Shortsighted

Huang Tianqi's once easygoing smile froze on his face.

He hurried over to the pill furnace and craned his neck to look inside.

The sight left Huang Tianqi utterly astonished.

Seven pills, as white and flawless as jade, lay inside the furnace.

"Su-Supreme-grade Spirit-Breaking Pills!"

Huang Tianqi practically shrieked.

Then he looked at the furnace, then back at Ying Huaixu.

"Y-you... I-I..."

Huang Tianqi struggled to speak, then seized Ying Huaixu's hand in a death grip.

Ying Huaixu was speechless.

"Senior brother, don't do that. You're scaring me!"

Huang Tianqi took a deep breath and needed a long while to recover.

"Junior brother, what grade of alchemist are you?"

Ying Huaixu shook his head. "This is my first time refining pills!"

Huang Tianqi nearly coughed up blood.

The blow was so devastating that even his faith in his cultivation began to crumble.

"Wait!"

Huang Tianqi took out another pill formula and handed it to Ying Huaixu.

"Can you refine this?"

Ying Huaixu examined the pill formula.

Spirit-Forging Pill Formula (insufficient pill Dao realm. Unable to learn to refine!)

Ying Huaixu shook his head.

"I can't refine it!"

Huang Tianqi: "???"

"You haven't even tried. How do you know you can't refine it?"

Ying Huaixu smiled. "Do you think a disciple who only just joined the sect needs to try?"

Huang Tianqi thought that made sense.

In the end, Huang Tianqi brought out a whole stack of pill formulas for Ying Huaixu to see which pills he could refine.

Ying Huaixu finally discovered that he could currently refine only Bone-Strengthening Pills, Spirit-Breaking Pills, Blood-Coagulating Pills, and Qi-Recovery Pills.

Huang Tianqi grew excited.

"Incredible, incredible! You're already the equivalent of a second-grade alchemist!"

With that, Huang Tianqi gave Ying Huaixu a token.

It was proof of his status as a second-grade alchemist.

"With this token, you can enter and leave the Pill Room whenever you like. Help yourself to any ingredients required by the pill formulas!"

Ying Huaixu froze again.

Ding! Adventure Quest completed. Obtained alchemist status (includes n pill formulas) and 3,000 experience!

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Alchemy Function! Current alchemy grade: second grade (proficiency: 20%).

Ding! Sect activity quest completed. Reward: 2,000 experience!

The rewards were simply too generous.

So generous that Ying Huaixu could hardly believe it.

At the same time, Ying Huaixu gave Huang Tianqi a sincere look. "Thank you!"

Huang Tianqi waved his hand. "No need for that, no need! We're fellow disciples. There's no need to be so formal!"

Ying Huaixu nodded.

But he was still a little puzzled.

"My status is recognized just like that? There's no procedure to go through?"

Huang Tianqi shook his head.

"No need. My family owns the entire outer sect Pill Room!"

Ying Huaixu: "???"

Huang Tianqi explained further. "My father is the Pill Peak Master!"

Ying Huaixu: "..."

Well, damn. He's a second-generation immortal!

When Ying Huaixu had been doing quests before, this fellow had annoyed him the most.

All because the daily trip to his place was the longest.

But now that he knew Huang Tianqi was a second-generation immortal, all of Ying Huaixu's resentment vanished instantly.

He even felt that he ought to work harder at building a good relationship with him.

After all, another friend meant another door opened!

What Ying Huaixu did not know was that Huang Tianqi also wanted to befriend him.

The reason was simple.

The alchemical talent and techniques Ying Huaixu had displayed were truly astonishing.

What made Huang Tianqi even more optimistic about him was that Ying Huaixu had only just joined the sect, and as an outer disciple at that.

He could not let a disciple like this slip away.

If possible, he even wanted to lure Ying Huaixu straight over to Pill Peak.

But after reading Ying Huaixu's information, Huang Tianqi did not dare.

He did not have the nerve to poach a disciple brought back by Sword Peak Master Lü Qingyi. Never mind him-even his father would not dare.

But that did not stop them from befriending Ying Huaixu.

Now that Ying Huaixu could refine pills, he eagerly began making Bone-Strengthening Pills.

Seeing that Ying Huaixu was about to refine pills, Huang Tianqi hastily asked, "Um, may I watch?"

Ying Huaixu nodded.

Then, under Huang Tianqi's dumbstruck gaze, Ying Huaixu refined batch after batch of pills.

At first, Ying Huaixu had taken the process seriously.

But after refining ten batches, he simply stuffed two hundred portions of ingredients into the furnace all at once.

The furnace began rumbling incessantly.

Finally, with a bang, two hundred Bone-Strengthening Pills were finished!

Huang Tianqi was completely dumbfounded.

Ying Huaixu smiled and said, "Once you get the hang of it, you really can refine them this way!"

Huang Tianqi fell silent.

Ying Huaixu silently collected the pills as well.

After gathering the pills, Ying Huaixu said goodbye and left.

Huang Tianqi sat alone in the Pill Room, questioning everything he knew.

"I don't understand. I even feel like this junior brother is taking me for a fool... But he really just did that, and then, pop-two hundred Bone-Strengthening Pills were done!"

Huang Tianqi took out a token and contacted his father.

"Dad, let me ask you something!"

The voice on the other end sounded impatient.

"Speak. Spit it..."

Huang Tianqi asked directly, "Do you know Ying Huaixu?"

The other end paused. "Who?"

"Ying Huaixu, the outer disciple the Sword Peak Master brought back a few days ago!"

There was another pause before his father asked uncertainly, "The one she brought back along with Ye Ningshuang?"

Huang Tianqi nodded. "That's right!"

The Pill Peak Master was puzzled. "Why are you asking about him?"

Huang Tianqi said slyly, "Dad, go sound her out. If the Sword Peak Master merely brought him back and has no intention of personally training him, let's lure him over to our Pill Peak!"

The Pill Peak Master cut the connection immediately.

He knew his son's habits all too well.

His own alchemical talent was so awful it was painful to watch, and whenever he saw anyone better at refining pills than himself, he called them a genius with a promising future!

They always turned out to be rubbish.

Presumably, Ying Huaixu was no different.

Even if Lü Qingyi had brought Ying Huaixu back, she had probably just picked him up along the way.

So the Pill Peak Master could not be bothered to listen to Huang Tianqi's nonsense.

He could not even be bothered to watch the Projection Stones Huang Tianqi sent over showing Ying Huaixu refining pills.

He accepted them, but simply tossed them into a pile of junk to be disposed of.

Huang Tianqi grew frantic.

"Dad, I'm serious this time!"

He sent messages like mad.

The Pill Peak Master replied, "Yes, yes, you're serious. I get it. I understand. I know..."

Huang Tianqi was numb. Finally, he asked directly, "Did you watch the Projection Stones?"

The Pill Peak Master replied, "Yes!"

Huang Tianqi asked, "Then what was I wearing today?"

The Pill Peak Master replied, "Do you have anything else to say? I'm very busy!"

Huang Tianfu replied, "Heh. Shortsighted. Even when I hand you an opportunity, you're too useless to take it. Mark my words: the arrogance you show today will leave you drowning in regret tomorrow!"

The Pill Peak Master snorted.

"This boy's delusions are getting worse!"

Huang Tianqi sighed.

"Ah, some people are simply destined to miss opportunities that were never theirs!"