. If you have any questions, you can ask Jingchun. He has been a disciple for ten years and has a wide network of contacts. He is well-informed and knows the situation of our sect in detail."
Chen Yuan stood up and saluted:
"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Yi. I am very grateful."
Mo Jingchun also stood up and bowed to Yi Jin:
"Uncle Yi, I'll see Junior Brother Chen off."
Yi Jin nodded slightly:
"Go."
Afterwards, Chen Yuan and Mo Jingchun walked out of the cave and went down to Suolong Peak.
There are only more than thirty foundation-building monks who have opened up caves on the Locking Dragon Peak. Usually, few people come here, and the mountain path is quiet and silent.
As the two walked on the road, Chen Yuan asked:
"Senior Brother Mo entered the sect ten years ago. Hasn't he ever been to Dongxu Mountain?"
Mo Jingchun smiled and said:
"Of course, I went to Dongxu Mountain and exchanged the spiritual herbs I picked for a foundation-building pill, but unfortunately, I failed to build my foundation. I could only waste ten years waiting for a second chance."
"I apologize for my words, Brother Mo, please don't take it to heart..."
"It doesn't matter."
Mo Jingchun waved his hand and said with a smile:
"I have been practicing Taoism for more than fifty years, and have experienced countless dangers and overcome numerous difficulties to have the cultivation level I have today. A few setbacks are nothing to worry about. If it doesn't work once, try again. As long as I can keep my life, there will always be a day when I can build a foundation!"
His words were so heroic that Chen Yuan couldn't help but be impressed. He bowed and said:
"Senior Brother Mo has a firm faith in Taoism. He will definitely succeed in building his foundation this time!"
Mo Jingchun smiled and said:
"I will take your kind words this time. I will go to Dongxu Mountain with you to seize the elixir. Our chances of getting it will be much greater. When the time comes, you and I will each exchange two foundation-building pills, and then we will have a chance to succeed in building our foundation."
Chen Yuan's heart moved:
"Can a cultivator take two foundation-building pills?"
Mo Jingchun replied:
"Of course you can. For pseudo-spiritual root cultivators like me, our aptitude is not good. It is impossible for us to successfully build a foundation with just one foundation-building pill. We must at least take two to have a chance. If conditions permit, the more foundation-building pills we take, the better. However, foundation-building pills are hard to come by, and it is not easy to get one."
Chen Yuan's mind turned, and he vaguely grasped something, and said:
"I have one thing I am confused about, please help me, Senior Brother Mo."
"Junior brother, please tell me."
"The formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill is not difficult to find. I have one in my hand. Why is it that only the six major sects have the Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Mo Jingchun smiled and said:
"The reason is very simple. Yin Yang Ganoderma, White Angelica Flower, and Seven Star Grass, the three main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, only grow in large spiritual veins. Apart from the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm, there is no trace of these three spiritual herbs. Only the six major sects can monopolize the Foundation Establishment Pills."
Chen Yuan nodded slowly:
"I see……"
Afterwards, the two of them walked all the way to the foot of Suolong Peak and talked about many situations in Lingyun Sect, which allowed Chen Yuan to have a deeper understanding of Lingyun Sect.
When they parted, Mo Jingchun took out a sound transmission talisman and handed it to Chen Yuan:
"My cave is at Xiangguang Peak. If Junior Brother Chen needs anything, you can bring this sound transmission note to find me."
Chen Yuan didn't have a sound transmission talisman, so he could only describe the terrain around the courtyard where he lived in detail before leaving.
After seeing Chen Yuan off, Mo Jingchun touched his storage bag, took out a flying boat, and flew away. In just a moment, he returned to Yi Jin Cave Mansion.
The stone door had not yet closed, so he stepped in and came to the stone hall. Yi Jin was still sitting in the main seat.
Mo Jingchun sat down opposite Yi Jin and said:
"Brother Yi, what do you think of Junior Brother Chen?"
He was clearly just a Qi-refining cultivator, but he addressed Yi Jin as "brother" in private, completely lacking the respect he had shown just now when he addressed him as "Uncle Yi" in front of Chen Yuan.
Yi Jin pondered for a moment and said:
"Nephew Chen was extremely decisive in the competition yesterday. He had many hidden cards to his name. He was very skilled in alchemy and had great potential for building a foundation. You should get closer to him in the next two years and don't let the Huang family take revenge."
Mo Jingchun nodded and said, "Leave this to me. Junior Brother Chen is an alchemist, but he also has extraordinary combat power, which is extremely rare. It's a pity that he was born as a casual cultivator. Otherwise, he could enter the Alchemy Pavilion and become a master alchemist. Then I, a casual cultivator, won't have to worry about elixirs in the future."
Yi Jin's face darkened:
"The orthodox lineage not only controls the major halls and pavilions, but also restricts the disciples of my independent cultivation lineage from purchasing elixirs from the Alchemy Pavilion. This is really abominable."
Mo Jingchun sighed:
"It's a pity that the elders turned a deaf ear to this and allowed the orthodox lineage to bully us."
Yi Jin smiled bitterly and said:
"The elders are determined to pursue the great path, so why would they be held back by these trivial matters of power struggle? It's hateful that those disciples of the orthodox lineage, who have only entered the sect since childhood, suppress us casual cultivators in every possible way, fearing that even a little bit of the benefits in their hands will be taken away."
Mo Jingchun sneered:
"They have a master-disciple inheritance and a family to support. There are only so many cultivation resources. If they give them to independent cultivators like us for nothing, wouldn't that be a sin? But if a pseudo-spiritual root disciple from a cultivation family also enters the sect through the Ascension Conference, he will become a 'pillar of the sect' in their mouths!"
Yi Jin nodded slightly:
"It was also thanks to you that you spread the news about those family members before the Ascension Conference that Junior Brother Chen was able to take advantage of the situation in yesterday's competition. Otherwise, when Huang Yunshang offered his talisman, the outcome would be hard to predict."
Mo Jingchun smiled and said:
"The orthodox sects are at odds with each other, fighting openly and secretly. My sect of independent cultivators is a good opportunity to profit from this."
Yi Jin sighed:
"This is just a small path after all. I just hope that during this trip to Dongxu Mountain, my lineage of casual cultivators can produce a few more foundation-building cultivators..."
His voice gradually became lower, Mo Jingchun remained silent, a look of loneliness on his face.
……
After Chen Yuan left the Locking Dragon Peak, he went straight to the Alchemy Pavilion.
Since he was going to take an assessment on alchemy and needed to open a furnace to refine the elixir, Chen Yuan did not dare to consume his magic power. He did not control the flying boat, but simply used the light body technique to run all the way.
An hour later, he arrived at the Alchemy Pavilion, walked up to a disciple on duty, and bowed, saying:
"Junior brother, how can I take part in the alchemy test?"
The disciple on duty was only at the third level of Qi Refining, about fifteen or sixteen years old, and he quickly stood up and returned the greeting:
"Senior brother, please come with me."
Chen Yuan followed the disciple on duty and came to a quiet room on the second floor of the Alchemy Pavilion.
The disciple on duty took out his identity jade card, injected a trace of magic power into it, and stuck it to the forbidden light shield covering the quiet room.
After a while, the forbidden light shield rippled and slowly melted away. An indifferent voice came from the quiet room:
"Come in."
The disciple on duty pushed the door open and Chen Yuan followed behind him and walked in.
In the quiet room, a monk in his thirties sat cross-legged on a cushion. He was thin, with a pale face and no beard. His eyes were slightly closed. He said calmly:
"What's the matter?"
The disciples on duty bowed respectfully:
"Uncle Yin, this senior brother wants to take part in the alchemy test."
The white-faced monk opened his eyes and looked at Chen Yuan, frowning slightly:
"Which senior brother's disciple are you? Why are you here to take the alchemy test now?"
Chen Yuan bowed and saluted:
"Disciple Chen Yuan, I just entered yesterday and met Uncle Master Yin."
Upon hearing this, the white-faced monk's eyes flashed with a trace of barely perceptible disgust:
"In that case, go and refine a furnace of Gathering Spirit Pills. If the success rate reaches 30%, you will pass the alchemy test."
After saying that, he closed his eyes again and ignored Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan did not leave, but asked:
"Excuse me, Uncle Yin, what level of alchemy test is this?"
The white-faced monk said coldly without even opening his eyes:
"Fifth."
Chen Yuan bowed and saluted:
"Disciple would like to participate in the third-level alchemy examination. Please allow me, Uncle Yin."
The white-faced monk opened his eyes, a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, and he smiled:
"Okay, take this token and go to the alchemy room. If you can refine a furnace of Yuhua Pills with a success rate of 40%, you will pass the third-level alchemy assessment."
As he spoke, he stroked his storage bag and took out a token made of bamboo and wood with the word "Dan" engraved on it. He flicked his finger and the token flew towards Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan raised his hand and took the token steadily. His expression remained calm. He bowed to the white-faced monk and walked out of the quiet room with the disciple on duty.
The white-faced monk raised his hand and waved, and the door of the quiet room slowly closed. He closed his eyes again and whispered:
"You are just a casual cultivator, but you dare to dream of passing the third-level alchemy examination? You are overestimating yourself!"
……
Chen Yuan followed the disciple on duty, returned to the first floor of the Alchemy Pavilion, and walked towards the back.
The Alchemy Pavilion is built against the mountain, close to the mountain wall. There is a door at the back. When it is opened, there is a long mountain path.
The disciple on duty looked at Chen Yuan curiously:
"Brother, did you join the sect through the Ascension Conference?"
Chen Yuan smiled and nodded:
"Yes."
"The Ascension Conference must be fun, right?"
Chen Yuan burst out laughing:
"Okay."
These family members, who have been admitted to the sect since childhood, are inexperienced in the world and quite naive under the protection of the sect.
The disciple on duty asked Chen Yuan a few more questions, but Chen Yuan answered them perfunctorily.
The two of them came to a hall, where two disciples at the tenth level of Qi Refining were sitting on two stone chairs, playing chess.
Seeing someone coming here, one of them stood up and asked, and Chen Yuan showed his token:
"I am here to take part in the alchemy test. I hope you two brothers will help me."
When this person saw the token, a smile immediately appeared on his face:
"Junior brother, please follow me."
I will make up for the thousand words I wrote at noon, and there will be another update at 11 o'clock in the evening.
(End of this chapter)