Starting from the two realms, cultivating immortality by taming beasts

Chapter 503 Guidance on Transactions

"ⅠⅠ"

Tie Dan was stunned for a moment, his eyes filled with shock.

What's going on? Has it been chosen?

"Hooray!" (Great news!)

Golden Egg nudged Iron Egg with its head, its three dragon eyes revealing a look of anticipation.

"Huh?" (This works too?)

Wu Qi Teng blinked and looked at Tie Dan, curious about his decision.

Zhiling shrank back and moved closer to Chen Beiwu's cheek, without using her divine sense to communicate.

She had a clear goal and did not intend to participate in her companions' instigation against Tie Dan.

At the same time, Linglong Zhenjun's beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she observed Chen Beiwu's reaction.

The world's great wonders.

The cultivators and their fellow beasts live together day and night, fighting side by side and working together to attain the Great Dao.

Over time, things naturally fall into place, and it's not uncommon for couples to fall in love and become partners.

The Immortal Alliance's attitude toward this is rather subtle. On the surface, it neither prohibits nor encourages it, leaving everything to fate, but it does not allow any related news reports to appear on the Wanling app.

The reason why Linglong Zhenjun dared to speak rashly was that she knew that this magnificent black dog was a male dog and had a master-servant relationship with Chen Beiwu, unlike the two three-headed black dragons and seven-tailed purple foxes whose eyes had changed somewhat. Moreover, the bloodline in its body was inferior to that of the Sun Chasing Dog.

It should be noted that the Sun-Chasing Hound is a rare fifth-tier elemental beast. Although it is not listed among the Creation Elemental Beasts, it is still a rare species with precious bloodlines. It is no exaggeration to say that if True Monarch Linglong were willing to spread the word, countless Nascent Soul True Monarchs within the sect would be willing to pay a visit and offer generous gifts, all for the sake of nurturing a pure-blooded elemental beast cub with astonishing potential.

Faced with such a good opportunity delivered to his doorstep, Chen Beiwu could hardly refuse.

Unexpectedly, the next second, Chen Beiwu frowned slightly, and with a flick of his finger, the jade in his hand transformed into a stream of light that shot straight toward her face.

Linglong Zhenjun remained unmoved.

"Buzz!"

The light dissipated, and the jade slip hovered and landed in front of the Exquisite True Lord.

"There's no need to bring up breeding again," Chen Beiwu said firmly.

He wouldn't ask Tie Dan for his opinion.

The reason was simple: Chen Beiwu knew very well that as long as he asked, Tie Dan would definitely agree.

But Chen Beiwu knew that this was not Tie Dan's true thought, but rather a concession centered on him.

"Since you are unwilling, then let's just forget about it."

Linglong Zhenjun gave Chen Beiwu a deep look, then flicked her finger, and the jade slip returned at an even faster speed.

"As for this jade slip, you may accept it."

"If you really feel bad about it, you can have the Five Qi Vine activate its profound power to help me nourish a few fifth-tier Yuan herbs," Linglong Zhenjun changed the subject. Chen Beiwu did not agree immediately because he knew Xue Le's personality well.

Cultivating and caring for medicinal herbs was Schiller's lifelong passion!

Even if she didn't get any spirit stones, or even had to pay herself to do it, Schiller would still be willing to do it.

But here's the problem: there's a risk in doing this. While nourishing the fifth-tier Yuan medicine, he might turn into a thief and secretly "take" the Yuan medicine into the Five Qi Yuan Forest, which could turn a good thing into a bad thing.

"Hey!"

As expected, upon hearing about nourishing fifth-tier Yuan medicine, Schiller's eyes lit up, and he seemed impatient, even ignoring Tie Dan's gossip. "Let Schiller look after the Yuan medicine. If it matures, he might steal some," Chen Beiwu reminded him.

"It's alright, with me watching over things, this little guy won't cause much trouble." Linglong Zhenjun smiled.

Since things had come to this point, Chen Beiwu naturally agreed to this win-win situation.

Just as Chen Beiwu was about to take his leave, Linglong Zhenjun's clear, cold voice rang out again.

"What are you looking at?"

Tie Dan snapped out of his daze, looked at Chen Beiwu, and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should speak or not.

Chen Beiwu smiled calmly: "It's watching the dregs at the furnace opening."

"Dregs?"

Linglong Zhenjun raised an eyebrow, looking at Tiedan with great interest: "It can refine pills?"

"Yes, Tie Dan is quite accomplished in alchemy," Chen Beiwu said truthfully.

Compared to the talent he displayed within the Immortal Sect, it's quite normal that Tie Dan is a genius alchemist.

Upon hearing this name, Linglong Zhenjun's eyes sparkled.

What a vulgar name.

Both were beasts from the same genus, yet Chen Beiwu treated them differently. He named one "Xuele," which sounded quite pleasant, while he named the other "Tiedan," a name that was hardly elegant.

However, what Linglong Zhenjun cared about more than these was Tiedan's alchemy skills.

The Dao of alchemy is profound and obscure, easy to learn but difficult to master. The phrase "having considerable expertise" is not something that just anyone can claim.

Even Linglong Zhenjun, a fourth-tier superior Xuan Dan master, dared not presume to claim that he had achieved great success in alchemy. Chen Beiwu and his magnificent black dog, however, were somewhat arrogant.

"Oh, it seems I underestimated it."

The smile vanished from Linglong Zhenjun's eyes: "Then what rank of alchemist is he?"

Sensing the change in Linglong Zhenjun's attitude, Chen Beiwu remained expressionless.

He was listed in the Jade Purity Golden Book, and within the Jade Purity Immortal Sect, his status was no less than that of a fourth-level Profound Alchemist, and perhaps even higher. He didn't need to care too much about the opinion of True Monarch Linglong, even though she came from the Dao Venerable Immortal Clan.

However, if he wanted to find a renowned teacher for Tie Dan, Linglong Zhenjun would be a good choice.

"Based on the certification standards of the Immortal Alliance Alchemist Association, Tie Dan should be a fourth-level low-grade Xuan Dan master."

"How dare a fourth-tier low-grade Xuan Dan master claim to have considerable expertise in alchemy?" Linglong Zhenjun shook her head slightly.

But as soon as she said those words, she realized her mistake.

Chen Beiwu was a student in the 2024-2023 class of Yuqing School. Even if you include his age in the traditional Chinese way of counting age, he is only 114 years old.

The magnificent black dog that followed him had grown up with Chen Beiwu since childhood. Its bone age was very young, and even if you counted all the time, it would not have studied alchemy for more than 120 years. Its talent in alchemy was truly amazing.

"Compared to Zhenjun, Tiedan still has a long way to go in the Dao of Alchemy," Chen Beiwu frankly admitted.

"Woof."

Tie Dan nodded, quite agreeing.

Upon hearing this, Linglong Zhenjun remained silent, only scrutinizing Tiedan.

She did not question Chen Beiwu's words.

Although rare, the Upper Three Immortals Sect has produced several ginseng beasts skilled in alchemy in the past.

For example, the Azure Ox of the Taiqing Immortal Sect is gentle and upright in nature, most in line with the Great Dao, and has the appearance of inheriting the Dao and carrying virtue. It is especially suitable for inheriting the supreme immortal methods of the Taiqing lineage, which are upright and peaceful. Its talent in alchemy is also unparalleled.

After a long silence, Linglong Zhenjun suddenly spoke up: "Does it have a master, and can it refine any fourth-tier Xuan Dan?"

"I have no formal teacher; I mostly learn by studying classic texts on alchemy and occasionally seek guidance from others. Currently, I can only refine the Nourishing Spirit Pill, with a success rate of about 30%."

Upon hearing Chen Beiwu's words, Linglong Zhenjun also realized what he meant:

"Besides refining the Pure Essence Pill and the Dao Cultivation Pill, do you perhaps also wish to find it a master?"

"If possible, that would be ideal," Chen Beiwu said frankly.

Tie Dan's apprenticeship is something that cannot be forced; the hope is too slim. Otherwise, he would have already sought help from the Jade Purity Sect Leader.

The reason is simple: high-level alchemists would rather keep their secrets to themselves than pass on their inheritance to a beast of the same kind, no matter how good the beast's alchemy talent is.

"This matter is unlikely to succeed. I advise you to give up the idea as soon as possible," said Linglong Zhenjun, shaking her head.

There are also beasts within the Jade Purity Immortal Sect that are skilled in alchemy.

Some alchemical beasts that have reached the fifth level can even be called the guardian beasts of a true clan, with a status that is slightly higher than that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, the reason why those beasts of the same rank were able to obtain the Dao of Alchemy and grow step by step into Xuan Dan Masters, or even Yuan Dan Masters, was because of the resources and foundation provided by the powerful families behind them. It was by no means something that one person could cultivate.

Chen Beiwu smiled slightly but did not respond.

If one road is blocked, there are other roads.

Even if all else fails, once his master emerges from seclusion, he can find an opportunity to ask one of his master's beasts to guide Tie Dan in alchemy.

Seeing this, Linglong Zhenjun knew that Chen Beiwu's mind was still unchanged, so she did not continue to persuade him and returned her attention to the slag at the furnace mouth.

The Immortal Alliance has a wide variety of Transformation Pills, which naturally vary in effectiveness.

Even a powerful sect's True Monarch, who desires the Heavenly Pill but cannot obtain it, can increase the probability of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator by 30% with just one pill.

Even a weak pill like the Li'e Xuanzhen Pill can only increase the probability of becoming a half-stage True Venerable.

She only needs to successfully refine one Li'e Xuanzhen Pill to rightfully become a top-grade Xuan Dan master, and hopefully secure a share of Tongtian Pills within the sect. However, top-grade Xuan Dan are extremely difficult to refine, especially the Li'e Xuanzhen Pill, which is incredibly rare among fourth-grade Xuan Dan!

If she hadn't been born into the Daoist Immortal Clan and held a high position within the clan, it would have been difficult to gather enough main and auxiliary ingredients to refine the Li'e Xuanzhen Pill. However, after two consecutive failed attempts, Linglong Zhenjun dared not rashly continue trying to refine pills, lest she lose everything.

"The Dao of alchemy is difficult to refine. Do you know how much Mysterious Medicine is in this batch of waste residue?" Linglong Zhenjun looked at Tiedan.

"Woof." (There are thirty-three kinds of low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade Xuan medicines, and three kinds of top-grade Xuan medicines, which are... Among them is also the fifth-grade Yuan material Xuanli wood)

Tie Dan's nose twitched slightly, and he quickly answered based on Schiller's prompting.

While surprised, Linglong Zhenjun corrected her:

"You said that the six essential ingredients of the top-grade Xuan medicine are missing three ingredients, and that in addition to Xuanli wood, there is also the fifth-grade Yuan medicine Exin lotus as a pill guide." It is normal to make mistakes. Without the pill formula, even a fourth-grade high-level Xuan pill master could not identify all the pill-refining ingredients in such a short time based on the waste.

Tie Dan's ability to answer the questions about most medicinal herbs is enough to demonstrate his extraordinary talent in identifying their properties!

Upon hearing this, Tie Dan glanced almost imperceptibly at Xue Le: "What happened to your promise of 100% certainty?"

Feeling guilty, Schiller pretended to look away naturally, avoiding eye contact with Tie Dan.

This time, luck wasn't on its side. The fourth-tier profound medicine and the fifth-tier elemental medicine that Linglong Zhenjun mentioned were types it had never encountered before, so an accident was inevitable. "You do have some talent. Let me test you again."

Linglong Zhenjun became interested. With a thought, she separated a small clump of charred dregs from the furnace spit and placed it in front of Tie Dan:

"Why did this batch of pills fail at the stage of medicinal property fusion?"

Tie Dan stuck out his tongue and licked it, then closed his eyes and pondered.

Linglong Zhenjun remained calm and composed, quietly awaiting Tiedan's reply.

She had already found the reason why this batch of pills failed to be refined. The reason she asked Tie Dan was simply to see his potential in the art of alchemy. After a long while, Tie Dan opened his eyes, looked at Chen Beiwu, and hesitated to speak.

"Jade True Lord, Tie Dan doesn't even know the ratio of the main and auxiliary ingredients in a pill formula, so I'm afraid he can't answer this question," Chen Beiwu declined. "It's alright. Just look at the medicinal properties. Say whatever you want, and it won't matter if you're wrong," Linglong True Lord waved his hand.

"Woof."

Tie Dan looked at Chen Beiwu.

Seeing that Linglong Zhenjun had taken the bait, Chen Beiwu nodded slightly, and Tiedan then spoke up to say that the time was wrong.

Linglong Zhenjun was slightly taken aback, her eyes showing surprise.

She had anticipated many possible answers, such as poor technique or incorrect timing, but she never expected Tie Dan's answer to be so absurd.

"Woof."

Seeing Linglong Zhenjun's gaze, Tiedan stretched out his claws and shoveled out the slag from the charred remains in front of him.

It indicates that the Xuanli Wood needs to be started at midnight to refine the Yang Elixir, while the E Xin Lotus needs to be used as a catalyst at 1 AM, with water and fire complementing each other... only then can the medicinal properties of the two be perfectly integrated without major conflicts...

After patiently listening to Tie Dan's answer, Linglong Zhenjun's mind raced with thoughts.

Something's not right. The recipe doesn't specify the time for refining the pill, and the teacher didn't remind us either. This means that refining the Li'e Xuanzhen Pill doesn't require too much attention to the time; you only need to grasp the key points of the recipe to succeed.

But the more she thought about Tie Dan's answer, the more reasonable it seemed.

The fourth-grade supreme pill is close to creation.

When the right time, the right place, and the right people are all present, the medicinal properties of the two primordial herbs, E Xin Lian and Xuan Li Mu, one yin and one yang, can be brought to their maximum without causing their properties to become mixed due to the clash between water and fire.

But here's the problem: why didn't she think of something so simple, something that aligns with the principles of Yin and Yang in alchemy, but instead a dog did? Could it be that her talent in alchemy is inferior to that of the dog Chen Beiwu contracted?

Thinking of this, Linglong Zhenjun's Dao heart fluctuated, and her fifth-level spirit artifact flashed slightly as she suppressed the distracting thoughts in her mind.

"This is just Tie Dan's guess, True Lord, you don't need to worry about it too much," Chen Beiwu reminded him.

"No!"

Linglong Zhenjun raised her head, her eyes serious: "Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we try."

"Take the jade slip back. True Monarch Hongyun is rigid in character. He can refine pills, but he would never teach Iron Egg the art of alchemy."

"Why don't we have Tie Dan help me tend the fire in my cave during this time, so he can witness his speculations firsthand?" Linglong Zhenjun said bluntly.

"Yes, but I need someone to accompany me, Innocent Pill - and..."

Before Chen Beiwu could finish speaking, Linglong Zhenjun flipped her hand and presented two jade bottles to interrupt him:

"No problem, here are the Pure Essence Pill and the Dao Cultivation Pill you requested. A bottle contains four pills, enough for you to cultivate for a hundred years."

Taking the jade bottle, Chen Beiwu took out the Kangjin ox horn, his heart's blood, and the oxhide and handed them over.

Linglong Zhenjun glanced at the ox horn, but didn't take advantage of Chen Beiwu too much: "I will refine the remaining four bottles of pills for you within a hundred years." Chen Beiwu had no objection.

Linglong Zhenjun was indeed generous. If it were any other Xuan Dan master, he would at most give him two bottles of Pure True Pills and Dao Cultivation Pills, and the rest would be a fee. Chen Beiwu bowed slightly and left the cave with satisfaction.

Although Linglong Zhenjun did not explicitly accept Tiedan as her disciple, her willingness to let Tiedan observe and learn from her alchemy practice was itself a form of subtle instruction.

How many skills Tiedan will learn by then will depend on his abilities.

Watching Chen Beiwu's figure disappear, Linglong Zhenjun shook her head, chuckled softly, and murmured, "The sect's higher-ups' approach to cultivating cultivators is far too outdated."

"A house full of gold and jade, indulging in a warm nest, none can guard it."

"Self-reliance and striving in the smallest things are the keys to longevity."

"Those with extraordinary talent, even if they are in a warm nest, can still have a clear understanding of the Dao and seek immortality and enlightenment. Why would they need external influences?"