Chapter 1716: The Rules of the Alchemy Sect

Li Yan continued his flight forward, maintaining his steady course until he reached the edge of the seemingly boundless forest. With a slight shift in his expression, he descended toward a specific location.

True to his long-standing habits, he chose a residence situated in a considerably remote area. Compared to other courtyards of the same grade, the conditions here were somewhat inferior, but there were no other residents within a hundred-li radius. This suited his desire for tranquility perfectly.

As he landed amidst the trees, he found himself before a small bridge spanning a babbling stream. Beyond the bridge lay a large flowerbed, a tapestry of alternating reds and yellows. Colorful butterflies danced among the blooms. A secluded path of green stone led toward the entrance of a courtyard.

The walls were constructed from irregular boulders, their surfaces now a deep shade of slate-black and blanketed in a layer of moss that whispered of the passage of years. Yet, this sense of antiquity was balanced by the vibrant vines clinging to the walls and the tiny, star-shaped flowers that adorned them, creating an atmosphere of serene stillness. Occasionally, the clear song of a kingfisher echoed from the surrounding woods, instantly lending an air of ethereal hollowness to one’s soul.

Walking across the bridge, Li Yan watched the fish swimming joyfully in the clear stream, drifting along with the current. The gurgling of the water seemed to carry away the passage of time, bringing with it waves of refreshing coolness.

He followed the path through the flowerbed, the air thick with a lingering fragrance, until he reached the courtyard gate. Producing his Identity Token, he gave it a light wave. The gate swung open silently. Simultaneously, ripples of azure light flashed like rainbows across the gatehouse and the perimeter walls. Li Yan stepped inside.

The courtyard was shaded by four massive, leafy trees. Beneath their boughs stood the standard stone table and benches, but Li Yan was surprised to find a three-legged alchemy cauldron standing half the height of a man.

‘This is rare. Placing the cauldron directly in the courtyard instead of in an alchemy room… Have they channeled the Earth Fire out here as well?’

With this thought, a flash of light appeared in his hand, and a jade slip manifested. He immersed his Divine Sense into it. The slip contained an introduction to the sect’s laws, regulations, and basic matters that every new disciple needed to know.

A short while later, Li Yan put away the slip and stood before the cauldron, observing it closely. He lifted an arm, his fingers moving in a series of nimble, intricate patterns. A spark of spiritual light erupted from his fingertip and struck the base of the cauldron.

Boom!

A mass of blazing, crimson fire erupted from the ground, instantly enveloping the bottom of the cauldron. As the crimson flames flickered, strange patterns began to manifest across the surface of the three-legged vessel. Previously, these markings had been hidden, but the rising heat brought them to life. They spread across the cauldron like a spiderweb, twisting and turning with a peculiar rhythm. Their initial cyan hue quickly transformed into a network of red veins “carved” onto the surface. Within breaths, the entire cauldron seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

Li Yan cast a strand of Divine Sense into the flames. They radiated a scorching, biting heat, as if capable of melting all things under heaven.

‘This is the foundation of a supreme alchemy sect. Even the standard cauldrons provided to disciples and the channeled Earth Fire are so extraordinary…’

He had learned from the jade slip that, except for disciples below the Golden Core stage who did not have individual residences, all other members were provided with a cauldron and Earth Fire in their courtyards. These resources were tied to one’s cultivation realm. The cauldron in Li Yan’s courtyard was known as a Spirit Transformation Tripod; those for the Void Refining stage were called Void Refining Tripods, and those for the Nascent Soul stage were Nascent Soul Tripods. This was done to give cultivators a clear understanding of their standing.

The materials used for these cauldrons differed greatly in grade. As they were also magical artifacts, they possessed distinct levels. This significantly affected the success rate of alchemy, and even upon success, the quality of the same pill would vary. A pill refined in a Spirit Transformation Tripod would contain fewer impurities—the “pill poison”—than one from a Nascent Soul Tripod, and a Void Refining Tripod would produce even cleaner results.

Of course, these comparisons assumed the same person was refining. These cauldrons were merely the sect’s standard issue; if a disciple were willing to spend spirit stones, they could naturally purchase superior vessels. Many cultivators in the sect didn’t use these standard cauldrons at all, preferring to forge their own custom-made vessels. For an alchemist, their cauldron was akin to a Lifebound Artifact; some even treated it as such, for only a vessel perfectly suited to oneself could achieve true harmony.

The Earth Fire he had summoned was divided into six grades, also categorized by cultivation realms, from Qi Condensation to Void Refining. The fire in Li Yan’s courtyard was Grade Five Earth Fire, while those in Nascent Soul residences were Grade Four. Those at the Body Integration stage and above used Heavenly Fire for their refining, which was further divided into High, Mid, and Low ranks. Above the High-rank Heavenly Fire were the sentient Ethereal Flames of Heaven and Earth, though any flame above the High-rank was essentially a stroke of luck that could be sought but rarely found.

Even a top-tier sect like Huangqi Valley only provided Mid-rank Heavenly Fire at its highest. Anything higher belonged to individuals. Every alchemist in the sect spent their entire life searching for an exotic flame of the High-rank or better, hoping to refine and claim it as their own.

If a member felt that the standard cauldron and fire were insufficient, they could forge their own or seek better flames. Alternatively, they could visit a place in the sect called “Zhurong.” There, cauldrons and flames of various grades were provided for a fee.

While Grade Three Earth Fire and below were provided free of charge for Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples, a Nascent Soul cultivator wishing to use Grade Five Earth Fire or better would have to rent it. In Zhurong, as long as one had enough spirit stones, even Mid-rank Heavenly Fire could be rented. However, the rate of consumption was so high that it could turn a wealthy Void Refining cultivator into a pauper in less than a day.

From this allocation of resources, it was clear that Huangqi Valley was not a sect that only valued alchemy; they placed equal importance on a cultivator’s individual prowess. Only by possessing immense combat strength and the ability to protect one’s sect could a legacy be passed down. This was the lesson of the Wood Flow Sect; after losing the protection of their Nascent Soul cultivators, they were coveted by others and reduced to playthings, slaughtered at will.

However, for Li Yan, even the cauldron and fire in this courtyard were beyond his current needs. He couldn’t fully utilize the resources of a Nascent Soul residence, let alone feel the need to visit Zhurong to rent more powerful flames.

Having finished his inspection of the two primary resources, Li Yan walked through the rest of his residence. Besides the cultivation room and the beast-rearing room, there was a large spirit field behind the row of houses. However, save for spirit-rich weeds, nothing was planted there, and Li Yan had no intention of growing anything himself.

He performed a quick cleansing spell to sweep the house inside and out, then activated the courtyard’s defensive formations. Sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room, he held the jade slip and narrowed his eyes, contemplating his next moves.

First, the examinees who had entered the Inner Valley weren’t guaranteed a life of ease. Even if one were recognized as an alchemist in the outside world, they still had to pass the sect’s internal evaluations. Everything had to be earned step-by-step from the lowest level.

Alchemist ranks were roughly divided into: Spirit Pill Disciple, Alchemy Disciple, Alchemist, Alchemy Grandmaster, Alchemy Great Grandmaster, Alchemy Sovereign Master, and Alchemy Saint Master. There were further divisions above Saint Master, but that was beyond Li Yan’s current knowledge.

The Spirit Pill and Alchemy Disciple ranks were considered a single major realm of alchemy. Starting from the Alchemist rank, each level was subdivided into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. For an Alchemy Disciple to advance, they would first become a Yellow-rank Alchemist, then a Mysterious-rank Alchemist, and so forth. The woman Martial Aunt Ning Ke knew was an Earth-rank Alchemy Great Grandmaster. The jade slip mentioned that the highest-ranking alchemist in Huangqi Valley had reached the Yellow-rank Sovereign Master level. It did not specify who this person was or how many such masters the sect possessed.

Li Yan guessed that having one or two such individuals would be the absolute limit; these were alchemy masters far superior to even his Second Martial Uncle or Martial Aunt Ning Ke.

In Huangqi Valley, alchemy evaluations were mandatory. A Spirit Pill Disciple was evaluated once a year. If they failed, they would be exiled to the Outer Valley regardless of their combat cultivation. If they failed three consecutive years in the Outer Valley, they were expelled from the sect entirely. An Alchemy Disciple was evaluated every five years; three consecutive failures would demote them to Spirit Pill Disciple, subjecting them to annual exams again. An Alchemist was evaluated every ten years, and an Alchemy Grandmaster every century.

However, once one reached the level of Alchemy Grandmaster, they were no longer considered mere “disciples,” and the concept of “Core Elite Disciples” didn’t apply to them in the same way. One could only become a Core Elite before reaching the Yellow-rank Alchemy Grandmaster level.