Chapter 52: Heaven and earth are the furnace, creation is the craftsman!

"Don't move, don't cause trouble, how?"

Lu Xuan casually said, "I know."

Knowing is knowing, but he will definitely let Ye Chen participate in the Alchemist Exchange Conference.

This is all exchanges between Heaven-tier Alchemists.

It's greatly beneficial to Ye Chen!

Suddenly, the system's voice sounded.

"Ding! Displaying apprentice cultivation mission released!"

"Let the second disciple Ye Chen in the Alchemist Exchange Conference, in the young generation alchemist competition, obtain first place!"

The voice fell!

Lu Xuan slightly startled.

It seems this alchemist competition must be participated in.

Sect Master, sorry about that.

At this moment.

Lu Xuan looked up and saw an extremely huge shadow appearing above the Void; it was a huge spirit vessel, on the spirit vessel the pavilions were extremely towering, looking like a great mountain, like a vast territory, brilliant spirit patterns constantly flowing on the spirit vessel.

A huge flag at the top of the spirit vessel, facing the Void's strong wind, constantly swaying.

"Danxiang Sect!"

The overlord-level force of Nan Huang!

This huge spirit vessel emitted an incredibly terrifying pressure, the Void trembled, space twisted, causing the Great Dao Sect to feel a commotion.

Boom!

Dan Peak Peak Master Gu Yuefang immediately shot up into the sky, a divine rainbow appeared beneath his feet, welcoming the arrival of the Danxiang Sect.

"Friends of the Danxiang Sect, please follow me."

Upon hearing that, a Heaven-tier Alchemist of the Danxiang Sect smiled and clasped his hands in a bow, "Gu Yuefang, long time no see."

The two exchanged a smile.

Lu Xuan exclaimed, "Indeed worthy of a major force's grandeur!"

Not long after.

Ye Chen walked out of the cave dwelling, preparing to cook for Lu Xuan.

He looked up at the Void, smiling and said to Lu Xuan, "Master, recently, many major forces have descended upon the sect."

Lu Xuan nodded.

Ye Chen had never seen such a grand scene before.

Previously he thought the gathering of the several major forces of Qingcheng was already quite grand.

But now he feels that is utterly insignificant.

Ye Chen felt somewhat excited in his heart.

This time participating in the Alchemist Exchange Conference, he will have to compete with other alchemists.

He felt some anticipation and also some nervousness.

After all, the master gave him so many cultivation resources; if he were to be crushed by other young geniuses, wouldn't that be embarrassing for his master?

Ye Chen approached the thatched cottage, began cooking, today he was making sweet and sour spirit fish.

He removed the scales from the spirit fish and made some cuts.

Then he smeared Lu Xuan's honey glaze sauce and began processing.

The whole series of motions was smooth and practiced, making one feel heartache.

After nearly three months of training, Ye Chen's cooking level is already high.

Every praise from Lu Xuan is Ye Chen's motivation.

Ye Chen, while orderly preparing the spirit fish, also recalled Lu Xuan's words.

In his impression, the master most approved of his cooking skills!

Actually not alchemy or martial arts?

This made Ye Chen feel a little disappointed in his heart!

Soon.

Ye Chen placed the steaming sweet and sour spirit fish on the stone table, "Master, let's eat."

Lu Xuan quickly took a seat.

He took a light taste.

Lu Xuan laughed and said, "Not bad, not bad. Keep working hard!"

Halfway through eating, Lu Xuan laughed and said, "Ye Chen, for this Alchemist Exchange Conference, I have a small request."

Ye Chen looked serious, "Master, you say."

Lu Xuan said, "In the young generation alchemist competition, you must take first place."

Ye Chen was stunned.

First!

This probably has great difficulty!

After all, he is only a King-tier Alchemist!

At this moment, Yao Yan's voice came from the jade pendant, "Peak Master Lu, if you take first place, it might be difficult!"

Lu Xuan asked, "Why?"

Yao Yan said, "Peak Master Lu, in this Alchemist Exchange Conference, among the young generation there should be Earth-tier Alchemists; currently Ye Chen is only a King-tier Alchemist, there is still a considerable gap."

Lu Xuan furrowed his brows slightly.

Even Earth-rank alchemists are coming to participate?

That's not martial virtue!

Seeing Lu Xuan's confusion, Yao Yan explained, "In our alchemical path, because breaking through a rank often takes ten or even a hundred years for an alchemist, we have relaxed the age limit for this Alchemist Exchange Conference. Anyone under three hundred years old may participate."

Lu Xuan was stunned outright.

A three-hundred-year-old alchemist—this counts as the younger generation?

Yao Yan spoke bitterly, "Ye Chen reaching the King-rank alchemist in just three months is already astonishing! If he has more time, Ye Chen might truly break into the Earth-rank alchemist! Then he might possibly take first place."

A moment of silence.

Ye Chen suddenly looked at Lu Xuan, eyes extremely firm, "Master, I will definitely take first!"

Lu Xuan looked at Ye Chen, feeling somewhat surprised.

Ye Chen gave a faint smile, "Master, you've given me so many alchemical opportunities—the Heaven-Swallowing Furnace, Bone-chilling Netherfire, and the memories of the Pill Emperor. If even with these I still can't win first place, then wouldn't I be trash?"

Yao Yan fell silent.

Ye Chen is young and full of hot blood, that's true, but the gap between King-rank and Earth-rank alchemists cannot be broken by mere obsession!

At this moment, Ye Chen clenched his fists, veins bulging on his arms, his body trembling slightly, somewhat excited, he looked at Lu Xuan with a serious expression and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Master, for seven years I've been regarded as trash! Now that such an opportunity lies before me, how could I not prove myself?"

"This Alchemist Exchange Conference is not only to prove myself, but also to prove you, Master!"

Hearing this, Lu Xuan clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Good, good, good."

Surging emotions, striking waves against the wind, the youth's hot blood is invincible!

This is what a youth should be!

Seven years of drinking cold ice—no wonder he's hot-blooded!

Ye Chen looked at Lu Xuan, awe appearing in his eyes, "Master, if you think I can, then I can! The reason I haven't yet stepped into the Earth-rank alchemist is surely because I'm lacking somewhere."

Lu Xuan blinked slightly.

Why is Ye Chen suddenly reflecting like this?

He didn't mean it that way!

Three months, Ye Chen became a King-rank alchemist—already shocking to the heavens!

The reason he proposed competing for first place is merely a system task.

Yao Yan was somewhat moved, he gritted his teeth and said, "Sect Master Lu, with only a few days left, I will surely do my utmost to help Ye Chen! Perhaps we can truly create a miracle!"

He was somewhat excited.

Three months time!

Earth-rank alchemist!

If this truly comes to pass, it will create a miracle in the alchemical path of Nan Huang!

At this moment, Lu Xuan asked Yao Yan, "Old Yao, what do you think is the difference between an Earth-rank alchemist and a King-rank alchemist?"

Yao Yan said, "The difference between King-rank and Earth-rank is just one character, but it's not a gap in alchemical technique; it's the two words 'spirituality'."

Lu Xuan furrowed his brows slightly, "What do you mean?"

Yao Yan explained, "Spirituality means that upon entering the Earth-rank alchemist, one will walk out upon one's own alchemical 'path'; alchemy is no longer the tedious stirring of spiritual formulas, controlling spiritual fire, and also imagination!"

Ye Chen was stunned, feeling he didn't quite understand, "Old Yao, please elaborate."

Yao Yan said, "Before reaching Earth-rank alchemist, alchemy is alchemy; but for an Earth-rank alchemist, alchemy is not alchemy!"

Ye Chen looked bewildered, beginning to ponder the true meaning of Yao Yan's words.

Lu Xuan gave a faint smile, "In other words, alchemy is like viewing a mountain: the first stage, you see the mountain as a mountain; the second stage, you see the mountain as not a mountain; the third stage, you see the mountain as still a mountain."

The voice fell!

Yao Yan was startled.

This is the first time hearing such a fresh and unconventional explanation!

He was somewhat shocked; could it be that Lu Xuan also understands the Way of Alchemy?

Ye Chen's mind buzzed.

He felt as if he had touched something tremendous.

A mysterious qi began to circulate around his body; a gentle breeze stirred, and a faint radiance hovered around Ye Chen.

Ye Chen fell into a sudden enlightenment.

No wonder he always felt his alchemy had hit a bottleneck.

It turns out he had been confined within the frameworks of the Herbal Classic, fire control techniques, and alchemical methods.

The Pill Emperor's memories are indeed a lofty peak.

Yet they caused him to fall into a passive state; during this time he has merely followed the Five-Star Pill Emperor's alchemical path step by step.

Ye Chen murmured in his heart, "Those who learn from me live; those who imitate me die!"

He understood.

He must walk his own path!

The Five-Star Pill Emperor is a peak; he will rise a towering edifice upon that peak!

In an instant.

In Ye Chen's mind, the herbal insights he gained each day and night over the past three months turned into a torrent of memory, constantly merging; tens of thousands of spiritual herbs became strands of brilliant light, drifting and surging, beginning to collide and recombine.

He suddenly understood many things.

The habits and medicinal properties of different spiritual herbs…

The principles of controlling spiritual fire…

Extraction of spiritual herb essence…

Ye Chen felt he could even modify some King-rank pill formulas.

Because his understanding of spiritual herbs increased again!

After several hours, Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes, somewhat excitedly looking at Lu Xuan, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Hearing your words is better than refining ten thousand furnaces of pills!

Yao Yan also felt somewhat excited; he felt that Lu Xuan seemed to have some unique understanding of pill refining.

He intended to ask Lu Xuan for advice on a deeper question.

Thinking of this.

Yao Yan asked Lu Xuan, "Peak Master Lu, what do you think pill refining is?"

Lu Xuan lightly said, "The Great Dao shares the same source; the Dao and its methods are natural. All things are like pill refining! And pill refining is like all things!"

Yao Yan furrowed his brows slightly, bewildered and not understanding.

Ye Chen fell into thought, not knowing what Lu Xuan meant.

Lu Xuan said, "Cooking is like pill refining; ingredients are like spiritual herbs; the iron pot is like the pill furnace."

Yao Yan suddenly realized.

Ye Chen looked at his master in utter shock.

The Master is right!

Isn't food just something that is refined?

Lu Xuan smiled, "Open your train of thought, open your imagination. Only when you see pill refining not as pill refining can you grasp something different."

Yao Yan asked again, "What else is pill refining?"

Lu Xuan casually pointed at Ye Chen, "Cultivation is like pill refining! Using the flesh body as the furnace, the power of heaven and earth as the spiritual fire, condensing the essence of spiritual power, enhancing the foundation of dantian cultivation—isn't this also pill refining?"

Yao Yan stared, mouth agape.

This pill refining theory is indeed somewhat ahead of its time.

He never thought of this before!

For a moment, his reverence for Lu Xuan deepened another level.

Yao Yan asked again, "Peak Master Lu, what do you think is the ultimate of pill refining?"

Lu Xuan lightly smiled, "What do you think it is?"

Yao Yan's heart surged, somewhat excitedly said, "Refining a furnace of supreme pill, inscribing ten pill halos on it, summoning heavenly thunder, all the essence of spiritual herbs not wasted, achieving a perfect pill."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded.

This is probably the ultimate goal of any pill refiner!

Pursue perfection!

Strive for greater perfection!

Lu Xuan shook his head, "Yao Lao, broaden your perspective, open your imagination. You are still at the first layer of pill refining."

Yao Yan looked somewhat shocked at Lu Xuan, "Peak Master Lu, you say."

Lu Xuan casually said, "Moreover, heaven and earth are the furnace; creation is the work; yin and yang are the charcoal; all things are the copper."

Yao Yan was dumbfounded.

Heaven and earth as furnace!

Creation as work!

Yin and yang as charcoal, all things as copper!

What a grand scheme!

…