At the Dan Ding Peak, every disciple under the tutelage of the esteemed elder Yan Chen was skilled in alchemy, having mastered the techniques directly passed down by the elder himself. Their methods of refining pills were diverse and creative—stir-frying, steaming, deep-frying, whatever was most convenient.
Disciples of Dan Ding Peak were generally quite arrogant, for in their eyes, they were the elite—the rich, handsome, and talented.
Outside a pill-refining chamber, a large crowd of disciples had gathered. These were all outer sect disciples; some knew nothing of pill refinement, while others had only a superficial grasp. Today, they had come to beg a proper disciple of Dan Ding Peak to refine pills for them.
“Senior Brother Li, please help me refine a batch of pills.”
“Senior Brother Li, I beg you! I’m willing to give you seventy percent!” a disciple gritted his teeth and pleaded.
“Senior Brother Li, I’ve prepared twenty sets of ingredients—just please refine a batch of Su Yuan Pills for me!”
…
The “Senior Brother Li” in question was Li Shun, a senior pill-refining disciple of Dan Ding Peak.
Once a flute-playing page in Elder Yan Chen’s service, Li Shun’s flute melodies had delighted the elder greatly, earning him a place as a disciple and instruction in pill refinement. However, Li Shun lacked exceptional talent in this area and had spent years mainly refining pills for outer sect disciples. Meanwhile, his contemporaries had moved on to serve inner sect disciples and elders of the sect.
But for Li Shun, this was enough. Even if he was only refining for outer sect disciples, he was still held in high esteem by them.
“I charge eighty percent for refining pills.”
“Although the Su Yuan Pill is a low-grade Yellow Tier pill, its difficulty rivals that of high-grade Yellow Tier. Twenty sets of ingredients yielding one batch is already a stroke of luck—you must prepare forty sets.”
“As for anyone else needing pills refined, register with my page first. Come back once you’re ready.”
At that moment, a calm voice drifted from inside the chamber, exuding an air of a reclusive sage.
The outer sect disciples, desperate for pill refinement, were at a loss. Obtaining a pill was difficult enough, let alone the one they truly needed.
The pill-refining disciples of Dan Ding Peak were like vampires—ruthless and greedy.
But if you didn’t go to them for pill refinement, who else could you turn to?
Cultivation and pill refinement were rarely compatible. Refining pills required immense focus; every attempt demanded a calm mind, free of distractions. Otherwise, how could the pill possibly be successfully refined?
Balancing martial cultivation with pill refinement left little energy to spare.
Unless one reached the realm of divine concentration, capable of multitasking, such ambitions were futile.
Sighs echoed silently among the disciples seeking pills—cultivation was truly a difficult path.
“Step right up! Don’t miss this opportunity! I’ve got a deal to discuss with everyone. Those who come will profit, and those who don’t will regret it!” Lin Fan shouted loudly as he stepped out.
In Lin Fan’s eyes, these Su Yuan Pills were practically useless. Swallowing one only gave ten points of experience, and their medicinal effects were barely worth mentioning. He’d rather spend that time refining more pills.
At that moment, the disciples seeking pills looked on in confusion, unsure of what this person was up to.
“Page, what’s going on?” Li Shun’s voice resonated from within the chamber.
“Not sure. Seems like someone trading pills.”
Li Shun simply hummed in response, uninterested. Such transactions were common. As a former flute-playing page of Elder Yan Chen and now a revered figure among the outer sect disciples of Dan Ding Peak, his prestige was strong.
Eventually, those seeking pill refinement would still come back with their materials in hand.
After all, aside from him, there was no better option.
With his seniority at Dan Ding Peak, even those with superior pill-refining talents would give him some respect.
“Hey, isn’t that the fool from Nameless Peak?”
“Who? The fool from Nameless Peak?”
“Heh, have you ever seen someone sit motionless on a rock for ten days straight?”
“Seriously? I didn’t know that. Ten days and nights? That would turn anyone into a fool.”
“Exactly.”
…
Lin Fan looked around, highly satisfied. With everyone gathered, exchanging pill-refined dirt for some free labor was more than feasible.
“Take a look, what is this?” Lin Fan held up a Su Yuan Pill, eyes gleaming as he awaited their reactions.
The crowd blinked, then erupted in astonishment.
“This is a Su Yuan Pill!”
…
“You’re quite perceptive,” Lin Fan nodded approvingly, having expected their reactions all along.
“Do you know who refined it?” he asked again.
They exchanged glances, puzzled by his question.
Though the Su Yuan Pill wasn’t a high-tier pill, its effects were significant—enhancing cultivation speed, a pill directly tied to one’s cultivation progress. While the herbs used weren’t rare, the refinement process was notoriously difficult.
Producing one batch from ten sets of ingredients was considered lucky, and obtaining five Su Yuan Pills from a single batch was practically a miracle requiring divine intervention.
Now, this so-called “fool” was asking who refined the pill—deep down, they all wanted to know too.
“I know! It must have been you!” someone from the front row blurted out.
Lin Fan’s previously calm expression suddenly softened into a smile, his eyes filled with approval.
“Excellent! You’ve got good eyesight. This one is yours.” Lin Fan casually tossed the pill over. The outer sect disciple was stunned, almost disbelieving.
He just gave me a pill?
Must be a mistake, right? Then joy surged. “Thank you, Senior Brother Lin!”
The surrounding outer sect disciples were speechless, shocked by Lin Fan’s casual generosity.
Observing their stunned expressions, Lin Fan knew he was close to achieving his goal.
He needed to first give them the impression that he was a generous and powerful figure—otherwise, how could he command their respect?
“Now, take a look at this,” Lin Fan smiled again, opening his palm.
“Ahh…” The crowd erupted instantly.
Their eyes widened in disbelief. In his palm lay a pile of Su Yuan Pills.
Just a quick glance revealed at least a dozen.
“Lin… Senior Brother Lin, so the transaction you mentioned earlier is exchanging Su Yuan Pills?” one disciple asked hesitantly.
“Exactly! You’re sharp. This one is for you.” Lin Fan tossed another pill.
The disciple joyfully caught it, quickly tucking it into his robe, his gaze toward Lin Fan now filled with reverence.
Who said Senior Brother Lin was a fool? Step forward—I won’t hold back.
This was clearly a wealthy benefactor!
“Good. Now for the main point. You all know the Sect Leader granted me Nameless Peak, but it’s overgrown with weeds. So, whoever helps me clear the weeds for a day will receive ten Su Yuan Pills as payment,” Lin Fan announced.
“What? Senior Brother Lin, are you serious?” The gathered outer sect disciples couldn’t believe their ears.
“Of course. But it’s getting late now. Go rest first and come work tomorrow,” Lin Fan replied.
“No! Senior Brother Lin, we’re ready! We’ll start right away!” At that moment, everyone was excited. How could they possibly delay such an opportunity?
Ten Su Yuan Pills! This was no joking matter.
If they had to prepare the ingredients themselves, who knew when they’d ever get such a chance.
Observing their enthusiasm, Lin Fan nodded with satisfaction. Indeed, having resources made all the difference—now they were practically fighting to work.
“Also, remember this—I’m not your senior brother. I am the Sect Leader of the Saint Demon Sect, a subsidiary sect. Technically, I’m the Sect Leader’s junior brother, so you should respectfully address me as Master Lin.”
For these outer sect disciples, obtaining pills was no easy feat. Whether it was calling him “senior brother” or even “father,” they wouldn’t mind.
“Master Lin!” The disciples rushed to call out respectfully.
“Good. Now go forth. Work diligently, and those who impress me will receive extra rewards.”
…
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