"Once you have mastered the art of alchemy, you can use pills to get others to fight and kill for us," said the alchemist master.
"This is the way of alchemy!"
Chen Xia was quite interested in this dao of alchemy, so he raised his doubts.
"Is it possible, I'm just saying possibly, that a powerful cultivator could use the life of an alchemist as a threat and force the alchemist to concoct pills for him?"
The old man was taken aback, then quickly shook his head, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
He followed with cryptic words, something about "simmering cauldron qi" and "fake pills".
Chen Xia didn't really understand, he just felt that if a powerful cultivator wanted to force an alchemist to make pills, the alchemist would only have the choice to comply or die.
In the end, the alchemist would still be at a disadvantage.
The old man seemed unable to get around this obstacle. He mumbled to himself, talking about the schemes alchemists could use to maneuver around powerful cultivators, but none of them would work.
You can think up tricks for half a day, but a powerful cultivator only needs one punch.
This is a naked, insurmountable gap.
But the old man was also too stubborn, who would argue about this?
Chen Xia stretched lazily and was about to head back to his abode for self-cultivation, when the old man called out to stop him.
"Since you are of the human race and interested in alchemy, we are fated. I will teach you some tricks. Bring your cauldron here in three months and I will teach you alchemy!"
Chen Xia was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Alright."
It would be good for him to see what differences there were between orthodox alchemists and himself.
There were also some secret manuals in the Heavenly Pavilion that Chen Xia had no interest in looking at, because those cultivation methods were not powerful at all, and completely uncool.
His 300 million sword intent could just crush them directly.
The old man put his hands behind his back, and his expression became serious in this moment. "My name is Zhang Daoming, I'm the Pill Elder in the sect. In the future if you have any doubts about alchemy, you can come to me."
Chen Xia hesitated for a moment, but did not ask.
He did have doubts in his heart of course, but this Zhang Daoming probably didn't know.
For example, how does one refine imperial pills? This was a question Chen Xia was very curious about.
But if he were to really ask, it would not be mere curiosity, but deliberately causing trouble.
Chen Xia saw that the old man had lived this many years and it was not easy, so it was better not to send him away.
He wandered back to his own abode, preparing to cultivate and transcribe dao scripts, ending the day's activities.
Chen Xia was very disciplined these days. He would get up on time every morning, brew two cups of tea, drinking one cup and also drinking the other.
Then he would set up a chessboard and play against himself, though it was probably useless.
After all, even if Chen Xia was a rare terrible chess player, a terrible chess player playing against himself could hardly improve his skills.
In the afternoon, Chen Xia would go sit in the newly built pavilion, though it was no longer suitable to call it a pavilion now, since it was more like a palace, with gardens built around the outside.
One could only say that Jin Diao's infrastructure building abilities were indeed not bad, and they frequently asked Chen Xia's opinion at the moment.
"Brother, do you think this is suitable? If not, we'll change it immediately."
"That's right, you must not compromise yourself, if it's not suitable we'll change it right away."
Chen Xia also spoke the truth. "The construction itself is fine, it just feels like it lacks a touch of fantastical color, perhaps you could add some exaggerated creative elements."
Jin Diao immediately nodded in agreement, seeming thoughtful, as if they had some ideas.
Among the probationary disciples right now, Chen Xia was number one. Even formal disciples would avoid him when they saw him, and common elders would exchange pleasantries when they saw Chen Xia.
This was also because Chen Xia's talent and status were too high.
Estimated to be no more than 500 years, Chen Xia would be able to shed his disciple status and obtain an elder position.
At that time, his status would naturally be higher than these common elders.
It was said that currying favor should be done early. These elders were cunning people, not only frequently chatting with Chen Xia now, but also giving him gifts.
Chen Xia did not take everything, only looking at the value, taking expensive gifts but not cheap ones.
This was following his true heart.
In just less than 300 years since he arrived at Blue Sky Sword Sea, he had already mixed in to become the hegemon of the probationary disciples, perfectly highlighting his extraordinary talent.
Chen Xia thought carefully about it, the process was actually very simple - he just happened to punch a few people in the face.
Then he fought his way to fame.
Simple and crude.
He sighed, after resting in the pavilion he would go to the Heavenly Pavilion to read books for a while, not picking and choosing the type.
Mainly to increase his knowledge and experience.
At night, Chen Xia would observe the changes in his small world, focusing his viewpoint on Master Dao Xuan and Yun Miao, to immerse himself in the story.
He watched this like reading a novel, extremely interesting.
Even more interesting than novels.
Because novels need to follow basic logic, but reality does not.
Now the storyline in the small world had progressed to Yun Miao's junior martial brother having an affair with his martial aunt, but getting caught by his junior martial brother, who joined in, becoming a threesome.
Yun Miao knew about it, but because of various concerns did not expose them. Instead he sealed his master's coffin again.
He was afraid his deceased master could not endure under the yellow springs, and would become an undead to kill his martial aunt and two martial brothers.
If a sect lost its ethics, then the rules would also fall into disorder.
As the senior martial brother, after master's death, Yun Miao should have inherited the sect and learned his master's heart manual.
But his other two martial brothers often spoke ill of Yun Miao in front of his martial aunt, making her somewhat suspicious of Yun Miao, and somewhat unwilling to pass down the heart manual to him.
When Chen Xia read to here, he felt Yun Miao's choices were too naive.
He should have joined in fairly to compete based on ability!
The sect Yun Miao was in was called White Floating Mountain. Within the mountain gate were 100 disciples, but none were considered true inheritance disciples.
Only he and two martial brothers, plus one newly accepted martial sister were.
And now these two martial brothers had pulled over the other disciples to ostracize Yun Miao, wanting to directly replace him and take the position of successor of White Floating Mountain.
Yun Miao felt extremely weary. The current situation in the realm was not good, with powerful demons frequently appearing below the mountain, and constant infighting within the sect. It could be said to be internal and external troubles.
Sometimes Yun Miao even wanted to just leave directly and not care about anything, but he was afraid his master's life's work would be ruined by his two martial brothers.
There was also his young martial sister to worry about.
He looked up at the statue on top of the grand hall that had an expression as majestic and solemn as a heavenly god, and sighed, calling out to the outside.
"Chan'er, come pay respects to the Grand Celestial Venerable."
The little girl called Xia Chan clumsily staggered over the steps. Only two or three years old, still unsteady when walking. She stood straight in front of the statue, put her chubby hands together, and bowed forward awkwardly, looking extremely cute.
The little girl babbled in her tender voice.
"Paying respects to Mysterious Yellow...Mysterious Yellow Most Honored, Three Thousand Great Dao, Heaven and Earth Limitless...Ruler of All Worlds...Life and Death, Five Elements, Transformation...Mystical Grand Celestial Venerable!"
The whole process was stuttering, like reciting an unfamiliar text.
The little girl looked up with her chubby face, and happened to see the Grand Celestial Venerable statue in front seemed to have...
Smiled at her.