Chapter 43: Pill Complete, Life Tablet

“Yes!”

He Pingsheng respectfully pulled his dantian furnace from his sleeve.

A round, three-legged small tripod, it was a top-grade magic artifact.

A top-grade magic artifact, bearing four layers of sealing runes.

“It’s a top-grade magic artifact?” Yu Ning was surprised upon seeing He Pingsheng’s furnace.

Though far inferior in rank to her own spiritual artifact, top-grade items were exceedingly rare.

At over a hundred years old, she had never seen a top-grade magic artifact herself.

Because such items were simply too scarce.

Despite its low rank and only four sealing runes, for an artifact crafter, crafting this was far more difficult than crafting her own mid-grade spiritual artifact with six sealing runes.

“You Xiaozi have real luck—how did you get a top-grade magic artifact?” Yu Ning praised He Pingsheng.

The surrounding senior and junior disciples also grew envious, their curiosity piqued.

To quell their curiosity and unrealistic hopes, He Pingsheng smiled and said outright: “I dare not hide it, Master—previously, a disciple from the Spirit Herb Valley, Wang Dun, owed me several spirit stones, so he left this furnace with me as collateral. Later, he died under mysterious circumstances, and the furnace became my property.”

This…

Yu Ning fell silent: “Your luck…”

The senior and junior disciples around them grew envious once more, envious of He Pingsheng’s extraordinary fortune.

Their earlier curiosity vanished.

He Pingsheng had achieved his goal.

I’m not afraid of your envy—I’m afraid of you investigating me.

Hehe…

“Open…” He Pingsheng murmured, channeling his fire-element spiritual power into the furnace, which instantly expanded to a foot in height. With a wave of his hand, the furnace settled onto the ground.

“Start the fire!” He Pingsheng said: “Use pearwood flame for half an hour!”

As he spoke, he poured water into the furnace.

Then, following the usual alchemical sequence, he placed four ingredients inside: Immortal Bamboo Shoots, Seven-Leaf Spirit Grass, Spirit Apricots, and Zhu Fruit.

He began simmering.

It was a long process, yet the surrounding senior and junior disciples watched with unflagging interest.

He Pingsheng’s method for refining the [Qi Gathering Pill] differed from the original [Thirty-Six Alchemical Formulas], so his technique was unlike most alchemists’.

Yet the differences were subtle—not obvious at all.

Even Yu Ning failed to notice the subtle distinctions in He Pingsheng’s alchemy.

After roughly an hour and a half…

A fragrant aroma drifted from the furnace.

“It’s done…” He Pingsheng rejoiced, lifting the furnace lid.

Twelve [Qi Gathering Pills] leapt out; he caught them and placed them into a porcelain bottle.

Normally, his success rate was only three in ten—roughly three out of ten batches. He hadn’t expected such fortune today: the first batch succeeded.

“Heh…” Yu Ning was overjoyed: “It really worked!”

“Let me see!”

She walked over, took the porcelain bottle, examined it, and said: “Though all twelve are low-grade pills, it’s already remarkable. Good, good… He Pingsheng, from today onward, you are my direct disciple!”

“Come with me!”

Everyone returned to Yu Ning Palace.

Yu Ning sat in the main seat; the disciples sat below.

Only He Pingsheng had no seat, standing awkwardly there.

“Master… I’ve been lacking [Qi Gathering Pills] in my cultivation. Could you ask Little Brother to refine a batch for me?”

“Me too…”

“Little Brother, count me in—I’ll provide the materials. Follow the cultivation world’s rule: ten sets of materials for one batch of pills!”

“Me too! Me too!”

Senior and junior disciples called out to He Pingsheng one after another.

Yu Ning nodded and asked: “He Pingsheng, what do you think?”

He Pingsheng smiled bitterly: “Master, it’s not that I refuse—I’m at the threshold of breaking through to Qi Refining Stage Six. I won’t have time for a while. How about this: once I break through Stage Six, I’ll refine pills for all of you?”

Yu Ning nodded: “Then this: you provide five batches of [Qi Gathering Pills] per month. In return, the sect will give you fifty sets of materials. Is that acceptable?”

“From now on, you need not personally undertake any sect missions. Your annual contribution points will be fully credited to you.”

Five batches?

He Pingsheng frowned.

Five batches was no small amount.

Remember, his success rate was roughly one in three. To produce five successful batches meant refining fifteen—or more—batches.

And he could only refine two batches per day.

One in the morning, one in the afternoon.

Fifteen batches would take seven or eight days.

If luck ran poor, he might spend ten full days a month buried in alchemy.

To shorten the time, he’d have to work overtime.

Three batches a day still required five days.

“Fine!” Having just entered the sect, He Pingsheng had no leverage to bargain. He nodded in agreement.

“Good, good!” Yu Ning smiled: “Today’s batch counts as yours too…”

“All of you, disperse!”

Yu Ning waved to the disciples and added: “He Pingsheng, come with me!”

“Yes!” He Pingsheng hurried after her.

Yu Ning walked around from the front of the hall to its rear!

Beyond the hall, past a garden, they arrived before a small house.

Though small, the house was equally gilded and splendid.

Yu Ning waved her hand, opening the door. Inside, several luminous pearls were embedded in the walls.

Beneath their radiant glow stood a raised platform, upon which rested over a dozen jade tablets.

Each jade tablet bore a name.

Yu Ning!

Hou Muxian!

Xiao Xuejian!

Cheng Siyu!

…

Yu Ning pulled a pure white jade tablet from her storage pouch and placed it before He Pingsheng: “Cut your finger, let two drops of blood fall on it. I’ll make your life tablet.”

“Life tablet?” He Pingsheng looked puzzled.

Yu Ning pointed to the pile of jade tablets ahead: “You see—each of your senior and junior disciples has one.”

“This is a life tablet—equivalent to the mortal concept of a life lamp.”

“As long as the person lives, the tablet remains intact. When they die, the tablet shatters. Should any of you perish outside, I’ll know immediately.”

He Pingsheng now understood what the life tablet was.

A life indicator.

If the tablet was whole, the person lived. If the person died, the tablet shattered instantly.

In the cultivation world, every sect possessed such things.

To constantly monitor their disciples’ status.

The more important the person, the more crucial the life tablet.

“Fine!” He Pingsheng drew his dagger, sliced his finger, and let several drops of blood fall onto the white jade tablet.

Then Yu Ning chanted several Dao seals, and the pure white life tablet was complete.

She picked up a brush and wrote a name upon it: He Pingsheng.