There was no other way.
What he had given was simply too much.
Although the Elder was well-read and understood matters of the world, he knew that in life, pride comes first, and a man lives for his face while a tree lives for its bark.
If this face were lost first, it would be hard to pick up the rest that followed.
He further understood the principle that one should not bow for a mere five pecks of rice.
But the problem was, this was not five pecks of rice!
This was three genuine top-grade Spirit Pills!
Damn!
Not even Chen Xia's father had treated him this well!
And so, as was plainly evident, the Elder had also become one of those fanning Chen Xia, occupying the front position and becoming the leader of the some twenty alchemists.
Hmm.
The leader of the fan-wielders.
Chen Xia sat in the back on a chair, eyes slightly narrowed.
"Sir, is this wind force suitable?" the Elder asked softly from the side.
"Not bad, though a bit lighter would be better," Chen Xia said indifferently, reaching up to catch some stray strands of hair.
Ever since entering Azure Sky, because he was too lazy and disliked socializing, Chen Xia had figured out a way of getting along with others.
In Chen Xia's words, it was called the reward method.
It wasn't just about rewarding with items, but also never criticizing.
No matter if someone did well or poorly, he would not criticize, but first give encouragement, and then make suggestions from an encouraging standpoint to get them to correct themselves.
To give an example:
"You kill well, next time it'd be even better to finish in a single strike."
People might not remember criticism, but they would definitely have a deep impression of encouragement.
Remembering it more, they would naturally strive for greater perfection, and be sure to finish in one strike next time.
Aside from this, Chen Xia combined encouragement and rewards. As long as someone did something that satisfied him, he would give a reward.
Even if unsatisfied, he would still give a small reward, and make suggestions from an encouraging angle.
If they did even better the next time, an even bigger reward would be given.
This way, the atmosphere was naturally harmonious without quarrels, and Chen Xia also obtained sincere respect.
This was inspiration he had gotten from training dogs.
So far the effect seemed pretty good.
The only apparent downside to this method was the fear of running out of rewards.
But to Chen Xia this definitely didn't count as a downside. For one thing, he didn't have to provide the materials himself, he only needed to concoct pills, which was just raising the quality of the pills a bit while concocting them.
For example, a pill that could only be refined into low-grade, he could refine into top-grade.
And refining Spirit Pills was like playing for him, he didn't even need an iron cauldron, just casually stewing could form a pill.
If Spirit Pills could not satisfy them, Chen Xia could also refine Dao Pills.
For these small pill halls that treated top-grade Spirit Pills as treasures, a single Dao Pill could probably drive the entire hall mad.
But with Chen Xia around, the small pill hall definitely wouldn't go crazy.
Because he could give each person one pill.
If it really came together in this form, the small pill hall could probably rely on Chen Xia alone to leap up into a top ranking faction in Qing Province.
Only, that was definitely impossible for now, because Chen Xia was too lazy to refine pills, and also lacked the materials for refining Dao Pills.
The Elder was still fanning. Suddenly, shouting sounded from not far away.
"Elder, Elder, Lady Qiu has arrived!"
"Shh, quieter, why yell so loudly, take care not to disturb the sir!" The Elder quickly made a silencing gesture.
The cultivator who had come to notify was startled, blankly staring at the scene before him, truly unable to comprehend why the Elder had also joined in this?!
Looking at it, and seeming to enjoy it so much, could it be some hypnotic mind-bewitching art?
The cultivator really couldn't decide what to do.
"No matter, his urgency comes from kindness, he should not suffer rebuke, reward him," Chen Xia said indifferently.
Li Gao hurriedly walked over, feeling around in his robe before taking out a greenish Spirit Pill with vine patterns, and placing it in the still dazed cultivator's hand.
"This is... this is..." The cultivator looked at the mid-grade Spirit Pill in his hand, also not really understanding, looking from Li Gao to the pill in hand, wanting to accept it yet also afraid.
"This is the sir's reward for you, a small gift," Li Gao explained.
"Oh... oh, this, reward... small gift?" The cultivator still didn't quite get it. With his centuries of experience, how could such a precious mid-grade Spirit Pill be given away so easily, this was something even old monsters in the Great Vehicle stage would fight over!
The cultivator was slow on the uptake.
So Chen Xia spoke again, "Reward again."
Li Gao hurriedly took out a refined Spirit Pill, placing it in the cultivator's hand.
Yet another mid-grade Spirit Pill.
The cultivator held them reverently in both hands, hesitating no longer, and respectfully nodded his head, saying,
"Thank you, sir."
Watching this scene, the Elder somehow felt it was familiar.
Soon more people arrived, the white-clothed woman from when Chen Xia had been recruited. Her footsteps now softly tread closer, looking upon the bizarre scene. Her fine brows wrinkled as she pondered for a while yet could not make sense of it. Thus she asked,
"What are you doing?"
The Elder quickly spoke up, "Attending to the sir."
"The sir is...?" The white-clothed woman's gaze shifted to Chen Xia, really not daring to confirm.
Wasn't this the guard she had recruited?
After not seeing him for over half a year, now he had become a sir?
The Elder stood respectfully beside Chen Xia, bowing his head toward him as he said, "Naturally there is only one sir."
The Elder looked again to the white-clothed woman, explaining in more detail for Chen Xia, "Sir, this is one of the successors of the Qiu Family, Lady Qiu Yi. In all of Qing Province she has quite a reputation, and the Qiu Family is the most prosperous family in Qing Province."
"Good, reward her," Chen Xia said indifferently.
The Elder's expression froze slightly.
What, this could also be rewarded?
Li Gao didn't care and hurried forward, about to take out a Spirit Pill to hand to Qiu Yi.
Yet Qiu Yi did not extend her hand to accept it. An aloof voice sounded from the air, "A mid-grade Spirit Pill, not bad, hmm, just not bad."
The Elder standing to the side had an expression of astonishment on his face. The Qiu Family really deserved to be the most prosperous family in Qing Province, for Qiu Yi to not even bat an eye at a mid-grade Spirit Pill!
Chen Xia uncaringly laughed lightly, "No matter, reward again."
Li Gao put away the mid-grade Spirit Pill, then felt around in another pocket, taking out a Spirit Pill with green and yellow pill patterns. The aroma of the pill was rich.
A top-grade Spirit Pill?!
Qiu Yi's cold and arrogant brows quivered, but she still did not extend her hand to take it. The aloof voice that sounded was no longer so cold though.
"A top-grade Spirit Pill, excellent."
Chen Xia got up from his chair, took the teacup and drank a sip. His tone was indifferent, as casual as bargaining at the market.
"Continue rewarding."
By saying "reward" for the third time, it meant the grade of the pill would increase by three levels.
Li Gao took out one of the best top-grade Spirit Pills, extremely rare.
Qiu Yi's gaze swayed, and although she still did not extend her hand to take it, she could no longer speak.
Chen Xia put down the teacup and casually cracked a couple melon seeds, swallowing the shells as well, then said,
"Add on."
With just this one word, it was the fourth time he had rewarded, jumping up three grades from the mid-grade Spirit Pill.
Li Gao felt around inside his storage magic treasure for a while, taking out a precious small box. He opened it solemnly.
With just the light of the pill, it was exceptionally dazzling, and a dense pill fragrance spread out, the image manifesting.
The Elder beside them was stunned speechless, truly unable to believe it. His expression was shocked as he stammered,
"Half... half a Dao Pill?!"
Let alone Great Vehicle Stage, even Moving Mountains Stage masters would fight over such a supreme pill!
Qiu Yi could no longer remain composed. Her breathing quickened and her footsteps hurriedly retreated. As she walked, her left foot almost tripped over her right. She didn't dare look back, afraid that if she did, she wouldn't be able to resist taking the pill.
This was absolutely not allowed by the Qiu Family!
Her own dignity also would not allow her to take the pills as if begging.
Chen Xia sat in the chair, shaking his head slightly, and began to reflect.
He had still rewarded too little after all.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
