Lin Chi

After Yan Chihuo left, the disciple wrapped up the Snake Pearl and the eighty Jade Crystals, then walked to the door of a stone room and said, "Senior Brother Lin, please open the door."

With a creak, the cave door opened. The disciple walked in only to find two men in white robes inside. One of them had hair as messy as a bird's nest and eyes bloodshot—this was precisely Senior Brother Lin.

The disciple was accustomed to such sights and said, "Senior Brother Lin, there is a transaction for Heavenly Heart Pills. Will you take it?"

Senior Brother Lin was extremely irritable and snapped, "I am an alchemist, not a long-term laborer. Why bring this kind of Heavenly Heart Pill trade to me? By the way, Junior Brother Chen, you can also refine these Heavenly Heart Pills; you should take this job."

The Pill Pavilion disciple looked awkward, but the man named Chen beside him shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Lin, you are really making things difficult for me. Although I can refine pills, my success rate with these Heavenly Heart Pills is truly too low. If I ruin the batch, wouldn't that be smashing the reputation of our Pill Pavilion?"

He said this, yet he picked up the Snake Pearl and the Jade Crystals. The disciple felt bitter; these Heavenly Heart Pills were indeed not easy to refine. Most alchemists dared not accept such a task; only a few, like Senior Brother Lin, possessed the necessary skill. However, this Senior Brother Lin was a fanatical alchemist who had long been capable of refining Heavenly Heart Pills and was currently obsessed with researching how to refine pills that only those in the Qi Gathering Stage could typically handle. Because of this, he neglected his food and sleep, which explained his disheveled appearance.

It was also for this reason that he looked down upon refining simple Heavenly Heart Pills. Since the other few alchemists capable of refining them were either away from the sect or in seclusion, the Pill Pavilion disciple had no choice but to seek out Senior Brother Lin.

If the alchemist surnamed Chen were to take the job, the disciple could not object, but if that happened, how would he answer to Yan Chihuo in seven days?

The alchemist surnamed Chen picked up the Snake Pearl first and said, "The quality is quite good. Who requested this?"

The disciple replied, "It is Elder Ping's disciple, Yan Chihuo."

Upon hearing this, the alchemist surnamed Chen paused while fiddling with the Snake Pearl, then said, "You go out first. I will persuade Senior Brother Lin to refine this pill. With my own ability, I certainly wouldn't dare to take it."

Hearing this, the disciple felt a slight sense of relief and left the room.

After the disciple had walked far away, the alchemist surnamed Chen said, "Lin Chi, you must refine this Heavenly Heart Pill."

Lin Chi looked stunned and asked, "Why?"

The alchemist surnamed Chen replied, "Do not ask why. Have you forgotten our original agreement? We provide the materials for you to refine pills, and you must follow our arrangements. Over these years, we haven't made any unreasonable demands, have we?"

Lin Chi snorted but did not refute him. Then, the alchemist surnamed Chen continued, "Rest assured, refining this pill will still improve your alchemy skills; I am not asking you to refine ordinary Heavenly Heart Pills. You are to add this bottle of substance into it."

After speaking, he took a jade bottle from his robes. Lin Chi took it, opened the stopper, and upon a single glance, his expression changed. "This is Bone-Corroding Spirit Liquid. Once added, the appearance of the Heavenly Heart Pill will change drastically; it cannot be hidden from others."

The alchemist surnamed Chen said, "I am well aware. Tomorrow, I will give you a Heart-Lock Orchid. Refine this herb into it as well, and the scent and appearance of the Heavenly Heart Pill will be indistinguishable from the real thing."

Lin Chi said, "But if this Yan Chihuo consumes this pill, he will surely die of poison. Once that happens, it will certainly be discovered."

The alchemist surnamed Chen replied, "Regarding this matter, you only need to insist that it has nothing to do with you. The Cloud Soaring Sect has no other evidence and will certainly not punish you."

Lin Chi asked, "Why are you so determined to harm this Yan Chihuo?"

The alchemist surnamed Chen's face darkened as he said, "That is not for you to worry about. In any case, this Yan Chihuo must die! Otherwise, once he discovers the relationship between you and me, none of us will survive!" After saying this, he pushed open the door and walked out.

Seven days later, Yan Chihuo arrived at the Pill Pavilion. The disciple saw him and said, "Senior Brother Yan, you are here to collect the Heavenly Heart Pills, right?" With that, he produced a jade bottle.

Yan Chihuo took it, opened the stopper, and poured the contents into his palm, revealing three emerald-green pills. Yan Chihuo frowned and asked, "Why are there only three pills?"

The Pill Pavilion disciple hurriedly said, "These were refined personally by Senior Brother Lin Chi of our Pill Pavilion. He is the number one alchemist among the Body Tempering Stage cultivators in our sect. Although the quantity of these Heavenly Heart Pills is small, their medicinal potency is far higher than those refined by other senior brothers. Look."

After saying this, he took out another jade bottle and poured out a green pill—a standard Heavenly Heart Pill. There was no comparison without contrast; the difference was immediately apparent. The medicinal potency of the standard pill was barely half of the one in his hand, and the ones he held possessed a distinct, explosive intensity.

Normally, pills were expected to have a mild medicinal nature, but for pills like the Heavenly Heart Pill that helped break through realms, a certain explosive intensity was required. Achieving this required not only sufficient medicinal properties in the ingredients but also highly sophisticated refining techniques, which depended entirely on the alchemist's level. Yan Chihuo was quite satisfied with the three pills, thanked the disciple, and left the Pill Pavilion, heading straight for the back mountain.

He followed a small path until he reached a cave. The cave entrance had two doors, each over three zhang high and one zhang wide. This cave was known as the Water-Fire Cave, a sacred place for cultivation reserved for Cloud Soaring Sect disciples who were breaking through realms or those who had rendered great service. Yan Chihuo had only learned of this place through Ping Qi's guidance.

He arrived at the entrance and heard a voice say, "Stop. Who are you?"

He stopped in his tracks and said respectfully, "This Humble One is Yan Chihuo, a disciple of Elder Ping, here specifically to cultivate in hopes of breaking through to the Late Stage of Body Forging."

"Elder Ping? Is it Ping Qi?" the voice asked.

"That is my master," Yan Chihuo replied.

At this moment, the cave door opened, and the voice said, "Come in."

Yan Chihuo walked inside and saw a yellow-faced man sitting at a table. His expression shifted—this yellow-faced man actually possessed the cultivation of the Qi Gathering Stage!

The yellow-faced man said, "Since you are Ping Qi's disciple, do you know who I am?"

Yan Chihuo immediately realized that this person must be the Spirit Ape, one of the Three Mountain-Protecting Spirits of the Cloud Soaring Sect. He bowed and said, "You must be Senior Uncle Yuan. My master asked me to convey his greetings to you."

The yellow-faced man nodded and said, "I see that you are also practicing the Spirit Jade Vajra Art. Let me warn you first: although the spiritual power cultivated by the Spirit Jade Vajra Art is deeper and purer than other techniques, it has a flaw—breaking through realms is significantly more difficult than with other methods. Therefore, if you do not have any spirit pills, the chances of success are not high."