Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 146: Amazing Harvest, Mischievous Disciple

Chen Ye returned to his room, paused for a moment, and set up a simple soundproof barrier to avoid disturbing his two disciples.

He then leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

Thinking back on everything that happened tonight, it feels like a lifetime ago.

He killed Li Guangzong so quickly?

Before Li Guangzong could cause him any trouble, and before Li Guangzong could continue to develop...

After a moment, he calmed himself down and began to take stock of the biggest gain of the trip—Li Guangzong's storage bag.

He emptied all the items from his storage bag, and for a moment, various spiritual lights and treasures almost illuminated the entire room.

The spirit stones were piled up like a small mountain, roughly estimated to be more than three hundred pieces!
Beside the spirit stone, there were also several magical artifacts of extraordinary quality!
The jade bottles containing various elixirs were dazzling, including some precious items used for healing and detoxification.

In addition, there is that Soul-Gathering Grass that emits a faint glow!

"Wow... As expected of an alchemist, so many resources are enough for me to comfortably cultivate to the ninth level of Qi Refining!"

Chen Ye was shocked.

The ancient alchemy furnace lay quietly to one side, its body engraved with mysterious runes, indicating its extraordinary quality.

At first glance, Chen Ye couldn't even discern its specific rank.

As he held it in his hand and examined it closely, his expression grew increasingly perplexed:

"This alchemy furnace, though it doesn't quite seem like a first-tier furnace, is also lacking in spiritual essence if you call it a second-tier furnace... It seems to be just one step away from becoming a magic weapon?"

Chen Ye put away the alchemy furnace and decided to find a reliable person to appraise it another day.

You should know that the most valuable thing an alchemist possesses is usually his alchemy furnace!

Besides that, what Chen Ye cared about most was a jade slip that was warm and smooth all over.

He probed it with his divine sense, and a series of pieces of information immediately flooded into his mind.

The Classic of Herbal Elixir!
This is... the root cause of the falling out between my predecessor and the Li Guangzong brothers, severing our paths.

Holding the jade slip, Chen Ye felt a mix of emotions. He could feel the lingering resentment, anger, and sorrow of his "previous self" within him.

Fate played a cruel trick; after decades, this alchemical text finally returned to his hands.

“Li Guangzong, oh Li Guangzong,” Chen Ye sighed softly, “you could never have foreseen this end.”

The Hundred Herbs Elixir Classic records various refining methods and basic pharmacology.

In addition, there are nine first-tier pill formulas and three second-tier pill formulas.

The second-tier pill formulas include the Foundation Building Pill, the Spirit Concentration Pill, and the Demon-Slaying Pill.

The "Ao Sha Dan" is a medicinal pill used for cultivating one's physical body.

The three second-tier pill formulas are comprehensive in their effects on cultivation, spiritual sense, and physical strength.

The value of this herbal elixir manual is immeasurable, beyond measure in spirit stones!

Chen Ye solemnly put the Hundred Herbs Elixir Classic into his storage bag. This elixir classic would play a crucial role in his and his two disciples' future cultivation path.

"From now on... if I use my proficiency to accumulate pill-making skills to the top level, I can cultivate together with my disciple by consuming the most advanced pills..."

Chen Ye clicked his tongue in amazement. In this way, he could refine high-quality pills for his two disciples, helping them go further and more steadily on their cultivation path.

The apprentices can obtain this resource in their early years.

Their future achievements will likely surpass those in the original storyline!

……

The next day.

Chen Ye contacted He Qi again, and under his guidance, they arrived at an inconspicuous blacksmith shop located in a corner of the market.

"This is... a former weapon refiner from the Lingbao Sect, but for some reason, he was expelled from the sect and forbidden from using the Lingbao Sect's techniques to refine weapons for others. If it weren't for his master's intercession, he would probably have had his cultivation directly abolished."

He Qi explained.

This man's surname is Gu. He usually lives a secluded life and rarely sees outsiders.

It wasn't that this person was a reclusive hermit, but rather that the Lingbao Sect forbade him to leave his home, and even after arriving at Yuexi Lake, he still dared not show his face.

Chen Ye had some doubts: "What mistake has he made?"

He Qi shook his head: "Master Gu regarded this matter as a disgrace and never talked about it outside."

When the two arrived at the blacksmith's shop, He Qi had informed them in advance, and a young boy was already waiting at the door to welcome them inside.

Inside the shop, there was a gaunt old man, shirtless, forging iron; this was Master Gu.

When he saw He Qi, he nodded casually and said, "Take the things out."

Chen Ye did as instructed and took out the ancient alchemy furnace.

Master Gu took the alchemy furnace and initially just casually weighed it in his hand, but soon, a terrifying glint flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

He examined the alchemy furnace from all angles, sometimes tapping it lightly with his knuckles, sometimes channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into it. His expression gradually changed from casual to solemn.
"This...this is the alchemy furnace from the Hundred Herbs Valley in the past!"

He Qi's eyes widened:

"Master Gu, could this Hundred Herbs Valley be some kind of ancient heritage? Why have I never heard of it before?"

Chen Ye was also secretly delighted.

Could it be that one day I too will find the legendary heirloom?

Master Gu glanced at the two of them sideways:

"You're dreaming... It's perfectly normal that you don't know about Baicao Valley. Baicao Valley is located in Nan Yan and was a sect three or four hundred years ago, but it was later swallowed up by Yaowang Valley. The main branch of Baicao Valley fled to Dong Yan, where Lingyin Sect is located, carrying the sect's heritage."

"However, they were later hunted down by the people of Medicine King Valley, and their whereabouts became unknown. As for Hundred Herbs Valley, it is just a Foundation Establishment power... well, it is still a Foundation Establishment power after all. This Hundred Herbs Cauldron is a damaged second-tier magic treasure. It was probably accidentally damaged in the battle back then."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye suddenly realized what was going on.

It seems that both the Hundred Herbs Elixir Manual and the Hundred Herbs Cauldron originated from the so-called Hundred Herbs Valley. And Li Guangzong, through some unknown means, obtained this Hundred Herbs Cauldron…

But these things are no longer important; both treasures have already fallen into Chen Ye's hands.

Master Gu stroked his beard, his cloudy old eyes scrutinizing the Hundred Herbs Cauldron repeatedly, before finally speaking:

"Although this cauldron is a damaged second-tier magic weapon, its material is superior Qingyang warm jade, and the fire-gathering and pill-condensing runes engraved on its body are also secrets passed down by Hundred Herbs Valley, which are extraordinary. If it can be repaired, its value... will be immeasurable."

"May I ask, Master Gu, what materials and costs are required to repair this cauldron?" Chen Ye asked hurriedly.

Master Gu shook his head and sighed, "Repairing a second-tier magic weapon requires at least a second-tier weapon refiner. However... although this cauldron is damaged, its core formation is still intact and can be used to refine first-tier pills, with effects far exceeding those of a first-tier high-grade pill furnace. In addition, if you can find Qingyang Warm Jade, I can repair it for you."

Qingyang warm jade?

Moreover, judging from the tone of this ancient master, his craftsmanship seems to be comparable to that of a second-tier weapon refiner.

Chen Ye was overjoyed to know that there was hope for repair, but such a rare item as Qingyang Wenyu could not be found overnight.

He carefully put away the Hundred Herbs Cauldron, then took the dark iron sword from behind him and handed it over.

“Master Gu, I have another request. This sword is my old possession. I had it reforged, with some heavy gold added to increase its weight to a hundred jin. However, it was damaged in a fight some time ago. I hope you can repair it and… increase its weight again.”

Master Gu was already quite interested in the Hundred Herbs Cauldron, but when he saw Chen Ye take out a plain-looking broken iron sword, a hint of impatience appeared on his face.

But when he took the iron sword, it felt heavy in his hand, and when his gaze swept over the blade, his impatience turned into surprise.

"Hmm? That does have some merit."

He gently rubbed the broken tip of the sword with his fingertips, then flicked the crack on the spine of the sword, making a dull sound.

"Ping Zhuo's craftsmanship is still a bit too rough. Although this gold is a good thing, his smelting method is wrong, and it failed to fuse perfectly with the black iron of the sword, which is why the iron sword has so many hidden damages. Hmph, useless thing..."

He immediately recognized that the sword was made by Ping Zhuo and the reason for its damage.

However, when Master Gu spoke of Ping Zhuo, his tone was slightly saddened.

Chen Ye was also saddened and explained on Ping Zhuo's behalf: "It was not Ping Daoist's fault... Back then, Ping Daoist was ambushed halfway through the forging process. Afterwards, other disciples of Lingbao Pavilion forged it in his place."

"So that's how it is... It's better that the brat is dead, so he won't have to worry about my daughter."

Master Gu sighed, then suddenly looked up at Chen Ye. After examining Chen Ye, he could see that his physical body was full of qi and blood, and his foundation was solid. He then pondered and said...

"For the sake of our old friendship, I will forge this iron sword for you... for one hundred and twenty spirit stones."

One hundred and twenty spirit stones are enough to buy a top-grade first-tier magic weapon!
He Qi quickly gave Chen Ye a look, signaling for Chen Ye to agree.

After killing Li Guangzong, Chen Ye was not short of spirit stones at all. He immediately took out 120 spirit stones and placed them on the table.

Master Gu glanced at it, then nodded in satisfaction and waved for them to leave.

As they left the blacksmith's shop, He Qi explained, "This Master Gu's craftsmanship is superb, comparable to a second-tier weapon refiner. He might be able to forge this iron sword to the highest grade! One hundred and twenty spirit stones are still worth it..."

Second-tier magic weapons often cost several hundred to several thousand spirit stones.

A first-grade high-quality magic weapon costs only one hundred spirit stones.

There is a huge price difference between the two.

However, top-tier first-grade magic artifacts perfectly fill this price gap.

The term "top-grade" refers to a rare first-tier magical artifact that has reached its pinnacle in terms of material, crafting technique, and inherent power. Different top-grade magical artifacts vary greatly in price due to differences in their functions and rarity.

Undoubtedly, for Qi Refining stage cultivators, top-grade first-tier magic weapons are more suitable for their cultivation level and are often easier to control than second-tier magic treasures that require a large amount of spiritual power and divine sense to master.

Chen Ye nodded silently.

If it can be refined into a top-grade product, that would be best, but failure is not a big deal.

No matter how well it's refined, it's still much better than using it as an iron rod.

"If this Master Gu is truly reliable... perhaps we could entrust the puppet's core to him for refinement?"

Chen Ye pondered to himself, but the core of the puppet involved the death of a Foundation Establishment True Person from the Myriad Puppet Sect, and the risks exposed were much higher than those of the Hundred Herbs Cauldron.

For a moment, he hesitated and decided to wait and see what Master Gu's skills and character were like.

After bidding farewell to He Qi, Chen Ye did not immediately return to the Herbal Pavilion.

He strolled alone through the Moon Rhinoceros Lake Market, watching the bustling crowds of cultivators with their varied expressions, while pondering something else entirely.

Today, he thoroughly checked Li Guangzong's storage bag. In addition to the spirit stones, pills, and the "Hundred Herbs Elixir Classic," he also found a jet-black token engraved with the words "Crossing Affection" in an inconspicuous corner.

The token was neither gold nor jade, and it felt icy cold to the touch. It also retained a faint but extremely sinister aura, clearly indicating that it was a demonic artifact.

“The Crossing Love Sect…” Chen Ye stroked the token, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It seems that Li Guangzong is indeed connected to the Crossing Love Sect… That bastard is quite resourceful, having connections with both Medicine King Valley and the Crossing Love Sect. I wonder what connection that missing female demon cultivator has with him?”

He put the token back into his storage bag, deciding to tell Bai Susu directly later.

This is not something he needs to worry about.

It was already afternoon when we returned to the herb garden of the Herbal Pavilion.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a petite golden figure pacing back and forth in the herb garden in the backyard of the Herb Pavilion, muttering to herself, with her hands behind her back, like a little adult.

"This calming herb is not old enough and not ripe enough, so it's not very useful... This wisteria is growing well, but it's not purple enough, so it should be removed! And this one... well, it's an eyesore, so I'll pull it out too!"

As she spoke, she stretched out her small hand and pointed at the medicinal herbs, her expression focused, displaying the air of a seasoned master of spiritual plants.

Behind her, Qingjun and Zhiwei were each holding a small hoe, digging up medicinal herbs with great effort.

"What are you doing?!" Chen Ye felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fainted.

This is the herb garden of the Herbal Pavilion!
Although these medicinal herbs are not of high grade, they were all carefully cultivated by myself, and each one is very valuable!
Moreover, why does Bai Susu's voice sound so familiar?

So you're going to send him more spiritual plants, huh...?

The problem is, this is the Herbal Garden, not the Bai Susu Garden!

Chen Ye is furious!

(End of this chapter)