Immortal Rebellion: Investing in Cause and Effect, Unexpectedly Hijacking Li Muwan's Deal

Hold your breath.

Three breaths later, Lu Xuan began to form hand seals.

"Ignite it!" The earth fire responded and burst forth in a thick pillar of flame.

"Split Flame!" The top of the pillar of fire exploded violently, precisely splitting into nine tiny tongues of fire, each exactly the same size, like lotus flowers blooming.

The nine flames adjusted slightly, stabilized, and turned a deeper crimson red. The heat they emitted was even and constant, which was the mark of the "Crimson Refining" stage.

The entire process took Lu Xuan less than ten breaths.

A hint of approval flashed in Zhao Mu's eyes, but he remained silent.

Lu Xuan changed the hand seals again.

"Gather fire! Condense flames!" The nine tongues of fire were drawn slowly toward the center and merged together.

The flame gradually shrank in size, turned orange-red in color, and became gentler, reaching the "warming" stage.

Part Two: Alchemy

Zhao Mu pointed to a prepared medicinal herb and said:

"The materials are here. You have one hour to refine one batch of 'Qi Gathering Pills'."

Three or more pills must be formed, and their quality must not be lower than medium grade.

The Qi Gathering Pill is the most basic pill for the Qi Refining stage, but precisely because it is basic, it tests the alchemist's mastery of fundamental skills such as controlling the heat, blending medicinal properties, and timing of pill condensation.

Lu Xuan walked straight to the empty standard iron furnace on the side.

After checking the medicinal materials and confirming that everything was correct, they began to light a fire to preheat the alchemy furnace.

His movements were slow, but methodical.

Once the furnace reached the right temperature, Lu Xuan began to add the medicinal herbs in sequence, while simultaneously controlling the fire with both hands. The flames were constantly adjusted as the herbs were added, melted, and reacted.

His technique didn't look fancy; in fact, it was almost too standard.

But he handled every detail perfectly.

The medicinal herbs began to melt, and the medicinal liquid slowly fused together, while impurities were removed by the flames.

When the medicinal liquid was concentrated to a certain extent, Lu Xuan's eyes narrowed, and his hand seals suddenly changed. The flames contracted abruptly, and the temperature instantly increased!

"Condense!" Lu Xuan shouted softly, and a slight humming sound immediately came from inside the alchemy furnace.

Immediately, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out from inside.

Lu Xuan extinguished the fire and then opened the furnace.

At the bottom of the furnace, five round, pale blue pills lay quietly.

Three of them were of rich color and had a subtle fragrance, clearly indicating that they were mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills.

The other two were slightly flawed and were of inferior quality.

Lu Xuan took out the pill, put it into a jade bottle, and handed it to Zhao Mu.

Zhao Mu took the three mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills, examined them carefully, and then smelled their fragrance. A barely concealed smile of satisfaction finally appeared on his face.

"Five pills will be formed, three of which are of medium grade and two of low grade. The process will take half an hour."

He looked at Lu Xuan and said:

"Precise fire control, far exceeding that of its competitors."

His alchemy skills are steady and his foundation is solid.

What is even more commendable is their calm and composed nature, free from arrogance and impatience.

Lu Qing, I have seen your performance over the past three months.

"You have passed the test. From this day forward, you are officially my inner disciple."

"Thank you, Master!" Lu Xuan bowed and said.

Zhao Mu hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words, before speaking:

"Lu Qing, with your talent and temperament, it's a shame that you're just an ordinary inner disciple."

"I... wish to take you as my personal disciple. Are you willing?"

The status of a personal disciple is naturally more precious than that of an ordinary inner disciple.

This means receiving more personal guidance from the master, or even becoming the master's successor.

In the Luohe Sect, being accepted as a personal disciple by a Core Formation Elder is an immense opportunity for any Foundation Establishment disciple.

Zhang Mao, standing to the side, was filled with envy.

But he was completely convinced, because Lu Xuan's performance was indeed far superior to his.

Upon hearing that Zhao Mu wanted to take him as his personal disciple, Lu Xuan couldn't help but feel a slight stirring in his heart.

"Being a direct disciple will undoubtedly give me easier access to higher-level resources and connections within the sect, which will be very beneficial for my future plans."

Thinking of this, Lu Xuan immediately bowed again and said solemnly, "I am deeply grateful for Master's kindness. I will certainly cultivate diligently and never fail to live up to Master's expectations!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhao Mu's smile widened, and he said "good" three times in a row.

He thought about it.

He took out a palm-sized blue alchemy furnace model from his bosom.

He then took out a deep purple jade slip and handed it to Lu Xuan.

"Although I don't have any valuable magical artifacts, this 'Azure Flame Furnace' is a high-grade third-rank alchemy furnace that I used in my early years. It has been with me for many years."

It contains a wisp of 'Azure Wood Earth Fire,' which slightly enhances the refining of wood and fire attribute pills. Its size can also be changed at will. I'll give it to you now.

A third-grade alchemy furnace is already considered a very good magic tool for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In particular, this Azure Flame Furnace has a special kind of fire, making it even more valuable than an ordinary Grade 3 furnace.

Zhao Mu only has the cultivation level of the late Core Formation stage, so this is probably the best alchemy furnace he can offer that is most suitable for Foundation Establishment stage disciples.

Zhao Mu continued,

"This jade slip contains some of my insights and notes from my cultivation so far, including several of my unique elixir formulas and improvement techniques."

You may study this in your spare time; it might be of some benefit to you.

"The art of alchemy is vast and boundless. All I can teach you are some experiences and methods."

True achievement requires you to explore and verify it yourself.

Looking at the elderly man with a thin face and sincere eyes, he couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

In the state of Zhao for decades,

Whether it's the Hengyue Sect, the Xuandao Sect, or any other sect,

Lu Xuan had witnessed too much infighting, scheming between masters and disciples, and betrayal among cultivators.

Masters like Zhao Mu, who value their disciples' talent and temperament and impart all their knowledge, including a personal alchemy furnace and a lifetime of notes, are quite rare in the cultivation world.

This may be related to the relatively mild and tradition-oriented tradition of the Luohe Sect, but Zhao Mu's own character is the key.

"Thank you, Master!" Lu Xuan put the alchemy furnace and jade slip into his pocket and bowed in thanks.

Although his cultivation level was much higher than Zhao Mu's, at this moment, Zhao Mu earned Lu Xuan's respect.

Zhao Mu nodded, seemingly relieved of a worry, his expression becoming more relaxed.

"Lu Qing, personal disciples can apply for an independent cave dwelling in the back mountain, which is equipped with a better earth fire vein."

This is the token. Go to the Inner Affairs Hall to change your identity and apply for a cave dwelling.

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, feel free to come to me at any time. Also,

He paused, then continued:

"Six months later, the sect will hold the 'Dan Ding Small Gathering,' which is a competition and exchange among inner disciples, involving alchemy, fire control, and medicine identification."

Those who achieve outstanding results will not only receive generous rewards, but will also receive preferential treatment in terms of resources.

Since you are my personal disciple, you can prepare in advance.

As your teacher, I don't expect you to be at the top of your class; I only hope that you can gain some insight and not lose sight of your spiritual practice.

"This disciple understands and will do his best to prepare." After replying, Lu Xuan thought to himself, "The Pill Refining Gathering... this is indeed a way to quickly accumulate reputation and acquire resources."

"Zhang Mao, now that you have passed, starting tomorrow, you will study basic alchemy with Lu Qing."

Lu Qing, you can give him some pointers when you have time.

"Alright, you can go now."

After Zhao Mu finished speaking, he turned around and walked out of the alchemy room.

Lu Qing and Zhang Mao walked out of the Earth Fire Palace together.

On the way, Zhang Mao congratulated Lu Xuan, saying, "Congratulations, Senior Brother Lu!"

Lu Xuan waved his hand and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, there's no need for that. We entered the sect at the same time, and we can learn from each other when refining pills in the future."

Zhang Mao smiled憨厚ly and nodded in agreement, but his admiration for Lu Xuan deepened even more.