nucmednet Chapter 9 Alchemist
Chapter 9 Alchemist
On this not-so-wide plain, a figure sped across, running from one end to the other, crossing the river, his footsteps skimming the water like a dragonfly, leaving no trace.
After running back and forth for half an hour, the figure finally stopped. It was Zhang Yunling, who was concentrating on practicing the Divine Ghost Step technique.
At this moment, Chu Yanbing flew over from a distance and landed beside Zhang Yunling, saying, "Yunling, come with me, there's something I need to tell you." Zhang Yunling nodded in response, and the two of them ran towards the thatched hut again.
Zhang He sat on a small stool in front of the house, feeling the breeze on his face, the scent of nature permeating his entire body.
Before long, Zhang Yunling, Chu Yanbing, and Fan Linyuan arrived at the thatched hut. Zhang Yunling took a few steps forward and squatted down in front of his adoptive father to greet him: "Father, I'm back. How have you been these past few days?"
When Zhang He saw his son return, his face was filled with a kind smile. He held Zhang Yunling's hands in his slightly aged hands and said, "Don't worry, Dad is doing very well. Dad knows that you and Miss Chu have both become immortals. You don't need to worry about me. Just listen to Miss Chu and do what an immortal should do. You must repay her well in the future and know how to be grateful. Dad is in very good health, hahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yanbing smiled and stepped forward. "Old Zhang, I have a favor to ask, so I came here specifically to inquire about it." Zhang He looked at Chu Yanbing with a smile as well: "Miss Chu, there's no need to be so polite. If there's anything this old man can do to help, just ask."
Chu Yanbing shook her head and said, "It's not that I want to ask you for help, but I want Yun Ling to leave for a while and join our sect as a disciple, which will make it easier for him to cultivate in the future."
Zhang He himself is fine, but it depends on his son Zhang Yunling's opinion. Although he is over forty years old, he is still fully capable of taking care of himself.
Moreover, there was the spiritual energy that Chu Yanbing had injected into his body, which could be said to have fundamentally cleansed his body and brought him many benefits.
Zhang Yunling nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice. He had long heard in folk novels that immortals liked to gather together and organize something called a sect, where there were many experts who helped each other and walked together on the path to becoming strong.
On his very first day as a cultivator, Zhang Yunling had already begun to fantasize about cultivating together with Chu Yanbing, fulfilling the requirements to enter a sect, so that the two of them could remain a divine couple and grow stronger together.
"Yes, I'll go, Father! I must go!" Zhang Yunling replied excitedly. Zhang He nodded in agreement. Whether it was earning money to support his son's education or becoming an immortal, he supported his son's ideas.
Having accomplished nothing in his life, he believed that only by pouring more fatherly love into his son could he make him feel the meaning of life.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Yunling remembered something. He slapped his storage bag with his left hand, and the gold and silver treasures he had brought out of the tomb gushed out and scattered all over the ground.
“Father, these are all unclaimed treasures I picked up in the Monster Forest. I was afraid you wouldn’t have money to live on after I left, so I brought them back. Now you don’t have to worry about being poor and destitute in the future while I’m not by your side.”
Zhang He stared in astonishment at the treasures scattered on the ground, then looked at Zhang Yunling, who knelt down and kowtowed heavily, saying, "Father, Ling'er's journey will surely last for several years. Once I have achieved something, I will return to take good care of you in your old age!"
Seeing this scene, Chu Yanbing and Fan Linyuan were both slightly moved, while Zhang He's eyes were already red with emotion. He quickly stepped forward to help Zhang Yunling up, and the father and son hugged tightly. Although they didn't say anything, the sorrow of parting contained in this hug was self-evident.
"Mr. Zhang, we'll be taking our leave now. Please take good care of yourself and be careful in everything you do!" Chu Yanbing waved goodbye to Zhang He and left. Zhang He responded forcefully, his voice trembling with age, "Miss Chu, please be sure to look after Ling'er for me. If there's anything my son and I can do to help you in the future, just let us know!"
These heartwarming conversations faded away in the wind as the three of them departed.
Because Zhang Yunling only has the cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining, he cannot fly and can only use the Divine Speed Ghost Step to travel quickly on the ground.
Fan Linyuan looked at Chu Yanbing with a strange expression. The two flew forward in mid-air without exchanging a word for a long time. After a dozen breaths, Fan Linyuan couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Senior Sister Chu, why are you so close to this boy? He's just an ant who has just entered the Qi Refining stage. Why waste time on him..."
"Shut up!" Chu Yanbing roared angrily, her face dark. "What do you know? Zhang Yunling's talent is extraordinary. He went from a mere mortal to the second level of Qi Refining in just four days! He's probably about to break through to the third level now. If we refine those demon cores he obtained yesterday into pills and have him consume them to increase his cultivation, he could probably break through to the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining in one fell swoop!"
Fan Linyuan listened to all this in disbelief, looking down at Zhang Yunling running forward on the ground, muttering, "So that's how it is... so this is the purpose of your trip, Senior Sister." Chu Yanbing smiled without saying a word, and the two transformed into a rainbow and flew into the distance.
Before long, the outline of a mountain gate appeared beneath the clouds, with three large characters written on it: Black Cliff Sect. Zhang Yunling, standing on the ground, could also see the scene before him clearly. Just as described in the book, this was indeed the legendary gathering place of immortals—the sect.
Within it lies a massive black mountain, its peaks shrouded in mist and clouds, mysterious and unpredictable. Numerous buildings encircle the mountain, forming a complete sect.
Upon reaching their destination, the three stopped simultaneously. Chu Yanbing and Fan Linyuan landed from the air, and upon seeing them, the two disciples on guard duty immediately approached. Fan Linyuan took out a dark cyan jade pendant hanging from his waist, on which were engraved two large characters: "Inner Sect".
As soon as the jade pendant lit up, the two disciples were filled with respect and said in unison, "Greetings, Senior Brother!" Fan Linyuan smiled and nodded, leading Chu Yanbing and Zhang Yunling inside.
Along the way, there were houses and tiled buildings on both sides, each with a nameplate on the door, indicating the different disciples. A few steps further on, a huge martial arts arena came into view.
At this moment, two disciples were sparring on the field. One was holding a hook-shaped weapon, and the other was holding a long spear. The two were fighting fiercely, with every move aimed at vital points, but it was difficult to determine a winner.
Seeing this, Zhang Yunling was deeply shocked. So this was what a sect was like. Looking at the busy disciples around him, and then at Fan Linyuan, who had just taken out a jade token and had the two guards respectfully let him pass, Zhang Yunling was filled with excitement. If he could join this sect, he would surely have a bright future ahead of him!
As the three were walking towards the black mountain within the sect, a sudden fluctuation came. Chu Yanbing's face lit up with joy. Looking at the black-robed elder who had appeared out of thin air, she knelt on one knee, cupped her hands, and bowed: "Disciple Chu Yanbing greets Master!" Fan Linyuan also knelt down and bowed: "Disciple Fan Linyuan greets Ancestor."
The old man flicked his sleeve, and a gentle force lifted both of them to their feet. Chu Yanbing excitedly pulled Zhang Yunling, who was standing behind her in a daze, to her side and introduced him to the old man, saying, "Master, look! This is the suitable person I found after months of searching!"
Upon hearing this, the old man in black narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing his divine sense on Zhang Yunling and scanning him. After a moment, the old man smiled slightly and nodded: "Alright, then take him into the mountain. Fan Linyuan, you come too." Chu Yanbing's face lit up with joy, and she quickly grabbed Zhang Yunling's hand and followed the old man in black as they flew towards the black mountain.
Fan Linyuan followed closely behind, while the disciples around the training ground behind them looked at each other and whispered among themselves, as if their senior sister Chu Yanbing and this newcomer had some unusual relationship.
The old man in black robes, along with Zhang Yunling and the other two, landed on a set of stone steps halfway up the mountain. There stood a wooden house, the old man's usual place for meditation and cultivation. "Come in, all of you," the old man beckoned, gesturing for the three to follow him into the wooden house.
Zhang Yunling's eyes were always full of curiosity as he looked around, occasionally letting out a soft exclamation, much like the comical appearance of a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time.
Chu Yanbing followed the old man into the inner room. Rows of colorful herbs were arranged against the wall, while a huge cauldron sat on the floor in the center, with dark red flames slowly burning inside, as if brewing something.
The old man looked at Zhang Yunling, and their eyes met. The old man's sharp gaze made Zhang Yunling tremble slightly, and a sense of crisis welled up in his heart. After a long while, the old man slowly spoke: "Young man, your spiritual roots are abundant. You possess four of the five-colored spiritual roots, making you a genius in alchemy. My name is Liao Daozi, and today I will bestow upon you a great opportunity to teach you alchemy. What do you say?"
What? Alchemy?? Zhang Yunling stared at Liao Daozi in disbelief, then at the furnace behind him, his mind racing with thoughts, and he stood there dumbfounded.
Seeing this, Chu Yanbing reached out her jade hand and slapped Zhang Yunling hard on the back of the head, anxiously shouting in a deep voice, "Fool, learning alchemy will make you an alchemist, which is a rare status among cultivators, one in ten thousand. If you can truly understand it, your future prospects will be limitless!"
The old man simply watched silently. Zhang Yunling, listening to Chu Yanbing's teachings, became more resolute. He was certain that everything Miss Chu said was right; how could she possibly harm him? If it weren't for Miss Chu's help, he would still be just a lowly official being used by the Li family to play the role of a fake groom!
"I will learn!" Zhang Yunling's eyes were filled with determination. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Liao Daozi, formally acknowledging his apprenticeship. Upon hearing this, Liao Daozi finally revealed a peaceful smile, and with another surge of strength, he helped Zhang Yunling up. "Then, from this day forward, you will learn alchemy from me. With my mastery of alchemy, I will not let your exceptional talent go to waste."
Zhang Yunling was overjoyed and kowtowed again, saying, "Thank you so much, Master!"