However, the key to refining pills did not lie in the restrictions. They only served to transmit power. The real challenge was regulating the pill energy in so many furnaces and refining the medicinal liquids. Every adjustment to the pill liquid—the amount and timing—had to be exact, without the slightest oversight.
This square-faced, middle-aged man coordinated the connections among the nine positions of the pill formation, and his role was second only to Daoist Yihua's.
"Jianyi, from this moment on, our Eastern friend will take your place. You will take Jia Qing's position at the Qianyuan station." Daoist Yihua acted decisively. Once he had made up his mind, he gave Lu Xiaotian the most important position in the entire pill-refining process aside from his own.
"If Senior had assigned me to the Qianyuan station from the beginning, I would have had nothing to say. But I've been handling the Dìyuán station quite smoothly. Being moved to the Qianyuan station now is bound to leave me feeling a little disappointed."
Hu Jianyi furrowed his brow, clearly unhappy with Daoist Yihua's decision. He looked at Lu Xiaotian challengingly. "So this is the famed Eastern Pill Saint. I've heard of you. Your attainments in alchemy are certainly impressive, but I don't consider myself any worse. Besides, changing people in the middle of things is improper, and it doesn't seem to benefit our current situation either."
Lu Xiaotian lowered his eyes and kept his thoughts to himself. Hu Jianyi dared to question Daoist Yihua's decision; aside from his own considerable skill in alchemy, he must also have an extraordinary background. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the nerve.
But Lu Xiaotian had come to help refine pills, not to compete with anyone. Daoist Yihua would have to deal with this challenge himself.
"Either go take