NOVEL WEB Chapter 348: Recognition
Chapter 348: Recognition
“I will remember the Master’s teachings well.”
Xu Lian felt that he had practiced enough and decided that it was time to showcase his true abilities. Chi Sui was one of the top alchemists in the Qian Dynasty and also a Sage Realm cultivator, so his expectations for his disciples were extremely high. If Xu Lian didn’t put on an impressive display – or worse, if his performance wasn’t consistent – he wouldn’t gain Chi Sui’s favor.
“Then practice diligently on your own.”
Chi Sui said no more and returned to the altar to continue refining the Metamorphosis Elixir.
The Metamorphosis Elixir was no ordinary pill. Each attempt at refining it required an immense amount of time – anywhere from ten years to several decades. The process could not be interrupted, and at least two alchemists were needed to maintain the refinement.
Moreover, even the slightest error-whether it was a miscalculation in adding herbs, a misstep in casting incantations, or improper control of the heat-could lead to failure. It was a monumental undertaking that tested not only an alchemist’s skill, but also their endurance, meticulousness, and ability to strictly control every step of the process.
“Skill, refine these pills for me!”
Xu Lian began his own alchemical work beside the altar. This time, he held nothing back and directly activated 【Skill】 to assist him in refining the pills. His mastery of measuring herbs, controlling heat, and performing incantations reached perfection. Even the legendary Pill Sovereigns of old couldn’t have done it better – it was as simple as cheating with such a powerful skill.
One furnace after another, he refined all three types of pills that Chi Sui had just taught him.
“Are you running out of herbs?”
Chi Sui, who had just finished operating the “High Furnace”, was about to come over and continue guiding Xu Lian when he noticed Xu Lian sitting calmly to the side, seemingly done with his work.
Xu Lian stood up and handed the freshly refined pills to Chi Sui. “The disciple has completed the refinement. Please review them, Master.”
“What is this?”
At a glance, Chi Sui immediately noticed that the pills in Xu Lian’s hands were extraordinary.
“The perfect grade version of the Qingxu Life Ascending Pill: the Zixu Destiny Changing Pill!
The perfect grade version of the Three Yangs Convergence Pill: the Three Yangs Unity Pill!
The perfect grade version of the Zhengxuan Imperial Pill: the Tai Xuan Empress Pill !
Did you refine all of these?”
His voice unintentionally rose with excitement, trembling slightly as he stared intently at the pills. He quickly reached out and took the pills from Xu Lian’s hands, examining them repeatedly as though admiring the rarest treasures in existence.
“They have indeed been refined by this disciple just now.”
Xu Lian understood why Chi Sui reacted so strongly. The three pills he had refined were flawless, reaching the pinnacle of perfection. Even Chi Sui himself couldn’t produce such results consistently. Perhaps on a day of extraordinary luck, he might manage to refine one perfect pill – but he could never achieve perfection with every single attempt like Xu Lian had just demonstrated.
The commotion caught Zhao Ming’s attention. He glanced at the three pills in Chi Sui’s hands – and that single glance struck him like a bolt of lightning. His pupils contracted sharply, and his entire body went numb with shock.
BANG!
Overwhelmed by his distraction, Zhao Ming accidentally misaligned an incantation node. As a result, the interior of the High Furnace, where the Metamorphosis Elixir was being refined, exploded with a loud bang, spewing thick black smoke into the air!
The young apprentice herbalists who were adding herbs to the High Furnace were instantly flung dozens of feet into the air, scattering like flower petals as they hit the ground. Blood dripped from their mouths and noses as they coughed violently. The other disciples were also terrified and scrambled to get away from the High Furnace.
Chi Sui, who had been lost in admiration of the perfect pills, was brought back to reality by the massive explosion. He stared blankly at the billowing black smoke rising from the High Furnace, his expression hardening as his brows furrowed deeper with each passing moment.
Realizing the gravity of his mistake, Zhao Ming’s face turned ashen. He hastily knelt down, trembling as he pleaded, “Master, please forgive me! I was distracted for a moment and made a mistake in the incantation!”
“…” Xu Lian shifted his gaze elsewhere, struggling to suppress a laugh that threatened to bubble up.
Chi Sui glared at Zhao Ming, but finally relented. “Get up. Fortunately, we’ve only just started the fire to refine the Metamorphosis Elixir, and not much herb has been added yet. If this explosion had occurred after years – eight or ten years – of continuous refinement, causing the Metamorphosis Elixir to fail, the losses would have been catastrophic.”
“Thank you, Master, for your mercy,” Zhao Ming said as he slowly rose to his feet, exhaling in relief. Indeed, at this early stage, an explosion wasn’t too severe. However, if it had happened after years of refinement, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of rare herbs, it would have drawn the attention of the imperial court. An investigation led by an imperial envoy would have followed, greatly escalating the situation.
Chi Sui waved his hand dismissively. “Clean the inside of the furnace and let’s start the refining process again.”
“Yes, Master!” Zhao Ming replied hastily.
Chi Sui then turned his attention back to Xu Lian, his gaze growing increasingly intense. “I’m beginning to suspect something about you.”
Xu Lian’s heart skipped a beat. Had he been exposed?
But that was not the case. Chi Sui spoke gravely. “Even the top alchemists in the world couldn’t produce three perfect grade pills in a row unless they were the reincarnation of the legendary Pill Sovereigns. I can’t help but suspect that you prepared these perfect-grade pills beforehand to win my favor. To prove yourself, you must refine a perfect-grade pill right here in front of me!”
This was easy. Xu Lian wasn’t the least bit worried. Without hesitation, he began refining another pill using 【Skill】.
As the saying goes, “A master reveals his skill with a single move.” Chi Sui watched intently, his expression gradually turning serious, then morphing into outright astonishment. He realized that Xu Lian’s control over herb measurement, heat regulation, and incantation execution was nothing short of flawless – each movement flowed seamlessly, without the slightest pause or imperfection, as if a legendary Pill Sovereign had possessed him.
When Xu Lian retrieved the freshly refined pill from the palm-sized furnace and handed it to Chi Sui, the latter was utterly overwhelmed. It was yet another perfect pill – the perfect version of the Qingxu Life Ascending Pill: the Zixu Destiny Changing Pill!
Chi Sui looked at Xu Lian with a complex expression. “Are you perhaps the reincarnation of a Pill Sovereign, awakened to the memories of your past life?”
“…” Xu Lian found his master’s humor amusing. Bowing respectfully, he replied, “The disciple hasn’t awakened any past life memories, nor am I the reincarnation of a Pill Sovereign. For these two thousand years, I’ve dedicated myself to studying alchemy day and night, and through perseverance and insight, I’ve made progress.”
Chi Sui sighed deeply. “For so many years, the number of times I have personally taught you can be counted on one hand. When you first came under my tutelage, I noticed your lack of innate talent in alchemy and quickly lost patience. Reflecting on it now, I feel immense regret and shame. I almost missed a once-in-a-lifetime genius like you!”
Xu Lian humbly replied, “Master speaks too highly of me. Perhaps my early alchemical talent was different from that of ordinary prodigies. I wasn’t someone who excelled immediately after starting alchemy; rather, I belong to the category of late bloomers. Without these two thousand years of relentless study and practice, I wouldn’t have achieved my current level of mastery,”
Chi Sui nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps there’s some truth to that. Regardless, it was my oversight. If I’d been more patient in the beginning, I might have discovered your extraordinary talent sooner, instead of letting such brilliance remain hidden until the Crown Prince’s banquet. From now on, you’ll be by my side. I intend to pass on all my knowledge of alchemy to you and entrust you with my legacy.”
Zhao Ming, who had been cleaning the furnace, heard this and nearly collapsed from shock. His vision went dark, and he felt as though the ground had crumbled beneath him.
On the other hand, Xu Lian wore a delighted smile as he bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master, for your guidance.”
And so, Xu Lian spent every day studying alchemy under Chi Sui. Since he could absorb knowledge directly, whatever Chi Sui taught, he mastered instantly. In no time, he had absorbed all of Chi Sui’s lifelong alchemical techniques.
It was no exaggeration to say that Xu Lian’s alchemy skills now surpassed Chi Sui’s. While Xu Lian could refine any type of pill to perfection, Chi Sui-and indeed, no other alchemist in the world-could achieve such consistency.
Of course, there was one aspect of Chi Sui’s mastery that Xu Lian could never replicate: Chi Sui’s ability to innovate new alchemical techniques. Having thoroughly internalized the art of alchemy, Chi Sui could create entirely new methods, whereas Xu Lian could only follow established formulas step by step. Without clear instructions and precise steps, he couldn’t improvise or innovate.
If looks could kill, Xu Lian would have died ten thousand times over. Every day, Zhao Ming’s gaze cut into him like daggers, filled with hatred and frustration. He wanted nothing more than to cut Xu Lian to pieces.
Xu Lian paid no mind to him, reveling in the fact that Zhao Ming hated him but could do nothing about it.
Meanwhile, Ning Meixue remained busy tending to the medicinal fields, her smile never fading. She was overjoyed knowing that her junior brother had gained their master’s favor – and even more so, that Chi Sui valued Xu Lian far above Zhao Ming. With Xu Lian’s bright future practically guaranteed, she stopped pretending and openly visited Xu Lian’s quarters each night, living as his Dao companion.
When Zhao Ming discovered this, his mood sank further into gloom. He had never imagined that Ning Meixue, for whom he had long yearned, would choose Qin Feng so quickly. Even worse, he realized that Qin Feng had hidden his true abilities for over two thousand years, waiting until Zhao Ming was at his most relaxed – after the Fifth Prince had secured the position of Crown Prince – to seize everything that Zhao Ming believed should have been his.
Chi Sui eventually learned of this as well, and was momentarily taken aback. He had not expected that Ning Meixue would become a Dao Companion with Qin Feng instead of Zhao Ming. Shaking his head, he reflected that all three disciples had cultivated for over two millennia – they weren’t youngsters anymore. They were entitled to make their own decisions, and he refrained from interfering.
One day, a beautiful young maiden, dressed in sumptuous clothes, arrived at this exclusive cultivation resource area. She was none other than the direct granddaughter of the Prince of Rui, the Lady of Qinghe, Huangfu Shuyi.
According to the rules of the Qian Dynasty, daughters of princes held the title of “Princess Consort”, while granddaughters held the title of “Lady”. Should the prince pass away and his son ascend to the throne, the granddaughter’s title would be elevated to “Princess Consort”.
“Disciple Huangfu Shuyi, direct granddaughter of the Prince of Rui and Lady of Qinghe, pays respects to Master!” The maiden performed the solemn three bows and nine kowtows before Chi Sui.
Chi Sui raised his hand slightly. “Rise. As of today, you are my fourth personal disciple.”
Huangfu Shuyi replied, “Yes, Master.”
Then, with a playful smile, she curtsied to Zhao Ming, Ning Meixue, and Xu Lian. “Junior Sister greets her three senior siblings!”
Zhao Ming glanced at Huangfu Shuyi’s appearance and figure, his eyes flickering with interest. Ning Meixue had already chosen Qin Feng, leaving him no chance with her. But Huangfu Shuyi was impressive-her beauty, physique, and cultivation were all commendable. Her alchemical talent remained unknown, but what mattered most was her noble background.
As the direct granddaughter of the Prince of Rui, a close relative of the Emperor, and the uncle of the Crown Prince, she belonged to the true royal bloodline. Moreover, the Prince of Rui had been one of the first to support the Crown Prince, earning his deep trust and reliance. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the status of the Prince of Rui would only increase. Winning Huangfu Shuyi’s favor could bring Zhao Ming closer to the Crown Prince.
With this in mind, Zhao Ming made a decision. Smiling, he retrieved a pill furnace. “Younger sister, there’s no need for formalities. This is the pill furnace I used when I first entered the sect-I’ll gift it to you.”
Huangfu Shuyi joyfully accepted it. “Thank you, Senior Brother, for your generous gift.”
She then looked at Ning Meixue and Xu Lian teasingly. “Since Senior Brother has given me a gift, what about Second Sister and Third Brother? Do you have anything for me?”