Chapter 226 - Exchange Five Hundred Years of Lifespan for Pill Success

Chen Xia didn't believe the big yellow dog was merely sleeping, nor did he think it was in a state of secluded meditation.　　As he put it, the big yellow dog was undergoing a transformation.　　However, this transformation wasn't exactly a pretty sight. Every now and then, faint snores would escape from it.　　Perhaps it was dreaming?　　Chen Xia wasn't quite certain, but he sincerely hoped it was having a pleasant dream.　　He placed the big yellow dog inside the house. Each day, he would take a look at it. Once he was sure everything was okay, he would head outside to practice alchemy.　　Alchemy wasn't really his passion. In fact, he had never received any systematic training in the art of alchemy.　　All along, Chen Xia had only a rough understanding of alchemy. He could just about manage to concoct some pills.　　But since he was rather bored at the moment, he decided to delve into an introductory book on alchemy. The first book he picked up was *Encyclopedia of Medicinal Herbs*. This book documented ninety-nine percent of the medicinal herbs in the realm, covering aspects such as their medicinal properties, how they could be combined, and the process of forming pills.　　All these topics were touched upon, but not in great depth. This was quite normal, considering it was an introductory book designed for novice alchemists.　　Chen Xia found the book fascinating. In a matter of a few months, he was almost done reading it. Through this, he also gained a basic understanding of pill classification and the principles of combining medicinal herbs.　　This meant that Chen Xia was now capable of refining the most basic types of pills.　　He decided to give it a try. He carefully selected and combined the medicinal herbs according to the principles of pharmacology. His goal was to refine a simple Fire Pill, which could store a certain amount of fire spiritual energy. This was a type of pill commonly sought after by cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage who practiced fire-based techniques.　　Unable to find a proper alchemy furnace, Chen Xia made do with the big yellow dog's wok. He also employed some alchemy techniques he had learned.　　With this improvised setup, Chen Xia's initially haphazard approach to alchemy became more methodical. And to his satisfaction, he successfully refined a mid-grade spiritual pill –the Profound Fire Pill.　　Everything seemed to fall into place quite neatly.　　Chen Xia held the Profound Fire Pill in his hand, weighing it thoughtfully. He then decided to use his newly acquired alchemy skills to attempt refining some more advanced spiritual pills, hoping to create a dao pill.　　If he could pull this off, it would be an extraordinary achievement.　　It would be as if he could effortlessly leap across significant pill grades. Treating spiritual pills as dao pills, and dao pills as great pills. Then, when the time came to refine great pills, might he even be able to create imperial pills?　　Chen Xia pondered this idea for a while and concluded that it was entirely feasible. After all, in the past, even when he was refining pills randomly, he managed to produce pills of a grade higher than the original medicinal herbs.　　Now that he was approaching alchemy with more seriousness and precision, he should be able to create pills that matched the quality of the medicinal herbs used. With his inherent luck, the resulting pills would likely be of an even higher grade.　　Once Chen Xia's alchemy skills reached the level of a dao alchemist, he was confident that he could truly master the art of refining dao pills.　　There was another way, of course. He could continue to enhance his luck to a point where he could randomly refine great pills without much effort.　　However, this would require an enormous amount of time. The leap from a dao pill to a great pill was a qualitative change, and it would demand a corresponding transformation in his luck.　　Chen Xia estimated that to be able to refine great pills at will, he would need at least five thousand points of luck.　　This was clearly a long and arduous journey. But fortunately, time was something he had in abundance. Every few days, he would follow the instructions in the book and attempt to refine a pill he had never made before.　　In just fifteen short years, Chen Xia had successfully refined every pill described in the book. Surprisingly, none of the pills he created were identical to those in the book. Instead, their grades were significantly higher than expected.　　He arranged these two hundred pills in the house, displaying them on a shelf. However, since Chen Xia wasn't familiar with most of these pills, he didn't bother to label them.　　Zhang Daoming entered the room and was immediately stunned by the sight of the countless pills. He turned to look at Chen Xia, shaking his head in disbelief.　　"Even the Sect Master of the Starry Sky Pill Sect probably isn't as wealthy as you are right now."　　With pills lining the walls, the lowest-grade pill among them was a low-grade spiritual pill worth two thousand spirit stones. Just calculating the value of these two hundred spiritual pills, it amounted to at least four hundred thousand spirit stones.　　Zhang Daoming turned to Chen Xia, his eyes wide with shock. "Are you trying to single-handedly drive down the price of spiritual pills?!"　　"Not at all." Chen Xia shook his head. "I'm just doing this for fun. If there are any pills you like, feel free to take a few."　　Zhang Daoming couldn't help but laugh at these words. "In the middle and lower echelons of this realm, only you would have the audacity to say such a thing."　　Take a few spiritual pills for fun?　　That was truly a statement that defied common sense.　　"It's really not a big deal. You can take all of them if you want," Chen Xia replied nonchalantly.　　"I don't have any use for so many pills. But the fact that you managed to refine at least four hundred thousand worth of spiritual pills in just fifteen years is incredible. You're like a relentless money-making machine."　　"An alchemist of your caliber? Even the Heaven's Edge Sword Sea would be eager to have you on their side," Zhang Daoming remarked with a touch of admiration.　　Chen Xia smiled faintly. "The Heaven's Edge Sword Sea did invite me to stay, but it wasn't for my alchemy skills."　　Zhang Daoming's expression turned solemn. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. "Don't let the past weigh too heavily on you. The Heaven's Edge Sword Sea made a grave error, and it has already met its downfall."　　"True," Chen Xia nodded, but remained silent. His feelings towards the Heaven's Edge Sword Sea were complex, and he wasn't quite sure how to express them.　　"What would you do differently if you had the chance to relive those events?" Zhang Daoming suddenly asked.　　Chen Xia thought for a moment. "It probably wouldn't be much different. I might even take a more aggressive stance against the Heaven's Edge Sword Sea. At the very least, don't expect me to offer any help. The fact that I'm not seeking revenge is already a sign of my mercy."　　"Hehe, who can really say what might have happened?" Zhang Daoming said, placing his hands behind his back and smiling wryly.　　In the days that followed, Chen Xia dedicated himself to studying the Dao of Alchemy in the courtyard. Whenever he gained new insights, he would incorporate them into his practice, always striving to increase his luck. As far as he was concerned, more luck was always better.　　The big yellow dog remained in its deep slumber, showing no signs of waking up.　　Chen Xia would often carry the dog outside to soak up the sun, jokingly referring to it as "photosynthesis." Unfortunately, this seemed to have no effect.　　Zhang Daoming offered some advice. "Just sunbathing isn't enough. You should also try watering it."　　Chen Xia thought this made sense. So, during light rain showers, he would carry the big yellow dog outside to let it get wet.　　The two of them would stand by, holding umbrellas, closely observing the dog for any signs of change.　　After two years of this routine, there were still no visible changes. However, grass had started to grow on the big yellow dog.　　"I think it's working. It just takes time for the changes to become apparent. Think about it, it takes years for a tree to grow and change. A Vast Paragon Emperor is bound to take even longer," Zhang Daoming rationalized.　　Chen Xia gave him a skeptical look. "If the Vast Paragon Emperor wakes up in a bad mood and wants to attack someone, you'll be the first one I throw under the bus."　　"Please don't!" Zhang Daoming pleaded, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.　　But Chen Xia had already walked away.　　Fifty years passed.　　The Starry Sky Pill Sect sent a delegation to visit Chen Xia. Led by Bai Jie, they requested that Chen Xia refine a top-grade dao pill for them.　　This was no challenge for Chen Xia. He picked up his trusty iron wok, feeling a bit bored with the task. To make things more interesting, he decided to add some extra difficulty.　　He carefully cut the medicinal herbs into thin shreds and poured oil into the wok.　　It was almost like he was preparing to cook a meal.　　Even though Bai Jie had witnessed Chen Xia's alchemy methods before, he couldn't help but frown at this unorthodox approach. He struggled to understand these rather avant-garde techniques.　　Chen Xia proceeded with the process, using a spatula to stir the ingredients in the wok. Then, he added an unexpected twist. He fixed his gaze on Bai Jie and intoned solemnly.　　"Offer five hundred years of your lifespan to ensure the success of this pill!"　　Boom!　　A deafening thunderclap echoed through the sky. Dense bolts of lightning crackled, and a powerful thunder tribulation manifested.　　Bai Jie was completely taken aback. After a long moment of shock, his eyes filled with tears, and he cried out in a trembling voice, "Father, I was wrong!"　　The thunder tribulation intensified, the rumbling thunder growing louder and louder.　　As the thunderbolts crashed down, an intoxicating fragrance of the pill filled the air. Pill energy radiated out in all directions. To everyone's amazement, not one, but two top-grade dao pills emerged from the wok.　　Bai Jie's face turned ashen.　　He realized that his worst fears had come true.