Qingyun Dao Sect.
The golden sun hung high.
The sunlight was gentle.
The smile on Xu Luochen's face was even gentler.
Xu Luochen was in a very good mood.
For one thing, he had finally memorized all the basic pill formulas.
For another, he had indeed delayed Ye Ping's cultivation progress.
Especially when he thought of Eldest Senior Brother's expression, the smile on Xu Luochen's face grew even broader.
Thinking of this, Xu Luochen could not help but berate Su Changyu in his heart once more.
As the eldest senior brother, just because his junior brother had poor aptitude, he threw tantrums at every turn and stood alone atop the Back Cliff.
Was that not embarrassing?
Did he have even a shred of an eldest senior brother's responsibility?
However, Xu Luochen had not come today to inspect Ye Ping's alchemy progress.
He had mainly come to teach Ye Ping real Alchemy Techniques.
After all, he had stalled for nearly a month. It was about time he taught him something real, was it not?
He could not keep using Poison-Free Alchemy to fool Ye Ping forever, could he? Xu Luochen was not a fool either; he merely wanted Ye Ping to retreat in the face of difficulties.
Think about it. First, he would teach Ye Ping an Alchemy Technique that could never possibly succeed, then teach him the basics. If Ye Ping truly had talent for alchemy, he would not become arrogant and complacent, since this was merely the Basic Alchemy Technique.
If Ye Ping could not even manage ordinary alchemy, that was even better. He could remain in the sect and temper himself properly.
No matter what, it was a win-win situation.
As for Ye Ping successfully refining a pill?
Heh heh.
Xu Luochen was not bragging, but if Ye Ping could truly refine a Poisonless Pill, he, Xu Luochen, would eat Qingyun Dao Sect's only alchemy furnace.
He would not chew it. He would swallow it whole.
Before all the senior brothers, senior sisters, junior brothers, and junior sisters of Qingyun Dao Sect, he would swallow the alchemy furnace alive.
Poison-Free Alchemy?
When Xu Luochen had made up that nonsense back then, even he had felt a little embarrassed.
At this thought, Xu Luochen slightly restrained the smile on his face, making himself appear gentle rather than so unruly.
Soon, Xu Luochen arrived at the Back Cliff.
By coincidence, Ye Ping was sitting on the ground, studying something.
"Junior Brother Ye."
In the next moment, Xu Luochen's voice rang out.
Within the Back Cliff.
Ye Ping, who had been lost in bitter thought, suddenly came back to his senses.
He had been completely focused on the poisonless pill in his hand, so he had not noticed Xu Luochen's arrival.
Seeing Xu Luochen, Ye Ping immediately rose to his feet and respectfully cupped his hands. "Greetings, Brother Luochen."
"Don't stand on ceremony."
Xu Luochen chuckled, then looked at Ye Ping. "Junior Brother Ye, how have you been lately?"
"Not bad."
Ye Ping nodded, though he also felt somewhat embarrassed.
Although he had successfully refined a pill, it was not a complete pill, so he felt awkward and did not know whether he should mention it.
"Mm. A few days ago, I saw you with your brows furrowed in worry. Now you seem rather well, so you must have made some progress. How is your pill refining coming along?"
Xu Luochen asked casually.
"Reporting to Senior Brother, I have achieved a little success."
Ye Ping did not dare say that he had succeeded, so he could only describe it as achieving a little success.
A little success?
Xu Luochen was slightly stunned.
What did that mean?
"What do you mean by 'a little success'?"
Xu Luochen spoke, his eyes full of curiosity.
He did not quite understand what Ye Ping meant.
"Reporting to Senior Brother, the pill has been refined, but it has not been completely refined."
Ye Ping answered.
In an instant, Xu Luochen fell silent.
He looked at Ye Ping, and the gentle smile on his face gradually faded considerably.
"Junior Brother Ye."
Xu Luochen spoke.
"This junior brother is here."
Xu Luochen said with utmost seriousness, "Your aptitude may be ordinary, but the Sect Leader and Eldest Senior Brother have said that your character is good, that you are simple and kind-hearted. Even if you cannot refine pills, you must not lie, understand?"
Xu Luochen spoke with extreme gravity.
Damn it, it was not that he did not believe Ye Ping lacked alchemy talent. The main point was that the Alchemy Technique he had taught him was completely made up.
Creation Alchemy Technique? Poison-Free Alchemy? If he took that nonsense outside, a hundred thousand Alchemists would each give him a resounding slap.
Ye Ping claimed he could refine a pill?
That was not how one bragged, was it?
How were you even better at bragging than Eldest Senior Brother?
"This junior brother did not lie."
Ye Ping answered earnestly.
He did not lie?
Really?
I don't believe it.
Xu Luochen did not believe him from the bottom of his heart, but he could not directly lecture Ye Ping. Thus, he could only speak up.
"Then show this senior brother the pill you refined."
Xu Luochen spoke, his disbelief plain.
"Please offer your guidance, Senior Brother."
Ye Ping said no more and directly spread open his palm.
In an instant, a pill as crystalline and translucent as a diamond appeared in his hand.
The pill was not large, only the size of a soybean. It sparkled beneath the sun; rather than a pill, it looked more like a gemstone.
"This is a pill?"
Xu Luochen was somewhat stunned.
You called this thing a pill?
"Mm."
Ye Ping nodded.
In an instant, Xu Luochen fell silent.
He did not know what to say, but soon, a faint pill fragrance wafted out, startling him.
"Let me take a look."
Xu Luochen still did not believe it, but he could not resist wanting to inspect the pill.
"Please offer your guidance, Senior Brother."
Ye Ping said nothing further and directly handed the pill to Xu Luochen.
The latter accepted the pill. Ignoring Ye Ping, he examined it carefully.
Although Xu Luochen had failed the Alchemist examination seven times, that did not mean he could not identify pills.
The moment he held it in his hand and sensed it slightly, he was utterly shocked.
"Spirit Gathering Pill."
Xu Luochen instantly recognized what kind of pill it was.
He was astonished.
The Spirit Gathering Pill could be said to be one of the most common pills in the cultivation world, because whether one was a Qi Cultivation cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, or even a Golden Core True Person, all needed this kind of pill.
As its name implied, a Spirit Gathering Pill gathered spiritual energy within the pill. Swallowing one Spirit Gathering Pill was equivalent to swallowing two Qi Cultivation Pills of the same quality.
The side effects were the same, yet its effects were double those of a Qi Cultivation Pill, and it only required a little time to refine.
Unlike Qi Cultivation Pills, one did not need to meditate and refine them after swallowing them. Thus, generally speaking, Spirit Gathering Pills were pills only disciples of great sects could enjoy. For a sect like Qingyun Dao Sect, let alone Spirit Gathering Pills, having Qi Cultivation Pills was already a blessing.
How could there possibly be a Spirit Gathering Pill?
And more importantly, this Spirit Gathering Pill seemed different from the Spirit Gathering Pills he had seen before.
Xu Luochen pondered for a moment.
The Spirit Gathering Pills he had seen were about this large, white in color like grains of rice, and emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.
But the Spirit Gathering Pill before him was not only the size of a soybean, it was also crystal-clear, just like a gemstone.
More importantly, the spiritual energy contained within this Spirit Gathering Pill was exceptionally abundant. Xu Luochen could feel it.
A supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill?
In an instant, Xu Luochen thought of a possibility.
Only a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill could be like this, right?
But how could his junior brother possess a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill?
Xu Luochen frowned deeply.
"Junior Brother Ye, who gave you this pill?"
In the next moment, no matter how he thought about it, Xu Luochen could not understand. Unable to hold back, he asked Ye Ping who had given him the pill.
"Senior Brother, this truly was refined by this junior brother."
Ye Ping was also somewhat puzzled. He did not understand why Brother Luochen simply would not believe that he had refined this pill himself.
Oh!
In the next moment, Ye Ping understood.
The pill he had refined was not a complete pill. The pills Brother Luochen refined were naturally complete pills, so this semi-finished product of his seemed unfamiliar to Brother Luochen.
Thinking this, Ye Ping immediately spoke.
"Brother Luochen, this junior brother has not yet entered cultivation, so the spiritual energy in my body is insufficient. Coupled with my somewhat poor aptitude, I was unable to successfully refine a complete pill, so there may be some discrepancy."
Ye Ping explained.
Yet to Xu Luochen's ears, those words sounded somewhat grating.
And this was called poor aptitude?
Leaving aside everything else, the requirement for the third-grade Alchemist examination was to independently refine a furnace of finished Qi Cultivation Pills. What did "finished" mean? It meant they did not even need to qualify as low-grade, but they had to at least be Qi Cultivation Pills. Even if only one pill came out of a furnace, that counted as passing.
As for a pill like the Spirit Gathering Pill, that was the requirement for the second-grade Alchemist examination.
The Spirit Gathering Pill in his hand, even if it was not a supreme-grade Spirit Gathering Pill, was at least a high-grade Spirit Gathering Pill, right?
In other words, even second-grade Alchemists found it difficult to refine high-grade Spirit Gathering Pills.
How long had you been studying?
Had it even been a month?
And you could already refine a high-grade, perhaps even supreme-grade, Spirit Gathering Pill?
And you called that poor aptitude?
Then what was I, Xu Luochen?
Wouldn't that make me complete trash?
Fine.
Little junior brother, little junior brother.
You were the one who started showing off.
This senior brother may have a gentle temperament, but there were limits to what he could endure. Even your eldest senior brother did not dare put on this sort of act before me.
Xu Luochen's stomach was full of complaints.
At this moment, he took a deep breath and looked calmly at Ye Ping.
"Since that is the case, Junior Brother, demonstrate the pill-refining process for me once more. This senior brother can also offer you some guidance."
Xu Luochen's expression was calm.
He wanted to see how Ye Ping would keep this lie going.
"Alright, but the pill-refining process will take several hours. Senior Brother, you are not busy, are you?"
Ye Ping kindly reminded him.
The spiritual energy in his body was not abundant, so refining the pill properly might take several hours.
Yet in Xu Luochen's eyes, those words became an excuse to evade the matter.
"No matter. This senior brother has plenty of time."
Xu Luochen could not help but smile gently again as he looked at Ye Ping.
Today, he was determined to expose him.
At the same time, Xu Luochen had already prepared what he would say to lecture Ye Ping later.
Something like, liars had to swallow a thousand needles.
Something like, one had to conduct oneself openly and honorably, and not lie.
Something like, a gentleman was like jade, a modest young master; lying was immoral.
But the very next moment.
Ye Ping sat down cross-legged.
Immediately afterward, spiritual energy surged, snapping Xu Luochen back to his senses.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
A vast amount of spiritual energy appeared in Ye Ping's hands, letting out faint sounds.
Xu Luochen grew somewhat curious.
But soon, after a beam of light appeared within Ye Ping's palm.
Xu Luochen became even more curious.
A full four hours passed.
Xu Luochen's eyes were starting to sting, and even his legs had gone a little numb.
Yet he remained utterly focused as he watched Ye Ping.
Sizzle!
Just then, an incomparably dazzling white flash swept past.
Xu Luochen's vision went white. When his sight returned, Ye Ping was already drenched in sweat, as though he had just fought a great battle.
But when Xu Luochen saw the gem-like Spirit Gathering Pill in Ye Ping's palm.
He could no longer smile.
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