I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

Xu Zhou's lineage in alchemy is limited to the "Hundred Refinements to Elixir".

He hasn't really focused on alchemy in recent years, which is why his alchemy skills have improved slowly. He only became a top-grade alchemist by relying purely on time.

With the help of Song Rou's notes, his alchemy skills were able to continue to improve.

Now, thanks to Steward Yuan's help, a door to alchemy has truly been opened for him.

Although in the letter, Master Yuan humbly stated that it could not compare to the orthodox lineage, this old alchemist was of unknown age, and his work, the culmination of a century of effort, was certainly not ordinary. Even if it did not match the true lineage, it was by no means inferior.

Just one glance was enough to enlighten Xu Zhou, allowing him to truly understand the essence of alchemy.

In comparison, the "Hundred Refinements to Elixir" appears to be much cruder.

If the books left by Steward Yuan are a rich mine, then the "Hundred Refinements to Elixir" is just a pickaxe.

Xu Zhou had only flipped through half of it when he couldn't help but sigh.

If he had seen these things a decade or two earlier, he would probably have already mastered the first-order alchemy and begun to explore the threshold of the second-order alchemy.

However, he did not feel regret.

In recent years, he has turned to studying array formations, and through this process of analogy, he has also greatly improved his understanding of alchemy.

In the end, it didn't take too much time to calculate.

...

With the help of the alchemical texts left by Master Yuan, Xu Zhou's alchemy skills improved by leaps and bounds, and his medical skills also improved as a result.

The better he mastered these two skills, the more he could devise a pill formula on his own, in addition to deducing pill formulas.

On this day, he suddenly emerged from seclusion and went to the alchemy room.

"Chen'er, come here for a moment."

Li Pochen, who was still processing the medicinal herbs, paused slightly, put down his tools, and then jogged over: "Master, what's the matter?"

Xu Zhou looked his eldest disciple up and down.

Now, Li Pochen stands tall and straight, completely different from his frail appearance when he was a child.

However, Xu Zhou clearly remembered that the reason he took Li Pochen as his disciple was because Li Pochen was weak and sickly since childhood, and his spiritual root aptitude was not good. He was afraid that Li Pochen would have difficulty achieving anything in cultivation, so he let him learn some alchemy.

He said in a gentle tone, "We've recently developed a new elixir that's beneficial to your health. Why don't you give it a try?"

Li Pochen was slightly taken aback, then showed a hint of curiosity: "This disciple is willing to try."

Xu Zhou handed over the pill.

After taking the medicine, the boy closed his eyes and circulated his internal energy. A moment later, he opened his eyes with a look of surprise and delight.

"Master, after taking it, I feel a warm sensation in my lower abdomen, it feels very comfortable!"

Xu Zhou nodded slightly: "In that case, the medicine must be working. You should go back first and come back to check on me in the evening."

After Li Pochen left, Xu Zhou couldn't help but feel secretly delighted.

Li Pochen was, after all, a child he had watched grow up, a close friend and his own son, and also his disciple. Naturally, he couldn't bear to see him miss out on a good opportunity for cultivation because of his poor physique.

However, since we were unable to resolve this matter, we could only watch it unfold.

In recent days, as he continued to study the alchemical texts left by Master Yuan, he actually managed to deduce an alchemical formula that could improve his congenital physical weakness.

With this elixir, Li Pochen only needs to take it steadily for a period of time for his physique to recover to the level of an ordinary person.

"I never expected that Elder Yuan's alchemical texts could help Chen'er."

Xu Zhou sighed inwardly.

The only pity is that the prescriptions he deduced had a background in pharmacopoeias, and the prescriptions needed to be readjusted for each individual.

The formula derived this time can be used on Li Pochen, but if we want to use it on someone else next time, we'll have to deduce it all over again.

Xu Zhou looked relaxed.

But by evening, the situation had changed.

As evening fell, when Xu Zhou checked on Li Pochen's condition again, he realized that the effects of the pills were not as good as he had imagined.

This made Xu Zhou feel suspicious.

He thought he had mixed up the wrong pills and immediately checked them carefully.

After final confirmation, the pills were found to be fine, and Li Pochen was also unharmed.

The pills just weren't as effective as expected.

This made Xu Zhou even more puzzled.

Although he admitted that his understanding of alchemy and medicine was only at a beginner level, the knowledge contained in these two arts was as deep as the ocean.

However, he believed that his deduction of the formula for improving physical condition was correct and that it had indeed produced good results, which at least proved that the formula's approach was correct.

Why then does the drug's effectiveness decrease?

Xu Zhou was puzzled for a moment.

This matter troubled him for some time, even causing a slight delay in his deduction of the Clearing Pill.

After thinking for a long time, Xu Zhou finally came up with an idea and thought of a possibility.

The pill itself wasn't the problem; it was the person taking it who changed.

"Is Chen'er's constitution different from what I imagined?"

Xu Zhou fell into thought.

The medicine wasn't as effective as expected, and the only explanation is that Li Pochen's constitution was far better than he appeared.

The pills you refine yourself are meant to fill the void, but if there's not much void to fill, the medicinal effect will naturally be weaker.

This discovery greatly surprised Xu Zhou.

Li Pochen's physique was something he had personally confirmed more than a decade ago; it was indeed congenitally deficient.

How come his physique has changed after all these years?

Xu Zhou subconsciously wanted to probe again.

However, once a person begins to cultivate, their physical constitution will be affected by the magical power, making it difficult for others to check their condition as easily as they would for an ordinary person.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to get straight to the point and ask Li Pochen what he thought about his physique.

Li Pochen shook his head blankly, indicating that he did not know.

Xu Zhou let him leave, but his gaze became deep.

With his experience, he naturally noticed the hint of panic in Li Pochen's voice.

"Is this kid hiding something from me?"

But Xu Zhou could also tell that the boy was having a particularly difficult time hiding it.

If Li Pochen wasn't deliberately hiding it from him, then the only person he could truly be hiding it from was someone else.

Li Zelei.

...

Xu Zhou didn't rush to question Li Zelei.

He speculated that the change in Li Pochen's physique was mostly due to Li Zelei.

It is unknown what method this senior brother found, whether it was a rare and precious material or some kind of secret technique, to improve Li Pochen's physique, making him no weaker than ordinary people.

The pills he refined himself did not achieve their maximum effect.

As he carefully recalled the deduction process over the past two weeks, Xu Zhou frowned in thought, eager to know the specifics.

Although he couldn't openly ask Li Zelei for advice, he could still visit him a few times and give subtle hints.

After visiting several times, Li Zelei finally realized something was wrong.

On the last occasion, Li Zelei specifically asked his family to stay away before he spoke to Xu Zhou about the matter.

"Junior brother can't blame me either."

Li Zelei smiled wryly: "If there really is some rare and precious treasure that I would go to such lengths to hide, then this treasure must be extremely valuable. I don't want to put us brothers in a difficult position."

Xu Zhou understood the implication in his words: "Is your rare and precious material so valuable that it can't be shared with outsiders?"

"Don't even mention that it can't be shared outside."

Li Zelei's voice lowered, his tone becoming serious: "Even Yue Niang, and even Jing'er and Zhu'er, are unaware of this."

Xu Zhou nodded calmly: "I understand."

"If that were the case, I wouldn't say it so easily either."

Seeing this, Li Zelei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Zhou glanced at him and then said, "However, if there are similar items in the future, if it is convenient for you, Senior Brother, you can let me know in advance."

Li Zelei was slightly taken aback.

After a moment, he seemed to remember something and gave a wry smile: "Junior brother's words remind me of something."

Years ago, when I went to the hidden realm of Sunset Valley, I invited you to come along. But at the time, you didn't agree.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhou immediately recalled the scene from that day.

Thinking that he had actually missed this opportunity, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

Li Zelei asked from the side, "So, if we go to the secret realm again next time, would you like to come along, Junior Brother?"

Xu Zhou remained silent for a long time, then shook his head: "Never mind."

Although he felt a little regretful, he quickly suppressed it.

The path of spiritual practice depends on individual circumstances.

If you have to consider the order of things in everything, you won't go far.

Compared to this rare and precious material, what he cared more about was the elixir formula that he had accidentally deduced in the process.

The reason he was willing to break the tacit understanding among cultivators to go and inquire was not for some rare and precious materials, but for his own pill formula!

Since Li Pochen's aptitude has already been replenished by rare and precious herbs, theoretically the pills I gave him shouldn't have any effect.

However, the reality is...

Li Pochen's aptitude has been improved by an extremely slight margin on its original basis!