Volume One: The Beginning of Immortality Chapter Seven: The Strange Master

The next day, Zhou Yue arrived at the Alchemy Pavilion as promised, where Elder Li had been waiting for some time.

“Disciple greets Elder!” Zhou Yue said.

“Very well. You seem not to have a master, do you?” Elder Li of the Alchemy Pavilion asked.

“No, I do not,” Zhou Yue replied honestly.

“I called you here today because I truly wish to help you find a master. With your talent, you could apprentice yourself to any elder in the Qi Refining stage without difficulty!” Elder Li continued. “Yesterday, I also inquired about your situation. As for someone stealing your medicinal herbs, I will make sure justice is done for you.”

“Thank you, Elder,” Zhou Yue responded.

“Come, follow me,” Elder Li said.

Then Elder Li took out a sword, manipulating it with his mind so it floated beneath his feet. In an instant, the sword expanded to a full ten meters in length.

“Sword flight?” Zhou Yue exclaimed in astonishment.

“That’s right. Get on!” Elder Li said.

Zhou Yue followed Elder Li onto the flying sword. This journey was even more exhilarating than his previous visit to the Hundred Skills Sect; the sword flew faster and soared higher. Fortunately, in the past six months, Zhou Yue had cultivated some composure; otherwise, he might have been frightened out of his wits.

They soared over several mountain peaks before Elder Li finally brought the sword to a halt before the entrance of a cave dwelling.

“Elder Chu, how have you been lately?” Elder Li called out loudly.

“So it’s Elder Li Fei. What brings you here?” Elder Chu asked, stepping out to greet them.

“You’re always complaining that your apprentice lacks talent and is hard to manage. Today, I’ve come to recommend a disciple to you. After investigating him yesterday, I found that he has been in the sect for just half a year and is already capable of refining Grade One pills. Does such talent not suffice for you, that stubborn old man?” Elder Li said.

“Quite impressive. I remember it took me over a year and a half to refine my very first pill,” Elder Chu remarked. “But I wonder if this disciple will suit my taste. You know my temper—I never accept apprentices with dull aptitude,” he continued.

“That goes without saying. Zhou Yue, aren’t you going to greet your master?” Elder Li signaled Zhou Yue, clearly suggesting he address Elder Chu as his master.

“Master,” Zhou Yue responded immediately, not being a fool.

“Ahem, I haven’t agreed yet!” Elder Chu said, somewhat displeased.

“What’s there not to agree with? Given our friendship, would I recommend an unreliable disciple to you, Old Chu?” Elder Li said.

“Here’s what we’ll do: help me with chores for a month. Depending on your performance, I’ll decide whether to accept you as my formal apprentice!” Elder Chu finally set forth his condition.

“Thank you, Master!” Zhou Yue said happily.

Afterwards, Elder Li and Elder Chu engaged in casual conversation, while Zhou Yue followed them into Elder Chu’s cave dwelling. Inside, apart from books on medicinal herbs, there were piles of herbs and pill cauldrons—the place was quite chaotic. One thing Zhou Yue noticed instantly: the spiritual energy here was several times richer than where he had previously resided. He could sense it at once; in the future, as he performed chores here, he might use this abundance of spiritual energy to improve his cultivation. Moreover, refining pills in such an environment would also boost the success rate. Zhou Yue felt as if he were on the brink of great fortune.

In a hidden chamber, Elder Li and Elder Chu finished their conversation. When they emerged, they found the cave dwelling spotless, with books and medicinal herbs neatly arranged. It was at least ten times cleaner than before. Under the glow of moonstone, the entire cave shone brilliantly.

After Elder Li departed, Zhou Yue awaited Elder Chu’s appraisal.

To his surprise, instead of praise, Elder Chu scolded him.

“Is this all you know how to do?” Elder Chu demanded.

“Of course not. I can also refine Qi-infusing pills,” Zhou Yue replied.

“Then why did you clean up for me?” Elder Chu pressed.

“I thought the items in Master’s cave dwelling were too disordered, so I tidied them up for you,” Zhou Yue answered.

“If I wanted someone to clean up for me, I could call anyone and they’d do a better job than you. But what’s the point of cleaning—even if you do it better than anyone else? What meaning does it have?” Elder Chu sighed in disappointment.

“Disciple does not understand!” Zhou Yue was bewildered. Was cleaning really wrong? This genuinely puzzled him.

“Go back and think about it. Once you understand, come and tell me,” Elder Chu said.

“Yes, Master,” Zhou Yue replied, troubled.

Since anyone could clean better than he did, did he really need to clean at all? If his cleaning wasn’t needed, what did Elder Chu truly care about?

Gradually, Zhou Yue began to find the answer in his heart, but today was not the time to give it.

Though Zhou Yue had qualified as a pill apprentice, he had not yet moved from the area assigned to menial disciples to the quarters reserved for outer sect disciples. During this period, he had no mind to move, for Elder Chu’s admonition left him feeling frustrated.

During these days, apart from pondering the question his master had posed, Zhou Yue also adjusted his mood.

Only after three days did Zhou Yue dare to visit Elder Chu’s cave dwelling once more.

“Have you figured it out?” Elder Chu asked.

“Reporting to Master, your meaning is that even if one does a small thing as well as possible, it remains a small thing. What matters is not to be muddled about important matters. For an alchemist, the most crucial thing is to refine pills well. Only by striving to master the art of alchemy do we fulfill what Master wishes to see,” Zhou Yue replied.

“Not bad. You are quite perceptive. For now, you shall assist me in pill refinement. In time, I will gradually teach you the craft,” Elder Chu said.

“Thank you, Master—oh, thank you, Master!” Zhou Yue exclaimed.

Though the words were Zhou Yue’s own, he had come up with them after consulting Elder Li and learning about Elder Chu’s temperament. Without Elder Li’s subtle assistance, Zhou Yue would likely have struggled to answer Elder Chu’s test.

Over the next month, Zhou Yue helped Elder Chu with chores every day, observed him refining pills, and studied his techniques, while also reading Elder Chu’s books on alchemy, learning about the properties and combinations of medicinal herbs, pill refinement, and more.

In this time, Zhou Yue learned to make wound medicine, body-tempering pills, and explosive Qi pills. The explosive Qi pill was especially difficult to craft and left a deep impression on him. If not for this pill, it would have taken Zhou Yue much longer to deal with Liu Feng.

It took dozens of batches of materials before Zhou Yue finally succeeded in refining the explosive Qi pill.

Moreover, after becoming a pill apprentice, Zhou Yue’s contribution points soared a hundredfold. Not only did he earn points for refining pills for the sect, but even helping Elder Chu with chores brought him a significant reward. This made Zhou Yue immensely happy.