"Elder Lee, I'm fine. From now on, I want to walk my cultivation path on my own, though I'm still missing the ninth layer of the Rising Sun Scripture." Evan Yang had come to Elder Lee this time hoping to obtain the ninth layer of the Rising Sun Scripture.
"You should've said so earlier. Here, let me give it to you." Elder Lee took out a small cloth pouch from his waist, about the size of a palm, and handed it to Evan. "This is a small spatial pouch. Since you have such cultivation, don't let it go to waste—consider this my gift to you. Everything inside is what I've collected over my lifetime."
"But..." Hearing it was Elder Lee's lifetime savings, Evan dared not accept it, especially since the pouch wasn't ordinary—it contained a small space, a magical item cultivators often used to store things. Different spatial pouches varied; the higher the grade, the larger the space, and the more they could hold.
"No buts. The Rising Sun Scripture is inside. After I leave, you should focus on cultivating. When it's time to break through to Foundation-Building, just find a few Foundation-Building Pills, and you'll be able to reach Foundation-Building in a few years and become a new-generation genius." Elder Lee smiled as if he could already see Evan's future glory.
"Foundation-Building Pill?" Evan had never heard of this kind of pill before, but the name suggested it was related to Foundation-Building.
Sure enough, Elder Lee explained, "The so-called Foundation-Building Pill is used after you've cultivated to the tenth layer of Qi-Refining. You combine it with the pill and then assault your dantian to achieve Foundation-Building. But Foundation-Building is very difficult, so you must be extra careful."
"Is it really necessary to have a Foundation-Building Pill?" Evan didn't understand why Foundation-Building had to rely on the pill.
"In ancient times, maybe it wasn't needed, but things have changed. Foundation-Building isn't easy nowadays, so later generations invented the Foundation-Building Pill to increase the chances of success." Elder Lee patiently explained to Evan.
"So that's how it is..." Evan thought to himself in surprise.
Seeing Evan understand, Elder Lee added, "Maybe one day you'll really help me fulfill my wish."
"Elder Lee, whatever your wish is, I'll do my best to fulfill it." Evan said firmly, as if he'd risk life and limb without hesitation.
"Someday, take my ashes back to my original sect, tell my master what happened, and ask him to give me a memorial tablet. Tell him I was born there, and let my soul rest there as well." Elder Lee spoke with the hope of someone making arrangements after his death.
Seeing Elder Lee's expectant gaze, Evan realized he had been waiting for this for a long time—especially after seeing Evan reach the ninth layer today, his excitement was obvious. Even if that sect was a dragon's lair or tiger's den, Evan would go, just to seek justice for Elder Lee.
Once Elder Lee received Evan's promise, he finally broke into a bright smile. "Chris Chu—you know him, right?"
"Yeah, is he your disciple?" Evan asked curiously.
"He's actually from my original sect too. After he was framed, we both left together. If you ever become strong enough, take him with you when you go." Elder Lee finally spoke words he'd been holding in for years. Suddenly, he coughed up blood—a mix of black and red, terrifying to see.
Seeing Elder Lee like this, Evan was already shouting in grief, but Elder Lee seemed to have fainted, black-red blood at the corners of his mouth and on the floor.
Noticing the sudden change in the room, Chris Chu quickly rushed to Elder Lee's side. "Yizi! Yizi!" he called.
Elder Lee sat there motionless, eyes staring into the distance. His breathing was weak, and his hair began to fall out—these were all aftereffects of the Aging Pill.
Seeing Elder Lee like this, Chris Chu hurriedly took out a pill from his waist. Evan saw the pill emit a chilling aura, and at the same time, his own body stirred restlessly. "Not good." He didn't know what kind of pill it was, but the seed inside him was already itching to devour it.
Evan, worried, kept trying to control the seed in his body. Sure enough, the seed seemed to understand and stopped stirring. "Phew." Evan breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his attention to the pill. "Brother Chu, what is this?" he asked.
"This is an Ice-Silkworm Pill, a Heaven-Rank pill. It can temporarily preserve a person's body, freezing it in a certain state." Chris Chu explained as he handed the pill to Elder Lee. From his expression, Evan could tell he was reluctantly letting Elder Lee take it.
Just as Evan noticed Chris Chu's unusual expression, a thick layer of ice formed around Elder Lee, much like the frozen figure Evan had seen in the cliffside chamber.
"What's this?" Evan asked in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"The Ice-Silkworm Pill has activated," Chris Chu said quietly.
"So what's Elder Lee's condition now?" Evan asked worriedly about Elder Lee.
Chris Chu sighed, "Unfortunately, I only had one of these pills."
"If you had more, could Elder Lee recover his appearance and remove the poison in his body?" Evan asked, full of hope and doubt.
Chris Chu shook his head. "I've only frozen his life. We need to find a way to remove the poison in his body, then use another Ice-Silkworm Pill to thaw him and treat him. Only then can Elder Lee's poison be completely cleared."
"Do you know how to cure Elder Lee's poison?" Evan asked expectantly.
"If it were possible, we would have done it ten years ago. So now, whether Elder Lee can survive depends on visiting some Pill Sects and finding a medicine that can dispel the Aging Pill's poison." Chris Chu thought for a moment before answering. This was his only way to freeze Elder Lee and search for a cure.
"Then let's go," Evan Yang said impatiently.
Chris Chu looked at Evan, then at Elder Lee, and said, "We've already gone, but..."
"But what?" Evan's heart was hanging in suspense, fearing bad news about Elder Lee.
"The Pill Sects all think highly of themselves and completely ignore us." Chris Chu spoke with disappointment and a hint of hatred.
"Damn it." After hearing Chris Chu's explanation, Evan finally understood why Elder Lee had such high hopes for him—it was so that one day, when he was strong enough, he could fulfill Elder Lee's wish.
"Elder Lee is always kind-hearted. I hope you don't let him down." Chris Chu had overheard their conversation at the door. When he learned Evan had reached the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, he was excited—the term 'genius' could be used. Given time, Evan would surely reach the peak and let Elder Lee return home and seek justice.
Evan understood Chris Chu's meaning. He wasn't the sentimental type, so he nodded firmly. "I'll leave Elder Lee in your care. I'm preparing to head out for some training."
"The Rising Sun Sect really is too small. Your path will be much longer in the future. I hope you reach the peak—I’ll be waiting here for you." In a few brief words, Chris Chu conveyed all his hopes.
"Mm." Evan didn't explain how he would grow stronger, but he had his own ideas. Because of this determination, he became the center of attention.
Everything changed that day. Evan Yang became more mature and steady than ever before.
Evan withdrew his aura and returned to his room, where he saw Tiger Sun cultivating the Rising Sun Scripture as usual.
After Tiger Sun finished cultivating, Evan asked, "Tiger, do you know when the higher-ups want me to hand in the herbs?"
Tiger Sun thought for a moment, scratched his head, and said, "I guess only Logan Luo knows. He's in charge of that."
"Him again." Evan had asked Logan Luo before, but Logan never gave him a straight answer.
"But lately, there's something big going on." Seeing Evan so gloomy, Tiger Sun suddenly spoke up.
Evan had been pondering how to confront Logan Luo and force him to talk, but Tiger Sun's words piqued his curiosity. "What big thing?" he asked.
"The elders are about to recruit closed-door disciples from the inner sect. An outsider Human-Rank Alchemist will be showing up here. I heard he's a friend of one of the disciples, so there's been a lot of buzz. It's probably someone the Wong Clan kid invited, since people saw them together." Tiger Sun relayed the hottest news to Evan.
Over the past two years, Evan had spent his time either cultivating or searching for Elder Lee, rarely interacting with the outside world or seeing Tiger Sun. He hadn't expected to run into such a situation now, but he snorted to himself, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten. Before I leave, I need to get revenge on those two Wong Clan guys."
Tiger Sun had no idea what Evan was thinking, only seeing him deep in thought.
To deal with the Wong Clan brothers, Evan first needed to figure out the origin of this Human-Rank Alchemist and why the Rising Sun Sect valued him so highly. So he went to Chris Chu again to ask about alchemists.
In the cultivation world, alchemists have their own status. Those who can refine different grades of pills are honored accordingly: those who can make Human-Rank pills are called Human-Rank Alchemists; those who make Earth-Rank pills are Earth-Rank Alchemists; those who make Heaven-Rank pills are Heaven-Rank Alchemists; and those who make Mystic-Rank pills are Mystic-Rank Alchemists. The further up the ranks, the rarer they become—especially Mystic-Rank Alchemists, who are as rare as phoenix feathers.
Evan had never refined a pill, so he didn't know these distinctions. After learning about them, he finally understood why a Human-Rank Alchemist could stir up such a storm in the Rising Sun Sect. Anyone called an alchemist had exceptional pill-refining skills and could someday become a Mystic-Rank Alchemist, making them someone everyone wanted to befriend. More importantly, a Human-Rank Alchemist could bring huge benefits to the sect, since they could refine Foundation-Building Pills.
Only alchemists of Human-Rank or above can refine Foundation-Building Pills. Ordinary people can't make them, and the materials needed aren't something small sects like Rising Sun can easily obtain. Only by hunting spirit beasts and acquiring their inner cores—those from beasts of a certain age—can they get the main ingredient. Combined with other supplementary herbs, they can finally refine Foundation-Building Pills.