Reincarnation Immortal Venerable: Starting from the Ninety-Nineth Incarnation

The morning mist had just dissipated behind the Qiyun Sect, and the dew on the spiritual bamboo slid down the leaves, hitting the bluestone ground and breaking into small wet patches.

Not far away in front of the house, Su Qingyao was sitting on a stone bench, drying the medicinal herbs. The Dew-Gathering Grass and Spring-Returning Flowers in the bamboo tray were neatly arranged, and a light medicinal fragrance wafted over with the mountain breeze.

Li Yanzhou walked over and sat down opposite her. His gaze fell several times on the bulging talisman bag beside her, then quickly looked away. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the stone table, and he looked somewhat uneasy.

He hesitated for a while before scratching the back of his head, his tone a little embarrassed, and said softly, "Qingyao, there's something I've been wanting to ask you, but I was afraid it would seem abrupt."

Su Qingyao looked up at him, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and stopped what she was doing: "What is it? Just say it, don't be so polite with me."

Hearing her say that, Li Yanzhou became even more reserved. He coughed lightly and slowly said, "It's just... before, at the mass grave in Qingyang City, and when we were ambushed by Zhao Hu, you were able to throw out dozens of talismans each time, and you were so decisive. I'm curious, where did you get so many talismans? I think ordinary disciples can't accumulate that many."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao couldn't help but laugh. She picked up a dried dew grass with her fingertips and said in a light tone, "How can you save it for so long? The spiritual power of talismans will dissipate if left for too long. Most of them are exchanged for pills."

She paused, then explained in detail: "Many senior brothers and sisters in the sect are not good at alchemy, but they have to go out for training all year round. They have a great need for healing pills and qi-gathering pills. With the help of the 'One Hundred Explanations of the Supreme Alchemy Classic,' the probability of producing high-grade pills is higher than that of others. Occasionally, I can even produce top-grade pills. When I put them in the sect's market, they are quickly snapped up. The cloud-patterned copper coins I get are mostly used to buy talismans and protective magic tools, in addition to buying spiritual herbs. After all, it is always safer to have more talismans on hand when going out for training."

Li Yanzhou suddenly understood, and the awkwardness on his face gradually disappeared, but a thought suddenly came to his mind.

He had previously focused all his attention on improving his cultivation level, always thinking that as long as his realm increased, he could achieve his goal.

But after several close calls, he realized that his cultivation alone was not enough.

Alchemy can accumulate resources and provide those around you with healing and life-saving pills. Not only pills, but formations can be used for both offense and defense, giving you room to maneuver even when facing enemies several times your size.

These two skills are exactly what he lacks right now, aren't they? He can't keep relying on Su Qingyao's pills and talismans, or on the elders' protection, can he?

Having made up his mind, he didn't delay any longer.

That afternoon, he went to the Cloud Pavilion on the back mountain, the place where Shi Dazhuang's physical body was tested. Elder Chaohua and Elder Ruoxue often brewed tea and discussed Taoism there. The mountain breeze passed through the forest, carrying the fragrance of spiritual bamboo. They lived a leisurely and carefree life.

Seeing him approach, Elder Chaohua smiled and waved the teacup in her hand, gesturing for him to sit down: "A rare guest indeed! You're usually either cultivating or on your way to cultivate. What brings you here today?"

Li Yanzhou bowed respectfully and, without beating around the bush, stated his purpose directly: "Elders, I have come today to request your permission to learn alchemy and formations."

Upon hearing this, both elders were taken aback.

Elder Ruoxue put down her teacup, her expression becoming more serious: "Alchemy and formations are both extremely mentally and physically demanding. You are currently at a crucial time for building a solid foundation for your cultivation. Can you handle having to distract yourself with these studies?"

"Disciple has thought it through." Li Yanzhou's tone was firm, without the slightest hesitation. "Relying solely on cultivation will not take me far. It's always good to learn a couple more skills to rely on. Moreover, alchemy allows me to prepare healing pills, and formations can deal with sudden encirclements. For me, these are not distractions, but rather ways to make up for my weaknesses."

Elder Chaohua stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled and tapped the stone table with her fingertips: "You child, you've become much more composed. Alright, I agree to this. You can learn alchemy from Ruoxue. Her alchemy skills are among the best in the entire Qiyun Sect. As for array formations, I'll ask Elder Chen in the sect to put in a good word for you. He's a master of array formations and has a steady temperament, making him the most suitable person to guide you through the basics."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Yanzhou again and added, "Let's make this clear first, neither of these skills can be acquired overnight. Don't give up when you blow up the alchemy furnace and trap yourself in trouble."

Li Yanzhou bowed and thanked him, his eyes filled with solemnity: "This disciple will certainly do his best and will never give up halfway."

Spring goes and autumn comes, cold comes and heat goes, and another three years have passed.

For the past three years, Li Yanzhou has been practicing diligently day and night, and the light in the bamboo house on the back mountain often stays on until late at night.

He would spend his mornings refining medicine in the alchemy room, his afternoons studying formations, and his nights reviewing his insights and recording them on bamboo slips—a routine he never stopped.

The first year of rigorous training was exceptionally difficult.

When refining pills, he could never control the fire properly, and the pill furnace would explode repeatedly. He was even laughed at by the disciples of the sect, but he didn't care. He repeatedly asked Elder Ruoxue for advice, and memorized the secrets of fire control and the method of identifying spiritual herbs. Su Qingyao would also tutor Li Yanzhou in the evenings.

He couldn't figure out the formation, so Elder Chen gave him a formation plate to practice on and took him to the edge of the sect's secret realm to comprehend the natural formation patterns.

Every day, Shi Dazhuang would stand guard outside the alchemy room and the array room, helping him move spirit herbs and array plates, clumsily keeping him company.

In the second year, Li Yanzhou encountered a bottleneck, and his pills remained at the middle grade, which inevitably made him impatient.

Su Qingyao noticed his anxiety and specially sought out Soul-Gathering Grass to help him study. She also shared "One Hundred Explanations of the Supreme Alchemy Classic" to remind him that one should avoid being impatient and restless when refining elixirs.

Li Yanzhou suddenly understood, calmed down and tried repeatedly, and finally refined the first batch of superior Qi Gathering Pills.

He also made breakthroughs in formations, able to independently set up basic killing formations, and successfully completed the concealment formation task assigned by Elder Chen, earning the elder's praise.

In the third year, Li Yanzhou made even greater progress and began to try refining high-level pills and studying complex formations.

Elder Ruoxue gave her the top-grade spiritual herb, the Ice Soul Flower, and asked her to refine the extremely difficult Ice Soul Pill.

He spent ten days consulting ancient books and repeatedly adjusting the alchemy furnace. During this time, the furnace exploded three times, and his spiritual energy was mostly depleted. Su Qingyao stayed by his side the whole time, helping him to regulate his spiritual energy.

In the end, he refined six top-grade Ice Soul Pills, and Elder Ruoxue passed on her treasured pill formula to him with great satisfaction.

In terms of formations, he could set up a trapping and killing formation to trap cultivators in the early stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He also used formations to subdue troublemaking rogue cultivators during the riots in Luoxia Town, making a name for himself in one battle and completely shaking off the contempt of others.

These three years have also seen many embarrassing moments:

The first time he tried to refine a Qi Gathering Pill, the furnace exploded, and his face was covered in soot, which Su Qingyao teased him about.

The first time he set up the trapping formation, he miscalculated the key point and trapped himself inside. It was Shi Dazhuang who unintentionally saved him.

He tried to trap Shi Dazhuang with an array, but the opponent broke through with brute force. The two looked at each other and smiled, their fatigue disappearing.

But none of this made him back down. He repeatedly reviewed the reasons for his failures, kept the array patterns and the secrets of the alchemical fire in mind, and made progress little by little by persevering.

Nowadays, the sound of exploding furnaces can no longer be heard in the alchemy room. The bamboo trays are piled high with top-grade pills, and occasionally the glow of the finest pills can be seen.

He could easily set up basic formations such as defense, trapping, and killing, and his combat ability had also improved. Many cultivators from the surrounding area came to buy his pills, and he never hesitated to do so.