Chapter 1720: One Step, One Threshold
Li Yan thought he had acted without a flaw, but a certain someone had been watching. With a light smile, she departed.
Martial Aunt Ning Ke took her promise to Dong Fuyi seriously. She had observed Li Yan for three years, and seeing him settle in, she finally left. As an expert in concealment, she hadn’t caused any ripples in Huangqi Valley, and since she wasn’t there to assassinate their Grand Ascension masters, she remained undetected.
‘The boy’s methods are quite seasoned. My disciple might have a higher cultivation, but when it comes to being shrewd, only he and Pei Buchong are the preeminent ones of this generation.’
Fairy Ning Ke left with a peaceful heart. She was certain that as long as Li Yan didn’t act like a fool, his safety in the sect was guaranteed. He knew exactly how much pressure to apply—not too much, not too little. He was just the right amount of sneaky. Those bullies had suffered a loss, and they would realize that pursuing revenge would cost more than it was worth.
‘Perhaps we should change some of our old rules. Finding Five Immortals disciples is hard, and to protect them, we restricted them from leaving until the Body Integration stage. Later, as we dwindled, we allowed late-stage Spirit Transformation. But those disciples are clearly lacking in experience. They can only rely on extreme caution and stealth to slowly gain wisdom. Our sect needs disciples like Pei Buchong and Li Yan, who can handle themselves early and have the worldly experience to find other destined people…’
In the courtyard, Li Yan opened his eyes after an hour. He had integrated the Avatar’s memories of the lecture, which had provided several inspirations.
‘An Alchemy Sect is indeed an Alchemy Sect. The lecture from a Grandmaster was uniquely insightful…’
He still needed to ponder the details. Over the years, besides absorbing the laws Dong Fuyi taught him, he cultivated his soul techniques and studied the alchemy texts and lectures. He also spent an hour each day on the Withering technique provided by Martial Aunt Ning Ke.
With so many things to juggle, he realized his elders were right: he had no time to rest. Even the “Prison Break” technique from the Purgatory of the Poor and Strange was stalled. He had to put it aside for now, as alchemy was his current priority to reach the Inheritance Ancient Hall.
He looked at the cauldron in the courtyard. Every time he gained a new insight, he would refine some pills. They weren’t high-grade; he just wanted to verify his insights and ensure he didn’t have any accidents during future evaluations. Though he only needed to refine a fourth-grade pill for the Alchemist rank, he wanted to be certain.
One and a half years later—four and a half years since he joined—Li Yan sat alone in his courtyard, deep in thought.
Six months ago, he had officially become a Yellow-rank Alchemist!
He had spent seven days in that evaluation, but he had truly refined a fourth-grade pill using his own skill rather than relying on the Fragmented Poison Body. This result had genuinely excited him. He had taken the exam early to move closer to his goal. He needed to enter the core circle as quickly as possible for Bai Rou’s sake. If he wasted too much time in Huangqi Valley without finding the Hazy Moon Purity herb, her recovery would be delayed.
For years, he hadn’t left the valley once, not wanting to waste a second. But even after reaching this level, he found the goal was still far away.
Most Core Elite Disciples were chosen from those below the Nascent Soul stage; only a tiny fraction were chosen after reaching the Spirit Transformation stage. The sect valued innate talent seen from a young age over later effort. This didn’t mean he had no hope, just that he needed a significant opportunity. He had made some acquaintances to stay informed, but the consensus was clear: unless he brought some great benefit to the sect, becoming a Core Elite was difficult.
‘If only the sect would face a great disaster right now!’
He needed a way to prove his value. The most direct way was to provide a fifth-grade or higher pill recipe. He could condense a fifth-grade poison pill, but that was his own constitution, not a recipe. A disaster where he could save some core disciples or complete a dangerous mission would be right up his alley.
He tapped his temple, smiling at his own dark thoughts. He was getting desperate. With Body Integration and potentially Grand Ascension masters guarding the place, what kind of disaster could happen?
‘I’m moving forward, at least. Since I’m a disciple now, I’m in a prime position. It’s time to change the plan. With my current rank, asking about the Hazy Moon Purity herb shouldn’t draw too much suspicion if I’m careful…’
If he could find news of it, he could consider taking it by other means without needing to become a Core Elite.
‘I’ll go check with Daoist Zhou and the others.’
Those acquaintances often gathered for lectures or small trade fairs. Li Yan’s poison pills, though only fourth-grade, were effective even against Spirit Transformation cultivators, making him popular in those circles. He was the lowest-ranked alchemist among them, but he was a Spirit Transformation cultivator and his poisons were unique. They wanted to get close to him, hoping to buy his recipes one day.
When he hinted at his skill, someone had jokingly said, “Daoist Li, if you trade that recipe to the sect, you’d be a Core Elite in a heartbeat.”
Li Yan had remained silent, smiling but giving nothing away. He couldn’t trade the “recipe” because there wasn’t one; it was his body.
Just as he stood up to leave, he sensed something. He looked toward the sky. A streak of light was flying toward his remote corner.
‘Did someone choose a residence nearby?’
He didn’t think it was Cheng Kuanghan. Since the robbery, the man had been cowed, avoiding him at every turn. But the light headed directly for his gate.
A man’s voice called out, “Is Daoist Li in?”
Li Yan saw the figure land. He was stunned. He recognized the man, though they had only met once. It was the disciple of the Earth-rank Alchemy Great Grandmaster who had initially arranged his entry. The man had dropped him off and left without a word years ago.
‘Why is he here? I haven’t had any contact with his master since then.’
He waved his sleeve to open the gate and walked forward. ‘Did they find a problem with my identity?’ He checked himself, but found no flaws.
Outside stood the pale, thin young man, his hands behind his back.
“Li Yan greets Senior,” Li Yan bowed. The man was a Void Refining cultivator.
“I am here on my Master’s orders. She forgot to tell you something. Take this pendant to the Zhurong alchemy area and give it to the guards. Someone will arrange the rest. As for what it is, this jade slip will explain. Also, this is the final favor Master will grant you. Everything from here is on your own. Do not mention Master’s name. You’ve done well these years; keep it up. Perhaps we shall meet again.”
The young man spoke rapidly and flicked two items toward Li Yan. Before Li Yan could respond, the man took to the sky and vanished.
Li Yan stood there, completely bewildered. He hadn’t understood a word. The man had arrived, dumped some cryptic info and two items, and left without a second word, not even entering the courtyard. The gap in their status was obvious.
After a few breaths, Li Yan caught the two items: a green pendant the size of a copper coin and a jade slip. He immersed his sense into the slip to see what this “final favor” was.