After Chen Xia began using courtesy to recruit people, more and more cultivators came to join. The pavilion was so crowded that they had to line up outside.
Spiritual medicines were given out as rewards. Anyway, Chen Xia didn't need to provide the medicinal materials himself, he just casually refined them.
Ever since that day, Qiu Yi never came to the door again. She was probably too shaken in her Dao heart to calm down quickly.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't accept that a cultivator she had casually brought into the Little Cinnabar Hall could take out a half-finished Dao medicine that even those at the Boundless Void Realm coveted eagerly.
This was like you picking up a stray dog on the roadside and bringing it home to let it roam around. Then after a few days, this dog had become the famous rich man near and far in your village.
It carried an air of mystery, fantasy, and some thrill.
Qiu Yi was puzzled no matter how she thought about it. These days she often stared blankly at the sky, her beautiful face dazed and devoid of any thoughts.
The Little Cinnabar Hall today, after months of fermentation, had begun to become somewhat abnormal.
The low-level cultivators, including some elders, had become Chen Xia's loyal supporters. They crowded around the pavilion every day, just waiting to do things for Chen Xia.
Such ardently fanatical behavior naturally drew dissatisfaction from others, who came to admonish them one by one.
And very soon...
No one was dissatisfied anymore.
Everyone was harmonious, surrounding Chen Xia's pavilion licking his boots.
Chen Xia had also obtained medicinal materials that nurtured the body. After refining and ingesting them, his current body had recovered by more than half. The three million flying swords were also stable and no longer wanted to rush out of his body.
There were many cultivators coming and going outside the pavilion every day.
Chen Xia frowned slightly, not very fond of this kind of noisy and clamorous atmosphere. So he began to change the rules a bit.
He would charge fees for helping these cultivators concoct pills.
The amount was not specified, but they had to pay something.
As soon as the rules changed, a cultivator came rushing in holding ten spirit stones, asking Chen Xia to help him refine a mid-grade spiritual medicine.
For the cultivators of the Little Cinnabar Hall, these ten spirit stones were already considered a huge sum. And the mid-grade spiritual medicine he wanted to refine was even more rare and precious.
Chen Xia took the spirit stones, took over the medicinal materials, and gave a hint, "I can refine it, but what comes out may not be what you said."
"Ah?" The cultivator was a little puzzled and quickly asked, "It doesn't matter if the color and grade are a bit lower. Just don't make it too low..."
"What I mean is that it might be better." Chen Xia interrupted.
This left the cultivator at a loss, stunned.
These were the medicinal materials he had given! How could better quality pills be refined from them?
This was against the principles of alchemy!
Chen Xia was too lazy to explain. He casually grabbed the medicinal materials and threw them into the iron pot next to him. After closing the lid, he said,
"Wait two minutes."
The cultivator was a little confused and waited beside him, watching the iron pot without much movement.
After estimating that the time was almost up, Chen Xia took a sip of tea, snapped his fingers, and orange-yellow flames burst out from his hand. He slammed the pot lid hard, then lifted it open.
Dense pill fragrance wafted out, and a brand new top-grade spiritual medicine sat inside, freshly made.
The cultivator next to him gasped, staring blankly at this top-grade spiritual medicine. Although he didn't understand, he felt it was amazing.
"Take it." Chen Xia casually said and handed this top-grade spiritual medicine to him.
After this, Chen Xia's reputation as an alchemist was truly established. The cultivators all said that a master alchemist had emerged from the Little Cinnabar Hall, able to refine top-grade spiritual medicines, even half-finished Dao medicines.
The appearance of an alchemist of this level naturally caused great shock in the surrounding area, and even some news spread throughout the entire Qing Province.
Other curious cultivators asked how this master alchemist had appeared and who his master was.
The cultivators of the Little Cinnabar Hall could not answer and could only say that he was from outside the region and was currently serving as a guard at the Little Cinnabar Hall.
Those who asked frowned upon hearing this.
What kind of freakish guard was this?
Where fame rises, controversies spread.
Apart from the cultivators of the Little Cinnabar Hall, cultivators from other sects also came to find Chen Xia, hoping he could help them concoct pills.
Those of the courteous human race were fine. Their compensation and etiquette were satisfactory, pleasing Chen Xia.
Often with refining one pill, he could obtain the income of ten spirit stones, which was considered decent in this region.
But there were also discourteous ones, and Chen Xia soon encountered them.
It was the figure that blotted out the sky, flying arrogantly from afar. It first circled recklessly above the Little Cinnabar Hall twice before landing in human form. Extremely defiant and arrogant.
The Little Cinnabar Hall elder did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly went up to politely say, "Welcome, Elder Bai Wu, to honor us with your presence!"
Bai Wu looked contemptuously at the Little Cinnabar Hall elder, speaking with an arrogant tone, "I heard that an alchemist grandmaster has emerged from your sect?"
"Yes, yes, a very powerful alchemist grandmaster." The Little Cinnabar Hall elder quickly nodded and agreed.
"How powerful?"
Bai Wu narrowed his eyes.
"Uh... Uh... He should be the best in the Little Cinnabar Hall." The elder swallowed his saliva and answered hesitantly.
"Hmph, your Little Cinnabar Hall can't be considered much. If he's only the best of the Little Cinnabar Hall, then I'm afraid I'll be quite dissatisfied."
"You boasted so loudly before, but now you've dissatisfied me. Then I'm afraid I can't guarantee that nothing will happen to the Little Cinnabar Hall next."
Bai Wu sneered and said words that made the elder's body tremble.
The elder kept his head low, not knowing how to respond, and could only stand there silently.
Bai Wu shook his head and said disdainfully again, "Alright, take me to see him. With your Little Cinnabar Hall's level, if it wasn't for the Qiu family's support behind the scenes, you would have long been eaten without a trace in Qing Province."
"Yes, yes." The elder quickly nodded and led the way ahead.
Bai Wu sneered again, "I heard that young successor of the Qiu family is also at the Little Cinnabar Hall. Haven't seen her for a long time. Last time I had the upper hand over her in a fight, today I can finally get back at her."
The elder dared not speak and only kept his head low to lead the way.
The journey was not far, and they soon arrived.
Chen Xia was sitting in the pavilion, legs crossed, drinking tea, and looking at the snow scenery that had not completely faded away. Life was quite enjoyable.
The elder deliberately called out, "Sir, Elder Bai Wu of the Ancient Race is here to see you."
He deliberately emphasized the Ancient Race, to remind Chen Xia.
But Bai Wu directly pushed him away and walked towards the pavilion, smiling at Chen Xia, "So you're that so-called rising alchemist grandmaster?"
Chen Xia glanced at him and recognized from his physical features that he was the Bai Yan Que he had flown past during his mountain climb. Though he didn't know if it was the same one.
"I'm not any alchemist grandmaster. I don't know alchemy, I just can refine, that's all," Chen Xia answered very honestly.
"You don't understand yet can refine. You're trying to fool me like those other stupid idiots out there. I don't care what secret you have, you have to make it clear to me today."
"Otherwise, you won't be able to leave this acre of the Little Cinnabar Hall today."
Bai Wu sneered viciously. Then he shouted again,
"Get down here and talk to me!"
The elder beside him was so frightened that he couldn't speak, his body trembling.
Chen Xia was not in a hurry. His expression was still calm. He slowly got up from his chair, his footsteps gently landing on the ground. His blue robe fluttered as he nodded, "I've given you too much face."
Today...
More than half of the 10,000 meter long mountain trail of the Little Cinnabar Hall collapsed.
At the very bottom of the collapse was a twisted figure, vaguely resembling a bird. Blood flowed copiously.
The figure in blue robes stood at the inverted mountain peak, his expression indifferent.
Where fame rises, controversies fade.
The strong are always right.
Because you are forever correct.