Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Is This an Elixir?
"Dad, I don’t want to marry Zhao Feng."
Early one morning in the Zhou Family estate, an angry voice shattered the silence.
A quarrel was taking place in one of the Zhou Family’s studies. A strikingly beautiful young woman stood there, her face an icy mask, her lovely eyes burning with fury.
This was Zhou Lingwei!
After returning from the Demon Mist Mountain Range, she had thought it over and over. Refusing to become a sacrifice for a family alliance, she was once again launching a furious protest.
"Nonsense." Before Zhou Lingwei stood a middle-aged man in green robes, his expression darkening. "You’re not blind to the Zhou Family’s current situation. We’ve offended Master Lü Dong, and now he’s making things difficult for us at every turn. If this continues, our family is bound to decline under his pressure."
At his words, Zhou Lingwei’s expression fell.
The Zhou Family had always been a family of herb gatherers, harvesting from the Demon Mist Mountain Range and selling their finds. They kept to themselves and maintained a low profile, so they shouldn’t have offended anyone.
But on one occasion, a member of the Zhou Family was disrespectful to a customer while selling Treasure Medicine. Who could have known that the customer was Master Lü Dong himself? And so, they had infuriated the great master.
An Alchemy Master was far more powerful than a third-class family.
"The Zhao Family has some connection to Master Lü Dong. They’ve promised to help plead our case with him if you marry into their family."
The green-robed man sighed and tried to reason with her. "Ling Wei, I know you feel wronged, but the Zhao Family is a second-tier family, after all. And while Zhao Feng may be a good-for-nothing, his status and background are undeniable. It’s a good match."
"Why should I have to pay for a mistake the rest of you made in offending Master Lü Dong?" Zhou Lingwei’s face was etched with grief. How could she bear to sacrifice a lifetime of happiness for the family’s interests?
The very thought of marrying Zhao Feng was excruciating.
"You may not like Zhao Feng now, but feelings can be cultivated over time. Just endure it for a while, and you’ll get over it," the green-robed man said, his tone hardening.
"I’d rather die than ever like Zhao Feng."
Hearing her own father say such things, Zhou Lingwei was overcome with misery. Her beautiful eyes stung, and tears began to fall as she ran out of the study.
"Sister, don’t cry."
Zhou Chuchu, the little girl, had been waiting outside. Feeling sorry for her sister, she tried to comfort her. "Why don’t we go to the Liu Family and ask Brother Ning for help? Maybe he has a way to help you, Sister."
Zhou Lingwei froze at her words.
White-haired Ghost Ning Jiang.
She had never forgotten the white-haired youth since they parted ways in the Demon Mist Mountain Range.
On the contrary, as time passed, his white-haired figure had become like an indelible brand, often appearing in her mind during the quiet of the night, impossible to forget.
She had even thought, ’If it were Ning Jiang instead of Zhao Feng, perhaps I wouldn’t be so resistant?’
"Alright."
...
In a secluded courtyard on the eastern side of the Liu Family estate.
In the grand scheme of an array, the east is where the sun rises, symbolizing vitality and righteousness.
Just outside the courtyard lay an emerald lake, its surface shimmering as the morning sun’s rays danced upon it.
It was a fine place to cultivate one’s character.
Inside the courtyard, everyone stood in a circle, their eyes fixed on the center.
Tan Jinglin stood in the middle, his sleeves fluttering in the breeze.
He brought out a Pill Cauldron. It was fiery red all over, with lifelike red cranes encircling it. They were postured as if about to soar into the heavens, imbuing the entire cauldron with a sacred aura.
The eyes of the many Alchemy Masters present lit up with fervent desire upon seeing this Pill Cauldron.
A Top Grade Pill Cauldron, the Red Crane Flying Heaven Cauldron.
Each of the few Alchemy Grandmasters in the Cyan Cloud Country possessed a Top Grade Pill Cauldron.
A Top Grade Pill Cauldron was incredibly expensive. A normal Top Grade Treasure Artifact might cost between five hundred thousand and one million Primordial Stones, but a Top Grade Pill Cauldron could reach several million.
Several million Primordial Stones was enough to bankrupt a second-tier family.
Only a great figure of the Grandmaster Level could afford such a top-grade treasure cauldron.
Even someone like Du Wanqing only possessed an Upper Grade Pill Cauldron.
Ning Jiang and Wei Yanran, who had been lagging behind everyone, now walked in.
Just as Ning Jiang entered the courtyard and passed a dark-faced, middle-aged man, the man suddenly spat on the ground in disdain. "Grandmaster Tan gave you a chance out of his magnanimity. Instead of being grateful for his grace, you actually want to compete with him? You truly don’t know your own limits."
Hearing this, the surrounding crowd showed strange expressions. This was Luoyang’s second-best Alchemy Master, Fei Yanqing.
"I heard that Fei Yanqing has looked up to Grandmaster Tan Jinglin as his goal since he was a child. He admires him immensely. There are even rumors that Fei Yanqing once sought out Grandmaster Tan Jinglin and received a few pointers from him. It seems those rumors might be true," one of the Alchemy Masters whispered.
"Father, why waste your breath on him? Once he’s defeated by the Grandmaster, he’ll naturally understand what a Grandmaster truly is," Fei Hai said.
"Junior, I’d advise you to just give up. Apologize to Grandmaster Tan. With his magnanimity, he won’t hold it against you," Lü Dong added.
Without a doubt, no one here thought Ning Jiang stood a chance.
Any Grandmaster was a figure renowned throughout Cyan Cloud. Although Ning Jiang had displayed the alchemical talent to produce a seventy-zhang-wide elixir aroma, he was still too green.
"Whether I’m overestimating myself or not, we’ll have our answer after the competition."
Ning Jiang’s expression remained unchanged as he walked straight to Tan Jinglin’s side.
He took out his Pill Cauldron. It was cast from bronze, with three legs and two handles, its body covered in carvings of treasures and exotic beasts.
He had obtained it from the cave estate in the Demon Mist Mountain Range. From the journal he found there, Ning Jiang also knew this cauldron was called the Hundred Beasts Cauldron, an Upper Grade Pill Cauldron.
"My cauldron is a Top Grade Pill Cauldron. If you feel that’s unfair, you can say so," said Tan Jinglin.
"Treasure Artifacts are a part of one’s strength. There’s nothing unfair about it. Let’s begin." Ning Jiang couldn’t care less about such matters.
WHOOSH.
A great fire ignited.
As the fire licked at the Red Crane Flying Heaven Cauldron, its already fiery-red body began to glow even more vibrantly.
Flames intertwined, enveloping the cauldron’s body. From a distance, it looked as if the cauldron was about to transform into a red crane and soar away, roaming freely through the Nine Heavens.
In Tan Jinglin’s hands, this Top Grade Pill Cauldron was already famous throughout Cyan Cloud.
The grade of a Pill Cauldron also affects the quality of the elixir.
A higher-grade Pill Cauldron can significantly improve the quality of the final product.
An Alchemy Master using an Upper Grade Pill Cauldron might only be able to refine a High Grade Elixir with a twenty-zhang aroma, but with a Top Grade Pill Cauldron, they could reach thirty or even forty zhang.
Thus, in terms of Treasure Artifacts, Ning Jiang was already at a disadvantage.
Moreover, the most important thing for an Alchemist was their level of experience. As a Grandmaster renowned throughout Cyan Cloud, Tan Jinglin was a seasoned veteran with immense experience. Naturally, no one here was optimistic about Ning Jiang’s chances.
"In his lifetime, Grandmaster Tan has refined over a thousand Treasure Elixirs. Even among all the Alchemy Grandmasters of the Cyan Cloud Country, he ranks in the top five. There’s no suspense in this competition," someone said slowly.
"I find it strange, too. This boy’s High Grade Elixir only produced a seventy-zhang aroma. How dare he challenge a Grandmaster?"
The crowd’s chatter ended the moment Tan Jinglin placed the first medicinal ingredient into his cauldron.
Every gaze was fixed on Tan Jinglin. For these Alchemy Masters, this was a precious learning opportunity.
Once his Pill Cauldron reached a certain temperature, Ning Jiang also added his first ingredient.
All these medicinal ingredients had been gathered by Liu Yuanlong.
The elixir he was refining this time was called the Purple Blood Rebirth Pill.
This elixir had the ability to regenerate crippled limbs, mend deficiencies, and even regrow flesh on bones.
Liu Yuanlong’s problem was that the meridians in both his arms were completely destroyed. Worse, a remnant of Young Master Soaring Dragon’s power lingered within them, much like the Black Jade Fire Poison Curse in Ning Jiang’s body. It was like a maggot gnawing at his bones, constantly damaging his arms.
That was why, for three years, Liu Yuanlong had been unable to find a cure, and his strength had been greatly diminished.
Thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng, Ice Jade Orchid, Tri-Colored Spider Flower...
One by one, Ning Jiang added the medicinal ingredients into his Pill Cauldron.
As always, no aroma escaped from his Pill Cauldron. However, after witnessing his competition with Yan Ziling the previous night, no one mocked him for it.
Beside him, Tan Jinglin’s Pill Cauldron was a completely different story.
A thick, fragrant elixir aroma spread out from within the cauldron, its range exceeding one hundred zhang.
A hundred zhang—that meant it was a Treasure Elixir!
Of all those present, only Du Wanqing was capable of refining an elixir of this level, and only with the help of some Ancient Elixir Liquid.
As the aroma wafted over them, everyone felt their pores open up, their minds clearing and their spirits refreshed.
The elixir had such an effect before it was even fully refined, a testament to its extraordinariness.
"It’s the last ingredient."
Four hours later, the crowd watched as Tan Jinglin tossed the final medicinal ingredient into his Pill Cauldron.
Tan Jinglin’s expression was one of intense focus. Whenever this Grandmaster began refining, he would give it his all, no matter who his opponent was, with no distractions.
It was precisely this attitude toward alchemy that had allowed him to ascend to the ranks of the Grandmasters, earning the admiration of the masses.
After another incense stick’s worth of time.
The gazes of the many Alchemy Masters sharpened.
"It’s done."
Du Wanqing said. Just as the words left his lips, Tan Jinglin’s palm gently struck the Pill Cauldron.
Instantly, an elixir shot out from within and landed in his hand.
The elixir was like jade, crystal clear and translucent, resembling a pure gemstone that the sunlight could pass straight through.
It was a Treasure Elixir!
And now, its aroma extended for a full two hundred zhang.
"Two hundred zhang. This boy has definitely lost," Fei Yanqing said, shaking his head.
The High Grade Elixir Ning Jiang had refined only had a seventy-zhang aroma. How could that possibly compare to two hundred zhang?
When this Treasure Elixir appeared, ninety-nine percent of the people present felt that the outcome was settled and the winner decided.
Wei Yanran’s beautiful eyes were fixed on Ning Jiang. She suspected he might still have some tricks up his sleeve, but in the face of Tan Jinglin’s two-hundred-zhang aroma, she too believed his chances of winning were slim.
"Haa... It’s finally done."
Ning Jiang let out a long breath.
He extinguished the flame under his Pill Cauldron and took out the elixir from within.
And then.
Before everyone’s shocked eyes.
Ning Jiang actually took out a blackish, round sphere the size of a human head.
"What is that thing?"
For a moment, the entire courtyard was stunned silent.
"Hahaha, you call that an elixir? Boy, it looks like you were too nervous. You knew you had no chance of winning, so you just randomly concocted something and ended up with this messy, god-awful thing," Fei Yanqing mocked.
"Uh... Mr. Ning, have you ever actually refined this elixir before?" someone from the Liu Family couldn’t help but ask.
"No, today is the first time," Ning Jiang admitted frankly.
Immediately, the mockery on the faces of the crowd deepened.
