"Alchemy requires careful control of medicinal properties," Zhang DaoMing said in a lecturing tone, criticizing Chen Xia.
He had a point. Throughout history, no alchemist was known to concoct pills by stir-frying. How extraordinary Chen Xia was to be able to produce pills of the Dao with a rusted iron wok!
Holding the iron wok, Chen Xia raised his eyebrows indifferently. "What era is this still concocting traditional pills?"
Zhang DaoMing became anxious. "The medicinal materials this time are extremely precious. If I fail, my life will be completely ruined!"
"Don't worry," Chen Xia said grandly with a wave of his hand. "If it's destroyed, I'll compensate you."
"With what will you compensate me?!" Zhang DaoMing shouted, pointing at Chen Xia's nose.
"If you hadn't borrowed 10,000 Spirit Stones from me and not repaid me for 500 years, how could I have fallen into such destitution?!"
"Let's forget about that. I won't say much more. But now I'm asking you to produce a pill, yet you're so perfunctory. Do you want me to die?!"
Chen Xia frowned, stroked his cheek, feeling a little embarrassed. He had owed money for far too long. With a smirk, he consoled,
"Don't worry. When I make money in the future, I'll definitely pay you back double."
"I don't believe you," Zhang DaoMing said through gritted teeth. "If you don't concoct the pill properly for me today, I'll...I'll..."
He shouted twice but didn't come up with anything.
Just as Chen Xia opened his mouth to placate him again, Zhang DaoMing pointed at the Sword Sea and bellowed, "I'll jump from here into the Sword Sea!"
Oh, that's fine then.
Chen Xia felt relieved. After all, jumping into the Sword Sea wouldn't kill anyone.
After half a day of tug-of-war, Chen Xia finally agreed to use Zhang DaoMing's furnace to produce the Dao pill.
Zhang DaoMing was victorious over Chen Xia. His face glowed red, radiant and spirited.
Chen Xia followed behind, feeling this old guy seemed to have become mentally abnormal, probably stimulated by something.
"Have you seen Big Yellow Dog recently?" Chen Xia curiously asked.
"I saw it once a few years ago," Zhang DaoMing recalled. "At that time, it was in the Sword Forest, swinging a broom over its head, as if cultivating some Fury of Counterattack. I didn't really understand."
Chen Xia didn't understand either, but as long as he knew Big Yellow Dog was fine.
The two quickly reached Zhang DaoMing's cave without encountering anyone else.
"I've prepared the medicinal materials. You can start concocting directly," Zhang DaoMing said. At the same time, he looked at Chen Xia pleadingly, "Whether it succeeds or fails depends on this time. I've staked my life on you, so you must be serious!"
Looking at Zhang DaoMing, Chen Xia persuaded, "Although you don't have many years left to live, I still don't want you to gamble with your life."
"If I don't succeed again, I'll have nothing left but a rotten life. Mediocre in life and mediocre in death, I don't want to live anymore. Death would be liberation!" Zhang DaoMing said indignantly.
"Sigh." Chen Xia let out a breath. For the first time in alchemy, he felt a trace of pressure.
Luckily it was just a trace, so Chen Xia soon let go.
Life and death are predestined; wealth and honor are in heaven.
He was only responsible for concocting. Whether Zhang DaoMing lived depended on heaven's will.
Zhang DaoMing's eyes were slightly red. He handed the formula to Chen Xia and instructed, "You've produced Dao pills before, so I shouldn't say much..."
"Good, then don't say anything," Chen Xia interrupted directly, and started examining the formula in hand.
The pill to be produced this time was a low-grade Dao pill - the Great Mist Ice Pellet.
Its effect was to condense great mist profound ice within the body, considered one of the top attributes of the water element, and a favorite of many water-based tribes and cultivators.
But due to significant restrictions, it was only a low-grade Dao pill.
After Chen Xia read through the steps and felt they were correct, he confidently said, "Ignite the furnace."
Zhang DaoMing forcefully opened the furnace, igniting the flames within. The reddish flames illuminated his aged complexion, making him appear even more decrepit.
This was his last hope.
If he could not succeed, Zhang DaoMing did not want to live a life laden with debt either.
Not everyone could stand at the pinnacle looking down on others like Chen Xia.
The vast majority were looked down upon by Chen Xia.
Including Zhang DaoMing.
The only mistake he made in his life...
Was being mediocre.
The furnace had started concocting. Zhang DaoMing reacted, standing tensely on the side watching.
First the materials were added, then came the slow refinement with skills, very common methods. It was just that Chen Xia's skills were not very standard.
But the materials did not seem to be leaking, so it should be fine.
While adding materials, Chen Xia channeled the few hundred points accumulated in Blue Sky Sword Sea all into his luck.
This was alchemy of the new era!
Success depended entirely on luck. It emphasized relying on heaven for food.
After Chen Xia put all the materials in, the next step was to close the pill furnace and slowly refine it with flame and spirit energy.
This step tested skills and experience the most. The slightest mistake, even a tiny leak of spirit energy, would ruin this Dao pill.
Zhang DaoMing clenched his fists, extremely nervous, but thinking of Chen Xia having produced a Dao pill before, he felt it should be fine.
Chen Xia must possess the necessary skills and experience for alchemy, otherwise he could not have produced the high-grade Observing the Profound Elixir last time.
Zhang DaoMing let out a murky breath, about to urge himself to relax.
Suddenly, Chen Xia took out a spatula from his pocket.
What's the point of closing the damn furnace? Stir-frying was his Dao of alchemy!
Unable to become a pill if not following the steps?
How inconvenient the Dao of alchemy is!
The not-so-big spatula rudely entered the pill furnace, stirring the materials, starting to stir-fry.
Chen Xia held one corner of the furnace with one hand, occasionally tossing it up.
"Huff... huff..." Zhang DaoMing couldn't catch his breath. He directly fainted and fell flat on the ground.
At the instant Zhang DaoMing fainted.
The sky thundered violently.
Dense thunderclouds covered a range of kilometers in Blue Sky Sword Sea.
Many outer disciples looked over in shock and terror.
"It's Elder Zhang's cave. He succeeded at concocting!"
"What kind of pill could have such a terrifying phenomenon?!"
"Elder Zhang is so formidable?"
"..."
Discussions continued.
The thunder rumbled down aggressively like roaring cries.
It lasted thirty breaths.
"Old Zhang, Old Zhang, wake up. You don't have to die now," Chen Xia said with a smile.
Zhang DaoMing woke up in confusion, looking at the terrifyingly icy Dao pill in Chen Xia's hand. It seemed to stagnate, then he incredulously said,
"Success!"
He quickly shook his head again. His expression was even more shocked. "No, it's not the Great Mist Ice Pellet, but the Supreme Profound Ice Spirit Pellet, one level higher!"
Zhang DaoMing's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Chen Xia and asked,
"Did you completely change the medicinal properties?!"
This was like asking you to cook a fish stew.
The stew was stewed, and the taste was even better.
But the problem is...
Is crocodile considered fish?!
Only children say drink tea, adults say beverage.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
