Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

Ye Kai nodded. "Of course! The Alchemist our family patronizes is dedicated to refining the Divine Protection Elixir and the Golden Body Treasure Elixir all year round. After all, the Alchemy Technique progresses only through constant exploration!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuankong immediately stood up and said, "I would like to borrow the Pill Furnace and those medicinal ingredients and Alchemy Tools!"

Han Feiyan and Ye Kai were both stunned.

Ye Kai said in surprise, "Brother Lin, your Talent in Martial Cultivation is the best I have ever seen, and your strength is extremely formidable! But Alchemy is entirely different from Martial Cultivation; it requires a different kind of Talent and also needs years of refining elixirs to gradually improve one's Alchemy Technique!"

"The Alchemist our family patronizes has excellent Alchemy Talent and has been studying the Alchemy Dao for nearly thirty years. In the recent five to six years, he can guarantee a fifty percent success rate for refining the Divine Protection Elixir. However, even this Alchemist can only succeed in refining the Golden Body Treasure Elixir once in dozens of attempts! You've just read the Secret Manual once, and you intend to refine the Golden Body Treasure Elixir?"

Lin Xuankong smiled and nodded.

Han Feiyan glared at Ye Kai.

"What? Are you afraid of wasting the materials for the Golden Body Treasure Elixir? Brother Lin's Talent and strength are astonishing. Since he wants to refine it, he must be confident!"

Ye Kai heard this and could only frown and nod.

Alchemy cannot be compared to Martial Cultivation, he thought. Our family's Alchemist, surnamed Ge, has ordinary Talent in the Martial Dao—just the Second Layer—yet possesses exceptional Alchemy Talent. His Alchemy Technique is now approaching that of a Middle-tier Alchemist. He has studied the Golden Body Treasure Elixir for over twenty years and still needs dozens of attempts to succeed once! Brother Lin has only read the Secret Manual once and wants to refine it? It would be a miracle if he succeeded!

Despite these thoughts, he dared not offend Lin Xuankong and simply led the group towards the Alchemy Room.

A hint of expectation appeared in Lin Xuankong's eyes.

The Golden Body Treasure Elixir Manual stated that an Unranked Golden Body Treasure Elixir could make a Martial Cultivator's bones as hard as Profound Gold and increase Explosive Power by four times! If it were a Grade-Entering Golden Body Treasure Elixir, it could increase Explosive Power by a full six times. If a High Grade Treasure Elixir were refined, consuming it would fill the Martial Cultivator's body with Buddhist Secret Patterns and light, temporarily granting Buddha's Golden Body for one hundred and twenty breaths. Their skin and bones would become flawless, as if forged from Rune Profound Gold, enhancing Explosive Power by a staggering eight times! It's my first time attempting Alchemy, so it will be difficult to refine a Middle Grade Buddha's Light Treasure Elixir, but I possess Young Lady's Mid-grade Pill Technique. Perhaps I can refine a Grade-Entering Golden Body Treasure Elixir—that means a full six-fold increase in Explosive Power! Six times! That's enough to elevate my Explosive Power by another huge step. Combined with other Secret Techniques, I estimate I could unleash the terrifying Explosive Power of a Fifth Layer Perfection Realm cultivator, even though I'm only at the Fourth Layer Perfection Realm! This way, once I enter the Ba Mountain Secret Realm, if I encounter Late Stage Fifth Layer cultivators and Tier Five Demons, I'll be able to handle them easily in close combat. Even if I meet Early Stage Sixth Layer cultivators or Tier Six Demons, I can rely on my Explosive Power to flee effortlessly! Still, whether I can actually refine a Grade-Entering Treasure Elixir... I'll have to try to find out!

Soon, Lin Xuankong, Ye Kai, Han Feiyan, and the others arrived at the Ye Family's Alchemy Room.

Standing at the spacious entrance of the Alchemy Room, Ye Kai called out softly, "Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, are you there?"

At this moment, the sound of Elixir Liquid stirring continuously came from within the Alchemy Room, indicating someone was in the middle of refining elixirs.

Seeing this, Lin Xuankong shook his head slightly at Ye Kai and then, along with the others, sat down on the stone benches in the Alchemy Room's courtyard to wait.

Lin Xuankong, possessing Alchemy Techniques himself, naturally knew that when the Alchemy Fire was billowing and the Elixir Liquid was stirring, it was a critical moment in the refining process. Disturbing the Pill Master at such a time could, at best, lead to a batch of Treasure Elixirs being wasted; at worst, the Pill Furnace and Alchemy Tools might be completely destroyed!

However, being well-versed in the Alchemy Dao, Lin Xuankong was very patient. Han Feiyan, next to him, looked uneasy. Always respectful towards Lin Xuankong, she could not tolerate anyone making him wait idly. Her square face grew increasingly anxious, and she glared fiercely at Ye Kai!

Ye Kai could only manage a wry smile.

Inside is the Pill Master our family has retained for decades, while Brother Lin is an incredibly powerful figure, he thought. Even though I'm a leader in the family, I can't afford to offend either of them!

While waiting, Ye Kai quietly introduced this Pill Master to Lin Xuankong.

"This Alchemist Ge Cheng," Ye Kai began, "though only at Second-Layer Cultivation, is highly valued by the Ye Family due to his proficient Alchemy Technique. Even our Patriarch, who is at the Mid-grade Fifth Layer, respects this Pill Master greatly. He even married my second sister to Alchemist Ge Cheng, just to retain the only Pill Master in Ba City! To tell you the truth, even my status as the family's Second-in-Command is far inferior to Alchemist Ge Cheng's, despite his Second-Layer Cultivation!"

Han Xiu, standing by, remarked, "The profit from the elixirs refined by Alchemist Ge, I reckon, accounts for half of the Ye Family's trading business profits! Any family or sect with an Alchemist certainly holds them in high regard! The official Alchemists of the Great Xia Dynasty, those who can refine the Sunflower Water Treasure Elixir or the Wood Treasure Pill, don't they also hold extraordinary status? Even Sixth Layer and Seventh Layer Martial Cultivators must show respect to Second Layer and Third Layer official Alchemists!"

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sounds from inside the Alchemy Room gradually quieted.

Then, a middle-aged man dressed in brown clothing, his expression somewhat grim, walked out of the Alchemy Room.

He glared at Ye Kai in the crowd. "Didn't I tell you not to disturb me while I'm refining elixirs?"

Seeing his brother-in-law, Ge Cheng, getting angry, Ye Kai, a prominent figure in the Ye Family, immediately forced a wide smile. "Brother-in-law, please don't be angry. It's all my fault!"

As the Second-in-Command of the Ye Family, he dared to confront even his own father, a Mid-grade Fifth Layer cultivator. Yet, this brother-in-law was the one person he absolutely could not afford to offend.

Ge Cheng frowned. "Fortunately, this batch of Divine Protection Elixir wasn't ruined!"

He then turned to look at Lin Xuankong, Han Feiyan, and the others, his brows furrowing again.

"Don't tell me you're here to order the Golden Body Treasure Elixir again? Ye Kai, haven't I told you? The Golden Body Treasure Elixir is difficult to concoct. Even though my Alchemy Technique has reached the Grade-Entering level, I have no idea when I'll next succeed in refining a batch of Golden Body Treasure Elixir! Everyone," he addressed the group, "if you wish to order the Golden Body Treasure Elixir, just pay the deposit in advance. Waiting here is completely useless!"

Having said that, he gave Lin Xuankong an arrogant look, shook his head slightly, and prepared to return to the Alchemy Room.

Ye Kai, with a conflicted expression, spoke up, "We're not here to order Treasure Elixirs. This Brother Lin of mine intends to personally refine a batch of Golden Body Treasure Elixir!"