Chapter 1717: Listening to the Law

Evaluations at all levels were subject to the sect’s mandatory schedule, but if one felt their skills were sufficient, they could apply for an early evaluation or even take consecutive exams. However, once the three opportunities for a level were exhausted and failure occurred, one wouldn’t just be kicked out of the sect—they would be demoted.

Only after reaching the level of Great Grandmaster did the mandatory evaluations cease. At that level, improving even an inch in the Dao of Alchemy was incredibly difficult. One would only apply for an evaluation when they sought to advance. No matter how many times they failed, they would remain within the four tiers of Great Grandmaster. Furthermore, cultivators who could reach that level were usually at the Void Refining stage or higher, the pillars of the sect. The sect would never discard such people. Coupled with the title of Alchemy Great Grandmaster, they became precious individuals coveted by every sect.

For now, Li Yan had one year to pass the evaluation for Spirit Pill Disciple, or he would be kicked out of the Inner Valley.

He wasn’t worried. He was someone who had earned the approval of his Second Martial Uncle. The Spirit Pill Disciple rank only required the most basic entry-level alchemy skills. His Second Martial Uncle’s assessment of Li Yan’s skill put him somewhere between an Alchemist and an Alchemy Disciple; if he performed well, he was an Alchemist; if he performed poorly, he was an Alchemy Disciple.

This had made Li Yan scratch the back of his head in embarrassment back then. He had always thought he was at least a decent Alchemist. As it turned out, he hadn’t even fully reached the level of a Yellow-rank Alchemist; he was the type who relied on his state of mind to succeed.

‘The others who entered the Inner Valley after the exam are likely Golden Core stage or higher; passing the Spirit Pill and Alchemy Disciple ranks shouldn’t be a problem for them. Many are probably already at the Mysterious or Yellow-rank Alchemist level. My first goal must be to secure the rank of Alchemist. My purpose is to become a Core Elite to gain access to the Inheritance Ancient Hall. To do that, I can’t stay hidden as I did before.’

‘First, I need to see if I can build connections. Second, my previous methods of alchemy cultivation are no longer suitable…’

Li Yan mapped out his plan. Coming from the Wangliang Sect, he wasn’t ignorant of the basics of alchemy. In Huangqi Valley, Alchemists, Grandmasters, and even Great Grandmasters gave periodic lectures on “The Law of Alchemy.” This was what the disciples valued most. By gaining insights from these lectures, they could resolve many of their internal doubts.

In a sect, not every disciple had a personal master. Most relied on their own cultivation. Like Li Yan’s teammates Yan Feijun and Hu Xiaowang in the lower realm, many had no masters. They attended lectures by the peak’s elders or senior brothers and then relied on their own bitter daily cultivation.

Now, for people like Li Yan who entered mid-way, unless they were exceptionally brilliant, no one would suddenly take a Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation cultivator as a direct disciple. Therefore, he felt he should attend the monthly lectures for the three ranks. As for which level to attend, he decided to start from the most basic. He wanted to understand the specific lineage of Huangqi Valley’s heritage. This would be immensely beneficial for his future actions. He didn’t expect to become an overnight sensation; he just needed to integrate.

After finalizing his plan, Li Yan left his courtyard and went directly to the Scripture Pavilion. He couldn’t rely solely on lectures; he needed to study the ancient texts himself to build a fundamental foundation.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye. Unsurprisingly, Li Yan earned the recognition of the Inner Valley, smoothly securing the ranks of Spirit Pill Disciple and Alchemy Disciple. Following his Second Martial Uncle’s advice, he didn’t rush into the evaluation for Yellow-rank Alchemist. After gaining a better understanding of the sect, he realized his skills truly were as his uncle had described—he had a good chance, but he could still be held back at that threshold. He wanted to learn more about the content of past Alchemist evaluations before making his move.

Li Yan stood upon the crown of a massive tree. Around him were many white-robed cultivators, some standing on treetops, others floating in the sky. Many more sat cross-legged in the vast square below. Li Yan stood near the back, perched on his tree.

High in the sky above the square, a bank of auspicious clouds drifted. Upon those clouds sat a man. He was middle-aged, with a fair, beardless face and eyebrows that swept toward his temples like swords. His eyes were as bright as stars, giving him the appearance of a Daoist who had attained the Way.

The lecture hadn’t started yet. Streaks of light were still arriving from the distance. The man kept his eyes closed, seemingly deaf to the buzzing murmurs of the crowd. He knew that the moment he spoke, the entire area would fall into a pin-drop silence.

He was a Mysterious-rank Alchemy Grandmaster with a Spirit Transformation mid-stage cultivation. Even so, many late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivators came to listen. In the Dao of Alchemy, the one with greater understanding is the senior; if someone’s skill is superior to yours, you have no choice but to be impressed.

Li Yan stood on the tree, his eyes on the front, but his mind was elsewhere.

‘Spirit Pill Disciples are tested on memorizing herbs and refining medicinal liquids. Alchemy Disciples must turn those liquids into successful pills. Furthermore, the “pill poison” cannot exceed sixty percent, or it’s just a toxic pill. The Alchemist rank requires refining third or fourth-grade pills with poison under fifty percent. Grandmasters handle fifth or sixth-grade pills… But at the level of Great Grandmaster, one must refine seventh-grade pills and be able to improve existing recipes. Those methods are beyond my imagination. As for the Inheritance Ancient Hall, one only needs to reach the Yellow-rank Alchemist level and become a Core Elite to be eligible…’

Li Yan contemplated his next steps. It was time to consider the evaluation for Yellow-rank Alchemist. These things had to be done gradually. As for when to strike, he had to pick the right moment. With his current status, he couldn’t yet pry into the sect’s deeper secrets. Martial Aunt Ning Ke could have asked about the Hall easily, but that would have piqued the interest of the Earth-rank Great Grandmaster who helped him. Those people were shrewder than foxes.

The evaluation for Yellow-rank Alchemist required refining a fourth-grade pill and controlling the poison. The sect didn’t care what pill it was, as long as it met those two criteria. But merely getting the rank wasn’t enough; he needed to stand out. He recalled Martial Aunt Ning Ke’s warning. If he stood out too soon, would it be a problem?

He was deeply worried about Bai Rou’s injury. He wanted to proceed cautiously, but the longer he waited, the more he feared the power in her consciousness sea would change.

“Kid, do you know this is my territory?”

Just as Li Yan was waiting for the lecture to begin, a voice suddenly erupted from his side. He frowned and turned his head. He had chosen a very remote spot. While there were others on this tree, it wasn’t crowded; even if three or four more people joined, it wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

To his left, several people were floating in the air—four men and three women. The speaker was a man with a yellowish complexion and a face as long as a horse’s, appearing to be in his thirties. His companions were watching Li Yan with looks of mockery.

The moment Li Yan saw them, he knew why they had come. Among the seven, one face was familiar. It was a burly man looking at him with ill intent: Cheng Kuanghan, the man who had entered the sect with him three years ago.

Li Yan realized Cheng Kuanghan had come to find trouble. He remembered the man pointedly announcing his name before they left the evaluation. Looking at the group’s formation, Cheng Kuanghan was standing to the side and slightly behind the others.

‘It seems he found himself a backer…’

At that same moment, joy flared in Cheng Kuanghan’s heart. He had been looking for this man for three years. But after entering the valley, it was as if this fellow had been in constant seclusion; he hadn’t seen him once. He hated Li Yan with a passion; it was this guy who had ruined the plan for his four companions to enter together. Not only was he the only one who gathered enough runes, but they had to spend a staggering amount of spirit stones to bribe that white-robed deacon. Only then were the provocative woman and the black-clad man allowed to stay in the Outer Valley. No matter how they begged, the gold-robed man was forced to leave, unable to return for another five years.

After entering the Inner Valley, Cheng Kuanghan had quickly found an old acquaintance. Through that connection, he finally integrated into a faction. When rogue cultivators entered a sect without a master, they usually had to find a backer to avoid being bullied. He had endured being ordered around because he was the new arrival, but every time he was forced to do a chore, his hatred for Li Yan and the twins grew.

He had inquired about the twins. To his shock, they had been chosen by a Heaven-rank Alchemy Grandmaster to be medicinal attendants after only six months. Even though they weren’t disciples, being the attendants of such a master meant they were beyond his reach. He could only simmer in resentment, turning all his hate toward Li Yan. He had originally hoped that if the four of them entered together, any faction would actively try to recruit them. Instead, he had to go crawling to others, treated like a second-class citizen.

But he was a man of the world and had quickly stabilized his position. He searched everywhere for Li Yan, but he never saw him at the places he expected. He could have gone to Li Yan’s residence, but that would have brought the Law Enforcement Hall down on him. Li Yan’s absence from the sect’s social circles left Cheng Kuanghan with nowhere to vent his rage. He had simply looked in the wrong places.

Li Yan had spent most of his time at lectures for basic alchemy—places attended by disciples with weak foundations—and he always went with his aura hidden. Cheng Kuanghan never considered those places because he believed Li Yan’s alchemy skill was at least at the Alchemist level given the poison he had used. He assumed Li Yan would attend lectures by Yellow-rank Grandmasters or better. It was only today that he finally spotted him.

After the horse-faced man’s shout, not only did the seven of them look at Li Yan, but those nearby also turned their heads. Interest sparked in many eyes; cultivation was dry, and such internal conflicts were a welcome distraction.

“It’s Yu Erlu and his lot, hehehe…”

“That man is alone and looks unfamiliar. How did he provoke them?”

“He’s probably a new disciple. It’s no surprise he’s being targeted!”

The whispers began. They were familiar with the horse-faced man. He was already a Mysterious-rank Alchemist, but “Yu Erlu” was not his real name. He had earned the nickname because he failed every rank evaluation on his first try and only passed on his second (Erlu meaning “Second Furnace”). Strangely, he wasn’t offended by the name; he actually felt it was a sign of heaven’s favor, proving his resilience. The faction he belonged to was formidable, backed by several Alchemy Grandmasters. He enjoyed bullying new arrivals and squeezing benefits out of them.

Li Yan watched the group, the murmurs reaching his ears. Suddenly, he took flight, flickering toward the square ahead. He moved toward the dense crowd of hundreds, finding a gap and descending directly. He didn’t even bother to argue with Yu Erlu, and his expression didn’t change at all. It was as if he simply felt the current spot was poor and had found a better one.

‘Huh? He just left?’ That was the first thought in many minds. Such bullying happened often, but usually, the victim would be red-faced with anger or at least talk back. One couldn’t fight openly in the sect, so as long as the Law Enforcement Hall didn’t see it, the provocateur wouldn’t admit to it. In such a large crowd, Yu Erlu wouldn’t dare strike directly, so talking back was safe. One just had to worry about being blocked on the way home.

“Is this the man you mentioned? The one who dared to provoke the four of you? He’s just a coward, isn’t he?” Yu Erlu was stunned for a moment before turning to Cheng Kuanghan. Cheng Kuanghan had claimed this Spirit Transformation initial-stage cultivator had suddenly attacked them during the exam with an invisible poison that neutralized two mid-stage companions and stole their tokens.

Yu Erlu and his group didn’t entirely believe him. They had seen the twin sisters, one mid-stage and one initial-stage. It was more likely that Cheng Kuanghan’s group had attacked them and been outplayed. Still, they felt Li Yan and the twins must have some trump cards to succeed against four people. But this Li Yan didn’t show even a spark of anger; he just flew away. If he had skill, he should have shown at least a huff of indignation.

“He’s not a coward. He’s dismissive,” Cheng Kuanghan whispered via transmission.

Yu Erlu and the others weren’t moved by that. They thought about Li Yan’s expression—or rather, his lack of one. They had already taken benefits from Cheng Kuanghan, so regardless of Li Yan’s attitude, they were going to target him.

“The kid is cunning. He dove right into the crowd,” a beautiful woman in the group said softly. If they went there to cause trouble, it would cause a misunderstanding with other disciples and draw the Law Enforcement Hall.

“Then we listen to the law,” Yu Erlu said, sitting cross-legged in the air. He ignored the surrounding gazes.