Chapter 132: Alchemist inheritance? Brainstorming
opportunities
Through Arius’s precise control of the fire, fusion of ingredients, and pressure regulation, the pill
furnace—on the verge of explosion—quickly regained stability.
Still, he did not dare lower his guard.
Until the pill was successfully refined, he had to remain fully focused. Even the slightest lapse in
concentration could lead to failure.
Time slowly passed.
To refine this single batch of pills, Arius had spent nearly four hours. Nearly half of his mana had
been depleted in the process.
“Rise!”
At the very moment he channeled his mana to open the pill furnace, a faint glow surged forth
from within.
“It worked!?”
Gazing at the pill furnace, even Arius felt a hint of surprise.
The batch had been on the verge of failure, yet somehow, in the end, it had succeeded?
“Nine pills in one furnace—seven lower-grade, two mid-grade…”
At that moment, the Level 1 cultivator overseeing the assessment stepped forward.
Retrieving a small booklet from his robe, he carefully recorded the details of the batch while
simultaneously reporting the results to the Hall of Administrators through a voice transmission
artifact.
Next, he took out a jade bottle and collected the nine pills from the furnace.
Seeing the now-empty pill furnace and the nine remaining sets of ingredients, Arius’s mood
lifted considerably.
As long as he refined two more successful batches, he would officially pass the assessment and
earn the title of a ninth-rank alchemist recognized by the Pill Alliance.
After meditating for a short recovery, he once again ignited the Earth Vein Spirit Fire and began
his next round of pill refinement.
Having witnessed Arius successfully refine his first batch, the Level 1 cultivator in charge of
monitoring the assessment couldn’t help but show a trace of respect in his gaze.
Alchemists had always been figures of reverence.
After all, forming a good relationship with an alchemist could bring endless benefits.
If not for the strict rules of the assessment hall, the overseer would have already tried to
befriend Arius.
But there was nothing he could do. In the assessment chamber, Arius was not allowed to
engage in casual conversation, and he, as the overseer, was forbidden from speaking to Arius.
Breaking the rules would bring the wrath of the Pill Alliance, a punishment a mere Level 1
cultivator like him could never afford to bear.
Beside the pill furnace, Arius remained composed. With the experience gained from the first
batch, his control over the Earth Vein Spirit Fire had already become highly refined.
The treasured herbs were placed into the furnace, their essences fused into pill form.
This time, it took him only an hour to complete the batch.
Although this furnace did not produce any mid-grade ninth-rank pills, the process was flawless.
Moreover, Arius had expended almost no mana during this refinement.
At this point, the respect in the overseer’s eyes had reached its peak.
He had monitored countless alchemy assessments, and alchemists capable of refining two
consecutive successful batches of ninth-rank pills were exceedingly rare.
Almost all of those who had easily passed the assessment in this manner had later advanced to
the rank of seventh-rank alchemist.
In his eyes, Arius was undoubtedly one of those alchemy prodigies.
The third batch. The fourth…
By the time Arius had refined seven batches of pills in a row—without a single failure—the
Enforcement Hall of the Aragon Country Pill Alliance had already been alerted.
At the top of the ancient tower, within a grand hall, several seventh-rank alchemists fixed their
eyes on the projected images transmitted by the Recording Stones, watching Arius’s every
move.
“Who is this? Could he be an alchemist nurtured by one of Aragon Country’s Level 4 factions?”
“Seven consecutive successful batches of ninth-rank pills, without a single furnace explosion…
With this level of potential, he will undoubtedly reach the seventh-rank in the future.”
An elderly man with a goatee, clad in a fiery red robe, let out a soft sigh.
Seventh-rank alchemists wielded considerable influence within the entire Pill Alliance.
In Aragon Country… they stood at the very pinnacle.
Once one became a seventh-rank alchemist, even Level 4 cultivators would eagerly seek to
establish ties with them.
The goateed elder was a seasoned seventh-rank alchemist. Within the Aragon Country Pill
Alliance branch, he was the one overseeing all major affairs whenever the resident sixth-rank
alchemist was in seclusion.
Among the other seventh-rank alchemists, most deferred to him in crucial matters.
After all, his cultivation had already reached the Peak of Level 4. Coupled with his profound
mastery of the Dao of Pills, he was naturally qualified to oversee the affairs of the Aragon
Country Pill Alliance branch.
More importantly, both his alchemy and cultivation were on the verge of a breakthrough.
If he advanced his cultivation, he would become a Level 5 True Person.
If his alchemy advanced, he would ascend to the rank of sixth-rank alchemist.
Either breakthrough would elevate his status within the Pill Alliance to an unprecedented level.
As soon as the goateed elder finished speaking, a seventh-rank alchemist at the Mid-Stage of
Level 3 immediately gave an order for attendants to investigate Arius’s background.
The Pill Alliance maintained a neutral stance, yet its intelligence network was undeniably the
most extensive the Province.
Almost every faction within the Province fell under the Pill Alliance’s watchful eye—it was a
simple matter to uncover their details.
Had the Pill Alliance harbored territorial ambitions, their vast intelligence network and deep
reserves of power would have been enough to seize control overnight.
Once the intelligence network was set in motion, it took only fifteen minutes before an attendant
arrived, holding a thick stack of documents. He respectfully placed them before the gathered
seventh-rank alchemists.
Flipping through the compiled information, an elderly woman with yellowed hair and nearly
toothless gums paused, her expression shifting to one of surprise.
“This individual is named Arius. A few years ago, he was merely an outer disciple of the
Albigensians Sect.”
“Later, after failing to advance to the inner sect, he returned to the secular world.”
“However, ever since his return to his clan, his strength has grown at an astonishing rate. He
even led his family through two consecutive expansions.”
“Not long ago, he visited Pyrenees Mountain County. According to registration records… his
cultivation is at the Late-Stage of Level 1.”
“In just a few years, he advanced from the Blood Tempering Stage all the way to Late-Stage
Level 1. And now, he has suddenly demonstrated remarkable skill in alchemy.”
“I suspect he may have extraordinary fortune. It’s possible that before he left the Albigensians
Sect and returned to the De Molinos family, he fortuitously obtained the legacy of a seventh-rank
alchemist…”
As she spoke, a touch of emotion surfaced on her wrinkled face.
However, she felt no greed toward Arius’ fortuitous encounters.
Turning a mere Body Tempering failure into a Late-Stage Level 1 cultivator in just a few years?
If she, a seventh-rank alchemist, were to personally groom a disciple, she could accomplish the
same feat.
Beyond the old woman, the other seventh-rank alchemists were also letting their imaginations
run wild, speculating on Arius’ potential fortune.
Yet, like her, none harbored any desire to seize it for themselves.
In Aragon Country these seventh-rank alchemists were esteemed figures. Alchemists had
always been an exceedingly proud group, and they would never lower themselves to covet the
meager fortune of a mere Level 1 cultivator.
Unless…
Unless Arius, in just a few short years, leaped from Blood Tempering all the way to Level 3,
while simultaneously displaying an even greater mastery of alchemy.
If that happened, then perhaps a few of them might begin to feel the stirrings of greed.
But the legacy of an ordinary seventh-rank alchemist? Even the inheritance of a Level 4
cultivator?
None of them found it remotely worthy of their attention.