Chapter 413 - 259: Second Tier
Word is that Fan Shou and the Thunder Cauldron have been in talks—this news left those who still held out, like Duan Ming and Huo Zun, feeling utterly disheartened.
Someone watched Duan Ming head straight to Fan Shou’s courtyard that night, but when he came out, his face didn’t look any better.
Clearly, the persuasion failed.
Duan Ming once again sought out Lu Chang’sheng, but the latter was still lost in his alchemical work, instructing those below not to disturb him.
Duan Ming had to go find Lu Ziyou.
"Father doesn’t seclude himself easily or for long—if he truly has gone into seclusion, he must have urgent business," Lu Ziyou said.
He vaguely understood Lu Chang’sheng’s intentions, but didn’t plan to tell Duan Ming.
In his view, the White Cloud Pavilion wasn’t all that helpful to the Lu Mansion these days. As someone who understood the essence of Gou Dao thoroughly, he didn’t think the dissolution of the Pavilion was necessarily a bad thing.
So, his heart was quite calm.
But in Duan Ming’s eyes, it meant something else: Lu Ziyou was Lu Chang’sheng’s son, and acting this way probably meant Elder Lu felt the same.
Duan Ming let out a deep sigh and turned away.
He wasn’t about to give up. Xiao Feng was his teacher and, before leaving, told him to look after the White Cloud Pavilion well.
Xiao Feng had always treated him with deep kindness—he wouldn’t give up until the very last moment.
······
"Fellow Daoist Li."
Lately, Gu Chan had been coming to visit a lot.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen Lu Chang’sheng, and only heard from Li Nangua that he was currently in seclusion over at the White Cloud Pavilion.
"Is he truly in seclusion?"
Curiosity and a trace of anticipation filled Gu Chan’s heart.
When she returned to the Gu Mansion, she ran into Gu Long, who seemed like he’d been waiting a while.
"So? Did you see Alchemist Lu?"
Gu Chan shook her head and recounted the details Li Nangua told her.
Gu Long found it hard to stay calm—he’d already double-checked with Gu Chan that when she last met Lu Chang’sheng, there’d been a trace of an aura on him that differed from a regular Qi Cultivation level six cultivator.
"Fellow Daoist Lu might really have stepped into Qi Cultivation level seven."
Gu Long said so.
Qi Cultivation level seven wasn’t anything particularly special in and of itself, but with Lu Chang’sheng, things were different.
"Fellow Daoist Lu’s command of the Alchemy Dao is extraordinary; what limits him is his own cultivation. If he’s reached Qi Cultivation level seven, that could open the path to advancing to second-rank alchemist."
Gu Long understood that much.
Half a day later, he heard another piece of news: Lu Chang’sheng had once bid for materials to craft second-rank True Essence Pills at an auction in Liuyun Immortal City. The feeling grew even stronger in his heart.
But just as he was preparing gifts to visit White Cloud Pavilion, suddenly, a streak of streaming light caught his attention.
"Is the Head of the Gu Family present?!"
A jade-green glow stopped directly overhead.
Such expert aerial control could only mean the visitor wasn’t at the level of Qi Cultivation, but well beyond.
"I am Song Peng, Elder of the Supreme Profound Sect. Prepare the Platinum Immortal City’s spirit array at once."
"Seal the city!"
······
A flash of orange-red flame exploded inside the pill furnace, and the melted ingredients inside scattered in all directions.
Light shimmered across Lu Chang’sheng’s robes, deflecting the scalding liquid away from him.
The third attempt at refining True Essence Pills had failed!
"Second-rank pills are way harder than I imagined."
Right now, he could barely call himself a second-rank alchemist. His magical power and spiritual sense were just enough to meet the base requirements for refining True Essence Pills. But with only an entry-level grasp of the pill formula, his odds of success were clearly low.
He glanced down at the pill furnace—the one that had accompanied him for decades—only to see that now it was split open for good.
If he pushed forward, it would definitely explode.
Thinking that, Lu Chang’sheng gave up on refining for now.
Top-tier pill furnaces were hard to come by. To bear the strain of crafting second-rank pills, you needed an exceptional cauldron at the very least.
The elders like Xiao Feng had such furnaces, but they always kept them on their person. Now that none of them were in Platinum Immortal City, borrowing one wasn’t even an option.
The Gu Family definitely owned top-level furnaces too, but Lu Chang’sheng didn’t want to owe that kind of favor. So, he simply left the White Cloud Pavilion and headed instead to the Glazed Glass Trading House, seeking out Wu Yun.
"Borrow your pill furnace? Did I hear you right?"
Wu Yun was stunned by Lu Chang’sheng’s request.
He knew Lu Chang’sheng had a top-grade first-rank cauldron of his own, and pill furnaces were an alchemist’s livelihood—usually, they weren’t lent out lightly.
In the past, Lu Chang’sheng only ever borrowed the alchemy room; the pill furnace was always his own.
"That’s right," Lu Chang’sheng said. "I don’t want to make this hard for you—these spirit stones are my rental fee."
He passed over a pouch of spirit stones he’d prepared.
Wu Yun didn’t take them, instead eyeing Lu Chang’sheng seriously. "I remember you had a top-tier first-rank cauldron—"
"It’s worn out." Lu Chang’sheng pulled the cracked cauldron out from his treasure insect.
When Wu Yun saw the fissures, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he shuddered, getting tongue-tied.
"You were refining second-rank pills?"
Only a second-rank pill could crack a first-rank cauldron of that quality.
"Second-rank, yes. But honestly, I’m still lacking experience. Tell me, is it convenient?"
"Of course! Totally convenient!"
Wu Yun nodded repeatedly.
He did, for a split-second, doubt Lu Chang’sheng’s words. But then he remembered how precious True Essence Pill ingredients were—no one would risk them unless they were reasonably confident.
"Please, right this way."
Wu Yun’s expression grew complicated as he looked at Lu Chang’sheng. "Have you made breakthroughs in alchemy?"
He remembered the last time Lu Chang’sheng had come asking after True Essence Pill materials—he’d just thought the man was preparing in advance, but it turned out he really was about to fire up the furnace.
"A little, I guess."
Wu Yun led Lu Chang’sheng into the alchemy room. As they stepped inside, he waved a hand to stop a young alchemist’s assistant, who quickly halted in her tracks.
When the two men disappeared inside, she sneaked a glance at Lu Chang’sheng’s back, disbelief in her eyes.
"Second-rank? Alchemist Lu is actually refining a second-rank pill?" Her heart was pounding as she took the opportunity to slip out, and soon reached another courtyard.
A middle-aged man with a somewhat erratic look lounged in his chair, bundled up like a zongzi.
Several female cultivators half-crouched nearby, brewing spirit tea for him.
Gazing at their pretty faces, Zhao Shen wasn’t pleased at all. The biting cold hadn’t let up, and with all the layers of clothing, their half-crouched, tempting postures just looked awkward and bulky.
The assistant who’d come to deliver word felt a mix of envy and unease.
Zhao Shen had replaced Liu Yun; rumor had it his background was extremely impressive. Originally, as Wu Yun’s assistant, he’d never liked Zhao Shen. But after receiving some spirit stones and big promises, he agreed to become Zhao Shen’s inside man.
"Steward Zhao."
"What is it?" Zhao Shen didn’t even change his posture, just glanced at the assistant indifferently.
Upon hearing that Lu Chang’sheng intended to refine a second-rank pill, Zhao Shen was shocked at first, then let out a disdainful laugh, clearly unimpressed.
"Becoming a second-rank alchemist is not so easily done."
Zhao Shen said.