Chapter 48: For the Sake of Your Parents
"In this ancient relic, there seems to be a powerful curse or perhaps some other kind of aura," Xuan Kongzi began, ignoring the murmurs of the others. He continued, "Anyone who enters the Yang Side becomes overwhelmed with the desire to reproduce. Weaker cultivators may even devolve into beasts driven solely by primal instincts, eventually exhausting themselves to death.
"However, those at the Dou Wang level and above can generally survive, though at a considerable cost. As for those below Dou Wang, only one person has ever come out alive."
The elders exchanged thoughtful glances as Xuan Kongzi elaborated, "This survivor was a fifth tier alchemist who remained at the Dou Ling stage due to poor cultivation aptitude."
"Does this mean that the strange forces in the relic affect alchemists less?" one elder asked.
"Yes," Xuan Kongzi replied with a nod, "more precisely, it affects those with strong souls to a lesser extent."
"What about the Yin Side?" another elder inquired.
"The Yin Side..." Xuan Kongzi frowned slightly. "Few have returned intact. The curse on the Yin Side is far more fearsome. Anyone below Dou Huang who comes into contact with it grows red fur all over their body and transforms into a mindless killing beast. Even Dou Huang experts who manage to escape eventually succumb to the curse."
"This condition is almost irreversible."
"And what about the Heavenly Flame?"
"The Heavenly Flame is located in the core of the Yang Side. Several sixth tier alchemists have reached the site using their soul strength, but they were stopped by a seal. None succeeded in breaking it and had to leave in defeat."
Xuan Kongzi's tone turned serious as he said, "The reason I've gathered you all here today is to ask whether any of you have disciples or candidates suited for this mission. The best option would be a sixth tier alchemist at the Dou Huang level."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Lao and the Grand Elder of the Pill Tower exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up. This description perfectly matched their disciple.
Meanwhile, Elder Xuan Yi frowned. Cao Ying was exceptionally talented, but she was still too young. Neither her soul nor her cultivation had reached the required level, and Xuan Yi was reluctant to send her prized disciple into such danger.
"Today's meeting is only to inform you of the situation. If there's nothing else, you may leave," Xuan Kongzi concluded with a smile before vanishing into thin air.
Some of the elders left immediately, while others lingered in thought. Several had disciples who were sixth tier alchemists, but whether they met the specific criteria was another matter.
Elder Li, for instance, had a sixth tier alchemist disciple, but their cultivation had already reached the Dou Zong level, making them unsuitable. He sighed with regret and disappeared from the meeting room.
On the Alchemy Square, Elder Li reappeared suddenly. His eyes swept across the area and froze when he spotted Xiao Yan's cauldron. His pupils contracted sharply.
"Could it be... could he succeed?" In Xiao Yan's cauldron, a golden liquid was slowly forming, radiating a medicinal power far surpassing that of an ordinary Emperor Pill.
"Although he may not succeed this time, with repeated adjustments, this new version of the Emperor Pill might truly be refined," Elder Li murmured, his gaze ablaze with excitement. "A genius like him... terrifying indeed."
He glanced around and noticed Dan Chen's cauldron, where a purple pill rotated steadily. Although tempted to offer guidance, Elder Li decided not to disturb her focused expression.
By now, several students had completed their pill refinement.
"Your Snow Spirit Pill is decent, but the ingredient ratios are uneven. Also, the dosage of the main ingredient, Snow Spirit Grass, cannot be altered. Do you understand?" Elder Li instructed a young alchemist of the third tier.
"Yes, teacher," the student responded respectfully.
Satisfied, Elder Li nodded and used a small, ornate spoon to scrape a tiny bit of powder from the Snow Spirit Pill, which he then tasted. Alchemists often tested pills themselves during experiments to identify their strengths and weaknesses firsthand.
"Hmm? Did you add Heavenly Poison Grass to this pill?" Elder Li asked, his tone sharpening.
"Yes, teacher. I thought I could use poison to counter poison " the student began, but Elder Li cut him off.
"Foolish! Heavenly Poison Grass is lethal to anyone below Dou Wang! A single drop of its extract can kill a Dou Shi. And you used an entire plant? Who could survive consuming this?"
The student paled. "I'm sorry, teacher."
"Your idea wasn't bad, but next time, use Five Colored Leaf instead. It's much less toxic, and one leaf should suffice." Elder Li's tone softened as he patted the student's shoulder.
"Thank you for the guidance, teacher," the student replied gratefully.
"It's what teachers are here for," Elder Li said with a smile. He expelled the slight toxicity from his body using Dou Qi, spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground, and continued inspecting the students.
"Shi Hao, is this your Nine Turn Golden Pill?" Elder Li asked, smiling at the plump boy before him.
"Yes, teacher!" Shi Hao puffed out his chest proudly, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
Elder Li chuckled at Shi Hao's watermelon like haircut and examined the golden pill. It shimmered brightly, resembling a high grade pill.
However, as Elder Li sniffed it, his brow furrowed slightly. "Why does your pill have a fishy smell?"
"Teacher, didn't you say the essence of the large intestine must be preserved?" Shi Hao replied innocently.
"I did say that," Elder Li admitted. "The essence of the large intestine is indeed vital for the Nine Turn Vitality Pill. But did you deliberately extract and preserve it?"
"Yes, teacher! I carefully refined it during the process," Shi Hao said confidently.
Elder Li nodded and scraped a bit of the pill for tasting. A foul odor wafted through the air as he did so, making him grimace. Despite this, he placed the powder in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
As he chewed, Elder Li's expression soured further. Finally, his eyes widened, and he hurriedly expelled a mouthful of golden liquid using Dou Qi.
"You you !" Elder Li glared at the startled Shi Hao, gritting his teeth.
After taking a deep breath, Elder Li said, "Shi Hao, if you want to become a professional alchemist, tell me: what exactly did you extract as the essence of the large intestine?"
(Chapter End)
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