Infiltrating the Su Clan

Half a month later, Song Wen arrived at the foot of Clearpeace Mountain.

Before your eyes is a magnificent mountain gate, with five large characters written on it in a flowing, elegant style.

The Su Clan of Clearpeace Mountain.

In front of the mountain gate stood more than a dozen guards, some at the Qi Refining Middle Stage and others at the Late Qi Refinement.

Song Wen now appears as an elderly man in his fifties who has reached the fifth Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

He learned from the old woman's memory that the Su Clan was recruiting Alchemist, so he spent half a month learning how to refine Qi-Gathering Pill from Rong Jingyun's Alchemy experience.

Qi-Gathering Pill are the most commonly used elixirs for enhancing the cultivation level of cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Refinement. The Su Clan, with thousands of Qi Refinement members, has a great demand for them.

"Halt! Who are you? What business do you have at the Su Clan?"

Song Wen was stopped by the guards as soon as he reached the foot of the mountain.

He chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting to the speaker, "Young man, I've heard rumors in the market that the Su Clan is recruiting Alchemist, so I've come to try my luck."

Upon hearing this, the guard's stern expression immediately softened.

"Are you Alchemist?"

Song Wen nodded. "To be honest, I've been immersed in Dao of Alchemy for over thirty years, but now I only know how to refine two kinds of pills: Qi-Gathering Pill and Blood Qi Pill. I don't know if I can Su Clan."

Upon hearing Song Wen mention that he could refine Qi-Gathering Pill, the guard revealed a kind smile.

"The old gentleman has only refined two kinds of pills in thirty years, so he must be very proficient in them. Please come with me, and I will lead you to the Alchemy Chamber."

"Whether or not one can enter the Alchemy Chamber is up to the Alchemy Chamber manager to decide."

The guard from the Su Clan was so polite that Song Wen couldn't help but take another look at him. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old and Qi Refining Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

Song Wen clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you, young man. May I ask your name?"

My name is Su Shan.

Song Wen followed behind Su Shan, walking up a wide staircase towards the top of the mountain.

As they walked, Su Shan explained.

"The only way to go up and down the mountain is by using the steps. Where there are no steps, there are hidden protective formations that are either for warning, trapping enemies, or killing enemies. It is extremely dangerous to rush in."

Soon, the two arrived at the outside of a grand hall located halfway up the mountain.

The main hall is built against the cliff face, simple and majestic, covering an area of several acres. A plaque hangs above the main hall, with the words "Danfang" (Alchemy Chamber, meaning alchemy room) written on it.

Standing outside the Alchemy Chamber, one can feel wisps of intense heat emanating from within.

Under Su Shan's guidance, they easily passed the guards' check outside the Alchemy Chamber and entered.

The Alchemy Chamber was filled with various carvings of Pill Furnace, as well as many elixirs for display, and it was frequented by many people.

Su Shan walked directly to a female cultivator in her forties and said respectfully.

"Reporting to you, sir, an elderly man has offered his services to become Alchemist in our Su Clan."

The female cultivator looked up at Song Wen behind Su Shan and asked.

What kinds of pills can you refine?

"Qi and Blood Pill and Qi-Gathering Pill"

The female cultivator frowned, "Only these two?"

Song Wen nodded, "I am of dull talent and have Alchemy for over thirty years, but I have only ever refined these two kinds of pills. If I am fortunate enough to the Su Clan the Su Clan family, I will certainly do my utmost to serve them."

The female cultivator stood up, waved her hand to indicate that Su Shan could leave, and then said to Song Wen Wendao.

"May I have your name?"

"Yuan Cheng!"

"Alchemist, please come with me. Words are not enough; I need to test your Alchemy skills."

The female cultivator led Song Wen directly into the depths of the main hall.

Upon reaching the depths of the main hall, Song Wen discovered that there was more to it than met the eye.

Deep within the main hall, a passageway leads directly into the mountainside.

After walking along the passageway for several dozen meters, a series of Alchemy rooms built into the mountainside came into view.

The female cultivator took out a black triangular token and placed it into the triangular groove on the stone door of an Alchemy room. The stone door immediately opened.

The Alchemy room was small, less than three zhang in circumference. Inside was a Pill Furnace with a small hole beneath it, from which wisps of scorching heat emanated.

This small hole must lead directly underground, where a formation was used to draw Earthfire to this location for Alchemy.

The female cultivator produced three jade boxes, handed them to Song Wen, and said...

"Here are three sets of materials for the Qi Gathering Pill. If Alchemist Yuan succeeds in one batch, he will pass the test and become an Alchemist of the Su family."

Next, the female cultivator instructed Song Wen on the method of drawing in the Earthfire, and then left the Alchemy room.

Alchemist are very wary of having outsiders present when they are Alchemy. Even the slightest movement from an outsider can distract Alchemy Alchemist and lead to failure.

Seeing the stone gate close, Song Wen focused his mind and began to use the Earthfire to Alchemy.

Earthfire is much more powerful than wood fire, and the speed of Alchemy is also much faster.

This was his first time using Earthfire to Alchemy, and he was somewhat unfamiliar with controlling the fire, which led to the failure of the first batch of pills.

Fortunately, the second batch was successfully produced.

Song Wen pressed a mechanism on the stone door, and the stone door slowly opened.

Following the passage back to the main hall, they approached the female cultivator.

He handed over a jade bottle, Song Wen said.

"Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission; the second batch of pills has been successfully condensed."

The female cultivator took the jade bottle, opened the stopper, and five pills the size of a finger came into view.

The pill was smooth and round, with abundant Spiritual Qi. It was decent, not particularly good, but not bad either. There was also a faint trace of fire on it, indicating that it had just been refined.

A smile appeared on the female cultivator's face.

"Alchemist, welcome to the Su Clan. My name is Su Huayue, and I am the steward of this Alchemy Chamber."

Song Wen cupped his hands in greeting, "Greetings, Steward Su Huayue. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Su Huayue nodded in agreement, "Our Su Clan's Alchemist are divided into seven levels. Levels one to three are first-tier Alchemist. Blood Qi Pill is a low-grade first-tier pill, Qi-Gathering Pill is a mid-grade first-tier pill, and you are a second-tier Alchemist, receiving a monthly stipend of thirty Spirit Stone."

"The Su Clan provides the spirit medicine needed for thirty Qi-Gathering Pill each month. You only need to hand over eighty Qi-Gathering Pill to complete the task. If there are any leftover pills, the Alchemy Chamber will buy them at a price of two Spirit Stone per pill."

"Is Master Alchemist satisfied with this treatment?"

Thirty portions of medicinal herbs, if all are successfully processed into pills, will yield one hundred and fifty Qi-Gathering Pill. The Su Clan requires eighty of them to be submitted, which can be achieved with a success rate of just over half.

This requirement is not unreasonable.

The price of Qi-Gathering Pill in the Northern Lands Market is around three Spirit Stones each.

The Su Clan purchased them at a price of two Spirit Stones each, which was considered a fair price.

Song Wen's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Steward. I am very satisfied."

Su Huayue said, "Then Alchemist should rest first, and we will officially begin Alchemy tomorrow."

Immediately, she summoned a young maid with no cultivation level and instructed her to take Song Wen to his residence to rest.

Led by a young maid, Song Wen arrived at a large courtyard at the foot of the mountain. The courtyard contained individual houses, each with three rooms.

The maid was a member of the Su Clan who lacked Spirit Root and could not cultivate. She was quite familiar with Clearpeace Mountain and gave Song Wen a brief introduction to its general layout.

Above the mountainside of Clearpeace Mountain, most of the residents are direct descendants of the Su Clan. All members of the Su Clan with decent Spirit Root and aptitude live there.

Below the mountainside are various cultivation sites, such as Alchemy, weapon crafting, and talisman drawing.

Strictly speaking, they are no longer on Clearpeace Mountain; the area is inhabited entirely by outsiders like Song Wen.

On the other side of the foot of the mountain, there is a small town inhabited by hundreds of thousands of Su Lineage members.

Most of the people in the town are members of the Su Lineage who, like the maid, have no Spirit Root, while a small number are members of the Su Lineage with inferior Spirit Root.

Their primary duty is to serve the Su Lineage members who possess Spirit Root, and to ensure the Su Clan proliferates and produces offspring with superior Spirit Root.

To the west of Clearpeace Mountain lies a spiritual field covering several hundred acres, from which most of the spirit medicine used by the Su Clan originate.

To the east lies a valley, a forbidden area of the Su Clan, said to be the place where the Su Clan patriarch secluded himself, and outsiders are forbidden to approach.

Outsider Rogue Cultivator like Song Wen are not allowed to roam freely in Clearpeace Mountain without permission; they can only move around in the places where they are stationed. As for the courtyards at the foot of the mountain and the small town of the Su Lineage, they can move around freely.