Creak...
The archaic doors seemed to have been sealed by dust for ages, groaning with an unspeakably shrill screech as they swung open.
And this was merely a side hall.
The instant he stepped inside, Luo Chen froze in place, utterly stunned.
The interior vaulted as high as the firmament. Bookcases rose layer upon layer like stairways to heaven, bearing rows of texts—half ethereal, half corporeal—categorized with meticulous order.
For the first time, Luo Chen vividly understood the literal meaning of "enough books to make the oxen sweat and fill rafters to the roof."
How could a mere side hall store so many volumes on the Dao of Alchemy?
Even Luo Chen, who had experienced the alchemy inheritance of the Heaven Refining Demon Lord, could not help clicking his tongue in silent marvel at Alchemy Saint Chu Yan's boundless accumulation.
He beckoned with his hand, and from the nearest black bookshelf, a volume resembling condensed white clouds flew into his grasp.
Before he could flip it open, a quiet gasp escaped his lips within the hall.
"Hm?"
"This book...?"
Luo Chen ran his fingers over the volume; it felt almost alive.
Directing his Crimson Eyes and Golden Pupils downward, the wreathed cloud mist upon the volume could no longer obscure its true form.
Luo Chen slowly lifted the book, focusing his gaze.
"It's actually an elixir pill!"
Unbeknownst to casual inspection, this volume that appeared as a conventional book was fundamentally a medicinal pill.
The reason it took such a shape was that someone had applied an extraordinarily profound illusion technique, using abundant spiritual energy to manifest a phantom form, thereby deceiving the eyes of outsiders.
"The handiwork of Alchemy Saint Chu Yan?"
"She possessed such profound mastery of illusion arts?"
In the cultivation world, illusion arts were often conflated with soul techniques, yet the two were entirely distinct.
The essence of illusion arts lay in manipulating the five senses—causing what one saw, heard, smelled, touched, or even ingested to produce false impressions.
Soul techniques, on the other hand, were fundamental measures directed straight at the divine soul; even if one sealed their five senses, they were virtually impossible to defend against.
Just like Luo Chen's once-favored "Mirror Flower Water Moon," it was fundamentally a water-attribute illusion technique that manipulated circulating spiritual energy to mislead what the eyes perceived.
All that was seen was illusion—nothing more than flowers in a mirror or the moon on the water!
It was precisely because of this fundamental distinction that even after Luo Chen attempted to refine it toward the soul path, its upper limit of power remained insufficient.
Against cultivators of lower cultivation, it triumphed every time.
Against peers of the same realm, a sudden cast yielded miraculous results.
Yet against those of higher cultivation, it frequently fell short and could even backfire, injuring his own soul.
This flaw only saw some improvement after Luo Chen later drew inspiration from the desolate beast Guixianlou to create the soul technique "Devils and Gods Disperse."
However, Devils and Gods Disperse was rooted in self-defense, misdirecting a cultivator's spiritual sense and visual judgment. Thus, against Great Demon Emperors like Huang Man and Bi Zheng whose souls were no weaker than his own, it proved lacking. In actual battle, he hardly even considered using it.
He was straying off topic.
At present, the illusion methods left behind by Alchemy Saint Chu Yan had clearly reached an extraordinary realm.
Using the pill itself as a vessel and harnessing spiritual energy as the medium, she ensured that whoever came into contact with it—whether through touch, sight, or even leaning close to smell it—would find it exceedingly difficult to detect its true nature.
Had Luo Chen not possessed Crimson Eyes and Golden Pupils cultivated over many years, he too would have been unable to see the truth in a short time.
"Why go to such lengths merely to leave behind a batch of pills?"
"Was it to flaunt her skill, or did she have an ulterior motive?"
Holding the "pill-book," Luo Chen fell into contemplation.
Yet that thought lasted only an instant before he laughed at himself.
He had come here to prepare in advance for the Alchemy Saint Hall trials, no different from cramming books before an examination. Why waste time pondering the materials and methods used by the examiner to craft the study aids?
Shaking his head, Luo Chen lowered his gaze and began reading the pill-book.
He was well acquainted with the pill in his hand; it was merely the commonest first-tier pill—the Qi Nourishing Pill.
It had also been the pill Luo Chen had ingested the most back during his Qi Refining days.
Recorded within the pill-book was everything concerning the Qi Nourishing Pill!
From principles to ingredients, pill-crafting techniques, heat requirements, and even the appearance and coloration of the finished product to storage taboos—every single detail was listed.
So exhaustive was it that had anyone with even a modicum of talent for alchemy acquired this book, it would have been no different from receiving personal guidance from a renowned master.
Supplemented by sufficient practice, they would surely make a smooth entry into the craft.
Luo Chen had never seen anyone summarize a low-tier pill in such meticulous detail, so despite its modest tier, he read with relish.
Yet no matter how intriguing it was, in the end it was still only a first-tier pill; Luo Chen soon skimmed through it ten lines at a glance.
He looked up at the thousands upon thousands of pill-books.
"Are all of these preparation materials?"
"I grew too complacent earlier and took my time before coming here to review the questions."
"There are only a few months left before the trial of the Alchemy Saint Hall begins. It should still be enough time, right?"
Though Luo Chen voiced some doubts, he was brimming with confidence inside.
For alchemists of the Grandmaster tier, quantity was never an obstacle; the true obstacle lay in high-tier pills that exceeded the bounds of their alchemy skills.
Above all, Luo Chen's foundation in the Dao of Alchemy had been tested within the Alchemy Realm of the Heaven Refining Demon Lord.
Thus, he harbored little worry.
Pill-book after pill-book entered his hands, and the intricate details of pill after pill poured into his mind like rushing seas.
Day by day slipped away, and the unread pill-books in the side hall grew fewer and fewer.
From the vast sea of first-tier pills to the handful of fourth-tier pills, Luo Chen's understanding deepened with every passing moment.
Stuffing so much into one's mind within a short period would have overwhelmed ordinary men beneath the deluge of knowledge.
Yet Luo Chen felt not the slightest discomfort.
Be it his tolerance for pain or his formidable divine soul, both were more than enough to support this rapid influx of information.
Truth be told, amidst this cramming, though Luo Chen's gains appeared modest on the surface, they offered substantial benefit in reality.
Along his journey, his alchemy had mostly been self-taught, rarely guided by renowned masters.
The label "unorthodox rogue" had been meant as mockery, yet it held true.
This state of affairs had improved slightly when Luo Chen came into contact with Azure Pill Valley's alchemy methods, and it had overturned completely only after he passed the Alchemy Realm trials and inherited the Heaven Refining Demon Lord's alchemy legacy.
Yet hidden shortcomings remained even within that.
Azure Pill Valley's alchemy art was too low-tier, mostly limited to the first and second tiers.
The Heaven Refining Demon Lord's inheritance was overly eclectic and stemmed from ages past.
While it claimed to span human, demon, and monster paths, an ordinary alchemist mastering just one would already qualify as a grandmaster or sage; how could anyone master them all?
Even Luo Chen had merely sifted through it for what was useful to him, absorbing it bit by bit.
Moreover, the term "ages past" was no exaggeration.
Within the Heaven Refining Demon Lord's legacy, the most recent alchemy knowledge dated back a thousand years.
Cultivators were brilliantly inventive. Qi refining techniques and alchemy went hand in hand; evolving with each passing day, they had long undergone earth-shattering transformations.
If Luo Chen clung rigidly to obsolete traditions, he would inevitably be left behind by modern, mainstream alchemy.
These pill-books left by Chu Yan all dated within the last millennium. Through this vast ocean of reading, Luo Chen's final shortcoming was steadily mended.
...
Five months later!
Luo Chen emerged from the side hall, where the appointed Ye Lingtian was waiting outside.
"Are you confident?"
Luo Chen pointed to his own head. "It's all in here."
Ye Lingtian let out a sigh of relief.
Yet Luo Chen's next words left his heart dangling once more:
"However, whether it will work depends on the specific contents of the trial."
Ye Lingtian could only manage a wry smile. "Who knows what Junior Sister Chu Yan was thinking? The last three trials are exceptionally grueling, while the first trial, though the simplest, changes every single time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had you study diligently for five months, relying on sheer hard graft to tackle the first trial."
Luo Chen nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Had someone previously told him the first trial's test continually shifted every hundred years, he would never have believed it.
How could an ordinary cultivator possess such means?
Yet after witnessing the Alchemy Saint's illusion techniques, he no longer doubted it.
Her alchemy had attained sainthood, and her illusions could substitute false for true; combining the two, setting up minor alchemy trials would present no difficulty whatsoever.
Naturally, such arrangements were extraordinarily delicate and could never withstand brute force.
That was likely why the inheritance had hung unclaimed within the sect for so long without the Mingyuan Sect's three ancestors seizing it by force!
"The first trials in the previous three tests evaluated appearance, ingredients, and medicinal potency. Who knows what it will be this time?" Luo Chen muttered, curiosity showing on his slightly fatigued face.
Ye Lingtian waved a broad hand. "Head back and rest well first. In two days, when the timing is ripe and the trial officially opens, we'll naturally know."
"Alright."
Luo Chen gave a slight nod, subconsciously glancing back at the Alchemy Saint Hall shrouded in cloud and mist.
His Crimson Eyes and Golden Pupils flickered, faintly catching sight of another wisp of spiritual opportunity escaping into the Alchemy Saint Hall.
It appeared that to open the inheritance trial left by the Alchemy Saint, this spiritual opportunity was an indispensable component.
Inferring backward from this, had Alchemy Saint Chu Yan, who laid down these stringent trial conditions, already known how to draw down spiritual opportunity while still in the Nascent Soul realm?
Thinking of this, Luo Chen felt a secret shudder.
Spiritual opportunity across the universe was boundless and indistinct, murky and profound; even Soul Formation grandmasters could not easily attract it. Before departing Mingyuan, Alchemy Saint Chu Yan had merely been in the Nascent Soul realm—how could she have achieved such a feat?
Suppressing the doubt in his heart, Luo Chen returned to Yingxian Peak.
After nearly half a year apart, Luo Lingxi had changed little, remaining skinny, weak, fair, and delicate, with scarcely any growth.
Guided by that gentle woman of the Ye family, Luo Lingxi joyfully called out, "Father!"
Ruffling the little fellow's head, Luo Chen could not suppress that recurring thought:
*In the future, should I really carry out Valley Immortal Feng Jiang's method?*
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Amidst the quiet anticipation of many, the main hall of the Alchemy Saint Hall opened in a desolate, quiet atmosphere.
When Luo Chen arrived, there were only a handful of people around.
A single sweep of his gaze gave him an immediate understanding.
The one in an ink robe with white patterns was Chen Mozi.
The one in gold-threaded cloud robes was Xin Yisheng.
Flanked by several cultivators clad in robes embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, surrounded like stars around the moon, was Lu Chun.
And the woman who arrived late in obvious haste had to be Chu Yu.
Luo Chen's gaze lingered longest on Chu Yu, for she gave him a sense of familiarity, reminiscent of the woman who had stepped through the Star Gate years ago.
Was this the descendant of Alchemy Saint Chu Yan?
While he observed the others, they naturally observed him.
Chen Mozi thought to himself, *Young indeed!*
Xin Yisheng smiled. *He only spent five months in the side hall, whereas we all stayed at least a full year back then. He likely hasn't absorbed much. Never mind the final three trials—the first one will probably send him retreating in defeat. This lad is nothing to fear!*
The shock on Lu Chun's face was plain to see. With the Alchemy Saint Hall open, a heavy spiritual pressure enveloped the cultivators, preventing anyone from concealing their cultivation realm.
And the cultivation Luo Chen revealed was at least at the fifth level of Nascent Soul!
Among the five Grandmasters, he alone stood out at the pinnacle!
For a moment, Lu Chun grew anxious. Regardless of what others said, in his eyes, the inheritance trial of the Alchemy Saint Hall placed great weight on the alchemist's personal cultivation realm.
With Luo Chen holding the highest realm, wouldn't he stand the greatest chance?
Facing Luo Chen's gaze, Chu Yu lowered her head at first—an instinctive reaction among Chu family cultivators when confronting Mingyuan disciples ever since the departure of their ancestor, the Alchemy Saint.
Yet remembering what she sought today, she raised her head stubbornly and glared fiercely at Luo Chen.
*Our ancestor's inheritance naturally belongs to her descendants. How could it ever fall into your hands?*
Amidst the swirling undercurrents, a deep, resonant voice suddenly descended from the heavens.
"Ten years!"
"You have only ten years!"
"After ten years, the Alchemy Saint Hall will close automatically. At that time, whether you have claimed the inheritance or not, you will be forcibly expelled."
"Do not disappoint the sect's expectations of you."
It was the voice of Mingyuan Sect's Sect Master, Ancestor Yuming.
Yet no one sought the voice's source, for the grand doors of the Alchemy Saint Hall were slowly creaking open.
Five silhouettes, neither leading nor lagging, flashed into the hall together.
Outside the hall, silence fell abruptly.
Someone asked in a hushed murmur, "Will anyone succeed this time?"
There was no answer.
Aloft in the ninth heaven atop Mount Yanfu, Ancestor Yuming withdrew his attention.
Drawing down spiritual opportunity was an arduous task even for Soul Formation grandmasters.
Unless one released their primordial spirit to commune recklessly with the heaven and earth's vital energy, combing through that boundless sea in search of spiritual opportunity.
Yet in doing so, no matter how formidable the primordial spirit was, it could not withstand assimilation by heaven and earth.
Thus, to draw down spiritual opportunity, Soul Formation grandmasters of the Mountain Sea Realm had only two methods.
First, upon ascension, when the primordial spirit manifested during the soaring celestial state, it could draw down a vast quantity of spiritual opportunity. Since one was ascending anyway, why fear assimilation by this realm's heaven and earth?
As for the second... it rested upon fifth-tier spiritual veins.
As the highest-grade spiritual veins in this realm, their worth extended far beyond mere abundance of spiritual qi.
Such spiritual veins naturally drew down a small measure of spiritual opportunity on their own.
As long as Soul Formation grandmasters were willing to expend the spiritual vein's foundation, they could borrow the power of a fifth-tier spiritual vein to attract a substantial amount of heaven and earth's spiritual opportunity.
For a sect with such profound heritage as the Mingyuan Sect, such an expenditure was normally bearable.
Yet the present circumstances were different!
The Mingyuan Sect's fifth-tier spiritual vein was anchored to Mount Yanfu, and Mount Yanfu's primary purpose at present was to suppress and refine Qinghexian.
"Ten years is already the limit!" Ancestor Yuming exhaled a soft breath of turbid air, holding some anticipation for the outcome this time, yet also feeling somewhat pessimistic.
Ancestor Tianyuan asked in confusion, "Senior Brother seems not to think highly of them?"
Ancestor Yuming nodded. "Chen Mozi lacks sufficient talent, Xin Yisheng lacks foundation, Lu Chun has too many stray thoughts, and Chu Yu... is too impatient."
"Isn't there still Luo Chen?" Patriarch Heize chimed in unexpectedly.
Ancestor Yuming gave an affirmative hum. "That is why I took the initiative to open the Alchemy Saint Hall trials early; after all, Luo Chen was favored by Chu Yan. But in the end, he arrived too late."
Ancestor Tianyuan frowned. "Had it not been for that trip to Mount Cangwu, and Luo Chen had arrived ten years earlier, it would likely have been a sure thing."
Yuming shook his head as an aged silhouette flashed through his mind.
"Eight or ten years is of little consequence to a Nascent Soul junior. If anyone was truly a sure thing, it would have been Mister Xuanyan. Unfortunately, he..."
"Perhaps he will enter the Alchemy Saint Hall as well!" Heize spoke again.
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you say that, Junior Brother?"
Both ancestors asked at once.
Patriarch Heize said helplessly, "Have you forgotten? His longevity-extending methods have reached their limit. The alchemy texts he authored have already been handed over to us. Now that his final hour draws near, wouldn't he want to see what was left behind by the one who walked ahead of him?"
It seemed there was reason in that.
Yuming and Tianyuan exchanged glances, a touch more anticipation surfacing on their faces.
Meanwhile, within the Alchemy Saint Hall.
Five figures came to an abrupt halt.
Beams of white light crisscrossed through the void, darting and drifting like living creatures.
A rich pill fragrance rushed into their nostrils, chaotic and overwhelming, practically choking their senses.
Desks were arranged across the hall, laid out with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
A line of text slowly drifted into view:
[Identify pills by scent; reach one hundred to pass.]
Was this the first trial?
Luo Chen reached out without hesitation, grasping toward a beam of white light.
Chapter 898