Free Web NovelChapter 49: Chapter 49: Massive Increase in Strength
Now that he was an Alchemy Master, Zhang Chi could finally feel at ease about openly increasing his cultivation speed a little.
Furthermore, within the Cangwu Sect, disciples who mastered any of the Hundred Skills of Immortal Cultivation were held in high regard.
By registering and being assessed by the Sect, they could take on crafting-related tasks from within the Sect, saving them the hardship and danger of undertaking ordinary missions outside.
Barring special circumstances, the Sect would not dispatch them on missions that involved fighting and killing.
Completing these crafting tasks awarded a large number of Contribution Points, and such tasks were always available to be accepted at any time.
For Zhang Chi, obtaining the Sect’s official certification would also dispel much of the suspicion directed at him.
Previously, although he claimed he could refine Ice Heart Pills on his own, many people were skeptical.
Even Qin Susu and the others were no exception.
But with the Sect’s official certification as an Alchemy Master, no one would doubt him anymore.
By taking on more of the Sect’s Alchemy tasks, he could also accumulate Contribution Points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill in the future.
Although he was still far from the Qi Cultivation Peak, he could already start preparing in advance.
However, Zhang Chi didn’t go to get his certification right away. Instead, he continued to practice for a while longer.
This was because at his current level, he still couldn’t refine Ice Heart Pills. In fact, one glance would reveal that he was just a beginner.
He, on the other hand, wanted to create the illusion that he had been an Alchemy Master even before joining the Sect, and had simply been hiding his talent.
Fortunately, as his Divine Thought grew stronger, his Alchemy skills advanced by leaps and bounds. His improvement was accelerating, and it wouldn’t be long before he could pass for a seasoned expert.
A little over a month later, he could consistently produce four successful Spirit Pills with every refinement.
During this period, he had also made great improvements in other areas.
For instance, three days ago, his Wind and Thunder Sword Control Skill had reached the Minor Success stage. His sword was now truly as swift as wind and thunder, causing his Combat Power to skyrocket once more.
Half a month ago, all the Four-legged Spirit Snakes had awakened. They had grown a size larger, reaching about three feet in length, and had indeed advanced to the Tier One Middle Stage.
Nourished by Spirit Awakening Pills, they continued to grow stronger.
His Bright Jade Body Refining Technique had also reached the Minor Success stage twenty days ago, giving him a physique comparable to that of a Qi Cultivation Middle Stage cultivator.
This technique not only increased his defense and strength and made his physique taller and more robust, but it also improved his Qi Cultivation speed and the quality of his Spiritual Power to some degree.
This rapid improvement was all thanks to some of the Wasted Pills that could replenish Blood Qi.
Of course, if he had access to the Secret Medicine described in the Cultivation Technique, his progress would be even faster.
However, he hadn’t had a chance to refine it yet, nor did he have enough spare Spirit Stones on hand.
Furthermore, his Divine Thought now extended to a range of forty zhang, and as a result, his Comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary Qi Cultivation Cultivators.
He could learn the basics of Low Grade Magic in mere minutes. Many of the spells he had previously learned had already reached the Minor Success stage.
This morning, marking the beginning of his fifth month in the Sect, he finally made his preparations and flew on his sword toward the Sect’s Pill Hall.
The Pill Hall was established by the Cangwu Sect specifically for Alchemy, and it was home to many High Tier Alchemists.
Many of the elixirs sold in the Sect Hall, including the Foundation Establishment Pill, came from here.
The assessment and certification of Alchemy Masters, as well as the acceptance of Alchemy tasks, were all handled here.
The benefits of officially joining the Pill Hall were excellent, but the entry requirements were incredibly high.
Even to get in as an apprentice to learn Alchemy required connections; otherwise, you could fight tooth and nail and still not succeed.
Previously, Zhang Chi wasn’t qualified to join, but now he certainly was.
But Zhang Chi had no such intention.
’The benefits of joining are great, and there’s even a chance to obtain a High Tier Alchemy legacy. However, I’d lose my freedom and become little more than a tool for the Sect. It would definitely interfere with my Cultivation. Therefore, I only plan to be a freelancer.’
Upon arriving at the Pill Hall and stating his purpose, Zhang Chi was quickly led into a room by an elderly Foundation Establishment Steward. The old man had a full head of white hair and a matching beard, yet he seemed hale and hearty.
"So, you’re Zhang Chi?" the steward said. "I’ve heard about you. You finally decided to show up? I was beginning to think you were lying back then. Come on, refine a batch of Spirit-Storage Pills and let me see what you can do."
"Here are thirty sets of ingredients. If you can produce three or more successful Spirit Pills, you pass. Any leftover ingredients and any pills you make are yours to keep."
There was no Earth Fire here, but there was a ready-made Pill Furnace. One only needed to embed a Spirit Stone to start the fire, but it required some skill to stabilize the flame.
Earth Fire was more stable, and using it long-term could save a large number of Spirit Stones, which was one of the very reasons the Earth Fire Hall existed.
"Alright."
Zhang Chi nodded slightly and immediately began the refinement process, entering a state of deep concentration in the blink of an eye.
’Not bad!’
Seeing this, the old man nodded slightly.
POP!
An hour later, the Pill Furnace let out a soft sound. A clear fragrance immediately wafted out, and four Spirit-Storage Pills, shimmering with Spiritual Light, flew out in succession.
The old man inspected the pills and nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent, you’ve passed. From now on, you are an officially registered Alchemy Master of the Sect. You can now accept Alchemy tasks from the Sect."
"By the way, would you be interested in joining our Pill Hall? If you stay with the Pill Hall for twenty years and perform well, you’ll have the chance to obtain a Tier Two Alchemy legacy."
He then beckoned Zhang Chi’s Identity Token into his hand with a casual gesture and quickly recorded some information onto it.
"Thank you for the offer, Junior Martial Uncle, but I have other duties that I must complete first."
Zhang Chi politely but firmly declined.
"You mean your post at the Earth Fire Hall?" the elderly Steward said with a smile, not giving up. "That’s no problem. I can put in a word with the Sect for you. You can leave your post immediately without being fined any Spirit Stones."
"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle, but I’ve always been one to finish what I start," Zhang Chi said, shaking his head again. "If I were to abandon my duties halfway, I fear it might damage my dao heart."
"Very well. We can revisit this in ten years. I trust you’ll have come to your senses by then. And if you happen to change your mind sooner, you can come see me anytime."
"Furthermore, if you have enough Contribution Points, you can come here to exchange for more Pill Formulas, or even the Tier Two Alchemist legacy. Of course, a Tier Two Alchemist must have at least Foundation Establishment Cultivation, so you don’t need to worry about that for now."
The old man seemed a bit disappointed but didn’t press the issue.
Cultivators place great importance on having a clear and unburdened mind, so Zhang Chi’s decision wasn’t surprising.
Besides, from the perspective of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him, ten years wasn’t a very long time.
"By the way, my name is Fu Hongchang," the old man continued after a moment’s thought. "If you run into any trouble during these ten years, you can come find me directly."
"Yes, thank you, Junior Martial Uncle Fu."
Zhang Chi was delighted and immediately nodded respectfully.
’The goodwill of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is clearly a precious thing. Especially since Fu Hongchang is a Pill Hall Steward. He must be an Alchemy Master himself, possibly even a Tier Two Alchemist.’
Afterward, the two chatted a bit more. Fu Hongchang expressed his displeasure with the Xie Family and even gave Zhang Chi some advice.
On his way out, Zhang Chi conveniently accepted a Sect task from the Pill Hall to refine Spirit-Storage Pills.
’For one, it will allow me to accumulate Contribution Points. For another, it will give me the ingredients to continue practicing and improving my Alchemy skills.’ freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
’In truth, I’ve already accumulated a small stockpile of Spirit-Storage Pills. However, I don’t plan to sell them to the Sect or the shops in the Marketplace. I want to offer them to Qin Susu and the others first. That way, I can get a better price than the official buy-back rate, and I can also help out my fellow disciples like Qin Susu. After all, they’ve helped me gather a lot of information for free recently. And they haven’t distanced themselves from me because of the Xie and Song Families.’
"Senior Brother Zhang, we heard you registered as an Alchemy Master! Do you have any extra Spirit-Storage Pills to sell?"
As it turned out, when they met the very next day, Qin Susu and the others beat him to the punch. Before he could even open his mouth, they asked him with eager anticipation.
