A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Sword-Forging Servant and Ascending to Immorta

Zhou Lingxuan, a blacksmith, could see the root of the problem, but he might not be able to explain it as clearly as Elder Shen, addressing each ailment individually.

When it comes to knowledge of spiritual herbs, Elder Shen is absolutely in a class of his own.

That kind of understanding isn't something that can be achieved overnight; it's the kind of insight that comes from countless failures and countless trials and tribulations, something that others can't learn.

Previously, he was blinded by a single leaf and his repeated failures had clouded his vision. Now that Zhou Lingxuan had pointed out the possibility of this path, he quickly analyzed how far it could lead.

After rearranging the order, Elder Shen stood up abruptly and once again stepped into the ranks of alchemy.

With the groundwork laid in the previous times, he found it much easier to circulate his spiritual energy this time.

The spiritual energy at his fingertips flowed out like water, no longer as tense as before. He was less anxious and more composed, as if he had a sure thing.

Little by little, the spirit herbs were added back in. Based on Zhou Lingxuan's suggestion, the Nine Spirit Herbs were used as the core, and the other spirit herbs were used as supplements, and they were gradually blended together.

Each herb that fell into the furnace seemed to slide into its own place in a very natural direction, without the previous collisions and repulsions. Instead, they resonated with each other and interlocked layer by layer.

This time, there was no burnt smell in the air; instead, it was filled with a rich, fragrant aroma.

The fragrance wasn't overpowering, but it subtly seeped into the nostrils, as if it were a tangible substance, slowly melting against one's heart.

Zhou Lingxuan's gaze never left the alchemy furnace in the room, and he even held his breath very lightly, for fear of missing any subtle changes in the furnace.

Seeing the exact same methods of circulating spiritual energy and the steps involved in alchemy once again, he had a feeling that it could be completely replaced by blacksmithing!

His hands were itching to try and confirm what he thought.

It was an impulse that rose from the very core of his being, exactly the same feeling he had before standing in front of the anvil and swinging the first hammer.

He knew that his methods were indeed somewhat fantastical.

Weapon crafting and alchemy are two completely different fields, and outsiders would only find it absurd.

It worked!

The fragrance of the pill instantly wafted out from the furnace, and a perfectly round pill appeared in mid-air.

The pill was surrounded by a very faint halo, so smooth and flawless that it seemed to have melted away all the previous failures and frustrations.

Elder Shen looked excitedly at the completed pill, its patterns perfectly flawless.

Not only did it succeed, but the grade of the finished product was perfect!

Elder Shen put the pills into a bottle and quickly came to Zhou Lingxuan, looking at him excitedly.

"It's a success." With that, Elder Shen handed a bottle of pills to Zhou Lingxuan. "How did you know that using Nine Spirit Grass as the base and adding it one by one according to its medicinal properties would lead to success?"

"I don't know if this method will work, but when forging iron, we like to use a hard bone as the frame, and add the other materials according to their properties."

Zhou Lingxuan had indeed not expected such a forging method to be so novel in the context of alchemy.

What was originally just a common, rustic method used by blacksmiths has, in the face of this batch of pills, solved a problem that had puzzled Elder Shen for a long time.

Especially judging from Elder Shen's appearance, he didn't seem to think that such a thing was something that could be easily obtained.

"It was just speculation at first, but now it seems you're saying that alchemy and weapon crafting are essentially the same?"

Zhou Lingxuan dared not speak. He was just a minor figure, and in this situation, the more he said, the more mistakes he would make. It was better to remain silent.

There are some things that are better left to Elder Shen to say, and if he speaks, his authority will be somewhat diminished.

He was naturally not in a hurry, and he would never do such a foolish thing.

The moment the pill was completed, the two members of the Enforcement Hall stared in disbelief; they had never imagined such a thing would happen.

The two exchanged a glance, their shock almost undisguised, as if they had witnessed something illogical take root before their very eyes.

They knew Zhou Lingxuan was indeed very skilled in weapon crafting, but could someone tell them when weapon crafting and alchemy became interconnected?

The world changes without them even not!

They are completely behind others now, and if they could, they really wouldn't want to be treated like this.

In fact, the people in the Enforcement Hall knew nothing about alchemy or weapon crafting; they only knew that both were extremely difficult and required a great deal of time and money.

Seeing Zhou Lingxuan dispel the confusion with just a few words, and Elder Shen naturally refine the perfect pill, they were shocked and couldn't think of anything else for the time being.

Zhou Lingxuan accepted the pills without any hesitation.

This is his hard-earned money; how could he possibly refuse it just for the sake of small talk?

"At your current cultivation level, you only need basic pills. I can easily provide you with some here, and I believe you will find them useful."

The storage ring was pushed in front of Zhou Lingxuan, and the expressions of the two law enforcement disciples behind him changed for a moment.

They turned to look at each other, their eyes meeting in the air, seemingly hesitating whether to speak up and offer advice.

But in the end, neither of them wanted to be the one to speak. They stood there, their expressions becoming more subdued, with only their hands, hidden in their sleeves, clenched tightly.

Their hesitation stemmed from Elder Shen's identity, coupled with the fact that previous events suggested this pill wasn't a private transaction but rather a gift of gratitude.

If it's just a thank-you gift, they have no reason to refuse; the Heavenly Sword Pavilion has no rule against accepting gifts.

The problem is that Elder Shen gave us elixirs, so the amount of medicine in them must be very significant!

To say that their relationship was a secret transaction would be somewhat biased, since they had all witnessed Zhou Lingxuan's previous actions.

Moreover, Shen Mingxi has always been upright and honest, and there are precedents for giving away pills!

They subconsciously licked their slightly dry lips, suppressing the complex emotions in their eyes, and ultimately swallowed back the words that were on the tip of their tongues.

Anyway, they've always had a cold face, so a slight change doesn't really matter.

They had absolutely no need to do something that would offend people, especially after witnessing Zhou Lingxuan's abilities.

They also understood why the Second Elder had sent people from the Enforcement Hall to guard Zhou Lingxuan. He was indeed a talented person, but unfortunately, his talent was too low!

Moreover, if they speak up now, even if the Second Elder doesn't deal with them, Elder Shen probably won't let them off the hook!

They had just helped, and Elder Shen was in a good mood when they suddenly poured cold water on him. It's obvious who would suffer the consequences!

Besides, who in the sect hasn't thought about getting some benefits from the Pill Hall Elder?

The only difference is that some people dare to think but not to act, while others don't even deserve to think about it.

These people really dared not do anything else, for fear that problems might arise that would push them to the brink of utter ruin.

Once someone is implicated in "private transactions," the consequences range from a minor demerit and punishment to expulsion from the law enforcement hall, making it extremely difficult to recover.

So even if it's just taking a step forward, they have to weigh it in their minds repeatedly, whether it's worth it or not.