Bai Jie was not in a very good mood.
He was always thinking back to what Chen Xia had said on the day he was refining pills, "Use 500 years of your life in exchange for a successful pill."
Every time he thought of these words, Bai Jie could not calm down. He always felt like he had really lost some of his lifespan, especially since what Chen Xia had refined was a furnace with two batches of pills.
Bai Jie felt that not only was 500 years of his lifespan docked, but with two batches of pills added together, it should be 1,000 years. With his strength at the inverse sea realm, he had over 10,000 years of lifespan. Adding some more life-extending miraculous pills and elixirs later on, reaching 20,000 years of lifespan would not be difficult.
But 20,000 years of lifespan could not withstand Chen Xia docking it like this. Every time he refined a superior-grade pill, it was 1,000 years of lifespan. If he refined several more times, wouldn't he be directly sending Bai Jie away?
No, absolutely not.
Bai Jie thought it through completely. The next day, he brought 20,000 Spirit Stones and went to give Chen Xia gifts, begging him not to dock his lifespan when refining pills in the future, and was extremely respectful in his attitude.
"Dad, I was wrong. Please spare me. Don't use my lifespan when refining pills in the future, okay?"
"Then whose lifespan should I use?" Chen Xia asked curiously.
Bai Jie thought for a moment, then replied, "Use those with higher cultivations. Those with higher cultivations have more lifespan. Or just directly use the old man's, the old man won't live for much longer anyway, who knows, you might even owe him, that would be a gain."
"You really know how to calculate profits," Chen Xia chuckled and put down the pill scriptures he was holding. He explained, "I was just teasing you, don't take it to heart."
"Ah?" Bai Jie was stunned, then frowned and asked hesitantly, "Really?"
"Do you really think your 500 years of lifespan could substitute for two superior-grade pills?" Chen Xia asked back.
Added together, the two superior-grade pills were worth almost over 200,000 Spirit Stones. As a seed of the inverse sea realm great emperor's family, a single life of Qiong Qi was only worth 300,000 Spirit Stones.
Bai Jie's 500 years of lifespan really was not worth two superior-grade pills when added together.
After thinking about it carefully, he did seem to be right. Bai Jie then laughed and replied, "I knew Dad wouldn't be so cruel to me."
Chen Xia sat in a rocking chair, tilted his head, and suddenly curiously asked, "Who is the most powerful alchemist in the Starry Sky Pill Sect?"
"You," Bai Jie answered without even thinking, immediately replying.
His breadth of mind had always been good.
"Other than me?" Chen Xia continued to ask.
Bai Jie thought about it a little, and replied, "The rest of the alchemists are far below you. The most powerful alchemist is probably the Sect Leader, but the Sect Leader is only at the level of a mid-grade pill alchemist."
"There are no very powerful alchemists in the Starry Sky Pill Sect. Although it takes the name of a pill sect, we take the low-end route, mainly relying on large quantities."
"The Sect Leader also wants to open the high-end market. After all, he can get in touch with those top sects in the upper layer, which means there are greater connections and opportunities."
"But there are only a few dozen pill alchemists in the entire realm, and they are all raised by those major sects. The Starry Sky Pill Sect doesn't have the qualifications to raise a pill alchemist yet."
Chen Xia nodded, feeling that this was normal too. After all, even the previous Soaring Heavens Sword Sect didn't have many pill alchemists. Someone like Zhang Daoming, who could move mountains and was a superior-grade spirit elixir master, could get a position of elder in Soaring Heavens Sword Sect.
This was enough to see how precious alchemists were.
As for pill dao grandmasters who could refine grand pills, Chen Xia had not met any yet, but he had heard of them.
Zhang Daoming highly respected Wang Yangzi, who was a pill dao grandmaster, and was also in the realm. He must be a top-level cultivator in the upper layer.
No wonder Zhen Hu was so humble and deferential to Chen Xia. An alchemist who could refine half a grand pill was one of the few in the entire middle layer of the realm.
If converted, he really was Zhen Hu's granddaddy.
What's more, Zhen Hu was also worried that this granddaddy would be poached by other sects. It was like this in the realm - poaching people was not taboo at all. They would directly make an offer right in front of you.
Some pre-Saint experts would even directly come to snatch people away, regardless of whether you were willing or not. First bring them back, then talk about it. By the time you got back, you would be willing.
Zhen Hu was also worried about this. Fortunately, the top pre-Saint experts didn't really like to come forward now. Celestial Realm cultivators lacked a voice, unless it was a top-notch existence in the twelfth layer of the Celestial Realm. Otherwise, Zhen Hu was not really afraid.
He, Zhen Hu, had been in the middle layer for so long, and also had quite a few connections. He also knew super experts above the fifth layer of the Celestial Realm.
If it really came down to it, even if he couldn't win, he could just surrender. Anyway, all he needed was for Chen Xia to refine a grand pill and get the Starry Sky Pill Sect one spot in the Celestial Realm.
This was Zhen Hu's plan. It couldn't really be called a plan, since you don't make plans against your own granddaddy. At most it was just a thought.
Bai Jie also spoke out accordingly. Clasping his fists, straightening his expression, he respectfully said, "The Starry Sky Pill Sect asks Sir to refine a grand pill for us."
Chen Xia shook his head. "I cannot guarantee the success rate of grand pills, but half a grand pill is possible."
Although there was only a one word difference, grand pills were much more precious than half grand pills. The price was directly doubled, so the difficulty was almost doubled as well.
Bai Jie hurriedly replied, "Regardless of success or failure, Sir does not need to be responsible. And if successful, Sir can keep the grand pill, you just need to pay for the materials."
This was already going above and beyond.
Chen Xia nodded, feeling this was quite reasonable. He asked again, "What grand pill are you planning to refine?"
"Naturally it would be a relatively simple low-grade grand pill. But it's only relatively simple compared to other grand pills, so it would still require someone of your caliber to successfully refine it," Bai Jie hurriedly replied, not forgetting to flatter a bit and further broaden his own breadth.
"When will the refining take place?" Chen Xia asked again.
"It just so happens to be 300 years later, at the Great Sects Conference in the middle layer of the realm. At that time there will be a grand pill competition. Sects that successfully refine a grand pill can use it to offset a spot in the Celestial Realm, and will also receive a reward," Bai Jie replied again. Hesitating for a moment, he added in a low voice,
"By then, Sir will make a name for himself. Perhaps top sects in the upper layer will even invite Sir to join them."
"Here we go again?" Chen Xia frowned. Back then even if he was "invited" to join Soaring Heavens Sword Sect by Elder Yu the fisherman,
"If Sir is unwilling, you can also find some other excuses to evade. You must not show that you are unwilling, otherwise top experts in the twelfth layer of the Celestial Realm may take action personally."
Bai Jie whispered out advice, then trotted to Chen Xia's side, and resumed his thick flattering attitude. Smiling, he said,
"As long as Sir shows willingness to incline towards one, with your alchemy skills, I believe no sect would dare to displease Sir. Even if you go to a top sect in the upper layer, you will enjoy top-tier treatment."
Chen Xia stroked his cheek and frowned. "But wouldn't that be relying on others?"
"There's no way around it. In the path of cultivation, what really matters is just combat strength. Everything else is just icing on the cake," Bai Jie shook his head and advised, his tone helpless.
Just like when Chen Xia had given him two crutches before, Bai Jie could only kneel down and call him big brother.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
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.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
