At this moment.
There was not the slightest trace of a smile on Xu Luochen's face.
He could not smile.
He was even somewhat stiff.
"Brother Luochen?"
Seeing Xu Luochen remain silent for so long, Ye Ping could not help but speak up, looking rather curious.
Holy shit!
Holy shit!
Holy shit!
Xu Luochen came back to his senses.
He completely had no idea what to say.
This thing could actually be cultivated?
At this very moment, Xu Luochen felt as though his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Yet everything seemed so real.
This was fucking absurd.
Xu Luochen truly did not know what to say.
This method could make pills too?
Were you fucking kidding him?
At first, Xu Luochen had truly thought Ye Ping was fooling him, but now that he saw this scene, Xu Luochen could no longer keep making things up.
This little disciple brother was a peerless alchemy genius.
No, this was no longer something as simple as a peerless alchemy genius. He was an invincible alchemy genius.
Gathering Qi to Form Pills.
Such a method was practically divine.
Let me calm down.
Let me think about how to keep this lie going.
How am I supposed to make it up?
How am I supposed to make it up?
Make up my ass.
After thinking it over and over, Xu Luochen truly had no idea how to continue fabricating things.
He could even learn such an absurd alchemy technique?
If the Alchemists outside saw this, would they not fight madly to take Ye Ping as their disciple?
Just as Xu Luochen kept pondering.
Ye Ping's voice rang out once more.
"Brother Luochen, this disciple understands. I failed to produce a complete pill, so it does not count as passing. But please rest assured, Brother. This disciple will certainly work hard. As the ancients said, the stupid bird flies first, and diligence makes up for clumsiness. This disciple will never slack off in the slightest."
Ye Ping spoke.
Producing an incomplete pill through alchemy definitely did not count as passing.
Still, Ye Ping had quite a bit of confidence in himself. At the very least, he had succeeded the first time he made pills, which was far easier than comprehending Sword Mark.
It seemed he did have a little talent for alchemy after all.
Yet to Xu Luochen's ears, these words were exceptionally grating.
The stupid bird flies first?
Diligence makes up for clumsiness?
Are you talking about me?
Are you looking down on me?
Xu Luochen felt miserable inside.
He was so miserable.
He truly wanted to be alone for a while.
"Little disciple brother, you succeeded in making pills on your first try. Though it is a failed product, your aptitude is still fairly good. Work hard. This brother thinks highly of you."
Xu Luochen wanted to force a smile.
But for some reason, he could not smile.
It was as though he had lost the ability to smile.
So he looked rather strange.
"Really? Brother, you are not lying to me, are you?"
Upon hearing Xu Luochen's words, Ye Ping could not help but become excited.
After all, his cultivation talent was poor, and his talent for the sword was poor as well. Having finally found one area in which he was decent, Ye Ping naturally could not contain his excitement.
Lying?
I truly would like to lie to you.
But this brother really cannot bring himself to say it.
Xu Luochen felt so miserable he wanted to cry.
He truly did not know how to patch up this lie.
Gathering Qi to Form Pills.
Immaculate Pill.
He could even learn such outrageously absurd abilities?
"I am not lying, Junior Brother Ye. Study some more during this time and strive to make a complete pill. When that time comes, this brother will have your other disciple brothers or disciple sisters teach you other methods."
Xu Luochen did not want to stay here any longer. All he wanted now was to leave quickly. His heart hurt so badly. He wanted to be alone, to have a good, hearty cry.
"Thank you, Brother Luochen. This disciple will certainly work hard."
Ye Ping cupped his hands in thanks.
He had finally found something he was good at. How could Ye Ping not be delighted?
And so, Xu Luochen left.
Alone, like a wandering ghost, he walked through Qingyun Dao Sect.
Along the way, he took the 'Basic Alchemy Technique' from his robes.
Tears welled in his eyes.
"Ten years! Ten years! I painstakingly studied alchemy for ten years, yet I could not even make the most basic pills. But little disciple brother, after studying for less than a month, can already achieve Gathering Qi to Form Pills."
"Xu Luochen, Xu Luochen, what face do you have left to live in this world? If I were you, I would go die right now."
Xu Luochen spoke to himself in his heart. The blow he had suffered today was simply too great.
The main thing was that he had never expected Qingyun Dao Sect to take in such a genius.
Oh, no, that was wrong. A freak.
He could learn a randomly made-up alchemy technique?
What kind of person was he?
Xu Luochen wanted to cry, but in the end, he forced his tears back into his eyes. Then he casually tossed the Basic Alchemy Technique in his hand aside. He might as well stop making pills altogether.
Bearing a heavy heart.
Xu Luochen tried his best not to shed tears.
But after stumbling into the sect's main hall, an alchemy furnace suddenly entered his sight.
At that moment, Xu Luochen could no longer hold it in.
Soon, wailing rose within the hall as Xu Luochen broke down and wept.
It was not that he was not strong. On the contrary, he had already been very strong.
Ever since he had gained understanding, he had begun studying alchemy.
He had devoured countless alchemy books, and from time to time he even had to taste medicinal herbs, all to improve his alchemy. Because of this, he had nearly lost his life before.
Decades of effort had brought nothing but one failed Alchemist Assessment after another.
That alone would have been one thing.
But who could have expected the sect to casually take in a little disciple brother who would surpass him?
No matter who it was, no one could endure such a blow.
Your ten years of effort were not even worth another person's one month of effort.
And that would have been one thing, but most importantly, not only was his comprehension greater than yours, the pills he made were countless times better than yours.
And so.
Time passed until late at night.
The sky was as black as ink.
On the cliffs of Qingyun Mountain, there was an additional figure.
It was Xu Luochen.
His white robe snapped loudly in the cold wind.
The wind on the cliff was fierce and cold, but his heart was colder still.
At this moment, Xu Luochen suddenly thought of Su Changyu. He wanted to smile calmly, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not smile.
He wanted to cry.
But he no longer had any tears.
Upon the cliff.
After a long while, Xu Luochen sat down cross-legged. He took out a scroll of painting, one Ye Ping had painted for him.
After taking out the scroll.
Xu Luochen spread it on the ground and weighed it down with a stone. He then took out a brush, ground some ink, and lifted the brush to write.
The third day of April.
Autumn had not yet arrived, but to Xu Luochen, it was as though the bitter winter was about to descend.
The sorrow filling his heart, the melancholy filling his heart—all of it transformed into a chest full of poetic sentiment at this moment.
"Snowflakes drift, the north wind howls."
Xu Luochen left eight characters upon the scroll.
This was the first line.
It was somewhat literary.
But soon, Xu Luochen fell silent.
After a while, he felt even worse.
Because he could not think of how to write the second line.
Yet soon enough, perhaps because of the sorrow in his heart, Xu Luochen became more casual.
"Third day of April, the wind is warm, the heart is cold."
"Alone I climb the cliff, quietly gazing at the bright moon."
"Who could understand this bitter ache?"
No, no.
Xu Luochen examined it carefully and felt that the last line did not quite rhyme.
He then raised his brush and directly crossed out the final line before continuing to write beside it.
"In this bitter ache, only Eldest Brother understands."
Ah, this line was not bad.
It not only spoke of the desolation in his heart, but also brought Eldest Brother into it. It suited both the moment and the painting.
When Eldest Brother saw it, he would certainly be deeply moved.
At that thought, Xu Luochen's mood improved slightly.
He wiped away the tears about to fall, then continued writing.
"Xu Luochen—third day of April, words written with this brush."
After doing all this, Xu Luochen tucked the painting scroll into his robes.
Once Eldest Brother returned, he would let Eldest Brother admire it.
However, as midnight arrived.
For some reason, an indescribable melancholy and sorrow surged into his heart.
This melancholy and sorrow hurt even more than before.
"In this bitter ache, only Eldest Brother understands."
Xu Luochen muttered to himself.
Then he alone quietly gazed at the sky.
He wanted some peace and quiet. Do not ask who Quiet was.
Below the cliff.
Within Qingyun Dao Sect.
Ye Ping's Third Disciple Brother, Wang Zhuoyu, and Chen Lingrou were quietly watching Xu Luochen.
"Third Disciple Brother, why does Second Disciple Brother, like Eldest Brother, enjoy standing alone on the cliff?"
Chen Lingrou chewed on a cucumber, her bright, watery eyes filled with confusion.
"I do not know. Your Second Disciple Brother usually likes copying Eldest Brother's behavior. Could he think he looks handsome?"
Wang Zhuoyu stood at the side and shook his head.
"Probably not. When I saw Brother Luochen today, he seemed to have cried. Maybe it has something to do with little disciple brother."
Chen Lingrou felt that was unlikely.
"It has something to do with little disciple brother? Now that is strange. Could little disciple brother's aptitude truly be that bad? Brother Luochen has an extremely gentle temperament. Even he cannot stand little disciple brother?"
Wang Zhuoyu grew even more curious.
"I'm not sure, but there's probably something to it. Third Disciple Brother, how about teaching Little Junior Brother arrays in a few days?"
Chen Lingrou spoke up.
"I'm not going. I'll be taking the Array Master examination soon, so not for now. Why not let Fourth Brother or Fifth Brother go?"
Wang Zhuoyu shook his head. He had been very busy lately and had no time to guide Ye Ping.
"Fourth Disciple Brother and Fifth Disciple Brother have been down the mountain for a long time. It'll probably be a while before they return. If you won't go, should I ask Eldest Senior Sister?"
Chen Lingrou asked curiously.
"Eldest Senior Sister? That won't do. Although Eldest Senior Brother has the highest cultivation among us, Eldest Senior Sister always likes to come up with all sorts of inexplicable things. How about letting Brother Luochen hold the fort for now?"
Wang Zhuoyu said.
Crack.
Chen Lingrou took another bite of cucumber, then said, "I don't mean anything else by it. It's just that, seeing Brother Luochen like this, he might not be able to hold up."
"Do as you please. If trouble breaks out, you'll be the one carrying the blame. It has nothing to do with me. All right, go back and rest early."
Wang Zhuoyu stretched his waist, then left.
Chen Lingrou remained behind alone, gazing thoughtfully at Xu Luochen.
An hour later, Xu Luochen came down from the cliff.
Chen Lingrou had not left.
When she saw Xu Luochen, Chen Lingrou could not help but speak.
"Brother Luochen, don't be upset. Master often says that those who love to smile have good luck. Don't keep such a bitter face, or you might end up unlucky."
Chen Lingrou spoke, comforting Xu Luochen.
Xu Luochen, his face full of exhaustion, merely glanced at Chen Lingrou. He said nothing, only nodded before returning to his room.
People who loved to smile had good luck?
Keeping a bitter face would bring bad luck?
He had already suffered such a blow.
He refused to believe he could encounter anything unluckier than this.
Could it be that he would get beaten up for no reason at all?
With that thought, Xu Luochen blew out the oil lamp and went to sleep with his head buried under the covers.
And so it was.
As a streak of golden sunlight pierced the darkness.
At the foot of Qingyun Dao Sect's mountain.
Two figures appeared.
A great work by a recommended friend!
Conservation of Character.
This book is so good. The author writes wonderfully. A must-have for gentlemen.
Brothers, I'm going in. What about you?
Before you continue