Master Yan!

On this day, Master Yan Ming, an alchemist in the Alchemy Hall known for his eccentric temper and exacting standards, happened to pass through the herb processing area.

While other apprentices were giggling and slacking off, only Li Qingshan was meticulously sorting through a pile of freshly delivered, jumbled "dried Thousand-Silk Vine" and "Withered Blood Whisker," just as recorded in the Hundred Herbs Catalog.

These two medicinal materials looked extremely similar, yet their medicinal properties were diametrically opposed; if used incorrectly, an entire furnace of pills would be ruined.

Li Qingshan's movements were not fast, but they were exceptionally precise; he did not misidentify a single stalk.

"Is that Master Yan?!"

"Could Master Yan be here to select an alchemy apprentice? Everyone, pull yourselves together! Maybe we'll be the ones chosen by Master Yan!"

"That's Master Yan! It's said that many alchemists in the Foundation Establishment Realm were trained by him personally!"

"Master Yan is one of the few in our Alchemy Hall capable of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill!"

"If Master Yan hadn't damaged his foundation when he was young, he would have long since broken through the Foundation Establishment Realm. He wouldn't have wasted so many years stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, until now, at over a hundred years old, his lifespan is nearing its end!"

"..."

Upon seeing Master Yan, the many alchemy apprentices were instantly jolted, each of them filled with excitement and anticipation.

They hoped to be chosen by Master Yan.

If one were chosen by Master Yan, it would be a meteoric rise!

Master Yan Ming paused his steps, ignoring everyone else entirely. His murky yet sharp gaze lingered for a moment on Li Qingshan's steady, calloused hands before sweeping over his calm, unruffled face.

"You, what is your name?"

Master Yan's voice was hoarse and cold, like grinding metal.

Hearing this, Li Qingshan set down the herbs in his hands and bowed respectfully: "Reporting to Master, this disciple is Li Qingshan."

"Li Qingshan?" Master Yan Ming seemed to recall recent rumors, his brows furrowing slightly. "A hundred years old? You want to learn alchemy?"

"Yes. Although this disciple is aged, my heart yearns for the Dao of Alchemy, and I am willing to exhaust all my strength to give it a try." Li Qingshan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Master Yan Ming stared at him for a long while before suddenly snorting coldly: "Hmph, yearning for the Dao of Alchemy? I suspect you're just at a dead end and looking to kill time! Alchemy is no child's play; it requires talent, and even more so, perseverance! How many years do you have left to live? How much perseverance can you possibly have?"

Though the words were harsh, Li Qingshan detected a hint of scrutiny different from the others, rather than pure contempt or mockery.

He said calmly: "This disciple knows I am dull and have little time left. It is precisely because of this that I know how precious time is, and I dare not be the slightest bit slack. Whether I succeed or not, I only seek to have no regrets in my heart."

Master Yan Ming was silent for another moment before finally throwing out a single sentence: "Come to Alchemy Room No. C-7 tomorrow. Within one year, if you cannot recite the Elementary Understanding of Ten Thousand Herbs backward and identify a thousand common spirit herbs and their properties, then get lost yourself—don't waste this old man's time!"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and left.

Li Qingshan looked at Master Yan's hunched yet upright back and bowed deeply: "Many thanks, Master!"

He knew that this cold-faced, warm-hearted Master Yan had given him a chance.

"What?! Master Yan actually chose Li Qingshan?"

"Old Man Li has hit the jackpot! On what grounds? Why didn't Master Yan pick me? What part of me is inferior to him?"

"Old Man Li's luck is truly enviable!"

The many alchemy apprentices were incredibly shocked, looking at Li Qingshan with jealousy. They never expected that Master Yan would actually take a liking to him.

Li Qingshan, however, remained calm. He finished the herb-sorting task at his own unhurried pace before turning to leave.

The next day, he went to report to Master Yan and officially became his alchemy apprentice.

From then on, Li Qingshan's life became a simple routine between Alchemy Room No. C-7 and his small hut.

Master Yan was indeed extremely strict.

Aside from making him process more complex herbs, he would throw thick volumes of pharmacopoeia at him, demanding he memorize them within a set time. Any slight error resulted in a merciless scolding.

"Li Qingshan! The harvesting time and processing method for this 'Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma' are written clearly in the book! Are your eyes failing you, or did you not memorize it at all?!"

"Heat! The heat! I've told you how many times—extracting 'Stone Marrow Liquid' requires a gentle, slow fire for twelve hours. One bit more and it burns; one bit less and the impurities remain! What kind of fire control is this? Are you burning a stove?!"

Master Yan's spittle flew as he scolded him without mercy.

Li Qingshan silently endured every reprimand, committing every word to heart.

His powerful divine sense played a huge role at this moment; he possessed a photographic memory and superior comprehension.

Though Master Yan scolded him fiercely, he discovered that the things he taught were often grasped by this old apprentice at a single hint, and he could even draw inferences about other cases. His speed of progress was shockingly fast!

It was just that this old fellow had weak spiritual power, and his fire-control techniques were crudely unrefined, making him truly difficult to use for major tasks.

Master Yan sighed inwardly: "His aptitude and temperament are both excellent, but unfortunately... he is too old, his foundation is too poor, and his spiritual power control is a fatal flaw. Otherwise... alas, what a pity."

During the day, Li Qingshan studied the knowledge of alchemy diligently, and at night, he would return to his hut, set up a simple barrier, and immerse himself in cultivation.

Gradually, when Master Yan refined pills, he would let Li Qingshan help with chores on the side, which gave Li Qingshan a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He learned everything about alchemy with a thirst that could not be quenched.

His hundred-year age, while making his immortal path incredibly arduous, had also given him a state of mind unlike that of ordinary people.

When Master Yan refined pills, there were naturally times of failure.

Those waste pills that Master Yan discarded casually, or bestowed upon Li Qingshan to clean up, became Li Qingshan's greatest treasure!

He carefully put away these waste pills, and every night he would pick some to put into the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd.

The next day, what poured out were perfect spirit pills, round and full, with clear pill patterns and a rich medicinal aroma!

If Master Yan knew that the apprentice he deemed "low in spiritual power and crude in fire control" was eating his waste pills like candy, he wondered what he would think.

With the support of a massive amount of perfect pills, coupled with the power of the Longevity Technique, Li Qingshan's cultivation was steadily improving at a terrifying speed.

Within his dantian, the Longevity Dharma power continuously accumulated, becoming ever more vast and majestic.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was still that old apprentice at the sixth level of Qi Refining, struggling desperately.

One year passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Qingshan's cultivation also broke through from the ninth level of Qi Refining to the tenth level.

That is, the great perfection of Qi Refining!

Just one step away from building the foundation of the Great Dao and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

On this day, Li Qingshan was in the pill room processing a batch of newly arrived Blazing Sun Herbs, his movements flowing like water, his grasp of the medicinal properties incredibly precise.

Master Yan Ming, seemingly resting with his eyes closed nearby, was actually keeping his divine sense focused on Li Qingshan. In this past year, Li Qingshan's performance had far exceeded his expectations. His solid pharmacological knowledge and steady temperament were nothing like a novice who had only started at a hundred years old.

Suddenly, Li Qingshan's aura fluctuated slightly, and a spiritual pressure far more immense than that of the sixth level of Qi Refining flashed and vanished, instantly retracting without a trace.

Master Yan Ming's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them as he stared intently at Li Qingshan, "You... broke through?"

That momentary aura was definitely not from the sixth level of Qi Refining!