Outside the city of Linjiang, at the edge of the Zhuixian Domain, a small lake nestled within the forest was caressed by a gentle breeze, the water surface remaining calm and undisturbed.
Li Tan sat upright on a large rock. In front of him were scattered some items: medicinal herbs of various qualities and an object resembling an incense burner.
The herbs were needed for refining the Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill, while the object that looked like an incense burner was actually a cauldron, an essential tool for pill refining.
Generally, when alchemists refine pills, besides the cauldron, they also require a certain level of cultivation to utilize “inner fire”—flames refined through secret techniques from the dantian.
However, exceptions exist. If a highly skilled alchemist refines a low-grade pill, even ordinary fire can suffice, provided the temperature is perfectly controlled.
Clearly, in most people’s opinions, Li Tan belonged to the category of highly skilled alchemists.
He reached out and picked up a herb, placing it into the cauldron. Then, he cleared a space in front of him, lit a small fire, and placed the cauldron over the flame to roast it. After a short while, he fetched some water in a pot and slowly poured it into the cauldron. Upon contact with the hot cauldron, the water hissed and immediately produced steam.
This process seemed simple but was actually very complex, impossible to accomplish without rich experience.
Repeating this process, an hour quickly passed.
“About done,” Li Tan wiped the sweat from his forehead, extinguished the fire beneath the cauldron, and then reached into the flames as if retrieving chestnuts. When he pulled his hand back, a yellowish-brown pill, still steaming, was pinched between his fingers.
“A mistake. The quality isn’t good enough—it’s only middle-grade.”
Li Tan shook his head, showing dissatisfaction. Unbeknownst to most, even the majority of alchemists, no matter how hard they tried, might not even be able to produce the lowest grade of Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill.
After a brief sigh, Li Tan took a deep breath and placed the pill in his mouth.
At his current level, swallowing it directly would instantly kill him from the overwhelming medicinal power.
The pill dissolved in his mouth, tasteless like water, yet the physical reaction was evident. Stream after stream of warmth nourished every thirsty cell in his body.
At this moment, Li Tan, sitting cross-legged, grew serious. The most critical moment was about to begin.
Before his rebirth, when Li Tan had taken the Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill from Tang Leyin, he had suffered excruciating pain from the dantian healing and the violent backlash of toxins, a torment no painkiller could alleviate—a horror akin to a thousand ants devouring one’s heart.
This time, Tang Leyin was not by his side, nor were there any painkillers.
With the intense pain spreading throughout his body as his dantian healed, the toxins being pulled from his marrow began to struggle desperately.
Li Tan clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes wide open, his hands clenched into fists as if trying to crush his own bones.
The waves of pain came one after another without any sign of stopping.
Within just a quarter of an hour, his clothes were completely soaked with sweat. The heat radiating from him cracked the nearby ground and made the air feel heavy.
Yet Li Tan made not a sound. Compared to screaming in agony, from a distance, he appeared more like he was cultivating.
For a long time, the sun climbed directly overhead, its rays growing increasingly harsh and blinding.
Finally, Li Tan’s tense muscles relaxed. He exhaled deeply and revealed a joyful smile.
“A close call, but I made it.”
He extended his spiritual sense into his dantian, attempting to absorb some external spiritual energy. After completing a full cycle, a thread of milky-white vapor appeared in his dantian.
Li Tan laughed joyfully, unable to contain his excitement.
“The feeling of retaining spiritual energy is still so wonderful!”
As he vented his emotions, Li Tan performed several more cycles of inhalation and exhalation but suddenly stopped.
As for cultivation, this place was not suitable. For safety’s sake, he needed to find another location.
He packed the cheap, second-hand cauldron into the Huanga Pagoda, stood up, stretched comfortably, and then slowly walked away from the lake.
Shortly after he left, a girl dressed in green emerged slowly from behind a large tree to the east, walking to the lakeshore.
The girl carefully examined this small patch of cracked ground, her expression full of confusion.
She extended her right hand, stirred the firewood used for the fire, and sniffed hard, suddenly falling into a daze and murmuring to herself.
“There’s residual medicinal fragrance. That man was refining pills? Using firewood to refine pills? How is that possible!”
“Unless…” The girl stood up, her expression extremely grave, her voice slightly trembling.
“He’s a high-level alchemist from the Imperial Capital—but he looks only about a dozen years old! If that’s really the case, it’s just too incredible!” After a moment, the girl left in the direction opposite to where Li Tan had departed.
In Linjiang, if one were to speak of the safest place for cultivation, the Dan Pavilion would claim second place without question—no one would dare claim first.
The Dan Pavilion was established by alchemists united for mutual benefit. All its members were alchemists, and its influence extended throughout all human territories. Therefore, even though the Dan Pavilion in Linjiang was merely a small branch, it was still an extraordinary existence capable of easily overpowering the three major families.
The Dan Pavilion in Linjiang mainly operated two businesses: one was the sale of pills, and the other was the recruitment of talent.
To achieve the second goal, the Dan Pavilion specially set up private rooms, freely accessible to any alchemist.
This private room was Li Tan’s destination. But before that, he needed to first obtain the qualification of a one-star alchemist.
For Li Tan, this posed almost no difficulty. The Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill he had just refined belonged to a third-grade pill, while the requirement for a one-star alchemist was merely the lowest grade of pill.
The Dan Pavilion’s headquarters was located in the most prosperous area of Linjiang. The building materials were all stone, yet it did not appear rough at all. Compared to the Norlan Auction House, it lacked a touch of luxury but exuded more grandeur.
Li Tan walked straight in, passed through the sparse crowd of customers, and stopped in front of a man who appeared to be a sales guide.
“What can I do for you, young master?” the man asked.
Looking at Li Tan, whose hair was disheveled and clothes tattered from having just taken the Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill without time to clean himself up, the man couldn’t help but show a hint of disdain.
Li Tan, however, paid no attention and spoke up on his own.
“I want to take the exam for a Grade One Alchemist certification.”
“Did you say what?” Hearing this, the man was taken aback.
Li Tan repeated himself indifferently.
“I want to take the exam for a Grade One Alchemist certification.”
The man looked Li Tan up and down strangely, furrowed his brows, and impatiently said.
“Kid, do you even know what you’re saying?”
Li Tan nodded.
“I do.”
“Then get lost quickly. I don’t have time to fool around with you!”
The man shouted angrily.
Li Tan turned his head to look at his reflection in the window, helplessly shrugged his lips slightly, but did not get angry.
He said,
“I really want to take the exam for a Grade One Alchemist certification. Please inform them for me. Or do you have regulations that prohibit certain people from taking the exam?”
The man sneered.
“Although there’s no such rule, if just anyone could take the exam, where would the Dan Pavilion’s dignity be?
Understood? Then leave quickly. Don’t interfere with my work.”
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