Chapter 90: Xiao Yan Ying, Shamelessly Persistent, Forced to Compromise

"Young friend, when you were refining the Spirit Purification Pill, you added Seven-Star Grass. This method of refining is unheard of by us. Could you perhaps reveal the mysteries behind it?" As Gu He’s voice fell, the previously boisterous alchemists fell silent, turning their gazes toward Ling Tian.

They had heard the conversation between Gu He and Xiao Yan Ying from outside and found it intriguing. The process of refining the Spirit Purification Pill was no secret, but none had ever heard of adding Seven-Star Grass to it. Now, hearing Gu He ask, they couldn’t help but look at Ling Tian.

Truth be told, though they knew Ling Tian had used Seven-Star Grass, they had no idea when he had added it. If asked to replicate it themselves, it would be an arduous and time-consuming task. Thus, it was far better to seek guidance from Ling Tian.

Knowledge comes in stages, and each craft has its master. Even if he was just a youth, he knew more than they did, and so was worthy of asking. Pride meant little; what was it worth anyway? Besides, perhaps Ling Tian’s master was a ninth-tier alchemist.

With this thought, the doubts among the alchemists vanished. Ling Tian had simply followed the recipe he found in his alchemy manual, never expecting it would cause such a stir. What he didn’t realize was that many methods recorded in the manual had been lost over the ages. Not only did the eighth-tier alchemists present not recognize the technique Ling Tian used, but even those at the ninth tier would be equally unaware.

Yet none of them ever questioned Ling Tian. Try as they might, they would never have guessed that he possessed such a miraculous alchemy manual. They attributed the credit to his supposed master.

"I added the Seven-Star Grass after the Dragon’s Tongue. Dragon’s Tongue is of the yin element. Your usual method is to use spiritual energy to control and balance its medicinal effects, then sequentially refine the subsequent yang-element herbs to achieve equilibrium between yin and yang.

Doing so greatly prolongs the process and risks the furnace exploding. However, I used an intermediary..."

Ling Tian stopped here, watching the alchemists lost in thought. Their skills were considerable; at this point, they should have deduced the rest. Otherwise, their theoretical knowledge would indeed be lacking.

"Exactly. The Seven-Star Grass acts as a neutralizer, so the remaining yang-element herbs need not be refined one by one, but can be added all at once, allowing simultaneous refinement and balancing of yin and yang.

Such refined pills will not only be of much higher quality but also greatly increased in quantity," Gu He, who was nearly a ninth-tier alchemist, quickly grasped the principle.

During sequential refinement, material loss is inevitable. But if everything is refined together, with less time spent and more materials preserved, the yield naturally increases.

Marvelous! Truly marvelous!

He had thought along these lines before, but his mind was confined to the step-by-step approach. Hearing Ling Tian clarify it so succinctly now, he felt it was ingenious. It seemed simple, yet breaking old conventions was anything but easy. What if two were added together at the end? There was still more nuance to be explored.

As Gu He finished speaking, the alchemists had a sudden revelation. Their eyes gleamed. If this was true, then refining Spirit Purification Pills would be much simpler. Though the increased quantity would lower the price, it did not affect their interests—they were paid by the month, or even for their contributions to pill production.

"Young friend’s master is truly extraordinary!" Gu He stroked his beard, unable to help but praise.

"Well, that’s... not exactly true," Ling Tian replied, scratching his head with some embarrassment.

"In that case, since you already have a master, we won’t trouble you further. If you wish to refine pills in the alchemy chamber, the doors of Pill Peak are always open to you. I look forward to exploring the path of alchemy together," Gu He said, his words full of meaning. Firstly, he showed his attitude toward Ling Tian; secondly, he implied that even if they could not be master and apprentice, friendship was still possible—a graceful concession. Gu He was indeed magnanimous.

The other alchemists glanced at Gu He and secretly sighed—curse this old fox for getting ahead of them yet again. Still, they nodded in agreement. With Ling Tian’s skills, they recognized his exceptional talent. Who knew what new insights he might share during future exchanges? For those devoted to the path of alchemy, it was a blessing.

"In that case, I’ll accept your offer," Ling Tian nodded, agreeing. His intention was to refine pills there anyway, and such an opportunity was not to be missed. He could even share a few formulas from his alchemy manual, as a return for Luo Qingqiu’s assistance. She had helped him greatly; offering her faction some advancement seemed only fair.

Once everyone had left, Luo Qingqiu appeared before Ling Tian.

"This master you speak of—is it your mother?" she asked curiously.

"No, I’m self-taught. I suppose I have an exceptional talent for alchemy. You—" Ling Tian didn’t finish before Luo Qingqiu grabbed him by the ankle and tossed him aside. She dusted off her hands, a playful smile at her lips. This child was becoming more and more mischievous!

"Pfft..."

"If you’re good at looking after people, do so; if not, don’t bother!" Ling Tian reappeared, landing squarely in the Spirit Spring—unharmed, but the sensation of gliding through the air was not pleasant.

The Spirit Spring was excellent for cultivation. Luo Qingqiu herself often soaked there—not for cultivation, but for maintaining her skin.

Ling Tian muttered a few complaints and settled down, wary lest Luo Qingqiu make things difficult for him again. A woman’s heart was a mystery; who could guess what she was thinking?

After training for a while, stretching as dusk fell, Ling Tian found it was already night. The next morning, he headed straight for Pill Peak.

"Teach me! Just teach me! Here, these are the pills you gave me yesterday—I don’t want them. I want you to compensate me with your method of pill refinement!"

Ling Tian was ambushed in the alchemy chamber by Xiao Yan Ying, who wasted no time in wrapping herself around his leg, brandishing the three pills Ling Tian had given her the day before and making her demand.

"Hey, don’t be like that! We agreed yesterday," Ling Tian grumbled, a vein throbbing in his forehead. If he weren’t so gentlemanly, he would have smacked this girl a few times already.

"No, no! If I give you these pills back, you still owe me something. My request is perfectly reasonable," Xiao Yan Ying insisted, refusing to let go and making a scene.

She had abandoned all sense of shame! Yesterday, her master had followed Ling Tian’s method and produced a batch—eighteen pills, all marked with pill patterns, to her amazement. Her master had told her that any conflict with Ling Tian was her greatest opportunity. Gu He said no more, leaving her to discover it herself. If she understood, the opportunity was hers; if not, it meant they had no destiny together.

Xiao Yan Ying was practical—she chose to take the initiative. Her antics attracted all the disciples who came to refine pills. As the talented and renowned beauty of Pill Peak, she naturally drew attention.

"Get up and let’s talk," Ling Tian said, seeing the situation escalating, and gave her a stern look. Sometimes, he really wanted to hit people!

Seeing this, Xiao Yan Ying wiped her tears and jumped to her feet. Looking at the gathered disciples, she waved them off:

"What are you looking at? There’s nothing to see. Go on, have you finished your tasks today? Yes, you, Li Si, don’t look—I'm talking to you. I’ll have your master check your tasks later!"

Xiao Yan Ying was sharp and unreserved, cutting straight to the heart. In no time, the crowd dispersed.

"All settled, so aren’t you going to teach me alchemy now?" Xiao Yan Ying blinked mischievously at Ling Tian.

Ling Tian curled his lips and rolled his eyes, sizing her up. At her age, reaching fourth-tier alchemist was quite impressive.

"Find an alchemy chamber," Ling Tian said, not refusing her request.

Xiao Yan Ying found a chamber with two furnaces. This wasn’t intended for two people—it was a precaution in case one exploded. For them, it was convenient.

"You start with your usual steps. When we get to the key part, I’ll instruct you," Ling Tian said, preferring to have her demonstrate so he could correct her. After all, she had been refining pills longer than he had.

Xiao Yan Ying had no objections. She soon noticed that the famous young sword genius seemed intent on getting back at her; whenever a step was not up to standard, he would flick her forehead. She wanted to get angry, but her focus was on alchemy, leaving her no time to argue.

"Add the Seven-Star Grass," Ling Tian instructed. Both grew serious as they reached the critical stage. At his command, Xiao Yan Ying, muscles taut, quickly tossed the Seven-Star Grass into the furnace.

"Add the remaining herbs all at once!" Though she had seen her master do this once, Xiao Yan Ying was clumsy in practice, but with Ling Tian’s help, she managed.

The batch produced ten Spirit Purification Pills, six of which bore pill patterns. Xiao Yan Ying’s face flushed with excitement as she waved them in front of Ling Tian.

"Look! Look! I’ve refined Spirit Purification Pills with pill patterns!"