Dashing Student

Chapter 1443 - 1440: The Path to Death

Yun Ying felt quite helpless and could only watch as Chen Nan left, her heart filled with loss, but she quickly forced herself to muster her spirits."Junior Brother, I’ll come find you once I’ve finished cultivating. You must wait for me!"

For reasons unknown, her treatment of Chen Nan was different from others; perhaps because Chen Nan was her only junior brother, or perhaps Chen Nan called her Female Knight and didn’t secretly mock her like others did.

Or perhaps it was because Chen Nan came from outside Moon River Valley, from the world she longed for.

In any case, she very much enjoyed the times spent together with Chen Nan.

Upon hearing Yun Ying speak, Chen Nan smiled and nodded before leaving the Medicine Hall and heading toward the Pill Room.

"I really need to recover my strength soon, even though I don’t know what they’re planning, it certainly won’t be anything good for Yun Ying."

"Since you rescued me once, I definitely cannot stand idly by!"

After taking a few turns, Chen Nan arrived at the Pill Room built into the cliffside, which looked like a giant rock jutting from the cliff from a distance.

The only way to reach the Pill Room was a narrow path clinging to the cliff, and Chen Nan couldn’t understand why Moon River Valley chose such a location for the Pill Room.

Following the path to the Pill Room, Chen Nan stood at its entrance and cupped his hands in salute, "Disciple Chen Nan, sent by Elder Mei Gui to assist."

The voice quickly dissipated into distant clouds, and the Alchemy Room remained silent except for a wisp of smoke rising from its roof, carrying with it a faint aroma of elixir pills.

The Pill Room did not respond for a long time, and just when Chen Nan was about to call out again, the door suddenly opened.

"Come in!" a hoarse voice called from within.

Chen Nan stepped into the Pill Room, and before him was a massive pill furnace, towering at a full ten feet high with three legs and three openings, adorned with carvings of exotic beasts. At that moment, the furnace was ablaze.

He had thought his own Heavy Mountain Pill Furnace was large enough, but realized there is always something bigger.

Pill furnaces aren’t necessarily better the bigger they are; in fact, larger furnaces make controlling the heat much more difficult. The key to alchemy is precisely the control of heat, and thus Chen Nan felt puzzled.

Beside the pill furnace stood an unkempt old man with white hair and beard, disheveled in appearance, wearing tattered clothes, his waist strapped with a gourd.

However, Chen Nan noted that this old man was also a Golden Core Realm Ninth Layer cultivator, possibly about to step into the Nascent Soul Realm; it seemed this was the sect’s third elder.

It was unclear whether Yun Ying knew or not, but in this sect, whether elders or the sect leader, they were all at Golden Core Realm Perfection, which was quite rare in the sect.

"Are you Chen Nan? Can you really practice alchemy?" The hoarse voice rang again, belonging to the unkempt old man.

Chen Nan quickly nodded, "Yes, disciple is quite skilled in the art of alchemy."

"Heh," the unkempt old man sneered, "Old as I am, I wouldn’t dare claim mastery over alchemy; yet you dare boast at such a young age?"

"Alright, if there were anyone else available in the sect, I wouldn’t use you; come, assist me!"

He casually tossed Chen Nan a pill recipe, instructing him to memorize the various spiritual materials listed, as well as the heat, order, and so forth.

"This is... the Burning Vein Breaking Realm Pill?"

Looking at the pill recipe, Chen Nan immediately recognized the elixir pill, and his heart couldn’t help but tremble.

The Burning Vein Breaking Realm Pill is a sixth-grade elixir, effective for burning potential and forcing Golden Core Realm cultivators to enhance their cultivation forcefully; yet each use consumes a person’s potential, causing immense damage to one’s cultivation foundation.

Moreover, taking this elixir pill to elevate cultivation brings no actual increase in strength. Therefore, this pill is only used by demon cultivators when fostering blood slaves.

Chen Nan suddenly thought of Yun Ying’s situation, his pupils constricted sharply; Yun Ying’s condition perfectly aligned with the effects post-ingestion of the Burning Vein Breaking Realm Pill.

But if that’s so, Yun Ying’s path in future cultivation is sealed. Why would her sect do this? He was utterly puzzled.

"Heh, what are you thinking about?"

A sinister voice suddenly echoed from behind him, and the unkempt old man’s face carried a mocking smile.

Chen Nan shook his head repeatedly, "Nothing, I am just in awe of Elder’s ability to refine sixth-grade elixirs."

"Hm, a frog at the bottom of the well, what knows of the vast heavens and the earth?"

The unkempt old man snorted coldly, then said, "Alright, quickly memorize this, assist me in refining the pills, and if there’s any mistake, you’ll have a rough time in the alchemy furnace!"

"Yes." Chen Nan hurriedly feigned a fearful expression.

Soon, the unkempt old man commenced refining. He unfastened the gourd at his waist, blew into it, and the gourd expanded rapidly until it became the size of a small boat.

He seated himself upon the gourd, floated to the top of the pill furnace, flicking his fingers, causing the fire within the furnace to blaze fiercely.

"Burning Vein Grass!"

At the call, Chen Nan picked out the Burning Vein Grass from a pile of materials on the ground, using mana to send the spiritual medicine into the pill furnace while the unkempt old man oversaw everything above.

"Falling Star Flower!"

"Blood Reversing Lotus Leaf!"

...

With each spiritual medicine the unkempt old man called out, Chen Nan followed directions accordingly, also assisting in controlling the heat, keeping himself busy yet orderly amidst the chaos.

"Hmm? This lad is quite adept, truly handy to work with." the unkempt old man muttered to himself.

Not only did Chen Nan respond swiftly, but he genuinely practiced alchemy, so whenever the old man made mistakes, Chen Nan could compensate; oftentimes even before the old man uttered the next spiritual medicine, Chen Nan was already holding it ready.

This kind of talent stirred a sense of admiration in the unkempt old man.