The Imperial City was home to many bizarrely shaped structures. Some were built on the whim of mighty experts, some owed their form to an expert's sheer lack of artistic taste, and others existed as grand symbols.
A bronze cauldron stood in a corner of the Imperial City, towering like a small mountain. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror and densely covered with intricate detail; even from afar, one could sense its ancient, rustic elegance.
This was the most bustling district of the Imperial City, where every inch of land was worth an inch of gold. To keep such a bronze cauldron standing here required a staggering fortune in spirit stones.
Aside from a select few major factions, such as the Falling Coin Chamber of Commerce, virtually no one could afford such an expense.
A number of white-haired, white-robed elders, radiating the refreshing fragrance of medicinal pills, strolled into the bronze cauldron with their hands clasped behind their backs, looking upon the world as if no one else mattered.
Pedestrians passing by the cauldron cast glances full of admiration and envy at the elders entering the structure.
Every one of them was a renowned master of the alchemical dao, and quite a few had even pioneered entirely new methods of pill refinement.
This was the Alchemy Alliance, representing the supreme pinnacle and authority of the dao of alchemy. Every year, they unveiled countless pill formulas to the world, showcasing their remarkable achievements. It was the sacred holy land in the hearts of all alchemists, second only to the Alchemy Peak of the Dao Seeking Sect.
Inside the bronze cauldron, taciturn alchemists sat around an exquisite stone table, their faces devoid of any expression.
A figure arrived fashionably late, signaling the start of the meeting.
It was Qingyunzi, the Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Alliance. In terms of sheer skill, he was the undisputed foremost alchemist.
Those seated here were all senior veterans of the alchemical world, each possessing exceptional techniques, yet every one of them recognized Qingyunzi's standing.
Even the notoriously haughty Seventh Elder acknowledged that Qingyunzi was a master of alchemy second only to himself.
Qingyunzi smiled faintly with an unhurried air. "This regular meeting, like all the others, aims to exchange insights on pill refinement. Please feel free to speak your minds."
"Can we really say whatever we want?" an alchemy master asked, raising a hand.
"Of course."
The alchemy master's expression darkened, and he slammed the table in fury. "Then what are you putting on airs for when you're the one who arrived late, Qingyunzi? Everyone here has been sitting around forever just waiting for you!"
Evidently, acknowledging Qingyunzi's alchemical standing did not mean tolerating his tardiness.
"My apologies, my apologies. I was studying a pill formula just now and had a major breakthrough. I was so overjoyed that I lost track of time."
"What kind of pill were you studying that had you so engrossed?"
Qingyunzi offered a mysterious smile. "An ancient pill formula: the Child-Bestowing Pill."
"You successfully refined it?!" Everyone was astonished. They all had copies of the formula for the Child-Bestowing Pill, but no matter how they brewed it, the resulting pill did nothing more than rejuvenate and beautify one's Dao companion.
Lately, quite a few beauty-enhancing pills had surfaced on the black market. All of them were their failed batches—completely useless aside from making whoever took them look attractive.
"Well, not quite yet, but I've already caught onto a lead," Qingyunzi explained. "According to my research, the creator of the Child-Bestowing Pill formula was named Qing He. She appears to have had close ties with a certain immortal. It's very likely that the Child-Bestowing Pill is connected to this immortal as well!"
"It's actually related to an immortal? Put that way, it does make sense." The assembly moved from surprise to understanding. There was probably an immortal fruit among the medicinal ingredients, which was why reproducing the recipe had proven so difficult.
"Hmph, and here I thought you made some major breakthrough. Turns out that's all it is?" Seventh Elder sneered at Qingyunzi's so-called research.
"I wondered who it was; turns out it's Wujizi of Alchemy Peak. What brilliant insight do you have to offer?" Seeing that it was Seventh Elder, Qingyunzi dropped his serene demeanor, his tone instantly laced with gunpowder.
Qingyunzi and Seventh Elder locked eyes, sparks flying between them.
The others knew better than to intervene; everyone was well aware of the history between these two.
In their youth, both had fallen for the same young woman. After a clash—which mostly consisted of Seventh Elder pinning Qingyunzi to the ground and beating him up—the woman had ultimately chosen the brilliantly talented Seventh Elder.
And so, the grudge between them was forged.
Because Seventh Elder frequently concocted bizarre concoctions, no one could easily gauge his true skill in alchemy.
What was certain, however, was that in terms of combat, not a single person present was a match for him.
Seventh Elder drawled slowly, "According to my findings, the crux of the formula does not lie in how the pill is refined, but in how it is consumed.
"Have none of you noticed? The very opening line of the formula specifies the method of ingestion: 'Take with river water to induce pregnancy.'
"Why specify 'river water'? Wouldn't 'water' alone have sufficed?
"Puzzled by this, I scoured ancient texts and consulted young scholars knowledgeable about the Ancient Era, and I finally found the answer.
"The river water mentioned in the formula isn't ordinary river water, but the water of the Child-and-Mother River, refined by an immortal during ancient times!
"Drinking the water of the Child-and-Mother River is what induces pregnancy!"
The moment these words left his mouth, shock rippled through the hall. "What?!"
"The Child-and-Mother River?"
"Such miraculous river water actually exists?!"
Though Seventh Elder always refined bizarre pills, he never joked about matters like this!
"Which immortal was it?" Casting aside their grudge, Qingyunzi asked urgently.
He had searched every ancient text and even borrowed rare manuscripts from the Imperial Palace, yet he had never found that immortal's name. It was as if it had been deliberately erased!
Seventh Elder gave a solemn nod and revealed the ancient secret: "It was Immortal Ying Tian."
Realization dawned upon Qingyunzi. "So it was him! That explains everything."
"Explains what?" The crowd was baffled by Qingyunzi's reaction; none of them had ever heard of Immortal Ying Tian refining a Child-and-Mother River.
Qingyunzi took on an air of secrecy. "I once recovered an ancient text from a ruin titled *Complete Culinary Arts*. Although I have yet to fully decipher it, there is one thing I know for certain: while this book appears to teach one how to cook, it hides profound secrets within."
The crowd was perplexed. From the title alone, didn't it sound like an ancient cookbook? Could it be something else?
"At first, I thought just as you did—that it was an ancient cookbook. But after casually preparing a few dishes from it, I discovered that anyone who ate them ended up unconscious at best!
"That isn't a cookbook—it's a poison manual!"
A collective gasp filled the room. An ancient poison manual sounded utterly terrifying.
"And the author of this poison manual was none other than Immortal Ying Tian!
"Pill refining and poison crafting share the same roots. For Immortal Ying Tian to pen such a poison manual, his grasp of alchemical theory must have been profound!
"I once heard an ancient saying passed down through the ages: the greatest alchemist does not search for ingredients, but invents them!
"The Child-and-Mother River must have been an ingredient refined by Immortal Ying Tian!
"No—perhaps the water of the Child-and-Mother River wasn't an ingredient at all, but a poison!
"Imagine poisoning an opponent with Child-and-Mother River water during battle—once they become pregnant, how could they possibly fight?" The more Qingyunzi spoke, the brighter his eyes shone. He felt his deductions were a seamless, interlocking chain of logic, as though he had just peeled away a layer of mystery from the Ancient Era!
"Just how many women must have become pregnant from the Child-and-Mother River water refined by Immortal Ying Tian?" Everyone marveled at Immortal Ying Tian's uncanny power.
He truly was an immortal to have created such a wondrous substance.
After pouring water for the guests, an attendant quietly slipped away. These were all grand masters of alchemy, and their conversation revolved entirely around immortals. Terrified by what he had overheard, he did not dare linger.
The moment he stepped outside, his peers crowded around him.
"Well? What did they say in there?"
This was a gathering of the world's foremost alchemists, representing the cutting edge of alchemical knowledge. Catching even a snippet of it was enough to brag about for days.
The attendant looked troubled; he had been too frightened earlier to listen carefully.
Straining to recall the masters' conversation, he said with some hesitation,
"It sounded like they said... the ancient Immortal Ying Tian impregnated countless women?"
His companions sucked in a breath of cold air.
Now that was an ancient secret.
Chapter 295