Chapter 187 First Ascent of the Divine Tree

As soon as the voice rang out, the other advanced alchemists recognized it.

—Is it Sang Yunchu? The eighth-level Sangdan King?

·

Sang Yunchu was originally a genius alchemist who had been the focus of attention for many advanced alchemists because he was too young.

When he became a level six alchemist at over a hundred years old, he could only be described as an outstanding alchemist with exceptional talent. However, in the next hundred years, he quickly became a level seven alchemist and then rapidly reached level eight, which was quite incredible!

Logically, higher levels are necessarily more difficult to break through.

Later, many powerful forces investigated Sang Yunchu's growth trajectory and discovered that the reason he progressed slowly in his early years was because he came from a humble background, had insufficient resources, and his aptitude had not yet been developed.

After Sang Yunchu successfully entered the Azure Dragon Academy, he somehow raised his aptitude to a very high level. With the support of the academy's alchemy lineage and his own past fortuitous encounters and various other resources, he was able to advance without any obstacles. It seemed that he had never encountered any bottlenecks, and nothing related to alchemy could stump him.

His own cultivation level has not fallen behind.

Moreover, Sang Yunchu himself is very skilled at refining top-grade pills.

Generally, the more sensitive an alchemist is to the properties of medicinal herbs, and the more skillful they are in alchemy techniques, the more likely they are to produce top-quality products.

For alchemists with exceptional talent, if they dedicate themselves to mastering two or three types of pills and become skilled over time, they can occasionally obtain a top-grade pill when they open a furnace.

—But this is just an ordinary genius.

Ordinary geniuses often find that once they reach the fifth or sixth level, they can no longer achieve such a level simply through proficiency.

Truly talented alchemists can produce at least five top-grade pills at each level, and they produce top-grade pills frequently, easily obtaining one or two. For pills they are very skilled at, sometimes even half of a batch of pills can reach top-grade quality!

Sang Yunchu possesses such a powerful talent.

He has only recently broken through to level eight, but when he was at level six or seven, he spent a lot of time taking on various orders in order to obtain more resources to hone his alchemy skills.

The fastest refining time for different grades of pills is relatively fixed. Some cultivators have calculated the quantity and quality of pills that Sang Yunchu produced during that period, and it can be deduced that his success rate and the number of top-grade pills he produced were astonishing!

·

If Sang Yunchu was considered a rising star by many level eight alchemists when he was at level seven, and they thought he would be stuck at level seven for a long time... then when he advanced to the same level as them in a very short time, they had to take him seriously. Even two level nine alchemists, although they did not meet with Sang Yunchu specifically, gave him some precious medicinal herbs as encouragement.

They had certainly heard that Sang Yunchu had taken on a top-tier alchemist disciple, but advanced alchemists had lived for countless years and had seen countless people with outstanding talent. Even among the disciples they had taken on over the years, there were many top geniuses!

Sang Yunchu's disciple is still very young and of low rank, so his future is uncertain and not worth the attention of high-level alchemists at this time. For now, the only one worth noting is his master, Sang Yunchu.

·

But now...

After recognizing Sang Yunchu, the advanced alchemists quickly came to their senses.

If he is Sang Yunchu's beloved disciple, then it makes sense.

No wonder Sang Yunchu refused to take on any disciples for many years, but took a liking to that... that little alchemist who seems to be called "Zhong Cai" at first glance.

Don't think they didn't notice! Sang Yunchu's seemingly nonchalant tone was laced with smugness, which he made no attempt to hide!

This attitude is truly infuriating!

Right then and there, some advanced alchemists wanted to contradict Sang Yunchu and annoy him.

However, alchemists absolutely revered alchemy, using their skills to convince others.

so……

After a moment of discomfort, the alchemists still couldn't find a way to criticize Zhong Cai's alchemy skills.

Let alone five out of six being top-grade, even if five out of nine pills are top-grade, that would still be top-tier!

Among the many advanced alchemists present, at the fourth level, they had only ever refined three top-grade pills at most.

Even for two level nine alchemists, including Sang Yunchu himself, and a handful of other outstanding level eight alchemists, the best they achieved at the level four alchemist was only four top-grade pills.

Not to mention the intermediate-level alchemists currently refining pills in the arena.

While many among them have produced top-quality pills, none have yet produced two pills in a single batch.

The senior alchemists all brought their disciples with them, and they were well aware that even if their disciples performed exceptionally well, they could not achieve this result.

Even the vast majority of disciples haven't yet reached their fastest speed in alchemy.

·

The alchemists' minds raced, and countless thoughts flashed through their minds in the blink of an eye.

Sang Yunchu's telepathic message drifted out once more.

Cai'er has always been diligent, and now she has surpassed her teacher. With such a beloved student, I, Sang, have no regrets in this life.

The advanced alchemists were speechless for a moment.

This kid is only a little over two hundred years old, what's he lamenting about his life? He still has thousands of years left in his life!

However, the advanced alchemists were still very broad-minded. Although they were a little annoyed with Sang Yunchu just now, they thought that if their own disciples could also have such alchemy skills, wouldn't they also want to show off?

Thus, numerous whispers and telepathic messages intertwined into a net, praising the event.

[So he's King Sangdan's top disciple! Truly extraordinary!]

[Judging from the fact that he refined it in just one hour, his techniques and processes were clearly perfect, and the resulting pill was also flawless. Excellent, truly excellent...]

[This is truly a rare sight! Among so many juniors of the same level, none can compare to him!]

How did King Sangdan teach his disciples? Perhaps he could also offer some guidance to this old man. My few unruly children are truly restless and impetuous!

That young fellow is quite skilled; his alchemy surpasses even my disciples'!

·

Sang Yunchu didn't feign modesty; he simply chuckled softly, his obvious pleasure evident.

[Cai'er is fortunate; the Divine Tree has come to fetch her.]

As soon as this message was sent, the spiritual senses of many advanced alchemists swept towards Zhong Cai.

Sure enough, an invisible yet clearly discernible fragrance wafted from the pill that Zhong Cai held up, forming a wisp that quickly seeped into the Pill God Wood.

The next moment, a leaf floated from the direction of the Dan Shenmu tree and quickly appeared several feet in front of Zhong Cai, swaying slightly towards him as if inviting him.

The leaves were broad, casting a shadow.

Moreover, this was the first leaf to fall from the Dan Shenmu tree!

·

This scene attracted the attention of countless alchemists in the vicinity.

While the alchemists were busy processing medicinal herbs or refining pills, they all turned their attention to the treasure ship of the Azure Dragon Academy and to Zhong Cai.

They quickly saw the pill Zhong Cai was holding in her palm, and their pupils suddenly contracted!

—No way? They didn't see wrong, did they?!

Is this some kind of outrageous... no, such a sophisticated alchemy technique?

Level 4 pills! So many top-grade ones from just one batch?!

·

In an instant, a series of explosions erupted from the ovens.

So shocked were the alchemists who were completely absorbed in refining the pills that they stopped many of their hand movements due to the distraction. This caused the medicinal materials to react incorrectly, or for them to accidentally drop the wrong ingredient...

But ultimately, it comes down to their foundation not being solid enough.

After all, many other alchemists, though also distracted and shocked, were able to multitask and still perform the entire alchemy process skillfully. Even those who missed the opportune moment could react immediately and take action to stabilize the herbs in the furnace—this type of situation wouldn't have any impact if the technique was highly skilled; if the technique wasn't skillful enough, it would only reduce the number of pills produced or lower the quality of the finished pills.

·

The reactions of the young alchemists who were drawn over were also observed by the senior alchemists.

The vast majority of advanced alchemists are satisfied because their disciples are quick to react, do not affect alchemy, or can quickly make up for the damage.

However, a few advanced alchemists had a somewhat dark complexion.

That good-for-nothing brat of theirs actually caused the furnace to explode! Or maybe it didn't explode, but the quality of the pills was clearly downgraded!

Some high-level alchemists who were at odds with each other went to check out the skills of their rivals' disciples. If a disciple happened to show weakness, they would naturally ridicule him extensively in the "Soul Chat Channels".

·

The reaction of the alchemists at Canglong Academy was both unexpected and unsurprising.

Their reaction...you could say they reacted, or you could say they were rather numb.

The change in emotion was roughly: What an amazing alchemist! Ah? It's him? Oh, never mind then.

Ever since Zhong Cai entered the academy, the shock he caused them has never stopped. Moreover, during Zhong Cai's assessment, the starlight emanating from the Pill Pavilion was incredibly intense! That means he produced a large number of top-grade pills with each batch... What else is so strange?

They were shocked, that was their instinctive reaction, and they discovered that the alchemist who caused this reaction was Zhong Cai? They were shaken, but that was all.

They very instinctively returned to calm.

Because of this, none of the Azure Dragon Alchemists experienced a furnace explosion; their techniques remained steady and were not affected in the slightest.

One of the young level-three alchemists, in particular, also looked at Zhong Cai with an expression that seemed... completely natural.

It seems that in his view, it was normal for Zhong Cai to have this achievement; it would be unexpected if she didn't.

He has just refined a batch of level-three pills and is currently collecting them.

Superior quality, superior quality, top quality, superior quality...

Of the nine full pills, he obtained three top-grade ones.

That's quite a lot.

Presumably to ensure a smooth production of pills in this batch, he refined them very slowly, striving for perfection in every step.

This young level-three alchemist is none other than Qiu Yuan, the youngest disciple of Canglong, who is currently ranked first among level-seven alchemists.

When Zhong Cai entered the academy, he was the top-ranked second-level alchemist. Zhong Cai quickly surpassed him. He worked frantically, constantly improving his alchemy skills, and felt that he had surpassed many outstanding alchemists in the past... But Zhong Cai was always stronger than him.

Gradually, he began to see Zhong Cai as a goal worth surpassing.

At the same time, Qiu Yuan was also self-aware.

With his master's meticulous guidance and sufficient resources, he might be able to try refining one or two level-four pills.

But firstly, his idea was similar to Zhong Cai's: rather than using only one or two fourth-level pills to participate in the Day of Rejuvenation, he would rather cultivate third-level pills and master as many as possible.

Qiu Yuan also knew very well that even if she managed to reach Level 4, there would still be a terrifying gap compared to Zhong Cailai, who had been at the top of the Level 4 list for many years. There was no need to strive for Level 4 just for the sake of it.

Therefore, Qiu Yuan now has mastered the refining methods of more than thirty kinds of third-level pills, and he is very proficient in each of them.

He has his own confidence.

His alchemy skills did not disappoint him. Among the many third-level alchemists, his achievements were outstanding. Among so many eighth- and ninth-level alchemist disciples, he did not fall behind!

Naturally, Qiu Yuan would not be affected by Zhong Cai's outstanding performance.

The moment Zhong Cai produced the elixir, a rich fragrance filled the air. He was actually at the very last step—the last step where the elixir would be ruined if he wasn't careful.

Qiu Yuan still completed the task flawlessly and collected the elixir quite smoothly.

·

As for Zhong Cai, the elixir she chose to refine was the Firefly Pill.

This is a pill that helps cultivators restore their profound energy and aids in their cultivation. It is balanced and has a wide range of uses.

The refining technique is of medium to high difficulty.

However, in order to ensure that he and his master Wu had enough supplies during their usual cultivation, Zhong Cai spent a lot of time refining this kind of pill, and unknowingly honed his skills to a rather impressive level.

The result of the refining was just as he had expected.

In the past, Zhong Cai had a 100% success rate in refining the Firefly Pill, with each batch producing a full set of pills, and each batch yielding between three and five top-grade pills!

This time, five pills were not even considered an extraordinary performance—he had refined ten batches of Firefly Pills in a row, and on three separate occasions, he had five pills each time!

·

After successfully producing the pill, Zhong Cai was very satisfied and, following her master's instructions, held the pill in her palm.

The next moment, Zhong Cai keenly noticed that a strange fragrance was wafting from the pills.

Before he could even savor it, a strong wind blew up high in the sky, and leaves, carried by the wind, suddenly drifted down to him... extending an invitation.

Zhong Cai could sense that this leaf belonged to him.

Subconsciously, Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan and gave him a bright smile.

Wu Shaogan grasped his hand.

The two of them flashed and were already standing on the leaf.

And you know what? It really is quite stable.

The leaf carried the two people smoothly away, quickly reaching the foot of the Divine Tree, and then floated upwards again...

At the same moment, at least a few dozen leaves also drifted down, scattered in front of different flying artifacts, and floated at a slightly higher position, waiting for alchemists and martial arts cultivators to board.

·

Many top-tier alchemists from other factions had mixed feelings when they witnessed this scene and received Ye Zi's invitation.

Those at the Enlightenment Realm refined level-three pills in as little as half an hour; while cultivators at the Suspended Illumination Realm refined level-four pills, even the fastest taking an hour.

The time—just like the alchemist who was just taken away.

Therefore, these outstanding individuals naturally produced their elixir earlier.

They could feel that after they produced the pills, the wisps of fragrance from the pills were attracted to the Pill God Wood. They all understood that the Pill God Wood was conducting a test... but the test was too slow, and it took a long time for the Pill God Wood to absorb all of them.

But after the alchemist from Canglong produced the pill, the Pill God Wood absorbed the pill's fragrance at an astonishing speed!

In just a few breaths, the first leaf arrived!

Subsequently, the fragrance of their elixir was absorbed ten times faster, and the other leaves arrived in droves, one after the other.

That's outrageous.

The Divine Tree still shows such favoritism towards highly skilled alchemists.

If nothing unexpected happens, as long as the martial arts cultivators he brought don't disappoint, the first alchemist to be taken away will definitely get a lot of good things in the end!

·

These outstanding level-three alchemists, though feeling frustrated, were still among the first to be invited, compared to the other 99% of level-three alchemists.

So they immediately composed themselves, used their movement techniques, and together with their respective martial arts practitioners, leaped onto the leaf.

Qiu Yuan and some of the third-level alchemists from the Azure Dragon Academy were in the same situation.

The Azure Dragon Alchemists looked at each other; they were all familiar faces.

Counting and counting...

These are the top ten on the Azure Dragon Level Three Pill Ranking!

The Azure Dragon Alchemists felt a mix of emotions, but mostly excitement and joy.

Hurry! Go to the Divine Pill Tree and test your strength!

·

The leaf carried Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan straight to the middle section of the Dan Shen tree.

The other alchemists and martial arts practitioners who had been brought over also took their positions on a leaf-shaped platform.

The hazy glow that had enveloped the Dan Shen Wood had dissipated.

This halo has an extremely strong blocking ability. Only cultivators at the Tongtian Realm can see some of the scenes inside, while others—including cultivators at the peak of Nirvana—can only see the general outline and a few details of the Dan Shen Wood.

Therefore, although the leaves of the Dan Shen Tree droop down to welcome alchemists who meet the standards, many cultivators cannot actually see from which direction or height the leaves come.

Only now, with the arrival of the first chosen alchemist, has the mystery finally been unveiled.

The positions of all the alchemists were also immediately apparent.

At this moment, all the martial arts cultivators and high-level alchemists who were watching could see it clearly.

Only Zhong Cai and his martial arts cultivators were high above, and even the closest one to him was still several hundred feet away!

In an instant, countless thoughts intertwined once again.

·

[Five hundred feet? Master Sang's disciple has actually reached the middle section of the Pill God Tree? His level is only level four. In the past, level four alchemists seemed to...]

As far as I know, the initial position of a fourth-level alchemist on the Alchemy God Tree was in the lower-middle section, about two or three hundred feet in length?

The Divine Pill Tree was already a thousand feet tall, and he was now five hundred feet tall—truly unprecedented!

[It's not unprecedented. I've consulted ancient texts and learned that they have appeared at a height of five hundred feet, but their numbers are extremely small, less than a handful to date.]

Those alchemists must have all earned great renown?

[Haha! Their fame goes far beyond mere renown! Aside from one who died young, the others all eventually became level nine alchemists!]

[Indeed, he is far superior to ordinary alchemists! King Sang, you have truly taken on a fine disciple!]

With such a disciple, he's likely to leave everyone else in the dust!

However, for alchemists with such outstanding skills to be chosen by the Alchemy God Tree, the tests will be even more rigorous.

What does a bit of strictness matter? As long as you pass the test, you will surely obtain an extremely exquisite ancient inheritance!

There's no need to worry about the alchemy skills of King Sangdan's disciple, but what about the combat strength of his fellow martial arts cultivators? If they're not strong enough to withstand the test, he might lose many benefits...

·

The conversation among the many senior alchemists was filled with admiration for Zhong Cai.

If they thought Zhong Cai's ability to refine five top-grade pills was a sign of great talent and a promising future, then the fact that the Divine Pill Tree had propelled Zhong Cai to half a tree height made them even more certain of his potential.

There's no mistake about the Dan Shenmu.

Given Zhong Cai's current level of potential, there is a good chance that he will eventually become a ninth-level alchemist, just like the powerful alchemists recorded in ancient books!

What those alchemists who had read the ancient texts didn't mention was...

The alchemists mentioned in ancient books who initially stood at the middle level of the Dan Shen Tree and later became level nine alchemists were not ordinary level nine alchemists at all.

Even the worst one can easily refine a level nine superior-grade pill.

All the others had previously refined top-grade level nine pills!

These level-nine alchemists did not live in the same era, but they were all dominant figures in their respective times.

Countless cultivators with profound spiritual attainments sought elixirs from them, and whenever they went out, at least two clones of these cultivators would follow them closely to protect them.

Ancient books also briefly mention that they all went to other high-level continents for further study, and in those high-level continents, they were also famous, and even became Daoist partners with the geniuses of the top forces in the high-level continents!

At that time, they brought together countless powerful forces on the Flying Star Continent, raising the strength of martial arts cultivators across the continent. Countless alchemists received their guidance, continuously improving their alchemy skills and gaining higher status themselves, while also driving the entire continent to prosperity.

The number of cultivators who reached the highest level in those generations far exceeded that of other generations.

At its peak, there were a total of twenty-six Transcendent Realm experts! That was almost on par with the four superior continents at the time!

·

The reason why these alchemists who are familiar with the ancient texts haven't said it outright is mainly out of respect for the two level-nine alchemists.

Of course, these two level-nine alchemists also had similar classic texts.

They were well aware that although they had reached level nine, they were far inferior to the figures recorded in history.

In fact, they are quite old now. While their own great talent was certainly a factor in their ability to become level nine alchemists, the fact that they had honed their skills through long lifespans also played a role.

Their cultivation talent is also quite good; they can all achieve Nirvana.

In fact, when they were at level seven or eight, there were alchemists whose alchemy skills were better than theirs, but those alchemists probably lacked talent and died young, so they were able to reach level nine in the end.

These two level-nine alchemists didn't actually mind if other alchemists talked about those legendary figures from ancient times.

For them, the top alchemy geniuses of those generations were also the objects of their admiration.

·

Now, many advanced alchemists look at Zhong Cai with burning fervor.

At the same time, they also felt a little jealous of Sang Yunchu.

This kid is really lucky to have such a disciple, who practically came to him!

But then I thought about this kid's alchemy skills... Damn! Even at level eight, it's still pretty good!