After everything concluded, Chen Yan followed behind Yue Chi and Lin Qifeng as they left Kongyuan Hall.
Even though these two old fellows had just "had a quarrel," they now seemed as if nothing had happened at all.
"Let's go, to the Alchemy Hall."
Yue Chi said:
"Your master and I have something to discuss with you."
"Yes."
Chen Yan replied.
Stepping into the Alchemy Hall of Kongyuan Mountain, the young man in the yellow robe was still standing behind the counter, holding an account book in his hand, which recorded the quantities of various medicinal herbs and pills entering and leaving the Alchemy Hall recently.
Although Zhao Bin looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, he was actually twenty-seven this year.
The young man looked up and glanced at the three people—Yue Chi, Chen Yan, and Lin Qifeng—who had just entered the Alchemy Hall.
Finally, his gaze settled on Lin Qifeng, and then suddenly sharpened:
"Disciple Zhao Bin pays his respects to Martial Uncle Lin, and congratulates Martial Uncle Lin on breaking through the barrier!"
The young man in the yellow robe said with utmost respect.
For some reason, Chen Yan felt that Senior Brother Zhao seemed to show more respect towards his own cheap master than towards his own master, Yue Chi.
"What is there to congratulate? It's not exactly a glorious achievement, talking about breaking through barriers all the time..."
Lin Qifeng just grumbled like this:
"By the way, has your master refined any Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pills lately? Get me a few to try."
"This..."
Zhao Bin looked towards Yue Chi's direction with a troubled expression.
Yue Chi just glared at Zhao Bin:
"You can let him try."
"If you're unwilling, just say so, why scare the kid?"
Lin Qifeng said with a look of disdain:
"Just look at your old man's stingy appearance, tsk!"
Immediately after, Lin Qifeng sighed, flicked his sleeve, and walked towards the square staircase inside the Alchemy Hall.
The Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill, for cultivators with exceptional talent, is merely a supplement.
But for cultivators with average talent, it is a miraculous elixir.
If an Energy Channeling Realm cultivator with average talent consumes one Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill, the amount of true qi he can circulate simultaneously in his meridians can reach ten times the original amount.
But if a cultivator with outstanding talent consumes it, it can at most replenish some of the true qi within his body a bit more.
Chen Yan belonged to the category of people with low talent. After all, if he started cultivating from scratch, even if he exhausted his entire life, he would be unable to touch the threshold of the Martial Spring Realm.
The effect of the Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill on him was also quite ordinary.
He only felt that his martial spring had grown slightly stronger, but the increase was not significant.
Even though Yue Chi, as the Alchemy Hall elder of Kongyuan Mountain and a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, might only be able to refine a few Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pills throughout the entire year.
As for these pills, most were given as rewards to those disciples who had made contributions.
Given Chen Yan's contributions within the sect, he was naturally also rewarded with two Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pills.
He consumed one of these two, and Chen Yan took the other Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill and sold it in the black market outside the sect, exchanging it for eight hundred high-grade spirit stones.
The Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill is an absolute rarity in the black market of the cultivation world.
The appearance of every single pill would cause a bloody storm.
After all, not all sects have foundations as rich and deep as the Five Great Sects.
Zhao Bin looked up a few times at the three people walking up the stairs, then shook his head and refocused his attention on the account book in his hand.
...
Top floor of the Alchemy Hall.
This was the exclusive alchemy room of the Alchemy Hall elder, and also the most secretive space in the entire Alchemy Hall.
In the center of the alchemy room stood a pitch-black pill furnace.
Anyone with even a slight understanding of the Pill Dao would recognize its origin at first glance.
Moqiong Yannie Cauldron.
The name was quite a mouthful, but among all the pill furnaces on the Chenping Continent, it could rank within the top three.
However, the one in the Kongyuan Mountain Alchemy Hall was a replica.
The real Moqiong Yannie Cauldron was currently in the hands of the Kongshan Sect's Supreme Surveillance Elder.
This lofty Supreme Surveillance Elder had a particular fondness for the Pill Dao and possessed considerable expertise in it.
It was said that the Supreme Surveillance Elder refined Seven-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pills as easily as making candy beans.
Even the Nine-Revolutions Spiritual Essence Pill, which made cultivators of the upper three realms drool with envy, could be easily refined by the Supreme Surveillance Elder with the assistance of the Moqiong Yannie Cauldron.
"Alright."
Lin Qifeng found a chair inside the alchemy room, sat down in front of Chen Yan, and looked directly at him:
"Tell us, what is your true cultivation level now?"
"Above the Martial Spring Realm."
Chen Yan replied.
"More specific."
Yue Chi asked.
However, Lin Qifeng waved his hand and did not continue the questioning:
"That's enough. If you don't want to say it, then don't."
There was no need to dig to the bottom of it.
Actually, it wasn't that Chen Yan couldn't tell Yue Chi and Lin Qifeng his current true cultivation level.
But right now, his cultivation was at the late stage of the Martial Spring Realm, and after dying a few more times, his cultivation might break through to the Qi Sea Realm.
Rather than creating the feeling that he was lying or being evasive, it was better not to tell them from the start and maintain an air of mystery.
"Then, half a month from now, publicly announce that you have advanced to the Martial Spring Realm."
Lin Qifeng said:
"You can get a good understanding from Zhao Bin about the rules and details of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry. Compared to the outer court competition you participated in before, the difference is quite significant, especially since the opponents you'll be facing this time aren't Body Forging Realm cultivators from a year ago, but Martial Spring Realm ones."
"He has fought against Martial Spring Realm cultivators before."
Yue Chi said:
"A year ago, on his way back to the sect from Taiyun City, he killed two Martial Spring Realm cultivators from Yuanhua Mountain, one at the mid-stage and one at the late-stage."
Chen Yan had mentioned this matter to Yue Chi before.
After all, even the Dignity Elder of Yuanhua Mountain couldn't suppress the news of the deaths of two Martial Spring Realm cultivators forever.
Once the matter was exposed, it meant the Yuanhua Mountain Enforcement Hall would have to investigate it, and it was only a matter of time before they traced it to Chen Yan.
Having no other choice, and being isolated and weak, Chen Yan could only rely on Yue Chi's power. So, he truthfully reported the ambush he encountered on his way back to the sect to Yue Chi.
Yue Chi didn't say anything, just used his connections to settle everything.
In the end, the deaths of those two Martial Spring Realm cultivators were attributed to a fight caused by a verbal dispute while they were out training, resulting in both their deaths.
"Oh?"
Lin Qifeng looked somewhat surprised:
"There was such a thing?"
Chen Yan remained silent.
"However, when the time comes for the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, remember to hold back a bit, don't be too ostentatious. There are many eyes at the Dao Inquiry Assembly. If you get targeted, your Second Uncle-Master and I won't be able to protect you."
Lin Qifeng said seriously.
"This disciple understands."
Chen Yan replied.
The path outside the sect's sphere of influence would only be more difficult to walk than the path within it.