Apprenticeship Banquet

As a medicinal pill used to aid cultivation, the Lesser Origin Pill contained spiritual energy denser than that of the outside world. Taking one could increase cultivation speed, making it a pill coveted by all martial artists.

There were hundreds of thousands of ordinary martial artists in Clear River City, and it was exceedingly difficult for them to obtain even a single Lesser Origin Pill.

Members of martial arts lineages, however, could receive one Lesser Origin Pill from their lineage every few months. The outstanding ones could even receive one or two Lesser Origin Pills each month.

At the level of the three great lineages, even collateral family members were basically guaranteed one Lesser Origin Pill every month, while direct descendants and exceptional members received five to ten per month.

As for someone like Su Chen, who could eat Lesser Origin Pills like candy beans, there was no one else like him in all of Clear River City.

Su Chen swallowed the Lesser Origin Pill. It traveled down his esophagus into his stomach, where its medicinal power dissolved and became a warm current that spread through his body, nourishing his flesh and meridians with indescribable comfort.

While the medicinal power remained, Su Chen began circulating the "Chaos Immortal Record" to absorb it within his body.

The "Chaos Immortal Record" was not only extraordinarily miraculous in absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; it was equally miraculous in absorbing medicinal power. Its wonder lay in its ability to absorb all energy one hundred percent, without the slightest waste.

As everyone knew, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was a form of energy. The wonder of the "Chaos Immortal Record" was that when he circulated it to absorb spiritual energy, every trace drawn into his body could be absorbed completely and converted into true qi within his dantian.

The same applied to medicinal power. When he circulated the "Chaos Immortal Record" to absorb it, all medicinal power could be absorbed completely, without a single trace wasted.

Generally speaking, depending on one's physique, Qi-Attraction Realm martial artists could absorb roughly twenty to fifty percent of a Lesser Origin Pill's medicinal power after taking it. The rest was wasted.

Yet Su Chen could absorb one hundred percent of its medicinal power. This point alone gave him an incomparable advantage.

At once, Su Chen settled his mind and entered a cultivation state free of all distractions.

Time flew by.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Chen consumed ten Lesser Origin Pills, and his cultivation reached the peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm. He was only a final sliver away from breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm.

"Time to go out and get some fresh air."

Su Chen knew that increasing one's strength could not be achieved through blind secluded cultivation alone. Actual combat and one's state of mind were both indispensable. Thus, no martial artist would lock himself in a room and circulate cultivation techniques day and night to absorb spiritual energy. That would only backfire.

In his current situation, continuing to cultivate behind closed doors was unsuitable. It would instead make it easier for him to remain unable to break through, forming a bottleneck.

At times like this, one often needed to leave the room of seclusion and seek an opportunity for breakthrough.

"Come to think of it, that Century Sunlight Herb should be refined into pills for Little Aunt to take as soon as possible. It seems it's time to find a good pill furnace."

Su Chen walked out of the courtyard, only to find the Jiang Family festooned with lanterns and colored decorations. Servants hurried to and fro everywhere, and the entire Jiang residence was exceptionally busy.

However, unlike before, though these servants were all busy, whenever they saw Su Chen, they would at least stop and call out, "Young Master Su Chen."

Rather than as before, when the servants either turned a blind eye to Su Chen or pointed at him behind his back.

Su Chen casually stopped a servant and asked, "Is there some happy occasion in the residence?"

The servant glanced at Su Chen. Although Su Chen had not shown himself during this period, the Jiang Family had discussed without end what happened at the lineage assembly that day. Su Chen had actually defeated both direct-descendant young masters Jiang Minghao and Jiang Mingxuan in succession despite only being at the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, instantly changing the opinion most of the Jiang Family held of him.

After all, in the martial world, geniuses were what people respected most and pursued most fervently. Su Chen's ability to defeat Jiang Mingxuan across a cultivation level was enough to prove that his martial talent was exceptionally powerful.

The servant immediately lowered his head and answered respectfully, "Young Master Su Chen, Third Master is hosting several alchemists from the Alchemy Guild at the residence today. All lineage members will attend."

"Hosting people from the Alchemy Guild?"

The servant nodded heavily, unable to hide his delight. "It seems Young Master Minghao's talent in alchemy has caught the eye of Master Qian from the Alchemy Guild. He intends to accept him as a registered disciple. Tonight is the apprenticeship banquet."

His words also carried a hint of pride, as though he shared in the honor.

Jiang Minghao?

That opponent he had defeated?

Su Chen smiled faintly. No wonder the entire Jiang Family was brimming with joy. Alchemists were not something just anyone could become; among ordinary martial artists, those with talent for alchemy were few and far between. Otherwise, alchemists would not hold such lofty status.

Not to mention that anyone favored by an official alchemist of the Alchemy Guild and accepted as a disciple would surely soar to great heights in the future. Jiang Minghao had truly stepped in dog shit.

However, Su Chen had no interest in this. He asked, "Where is my little aunt?"

Just then, Xu Yin and Jiang Tingyi, mother and daughter, emerged from the room opposite them in formal attire.

When Xu Yin saw Su Chen, she said, "Xiao Chen, you've come out at just the right time. Will you come with us to tonight's banquet?"

Su Chen shook his head. "No, I have something else to do."

Xu Yin had just been about to say more when another servant hurried over and said to Su Chen, "Young Master Su Chen, Third Master has instructed this servant to invite you to tonight's banquet."

"Jiang He?" Xu Yin asked suspiciously. "Why would he specifically invite Xiao Chen to the banquet?"

"I don't know. In any case, this is Third Master's instruction. This servant has delivered the message." With that, the servant turned and left.

Xu Yin looked at Su Chen. "Xiao Chen, you'd better not go. Jiang He definitely means no good."

Su Chen smiled faintly. "No, I'm going."

"You're going?" Xu Yin was thoroughly confused. Su Chen had clearly said he would not go just now, so why had he suddenly changed his mind?

Su Chen said, "Last time, Jiang Minghao suffered a crushing defeat at my hands before everyone's eyes. Jiang He must still be brooding over it. Now that an alchemist from the Alchemy Guild has taken a liking to Jiang Minghao and intends to accept him as a registered disciple, Jiang He certainly won't let this opportunity slip away. He wants to prove before everyone in the Jiang Family that his son is still a hundred times more outstanding than me."

"If that's the case, then you definitely shouldn't go. Jiang He is clearly planning to use you as Jiang Minghao's foil," Xu Yin said.

Su Chen smiled lightly. "If he wants to use me as a foil, he'll have to see whether he has the ability."

"But I've heard that Jiang Minghao really does have some talent in alchemy..." Xu Yin was somewhat worried. Xiao Chen was undoubtedly extraordinarily talented in martial arts, but she had never heard that he could refine pills as well.

"Don't worry, Little Aunt. Let's go!" Su Chen's tone remained as calm as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze.

As a medicinal pill used to aid cultivation, the Lesser Origin Pill contained spiritual energy denser than that of the outside world. Taking one could increase cultivation speed, making it a pill coveted by all martial artists.

There were hundreds of thousands of ordinary martial artists in Clear River City, and it was exceedingly difficult for them to obtain even a single Lesser Origin Pill.

Members of martial arts lineages, however, could receive one Lesser Origin Pill from their lineage every few months. The outstanding ones could even receive one or two Lesser Origin Pills each month.

At the level of the three great lineages, even collateral family members were basically guaranteed one Lesser Origin Pill every month, while direct descendants and exceptional members received five to ten per month.

As for someone like Su Chen, who could eat Lesser Origin Pills like candy beans, there was no one else like him in all of Clear River City.

Su Chen swallowed the Lesser Origin Pill. It traveled down his esophagus into his stomach, where its medicinal power dissolved and became a warm current that spread through his body, nourishing his flesh and meridians with indescribable comfort.

While the medicinal power remained, Su Chen began circulating the "Chaos Immortal Record" to absorb it within his body.

The "Chaos Immortal Record" was not only extraordinarily miraculous in absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; it was equally miraculous in absorbing medicinal power. Its wonder lay in its ability to absorb all energy one hundred percent, without the slightest waste.

As everyone knew, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was a form of energy. The wonder of the "Chaos Immortal Record" was that when he circulated it to absorb spiritual energy, every trace drawn into his body could be absorbed completely and converted into true qi within his dantian.

The same applied to medicinal power. When he circulated the "Chaos Immortal Record" to absorb it, all medicinal power could be absorbed completely, without a single trace wasted.

Generally speaking, depending on one's physique, Qi-Attraction Realm martial artists could absorb roughly twenty to fifty percent of a Lesser Origin Pill's medicinal power after taking it. The rest was wasted.

Yet Su Chen could absorb one hundred percent of its medicinal power. This point alone gave him an incomparable advantage.

At once, Su Chen settled his mind and entered a cultivation state free of all distractions.

Time flew by.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Chen consumed ten Lesser Origin Pills, and his cultivation reached the peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm. He was only a final sliver away from breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm.

"Time to go out and get some fresh air."

Su Chen knew that increasing one's strength could not be achieved through blind secluded cultivation alone. Actual combat and one's state of mind were both indispensable. Thus, no martial artist would lock himself in a room and circulate cultivation techniques day and night to absorb spiritual energy. That would only backfire.

In his current situation, continuing to cultivate behind closed doors was unsuitable. It would instead make it easier for him to remain unable to break through, forming a bottleneck.

At times like this, one often needed to leave the room of seclusion and seek an opportunity for breakthrough.

"Come to think of it, that Century Sunlight Herb should be refined into pills for Little Aunt to take as soon as possible. It seems it's time to find a good pill furnace."

Su Chen walked out of the courtyard, only to find the Jiang Family festooned with lanterns and colored decorations. Servants hurried to and fro everywhere, and the entire Jiang residence was exceptionally busy.

However, unlike before, though these servants were all busy, whenever they saw Su Chen, they would at least stop and call out, "Young Master Su Chen."

Rather than as before, when the servants either turned a blind eye to Su Chen or pointed at him behind his back.

Su Chen casually stopped a servant and asked, "Is there some happy occasion in the residence?"

The servant glanced at Su Chen. Although Su Chen had not shown himself during this period, the Jiang Family had discussed without end what happened at the lineage assembly that day. Su Chen had actually defeated both direct-descendant young masters Jiang Minghao and Jiang Mingxuan in succession despite only being at the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, instantly changing the opinion most of the Jiang Family held of him.

After all, in the martial world, geniuses were what people respected most and pursued most fervently. Su Chen's ability to defeat Jiang Mingxuan across a cultivation level was enough to prove that his martial talent was exceptionally powerful.

The servant immediately lowered his head and answered respectfully, "Young Master Su Chen, Third Master is hosting several alchemists from the Alchemy Guild at the residence today. All lineage members will attend."

"Hosting people from the Alchemy Guild?"

The servant nodded heavily, unable to hide his delight. "It seems Young Master Minghao's talent in alchemy has caught the eye of Master Qian from the Alchemy Guild. He intends to accept him as a registered disciple. Tonight is the apprenticeship banquet."

His words also carried a hint of pride, as though he shared in the honor.

Jiang Minghao?

That opponent he had defeated?

Su Chen smiled faintly. No wonder the entire Jiang Family was brimming with joy. Alchemists were not something just anyone could become; among ordinary martial artists, those with talent for alchemy were few and far between. Otherwise, alchemists would not hold such lofty status.

Not to mention that anyone favored by an official alchemist of the Alchemy Guild and accepted as a disciple would surely soar to great heights in the future. Jiang Minghao had truly stepped in dog shit.

However, Su Chen had no interest in this. He asked, "Where is my little aunt?"

Just then, Xu Yin and Jiang Tingyi, mother and daughter, emerged from the room opposite them in formal attire.

When Xu Yin saw Su Chen, she said, "Xiao Chen, you've come out at just the right time. Will you come with us to tonight's banquet?"

Su Chen shook his head. "No, I have something else to do."

Xu Yin had just been about to say more when another servant hurried over and said to Su Chen, "Young Master Su Chen, Third Master has instructed this servant to invite you to tonight's banquet."

"Jiang He?" Xu Yin asked suspiciously. "Why would he specifically invite Xiao Chen to the banquet?"

"I don't know. In any case, this is Third Master's instruction. This servant has delivered the message." With that, the servant turned and left.

Xu Yin looked at Su Chen. "Xiao Chen, you'd better not go. Jiang He definitely means no good."

Su Chen smiled faintly. "No, I'm going."

"You're going?" Xu Yin was thoroughly confused. Su Chen had clearly said he would not go just now, so why had he suddenly changed his mind?

Su Chen said, "Last time, Jiang Minghao suffered a crushing defeat at my hands before everyone's eyes. Jiang He must still be brooding over it. Now that an alchemist from the Alchemy Guild has taken a liking to Jiang Minghao and intends to accept him as a registered disciple, Jiang He certainly won't let this opportunity slip away. He wants to prove before everyone in the Jiang Family that his son is still a hundred times more outstanding than me."

"If that's the case, then you definitely shouldn't go. Jiang He is clearly planning to use you as Jiang Minghao's foil," Xu Yin said.

Su Chen smiled lightly. "If he wants to use me as a foil, he'll have to see whether he has the ability."

"But I've heard that Jiang Minghao really does have some talent in alchemy..." Xu Yin was somewhat worried. Xiao Chen was undoubtedly extraordinarily talented in martial arts, but she had never heard that he could refine pills as well.

"Don't worry, Little Aunt. Let's go!" Su Chen's tone remained as calm as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze.