Chapter 88: The Pill is Complete

Back then, in Su Yuyan’s eyes, Li Chang’an was the most powerful person in the world.

He was omnipotent, capable of easily crushing any foe.

Later, she came to understand.

A so-called "Innate Grandmaster" in the Mortal Realm was merely a Martial Artist whose Inner Strength had broken through the limits of the Martial Dao but had not yet been converted into Immortal Dao Magical Power. They weren’t even comparable to someone at the Qi Refining First Layer.

But she could never forget the sense of security she felt with Li Chang’an standing before her.

Even though Li Chang’an’s strength was now far inferior to her own.

But in her heart.

Li Chang’an was still her indomitable big brother!

"Brother Li, I came to Qinghe Marketplace this time for two main reasons."

Su Yuyan explained the purpose of her trip with a cheerful smile.

The first, of course, was to find Li Chang’an.

That was now successfully accomplished.

The second thing.

Was a mission from her Sect.

The mission required her to come to this region, find a Cave Mansion left behind by a Foundation Establishment predecessor, and retrieve his legacy for the Cyan Cloud Sect.

"Brother Li, this mission is a bit tricky. I might need your help when the time comes."

"Alright."

Li Chang’an did not refuse.

’No matter how good a relationship is, it needs to be sustained by mutual benefit.’

「That evening.」

Su Yuyan and her party took their leave.

They had no shortage of Spirit Stones, so they rented three fine residences in the Marketplace. The Spiritual Qi there was even a bit denser than at Li Chang’an’s place. They planned to stay for a while.

...

「That night.」

Yuan Ying came to Su Yuyan’s residence.

"Junior Sister."

"Senior Sister, is there something you need?"

Su Yuyan, who had been cultivating, was surprised by Yuan Ying’s arrival and asked.

Yuan Ying sighed softly and said to her, "Junior Sister, that Brother Li of yours is only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. He can’t possibly help with this mission; he might even drag us down. Why did you insist on inviting him?"

"Senior Sister, Brother Li has lived here for over a decade. He’s bound to know this area better than we do."

Su Yuyan explained patiently.

In truth.

She had a selfish motive.

The Sect mission stipulated that after finding the predecessor’s Cave Mansion, they only needed to bring back his legacy.

The legacy referred to his Cultivation Technique and Magic.

As for everything else.

Spirit Stones, Elixir Pills, Magical Artifacts, and so on—it could all be divided among the Cultivators who discovered the Cave Mansion.

It was a Foundation Establishment predecessor’s Cave Mansion, after all. There was bound to be a great deal of Treasure left behind.

So she wanted to bring Li Chang’an along.

She wanted Li Chang’an to get a share of the Treasure as well.

After all, the path of a Loose Cultivator was incredibly difficult, and she hoped to make things a little easier for Li Chang’an.

Yuan Ying eyed her suspiciously and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister, be honest with me. Are you planning on letting him take a share of the Treasure?"

"Senior Sister, you’re overthinking things. I’m truly just thinking about the mission."

Su Yuyan denied it, shaking her head repeatedly.

But...

No matter what she said, Yuan Ying didn’t believe her.

It was simply because Li Chang’an was too weak.

Yuan Ying herself was at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Su Yuyan and Huang Feng were both at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. Furthermore, they all came from Golden Core Influences, making their Magical Combat abilities exceptionally formidable.

A Loose Cultivator like Li Chang’an, at a mere Qi Refining Fifth Layer, would only hold them back in a Foundation Establishment Cave Mansion!

Perhaps.

’They’d even have to split their focus just to protect him!’

"Sigh... Junior Sister, you’re far too naive."

Yuan Ying sighed, sitting down beside Su Yuyan.

"You don’t understand. These Loose Cultivators are all incredibly calculating, each one more so than the last. They only get close to you because you’re a Sect Disciple. They want to use you to latch onto the Cyan Cloud Sect."

"Senior Sister, Brother Li isn’t like that!"

Su Yuyan’s brow furrowed as she argued back.

Even though she hadn’t seen him in over a decade.

She still trusted Li Chang’an without reservation.

"Junior Sister, you must be careful. If he starts using your name or acting under the banner of our Cyan Cloud Sect, he’ll inevitably cause some disaster!"

Yuan Ying continued to press, her heart filled with worry.

Things like this.

Had happened before.

Some Loose Cultivators, after befriending Sect Disciples, would start flaunting that connection, using the Sect’s reputation to bully other Cultivators.

A few of those incidents escalated to the point where the Cyan Cloud Sect almost went to war with another Sect.

And the Sect Disciples involved all suffered the harshest of punishments.

Their Cultivation was crippled, and they were expelled from the Sect!

"Junior Sister, the only reason Master had me accompany you down the mountain this time was his fear that you’d be deceived by these Loose Cultivators."

Yuan Ying said earnestly.

"Your Cultivation is sufficient, but your temperament still needs to be tempered. After all, you’ve grown up within the Sect."

"Senior Sister, is the Sect any different from the outside world? Isn’t there just as much scheming and backstabbing?"

"Well..."

Yuan Ying faltered, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

After a moment.

She sighed. "Junior Sister, you can know a person’s face, but not their heart. How can you be sure that Brother Li of yours is the same person he was back then? Besides, you were too young at the time. You couldn’t possibly have seen his true colors."

With that, she brought up Huang Feng.

After all, Huang Feng is the grand-disciple of a Golden Core Master.

In terms of status, he’s even above the two of us.

"Junior Sister, Daoist Huang heard your mission was difficult and came of his own accord to help you. You shouldn’t be giving him the cold shoulder."

"I understand, Senior Sister."

Su Yuyan’s tone suddenly grew cold, laced with displeasure.

Yuan Ying said no more. She simply told Su Yuyan to think it over and then departed.

...

「Afterward.」

Yuan Ying met with Huang Feng.

She spoke apologetically, "Daoist Huang, my junior sister is still young and easily deceived by these Loose Cultivators. Please don’t take it to heart."

"It’s of no concern."

Huang Feng’s tone was indifferent.

He didn’t give Li Chang’an a second thought, treating him as a mere passerby.

...

「Time passed quickly.」

Before he knew it, several more days had passed.

During this time.

Li Chang’an purchased a Tier One Top Grade Pill Furnace, which would be sufficient for a long time to come.

He also bought a large quantity of materials for refining various Tier One Low Grade Elixir Pills.

「That evening.」

He ignited a piece of Spirit Wood, controlled the Pill Fire, and slowly enveloped the entire Pill Furnace.

Then.

From his Storage Pouch, he took out a vibrant green Spirit Medicine.

It was Qi Replenishing Grass, one of the three Spirit Medicines required to refine the Qi Nourishing Pill!

’First, I’ll refine it into a medicinal liquid.’

With a thought, Li Chang’an wrapped the Qi Replenishing Grass in his Spiritual Power and sent it into the Pill Furnace.

However.

Before he could even begin refining.

The entire stalk of Qi Replenishing Grass burst into flames in the furnace’s intense heat, turning to ash in the blink of an eye!

’A failure.’

Li Chang’an’s expression remained unchanged; he had expected as much.

He had prepared enough materials to withstand countless failures!

After that.

Stalk after stalk of Qi Replenishing Grass was fed into the Pill Furnace, only to be reduced to ash time and again.

After more than ten failures.

Li Chang’an finally got the hang of it.

When he sent another stalk of Qi Replenishing Grass into the Pill Furnace, it didn’t immediately burst into flames. Instead, it began to slowly dry out.

A viscous medicinal liquid began to seep from its surface.

At the same time, a cyan-gray toxic smoke began to rise—the medicinal toxins contained within the Qi Replenishing Grass.

Before long.

The stalk of Qi Replenishing Grass had completely dried out and turned to ash.

The medicinal toxins had also mostly dissipated.

All that remained within the bubble of Spiritual Power was a thumb-sized, round droplet of medicinal liquid.

With this experience under his belt.

Li Chang’an quickly refined the other two Spirit Medicines into liquids as well.

Inside the Pill Furnace.

Three thumb-sized droplets of medicinal liquid bobbed up and down.

"Condense!"

With a mental command, Li Chang’an manipulated the three droplets of liquid, guiding them slowly together.

At this moment.

He was fully absorbed, his Spiritual Power highly concentrated, not even blinking an eye.

The three droplets of liquid quickly merged.

They became a single, larger, greenish-blue droplet.

The liquid boiled continuously in the searing heat of the Pill Furnace, its surface bubbling, before it slowly solidified into a lumpy, pockmarked Elixir Pill.

"Success!"

A look of delight appeared on Li Chang’an’s face.

He made a beckoning gesture at the Pill Furnace, and the Elixir Pill inside immediately flew out and landed in his palm.

This Elixir Pill.

Was none other than the Qi Nourishing Pill, taken by countless Qi Refining Cultivators!

However.

The one Li Chang’an had just refined was of very poor quality. It wasn’t even properly round; it looked flattened.

He scraped off a small piece with a knife and tasted it, confirming that there was no issue with the Elixir Pill’s medicinal potency.

’Other than its poor quality, there’s nothing wrong with it!’

Li Chang’an was all smiles, in high spirits.

From this day forward.

He was a Tier One Low Grade Alchemist!