Chapter 639: Still A Legend
The Alchemist Demon Monarch smiled wryly and said: "This might sound a bit absurd, however, there is a legend about an Alchemy Emperor that goes like this: the emperor was able to control both the Fire Source and Fire Spark. Another tale told of him controlling the fire of a Heavenly Tribulation, but yes, this is strictly fictional. It might be possible to control a Fire Spark due to the matchless flame control of Alchemy Emperors. However, controlling a Fire Source is a different story. It is one thing if the Fire Source is above ground, but if it is below, then even an emperor would have a hard time controlling it…
"Controlling the flame of a Heavenly Tribulation is even more outrageous. However, people speculated that this would be possible for an Immortal Emperor who was initially an Alchemy Emperor. For example, Immortal Emperor Yao Zu of the Alchemy Kingdom might have been able to control the Heavenly Tribulation's flame, but other Alchemy Emperors won't be able to. Of course, all of this is just gossip among alchemists and no one is certain of anything." 1
"What about the other possibility?" Ancient Pine hastily asked. He was the first to find Li Qiye, so he was more anxious than anyone else.
The alchemist monarch went silent for a bit before speaking: "This other possibility is even more difficult to believe. There is a legend in the world of alchemists: there is a Heavenly Cauldron in this world, one that is even better than the cauldrons of Alchemy Emperors. It is said that this cauldron can devour all the flames in this world as well as any Immortal Medicine. It has an extremely powerful Fire Source, the purest in this world, on top of the best and most unparalleled medicinal trove. In the legends, this cauldron could fly to the sky or maneuver beneath the earth; not only could it control flames, it also devoured countless fire veins. A Fire Source is only a simple meal to it."
There was a Demon Monarch who didn't know much about the dao of alchemy, but he understood the untouchable prestige of Alchemy Emperors and how no one had better cauldrons than them: "A Heavenly Cauldron even more perfect than those of Alchemy Emperors? Can such a cauldron exist?"
The alchemist monarch forced a smile and said: "I can't answer that question since I don't know either. Legend states that this Heavenly Cauldron had become a god, so it should be called a Divine Heavenly Cauldron. But of course, this is only part of the legend since no one has seen it before, not even Alchemy Emperors."
"Both are too hard to imagine." One Demon Monarch shook his head and said: "The contemporary Alchemy Emperor has yet to appear. Although the Nine Worlds do not actively communicate with each other, in my opinion, this generation's Alchemy Emperor will appear in the Stone Medicine World. There is no hope for the previous generation since their blood energy has withered, resulting in them being unable to pass the final gate. The juniors are still young, so they are far from achieving Alchemy Emperor, but it is even more impossible for the Divine Cauldron to exist."
Madam Zi Yan pondered for a bit before asking the alchemist: "Does Demon Monarch think that it is possible for Young Noble Li to control the Fire Source remotely?"
The alchemist thought for a moment and then shook his head while smiling to say: "Your Majesty, I am not sure. To tell you the truth, if Ancient Pine Demon Monarch's descriptions are accurate, then I can firmly say that I have never seen such an alchemist before."
"Brother Sun, don't worry. This old man can say with the utmost confidence that every word is true; I guarantee it with my life."
The alchemist quickly responded: "Brother Ancient Pine is too serious, I never had any doubts regarding your claim. However, this matter is beyond one's imagination, just like the two possibilities I stated previously. Refining pills like frying beans on top of it being a six transformations fate pill… The truth is that I have never heard or seen such a thing before."
A different monarch asked: "If Brother Ancient Pine's words are correct, then what do you think about Young Noble Li's alchemy skill?"
The alchemist became serious and replied: "I have seen Brother Ancient Pine's fate pill." With an austere expression, he continued on: "To be frank, there are only a few people in the present times that are capable of refining such a fate pill. From my personal understanding, ancient alchemists from the Alchemy Kingdom are capable of performing such a feat. I heard that there are one or two of them, the prime treasures of the kingdom; they have sealed themselves for nearly ten thousand years now and are in deep slumber."
Madam Zi Yan asked: "If this is true, then how do you think Young Noble Li compares to the four alchemy prodigies?"
"This subordinate has never seen Young Noble Li refine pills, but his dao of the pill… " The alchemist paused for a second before continuing: "Compared to Young Noble Li, the four alchemy prodigies are very ordinary. Among the four of them, the alchemist from the Alchemy Kingdom is versed in physique pastes, and the descendant of the Bailian Clan can also be considered to be unbeatable regarding Longevity Medicines." 2
"The First Prince of the State of Cao specializes in fate pills among the four, and people think that, among the young alchemists, no one could create them better than him. As for the descendant of the Calm Garden, I heard that this person is knowledgeable with plant cultivation.
"I had the fortune to have met the First Prince of Cao and saw him refine pills once. At that time, the stage was sealed so I couldn't see his method, but the general process proved that he was indeed at the pinnacle of geniuses among young alchemists. Even those of the previous generation would be ashamed to stand before him.
"However, to tell him to refine pills like frying beans would be impossible. Perhaps he would be able to do it when he becomes an Alchemy Emperor, but honestly, even Alchemy Emperors might not be able to accomplish such a task, unless they were refining low-level pills of one or two transformations."
A monarch stood up and said: "Are you trying to say that Young Noble Li is an Alchemy Emperor?"
"I'm not sure. If Young Noble Li can refine pills this easily, then even if he isn't one, he is only a step away. In the future, no one else could become the Alchemy Emperor." The alchemist smiled wryly and said: "If someone asked me the question of who can refine pills like stir-frying veggies, I might not be sure about all the Alchemy Emperors, but one person is certainly capable of this."
"Who?" Ancient Pine quickly asked.
The alchemist took a deep breath and answered in a respectful and solemn manner: "The Alchemy God, the existence that established the laws of alchemy."
Anyone would display an extremely respectful attitude when mentioning the Alchemy God, especially at the Stone Medicine World where alchemists thrived the most. The Alchemy God had an unreachable prestige in this place, even higher than Immortal Emperors.
Nothing but respect could be found from alchemists regarding this topic since the Alchemy God had an incomparable status in their hearts. Without the Alchemy God, there would be no complete dao system for alchemy like the one today. Many Alchemy Emperors appeared since the beginning of time, but outside of the Alchemy God, even the most heaven-defying emperors didn't dare to call themselves an Alchemy God. This was out of respect for the alchemy progenitor.
In the end, Madam Zi Yan told Ancient Pine: "Elder Pine, tomorrow, I will personally go to your mansion to greet Young Noble Li."
She didn't bring up the matter of the Lie Clan anymore. To her and the country, the fate of the Lie Clan was not important. It was only another family in the capital, not one of her subjects.
In the meantime, in Ancient Pine's mansion, Bai Weng received the news about the Lie Clan. He shuddered when he heard that their Fire Source exploded and Lie Jie died a terrible death.
He heard what Li Qiye had said to Lie Jie before, and now, it actually happened, so how could he not be astonished?
Although he hadn't seen Li Qiye take action, he was sure that Li Qiye was the culprit even if he didn't leave the mansion. However, he didn't know how this was possible.
He recognized that Li Qiye was not as harmless as he seemed. Li Qiye was not only a genius at pill refinement and a generous prodigal son that could scare people to death, he was also the ruthless type. He would decisively make a decision without showing any mercy as he unleashed his thunderous wrath upon his enemies. The Lie Clan was a living example.
The Lie Clan's sudden accident caused a huge stir in the capital. Overnight, some people were happy, some were sad, and others lost sleep throughout the night.
However, none of this had anything to do with Li Qiye since he had a great night's sleep.
In the morning, when Li Qiye woke up, Ancient Pine and Bai Weng had already been waiting outside.
Ancient Pine stepped forward after seeing Li Qiye and respectfully spoke: "Did Young Noble have a good night's rest?"
Li Qiye glanced over at Ancient Pine and smiled: "Demon Monarch can be frank with me, there is no need to beat around the bush."
Ancient Pine awkwardly smiled and rubbed his palms together to say: "Her Highness is here to see Young Noble and is in the main hall right now. Will you meet her?"
Under normal circumstances, outsiders would find this matter hard to believe. The Giant Bamboo Country was still a big country in the Alchemy Realm, and Madam Zi Yan was its Royal Lord. As a Demon King with a Heavenly King cultivation, she would be regarded as a top character no matter where she went.
However, today, Royal Lord Zi Yan personally came early to visit with a sincere and humble attitude — this was quite surprising.
It made sense if she was visiting an ancestor of a great power, but today, she was only seeing a young man, a youth without any fame.
The entire country would be shocked if this were to come out. Just what kind of character was worthy of their Royal Lord's grand treatment?
"If your Royal Lord is here, then I'll see her." Li Qiye reacted very blandly and smiled.
Bai Weng, who was standing to the side, didn't dare to comment. He knew that anyone else would have felt a sense of honor and pride, but Li Qiye reacted calmly as if this was how it should be. This was indicative of his heaven-defying peerlessness.
639 TeaserThe Alchemist Demon Monarch smiled wryly and said: "This might sound a bit absurd, however, there is a legend about an Alchemy Emperor that goes like this. The emperor was able to control both the Fire Source and Fire Spark. Another tale told of him controlling the fire of a Heavenly Tribulation, but yes, this is strictly fictional. It might be possible to control a Fire Spark due to the matchless flame control of Alchemy Emperors. However, controlling a Fire Source is a different story. It is one thing if the Fire Source is above ground, but if it is below, then even an emperor would have a hard time controlling it…
"Controlling the flame of a Heavenly Tribulation is even more outrageous. However, people speculated that this would be possible for an Immortal Emperor who was initially an Alchemy Emperor. For example, Immortal Emperor Yao Zu of the Alchemy Kingdom might have been able to control the Heavenly Tribulation's flame, but other Alchemy Emperors won't be able to. Of course, all of this is just gossip among alchemists and no one is certain of anything."
"What about the other possibility?" Ancient Pine hastily asked. He was the first to find Li Qiye, so he was more anxious than anyone else.
The alchemist monarch went silent for a bit before speaking: "This other possibility is even more difficult to believe. There is a legend in the world of alchemists: there exists a Heavenly Cauldron in this world, one that is even better than the cauldrons of Alchemy Emperors. It is said that this cauldron can devour all the flames in this world as well as any Immortal Medicine. It has an extremely powerful Fire Source, the purest in this world, on top of the best and most unparalleled medicinal trove. In the legends, this cauldron could fly to the sky or maneuver beneath the earth; not only could it control flames, it also devoured countless fire veins. A Fire Source is only a simple meal to it."
[collapse] Immortal Emperor Yao Zu = Alchemy Ancestor Immortal Emperor. ↩ Bailian = Hundred Refinements. But hundred is used here as "amazing". ↩Chapter 640: Meeting Again
In the main hall, Madam Zi Yan sat there, waiting, accompanied by seventeen Demon Monarchs. This was quite a grand showing. It could be said that all of the most powerful rulers in the Giant Bamboo Country were here.
Such a showing could only be seen when greeting Virtuous Paragons. Ordinary grand characters would never see such a big gesture.
Initially, Madam Zi Yan wanted to go see him alone, but the other monarchs also wanted to see just what this illustrious person who could refine pills like cooking named Li Qiye looked like, so they followed to add to the fun.
Anyone who had never witnessed such a grand team before would tremble upon seeing a Demon King and seventeen Demon Monarchs together. However, upon his arrival, Li Qiye was still as relaxed and comfortable as ever.
The monarchs were stunned to see Li Qiye since he was completely different from what they had imagined. They assumed that a supreme alchemist with such great pill refinement skill should at least have a floating immortal aura; each of his steps should give birth to lotuses or at least have an imposing momentum.
However, Li Qiye looked quite bland and lacked perceivably excellent qualities. If they didn't know of his skills beforehand, they wouldn't believe that this ordinary man before them was the famed alchemist.
Madam Zi Yan was also astounded to see Li Qiye since she didn't expect to meet him again in these circumstances.
Li Qiye sat down and glanced around before stopping on Madam Zi Yan, then he grinned.
He laughed when he saw her dazed expression and said in a carefree manner: "Your Majesty, we meet again. It has been a while."
The monarchs were surprised as well as they all looked back at Madam Zi Yan. They didn't expect for their Demon King to have met Li Qiye once already.
Ultimately, she was still a Demon King, so she quickly composed herself and revealed an elegant and noble smile to say: "I also didn't expect that you were Young Noble Li."
So it turned out that Madam Zi Yan was the woman Li Qiye met in the ancient house on the outskirts of the capital on that night! She didn't expect that man who spewed out such arrogant words and was lost in his delusions to be the supreme alchemist, Li Qiye.
In fact, it was not quite a coincidence. That night, Li Qiye went to the ancient house in order to recall his past. As for the madam, she went there whenever there was a big issue to contemplate in silence, to follow the example of her Matriarch.
"Young Noble's arrival is our Giant Bamboo's honor." The elegant Demon King Zi Yan said: "I am very busy and couldn't greet you right away, so please excuse the lack of hospitality. Today, we prepared some meager gifts as an apology."
A servant carried a chest forward. It had yet to be opened, but the immense sound it made when it dropped to the ground showed that the items inside were not ordinary.
Li Qiye didn't open it for a look, however. The majority of treasures was nothing in his eyes. He only revealed a carefree smile instead: "To meet is to be connected by fate; Your Majesty can be straightforward with me."
Madam Zi Yan replied: "I heard our Demon Monarch say that Young Noble is interested in being an alchemist of our country — I wonder if this is true?"
Li Qiye smiled and said: "We can talk about the alchemist position later, but I heard Your Majesty needs someone to participate in the Alchemy Conference for the Giant Bamboo Country. I can lend you a hand with this."
The monarchs glanced at each other, and the madam was shocked as well. No one thought that Li Qiye would agree so readily.
A supreme alchemist was highly sought after no matter where they were in the Stone Medicine World, even imperial lineages were no exception.
One must pay a tremendous sum to invite such an alchemist. Even the Qing Clan negotiated quite a lot with the Giant Bamboo Country just for entering the Alchemy Conference. After all, alchemists were quite popular, especially the young and talented ones.
So now, Li Qiye's swift agreement was outside of everyone's expectations.
However, Madam Zi Yan understood that there was no free meal in this world, so she asked straightforwardly: "May I ask what your wishes are? Or what can the Giant Bamboo Country do to assist you with? If you need anything, just say the word."
Li Qiye smiled and shook his head: "I am not looking down on the Giant Bamboo Country, but this country does not have the things I desire. I trust that Your Majesty is quick with your intel. So, do you feel that I lack treasures or wealth?"
These words were quite arrogant and caused some of the monarchs to be unhappy, but they all admitted that he was only speaking the truth.
Even Madam Zi Yan had to smile bitterly. Spending two hundred Immortal Emperor Refined Jades to buy an Alchemy Fowl… Such a wasteful act was indicative of his riches. Even if the country mustered up its entire treasury, it would still be very difficult to produce two hundred Immortal Emperor Refined Jades.
Li Qiye alone was capable of throwing out such a sum without a care; he clearly was not short of money. Since even an entire country was not necessarily richer than him, the gap between the two sides was considerable.
Li Qiye smiled and asked: "However, if Your Highness really wants me to provide a condition… This wouldn't be hard either. I will participate in the Alchemy Conference for the Giant Bamboo Country, but I have a brother who wants to be a court alchemist, what does Your Highness think about this?"
Ancient Pine quietly reported to Madam Zi Yan. After hearing his words, she asked Li Qiye: "Is Young Noble talking about Shi Hao?"
"Correct." Li Qiye nodded and said: "It is by fate that we've met, so although I will not take in a disciple, he has learned a bit of my pill refinement skill. Brother Shi's clan was once loyal subjects of the Giant Bamboo Country, and he also wants to contribute to the country. I trust that he will be able to do so in the future."
Madam Zi Yan nodded her head in agreement: "I can't ask for more regarding this matter. As long as Envoy Shi Hao is willing, the imperial court welcomes his registration at any time."
The other monarchs were quite ecstatic as well. Since Shi Hao had learned some pill arts from a supreme alchemist like Li Qiye, he would surely become a great talent in the future for the Giant Bamboo Country.
Li Qiye commanded Bai Weng: "Tell Shi Hao to come meet Her Majesty and the other monarchs." Li Qiye trained him not just because he valued Shi Hao, it was also to train a talent for the Giant Bamboo Country.
Soon, Bai Weng led Shi Hao into the room. Prior to this, Bai Weng had clearly told him of the situation, but Shi Hao's legs still shuddered the moment he saw the monarchs and Madam Zi Yan.
All the monarchs were of the Ancient Saint and Heavenly Sovereign realms. Needless to say, Madam Zi Yan was a Heavenly King with even greater prestige. Shi Hao had never encountered such a situation before, so he was quite nervous.
He actually felt that this was all a dream. He had aspirations of reviving his clan, to be a court alchemist one day and slowly rebuild his family. However, these were only dreams buried deep inside his heart since, as a little envoy, he was very far from reaching these aspirations.
Prior to this, he didn't even dream about meeting Her Majesty, but it was one of his wishes during his youth.
His dream came true too fast and he was not mentally prepared. He stepped inside the room while quivering, clearly having lost his calm.
Seeing Shi Hao's anxiety, Li Qiye encouraged him: "Shi Hao, go greet the monarchs and Her Majesty. Her Majesty has agreed for you to become a court alchemist."
Li Qiye's reminder caused the nervous Shi Hao to calm down. He kneeled down and bowed: "Shi Hao from the Shi Clan greets Your Majesty."
"Rise." Madam Zi Yan accepted his bow and nodded her head: "The Shi Clan from the Calm River County had always been loyal subjects of the Giant Bamboo Country with great contributions. Today, you may enter the court and will bring prestige back to the name Shi."
Shi Hao was still overwhelmed by the swift and sudden realization of his dream. Her Majesty had personally allowed for him to become a court alchemist!
While Shi Hao's mind was still foggy, Bai Weng led him around to meet the other monarchs to fulfill his responsibility as Shi Hao's caretaker.
After greeting all the monarchs, Shi Hao composed himself and prostrated before Li Qiye and emotionally uttered: "Big Brother…"
Countless words ran rampant in his mind, but he didn't know where to start or how to express them. He understood that everything he gained today was because of Li Qiye.
Li Qiye also accepted his prostration and calmly said: "Do your best. It is not difficult to repay me as long as you don't bring shame to my refinement technique. My pill technique is the best across the eons, so even if you have only learned a little bit, as long as you keep trying hard with diligence, then you will surely become a Legendary Alchemist in the future. I would be disappointed if you couldn't achieve this."
His words caused the madam and the monarchs to take deep breaths. What a bold tone, claiming himself to be the best of all time! Even the Alchemy Kingdom wouldn't dare to make such a bombastic proclamation regarding their pill techniques.
However, such words from Li Qiye's mouth carried great confidence and calmness as if it was not merely outrageous and ignorant blustering.
Shi Hao took a calming breath and clenched his fists to say: "Big Brother, rest assured, I will definitely not let you down!" He had a new goal in his mind while being full of ambition. He must become a Legendary Alchemist!
Prior to this, he only wanted to become an Alchemy Master to be eligible to join the imperial court.
Chapter 641: Invitation
And now, his goal was to become a Legendary Alchemist. He was able to dream of this due to Li Qiye.
Shi Hao and Bai Weng then took their leave. Shi Hao was still young and inexperienced, so he needed an older alchemist like Bai Weng to keep watch over him in order to avoid detours on his future path.
After the two left, Madam Zi Yan asked Li Qiye: "Since Young Noble is our representative for the Alchemy Conference, is there anything we can do to help prepare?"
"There's nothing too important." Li Qiye smiled and said: "However, I am used to being alone and doing my own things, so I hope that during the conference, there will be no accompanying alchemists. That would just be a waste of my time."
Madam Zi Yan nodded her head and promised: "Don't worry, Young Noble. As long as you attend the conference, you will be our only participant."
This guarantee caused the Eagle Demon Monarch's expression to dim. Prior to this, the Giant Bamboo Country intended to have the Qing Clan's descendant as a participant, and Eagle was quite familiar with the Qing Clan.
However, he was not unhappy about this at all since it was quite beneficial for the Giant Bamboo Country. It was just that he had yet to see Li Qiye's true abilities, so there was a thorn in his heart.
"I have no other requests then. Wait until the conference, I trust that the Giant Bamboo Country will return triumphantly."
After a moment of silence, Madam Zi Yan asked: "I wonder if Young Noble is interested in accepting an alchemy position at the Giant Bamboo?" She truly wanted to keep Li Qiye since anyone would want to recruit such a supreme alchemist. Moreover, she always had a love for talent, so a wise Demon King like her wouldn't give up on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Her invitation caused him to smile and shake his head: "Madam, I am not trying to be arrogant, but if I wanted to seek power, then I wouldn't choose the Giant Bamboo Country. As long as I say the words, I trust that countless imperial lineages will want me. However, if we take a step back and say that I wanted to stay at the Giant Bamboo Country, then you wouldn't be able to handle my condition."
Others would be unhappy with Li Qiye's arrogant tone, but Madam Zi Yan was a modest person and smiled: "What is your condition? I would like to hear it."
Li Qiye looked at her and couldn't help but smile back. The Giant Bamboo Country didn't have anything for him to desire. He spoke clearly: "If you really want to hear my condition… I am currently missing a driver by my side, are you interested in this position?"
This was met with immediate displeasure from all the Demon Monarchs. One of them stepped out and shouted at Li Qiye: "How presumptuous!"
"Young Noble, you went too far." Even Ancient Pine couldn't help but stand up and speak for his ruler.
All the monarchs glared at Li Qiye. To them, Li Qiye's statement just now was humiliating both to their Royal Lord and country.
Although Giant Bamboo was no imperial lineage, it was still a first-class power. It had a considerable status in the Stone Medicine World. Moreover, not to mention that their Demon King was a Heavenly King, she was also extremely beautiful and without a lack of suitors.
In fact, many young prodigies tried to court her. If she so desired, she could have married into an imperial lineage already. However, she let go of her personal matters and focused on the Giant Bamboo Country.
So now, when Li Qiye requested for her to be his driver, how could the other monarchs stand it? This was clearly insulting their Demon King and country.
They were furious, but Madam Zi Yan waved her hand to calm them. She looked at Li Qiye and suddenly remembered the words he said back in the ancient house.
She noticed his calm and nonchalant appearance devoid of any sign of hubris, but she couldn't tell where he was getting his confidence from.
If a person acting in this manner was not arrogant, it meant that they were strong enough. Others might feel that this type of action was overbearing, but to him, it was natural and not a big deal.
If Li Qiye was the powerful type, then she had failed to see through him — this young man standing in front of her.
Anyone else would instantly be driven insane or would walk away after hearing such humiliating words, but Madam Zi Yan was both humble and understanding as she showed no sign of anger.
She looked at him and slowly spoke: "Young Noble is truly confident."
Li Qiye smiled and shook his head to say: "The truth is, I selected you because I appreciate Giant Bamboo, and I feel that your personality is not bad. This has nothing to do with confidence. To be frank, when it comes to qualifications, even a descendant of an imperial lineage might not enter my sight."
The calm Madam Zi Yan inquired further: "Then so to say, Young Noble believes that I should feel honored for being chosen as your driver?"
"You are correct." Li Qiye flatly replied: "Being a driver for me is indeed an honor. You are a Demon King, a ruler of a country, so what will your future accomplishments be? At best, you will stop at Virtuous Paragon. Will you be able to earn divine bestowment? As for Godking, this is far beyond your reach."
His response stunned her. She was indeed aspiring to become a Virtuous Paragon, but obtaining a divine title was too difficult for her, and the title of Godking was basically impossible.
It was not due to a lack of confidence, but rather, a deep understanding of her capabilities. Since the start of time, which Godking had not been heaven-defying? Those who gave themselves the title are excluded from this, but real Godkings were all apex existences and not far off from Immortal Emperors.
Li Qiye smiled and said: "If you become my driver, then your figure will be there as we hover over myriad races. When my carriage departs, myriad races will prostrate and Immortal Emperors will come to greet us. If you stay next to my side and accept some of my pointers, you will gain boundless benefits for the future!"
"What a big tone." The Eagle Demon Monarch unhappily snorted by the side.
Li Qiye still smiled without batting an eye and continued: "It is fine if you don't believe me. I am only speaking the truth."
And this was indeed the truth. For tens of millions of years, Li Qiye's drivers all enjoyed illustrious fame. Even if they were not Godkings, they were still able to sweep through the Nine Worlds. The weak were not eligible to become his driver. Keep in mind that back when Li Qiye's carriage was on the move, there used to be Immortal Emperors who came to greet him, thus his driver had to be extremely strong to be worthy of this role.
Madam Zi Yan waved her sleeve to prevent the Eagle Demon Monarch from speaking any further. She only sighed and didn't say anything else.
Li Qiye cheerfully said: "Of course, I won't force the unwilling. You can go back and think it over."
Madam Zi Yan didn't say anything else. This request was indeed too unreasonable for her.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, the Ancient Pine Demon Monarch rubbed his palms and changed the subject: "Hahahaha! There is nothing to worry about since Young Noble Li has agreed to represent us at the conference this time."
"Young Noble is a supreme alchemist with unprecedented skill at pill refinement." The Eagle Demon Monarch spoke at this time: "Recently, I've been trying to find an alchemist but was unable to find a suitable one. I wonder if you are interested in making me one cauldron? As long as you name the price, I will be able to satisfy your demand."
Eagle's words caused all the demon monarchs to stare at Li Qiye, and Madam Zi Yan was no exception.
Although Ancient Pine had recalled Li Qiye's pill refinement process and they did not doubt him, there would be a sense of unrest looming in their minds until they saw it with their own eyes.
"Is this a test?" Li Qiye smilingly asked.
Ancient Pine stepped in to smooth things over and said: "It is a misunderstanding, Young Noble. The Eagle Demon Monarch had also gathered a lot of ingredients but hasn't been able to find the right alchemist, so today, when he met such a matchless one such as yourself, he couldn't help but ask…"
Li Qiye interrupted Ancient Pine. He didn't look at the Eagle Demon Monarch but straight at Madam Zi Yan to say: "I don't care for this test or whatever. Since Madam Zi Yan showed sincerity and I quite like her as well, if I don't show a bit of skill, then she won't be able to rest easy. Very well, I will demonstrate my ability, but there is no challenge with fate pills. Let us raise the difficulty or else it will be very boring."
The other monarchs couldn't help but glance at each other. This fella was too outrageous! Fate pills are no challenge to him? Many alchemists struggled to refine them since they were a benchmark for alchemists.
But now, Li Qiye was saying that fate pill refinement was not enough to reach the apex.
The alchemist among them spoke: "If Young Noble is interested, I have some ingredients here. They are part of my family's ointment powder recipe. Although it is not a supreme recipe or anything, it is still quite famous."
The other monarchs took a deep breath since refining such a thing would be impossible for Li Qiye.
Recipes for physique pastes, longevity medicines, and fate pills were all public for alchemists in the world. However, it was different for ointments. Every ointment, such as this type of powder, all had their unique characteristics and unique process of creation.
Chapter 642: Matchless Dao of Alchemy
Although there were public recipes for ointments circulating in the Nine Worlds, their effects were quite limited. Only the secret and exclusive recipes had powerful effects; some could even revive the dead! 1
Outside of the owners, no outsider was able to create these types of ointments. Even if they had the same amount of ingredients, outsiders wouldn't know when to insert a particular ingredient or what the correct level of heat is.
"Brother Sun, this… is a bit unsuitable for this circumstance."
This challenge was too difficult; anyone with a sliver of common sense would know that this was impossible. How could an outsider refine special ointments?
"Bring it here." Li Qiye calmly told the alchemist monarch without batting an eye.
The alchemist didn't dare to believe his own ears. He only said it to make it difficult for Li Qiye and wanted to attack his arrogant attitude earlier. It was quite inappropriate of Li Qiye to ask their Demon King to be his driver, so the alchemist resorted to mentioning this impossible task. Who would have thought that Li Qiye would actually agree?
The alchemist skeptically handed the ingredients over to Li Qiye.
Li Qiye looked at the batch of ingredients before him and laughed. Afterward, he sniffed the medicinal fragrances. There were dozens of types of ingredients, but Li Qiye immediately knew what they were as well as their medicinal properties and method of refinement after a quick whiff.
This task couldn't trouble Li Qiye. For millions of years, Li Qiye had tried many different recipes, especially during the era of the Alchemy God. The two of them had crafted and attempted countless recipes.
Later on through the endless river of time, Li Qiye experimented even more and had taught many alchemists.
Although the alchemist monarch's recipe wasn’t his own unique mix, Li Qiye knew how to refine it since he understood the properties of the ingredients.
With regards to alchemy, no one would dare to refute Li Qiye if they knew any better, at least, in the present era.
Madam Zi Yan and the other monarchs watched Li Qiye with bated breaths. Ancient Pine had told them of Li Qiye's pill refinement process and how heaven-defying it was.
They all felt that if he indeed had such marvelous abilities, then he would for sure be above the four current alchemy prodigies of the Stone Medicine World. They held high hopes for him, so if he failed, then they would be very dejected.
After inhaling the medicinal scents, Li Qiye took out the Myriad Heavenly Cauldron.
"Boom!" As it landed, Li Qiye controlled the Fire Source inside the cauldron to spew out its hottest flame. This incomparable flame could melt everything in the world, even divine metals.
When the flame poured out from the cauldron, Madam Zi Yan and the other monarchs couldn't handle the terrifying heat and had to back up.
This hottest flame suddenly turned into a pot that resembled a tea kettle, giving off a very substantial vibe as if it was real. The entire kettle was red from the scorching heat.
Li Qiye threw all the ingredients into the kettle where they instantly melted a second later.
The alchemist monarch was stunned: "What kind of refinement is this?!" He felt that this was going too far.
The other monarchs who weren't alchemists and Madam Zi Yan were shocked as well. As cultivators from the Stone Medicine World, they all knew a thing or two about the common procedures of creating pills and ointments.
These things couldn't be created by just throwing the ingredients inside all at once and refine them together. Most of the time, it had to be in a specific order in order to not diminish the medicinal properties of the ingredients.
But now, Li Qiye was foregoing all of that for his own method, resulting in them becoming dumbfounded.
"Zsshh!" Right when the group was stunned, the monstrous fire in the pot suddenly liquefied and submerged the ingredients as if it was boiling water.
Everything happened all too fast. Right when the flame turned into water, it receded as fast as the tide and immediately extracted all the essences from each of the ingredients.
What was even more terrifying was that all of the extracted essences quickly paired together at an incredible speed. Even the Goddess Weaver's dexterous hands would not be able to match this speed. 2
The quick pairings between ingredients were fearsome, such as the Red Scorpion's venom combining with the liquid extract of Yin Snakegrass. Under the kettle's flame, the two essences intertwined and melted to instantly take shape.
These changes would normally take days, yet all of them were now transformed in an instant.
"Xshh!" The extremely hot flame quickly swept through the liquefied medicinal essences and tempered it into a solid.
"Pop!" The flame disappeared along with the kettle pot, leaving behind only a packet of ointment skillfully wrapped by Li Qiye using alchemy paper. He then put away the Myriad Heavenly Cauldron.
Meanwhile, Madam Zi Yan and the eighteen monarchs stood there, frozen.
In theory, an alchemist would either leave or not allow outsiders to witness them in action, lest their techniques be stolen. However, Li Qiye didn't make this request. Even when the group witnessed — with their own eyes — Li Qiye's method, they were unable to replicate it since they were completely staggered by the process.
From the introduction of the ingredients till the formation of the ointment, it all happened way too fast, lasting only a few seconds. It was much shorter than the time it took to boil a pot of tea.
They had never seen this method of ointment creation before. The alchemist monarch was especially stunned. This was his family's recipe and others definitely didn't have it, so they shouldn't be able to create this ointment.
And even if it was possible to create it, it shouldn't have been this fast.
The monarch was one of the strongest alchemists in his clan, but it would take him at least one day to create this special recipe. Those less skilled in his clan would require at least three days.
But now, Li Qiye did it with just a swing of his hand — this was completely astonishing to them. Both the speed and how he did it without knowing the recipe left them aghast.
Inside the alchemy wrapping, the ointment slowly hardened. Li Qiye then gently covered it with his palm before handing the wrapped up ointment to the alchemist: "Take it."
The alchemist monarch took a deep breath in his attempt to calm down after seeing this. Li Qiye's little action was the last important procedure after wrapping up the special formula. Without this procedure, the effect of the ointment would be greatly affected.
Thus, how could the alchemist not be shocked when Li Qiye knew of this action? If he didn't believe in his own clan, he would have suspected that Li Qiye had stolen the formula even though he knew that this was impossible.
While everyone else slowly calmed down, the alchemist took his time opening the wrapped up ointment.
Everyone looked over to examine the ointment resting on top of his palm. The alchemist quickly became pale after seeing the ointment and had to take several steps back: "How… How… could this be? This… is of the best quality! All the impurities are gone. This ointment, once applied to the wound, would quickly permeate into the body and heal the injury instantly!" The alchemist was frightened to the point where he eventually dropped down to the ground.
Another monarch was also aghast after seeing the ointment. A different monarch praised right away: "What a great ointment, it is several times better than the one Brother Sun gave to me."
"It's not just several times better…" The alchemist sitting on the floor acted as if he had seen a ghost. After a while, he managed to regain his wits and smiled wryly to say: "No one can create this ointment at this quality outside of our progenitor. There is a legend in my clan: if we refine our clan's ointment to the ultimate limit, then it can almost compare to the Soulrending Immortal Powder of the Alchemy Kingdom and would be much better than many of the contemporary ointments."
At this point, the alchemist paused for a second and exclaimed in both excitement and disbelief: "Prior to this, I had always thought that it was impossible, but I can now see that it is indeed true… So, so… amazing."
The others responded with gasps. The Soulrending Immortal Powder was a famous ointment exclusive to the Alchemy Kingdom. Countless big characters didn't mind throwing away their wealth just to ask for a little bit of Soulrending Immortal Powder.
Not only was Li Qiye's ointment of the highest quality, the process was also too frightening.
At this point, everyone was speechless from shock. This was not Ancient Pine's first time watching Li Qiye performing alchemy, but he was still shaken despite being mentally prepared.
More of a common expression meaning extremely potent, or it could be literal in this case. Who knows? ↩ A Goddess Weaver representing the star Vega, a goddess in Chinese ancient mythology. Her job is to weave the clouds and love; protect women and children. She is popular throughout Asia and has many differing versions of her tales. The Jade Emperor has a daughter named Zhinü (simplified Chinese: 织女; traditional Chinese: 織女; pinyin: zhī nǚ or Chih’nü, literally: weaver girl). She is most often represented as responsible for weaving colorful clouds in the heavens. In some versions, she is the Goddess Weaver, daughter of the Jade Emperor, and the Celestial Queen Mother who weaves the Silver River (known in the West as the Milky Way), which gives light to heaven and earth. In other versions, she is a seamstress who works for the Jade Emperor. ↩