Chapter 220: A Singular Talent Like No Other

Chapter 220: A Singular Talent Like No Other

It was no wonder that Ling Cang was so flustered and exclaimed in surprise.

As time passes and the environment changes in the cultivation world, some spirit herbs become extinct, and new ones emerge.

This fact is known to all pill refiners.

Therefore, many sects often contemplate improving their inherited pill formulas.

They aim to reduce the cost of pill refining within their sect.

However, this task is not an easy one.

Especially for sects like the Jiuhua Zong, where some of their inherited pill-refining techniques have been partially lost due to various reasons.

Perfecting and improving a pill formula is an extremely challenging endeavor.

On one hand, it requires an exceptionally profound understanding of the attributes of various spirit herbs, fire control techniques, herb combinations, and more.

This implies that only those with exceedingly high skill in pill refining can even attempt such a task.

Moreover, those who possess such skill often find themselves capable of modifying pill formulas that are only a few levels lower than their own cultivation.

For example, Ling Cang himself could now refine high-level medium-grade pills.

But if he were to modify a pill formula, he would likely only be able to handle intermediate medium-grade pills at best.

Being able to refine pills and understanding the principles behind them to create new formulas are two entirely different concepts.

On the other hand, it also requires a significant amount of experimentation. The art of pill refining is exceptionally complex, and even the tiniest detail can lead to failure.

Without extensive practical experience, it is impossible to identify the flaws in one's pill formula.

Normally, this would require tens of thousands of attempts.

For this reason, in the current cultivation world, although there are some pill refiners with profound skill who have improved pill formulas, they are exceedingly rare.

And the higher the grade of the pill, the rarer such improvements become.

There are fewer pills for enhancing divine sense compared to those for refining qi.

Yet now, Chu Ning had directly presented a method for refining intermediate high-grade pills for enhancing divine sense.

How could this not astound Ling Cang?

Aside from Ling Cang, the other elders, who were also Jin Dan cultivators with limited knowledge of pill refining, wore equally astonished expressions upon hearing Chu Ning's words.

Yu Changge took the pill from Ling Cang's hand and examined it briefly.

"Indeed an intermediate high-grade pill. From the pill's aura, it does seem to have the effect of enhancing one's divine sense."

Ling Cang, unable to contain his excitement, immediately turned to Chu Ning and asked, "You've been in seclusion all this time, researching this pill, right? It's been about three months, hasn't it?"

"Yes, a little over three months," Chu Ning nodded.

Of course, he didn't mention that during those three months, he had actually been researching not one, but three different pill formulas.

Even so, Ling Cang's face was filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

He eagerly asked, "Then how many times did you attempt to refine it before succeeding?"

Chu Ning thought for a moment before answering with a number.

"About fifty times, I believe."

It wasn't that he didn't want to elaborate, but he had only obtained that many spirit herbs from the Pill Refining Pavilion.

If he exaggerated the number, it wouldn't match the amount of herbs he had been allocated.

Out of those fifty attempts, over thirty had been successful, and the resulting spirit pills were stored in his spatial pouch.

There was no need to mention that.

But even so, Ling Cang, a mid-stage Jin Dan cultivator and a high-level intermediate pill master, had a gleam in his eyes.

"Fifty attempts... A genius!" Ling Cang murmured, then turned to the others and exclaimed excitedly, "Sect Master, fellow elders, he's a pill refining genius! To be able to research an intermediate high-grade pill at the level of an intermediate pill master—such talent, as far as I know, is unparalleled in the Yun Xiao Alliance! No, I've never heard of anyone like him in the entire Western Alliance!"

Chu Ning had not expected that a single intermediate high-grade pill formula would cause this Jin Dan elder to lose his composure.

At that moment, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

"It seems I've underestimated the difficulty of researching an intermediate high-grade pill, even when improving upon an ancient formula.

Fortunately, I only presented one formula, otherwise..."

As Chu Ning was deep in thought, Ling Cang turned his head, his eyes fixed on Chu Ning.

"Chu Ning, you must advance to the Jin Dan stage. Only then will our Jiuhua Zong's pill refining art truly have a chance to flourish.

From today onwards, any resources you require can be requested, and if they exceed your allocated amount, they will come from my personal stash."

Ling Cang's words left Chu Ning slightly agape.

"Elder, I..."

Before he could finish, Ling Cang waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Don't refuse. It's nothing. This old bag of bones can only survive a few more years at the mid-stage Jin Dan level.

But with these resources, given your talent, reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining at such a young age, and achieving the Formation of the Elixir is highly probable."

As the elder of the Pill Refining Pavilion was about to continue, Yu Changge stepped forward.

"Elder Ling, there's no need for that."

He placed the pill back into the jade bottle in Ling Cang's hand.

Then, turning to Chu Ning, he said, "The sect will ensure that Chu Ning has all the resources he needs. If the Pill Refining Pavilion cannot provide them, he can turn to the Wan Bao Pavilion or the Mission Hall. The sect will spare no effort in providing support."

Hearing this, Chu Ning was delighted.

He required quite a lot of resources for his cultivation, and while he could cultivate some of them himself, keeping up with the pace of his accelerated cultivation was another matter.

He had first-hand experience with the speed at which his cultivation and resource consumption progressed.

Back then, he had nearly run out of the Xuan Ling Bao Dan.

Now, with Yu Changge's assurance, he wouldn't have to worry as much going forward.

With this in mind, Chu Ning immediately cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Sect Master and fellow elders."

After chatting with the elders for a while longer, Chu Ning bid them farewell and took his leave.

Once Chu Ning's figure had disappeared, Ling Cang turned to Yu Changge with a beaming smile.

"Sect Master, it seems your decision to be honest with Chu Ning was the right one. After hearing the truth, he seems to have truly accepted us once more."

"Elder Ge!" Chu Ning cupped his fists in greeting.

Ge Liuyang acknowledged him with a sound of assent before getting straight to the point. "Chu Ning, I've received the item you asked Cui Rongrong to bring back. I wanted to ask you about your specific requirements in person, but I haven't had the chance to see you until now, and I almost forgot."

Hearing this, Chu Ning realized that the Jin Dan elder truly intended to lend him a hand with the crafting.

"Thank you, Elder, for your trouble. I am proficient in a wind-based spell called the Divine Escape Technique, but I've never had a suitable artifact to complement its use."

"Wind Escape Technique?" Ge Liuyang was slightly taken aback, evidently surprised that Chu Ning knew such a wind-based spell.

However, he didn't delve further but instead said, "Let's fly ahead for a bit."

With that, Ge Liuyang took the lead and flew ahead.

Chu Ning quickly followed suit.

The two of them sped forward in rapid flight.

Initially, Ge Liuyang held back a little, wary of Chu Ning's ability to keep up. Although he knew that wind escape techniques were swift, Chu Ning was only at the mid-Qi Refining stage.

But after flying for a while, Ge Liuyang noticed that Chu Ning was keeping up with ease, so he accelerated his escape technique.

"Finally, we can pick up the pace!"

Chu Ning, who had been holding back his speed while flying alongside Ge Liuyang, could guess his thoughts and so refrained from speaking. Now, seeing Ge Liuyang accelerate, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed suit.

As Ge Liuyang's speed increased, he was surprised to find that Chu Ning's pace showed no signs of lagging.

Ever since Chu Ning had reached the mid-Qi Refining stage, his spiritual power had improved significantly, which greatly enhanced his Divine Wind Escape technique.

Moreover, the Divine Wind Escape technique was inherently very fast. Back at the Thousand Lakes and Islands, even the Yin Demon Sect elder had needed to resort to secret techniques to catch up with him.

Now, although Ge Liuyang's escape technique wasn't slow, it couldn't shake Chu Ning off.

It was only when Ge Liuyang flew with all his might, seemingly employing some kind of special escape technique, that Chu Ning began to struggle a little.

Even then, he wasn't completely left behind.

After flying back and forth, covering a distance of nearly a hundred li from the sect, Ge Liuyang finally turned back and flew towards the sect once more.

By this time, Chu Ning's spiritual power had been considerably depleted, which Ge Liuyang noticed from the changes in his aura.

He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Your wind escape technique is already very fast, but it consumes quite a bit of spiritual power. That black flood dragon skin is quite large. I'll add some materials and forge a robe and boots for you. That way, you can increase your speed while conserving spiritual power."

Chu Ning was delighted to hear this. "Thank you, Elder Ge."

"Come find me at the Artifact Refining Pavilion in ten days," Ge Liuyang nodded, leaving behind a brief message before flying away.

Chu Ning then turned towards his cave abode.

As he flew towards Ling Yan Peak, he spotted a figure standing outside his cave from a distance.

He paused momentarily, thinking, "What's he doing here?"

Pushing aside his thoughts, Chu Ning flew towards his abode, landing in front of Yuan Rongzhang.

"Brother Chu!"

Upon seeing Chu Ning, Yuan Rongzhang immediately cupped his fists in greeting.

Chu Ning returned the gesture and asked curiously, "Brother Yuan, what brings you to my place today?"

A fleeting look of embarrassment and reluctance flashed across Yuan Rongzhang's face when he heard Chu Ning's question.

However, he quickly regained his composure and bowed deeply to Chu Ning. "Brother Chu, I apologize for my previous transgressions. Please forgive me. When I heard that you had created an intermediate high-grade pill formula, I was truly amazed."

As he spoke, a mixture of emotions played across Yuan Rongzhang's face.

When he had first heard the news from Yuan Zhuo, he had almost bitten his tongue in shock.

Now, Yuan Rongzhang finally understood the extent of Chu Ning's pill refining skills.

His initial hesitation dissipated, and he had come to find Chu Ning.

Although Chu Ning saw a hint of difficulty in Yuan Rongzhang's expression at first, his words were sincere, and Chu Ning was taken aback by his frankness.

Chu Ning finally replied, "I didn't expect Junior Brother to get the news so quickly. I've already passed on the technique for refining the Earth-Treasury Spirit-Gathering Pill to Elder Ling. You should be able to see it in the Pill Refining Pavilion soon."

"I didn't come for that pill." Yuan Rongzhang shook his head. "I haven't fully comprehended the Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill yet, and I still can't refine the intermediate high-grade version. So, for now, I won't bother learning that formula."

Yuan Rongzhang paused briefly before continuing, "The reason I'm here is that there are a few aspects of the fire control technique in the Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill that I don't understand. I've tried refining the intermediate high-grade pill multiple times, but I still can't get it right. So, I've come to seek guidance from Senior Brother."

Chu Ning was even more surprised by these words.

Just as he was about to invite Yuan Rongzhang into his cave abode, Yuan Rongzhang spoke again, "I want to refine the Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill in front of everyone, and I'd like you to watch and give me pointers. Would that be convenient for you, Senior Brother?"

Chu Ning glanced at Yuan Rongzhang again upon hearing this.

If Yuan Rongzhang had only asked for private guidance from Chu Ning, he would have been surprised but would have attributed it to Yuan Rongzhang recognizing his talent in pill refining and being willing to put aside their differences.

However, Yuan Rongzhang was now suggesting that he refine pills in front of everyone and ask for Chu Ning's guidance.

This was even more difficult than apologizing publicly.

It was equivalent to admitting that his previous actions towards Chu Ning were wrong and that he now sincerely respected him.

This caused Chu Ning to slightly change his impression of this proud genius of Jiuhua Zong.

After some thought, Chu Ning didn't refuse but agreed to accompany Yuan Rongzhang to the Pill Refining Pavilion.

By the time they arrived, quite a few alchemists and disciples had already gathered in the pavilion.

Although the crowd wasn't as large as when Chu Ning had refined pills before, there were still over a hundred people present, including several executives.

Everyone's gazes were filled with curiosity, especially towards Yuan Rongzhang, with a hint of disbelief.

After all, they were well aware of Yuan Rongzhang's previous provocations towards Chu Ning.

But now, Yuan Rongzhang was publicly asking for Chu Ning's guidance in pill refining.

To many, it felt almost surreal.

Just as the crowd was still questioning the authenticity of the situation, Yuan Rongzhang spoke up, "Senior Brother Chu's skill in pill refining is profound. Although I've contemplated his improved formula for the Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill for several months, I still can't fully comprehend it. Today, I will refine pills in front of everyone and ask for Senior Brother Chu's guidance, so that all fellow disciples can observe and learn."

After finishing his introduction, Yuan Rongzhang gestured for Chu Ning to take the lead, and the two of them walked towards the refining platform in the pavilion.

"Well done!"

Someone in the crowd shouted first, followed by loud applause and cheers.

"Senior Brother Chu, well done!"

Even from a distance, Ling Cang could see this scene, and a relieved smile appeared on his aged face.

He murmured, "The capable are worthy of respect, and the young can be taught."

With that, he disappeared, no longer paying attention to what was happening in the pavilion.

At that moment, Chu Ning stood on the high platform in the pavilion, observing Yuan Rongzhang's pill refining process.

"There's a slight issue with the incantation at this moment. The infusion of spiritual power is a bit too fast..."

Whenever Yuan Rongzhang encountered a problem, Chu Ning pointed it out directly, and his words were heard by the alchemists below the platform.

Although Yuan Rongzhang didn't succeed in refining an intermediate high-grade pill in the first attempt, he gained a lot from Chu Ning's guidance.

He spent almost half an hour digesting the feedback before starting another round of pill refining.

After three attempts, with Chu Ning's guidance, Yuan Rongzhang had addressed most of the issues in his refining process.

Chu Ning then proceeded to refine an intermediate high-grade Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill in front of Yuan Rongzhang.

Yuan Rongzhang carefully observed the process and then refined two more batches of pills on his own.

Finally, with his solid foundation, Yuan Rongzhang successfully refined an intermediate high-grade Jiuhua Congealing Primordial Pill.

Although he only produced two pills, he was overjoyed.

Holding the jade bottle containing the precious pills, Yuan Rongzhang bowed deeply to Chu Ning in front of everyone.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for your guidance!"

Immediately, the alchemists and disciples below the platform stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Senior Brother (Uncle Master)!"

Although some of Chu Ning's pointers were beyond their current comprehension, many still benefited greatly.

Chu Ning returned the bow and was about to step down from the platform when a figure flashed, and Su Yuqing's smiling face appeared before him.

"Senior Brother, you won't play favorites, will you?"

One led to another, and in the following days, Chu Ning found himself on the high platform almost every day, guiding the pill refining of the executives and alchemists of Jiuhua Zong's Pill Refining Pavilion.

His innate talent as a Yuan Dan Spirit Body gave him an extraordinary ability to understand pill refining, and even for pills he hadn't encountered before, he could grasp the basics after watching the refining process once.

He continued this way until he had guided all the Foundation Establishment alchemists in the pavilion, and then he refined a few batches of pills himself.

Chu Ning's unexpected pill refining guidance session ended with grateful bows and appreciative voices echoing in the pavilion, and his prestige among the alchemists was unparalleled!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end