Chapter 144: Seven Spirit Pill

Baiyunzi did not sleep all night.

Xu Chen and Lan You were the same; at a speed of one furnace of pills every two hours, they refined three furnaces of Spirit Pills throughout the night, finally exhausting all the vital energy accumulated from the grand feast of spirit food they had eaten the previous night, and only then did they meditate for half an hour before dawn to recover a little vital energy.

"Senior Sister, Senior Sister Lan..."

Just as it was getting bright outside the window, a young girl's crisp call came from outside the courtyard.

Xu Chen yawned and picked at his eye boogers as he walked out, only to see a pretty little girl rushing in with great momentum, and the two nearly collided.

"Daoist Friend Yun, why are you here so early!" Xu Chen greeted her with a blank look.

Yun Xi said excitedly: "Daoist Friend Xu, aren't you and Senior Sister Lan going to the Scripture Pavilion today? I've come to accompany you both!"

At this moment, Lan You had just come out from bathing, her hair still dripping wet.

Yun Xi looked at Lan You, then at Xu Chen's exhausted face and dark circles, seemingly understanding something at once; she giggled, stepped forward, grabbed Lan You's arm, and whispered something in her ear, causing Lan You to instantly blush and turn around to pull her into the bedroom.

Xu Chen also darkened his face and went to find a place to pee, wash his face, and rinse his mouth.

Just as he had quickly tidied himself up, a colorful Spirit Sparrow came piercing through the clouds and mist, and in the blink of an eye, several graceful and beautiful fairies descended from the sky, landing in the small courtyard.

The visitors were the four young female cultivators who had come to deliver dinner yesterday.

Xu Chen hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting, and Lan You also brought Yun Xi out to welcome them; after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xu Chen learned that the four women were here to deliver breakfast again, and they stated that the Elders had explicitly instructed them to accompany Xu Chen throughout his visit to the Scripture Pavilion to observe and study the Yuqing Hall's techniques, and to help collect and organize the spirit medicines and utensils Xu Chen needed for alchemy.

Moreover, no matter how Xu Chen tried to decline today, the four women all stated that this was a joint decision by the group of Elders, that they were merely acting on orders, and they all indicated they would not interfere with any of Xu Chen's actions.

Helpless, Xu Chen had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat a sumptuous and spirit-rich breakfast under the surveillance and guard of a group of women.

However, although the food was delicious, it made him feel very uncomfortable.

This approach by Yuqing Hall clearly went against common sense and seemed to hide unspeakable secrets.

The goal was most likely to probe his alchemy methods.

But even if they watched, they would absolutely never be able to learn this method.

In other words, during the time he stayed at Yuqing Hall, he might have to be followed by such a group of beautiful fairies every day from now on.

Being followed was one thing, but all the hatred this attracted would fall on his own head, and his future looked somewhat worrying.

But since they had already come, there was no way to drive them away, and Lan You had no solution either, so in the end, she could only summon her own Spirit Sparrow.

Following the light of a Spirit Talisman that shot into the sky, before long, another large five-colored bird arrived rapidly from below the mountain, wrapped in a gust of wild wind, and with a thud, it flopped down in front of Xu Chen, opening its basket-sized mouth to make a clucking sound like a hen begging for food.

Xu Chen darkened his face, took out a Jade Bottle, tossed a Spirit Pill into the bird's mouth, and then habitually kicked it; the bird closed its mouth and affectionately nudged Xu Chen with its large head, even deliberately lowering its body to let him get on.

Lan You and Xu Chen had long been accustomed to this bird's "whoever feeds me is my mother" attitude, and they leaped onto the bird's back.

Yun Xi and the four women were incomparably shocked, their faces full of astonishment.

Although these Spirit Sparrows were poultry raised by Yuqing Hall, they were, after all, Third-Tier Spirit Beasts, and their temperaments were still very savage, mainly because their strength was very powerful; although they provided services by following taming commands, one still had to serve them carefully on a daily basis, otherwise, if they got angry and pecked people, not to mention those in the Zhenyuan Realm who couldn't withstand it, even a group of Elders in the Danyuan Realm would find it a headache.

And a Fourth-Rank Spirit Sparrow could only be barely controlled by Elders above the Danyuan Realm when going out, and a moment of carelessness would cause major casualties.

The last time Yulong Zhenren was a cautionary tale.

Since then, all three of Yuqing Hall's Fourth-Rank Spirit Sparrows had been forbidden from use, and only the three Supreme Elders could ride them.

Yet this Third-Tier Spirit Sparrow's attitude toward Xu Chen was so gentle it was enviable.

"Daoist Friend Lan, I am not familiar with the Scripture Pavilion of Yuqing Hall, so please lead the way for me!" Xu Chen said.

"Alright, then let's go to the nearest Alchemy Hall Scripture Pavilion first; it just so happens that Daoist Friend Xu can see if there is anything you need regarding alchemy!"

After Lan You finished speaking, she guided it with her Divine Sense, and the Seven-Colored Spirit Sparrow flapped its wings and took to the air.

"Senior Sister, wait for me!"

Yun Xi hurriedly flew up, squeezed between Xu Chen and Lan You, and even grabbed Xu Chen's sleeve with familiar ease, saying with a beaming face: "The Second Elder happens to be giving a lecture at the Alchemy Hall today, and I heard there is also an alchemy competition between the inner and outer sects; winning first place earns a Seven Spirit Pill as a reward."

"What kind of Spirit Pill is a Seven Spirit Pill?" Xu Chen asked curiously, having never heard of it.

"Wow, Daoist Friend Xu doesn't even know about the Seven Spirit Pill..." But when she said this, Yun Xi seemed to remember that Xu Chen was not from Yuqing Hall, so she hurriedly explained: "The Seven Spirit Pill is a secret pill formula unique to our Yuqing Hall; as long as one's cultivation is below the Zhenyuan Realm, taking it once can double the strength of one's Soul, with the effect lasting for seven days. Originally, it was called the Seven-Day Soul-Enhancing Pill, but we are all used to calling it the Seven Spirit Pill."

Xu Chen said with a face full of surprise: "There is actually such a miraculous Spirit Pill?"

Yun Xi giggled and said: "That goes without saying!"

Lan You, standing at the very back, said: "Daoist Friend Xu, don't listen to Yun Xi's exaggeration. The Seven Spirit Pill does indeed have this effect, but a person can only take it once in their lifetime. If used when breaking through a cultivation bottleneck, it can indeed achieve some miraculous effects, but once taken, the aftereffects are also quite significant, which will cause one's subsequent cultivation to remain in a stagnant state for a long time, perhaps unable to make progress for several years."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chen immediately understood and nodded: "So that's how it is. I understand. This Seven Spirit Pill should be a peculiar Spirit Pill that deeply excavates the potential of the Soul, but the excavation is too intense, causing the Soul to be in a weakened state for a long time, just like when a person uses too much vital energy, causing damage to the meridians."

"Hee hee, Daoist Friend Xu is indeed smart; so you are also a great expert in alchemy. However, although the Seven Spirit Pill has great side effects, the effect is truly surprisingly good. For those cultivators whose Soul strength is a bit weaker, if one pill can change their cultivation realm, they would still fight tooth and nail to compete for it. We have thousands of people in the inner and outer sects of Yuqing Hall, but only a few advance each year. But it's a pity, although this pill is good, I hear it is particularly mentally taxing to refine; even the group of white-bearded senior brothers in the Alchemy Hall have a success rate of less than fifty percent. Plus, a few of the spirit medicines in it are quite special, so they can't refine many in a year. If Daoist Friend Xu is interested, you can go participate in the competition and try; maybe you could get your hands on one."

As Yun Xi said this, she even poked Xu Chen's back with her finger.

Xu Chen said with a wry smile: "This is an alchemy competition for your Yuqing Hall disciples; how could I participate? Besides, I have self-knowledge; my alchemy skills are very poor, and I can only barely refine some First-grade Pills. How could I dare to make a fool of myself in front of a group of senior brothers and seniors at the Yuqing Hall Alchemy Hall."

"What's the big deal? Those senior brothers and sisters in the outer sect are also just so-so at alchemy, and there aren't many who can even refine First-grade Pills. Only a few of the Second Elder's Personal Disciples are decent, but they are all eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old; they wouldn't be embarrassed to still participate in the competition, would they?" Yun Xi pouted and explained.

Xu Chen turned his head to look at Lan You behind him and asked: "What grade is this Seven Spirit Pill? I wonder if I can view the pill formula?"

Lan You hesitated for a moment and said: "According to what the Supreme Elder Baiyun Zhenjun said, Daoist Friend Xu can view all the techniques and pill formulas in the Alchemy Hall, but I don't know if the Second Elder and others will let you see them."

"Is that so!" Xu Chen pinched his chin, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

The three True Monarchs of Yuqing Hall were high above, like pillars of the sea stabilizing the overall situation and ensuring the safety of Yuqing Hall, but in reality, they did not manage any affairs of the mountain gate; they were detached from worldly matters and focused solely on cultivation. Except for major events concerning the entire Immortal World, such as someone undergoing Spirit Transformation or the leakage of Nether Qi in Black Wind Ridge, they would appear; otherwise, they were basically invisible on a daily basis, and even their own disciples could not see them.

Of course, no one dared not to follow what they said, but this compliance was carried out according to the operating rules of the mountain gate, not without conditions.

The Danyuan Realm Elders were the core who presided over the operation of the entire mountain gate, each managing a piece of business, and each had a large group of Personal Disciples and grand-disciples under them, thus forming several factions and cliques. The outer sect was the same, and it had intricate connections with the several factions of the inner sect. In fact, this situation was no different from the structure of the secular imperial court, only relatively simpler, and human hearts were not as full of scheming and complexity.

If the several Elders had different opinions, or if they could not decide on matters concerning the overall development of the mountain gate, they might eventually ask the three Supreme Elders to make a final judgment, and that would be the final outcome.

In fact, Chixia Zhenjun, who was already in the True Spirit Realm, did not manage any affairs of the mountain gate at all; he was completely like an outsider. The several Elders and disciples could not see him once in several or even a dozen years. The only one who could still manage things was Baiyun Zhenjun, because he was formerly the Sect Leader of Yuqing Hall, though he had stepped down fifty years ago.

It was precisely because of this that even if it was Baiyun Zhenjun's words, the group of Elders still acted according to their own ideas as long as they did not ultimately violate his orders.

Baiyun Zhenjun promised Xu Chen that he could view all the techniques and secret arts of Yuqing Hall except for the two core secret Scripture Pavilions, but whether he could actually see them in the end was just like his acquisition of the Seven-Star Golden Toad; it depended on his own ability to make everyone convinced.

If a person had no ability of their own and kept using someone else's title to do things, in the Immortal World where one relied on strength to survive, it was practically the same as courting death.

Xu Chen understood this principle very clearly now.

To put it bluntly, having big fists was the hard truth. If he had the strength of the Shenling Realm now and came to ask to see the techniques and secret arts of Yuqing Hall, the entire Yuqing Hall wouldn't dare to let out a single fart.

Therefore, this few days of observation and study would likely not be so smooth.

However, Xu Chen did not mind; in any case, this was a windfall opportunity, so he would take in as much as he could, as it was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him.

Furthermore, since Yuqing Hall had discounted the execution terms for True Monarch Baiyun, Xu Chen naturally had to discount his alchemy work as well; not only did he have to discount it, but he also had to make a fortune.

He had already made up his mind: since the several Elders had arranged for so many young and beautiful female Disciples to come over to accompany him in eating, playing, and refining alchemy, he would take the opportunity to thoroughly scrape together and stockpile some Spirit Grass and Spirit Medicine, needing only to use the excuse that the success rate of pill formation was not high.

Whether it was fifty percent, thirty percent, or even twenty percent, it would just be a matter of spouting nonsense when the time came, and he believed Lan You would not undermine him.

(End of this chapter)