287: Chapter 287 What is your goal?

In the following days, Su Cheng devoted all his energy to opening this path.

Refining pills normally by day and opening the link by night, day after day.

The Dao Rhyme suffered severe attenuation during its transmission from the Sea of Consciousness to the Dantian. Out of ten parts of Dao Rhyme, less than one remained by the time it reached the dao foundation furnace. When it was finally output to the wanbao mirror via the Qi of Creation, it was already too thin to have any effect on the medicinal liquid.

Then, he changed his approach.

Instead of trying to let the Dao Rhyme flow along the Meridians, he did the opposite: he let the Qi of Creation actively enter the Sea of Consciousness, stay within the chamber of the qiankun creation furnace for a period to pick up the Dao Rhyme dissipating from the furnace walls, then carry that Dao Rhyme back to the Dantian, and finally output it into the wanbao mirror.

The Qi of Creation naturally has an affinity for all things, and its capacity to carry Dao Rhyme far exceeds that of ordinary spiritual power.

After being soaked within the chamber of the creation furnace, the concentration of Dao Rhyme carried by the Qi of Creation increased several times over. When injected into the hearth of the wanbao mirror, the reaction of the medicinal liquid showed visible changes.

At the final moment before pill condensation, a very faint green halo appeared on the surface of the pill.

That was the sign of the Dao Rhyme acting on the medicinal properties, but this batch ultimately only turned out to be High Grade.

Because the concentration of Dao Rhyme was still not enough.

The twentieth day, the thirtieth day...

Every day, Su Cheng repeated the same process: the Qi of Creation immersed into the chamber of the creation furnace within the Sea of Consciousness to absorb Dao Rhyme, flowed back to the Dantian's dao foundation furnace, output to the wanbao mirror, observed the reaction of the medicinal liquid, and recorded the data.

On the thirty-third day, the first supreme grade Medicinal Pill refined through this link was born.

A Tier 2 supreme grade clear spirit pill; the pill body was round and flawless, with a restrained green halo on the surface and a flowing treasure light.

Su Cheng stared at the pill in his palm for a long time, then placed it into a jade bottle and continued to open the furnace.

A single success meant nothing; what he needed was stability.

For the next half month, he repeatedly polished this process. The supreme grade rate gradually stabilized from an occasional one to one out of every ten furnaces.

A ten percent supreme grade rate was already not low among Foundation Establishment Stage Disciples.

But Su Cheng knew it was far from enough.

It was during this period of Su Cheng's secluded cultivation that the Sect became incredibly lively because of the Wood Spirit.

The news that the Alchemy Hall had announced the Wood Spirit as the reward for the first place in the Alchemy Hall Competition had already spread. Instead of fading over time, the excitement grew more intense, and the doors of the Alchemy Hall were nearly broken down by visitors.

From the first few days after the news was released, Golden Core Elders from various peaks visited Head Xu Changqing one after another, all with a single purpose: to secure that Wood Spirit for their own Disciples.

The special thing about the Wood Spirit was that it was not picky about the attributes of one's Cultivation Technique.

It would have the best effect on Wood-attribute Cultivators, allowing them to directly cross the Golden Core chasm.

But even for Fire-attribute or Metal-attribute Cultivators, as long as it was paired with specific auxiliary Medicinal Pills, the Wood Spirit could also significantly increase the success rate of Core Formation.

This meant that every Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple in the Sect was eyeing this item. Even if their cultivation hadn't reached the point where they could use it yet, they would eventually need it.

And the Danding Sect had over five hundred Alchemy Dao Foundation Establishment disciples.

Five hundred people competing for a single Wood Spirit—the scene was lively enough just thinking about it.

Head Xu Changqing was pestered for many days until he finally made a stern declaration: whoever takes first place in the Alchemy Hall Competition gets the Wood Spirit; no private transactions or personal favors would be accepted.

Once these words were out, the Elders of each peak finally quieted down, but the enthusiasm of the Disciples was completely ignited.

The number of registrations for the Alchemy Hall Competition increased by nearly half after that.

Among them were many Foundation Establishment Disciples who originally had little interest in Alchemy and only Cultivated basic pill arts, but they signed up with the mindset of trying their luck.

Su Cheng turned a deaf ear to the clamor of the outside world.

His daily life consisted of only three things: guiding Dao Rhyme, Alchemy, and review.

That transmission link from the creation furnace to the dao foundation furnace and then to the wanbao mirror became smoother and smoother through day after day of polishing.

After the Qi of Creation carried the Dao Rhyme into the wanbao mirror, the reaction of the medicinal liquid during the pill condensation stage became increasingly obvious. The Dao Rhyme would intervene at the final moment, pushing the medicinal property compatibility to a more perfect point of balance, allowing the pill quality to cross the threshold from High Grade into supreme grade.

Success or failure depended entirely on whether the attachment of the Dao Rhyme was stable at that moment.

If it held, it was supreme grade. If not, it was High Grade.

After more than a month, the supreme grade rate slowly climbed from ten percent to thirty percent.

Three supreme grade pills out of ten furnaces was significant progress, but it was still a distance away from the requirements of the competition.

With less than a month left before the Alchemy Hall Competition, an unexpected piece of news arrived.

Su Cheng was collecting today's third batch of pills when Chen Yuan's voice came from outside the Immortal Cave.

"Junior Brother, something big has happened."

Su Cheng put the last pill into a jade bottle and stood up to open the door.

Chen Yuan's expression was a bit strange, as if he were holding back a laugh while also worrying for someone.

"What is it?"

"Shen Qing has come looking for you."

"Looking for whom?"

"Looking for you." Chen Yuan nodded toward the bottom of the mountain path. "He's waiting at the foot of Qingmu Peak, saying he wants to see you."

Su Cheng frowned. Shen Qing from Xuanguang Peak?

He had won against the other in the last match, and they had had no contact since. Why would he come looking for him now?

"Did he say what his purpose was?"

"He didn't say, only that he had something to discuss." Chen Yuan shrugged. "Are you going?"},{