Inside the Li clan alchemy hall, a secret chamber of Master Yao, a cauldron about the size of three meters was standing in the middle of the hall with brown flames burning beneath.
Energy from numerous medical herbs kept swirling in the cauldron, as the fire on the outside was burning heavily.
At a certain point, even the energy between heaven and earth was being forcefully plundered and absorbed into the cauldron.
What was left behind was a medical fragrance that started to spread from the alchemy hall. Clearly the refining process had reached a conclusion.
Master Yao, the only alchemists in the Li clan had a rather serious look on his face as he slapped the furnace causing the lid to open.
The medical fragrance escaping from the furnace spread out almost instantly covering a few miles before stopping.
With a move of his arms, a strange force appeared acting on the furnace and six pills flew out of the furnace with one of them being a waste pill.
The remaining five could barely be considered satisfactory. The old man had a smile on his face that couldn't be supressed anymore.
He had finally achieved about forty percent refinement outcome. This in itself was not a simple thing, after all most alchemists just operate under ten to twenty percent. His current achievement is indeed something worth celebrating
The waves of refreshing scent from the four pills spread out making the young man standing at the corner of the room dazed. He even swallowed unconsciously.
"Li Tian,your presence seems to have improved my luck over the years. I can now refine this aperture nurturing pills with forty percent output." Master Yao had a rare smile on his face as he talked to the young man.
But the young man seemed to have a helpless expression on his face. Even though he had an acceptable face, his innocent eyes would make others like him more.
"Master Yao, you should know better than anyone this was all due your talent and hardwork over the years right? Luck! What luck could I possibly have? If I had any ounce of luck, how could my body have clogged meridians." Li Tian was very aware of his own situation.
In this world, existed martial artists and talent was important in this aspect. He could be counted as those without even a slight talent in martial arts. Without talent in martial arts, other paths were also locked.
Master Yao had a helpless expression on his face. "Li Tian! You should have some confidence! Looking at you, I see no demeanor of a teenager at all. Having worked under me for the past four years, how could I not see your uniqueness. As long as you get lucky and obtain a chance, it will be your opportunity to rise."
The words of Master Yao where not without merit. In just four years, Li Tian had already grasped all the knowledge on medical herbs even refinement process and nature of materials.
What he lacked was realm, or he might have already even caught up with the old man in terms of refinement of pills.
It was also why the old man praised him, but even so, this can't change reality.
Li Tian was already about fifteen! Those his age had already embarked on this path of martial arts cultivation and yet he was still struggling with his useless body.
Due to his help, the old man was indeed able to accomplish this. But even so, Li Tian didn't think much about it, his situation was not going to get any better just because of this.
"Let's take a break today! I also need to relax my mind. We can meet again after three days." The old man said with a smile, clearly very satisfied with what he had gained from this alchemy session.
But even so, he seemed hesitant about something as he looked at Li Tian.
"Master Yao is there a problem" how could Li Tian not see that the old man wanted to say something but ended up constraining himself from doing so.
But he could probably guess what the old man wanted to say.
"Sigh! Li Tian! You are still young! Do you have to take the risk by entering that God forsaken place? Aren't there other means that could allow you to embark on the journey of Martial practice? After all you could be considered half an alchemist right? The most stable path is obviously seeking to gain a medical pill or hearb that could solve your problem than putting your life on the line!" The old man finally spoke up.
"Do I have any other choices? With my status in the Li clan, you should already guess it was good enough the clan allowed me this chance. As for pills, let's not mention me, even our Li clan can't afford a marrow cleansing pill. When it comes to medical hearbs that can improve talent, how rare are they? Can the price of marrow cleansing pills even compare?" He was very sober.
Li Tian had been reborn in this world and he knew the significance of working hard when one still had a chance. It was just that the reality struck him hard, and all the means he had attempted to seek as solution failed.
He came to accept the reality and he has been working with master Yao all this years as he thought he could learn alchemy and make his own marrow cleansing pills, but reality struck him even harder.
What refinement could he do without martial arts practice. In this world, it might be called martial arts practice but it was the foundation of everything, just like education to the poor in his previous life.
It was also the reason Li Tian didn't buy everything the old man was saying about him being his lucky star. If he could be so lucky to have others succeed in alchemy, his life wouldn't have been this hard right?
After leaving the alchemy room, Li Tian sat alone on the staircase from the Alchemy hall to other areas of the clan.
He kept looking at the blue sky wondering what will happen to him. He had already made his mind about entering a prehistoric ruin discovered by the Li clan and other clans within their sphere influence, with the same level of strength as the Li clan.
The ruins in this case refer to a space independent of the real world with some opportunities left behind by stronger monks.
The only problem with the Prehestoric ruins was the danger level and low returns.
Those eligible to enter were either older generation whose lifespan was about to end, or younger generation with desperation wanting to embark on the path.
Li Tian was already aware that he had no value to the clan as a useless person, and his life might become even less valuable as time passes.
Without the protection of the clan on the other hand, he might not even be able to live long. The world was not peaceful, and even the Li clan had their enemies.
He couldn't expect to live some stable life like his previous life by marrying a wife and settling down.
Even women in this world wouldn't be willing to marry a weak person, that was because they had no sense of security.
To make matters worse, Li Tian was not the most handsome among men. Even if he was, it wouldn't change things.
The Li clan didn't start out as cultivators, but their ancestors were farmers who got a chance and embarked on the path. The clan has been passed on for hundreds of years, and it is through strict rules can this be possible.
Within this rules, Li Tian couldn't see any hope of survival.
His parents were barely able to survive as mortals but at the end, died at the hands of martial artists. However due to his resourcefulness he has been able to survive to now, but things might not stay this way for long.
In the Li clan, not being able to practice was already doom as he might become a slave at any time to the clan to survive.
In the past before he knew he couldn't practice, he had some ideas about going out to see the world, but not now.
He continued looking into the sky and let out a faint sigh, closed his eyes to rest.
As he was resting, the sound of something approaching from the horizon made him open his eyes.
He looked with envy as a bright light expanded from the horizon, before appearing in his line of sight. It was a woman dressed in a golden dress standing on a sword.
He dared not continue looking as he instantly kneelt down. It was common courtesy towards cultivators..
The woman looked over and after seeing nothing unique she nodded in satisfaction as she descended in the Alchemy hall.
He knew why she was here. The medical fragrance that had covered several miles was enough to show the pill refinement was successful. Clearly she had something do with the pills.
Before long, her figure left the Alchemy hall soaring into the sky on her sword.
When she was completely gone, thw only thing that could be heard was Master Yao swearing. Clearly he had suffered a loss from the woman.
This alone was enough to made the lonely look on Li Tian's face be filled with helplessness.
"Even someone like an Alchemist in the clan is like this! Without much value how could I survive! Instead if dying slowly, it's best to enter the Prehestoric ruins." He hardened his resolve after witnessing this.
As for his kneeling, it was considered a minor thing, and he had no shame or pride left after being in this world for close to fifteen years.