The next day.
Upon Mount Xiaonan, hundreds of cultivators gathered together.
Having rested the entire night and donned a brand-new Daoist robe, Tao Yisheng appeared before the assembly radiating vigor and vitality.
Supported by the multitude, he ascended the throne of Clan Head.
A grand banquet commenced.
During the feast, Tao Yisheng publicly announced before all present:
"From this day forth, Master Danchenzi is a consecrated elder of our Tao clan!"
"All shall treat him with the utmost respect!"
Under the gaze of the crowd, Luo Chen calmly and naturally accepted a specially crafted medallion.
Engraved on the back was Azure Pill Valley's nine-cloud motif, while the front bore a small golden chrysanthemum.
Its meaning was self-evident.
Azure Pill Valley, Tao clan!
From that moment on, Luo Chen was officially a consecrated elder of the Tao clan.
Luo Chen was not surprised by this development.
It was not merely to qualify him to lend his strength to Tao Wan during the Dao Seed contest; it was also because, if she truly became a Golden Core Dao Seed of Azure Pill Valley, selling high-grade pills to Luo Chen would require a nominal status.
Under ordinary circumstances, Azure Pill Valley's high-grade pills were strictly kept from flowing outside.
They were either consumed internally or traded with other great sects for rare resources.
In terms of cultivation, low-grade pills were everyday consumables, but high-grade pills could already be classified as strategic resources.
Now that Luo Chen was a consecrated elder of the Tao clan, he was nominally one of their own.
This way, it would not count as pills leaking to the outside world.
Tao Wan would also have no cause to worry about facing punishment under the sect's regulations.
Of course!
Luo Chen harbored no illusions about receiving the lavish treatment normally accorded to a clan's consecrated elder.
There were no spirit stones, no cultivation methods, and nothing else.
Likewise, if the Tao clan ran into trouble in the future, Luo Chen could choose not to intervene.
Their arrangement was exceptionally flexible.
Luo Chen did not linger long at this grand gathering celebrating the Clan Head's ascension.
Once he obtained the consecrated elder medallion, he hurriedly returned to the Ink Lotus Courtyard.
Shutting the front gate, five items lay arranged before him.
Three jade bottles, a sheet of paper, and a book.
These were the remuneration Tao Wan had specifically delivered to him today.
The compensation for enlisting his aid!
The three jade bottles contained, respectively, Azure Pill Valley's specialty Tier 3 pill, the Soaring Dragon Pill; Ice Fort's specialty Tier 3 pill, the Ice Phoenix Pellet; and the Tier 2 Colored Chrysanthemum Pills that Tao Yisheng had only refined the day before.
The first two were what Tao Wan had promised him the previous year.
Paired with the Core Formation Secret Technique, the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation gifted by Tantai Jin, taking them during Core Formation could boost his odds of success by ten percent.
In this way, regardless of what turns his future life might take, Luo Chen finally possessed a sliver of hope for forming his core.
As for the Colored Chrysanthemum Pills, Luo Chen had specifically requested them from Tao Yisheng.
The young man had not demurred, handing them over without hesitation.
For Tao Yisheng to have claimed an upright, decisive victory in the alchemy duel for Clan Head, Luo Chen undeniably deserved the primary credit!
Tao Yisheng was not blind to reason and propriety.
Otherwise, he would not have gone out of his way to grandly introduce Luo Chen to all the Tao clan cultivators on this momentous day of his ascension.
This went far beyond mere friendship or the rapport with an ordinary consecrated elder; it carried the faint reverence due to an esteemed mentor.
The reason Luo Chen wanted those three Colored Chrysanthemum Pills was to study them in conjunction with that sheet of paper.
Inscribed upon the paper was the precise formula for the Colored Chrysanthemum Pill.
This was a cultivation-type pill formula researched and developed by the Tao clan's ancestor, Master Nanshan, all those years ago.
It had never been turned over to Azure Pill Valley, and thus fell outside the sect's jurisdiction.
As for the book, it contained the Core Formation insights left behind by Master Nanshan.
Well, a transcribed copy!
Looking at the five items before him, Luo Chen could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Tao Wan lacked confidence in his alchemy, but was he not equally apprehensive that she might withhold his payment?
When all was said and done, all he could do was lend a hand in the second round's alchemy contest.
Whether she could seize the Dao Seed position ultimately depended on Tao Wan's own abilities.
What if she failed?
Procuring high-grade pills would naturally become impossible.
And as for these items before him, if she flew into a rage from humiliation and refused to hand them over then, Luo Chen would have nowhere to air his grievances.
Receiving them in advance put his mind at ease.
He stowed away the pills and put the Core Formation insights aside.
For the time being, he had no use for them; he could study them at his leisure later.
Luo Chen turned his attention to the formula for the Colored Chrysanthemum Pill.
Refining his own cultivation pills was an absolute necessity!
First, it was a precaution against Tao Wan's failure, which would leave him with nowhere to purchase high-grade pills.
Second, Luo Chen was planning ahead for another pragmatic reality:
Drug resistance!
Back in his Qi Refinement days, he had consumed massive quantities of Qi-Nourishing Pills, ultimately developing resistance to them.
Although Tier 2 pill formulas were far more refined after reaching Foundation Establishment, that could not offset the sheer volume and relentless frequency of his consumption!
To avoid developing resistance, he had spent recent years alternating between the Soaring Dragon Pill and the Qi Harmonizing Pill.
This had even dragged down his cultivation speed to some degree.
What he feared was developing resistance to one of the pills prematurely.
Yet that day was bound to arrive eventually.
Therefore, Luo Chen had to prepare in advance.
The key to breaking this impasse lay within the Colored Chrysanthemum Pill.
"Let's see what caliber of Tier 2 cultivation pill formula a generation's Tier 3 alchemist, Master Nanshan himself, was able to create!"
Gazing at the thin sheet of paper before him, Luo Chen eagerly focused his mind and began his study.
***
While Luo Chen was studying the pill formula, Azure Pill Valley had long been swept into shifting winds and turbulent currents.
The Dao Seed contest was close at hand.
More and more Foundation Establishment cultivators began showing themselves in public.
Streaks of light entering and leaving the sect grew increasingly numerous.
Cultivators who had previously taken part in the war between the Luoyun Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect were also returning one after another.
There were even external cultivators like Luo Chen who had personally arrived at Azure Pill Valley at the invitation of true disciples.
Tao Wan took time to visit Luo Chen several times, offering to introduce him to the people she had gathered to her side, but he politely declined each time.
These sect disciples were invariably haughty, looking down their noses at others.
Even if they maintained a veneer of politeness, they looked down on rogue cultivators to their very bones.
Young lads like Tao Yisheng, fresh and unjaded, were truly far too rare.
Tao Wan did not force the matter, merely mentioning that in a couple of days she would take him to familiarize himself with the venue—the venue for the second round's grand alchemy competition!
Two days later.
Two streaks of light rose from Mount Xiaonan, heading straight for Mount Yuanhua!
Gales rushed toward them, yet upon reaching Luo Chen, the wind parted in an uncanny manner.
This strange sight caused Tao Wan at his side to look on in surprise.
"Rumor has it that your spells are peerlessly exquisite, Daoist brother, but to wield a humble Wind Riding Technique to such an uncanny degree of perfection!"
Luo Chen smiled modestly.
Looking at the towering mountain ahead, he asked curiously, "Is the true disciples' sword duel to be held on this mountain?"
"No!"
Tao Wan shook her head. "It is inside the true Azure Pill Valley!"
"Oh?"
Luo Chen was slightly surprised. Could the territory they currently occupied not be considered inside Azure Pill Valley?
Shortly thereafter, he understood what "Azure Pill Valley" truly meant!
Passing beyond Mount Yuanhua, an immense basin leaped into view.
Gazing down at that sprawling sunken terrain, he exclaimed in shock, "So this is how it is?"
Tao Wan smiled faintly. "Indeed it is!"
As far as the eye could see, five towering peaks were arranged in five directions with orderly precision.
And between the five mountains, boundless clusters of palaces stretched unbroken.
Pavilions, towers, water-side terraces, and garden pavilions dotted the landscape everywhere.
Countless streaks of light darted in and out between the five peaks.
Vast, swirling spiritual energy billowed and swirled within this enormous basin, unable to escape.
It was as though it had been locked completely inside!
"Truly a great sect of grand lineage!"
"Such vast terrain is actually called a 'valley'!"
Luo Chen marveled with deep sigh.
He could sense that within this valley, the spiritual energy density universally reached the level of Tier 2 spirit lands.
This expanse alone far exceeded those ordinary Tier 2 caves on Tianlan Peak.
And upon the five surrounding peaks, the spiritual energy was more than ten times as dense, stirring a deep yearning in the heart.
Every single peak was comparable to Tianlan Peak!
In other words, each mountain could be regarded as an independent Tier 3 spirit land!
"The Foundation Establishment cultivators of our sect reside year-round within this valley."
"Meanwhile, the five grand mountains—Mount Yuanhua, Dragon Head Peak, Azure Cloud Peak, Danyang Peak, and Mount Luojia—harbor Tier 3 spirit lands. Hence, only Masters who have formed a Golden Core may dwell there."
"Of course, if one is accepted as a disciple by a Golden Core Master, one can occasionally enter the Tier 3 spirit lands to cultivate for a time."
Tao Wan briefly explained the layout of Azure Pill Valley, her words tinged with pride and satisfaction.
Luo Chen clicked his tongue in wonder as he looked.
The spirit land held by Azure Pill Valley was not only vast in expanse, but its layout was also peerless.
To say nothing of peripheral, scattered spirit lands like Mount Xiaonan, these five spirit mountains alone must yield an unfathomable quantity of resources each year.
And nurtured by the five spirit mountains, the spiritual energy density of this Pill Valley was bound to grow richer and richer.
Sure enough!
Tao Wan immediately went on to describe the valley's circumstances:
"Four hundred years ago, during the Pioneer War, our Azure Pill Valley's forebears conquered this land."
"Using secret arts to link the currents of the mountains and earth veins, they moved mountains and filled seas to forge this pattern of 'Five Peaks Enclosing the Valley.'"
"Now, several centuries have passed, and the Pill Valley has reached the high-grade Tier 2 level. In due time, after a millennium or more, this Pill Valley will surely attain the level of a Tier 4 spirit land!"
"When that day comes, if a Nascent Soul Perfected Person arises in our Azure Pill Valley, there will be no need to seek out another Tier 4 spirit land for cultivation."
Listening to this grand vision, even Luo Chen was shaken. The predecessors of Azure Pill Valley had truly harbored boundless ambitions!
Employing methods that moved mountains and filled seas, they had forged the geomantic pattern of five peaks enclosing the valley.
They even intended to nurture this entire Pill Valley into a Tier 4 spirit land.
Suddenly, he thought of the Pill-Nourishing Technique in the Qingyuan Alchemy Exposition.
Could this "Pill Valley" not be viewed as an immense "Grand Pill"?
Nurtured by five Tier 3 spirit lands, its grade continually climbed, until it would ultimately surpass the limits of the five peaks themselves and reach the realm of a Tier 4 spirit land!
At this thought, Luo Chen's heart trembled.
The alchemy of Azure Pill Valley seemed no longer confined to ordinary pills.
They were refining a spirit land like a pill!
While he was lost in thought, the two flew swiftly and soon arrived at the heart of the Pill Valley.
Landing on a flat stretch of ground, Luo Chen looked up curiously at nine widely spaced elevated platforms nearby.
Each platform was shrouded in spiritual light, obscuring whatever lay within.
"What are these?"
Tao Wan looked at the nine platforms with yearning. "These will be the arenas for the true disciples' sword duel. To vie for the Dao Seed, one must first hold one of these arenas for nine days! Only then will one attain the status of a Grand True Disciple."
A Grand True Disciple was still a true disciple; it was simply that this status only appeared during the Dao Seed contest.
Once the contest concluded, it would be revoked.
Naturally, to emerge as one of the nine Grand True Disciples during the Dao Seed contest was already a remarkable distinction.
Even if one failed in subsequent rounds, one would catch the eyes of the sect's upper echelons.
Correspondingly, cultivation resources would be tilted in their favor.
Over all these years, not all of Azure Pill Valley's Golden Core Masters had advanced by winning the Dao Seed.
Many among them had obtained resources through the status of Grand True Disciple, thereby forming their Golden Cores.
As they spoke, Tao Wan sent out a voice transmission talisman.
Before long, a Daoist came flying over.
"Senior Sister Tao!"
"Chu Huai, channel the earth fire and take out a test cauldron. The alchemist I invited needs to familiarize himself with the venue."
The man named Chu Huai looked curiously at Luo Chen.
Then, from his storage bag, he produced a small azure cauldron. Infusing it with spiritual energy, it swelled in the blink of an eye until it stood as tall as a man.
Compared to Luo Chen's gigantic Ice Emperor Cauldron, this cauldron was quite small.
Yet the aura emanating from it made Luo Chen look twice.
"A superior-grade dharma artifact? Or a top-grade one?"
"No!"
"How does it faintly carry the aura of a magic treasure?"
This fluctuating aura of artifact rank piqued Luo Chen's curiosity immensely.
Seeing this, Chu Huai channeled the earth fire onto the platform while explaining to Luo Chen:
"I should let fellow Daoist know that this cauldron is Azure Pill Valley's sect-protecting treasure!"
Luo Chen was stunned. A sect-protecting treasure kept in the hands of a mere Foundation Establishment True Cultivator?
Even jokes had their limits!
Tao Wan shook her head and said, "This truly is Azure Pill Valley's sect-protecting treasure, though it is merely one of the child cauldrons of the Azure Sky Glazed Cauldron."
A child cauldron?
Luo Chen was still puzzled.
He knew Azure Pill Valley possessed a sect-protecting treasure of the superior grade!
It was a superior-grade magic treasure not a whit inferior to Ghost Spirit Valley's Demon Locking Pagoda, yet he had never heard of any child cauldrons.
Moreover, if there was a child cauldron, did that not mean there was a mother cauldron?
Seeing his confusion, Tao Wan explained in detail: "Our Azure Pill Valley possesses a superior-grade magic treasure passed down from a thousand years ago, forged in a linked mother-and-child design. It is divided into the mother cauldron, the Azure Sky Cauldron, and thirty-six Glazed Child Cauldrons."
"Legend has it that an Azure Pill Valley forebear once relied on this magic treasure, with only Mid Golden Core cultivation, to forcefully refine a Tier 4 pill, causing a great sensation in his day!"
"To keep the second round relatively fair, when all of you compete, you will each use an identical Glazed Child Cauldron and the same grade of earth fire. Even Eldest Senior Brother Danyangzi is forbidden from utilizing his origin true fire and must abide strictly by the tournament rules."
Luo Chen listened, dazzled and mesmerized, his mind momentarily dazed.
A single magic treasure could actually be divided into thirty-six child cauldrons?
No wonder he had sensed varying grades of aura from this glazed cauldron.
Chu Huai chimed in from the side, "Senior Sister speaks the truth. This Azure Sky Glazed Cauldron is a renowned alchemical magic treasure even across the thirty-six domains of the Eastern Desolation, second only to the Medicine King Sect's Sun and Moon in the Pot and Fenghua Palace's Divine Wind Furnace."
"Yet while its fame may be slightly lesser, its prowess is not inferior in the slightest!"
"At Azure Pill Valley's zenith, with a Tier 4 alchemist presiding, assisted by six Tier 3 alchemists and thirty Tier 2 alchemists all refining simultaneously, they could transcend the constraints of cultivation realm and refine Tier 4 pills!"
Luo Chen envisioned that scene.
A Daoist perched high in the nine heavens, alone commanding the Azure Sky Mother Cauldron.
Beneath him, thirty-six alchemists each tended a Glazed Child Cauldron, simultaneously refining the same pill.
That spectacle was indeed breathtaking!
"Today, my eyes have truly been opened!"
With an appreciative sigh, Luo Chen shook his head and took a jade token from Chu Huai's hand.
With this token, he could temporarily control the Glazed Child Cauldron.
A tongue of flame shot up from the underground aperture, and Chu Huai looked at Luo Chen curiously.
"Fellow Daoist, will you not bring your medicine apprentices and fire stokers to practice together?"
Tao Wan had harbored the same doubt all along.
"Luo Chen, my Tao clan has plenty of Tier 1 alchemists who can come assist you. If that won't do, I can even have Yisheng act as your assistant."
Yet facing their bewilderment, Luo Chen merely offered a confident smile.
"No need!"
"I alone am enough!"
Chapter 329