Chapter 147: The Power of Life

The originally pitch-black cave was illuminated by a sliver of light slanting in from the exit at the far end, preventing it from sinking into absolute darkness. Within this cavern, an old man and a youth sat upon a slab of rock, engaged in conversation.

"Indeed, simply possessing the Fire Constitution alone is not enough to become an alchemist," Elder Mu said, looking at Ye Cheng and nodding before continuing, "I have known quite a few alchemists in my time. The primary rarity of this profession lies in the scarcity of the Fire Constitution itself, and secondly, in the necessity to comprehend a special energy that exists between heaven and earth, which we call the 'Force of Life'."

"The 'Force of Life'?" Ye Cheng echoed in startled confusion. Hearing this unfamiliar term, he blinked inquiringly and murmured softly under his breath.

"Remember what I told you before about the momentum of favorable wind comprehended by that young girl of the Nangong family? Is that a kind of rule that exists between heaven and earth?" Elder Mu asked.

"Yes!" Ye Cheng nodded in a daze, then suddenly started. "Could this Force of Life be the same as the momentum of favorable wind?"

"In a way, yes; but in another way, no." Looking at Ye Cheng, Elder Mu revealed a look of satisfaction. The more he looked at his disciple, the more pleased he became; a single hint was all it took for the boy to understand, and such disciples were the easiest to teach.

With a smile, Elder Mu continued, "The Great Dao numbers in the thousands, and the lesser rules are countless—there is the Rule of Wind, the Rule of Thunder, the Rule of Earth, the Rule of Gold, and so on. The momentum of favorable wind is merely a superficial trace of the Rule of Wind. As for the Rule of Life, it is a specialized sub-branch of what is known as a supreme rule—the 'Rule of Creation'—and both it and the momentum of favorable wind are refined sub-branches of rules, yet their directions differ."

"Moreover, this Force of Life is intangible and invisible; it is an ethereal existence, and comprehending it is far more difficult than comprehending the momentum of favorable wind," Elder Mu explained slowly.

"Teacher, I understand what you are saying, but what does this Force of Life have to do with alchemy?" Ye Cheng understood Elder Mu's words, but the other had still not connected the Force of Life to becoming an alchemist.

"What's the rush? This old man hasn't finished yet, you need to let me gather my thoughts," Elder Mu scolded with a humorous, exasperated chuckle.

"Please go on, Teacher." Ye Cheng offered an embarrassed smile.

"Let me give you a simple analogy," Elder Mu pondered for a moment before speaking. "An apothecary generally extracts the essences of various medicines, neutralizes their conflicting properties, and blends them together to produce a medicinal brew. An alchemist's process merely adds a few steps on top of this foundation; they need to condense that liquid into a pill. And this condensation is not as simple as it sounds—it requires someone who has comprehended the Force of Life to imbue the pill with vitality, causing it to take the form of a medicinal pellet."

"Once refined through the Force of Life and condensed into a pill, the medicinal efficacy possesses an extra breath of life, elevating its effects by several tiers compared to a standard brew. However, if someone has not comprehended the breath of life, they are completely incapable of condensing medicinal liquids into pills. How could they possibly be called an alchemist?"

"So that's how it is." After falling silent for a moment, Ye Cheng finally understood.

"Then Teacher, how does one comprehend the Force of Life, and how long does comprehension take?" Ye Cheng voiced the question lingering in his heart. Since the topic had turned to the power of rules, he might as well clear it up now.

"Comprehension depends on the individual, as well as on destiny. Regardless of which rule it is, it can only be grasped intuitively and cannot be put into words. It is an extremely profound process; one might comprehend it in a single flash, or perhaps never find the doorway in an entire lifetime. Such things come naturally when one's realm and destiny have arrived," Elder Mu instructed, offering guidance to Ye Cheng.

"Your realm is still insufficient right now. Once your strength improves, the possibility of comprehending this Force of Life will arise. Remember to let everything take its natural course and do not be overly eager for quick success, lest you ruin your martial heart," Elder Mu said earnestly.

"I understand, Teacher," Ye Cheng obediently replied. However, a bitter smile gradually crept up the corners of his mouth.

The conditions for becoming an alchemist were so harsh; no wonder their numbers were so scarce. They were practically protected species across the entire realm, the alternate-world equivalent of giant pandas.

Not only did one need to possess the unique Fire Constitution, but one also had to comprehend the rule known as the Force of Life. Thinking of this, Ye Cheng's smile grew increasingly bitter, yet his gaze simultaneously grew resolute. What he wanted to do was to turn this possibility into reality.

"Lads like you with this potential should develop it properly. First, complete the path of an apothecary to assist in elevating your cultivation, and on the other hand, lay the foundation for your future path in alchemy."

"If you become an alchemist in the future, it will be extraordinary. Even in the Celestial Plane, an alchemist is a highly sought-after profession, with a status far superior to martial practitioners. One could even say they command a chorus of responses to a single call. A single alchemist refining a cauldron of medicinal pills is enough to trade for countless allies or followers."

"An accomplished alchemist could even rely on pills to build factions and easily establish a tremendously influential force."

"Indeed, the path of an alchemist is exceedingly difficult to walk, which is why it is held in such high esteem," Ye Cheng said, nodding.

He could fully imagine how welcome an alchemist would be in the Celestial Plane. Looking no further than the surviving alchemist in Nanyang Prefecture, he had heard that even the Prefect himself had to show three points of courtesy upon meeting him. Such was the charm of an alchemist.

The mere mention of alchemy suddenly flooded Ye Cheng's mind with thoughts of someone else.

"I wonder how Ling'er is doing now? Has she already become an alchemist?" Suddenly, the delicate figure of a young girl surfaced in his mind. The entreaties she had uttered when he once set out for the Demonic Forest still echoed long in his ears.

"What is it, Ling'er? Has someone bullied you? Tell your older brother, and he'll vent your anger for you."

"You're the one bullying me!"

"How am I bullying you? I don't think I've done anything wrong."

"Great Uncle told me you're going away for a very long time. Ling'er can't bear to part with you. Brother, won't you please not go?"

"Brother, please don't go. Ling'er doesn't want to leave you..."

Every word and plea of the young girl from back then still clearly echoed within his mind.

Ever since he discovered the girl's true background, Ye Cheng had known that one day she would leave. Yet, he had never expected that day to arrive so swiftly and hastily.

He had once promised her he would hurry back, but by the time he returned, the young girl had already been taken away by that mysterious family. Ye Cheng could completely imagine that little girl crying into the face of a little smeared-face cat at the moment she was taken.

The little tagalong from the past had turned out in the blink of an eye to be the orphaned descendant of a mysterious, great power in the Celestial Plane. The disparity between then and now gave him a somewhat ironic feeling.

"Ling'er, wait for me. Your brother will return to fetch you very soon." Ye Cheng feared that after many years, upon meeting again, everything would have changed beyond recognition. Therefore, he had no choice but to seize every moment to cultivate and seek her out promptly, lest this separation drag on for too long.

Within the pitch-black cave, the youth's figure grew busy once again as he embarked on a brand-new round of refining medicinal brews!