"Ancestor, why do I feel so uneasy when looking at this character?" asked Ling Qingshu.
Xu Yang smiled and explained, "This character contains the laws of heaven and earth, infused with murderous intent. You see, there's no harm for now, but anyone with ill intentions towards Tianlan Sect who sees it will be severely affected mentally."
Ling Qingshu, hearing this, looked at Xu Yang with admiration. At that moment, she felt that her ancestor was truly omnipotent.
After placing the gate of Tianlan Sect properly, Xu Yang returned to the sect.
Next, Xu Yang prepared to refine some medicine.
Looking at the mountains of spiritual herbs, Xu Yang felt like his hands were about to cramp.
With so many spiritual herbs, if he were to refine them all by himself, he'd likely be lost in the task for days on end.
Moreover, Xu Yang, as an ancestor-level figure, now felt like a mere beginner alchemist.
Xu Yang sat dejectedly on the ground, chewing on a blade of grass.
"Sigh, it seems I need a few young disciples to help with alchemy," Xu Yang muttered as he stood up and looked outside.
Ling Qingshu couldn't do it. Although she had some talent for alchemy, it wasn't extraordinary. With Xu Yang's patient teaching, she might eventually become a master alchemist, but as the sect leader of Tianlan Sect, she couldn't always be refining pills.
"I'll go down the mountain to find a young disciple," Xu Yang sighed and walked out.
After thousands of years, Tianlan Sect had become a ruin, and rebuilding it was bound to be a monumental task. However, Xu Yang wasn't concerned in the slightest. No matter how great the difficulty, nothing could stop him.
For Xu Yang, Tianlan Sect was his spiritual anchor.
He had lived for too long. One hundred thousand years ago, he helped his master establish Tianlan Sect and witnessed its rise from nothing.
Over the span of a hundred thousand years, the sea had turned into mulberry fields. His master, his younger brothers, and old acquaintances had all disappeared into the river of time. One hundred thousand years was an eternity, capable of erasing all traces.
In the depths of his memory, even the image of his master was blurry.
The only proof of his master's existence was the very Tianlan Sect that his master had built.
The fact that Tianlan Sect still existed after a hundred thousand years was due to Xu Yang's efforts.
In Xu Yang's heart, there were only two things: First, to break through the Qi Refining stage and reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Second, to ensure the eternal existence of Tianlan Sect.
Not only did he want it to survive, but he also wanted it to become the most powerful sect in the world, restoring its former glory!
Before leaving Tianlan Sect, Xu Yang gave Ling Qingshu a task: to recruit disciples who were willing to learn alchemy.
The next day, many people came to take the entrance exam.
However, most of them were from the nearby area, with few from other regions.
Most of those who came were just there to join in the excitement and had no talent for alchemy.
Even those who had some alchemical talent did not meet Xu Yang's standards for disciples.
"It seems I can't just wait here for someone to come to me. I'll need to go out and look," Xu Yang said, frowning as he gazed at the crowd of people with no alchemy potential.
The following day, Xu Yang left Tianlan Sect and traveled throughout Qi State, searching for a talented alchemist to take as a disciple.
However, after half a month of searching, Xu Yang still hadn't found anyone with alchemy talent, let alone an alchemy genius.
"This isn't going to work," Xu Yang said, frowning.
Suddenly, Xu Yang slapped his forehead, feeling foolish.
Why had he been looking everywhere? There were people with alchemy potential and willingness to practice, though they were hard to find. But there was one place where such people were bound to be everywhere.
Thinking this, Xu Yang immediately headed toward Yaoshan Manor in Qi State.
Yaoshan Manor might not have the best combat power in Qi State, but as an alchemy sect, it was second to none in the region. No one dared to claim to be better at alchemy.
Almost every force in Qi State invited alchemists from Yaoshan Manor to refine pills.
Because of this, Yaoshan Manor was extremely wealthy and lived a comfortable life.
As the most famous alchemy sect in Qi State, Yaoshan Manor attracted many aspiring alchemists who wanted to join.
Now, the manor was holding its annual grand recruitment event.
Outside the manor, there was a huge crowd, all of whom had some degree of alchemical talent.
Xu Yang blended into the crowd, scanning the people around him.
"No, no, still no good..." Xu Yang thought to himself as he glanced at each person.
After looking at so many, Xu Yang still hadn't found anyone with the necessary potential.
Xu Yang felt a twinge of disappointment.
He even wondered whether he should abandon the search for a disciple and just have the alchemists from Medicine Mountain Manor help him refine the pills instead.
Just as Xu Yang was pondering, an impatient voice came from ahead.
"I say, what are you dithering about? Come over and take the test!"
Xu Yang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man dressed in blue, shouting at him.
"Come on, test your qualifications!" The young man, Zhou Che, shouted again when he saw Xu Yang still standing still.
Beside Zhou Che, there was a four-cornered frame, supported by four golden-black mystic iron poles, about half a person's height.
On top of the frame was a white crystal ball.
Xu Yang recognized this item: it was a crystal ball used to test a person's alchemical qualifications.
To use it, one had to place their hand on the crystal ball and infuse spiritual energy. The color of the crystal ball would then indicate their alchemy talent.
White meant no talent, blue meant poor, yellow meant average, red meant good, and black meant extraordinary.
The specific level could be judged by the depth of the color.
For instance, blue could range from light blue to dark blue.
Xu Yang walked up to the crystal ball and placed his right hand on it.
A small amount of spiritual energy flowed into the ball, circulating inside for a moment.
Many people were watching the flow of spiritual energy, but when it dissipated, the color of the crystal ball remained unchanged.
"Not qualified, next," Zhou Che waved his hand impatiently.
Since the person had no talent, it meant they would be a commoner in the future.
As a cultivator and alchemist, Xu Yang wasn't concerned with being polite to an ordinary person.
Xu Yang didn't mind, as this was the normal attitude cultivators had toward commoners.
Since he hadn't found the person he was looking for, Xu Yang decided to leave.
Just as he turned to go, his gaze suddenly fell on two siblings in the corner!
A genius! A peerless genius!
The next moment, Xu Yang became excited.