At the rear cliff of Qingyun Dao Sect.

As a beam of white light flashed by, Ye Ping’s figure appeared again.

The stones that were placed around him had all turned into powder form at this moment.

Ye Ping opened his eyes too.

The familiar environment and venue made him sigh with relief.

Indeed, he had returned to the Qingyun Dao Sect.

Ye Ping was honestly a little worried in the beginning as he was afraid that he might not be able to make it back.

Fortunately, there was no big issue with the spatial array formation that he had set up. There was just a minor slip-up in the process.

“There must be a point in spatial array formations, but I didn’t set up a point properly this time so the spatial transmission was rather random. No matter what, I have to be more careful when setting up a spatial array formation in the future. Otherwise, I’ll be in trouble if this happens again.”

The spatial array formation itself was extremely complex and the most important thing to do was to confirm the range and direction.

Those had to be adjusted. Otherwise, it would result in random transmissions and no one would dare to use the spatial array formation.

It would be fine to be transported to some peculiar places, but his life would be at risk if he got transported to a dangerous place.

Ye Ping purely wanted to give it a try, and hence, he did not fix a direction or confirm the range.

Therefore, Ye Ping was considered to have succeeded in setting up the first spatial array formation but he didn’t handle the details properly. Otherwise, he could have completely avoided the problems just now.

After understanding this point, Ye Ping bore it in mind and immediately started getting ready to study other array formations.

However, at this moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded.

“Junior Brother Ye!”

It was the voice of Ye Ping’s second Senior Brother, Xu Luochen.

In the middle of the rear cliff, Ye Ping couldn’t help but stand up when he heard Xu Luochen’s voice.

He was a little surprised as he didn’t expect Xu Luochen to come looking for him.

After all, Xu Luochen had never come to see him again after teaching him the Dao of alchemy.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Luochen.”

When Xu Luochen approached, Ye Ping hurriedly bowed and looked very polite.

“You’re being too formal, Junior Brother Ye.”

Not far away, Xu Luochen had already arrived in front of Ye Ping.

At this moment, Xu Luochen’s mood had gradually gotten much better.

After having a pleasant conversation with Wang Zhuoyu, Xu Luochen had been pondering over a problem for the past few days.

The question was…

“Why should I feel upset if Ye Ping is a peerless genius?”

Yes.

For the past few days, Xu Luochen had been thinking about this question.

‘If Ye Ping is a peerless genius, why should I feel bad?’

Just as Wang Zhuoyu said, regardless of whether Ye Ping was a genius or not, he would still be Ye Ping’s Senior Brother.

Just as Su Changyu said, if Ye Ping couldn’t pick up the things that he thought, it would prove that he was a wastrel. But if Ye Ping could, it would prove that what he taught was not wrong.

Combining those two points, Xu Luochen completely figured it out.

Yes, he had completely figured it out.

Since Ye Ping could pick it up, it meant that there was nothing wrong with what he taught.

He just wasn’t as talented as Ye Ping.

Hence, taking advantage of the sunny weather and the arrangements that he had made for Li Yu, Xu Luochen went over.

Knowing that Ye Ping was a supreme alchemical genius, Xu Luochen naturally had to be more careful.

Otherwise, if Ye Ping really became famous in the future, others would take credit for it and that would be a huge loss.

“Senior Brother, what are you here for?”

Ye Ping’s eyes were filled with curiosity, not knowing what Xu Luochen was there for.

“Junior Brother Ye, I came over today with the intention to teach you some new things. Junior Brother, are you free now?”

Xu Luochen expressed his intention of visiting.

He had indeed come over today because he wanted to teach Ye Ping something new.

“New alchemical technique? Sure, sure, I’m naturally free.”

Ye Ping was naturally excited to learn something new.

Although the previous alchemical techniques were good, they had a very fatal problem.

The contrast between the spiritual energy contained in the pills that he had refined, and the amount of spiritual energy that he had consumed, made Ye Ping depressed.

After all, Ye Ping mainly wanted to refine pills for his own consumption after learning alchemy. If the spiritual energy spent on alchemy formed a contrast against the spiritual energy contained in the pills, it would be meaningless.

Hence, when he heard that Xu Luochen was going to teach him something new, Ye Ping was naturally elated.

“Yes, Junior Brother, you’re still as passionate about learning as ever. Okay, come with me. I’ll impart the second chapter of alchemy now.”

Xu Luochen subconsciously nodded.

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Ye Ping nodded with a smile too.

At the same time, in the grand hall of the Qingyun Dao Sect.

Daoist Tai Hua walked around the hall with furrowed brows, seemingly thinking about something.

On the other hand, Chen Lingrou was holding a spiritual fruit and munching on it while walking towards Daoist Tai Hua.

“Hey! What do I do? What do I do!?!”

Daoist Tai Hua muttered to himself anxiously.

Upon returning to the main hall, Daoist Tai Hua had also completely calmed down.

Previously, he got a great shock from the box of Spirit Stones, but after calming down, Daoist Tai Hua was thankful that he did not accept those Spirit Stones.

If he accepted the Spirit Stones, he would be in huge trouble.

It was not about taking Li Yu in as a grand-disciple.

Although Li Yu was the prince of Jin Nation, he and Ye Ping were old acquaintances and he even insisted on acknowledging Ye Ping as his master. Who knew what the Jin Nation king might say?

‘After all, your son insisted that my disciple becomes his master, that has nothing to do with me.’

‘However, if I accepted the Spirit Stones, that would be considered fraud.’

However, that was not what Daoist Tai Hua was worried about at the moment.

The Jin Nation Academy was what Daoist Tai Hua was the most anxious about.

Yes, it was the Jin Nation Academy.

The academy that countless sects and cultivators from all over the nation wanted to join.

Hence, Daoist Tai Hua naturally wanted Ye Ping to join the Jin Nation Academy, firstly to bring glory to the ancestors and secondly to learn some real skills. He didn’t want Ye Ping to continue getting fooled by his disciples in Qingyun Dao Sect.

Of course if Ye Ping went to the Jin Nation Academy, their sect would also become a second-rank sect, which was a good thing too.

In short, it was a wonderful thing that would allow them to kill three birds with one stone.

However, the problem was that Ye Ping didn’t want to go to the Jin Nation Academy.

Although others did not know the reason, Daoist Tai Hua was very clear.

It was because in Ye Ping’s eyes, the Qingyun Dao Sect was a hidden sect and a mere Jin Nation Academy was naturally not worth mentioning.

However, the problem was that that was just what Ye Ping thought. In Daoist Tai Hua’s eyes, the Qingyun Dao Sect was a lousy sect that was worlds apart compared to the Jin Nation Academy.

Hence, be it for himself or for Ye Ping, Daoist Tai Hua hoped that Ye Ping could go to the Jin Nation Academy.

However, he did not know how he could convince Ye Ping to join the Jin Nation Academy willingly.

“Lingrou, give me a suggestion.”

At this moment, Daoist Tai Hua looked at Chen Lingrou, thinking that two brains would be better than one.

“Suggestion? What suggestion? Master?”

Chen Lingrou was a little curious as she didn’t know what Daoist Tai Hua was thinking about.

“I want to make Ye Ping go to the Jin Nation Academy willingly.”

Daoist Tai Hua said.

“That’s easy. Master, just order him to go. I can tell that Ye Ping respects you very much.”

Chen Lingrou said with some disbelief.

It was as good as saying nothing.

Ye Ping was now determined not to go to Jin Nation Academy, and even if he told Ye Ping to go, the latter wouldn’t learn properly.

Most importantly, what was he supposed to go there for?

To learn?

If he went there to learn, wouldn’t that be admitting that the Qingyun Dao Sect was inferior to the Jin Nation Academy?

“This solution won’t work.”

“I want Ye Ping to go to the Jin Nation Academy willingly.”

“Ah, if only Changyu was here. I’d let him do this since it’s his forte to handle such things.”

Daoist Tai Hua shook his head and said.

After hearing his words, Chen Lingrou could not help but fall into deep thought.

However, after a short while, Chen Lingrou spoke up.

“Master, that’s simple. Why don’t you tell Ye Ping that Eldest Senior Brother has once gone to the Jin Nation Academy and detected a supreme sword technique in the Jin Nation Academy, but even he didn’t manage to find it, so it’s been a thorn in his heart.”

“Once Ye Ping hears this, he will definitely go to the Jin Nation Academy, what do you think?”

Chen Lingrou thought of a solution.

Daoist Tai Hua’s eyes lit up and he then slapped his thigh, thinking that it was quite a good idea.

“But what if he can’t find it?”

Daoist Tai Hua asked.

“If he can’t find it, so be it. Like I said, Eldest Senior Brother didn’t find it, so it’s normal that Ye Ping can’t either.”

Chen Lingrou got up and said seriously.

“Yes, this is a great idea. Not bad!”

Daoist Tai Hua nodded profusely. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was a good idea.

“What exactly should I say?”

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Thus Daoist Tai Hua asked Chen Lingrou for help with all the issues he faced.

Chen Lingrou was also happy to prove her worth to Daoist Tai Hua.

“Simple, Master, listen to me. You just have to boast about this sword technique well and make it sound as exaggerated as possible. I don’t know exactly what you should say, but you have to convince Ye Ping and make him tempted.”

“That’s not all. Master, help Ye Ping set a goal too. To be honest, he is quite talented but there are also many geniuses inside the Jin Nation Academy.”

“I’ve heard that the Jin Nation Academy is full of powerhouses and competency is key. We can’t let Ye Ping suffer any aggravation after going there. So, you can teach him some means too.”

The witty Chen Lingrou was giving Daoist Tai Hua some tips.

“Teach him some means? What means?”

Daoist Tai Hua was a little nervous.

“Master, you teach us not to vie with others but to fight for what we want, right? Just teach Ye Ping the opposite.”

“As they say, if you’re too kind, you tend to be bullied. You taught us that logic very well. Ye Ping is a genius and since he’s a genius, he has to bear with the pain of being a genius. To put it explicitly, tell him to be braver and fight for his prestige.”

Chen Lingrou answered.

However, after hearing her words, Daoist Tai Hua was displeased.

“What do you mean I taught you well? I taught you guys that because I genuinely mean it from the bottom of my heart. The world of immortal cultivation is full of deception and danger. What’s wrong with having a higher tolerance? As long as you are truly capable, you can always wait to showcase your abilities.”

“I won’t accept your ideas. You just mean for Ye Ping to go to the Jin Nation Academy and fight his way through, but what if he gets beaten up? What if he gets aggrieved? This is nonsense.”

Daoist Tai Hua was a little furious. Although he was being a little cowardly, staying alive was the most important. Creating trouble would only result in unhappiness.

However, Chen Lingrou shook her head as soon as Daoist Tai Hua said that.

“Master, I’m still going to say the same thing. What you taught us is good for us but Ye Ping is different from us. He’s a genius.”

“The path of a genius will never be the same as ours. To put it bluntly, if Ye Ping really follows what you teach and becomes a coward who is scared of everything, how can he be called a genius?”

“Besides, the path of immortal cultivation is a battle with heavens per se. Ordinary people should choose to tolerate whenever possible, but if geniuses are wimpy, how can they be called geniuses?”

“Think about it yourself. If he shuns and flees in fear whenever something happens, how can his Dao Heart be stable? Even the most powerful genius will sooner or later become a wimp, and even if Junior Brother cultivates to the point of transcending the tribulation, won’t he die if he encounters the Thunder Tribulation?”

Chen Lingrou’s words struck Daoist Tai Hua’s heart, making him speechless.

‘Right!’

‘Having a high tolerance and fleeing whenever there’s trouble may be a choice for ordinary people, because ordinary people just want to live an ordinary life.’

‘However, if geniuses flee when there’s trouble and end up being timid and cowardly, they would be incompetent. Even the most brilliant genius will eventually die out.’

‘If Ye Ping still has such a character when it’s time to transcend the tribulation, he would be in trouble when facing the Heavenly Tribulation.’

“Could it really be that I thought wrong?”

At this moment, Daoist Tai Hua fell into deep thought.

“Okay, Master, take your time to think about it, I’ll leave first.”

At this juncture, Chen Lingrou intended to leave.

However, Daoist Tai Hua snapped back to his senses and looked at Chen Lingrou.

“Where did you see those things that you just said?”

Daoist Tai Hua was a little curious. ‘Chen Lingrou has only gone down the mountain a few times, how does she know so much?’

“Didn’t you buy a lot of books when you went down the mountain previously? There are a few about immortal cultivation and I read it in those books.”

Chen Lingrou said with an innocent smile.

As soon as Daoist Tai Hua heard that, he was perplexed because he thought that Chen Lingrou had come up with that on her own. He didn’t expect it to be something she had read in novels.

“From now on, don’t read those silly immortal cultivation novels anymore. No decent woman will read them.”

Daoist Tai Hua instructed.

“Master, you’re so old-fashioned. Now all handsome, good-looking cultivators are reading novels about immortal cultivation. You’re just an old fogy!”

Chen Lingrou went outside the hall and couldn’t help but grimace at Daoist Tai Hua before slipping away merrily.

“Nonsense, I’m not old yet. All you do is learn some nonsense from your Senior Sister all day. You’re going to be at a loss in the future.”

After Chen Lingrou left, Daoist Tai Hua chided furiously.

However, he soon couldn’t help but continue to think about what Chen Lin Rou said just now.

After a while, he muttered to himself, “I’ll go look for Ye Ping tomorrow.”

He then left the main hall.

At this moment, in a deserted place of the Qingyun Dao Sect.

Xu Luochen and Ye Ping appeared.

The place was overgrown with weeds and it was a wasteland.

There was a large iron pot in front of them.

Looking at the black iron pot in front of him, Xu Luochen’s eyes were filled with satisfaction.

The iron pot contained all his assets.

He went down the mountains a few days ago to run some errands and chanced upon a street stall on his way back.

It was quite a coincidence. Of all things, Xu Luochen was attracted to the iron pot.

The stall owner said it was an excellent alchemy cauldron but Xu Luochen didn’t fall for it, knowing that it was an ordinary iron pot. Of course, it wasn’t entirely ordinary.

The material of the iron pot was superior as it was highly resistant to extreme heat and wouldn’t be melted by spiritual fire.

Xu Luochen intended to let Ye Ping use this iron pot to refine pills.

Yes, he wanted to let Ye Ping use this iron pot to refine pills.

Ye Ping could easily condense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into a pill, and the pills he refined contained a massive amount of spiritual energy.

What would the outcome be if he used a pot for refinement?

There were three major elements in alchemy.

The first was the cauldron.

The better the quality of the pill cauldron, the better the effect of the refined pills.

The simplest point was that medicine contained some poison too. Hence, in order to refine the toxicity of the herbs, one would have to use spirit fire to melt and refine repeatedly, but using direct flame might damage the herbs.

However, using a cauldron would be different as the temperature in it would remain unchanged, and the toxins would be refined while keeping the medicinal properties intact.

Hence, the more powerful the flames, the better the effect. Besides, ordinary cauldrons would melt as soon as they came into contact with spirit fire.

Hence, heat resistance was an important factor in determining the quality of a cauldron.

The second was the herbs.

There’s no need to explain much about this. The better the herbs, the better the effect of the pills.

The third was the heat, which was similar to the cauldron.

The combination of the above three factors was the determinant of a good pill.

Hence, Xu Luochen immediately fell in love with this strange iron pot. Although he could not afford a real alchemy cauldron or tripod, he could afford an iron pot.

After six hours of hesitation, Xu Luochen finally bought the iron pot at a price of three taels of silver.

Now, it was time for Ye Ping to try out the effect of this iron pot.

No, it was a pill pot.

Ye Ping managed to refine the non-poisonous pill without using any herbs, heat, or cauldrons.

If it was with the help of a pill pot, what kind of pill would he refine? Xu Luochen dared not imagine it.

That was precisely the reason why Xu Luochen came to look for Ye Ping today as he wanted to see what kind of pills Ye Ping could refine.

“Ye Ping, today, I will teach you the second chapter of the Supreme Alchemy, the Artifact Refining Technique.”

At the next moment, Xu Luochen’s voice sounded.

His eyes were full of confidence, and he looked a bit profound and mysterious.

‘Artifact Refining Technique?’

Ye Ping couldn’t help but be curious.

He totally believed in Xu Luochen’s attainments in the Dao of alchemy.

The supreme alchemy method was the refinement of pills using nothing at all. Ye Ping felt that it would be useful for him.

Now that Xu Luochen was going to teach him the Artifact Refining Technique, how powerful would the pills that he refined be?

Ye Ping couldn’t help but be shocked.

Without the use of a cauldron, medicinal herbs, and heat, he managed to refine a supreme-grade pill.

Wouldn’t he ascend if he had a pill cauldron?

‘Refining pills with an iron pot, how can I fail?’

At the thought of this, Ye Ping’s eyes were filled with expectation.