Chapter 657: The Peak Lord Refines Pills (4K2)

After the disheveled youth left, the three peak lords exchanged a glance, and their figures slowly faded from the spot.

Ye Lan stood with her hands at her sides, staring at the curling green smoke rising from the altar. She was silent for a long while, lost in thought.

After a moment, she turned around. The expression on her fair face had finally returned to normal, no longer so cold, though a trace of weariness still lingered between her brows.

"Sorry for the embarrassment." Ye Lan tried to force a smile. The corners of her lips twitched, but failed to lift.

Back at Crane Mountain, Patriarch Ye had only needed a single name to awe all the heroes. Now, back at her own sect's gates, she was in such a sorry state — even the statue of her own master had been swapped out.

She could almost imagine how disappointed Shen Yi was.

"Every family has its own hard scripture to recite."

Shen Yi had no intention of passing further judgment on the matter. After offering a brief word of comfort, he turned his gaze toward Cheng Xiaoyuan.

Six rooms in total, most of them now sitting idle. Rather than a branch of Xian Sect, it looked more like a country dwelling, with faint traces of a once-warm and happy household still discernible.

"The Fifth Peak is called Dan Peak, but by the time the incident happened and I took over as peak lord, I still knew nothing at all about the Dao of Alchemy."

Ye Lan also looked toward the rooms, a hint of reminiscence and a barely perceptible self-mockery surfacing in her eyes. "To keep what the Fifth Peak had left behind from being abandoned, that Martial Uncle Uncle Mu Yang picked many disciples who had taken Alchemy as a secondary study and sent them to the Fifth Peak."

"My mind was in turmoil back then, and I had no heart to deal with these matters. Later I simply left Shenxu Mountain and went traveling through Shenzhou, and slowly… it became what you see now."

Having said that, Ye Lan let out a long breath. "Alright, the identity I promised you has been given. Pick any empty room and rest. Once I've finished healing Jing'er's injuries, we'll set off back."

Clearly, she had no intention of fighting for anything.

If she hadn't seen the Patriarch's statue swapped out and could no longer hold back the fury in her heart, she probably wouldn't have even uttered those few harsh words.

"…"

Hearing this, Shen Yi raised a brow.

Before coming, he had roughly guessed the situation wouldn't be great, but he hadn't expected it would really just be a cursory trip to Shenxu Mountain.

Walk through and head back — not a moment of dawdling.

"Don't overthink it. The Taixu Dao Fruit is something extremely precious even on Shenxu Mountain. Only a peak lord has the right to bestow it, and it can only be passed to the most valued disciple."

"The one who holds the Taixu Dao Fruit is, in plain words, the candidate for the next peak lord."

"Look at me — do I look like a peak lord?"

Ye Lan saw what Shen Yi was thinking and shook her head gently. She had the title of Dan Peak's lord in name only, with no real power. In the eyes of the other peak lords, she was nothing more than a junior of the third generation.

What right did a junior have to choose a candidate?

Even if she tried to forcibly pass down the Dao Fruit, the other peak lords would join hands to stop her.

Even if they didn't erase Shen Yi's memory, they wouldn't let him leave Shenxu Mountain carrying the Great Art of the Dao Fruit.

If it were taught outside, the day Shen Yi claimed the Taixu Dao Fruit, Shenxu Mountain would surely sense it, and that would only cause greater trouble.

"Not really."

Shen Yi sighed and turned to leave the room.

The conversation had already reached this point; pressing further would be impolite. If she didn't want to teach, he couldn't exactly seize Ye Lan and force a confession out of her.

And even taking a step back — he couldn't beat her either…

After another eighty-eight tribulations were infused into the Dragon-Tiger Fruit Position, bringing the total to one hundred and sixty-nine tribulations' worth of cultivation, Shen Yi could finally see part of Ye Lan's strength.

Good news — this time it wasn't a case of no gain and no loss.

Bad news… that sense of danger had only deepened.

But this was actually a good thing — it meant he was one step closer to her.

Though both were at the Fifth Grade, the gap between them was truly not small.

Enough. At least he'd secured an identity. When traveling outside in the future, he'd have at least an empty title for protection. Not a wasted trip.

"Huu."

Shen Yi casually picked an empty room and shut the door behind him.

The instant the wooden door closed, a wisp of invisible array force quietly surged forth, shrouding the entire room.

Shen Yi only needed to sense it briefly to discern its many functions — concealing aura, gathering Qi, soundproofing — and their potency was simply unheard of.

A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Now he finally understood why the cultivators of Shenzhou always liked to call Hongze a backwater… it really wasn't their arrogance — there was some truth to it.

Shen Yi walked slowly to the bed and sat down, habitually opening his panel — then froze.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: Six Tribulations】

He skimmed through the prompt and quickly guessed where this unaccounted-for lifespan had come from.

"Have you already descended to the mortal world?" Shen Yi sent a thread of divine sense to call out to Lady Qinghua.

"Reporting to my lord, Lady Qinghua is currently under orders to garrison Bihai, leading troops to sweep the demon hordes."

Shenzhou has few demons because the imperial court is mighty, and the imperial aura controls the world. Ordinary demons find it hard to hide within its borders, nor can they find much sustenance.

Unless they have taken refuge in the Three Teachings, their origins demonic but already bearing the name of cultivator, most of the scattered demon-kind prefer to stay outside Shenzhou.

Only those who have violated the Heavenly Statutes are purged by the Celestial Court's forces.

"Stay safe."

Shen Yi had heard from Lady Qinghua about the transfer long before setting out.

Of course there was no free lunch under heaven. Going from the Seventh Grade to the Assistant Sixth Grade looked like a single step, but setting everything else aside, just the power of the great seal in hand was the difference between Taiyi Zhenxian and a Heavenly Immortal.

Countless eyes were fixed on that position. By any calculation, it shouldn't have fallen to a lone, unsupported Bimawen.

That Immortal General Qingluan was clearly not running a charity — there had to be a deeper meaning.

Shen Yi thought it over and over, and the only thing that could connect him to this Immortal General was the matter of locking Princess Ziling in the stables.

This person was most likely trying, through this method, to get a clear read on Lady Qinghua's origins and background — to see just how strong she really was, and whether she could pose a threat to Princess Ziling.

Shen Yi had no particularly good way to deal with it.

After all, whether in strength or in status, he and Immortal General Qingluan were not on the same level at all.

Since the suspicion cannot be completely cleared, there is no choice but to take it one step at a time; at least that Immortal General is still observing for now and has no intention of acting directly.

Besides, taking this opportunity to earn some demon and monster lifespan is a good thing.

"Go get busy."

Shen Yi opened his eyes and severed the connection, preparing to continue pouring the six tribulations of lifespan into the Dragon and Tiger Great Sutra to see if he could truly complete this fruit of enlightenment.

His mind stirred slightly, yet he immediately stopped.

Besides his cultivation, he was lacking in many other aspects; whether it was his understanding of cultivation or his various methods, when it came to the eighth rank and above, he knew absolutely nothing.

Having come all the way to a great sect, how could he return empty-handed?

Thinking of this, he decisively rose and pushed the door open to step out.

Only Ye Jing remained in the courtyard.

She said softly, "Shen Big... Brother, is there something?"

Having just barely managed to force that title back into place, calling someone "my lord" within the Xian Sect, if overheard by others, anyone who wasn't an idiot would associate it with the Divine Dynasty and the Immortal Court.

Although Ye Jing was not a disciple of the Pill Peak, she had stayed on the mountain for many years in her youth, so she was quite familiar with this place.

"Where is your sister?" Shen Yi swept his gaze around but could not find Ye Lan.

Upon hearing this, Ye Jing's expression suddenly became strange; she pressed her lips together, shook her head, and a trace of timidity flashed in her eyes.

"Where is the Secret Scripture Pavilion?"

Seeing the other party unwilling to speak, Shen Yi was not a gossipy person, so he simply went straight to the point.

"Over there."

Ye Jing turned, extended her hand, and pointed toward an old-looking building in the distance.

Shen Yi took a slight step, and his figure vanished from the spot; when he raised his eyes again, he was already at the door of this small tower.

"It's him..."

Outside the Secret Scripture Pavilion, many passing disciples stopped their steps; in the gazes they cast, curiosity was mixed with a degree of apprehension.

The news that Senior Sister Ye had returned to the mountain to accept disciples on behalf of her master had already spread among the various peaks.

It must be known that the third-generation disciples were the backbone of the Divine Void Mountain, second only to the several Peak Masters, yet this youth had joined this ranks immediately upon entering the sect, which was inevitably puzzling.

Now that they saw the person in question, they felt even more confused.

A cultivation of seventh-rank Taiyi Zhenxian would certainly count as a capable expert elsewhere, but this was the mountain gate of the Daluo Immortal Venerable; such a realm, while not saying it was low, was merely ordinary.

Among the third-generation disciples, it even felt like dragging the team down.

Being watched by so many people, Shen Yi remained expressionless; he was about to leave anyway, so why would he care about such things?

He decisively stepped into the Secret Scripture Pavilion.

The two young disciples guarding the gate, though reluctant, still bowed deeply: "Pay respects to Junior Uncle."

Until this moment, they did not even know this youth's surname.

"..."

Having seen the mighty array power surging from that seemingly ordinary courtyard room earlier, Shen Yi had thought the Secret Scripture Pavilion, while looking old on the outside, would not be inferior to the Secret Scripture Pavilion of the Southern Yang Sect on the inside, if not vast and boundless.

However, upon truly setting foot here, he discovered that the interior was indeed just an ordinary room; the book collection consisted of only dozens of shelves, all filled with heavy books, with not a single jade slip in sight.

The only thing worth praising was the still boundless power of the array; the moment he walked in, Shen Yi realized even his divine sense had been completely sealed.

He casually picked up a book and flipped through it a couple of times; what was recorded inside was the Dao of Alchemy.

Moreover, it was not an organized alchemy book; it was filled with various insights and miscellaneous notes, and for the time being, there was no sign that the panel had recorded anything.

Shen Yi put it down and picked up another book, which was still an ancient text of a similar nature.

"The books in this pavilion all record the Dao of Alchemy, and this is too deep for you."

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.

Shen Yi turned to look and saw Ye Lan holding two thin booklets, shaking them lightly: "The introductory chapter is here."

As her words fell, she was already walking toward the door: "If you are interested, I will give it to you once I am done using it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi fell silent for a moment.

Not finding what he wanted was certainly a bit disappointing, but since he was already here, there was no harm in taking something for free.

The Dao of Alchemy passed down by the Daluo Immortal Venerable would surely come in handy someday.

Thinking of this, he followed Ye Lan directly out of the Secret Scripture Pavilion.

On the Fifth Peak, the one thing that was never lacking was alchemy workshops.

Even most disciples could have their own private rooms.

Ignoring the strange gazes of others, Ye Lan quietly walked into an empty room; the furnishings inside were simple, containing only three alchemy cauldrons and several wide medicine shelves.

She did not look at the medicine shelves but flipped through the two thin booklets and took out numerous medicinal herbs from her storage treasure.

"What is this?" Shen Yi looked over with slight confusion.

"Alchemizing medicine to heal Jing'er; the quality of the medicine outside is not good enough and might leave hidden dangers."

Although Ye Lan looked cold, and even when Ye Jing returned with severe injuries, she had not shown any unusual emotion, she was actually very concerned about her younger sister.

"Are there no medicines within the Pill Peak capable of treating a Taiyi Zhenxian?"

Watching this woman's focused expression, Shen Yi felt something was off: "And aren't you ignorant of the Dao of Alchemy?"

If such a huge Pill Peak could not even find a bottle of medicine for a seventh-rank cultivator, what were these people busy doing?

"I do not want to use their things."

Ye Lan did not look up; following the prescription in the thin booklet, she used boundless spiritual energy to ignite the furnace fire and refined the medicinal herbs in sequence: "I studied it for a while before, I am just a bit rusty; a little familiarization will do."

Her voice was steady, and her movements became increasingly effortless, following the prescription exactly, without a single deviation.

The saying goes that if one understands one thing, one understands all; a person with excellent cultivation talent, if they truly devote themselves to learning a hundred arts, cannot possibly be lacking in any of them.

"……"

Shen Yi stared silently at the alchemy furnace, feeling that the changes within seemed somehow familiar.

The next instant… poof!

The furnace flames flared up, and a wisp of black smoke suddenly shot out from within the furnace.

Ye Lan pressed her lips together, wiped the black ash from her fair cheek with the back of her hand, flipped the thin booklet back to the start, and with an unchanged expression began repeating the entire process.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Wave after wave of black smoke stained the walls.

Ye Lan's expression remained focused. She had long since memorized the pill formula contents of the thin booklet by heart. She set it down and began her next attempt with full concentration.

"Huff."

Shen Yi finally understood where the earlier timidity on Ye Jing's face had come from.

He let out a long breath, withdrew his gaze, and casually picked up that thin booklet.

【Seven-Grade · Four Symbols Pill Codex, Upper Volume: Not Yet Entered】

The moment he flipped open this Four Symbols Pill Codex, Shen Yi's former attainments in the Dao of Alchemy finally found a use. At the very least, he could understand seventy or eighty percent of the contents in this booklet.

The demon's lifespan poured in rapidly. Not even a single tribulation was spent—merely over two hundred years of lifespan—and the pill formulas and techniques recorded within were completely etched into his instincts.

Time slowly passed.

Ye Lan stared fixedly at the alchemy furnace. On her soot-darkened pretty face, a rare trace of excitement surged up. She said joyfully, "It worked!"

In an instant, the furnace lid was lifted, and several emerald-green pills floated out.

She reached out and grabbed them in her hand, the corners of her lips curving up. Out of habit, she turned back, as if her Master were right behind her: "Look!"

"Mm, I see it."

Shen Yi held a jade bottle and, unhurriedly, placed into it pills that were likewise emerald-green and clear, yet emitted a faint, gem-like radiance.

"……"

Ye Lan's movements faltered slightly. She looked at the thing in his hand, then at the thing in her own hand.

They were clearly the same kind of pill, yet whether in medicinal fragrance or appearance, they seemed worlds apart.

"You… know how to refine pills?" She parted her lips slightly. That dazed look of hers actually bore some resemblance to Ye Jing's, and at last one could see a hint of the sisters' likeness.

"I know a little." Shen Yi finished packing the pills, reached out, and handed the medicine bottle over: "Use these. Yours have too many impurities."

"I, I was just showing you, I never said I wanted Jing'er to eat this. Once I'm more familiar with it…"

Ye Lan instinctively explained herself a little, but under Shen Yi's gaze, she still reached out and took the medicine bottle. Her eyes lowered slightly, and she said softly, "Thank you."

(End of this chapter)