Chapter 102: Yuan Yibai Arrives in the Immortal Realm

The preliminary examination for alchemists will be held at the Immortal World branch of the Alchemist Association.

Since Xueyu could not accompany You Xiyue back to Xingruo Island, it was settled at the Tongfu Inn, which was conveniently located near the association's branch. Fortunately, the room was booked in time, or it likely would have been unavailable later. Having been tossed a pile of spirit beast meat, Xueyu became exceptionally well-behaved; upon seeing the fresh, spirit-infused delicacies, it lost all desire to wander and waited contentedly at the inn.

Upon returning to Xingruo Island, Yan Qingye dove straight into his small wooden hut. True to form, he blew up a furnace shortly after entering. You Xiyue and Jun Yang had long since become numb to such tremors. Jun Yang’s cultivation had been advancing with each passing day; whether due to his enhanced bloodline or some other factor, it felt significantly easier than before.

"Little Ancestor, once I reach the Daoist realm, I shall attempt the Saint’s Inquiry."

"No rush," You Xiyue replied, withholding her approval. Jun Yang felt puzzled; she urged him to focus on cultivation every day, yet she was unwilling to let him elevate his bloodline too quickly.

You Xiyue withdrew her hand from her universe bag, spreading ten Heavenly Chili Flowers before Jun Yang, which immediately diverted his attention.

"Ten? Why so many?" Jun Yang rubbed his hands in excitement.

"A gift from the Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion."

"A gift? Ten of them? Is he that generous?"

"Mm, it’s alright. Here, take them."

Jun Yang happily stowed nine flowers into his universe bag, keeping one in his hand. "It’s been so long since I’ve had these, perhaps we should—"

"Go catch one."

"You got it!" Jun Yang vanished in a blink, having completely forgotten about the Saint’s Inquiry.

Xingruo Island was not much different from an average island, save for having significantly more resources. Naturally, the island was home to spirit creatures like Fire Spirit Chickens. These chickens were of a higher grade, and their meat was correspondingly more succulent. Before long, an enticing aroma began to drift across the island. Even Yan Qingye, surrounded by the strange odors of his failed experiments and having just blown up a second furnace, caught the scent.

Yan Qingye wiped his face and sighed, consoling himself, "The inspiration I finally found for alchemy is gone again. Might as well replenish myself with some roasted chicken seasoned with Heavenly Chili Flowers." He had no choice; the aroma was too distracting, and his mind was so filled with thoughts of the chicken that he feared he might accidentally forge a pill shaped like one if he continued.

The three gathered to enjoy the roasted chicken. While they were in high spirits, Yan Qingye’s jade slip began to pulse. He picked it up, confused. "Who is it?"

A familiar voice came from the other side: "It’s your father."

"Oh... Father, is something the matter?"

"The old man from the Yuan family came to our house."

"The old man from the Yuan family? Who?"

"Yuan Yaoyang."

"Why tell me that he visited?" Yan Qingye asked, biting into his chicken, puzzled.

Yan Yaofeng coughed. "The news that you went to the Immortal World has reached the Upper Realm."

"..." Yan Qingye nearly choked. He didn't need to guess who had spread the word. "Cough, cough... And then?"

"Old man Yuan came to ask me if your ancestral lamp went out and your name vanished from the genealogy after you left for the Immortal World." Yan Yaofeng continued, "He said his son’s ancestral lamp has also gone out and his name has vanished from the genealogy as well, and he suspects he might have gone to the Immortal World."

"What? Yuan Yibai really came to the Immortal World? Did my eyes deceive me?" Yan Qingye jumped up in shock.

"What? You saw him? Old man Yuan said he couldn't get in touch with his son."

Upon hearing this, You Xiyue and Jun Yang looked up at Yan Qingye, then exchanged glances.

"That’s simply impossible," Jun Yang said, abandoning his chicken. "He doesn't have resources like Xingruo; how could he possibly have the capability to climb the Heavenly Tribulation Ladder in such a short time?"

"Indeed." You Xiyue agreed. Even among the forbidden arts she knew, there was no method to elevate one's cultivation that rapidly.

Yan Qingye exchanged a few more words with Yan Yaofeng before cutting the connection and looking at You Xiyue. "Little Master, I’ve always felt that Yuan Yibai has been a bit strange these past few years."

"Strange how?" Jun Yang asked.

"We grew up together and were quite close, but in recent years, he suddenly became extremely cold to us. He wouldn't even let me drape an arm over his shoulder."

"That counts as strange?" Jun Yang looked at Yan Qingye with disdain; why would one drape an arm over someone else for no reason? Yan Qingye couldn't quite put it into words, but it was a sudden, profound sense of unfamiliarity.

"Since he has already reached the Immortal World, we shall see him eventually." You Xiyue seemed indifferent to the matter and continued eating her chicken. Yan Qingye, however, remained troubled; he simply could not fathom how Yuan Yibai had ascended.

"The alchemist exam is approaching, and you’ve blown up two furnaces without producing a single pill." You Xiyue’s cold splash of reality left Yan Qingye with no other thoughts. He stood up, face full of worry. "I’ll go practice now."

After Yan Qingye walked away, Jun Yang asked tentatively, "Could Yuan Yibai’s arrival in the Immortal World have something to do with the Demon Realm?"

You Xiyue’s face, previously calm as she ate, furrowed slightly before smoothing out again. "Perhaps."

"Then he most likely didn't come up via the Heavenly Tribulation Ladder. If one is tainted with demonic energy, they cannot climb that ladder."

"Mm."

"Then he..."

"I don't know."

You Xiyue would not speculate on matters without certainty. Jun Yang fell silent, though he remained deeply suspicious. When an ancestral lamp goes out and a name vanishes from the genealogy, there are generally only four possibilities: elevating one's bloodline, becoming a member of the demon race, becoming a member of the devil race, or... death. The implications were clear.

After blowing up three furnaces, Yan Qingye’s fourth attempt finally showed promise. Though it lacked pill patterns, it was at least a successful pill. Of course, that was not enough. Yan Qingye sighed at the furnaces in the room, finally fixing his gaze on the teapot-shaped one. "Should I try with this?" He hadn't dared to use the two Dao-grade furnaces; blowing those up would be too painful. After much deliberation, he decided to use the teapot.

He immediately encountered a problem: the herbs and catalysts were difficult to insert. After some struggling, he finally managed to stuff a simple recipe's worth of herbs inside. Under the control of his wind-element arts, the suddenly ignited flame became increasingly even. Everything seemed to be going well.

As Yan Qingye increased the heat, eventually engulfing the entire teapot furnace, it suddenly emitted a "bang." Yan Qingye, thinking this furnace had also exploded, stopped in disappointment. But as the smoke cleared, a ring of golden light appeared around the furnace. This light seemed to be the true vessel, dozens of times larger than the teapot. The herbs laid to the side began to fly into the golden light on their own, following the composition within the teapot.

Yan Qingye’s eyes widened, his heart in turmoil. He quickly collected himself and increased the fire, surrounding the true furnace. The herbs and catalysts merged and transformed within. Suddenly, a bolt of tribulation lightning struck down. Yan Qingye clenched his fists in excitement. Even one pill pattern would make him a primary alchemist. After the first bolt, it did not end; two more struck immediately after. Even Jun Yang was shocked.

"Is this kid actually a genius?"

Yan Qingye did not feel like a genius; he felt he had simply stumbled upon a treasure. This unassuming furnace was truly miraculous.