Celestial Official!

Upon hearing the voice, Yan Chen was slightly taken aback. Then, looking at the crane-backed man, he immediately made up his mind.

He immediately stood up, bowed, and said with a smile:

"So it's Senior Brother Meng from Danlan Valley! It's been such a long time since we last met!"

"Hahaha, I never expected Junior Brother Yan to still remember his elder brother. It was truly worthwhile for me to give you a ride back then!"

As they spoke, the crane slowly descended.

Meng Lian, dressed in a gray-blue Taoist robe, greeted him with a smile, just as he had when they first met in front of the Yanxuan Hall.

After sizing up Yan Chen, he joked:

"Unexpectedly, in just over a month, my junior brother has risen from a mortal servant to a disciple of the steward, and is highly favored by Steward Zhu. His future achievements are sure to be limitless."

"I've been stuck at the third level of Qi Refining for quite some time now. If Junior Brother Yan ever truly ascends to the heavens, please don't forget your elder brother!"

"Senior brother, you are too kind. I am still inexperienced and will need your guidance in the future."

Yan Chen shook his head and asked directly:

"I wonder what important matter brings you here, Senior Brother Meng?"

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up.

A glittering light shone in his eyes, like sparks flying, dazzling the eyes.

Meng Lian met those eyes for a moment, then looked bewildered and blurted out without thinking:

"Senior brother has come here on the orders of Steward Zheng to invite junior brother to Danlan Valley to receive a secret manual of alchemy..."

After saying that, Meng Lian finally came to his senses and was surprised that he had revealed his intentions so easily.

In fact, he didn't have any bad intentions; he was just slightly critical of Master Zheng's favoritism towards one person over the other.

So, before doing anything else, I wanted to put on airs of being a "veteran" just to make myself feel a little more balanced.

That's only human nature.

However, since things had already come to this point, there was no other way but to give up.

After Yan Chen changed into that crimson Taoist robe, the two rode cranes into the sky and disappeared into the layers of clouds.

at the same time.

Several miles away from Xiangzhi Mountain, amidst lush bamboo forests.

Guo Shoujie was holding the "Mysterious Pivot Treasure Mirror" in his hand, his slanted eyes fixed on the changes on it, his steps slow, sometimes walking and sometimes stopping.

After a long while.

He arrived at the foot of Xiangzhi Mountain, gazed up at it for a moment, and finally a smile appeared on his lips. He breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"Blood Yang Demon, Blood Yang Demon!"

"After several days of searching, I've finally found you!"

"But... how do we extract and refine it?"

……

……

Danlan Valley.

Outside the waterside pavilion.

The crane flapped its wings and swooped down, stirring up the clouds, before landing steadily on a flat, wide platform.

Meng Lian glanced at the waterside pavilion, pondered for a moment, and then earnestly instructed Yan Chen:

"Master Zheng is in the alchemy room on the second floor of the building. My junior brother can enter without any hindrance by using the letter he just gave me."

"Besides that, there are some minor details that you should pay attention to, junior brother."

Yan Chen readily agreed and said frankly:

"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Meng."

Meng Lian nodded, and then said:

"Master Zheng has an eccentric temperament and is unpredictable, which has become particularly severe in recent years."

"Therefore, junior brother, when you arrive at the alchemy room later, you must think carefully about your words and actions and try to understand the intentions of the person in charge. If you accidentally offend them, this great opportunity... may be wasted."

"Junior brother understands, thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Yan Chen bowed respectfully, then flicked his sleeves and strode into the pavilion.

Meng Lian stood there to see him off, and only after a long while did he turn his gaze away, letting out a wistful sigh:

"This is the spirit of youth..."

After entering the pavilion, Yan Chen, relying on the official document, encountered no obstacles and smoothly arrived at the alchemy room on the second floor.

At that moment, a deacon was waiting there.

Upon seeing Yan Chen arrive, she subtly pursed her lips, then gave him a wink, signaling him to go inside.

Yan Chen saw this but didn't care, and stepped inside.

In an instant, a strong, slightly acrid herbal aroma wafted over, and wisps of smoke curled around the windows and roof beams.

In the center of the alchemy room stood a cauldron more than half a person tall, with three legs, two handles, and eight openwork sides, from which the flickering flames could be faintly seen.

Four small tables were placed in front of the alchemy furnace, piled with various herbs, elixirs, books, and other miscellaneous items. There were also porcelain bottles, as white as mutton fat jade, scattered on the ground, crooked and disorderly.

It looks like a complete mess.

However, apart from that, no one was seen inside the alchemy room.

"Is Manager Zheng not here?"

Yan Chen frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then stepped inside, arriving in front of the alchemy furnace, where he lowered his eyes and examined it for a moment.

The fire inside the stove was blazing, and a faint aroma of herbs rose and wafted through the air.

Several other medicinal herbs were casually placed aside.

Yan Chen glanced at it and, after a quick mental analysis, immediately determined that what was being refined in the furnace was the "Nourishing Spirit Pill" described in the "Minor Pure Spirit Jade Liquid Pill Scripture".

Coincidentally, after he obtained the "Houtu Chengguang Cauldron", the pill he refined in order to refine the Ji Earth Qi within it was this Nourishing Spirit Pill.

However, at that time, Yan Chen knew absolutely nothing about alchemy, and the batch of Nourishing Spirit Pills was turned into a pile of dregs, so let's not mention it.

As for the present, I haven't deliberately studied alchemy.

However, as his understanding of the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements became more thorough, he was able to draw inferences from one instance to another and develop his own insights into the techniques of Daoist alchemy.

With a little time and effort, one can understand the various pharmacological changes.

If I try again, I should be able to successfully condense the elixir?

Yan Chen thought this to himself, but on the surface he remained unmoved.

Because he heard faint footsteps behind him.

Immediately afterwards, an aged voice slowly rang out:

"Do you recognize the pills being refined in this alchemy furnace?"

The moment he spoke, Yan Chen turned around, bowed respectfully, and said:

"This disciple greets Master Zheng!"

"disciple?"

Zheng Bingqian chuckled, stepped onto the soft couch, sat down, and began fiddling with the scattered porcelain vases, casually remarking:

"Don't try to establish any relationship with this old man. We belong to two different valleys and this is our first meeting. What's with this talk of 'disciple'?"

Yan Chen calmly replied:

"The steward may have forgotten, but I always remember. When I first entered the second level and was about to go to Cui Shu Lou to serve as the manager, I was helped by the steward to cultivate the Qing Yuan Cheng Ming Dan Jue."

"Otherwise, if I wanted to cultivate both natures and break through to the third level of Qi Refining, I don't know how many detours I would have to take and how much hard work I would have to put in."

"If it weren't for the special favor shown to me by Master Zhu, and the constraints of etiquette and rules, I would have already come to your door to express my gratitude and request to become your disciple!"

These words were spoken with sincerity and without a trace of falsehood; they seemed to come from the bottom of one's heart, and every word was powerful and resounding!

Yan Chen knew that someone like Master Zheng must have seen countless people over the decades.

Having witnessed the coldness and warmth of the world, and grown weary of flattery.

However, as a junior, there are some things I have to say.

The right balance is something you have to find for yourself.

Fortunately, there had been some prior connection, so using this as a medium to elaborate on the crucial nature of the "Qingyuan Chengming Danjue" was reasonable and not at all abrupt.

"You are indeed smooth, quick-witted, and leave no room for error."

Zheng Bingqian offered a lukewarm comment, clearly finding it quite pleasing.

As he observed the heat of the alchemy furnace, he casually remarked:

"Forget about the apprenticeship thing. If your senior sister Zhu finds out that I stole her man, she'll probably make a scene here."

Yan Chen remained silent, as if he hadn't heard anything.

"Hmph!"

Zheng Bingqian withdrew his gaze, stared at Yan Chen for a long time, paused for a long time, and then suddenly spoke:

"Have you become quite familiar with that copy of the *Minor Pure Spirit Jade Elixir Classic*?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Chen was taken aback and instinctively wanted to reject it.

But before he could speak, he realized something, abruptly stopped, and said directly:

"To my shame, I've only just begun to understand it."

This time, it was Zheng Bingqian who was stunned. He looked Yan Chen up and down again before saying quietly:

"Three days ago, Cui Yuan from Baicaoyuan came to the valley with the intention of breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining, but he failed in the end."

"The reason for this is that there are too many impurities in the body, the true qi is not pure, and it is difficult to condense the qi mechanism."

"The pills from my Danlan Valley are all of the highest quality, and no matter how many you take, there will be no such drawbacks."

"In that case, the pills he took most likely came from your Jade Comb Pavilion?"

Yan remained silent for a moment, but did not deny it, and nodded:

"The person in charge is wise to see this."

The other party was willing to summon me and said so much, so it was clear that they did not intend to make things difficult for me.

Since that's the case, there's no need to say more; just admit it, and you'll leave a good impression of being generous and open-minded.

As expected, Zheng Bingqian smiled slightly and did not pursue the matter further.

He simply looked outside the alchemy room, tapped the table with his fingers, and made two muffled thuds.

The next moment, several figures entered the alchemy room, all of them disciples dressed in gray-blue Taoist robes.

The leader held a wooden tray in his hand, on which sat a palm-sized, dark-colored, twisted vine-like root plant.

"Water and Fire Vine?"

This thought inexplicably arose in Yan Chen's mind.

At the same time, Zheng Bingqian had already stopped the fire and turned off the furnace. He opened the furnace lid, took out several round and plump Nourishing Spirit Pills, and put them into a porcelain bottle that had been prepared in advance.

He said without looking up:

"This is the Water-Fire Vine, but it's just a section of the root. After all, cultivating this thing takes a lot of effort, and I, an old man, don't have that kind of time."

As he spoke, Zheng Bingqian finished filling the porcelain bottle and placed it aside before continuing:

"Didn't you say you wanted to become an apprentice? There's no need to go through all this trouble."

"If you can extract the Bing Fire Qi contained in the roots and stems of this Water-Fire Vine within three days, even just a thread or strand, you will pass the test."

"Only then will I be qualified to cultivate my Dao of Alchemy!"

Nearby, several deacons and disciples spoke up, their words carrying a cryptic meaning:

"This Water-Fire Vine is unlike ordinary spiritual materials; it is extremely difficult to refine. Many deacons in the valley have failed, so Junior Brother Yan must not be careless."

Yan Chen looked over upon hearing the voice and saw that these disciples were all in their thirties or forties, and he had not seen these faces at the previous gathering at Zhaoyuan Lake.

It must be a true "veteran" of Danlan Valley.

They could also be called "mediocre talents" who have no hope of breaking through and are likely to be stuck at the third level of Qi Refining for life, otherwise they would not have pinned their hopes on the Dao of Alchemy.

It seems that since they themselves have suffered setbacks, they don't want others to succeed either?

Zheng Bingqian glanced at the deacons and said coldly:

"You worthless wretches, how dare you speak like that? All of you stand here and watch as a mere outer valley steward successfully refines this Water-Fire Vine!"

After saying that, the old man flicked his sleeves, lay down on the soft couch, closed his eyes slightly, and pretended to be asleep.

The deacons immediately fell silent, bowed their heads, and retreated to one side of the alchemy room.

After refining Qi through three stages, one's Qi becomes clear and bright, thus allowing one to go without sleep for several days without any major problems.

Yan Chen remained calm and said nothing more. He sat cross-legged and carefully examined the roots and stems of the Water and Fire Vine in front of him.

At this moment, as the "Crimson Glow Bright Fire Qi" within his body gradually condensed, a subtle, almost imperceptible pulling sensation rose in his heart.

He knew in his heart that this was because the Bing Fire nature contained within the Water-Fire Vine and the Bing Fire Qi mechanism within his body had formed a certain connection.

They blended together like milk and water, indistinguishable from one another.

A certain thought stirred within him, seemingly eager to be refined and used to increase his cultivation level.

Yan Chen activated his "innate fire," burning away distracting thoughts, and decided in his heart:

"When I refined that Earth Qi, it took me a full five days to complete the process."

"But that was when I was at the second level of Qi Refining. Now, I am confident that I can refine it within two days."

"But times have changed. Right now, this Water-Fire Vine contains four Qi mechanisms, belonging to Earth, Water, Fire, and Wood respectively."

"Even if the nature of Wu Earth gradually dissipates after being away from the soil for a long time, the nature of Gui Water must still be present in its form and color. It clashes with Bing Fire and is suppressed by Jia Wood. Under such circumstances, it is by no means easy to refine the nature of Bing Fire."

He looked again at the alchemy furnace, his thoughts growing even deeper:

"With my current cultivation level, refining Qi requires external aids, namely alchemy. However, this Water-Fire Vine root is unique; if anything goes wrong..."

"Then there would be no reason to continue."

Thinking of this, he calmed down, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state.

His mind raced as he considered what to do.

However, in the eyes of the deacons, this action was tantamount to giving up.

Refining Qi is no small matter, and the time required cannot be measured in hours.

In their view, three days was already the limit, and to remain unhurried and let time slip away was not a wise move.

The group exchanged glances, some with schadenfreude, others shaking their heads and sighing, feigning helplessness and regret.

Yan Chen was completely unaware of all of this.

As his "natal fire" constantly burned away his chaotic thoughts, his mind became clear and lucid, and all the details of his past experiences flashed before his eyes.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he remembered a casual remark Chen Fayan had once made.

"Is Senior Sister Zhu refining a spiritual material sent by Danlan Valley?"

Could it be...?

"Immortal Official, please inquire about the whereabouts of Zhu Zhilan, the head of the Melting Gold Valley, yesterday."

[Target of observation: Zhu Zhilan.]

[Time required: Ten hours.]

A faint golden light flickered in Yan Chen's eyelids, which gradually dissipated after a short while.

At the same time, his demeanor seemed to change again, gradually relaxing from tense, his breathing becoming even, and he entered a state of tranquility.

Zheng Bingqian frowned almost imperceptibly, but only turned slightly to the side, as if he were asleep.

The deacons kept their eyes down, silently waiting for Zheng's reaction three days later.

And so, a full day passed.

Yan Chen quietly opened his eyes, the golden light in them immediately disappearing.

Contrary to his usual practice, he opened the furnace lid and threw the roots of the Water-Fire Vine directly into the furnace.

The moment the Water-Fire Vine came into contact with the cinnabar fire, it was like snow meeting the scorching sun, instantly incinerated.

……