Serene Bamboo Peak stood majestically at a secluded corner of the Blue qilin mountain range. It was known for its natural beauty as well as it's female only disciples. For the male disciples of the Xuantian sect, the Serene Bamboo peak was nothing less than a heaven.
The air in the Serene bamboo peak was fragrant with the intoxicating scent of blooming flowers. Lush green bamboo was stretched as far as one could see. Their leaves were rustling in the wind, playing a soothing music for anyone who chose to listen. The scenery was almost like paradise on earth and Zhan Chen's eyes lit up with interest.
"What a beautiful place!", Zhan Chen murmured to himself. He was clearly impressed with the natural beauty of the Serene bamboo peak.
Medicinal plants started to appear infront of him. Zhan Chen was surprised to see how carefully they were being handled by the female disciples of the Serene Bamboo peak.
The disciples noticed the presence of their peak master who was walking along with Zhan Chen and Zi Ningxi. They immediately knelt down to pay their respect. Zhan Chen could see curiousity in their eyes as they looked towards him.
Walking through this picturesque scene, Shui Liying, Zi Ningxi and Zhan Chen made their way towards the heart of the peak. There were many caves appeared in their way but they skipped all the caves and walked towards a cave which was carved at the highest point of the mountain.
"It is my personal cave. You are probably the first from the opposite gender who is about to enter it", Shui Liying spoke. She invited both Zi Ningxi and Zhan Chen inside the cave and led them towards a wide hall.
As they entered, the smell of herbs assailed their noses. Zhan Chen's eyes immediately fell upon the centre where an intricately carved formation was placed.
He studied the formation briefly, nodding in silent approval at the magnificent formation. "Shall we begin?" Shui Liying asked, her voice was indifferent as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"Yes, senior," Zhan Chen replied with a smile on his face.
"Take your seat. You can use any furnace you want", Shui Liying spoke. She picked a furnace for herself and sat at a corner of the formation. Zhan Chen sat opposite to her and took out his own furnace. A scorn appeared on Shui Liying 's face after she saw the earth grade furnace in Zhan Chen's hands.
"I suggest you to use one of my pill furnaces. All of my furnaces are of sky grade. If you use an earth grade furnace, it will be a mismatch from the beginning", Shui Liying spoke. She picked a sky grade furnace with her essence energy and sent it towards Zhan Chen.
"Thank you senior", Zhan Chen feigned civility. He was not planning to displease Shui Liying just because of a mere pill furnace.
"Good, you can still be taught. Tell me, which fourth grade pill you can concoct?", Shui Liying looked towards Zhan Chen. She was planning to concoct whatever pill Zhan Chen had mastered. That way, she could show the difference between her and a novice alchemist like Zhan Chen.
"Senior, I have concocted Core strengthening pill before. I am confident, I can produce good result if we set Core strengthening pill as our subject of contest", Zhan Chen spoke. He had a look of confidence on his face as he looked towards Shui Liying.
"Hmph! What is so special about the Core strengthening pill. It is the most common fourth grade pill, one can find. But it still goes to see that this brat has some talent in alchemy", Shui Liying thought to herself. But she didn't show her disdain outside. She still had the same indifferent expression on her face as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"Fine, we shall take the Core strengthening pill as the subject of our contest", Shui Liying declared.
"Ningxi, bring four sets of alchemy ingredients for the Core strengthening pill. You can go to elder Yu's place and tell her that I am the one who needs it. Moreover, tell her to prepare a list of herbs that our Xuantian sect possess. We need that list after an hour of time", Shui Liying spoke. She may be playing with Zhan Chen but she still had the larger picture in mind. She didn't forget that, they were back to Xuantian sect because of Hu Tao. The only reason she was accomodating Zhan Chen because he was the key to Hu Tao's recovery. As for their contest, she was planning to use it for separating Zhan Chen from her disciple.
"Master, as you command", Zi Ningxi bowed her head gracefully and walked out from the main hall. In the large hall, only Shui Liying and Zhan Chen remained.
You can take this time to adjust your breath. We do not have much time. We need to go look for the Five harmony soul resurgence pill.
"Senior, don't worry about it. I need to take a stock of sect's treasures before meeting that expert", Zhan Chen spoke. He sat cross legged and started to do meditation. Untill now, he was not giving any reason for Shui Liying to doubt him. He was planning to work slowly. So that the Soul seed technique would take effect.
Zi Ningxi took almost twenty minutes before returning. She removed the ingredients from her spatial ring and presented them infront of Shui Liying. Zhan Chen also opened his eyes at the same time and looked towards Shui Liying.
"Ningxi, step aside. Watch while I am concocting and try to learn my alchemy techniques", Shui Liying spoke.
"Are you ready?", she asked Zhan Chen.
Zhan Chen nodded his head and placed the pill furnace on a tripod. Shui Liying did some complex handsigns and the formation at the center of the main hall roared into action.
Suddenly, the main hall turned into a boiling desert all of a sudden. Temperature started to rise and two yellow tinged fire strands appeared on the head of the tripod.
"So, this formation is to extract Earth fire from the underground channel!", Zhan Chen murmured to himself. Even with his vast expertise, he had never seen such a lavish formation to extract Earth fire from the underground level.
He picked up a set of ingredients and sorted them one by one.
'Starlight orchid flower'
'Petal of Blue lotus'
'Hundred year white fern'
'Spiritvine nectar'
He picked up the Starlight orchid flower and threw it inside the pill furnace. He took a look towards Shui Liying and found her already busy with the pill concoction. Zi Ningxi was standing at a distance from her master. She was watching intently as Shui Liying began the process of pill concoction.
The Starlight orchid flower began to melt as Zhan Chen controlled the Earth fire. He secretly added some of his soul fire and the Earth fire burned more brilliantly than its earlier intensity.
Shui Liying felt surprise for a moment as she looked towards Zhan Chen. She was equally relaxed as she was concocting only a mere fourth grade pill. She could have concocted more faster but instead, she chose to concoct deliberately slow and teach her own disciple.
Zhan Chen collected the medicinal essence of the Starlight orchid flower in a jade bottle. He threw other ingredients one by one and extracted their medicinal essence. His expression was leisurely as he turned his head to take a look at Shui Liying 's progress.
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