Chapter 14: Handcrafting Pills Barehanded

On the back mountain of the Changsheng Sect, in a small pavilion by the cliff, Li Zhangsheng leisurely reclines on a rattan chair, eating beast meat, sipping a little wine, admiring the scenery—how carefree!

On the flat ground behind, Xiao Jue and Luo Qingxue are arranging the herbs into piles according to the pill formula Li Zhangsheng gave them!

Li Zhangsheng has considered all the sect's disciples and Elders, preparing a pill formula for each cultivation realm.

After all, they're all members of the Changsheng Sect; Li Zhangsheng treats the sect's disciples and Elders equally, not shortchanging anyone.

He also selected some beast hides, beast bones, and older tree bark to prepare for making talismans.

There are still plenty of beast hide, bone, and bark materials, and each talisman only requires a palm‑sized amount.

Thus Li Zhangsheng intends to craft a set of talisman gear for every member of the Changsheng Sect!

They come in three types: attack, defense, and speed!!

A combined offense‑defense type and a fleeing type!

After Xiao Jue and Luo Qingxue finish sorting all the materials, they go to the pavilion and pour themselves some spiritual tea from the stone table.

"Sect Master, the herbs are all arranged, and the beast hides, bones, and aged bark have been selected," Xiao Jue says after a sip of tea, his heart a bit hopeful!

After all, Li Zhangsheng will personally refine pills and craft talismans for them, and he is eager to see the founder's alchemy and talisman techniques!

"Hmm," Li Zhangsheng nods lightly, still sipping his wine leisurely, unhurried.

At that moment, a figure in a blue robe suddenly walks up the stone steps from the back mountain.

Arriving on the flat ground behind the mountain, he sees piles of herbs and lets out a startled exclamation.

Then his gaze turns toward the pavilion.

"Brother Xiao, Qingxue, Sect Master, hehe, I've come to find you again,"

The newcomer is none other than the "traitor to the family" Liu Yiming, who strides toward the pavilion.

Li Zhangsheng and the two of them turn to look.

"Eh, Liu Yiming, why are you back?" Xiao Jue speaks first, glancing at the junior sister nearby, then at the approaching Liu Yiming.

Liu Yiming's persistence is truly astonishing; the junior sister gave him so many "good person" sayings, yet he keeps at it.

If I weren't brothers with him and knew his character, I'd probably be moved to tears!

"Hehe, I'm here this time for a serious matter," Liu Yiming says as he reaches the pavilion, looking at Li Zhangsheng with a carefree smile: "Sect Master, I wish to join your group; I wonder if that's possible?"

"Join our group?" Li Zhangsheng furrows his brow slightly.

That sounds odd; it makes us sound like villains.

"Hey hey hey, what group? Liu Yiming, watch your wording," Xiao Jue says with a serious expression.

"Hehe, I just want to join your Changsheng Sect, hoping the Sect Master will accept me," Liu Yiming says with another smile.

"Join the Changsheng Sect?" Li Zhangsheng looks at Liu Yiming oddly, wondering what he's up to, "Aren't you the Young Sect Master of the Liu Yun Sect? How proper is it to join our Changsheng Sect?"

"I've already left the Liu Yun Sect," Liu Yiming says solemnly, "I am now a free person, and I hope the Sect Master can take in this homeless me."

"No way, junior brother!" Xiao Jue, looking puzzled, says, "You left the Liu Yun Sect; didn't your father beat you to death?"

"To join the Changsheng Sect, I've already cut ties with him; it doesn't matter," Liu Yiming blurts out.

"Tsk tsk, you really are a filial son," Li Zhangsheng says, looking at him with newfound respect.

Of course, Li Zhangsheng knows exactly why.

He probably followed me a few days ago to wipe out the Shenxu Sect, saw my few moves, and thought to cling to my leg.

Li Zhangsheng doesn't mind; Liu Yiming is friends with Xiao Jue, and whether he joins the Changsheng Sect or not, he often visits, so if he wishes to join the Changsheng Sect for protection, that's fine with him.

"I now only wish to learn skills from the Sect Master, devoted to the Dao; everything else is but fleeting clouds!" Liu Yiming says carefree.

"Hmm, admirable, admirable!" Xiao Jue gives Liu Yiming a thumbs‑up, sincerely admiring his 'devoted to the Dao' spirit.

"Hehe, I know joining you requires some 'token of allegiance', I get the reasoning!" Liu Yiming grins and pulls out a binding ring, "This is a cultivation resource I stole from our sect's treasury: spiritual stones, spiritual medicines, and assorted bits. I hope the Sect Master will graciously accept it."

"So courteous." Li Zhangsheng takes the binding ring Liu Yiming hands over, scans it with his spirit sense, finds the resources indeed plentiful, nods and says, "Hmm, since you're so eager to join the Changsheng Sect, stay then."

"Thank you, Sect Master. From now on I, Liu Yiming, will go through fire and water for the Changsheng Sect without hesitation," Liu Yiming beams with joy.

"Liu Yiming, then you must no longer call me senior brother," Xiao Jue jokes.

"Go on, we each have our own matters," Liu Yiming waves his hand, then turns to the piles of herbs on the flat ground behind and asks curiously, "By the way, why are you spreading out the spiritual medicines in such huge piles to dry? What are you planning to do?"

"The Sect Master wants to refine pills," Xiao Jue says.

"Refine pills?" Liu Yiming looks at the heaps of herbs on the ground and sighs, "So many herbs to turn into pills—that must be hard work."

"Sect Master, shall we go to the Qingzhou Alchemy Guild to hire some alchemists to help with the refining?"

Li Zhangsheng stands and shakes his head, "It's just a tea‑time task, no need for such fuss."

Speaking, Li Zhangsheng walks to the flat ground behind and looks at the smallest pile of herbs.

This pile is the pill formula for advancing to the Supreme Saint Realm.

The herbs needed to refine Supreme Saint Realm pills are naturally rarer and far more expensive, so their quantity is the least!

Nevertheless, the pills produced from this pile suffice for the Changsheng Sect's current Supreme Saint Realm practitioners, of which there are only a handful!

Li Zhangsheng reaches toward that pile of herbs and rubs his fingers together.

A balanced force of hardness and softness instantly spreads, enveloping the pile of herbs.

The herbs gradually lift off the ground, rotating rhythmically.

Buzz……

Rays of rosy light burst from the rotating herbs in the air, multicolored and blazing, so bright they make one's eyes hurt.

"So dazzling!"

Xiao Jue and the others all shield their eyes with their hands!

After a moment, as the blazing light fades, fragrant aromas instantly fill the air, refreshing the heart.

Xiao Jue and the others now open their eyes and see twenty‑plus golden‑glowing pills floating in the air, dazzling beyond count!

The pills shimmer, warm and luminous, exuding an alluring fragrance!!

"This is done, so many eighth-grade elixirs?" Even knowing Li Zhangsheng's vast divine powers, Xiao Jue couldn't help but widen his eyes!!

He and Luo Qingxue were responsible for pairing the medicinal ingredients, so naturally they knew that pile of medicinal recipe was for refining eighth-grade elixirs.

And eighth-grade elixirs, in this world, only alchemists of eighth rank or above can refine them.

Eighth-rank alchemists, in the whole Green Prefecture, are estimated to be countable on one hand!!

It is said that an eighth-rank alchemist wanting to refine a single eighth-rank elixir needs at least half a year, or even longer!

Moreover, the success rate of forming the elixir is pitifully low!

And the Sect Master just stretched out his hand, rubbed a little, and several dozen eighth-rank elixirs were just made like that?!

Alright, this is our family's ancestral master, then it's fine!!

Liu Yiming's worldview was also completely overturned by Li Zhangsheng's move; after a long while, he slowly said: "This also works?!"