Chapter 7, Cultivating Elixirs

Luo Huan paused, pondering for a moment: "Young man, consider yourself fortunate to have encountered me, the foremost master of alchemy throughout history. If it were anyone else, they would be unable to assist you..."

Sun Li smiled and immediately said to Luo Huan: "Quickly meditate and operate the earthly celestial technique to replenish the lost spiritual essence as soon as possible. Given your current realm, inscribing this array's lines is still somewhat overextending yourself"

In fact, Sun Li also realized that the teachings within the sect are not necessarily as inadequate as Wu Yao and Luo Huan claim, all being labeled as "errors." However, in comparison to the levels of Wu Yao and Luo Huan, these teachings are indeed too elementary. Given the personalities of the two, such elementary matters must certainly be deemed erroneous, and they must be fundamentally wrong.

However, Sun Li is already very content. With his own qualifications, if he had not cultivated a divine-level technique like "The Heavenly Path of the Mortal Realm," he would likely not have even achieved his current results

Sun Li's attitude somewhat alleviated Luo Huan's anger: "You should follow my instructions and concentrate the spiritual essence at your fingertips..."

Luo Huan said irritably: "Do you really think spirit stones are everywhere, just waiting to be picked up? These are the lowest grade; even ordinary cultivators would disdain to pick them up. It would be quite painful to use such materials to achieve the effect I desire..."

The growth of these seven Polygonum multiflorum plants is normal, similar to that of Lu Datong's. However, the leaves of Sun Li's particular plant exhibit some darkening of the veins

Lu Datong expressed some disbelief: "No way?"

Upon recognizing his identity, Xie Weier's expression changed slightly, and with a graceful movement, she glided through several dozen zhang like a fledgling phoenix, landing on a distant large tree

There are a total of five courses in the academy, which include alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman making, in addition to the aforementioned subjects. Meanwhile, cultivation and combat remain the responsibility of Chongyin and Chongba.

Muran Xie Weier inexplicably paused and said: "My surname is not Xie, it is Muran."

Neither Luo Huan nor the other person spoke, yet Sun Li gritted his teeth and forcefully restrained himself. Not only did he hold back, but his fingers remained as steady as a rock, without the slightest deviation.

The Yintang point at the center of the eyebrows felt as if it were being hooked by a red-hot iron hook, pulling desperately outward, causing immense pain

Chongba is unable to catch hold of his little braid, appearing quite frustrated, resembling Luo Huan.

"Alright?" Luo Huan urged immediately, "Then, let's prepare to engrave the lines for the second formation."

In addition to a clay pot, there is also a storage ring

Luo Huan felt a wave of regret: "If only there were enough spirit stones, I should actually set up a formation to enhance the seeds of the Seven Sons of Rejuvenation..."

Wu Yao also laughed: "Luo Huan, you idiot, is there no end to this?"

The method of modifying the formation designed by Luo Huan is already the simplest, yet it still requires the engraving of six formation lines. Sun Li gritted his teeth and engraved one line, needing to rest and meditate for an hour after each. He persevered from day until night, and finally completed the six formation lines, while his own cultivation level surprisingly doubled

Luo Huan's tone was filled with endless regret: "Alas, when cultivating the Seven Sons of Fleeceflower, the soil should have been mixed with three types of spiritual jade powder, along with the droppings of the three-colored firebird. But now... all you need to do is find some fertile soil."

The essence of the power of the Great Sun True Fire is indeed the same as that of the Celestial Star Force. After processing, its divine effect on the Yintang acupoint is surprisingly even better than that of the Celestial Star Force

Everyone was taken aback: In this lesson, we basically learned nothing, and we still have to cultivate spiritual herbs. Isn't this deliberately making things difficult for everyone? Jiang Shiyu was greatly disappointed: "Sigh, forget it, I might as well go back and study on my own."

Lu Da and Tu Shitong sat down with flushed faces. Jiang Shiyu, who was beside Sun Li, said: "I have inquired about it; every session of the Ding class is like this. In the earlier classes, the senior brothers who taught were very diligent, because they believed those disciples had potential. By establishing good relations now, it might be useful in the future. As for our Ding class... sigh, these senior brothers are too lazy to even put in the effort for appearances. If it weren't for the decent rewards from the sect's tasks, I fear no one would be willing to waste their time teaching us."

Chongba snorted coldly: "All of you, get back to class!"

As for the seven-leafed polygonum, he takes extra care of it

This is the arrangement of this course. If you dare to oppose, then get out of Subao Mountain! If you are unwilling, there are plenty of people at the foot of the mountain who are willing to accept this treatment that you consider unfair! Is that understood?

However, every time during class, he appears as if he is in a daze, and even a fool can tell that he is distracted. Although the instructors generally do not have high expectations for the students of Ding and others, neglecting them entirely, Sun Li's behavior in class still leaves Chong Zhong and others feeling quite dissatisfied, giving rise to the sentiment that this disciple is like "mud that cannot be molded."

Returning to his own room, Sun Li moved the earthen jar out from the corner. Looking at this plant, the Seven-Child Fleeceflower, it still appeared ordinary, and he no longer held any expectations for Luo Huan's modifications to the formation.

Sun Lizhi rolled his eyes: "Are you really here to help, or are you just trying to take the opportunity to boast about yourself?"

Sun Li carried the soil on his back and made his way over. In the night, a stream of spiritual spring water cascaded down from a natural stone platform, landing in a circular pool with a radius of three zhang. The water in the pool was like jade, appearing cool and refreshing. As Sun Li loosened his belt and was about to enter the water, a cold voice said, "If you want to feed the silver-ringed python in the water, feel free to go in."

Lu Datong suddenly raised his hand: "Instructor, I would like to ask..."

However, Luo Huan was not satisfied. Unfortunately, the resources available to him were exceedingly limited, leaving him with a wealth of brilliant ideas that he could not implement. This frustration had made him somewhat irritable lately, and he sought various ways to pick a fight and argue with Wu Yao.

... ...

Then the lecture began, even omitting the introduction of the disciples.

Sun Lida exclaimed: "Setting up a formation? I can set up a formation right now?!"

The power of the Great Sun Divine Fire is exceedingly terrifying and difficult to control. Merely harnessing the power of the Great Sun Divine Fire requires utmost caution, let alone inhaling it into the body for cultivation

Wu Yao, feeling impatient, said: "Alright, why do you have so many regrets?"

Although the speed of his finger's movement was very slow, it steadily and resolutely carved out the first array formation line of his cultivation career, bit by bit

Exhaling a breath of foul air, Sun Liyi suddenly felt darkness envelop him, and after a brief moment of dizziness, he collapsed to the ground. It took him quite a while to catch his breath, and he felt utterly drained, unable to muster even a bit of strength.

Lu Datong seems to have resigned himself to his fate, believing that the possibility of catching up to others in terms of cultivation is slim, and has turned to studying alchemy instead

He complained for a while, then asked Sun Li to pick out some from those stones. The subsequent inlaying work was quite simple; one just needed to carve small grooves on the pottery with a knife and embed the spirit stones into them. As long as one was careful not to damage the engraved lines of the formation and ensured that the grooves were of appropriate size, it would suffice

The world has fallen into decline, and the weak have no place to reason; this is also true in the realm of cultivation.

Having spoken, Chongzhong did not linger for a moment and quickly departed

A surge of resentment swelled in the hearts of every disciple in the Ding class, as if they were about to explode.

This object is a dull gray, with a somewhat rough surface, yet it is far more exquisite and artistic than the mundane flower pots of the secular world. The inner wall is engraved with faint lines, suggesting that the sealing technique is rather rudimentary, not fully enveloped within the body of the jar, leaving some exposed.

In simple terms, the Youxi rewards are somewhat similar to sect tasks, where prizes are exchanged based on "contribution level." However, new disciples are unable to undertake sect tasks.

Everyone was astonished as they indeed saw the centipede-scarred face of Chong Ba, walking over slowly with his hands clasped behind his back

After planting that one root of Seven-Child Fleeceflower, Sun Li watered it every three days and then neglected it entirely. Today, it just happened to be time for watering again

Chongzhong distributed an ancient book and a bag of seeds to each person

Alright, young one, now go and cultivate in peace

In five subjects, Sun Li essentially did not attend classes. The reason is simple: the content taught by these instructors and lecturers is fraught with errors. The two voices in Sun Li's mind continuously imparted more profound and advanced knowledge to him

Sun Li became notorious among the students at the academy for being "incorrigibly mischievous," "unlearned and incompetent," and a synonym for "destined to be eliminated"

He also comes from a farming background and has long observed that the soil on the left side of the academy's mountain is more fertile based on the growth of the plants.

However, upon reflection, I realized that I had not taken care of this Seven Sons of the Vine at all, and the fact that it could rival Lu Datong's demonstrates the significant effectiveness of Luo Huan's modifications to the formation

Sun Li bowed his head awkwardly as his three souls and seven spirits returned to their rightful place. The girl blushed again and said, "Why don't you put it back on!"

The storage ring can only hold items approximately the size of a human body, while the jar contains a specially sealed formation that can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth more efficiently and rapidly, allowing the spiritual herbs to mature sooner

Sun Li and his companions returned together, while Lu Datong and Jiang Shiyu were downcast. Sun Li was somewhat puzzled: "Chongzhong asked us to plant seven-leaf polygonatum, but where are we supposed to plant it? Surely we can't plant it in our own yard"

A scream echoed as the student was thrown several meters away, their face covered in burns

Sun Li was startled and looked around. He saw a little girl standing gracefully on a large stone beside the stone platform. The girl had a slender figure, and her long hair fluttered in the night breeze, as if shrouded in a layer of mysterious black veil

Sun Li was momentarily entranced, until the girl could no longer withstand his fiery gaze, her small face flushed, and she scolded, "What are you staring at!"

Luo Huan sighed with some helplessness and said, "Alright. Sun Li, you focus on your cultivation, and we will take care of these messy matters for you."

Chong Ba remains as fierce and domineering as ever; every time he instructs everyone in practical combat, there are always a few disciples who return with bruised faces.

As soon as Sun Li took out that book, he was reprimanded by Luo Huan: "What are you looking at? I already told you that everything written above is wrong. Why aren't you focusing on your training?"

Sun Li retracted his neck and said, "Alright, please go ahead, esteemed elder."

Luo Huan smiled awkwardly and said, "Alright, I won't say anything more. Now, Sun Li, follow my instructions and modify this formation..."

Of course not! Luo Huan was somewhat irritable: "What can your meager spiritual energy do now? If you could set up a formation, would I need to go through so much trouble? I said to modify it, do you understand?"

Following his guidance, Sun Li moved his fingers, and the limited spiritual essence within him surged outward like a river breaching its dam

Sun Li is still quite naive about cultivation, and he is unaware of some basic common knowledge. If he were to claim that he could cultivate the Great Sun Divine Fire, it would surely astonish the entire cultivation world

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed. Sun Li's "A Mortal's One Lifetime in Heaven" has made rapid progress, with the star light in the Yintang acupoint shining brightly. The spiritual essence has begun to circulate, now reaching the thickness of a little finger.

I am afraid that with my grades, I would barely make it into the bottom ten of the C class, let alone the B class or A class

Both are the lowest grade of magical artifacts

The classroom for the Ding class is the farthest away. All the disciples of the Ding class entered the classroom and waited for a full incense stick's worth of time before a weary middle-aged cultivator hurriedly walked in.

Sun Li merely glanced at Jiang Shiyu but did not speak

Sun Li was astonished: "The items I found in Luomei Mountain are spirit stones?!"

The disciples of the Ding class felt a deep sense of resentment in their hearts, yet they found themselves powerless to change the situation

The Seven Entry Examinations are a series of assessments conducted by Su Bao Mountain to evaluate the cultivation achievements of newly admitted disciples. These examinations take place once every month, totaling seven times.

Sun Li discreetly inquired and learned that his level was already among the best in the Ding class—however, the problem is that this is the Ding class, the lowest tier!

It is unclear why Chongba seems particularly averse to Sun Li. Almost every time there is a practical drill, Sun Li is called upon to "demonstrate". Fortunately, having grown up in a mountain village, Sun Li neither seeks trouble nor fears it, and his practical experience far surpasses that of the children from the city, so he has not suffered much loss.

Luo Huan said irritably: "Of course not! Do you think formations are that simple?"

Sun Li set out under the starlight and returned with some soil he had dug from the hillside

Having said that, he flew away without looking back. Sun Li was taken aback, feeling dazed. What a peculiar surname.

The bag contains the seeds of Seven-Child Rehmannia, a medicinal herb that is also introduced in books. Your task is to plant the Seven-Child Rehmannia after returning, and submit your results one month later

Wu Yao impatiently said: "Luo Huan, stop hiding it. Alchemy is your forte."

This also reflects the extraordinary nature of "A World of Mortals, A Heaven of Eternity" from one perspective

The disciples were taken aback

During the day, Sun Li utilized the power of the Great Sun Divine Fire to restore his cultivation. Now that it is night, he can absorb the celestial energy of the stars.

When they came out, the instructors in the other classrooms were still earnestly giving lectures. Even the instructor from the B class, which was just one level higher than theirs, seemed to be unable to finish the lecture anytime soon

The sect provides specialized ceramic pots for the disciples to cultivate herbs. Let us go and collect them together

The book contains illustrations, functions, and cultivation methods of the sixty-eight most common herbs in the realm of cultivation. I have just discussed some key points.

Sun Liwan never expected that among the Su Bao sect, the cultivators would be so selfish and self-serving! Could it be that his entire class, consisting of more than thirty disciples, would be abandoned like this!

As soon as Sun Li saw that he was starting to criticize again, he quickly intervened: "Time is of the essence; we need to resolve this quickly so we can get back to our training."

Now, let's take out those stones we asked you to pick up earlier" Luo Huan's voice was somewhat helpless. Wu Yao laughed heartily, taking pleasure in his misfortune: "Hahaha, Luo Huan, I actually think this is a test for you as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the results!

Remember, this achievement serves as your score for the first examination of the Seven Trials, specifically in the subject of elixirs

Sun Liyi, through his words and actions, at this moment during the day, utilized the celestial technique of the mortal realm to gradually absorb the immense solar true fire spiritual energy into his body. After being tempered and nurtured through the meridians within, it was infused into the nearly depleted Yintang acupoint.

The girl looked at his awkwardness, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her face

The points earned from the Youci rewards can be exchanged with the sect for various items needed, such as high-level magical tools, spirit stones, elixirs, and so on

It is evident to anyone that Jiang Shiyu harbors a sense of unwillingness. Each day, he merely buries himself in arduous study and practice, confident that his talents surpass those of Su Lan. He is absolutely unwilling to resign himself to being beneath Su Lan.

The one responsible for distributing these items is an elderly monk, who seems to be nearing the end of his days, lacking any great ambitions, and will not make things difficult for Sun Li and the others

Although her expression is cool, it possesses an indescribable beauty. The entire world seems to be captivated by her pair of faint sapphire eyes, as if the starlight from the sky has transformed into dancing golden threads, swirling around her.

Lu Datong is a person who knows everything, seemingly aware of all matters

Now, take out that jar of yours and have a look at it

He climbed up the peak on the left side and successfully collected soil, just as he was about to return, he suddenly heard the sound of water, and immediately felt uncomfortable with sweat dripping down his body. Continuously pushing his limits, he was drenched in sweat each time.

Sun Li was completely baffled, and Luo Huan explained impatiently: "Currently, the resources at my disposal are extremely limited, and your cultivation level is inadequate. To achieve a satisfactory outcome, I have to rack my brains."

The seeds have been sown, and Luo Huan also let out a sigh of relief; now it is just a matter of waiting to see the results

After another night of cultivation, the Yintang acupoint on Sun Li's forehead was further enhanced. Compared to the first day of cultivation, his strength had doubled. The spiritual essence within his body was now nearly the size of a mung bean.

Sun Li was somewhat unclear about what the two meant, but he still took out the jar and examined it carefully.

Alright, do you see the intersection point of the three and a half bifurcated formations? Place your finger on it and draw towards the intersection point of the triangular formation in the lower right corner, as straight as possible. Imagine in your mind that your spiritual essence is deeply penetrating into the essence of the clay pot, connecting with those formation engravings...

The disciples gradually dispersed

Sun Li returned to the courtyard with his belongings, while the three of them each went back to contend with that book and the seven-leafed polygonum.

Everything he does is actually for the purpose of cultivation. The assessment in seven months is the most immediate goal at present; if he cannot reach the third level of the mortal realm, he will be expelled from Subao Mountain

... ...

The engraving of the Six Paths Formation is complete. Sun Li asked, "Is this all there is to it?"

Within the academy, Chongyin still presented himself as a kind and patient gentleman, tirelessly guiding each disciple. He was the only one in the entire academy who treated all disciples equally in his teachings. In his eyes, a disciple was simply a disciple, with no distinction between first-class and fourth-class.

Sun Li merely shook his head and turned to leave

Call

Mu Ran Xie Wei Er also did not understand what was happening to her tonight, as she was unexpectedly shy under the bold gaze of a young man. This young man exuded a sense of simplicity, yet beneath this simplicity lay an unyielding stubbornness and pride. Among the many young geniuses Mu Ran Xie Wei Er had encountered, none had captured her attention like this young man before her.

The speaker above spoke rapidly, not caring whether the disciples below could hear clearly. In less than two hours, this lesson was completed

This section covers the most fundamental knowledge of pharmacology and herbal identification. Chongzhong continuously presented various herbs from his storage space to introduce to everyone. Halfway through, in Sun Li's mind, Luo Huan spoke in a tone that was both weak and dismissive, saying: "Don't listen to him; I will explain it to you slowly later. This scoundrel, full of his own opinions, is actually completely wrong. Listening to him will definitely mislead you."

Sun Li only realized at this moment: "Ah! You are Master Zhu's niece!"

Luo Huan expressed his dissatisfaction: "What a piece of junk! This is just a way to fool you inexperienced newcomers! This thing..."

He watered the plants and then moved the jar back.

In the small courtyard, the four disciples, with Sun Li refraining from speaking, have distanced themselves from each other ever since Su Lan entered Class B. The previously mentioned suggestion for the four of them to advance and retreat together has been forgotten.

Returning to his room with a sense of melancholy, Sun Li filled a clay pot with soil and, following Luo Huan's guidance, planted the seeds of the seven-leafed polygonum.

My name is Sun Li! He shouted in the direction where the indifferent Xie Wei'er had disappeared. The empty mountains echoed, but there was no response, and it was unclear whether Xie Wei'er had heard him

Sun Li helplessly said, "But this is related to the Seven Entrance Examinations."

Alright, it's finally all done. Sun Li let out a sigh of relief

After a while, Wu Yao spoke, uttering a simple word: "Good!"

On that day, seeing Lu Datong watering his own seven-leafed polygonum, Sun Licai suddenly remembered the one he had planted.

The upcoming period is rather uneventful, consisting of attending classes during the day and practicing in the evening. On days when there are no classes, Sun Li will practice the earthly celestial technique, absorbing the divine fire of the sun.

Lu Datong and Jiang Shiyu walked over to join Sun Li. As they passed by the classroom of Class B, Jiang Shiyu glanced inside at Su Lan, who waved at him. Jiang Shiyu smiled in response, but after walking past, he couldn't help but pout: "From now on, Su Lan will only drift further away from us."

After experiencing a depletion of spiritual essence, it seems that some potential has been extracted. After replenishing the spiritual essence in the Yintang acupoint, Sun Li discovered that it had actually improved slightly compared to before, which can be considered a modest gain

The two instructors on the devices and talismans, although not as overt as Chongzhong, clearly had their minds set on matters beyond this most basic level. Their lectures were somewhat perfunctory, and their responses to the disciples' questions were brief and dismissive. When pressed for deeper inquiry, the expressions of the two instructors turned noticeably sour.

Sun Li was momentarily taken aback, unsure where the courage had come from, and suddenly chased after her, saying: "Miss Xie, thank you!"

The results of each assessment will be subject to a "Merit Award" based on the scores. This merit award is calculated using points: the first place receives 10 points, the second place receives 9 points, and so on, with rewards given only to the top ten.

Everyone fell silent

Upon entering the classroom, he did not even glance at the disciples below, merely nodding slightly: "I am Chongzhong. I will talk to you about elixirs."

Suddenly, someone outside shouted to him: "Sun Li, it's your turn to clean today"

The elixirs are manageable for now, and currently, these disciples with shallow cultivation can still be trained in spirit medicine. The two subjects of artifact crafting and talisman making can only impart the most basic techniques, such as identifying ores and selecting talisman paper. There is no need to complete any assignments after class. Sun Li has plenty of time to devote to cultivation

Chongzhong appeared quite impatient: "The time of the cultivators is very precious. I am here to teach you only because I have taken on a task within the sect. However, the content of this sect task is 'to teach the new disciples about alchemy.' Understand this clearly, it is merely teaching, and I did not say that I would answer your questions. I will not waste my time on a bunch of useless low-level disciples like you."

Sun Li suddenly remembered that his belt had come undone. Although there was nothing particularly important exposed, it was still quite embarrassing. His old face turned red as he hurriedly tidied up his clothes

The formation lines are relatively easy to discuss, but the key lies in how to achieve the desired effect through the attribute combinations of these low-level spirit stones. This is quite mentally taxing...

However, that Chong Zhong, who did not even allow students to ask questions in the Ding class, was seen by Sun Li smiling in the Jia class, patiently answering the most trivial questions from his disciples, and even announced his residence, welcoming everyone to visit for guidance

Chongzhong waved his hand to interrupt him: "Do not ask questions"