Sorrow

Following the guidance of the stone talisman, Zhou Chengyuan walked alone toward the Pill Peak.

As for Sun Kong, upon learning that Zhou Chengyuan was the new Pill Cultivation Elder, his demeanor became incredibly deferential before he took his leave.

He had originally hoped that if Zhou Chengyuan became an elder of one of the courtyards, he might use that connection to serve him faithfully and gain some benefits in return.

He could also tell that Zhou Chengyuan was not a fickle or ungrateful person.

But now that Zhou Chengyuan was a Pill Cultivation Elder, that connection could not be squandered lightly.

After all, Sun Kong also harbored the desire to reach the Qi Condensation realm. However, the sect had thousands of disciples, and the pills refined at the Pill Peak were always in short supply. Green Jade Pills were especially scarce, completely monopolized by disciples with powerful backgrounds. With his poor aptitude and low status, it would never be his turn, no matter how many contribution points he accumulated.

Under these circumstances, Zhou Chengyuan's favor had become far too precious.

The Pill Peak was not particularly high. A square, grand palace sat upon the summit, flanked on both sides by two pavilions, where the words 'Pill Pavilion' shone with brilliant light.

As soon as Zhou Chengyuan stepped inside, he heard an old, furious roar.

"What are you lot doing? You can be this sloppy even when grinding medicinal herbs? I told you it needed to be a fine powder, so why are there still such coarse granules?"

"It has been half a month, and you cannot even handle such a simple task. If you delay my pill refinement, can you bear the responsibility?"

Looking ahead, Zhou Chengyuan saw a white-haired old man berating several kneeling disciples.

Yan Feihong was in the height of his rage when he sensed a gaze upon him. He immediately glared toward the entrance.

"Who is there? Show yourself!"

Zhou Chengyuan had not expected Yan Feihong's perception to be so sharp. He stepped through the doorway and walked inside.

Yan Feihong scrutinized Zhou Chengyuan, his brow furrowing slightly.

The newcomer was remarkably young, yet he was a Qi Condensation cultivator. Furthermore, his aura was exceptionally stable, indicating significant progress in the Qi Condensation realm.

"Who are you?"

"I am Zhou Chengyuan, the newly appointed Pill Cultivation Elder. Greetings, Fellow Daoist." Zhou Chengyuan held the stone talisman in his hand and bowed.

Yan Feihong looked surprised, and the kneeling disciples also looked up with expressions of joy.

"Finally, a new Pill Cultivation Elder!" one of them could not help but exclaim in excitement.

The Pill Peak had long suffered with only a single Pill Cultivation Elder, while the thousands of people across the sect had a massive, insatiable demand for pills.

For years, they had suffered from a lack of pills to exchange!

The refinement of the four arts-Pill, Formation, Talisman, and Artifact-all required a powerful soul to perceive the subtle transformations within. Therefore, not every Qi Condensation cultivator could master them.

Although the Baishan Sect had many Qi Condensation cultivators, those capable of learning the four arts were few and far between. Divided among the four peaks, the elders for each peak were even fewer.

Yan Feihong cast a sideways glance and shouted, "Stop this clamor. It seems you are all too idle-hurry up and get back to grinding the herbs!"

The disciples hurriedly rose and ran into the pavilions on both sides.

Although grinding medicinal herbs was arduous, it was a task that paid well, worth one contribution point, and they were loath to give it up.

Yan Feihong asked, "Where are you from?"

Though he spent his life refining pills and had no time for other matters, he still knew a thing or two about the Baishan Sect's affairs, and he naturally guessed that Zhou Chengyuan must have joined recently.

"I am from the Baixi Zhou family of Qingshui County."

"Qingshui County..." Yan Feihong muttered. He instantly thought of the Huang family, which had been stirring up storms in the south of the county. They were a prominent cultivation family from Qingshui County.

"Rumor has it that the Huang family is tyrannical. Now, even such a young, talented cultivator has been forced to join our sect. The Huang family must truly be vicious."

Although he had never heard of the Baixi Zhou family, knowing that Zhou Chengyuan came from a cultivation family gave Yan Feihong pause for thought.

Because he had been raised entirely by the sect, he had no external kin to rely on. He had long since accrued a mountain of debt in contribution points, effectively binding him to refine pills for the Baishan Sect for the rest of his life to pay it off. It was a miserable fate for his children and grandchildren; despite being the descendants of an elder, they could not enjoy much favor.

However, a cultivator from a cultivation family like Zhou Chengyuan might one day achieve greatness, and his clan would surely help him repay his contribution points. Perhaps he could even take Yan Feihong's descendants out of this sea of suffering.

First, however, he had to see Zhou Chengyuan's comprehension of the Dao of Pills. If he were too dull, it would not be worth the effort.

"Do you practice a fire technique?" Yan Feihong asked.

Zhou Chengyuan shook his head. "I follow the path of earth and stone. Does that hinder pill refinement?"

Yan Feihong smiled faintly. "It has no effect on pill refinement itself; it only affects your contribution points."

"You must first exchange for a fire-attribute technique, and then exchange for the Blood Supplement Pill formula."

"Ah?" Zhou Chengyuan was stunned. "Even the pill formulas must be exchanged for?"

Yan Feihong laughed heartily, but as he laughed, tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

Everything Zhou Chengyuan was experiencing now, he had endured back then. Every pill formula and every portion of raw materials was a mountain of debt written in contribution points. Furthermore, the Pill Cultivation Elder who had guided him back then lacked skill, causing him to take far too many detours.

Even though clearing his contribution points and slaying a demon would grant him a clean slate, a debt of tens of thousands of contribution points could not be repaid, even if he refined pills until the day his lifespan reached its end.

Under Yan Feihong's instructions, Zhou Chengyuan exchanged for a fire technique called Earth Spirit Fire. It leaned toward the earth path, and when driven by the Qi of jade and stone, the flame could burn even longer and more steadily.

Combined with the Blood Supplement Pill formula, Zhou Chengyuan's debt reached eight thousand one hundred and fifty contribution points!

Yan Feihong did not immediately rush Zhou Chengyuan to refine pills. Instead, he allowed him to familiarize himself with the technique before calling him over, letting him closely perceive the various transformations during his own pill refinement.

Inside a side hall, Yan Feihong sat before a furnace the size of a man's torso.

"Chengyuan, watch closely."

Yan Feihong shouted, his fingers weaving hand seals as a blazing fire erupted beneath the furnace, sending waves of intense heat rolling outward.

"The Blood Supplement Pill is the most common first-grade pill, used to replenish blood and heal wounds. It is not difficult to refine."

As he spoke, he gauged the timing and threw a crimson herb into the furnace.

"But you must not grow complacent. You must control the fire. Once the furnace is thoroughly heated, you must throw the Vermilion Blood Grass into it and refine it into liquid within three breaths."

Saying this, he waved his left hand, and a pitch-black stone flew into the furnace.

"The Scorched Black Stone is dense and sturdy. If it is thrown in too late, it will be difficult to refine fully, leading to impurities within the pill," Yan Feihong explained continuously while manipulating the fire. "When the liquid from the Vermilion Blood Grass boils, soaking the Scorched Black Stone within it allows it to dissolve completely."

"Once the Scorched Black Stone has dissolved entirely, place the White Flame Grass and the Green Origin Fruit inside at the same time to achieve the best medicinal effect."

On the side, Zhou Chengyuan focused his attention completely, memorizing everything Yan Feihong said. Ignoring the oppressive heat, he focused his consciousness to feel every transformation within the furnace.

Seeing Zhou Chengyuan so eager to learn, a hint of a smile appeared on Yan Feihong's lips.

"Now, add the Earth Ash Stone to lock in the medicinal properties."

"Finally, you must execute the pill condensation technique to shape the mixture into pills. Only then is it a complete success!"

Yan Feihong shouted, and the furnace lid suddenly flew open. Thirteen round, crimson pills lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace, each plump and perfectly round, the size of a dragon's eye.

He had refined this Blood Supplement Pill tens of thousands of times, and his mastery had long since reached the pinnacle of perfection, becoming pure instinct.

Zhou Chengyuan followed the process and attempted a refinement himself. Benefiting from his years of experience refining the Jade Rock Green Origin Pill, he actually succeeded on his very first attempt.

Although his shaky control of the fire caused the quality of the pills to be somewhat inferior, Yan Feihong's eyes shone with an extraordinary light.

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