Chapter 88: Elder Tan's Unspoken Difficulty

After a long while, Lin Zhan sprang to his feet, his chest brimming with boundless delight.

So this peerless almanac of pills could be mastered so quickly, and with it came the implication that, so long as he had enough ingredients, he could refine all manner of basic elixirs below the third rank.

Elixir quality was divided into nine ranks. For Lin Zhan, mastering the ability to refine the first three ranks meant a new and lucrative path to wealth.

Though the spirit stones in the Ninefold Star Realm were still plentiful for the moment, they would not last forever. Moreover, some things could not be bought with spirit stones at all.

With alchemy, however, many difficulties would be solved.

Whether for cultivation, advancement, breaking through bottlenecks, healing the sick, saving lives, or exchanging for cultivation resources, one could truly have all one needed with pills in hand.

As for the peerless pill god Min Tian, whether he entered the world or remained apart from it, Lin Zhan still did not fully grasp the matter. Yet he believed that, as he continued to comprehend the almanac of pills, he would come to feel something even more extraordinary.

It was clearly neither the right place nor the right time to begin experimenting with alchemy, so Lin Zhan temporarily set aside his study of the almanac and took out the second treasure of the night: the Cloud-Swallowing Demon Armor.

“Of course, it still needs a drop of blood,” Lin Zhan said, already numb to the ritual of blood-binding.

Once the Cloud-Swallowing Demon Armor acknowledged its master, Lin Zhan began to command that mysterious protective vestment.

When he put it on, it adjusted its size and shape on its own, wrapping completely around his torso. Thin as cicada wings, light as a feather, it clung tightly to his skin and became part of his body.

Lin Zhan moved about, and felt as though nothing had been added to him at all.

Only the spirit qi of the Ninefold Star Diagram stirred again from within the Ninefold Star Chart, strutting about the demon armor’s perimeter in a show of authority before retreating at last, as if declaring that Lin Zhan’s body was its own territory.

Lin Zhan sorted through his current circumstances.

From the earliest Fire Fist Art to the True Scripture of Creation, and finally the harvest of the peerless almanac of pills, these were his techniques and skills.

In terms of weapons, he had the Black Ink Heavy Sword, the White Bone Pagoda, and now the Cloud-Swallowing Demon Armor.

He also possessed the Star-Moon Divine Furnace, the Comprehension Stone, the Heavenly Spirit Pendant from the Heaven-Objects Workshop, and within the Heavenly Star Space there were abundant top-grade spirit stones, several spirit marrow crystals, and spirit vine grass. These were all of considerable importance. Beyond these, he still had many ordinary cultivation materials, spoils taken from defeated foes, as well as pills and talismans.

Of course, the Ninefold Star Diagram remained Lin Zhan’s greatest reliance. From the moment he entered this miraculous pattern, it had supported him all along, enabling him to remain unharmed until now and to reap such great rewards.

Now, at the first rank of the Yellow tier, his spirit sea and mind sea had both been opened up to an impressive breadth.

The spiritual power within him was composed of several forces: the power of his own star body, the nine-star power of the Ninefold Star Diagram, and, after receiving the inheritance of the True Scripture of Creation from Honored Great Evolution, he had gained yet another force—the power of creation—which was steadily growing stronger.

Most precious of all, he had bound the last descendant of the Purple-Gold Roc bloodline, Nightingale. Her growth would assuredly make her a powerful companion in the future.

As for his network of connections, besides the Cloud Chant family’s maternal aunt, the Palace Master of Hidden Fragrance from the Scarlet Refining Palace on Blazing Flame Peak, there was also the leader of the Nine Nether Barbarian Bull clan, Mu Tulei, the Golden Lion of the Jiangnan Taoist Robe Household whom he had met today, and Uncle Lian, the branch hall master of the Heaven-Objects Workshop in Fuyang City. All of them could be counted as potential allies.

Lin Zhan knew that one had to analyze one’s own situation often in order to play to one’s strengths and avoid one’s weaknesses. Just like the insights gained after every battle, only through continual accumulation could one grow ever more formidable with each fight.

Like Lin Zhan, Zhong Qi, the young sect master of the Azure Wave Tower, was also someone who often reflected on his own shortcomings. After the auction ended, Zhong Qi, accompanied by Hong Ying, made a special visit to the representative of the Cloud Loft Pavilion.

This time, the Cloud Loft Pavilion had come to Fuyang City under the leadership of Elder Tan, who was specifically in charge of supplies. The party of six stayed at the Cloud-Coming Inn near Drunken Moon Manor in Fuyang City.

The Cloud-Coming Inn and Drunken Moon Manor shared the same owner. Guests who spent money at Drunken Moon Manor would often bring the girls back to the Cloud-Coming Inn for the night.

It was close and convenient.

Zhong Qi’s purpose in visiting Elder Tan this time was singular: to secure the other party’s goodwill and gain the chance to enter the Cloud Loft Pavilion’s secret realm in the future.

At the outset, Zhong Qi presented a unique spiritual medicine from the Azure Wave Tower, a secret formula specially prepared for treating impotence. At once, it caused Elder Tan’s originally distant and dismissive attitude to turn around completely.

Some time ago, Elder Tan had been practicing and had deviated from the proper channel, resulting in an unspeakable problem in that regard. He had once sought remedies and treatments from all quarters to no avail. This time, having been sent out by the sect, he was partly here to relax, and partly to search for a cure.

Of course, Zhong Qi had already learned of this crucial information, and treated it as a priceless treasure. Before leaving, he had brought along the Azure Wave Tower’s unreleased secret medicine, in order to draw closer to Elder Tan.

At the very start of their meeting, Zhong Qi noticed that although Elder Tan’s abilities in that area were lacking, he kept casting glances at Hong Ling from time to time, his eyes filled with a desire to devour her.

Hong Ling disliked such a look from strange men. Though she cultivated the arts of allure, her loyalty belonged solely to Zhong Qi. She turned her head aside and secretly sent him a message: This Elder Tan is so annoying. He keeps staring at me with those lecherous eyes.

Zhong Qi replied, It’s fine, hehe. After all, we are the ones asking him for a favor.

On the surface, he beamed as he chatted warmly with Elder Tan.

“If what you say is true, Young Nephew Zhong Qi, and your sect’s bottle of Dragon Essence Tiger Vigour Pills really has such remarkable effects, this old man would very much like to swallow one right now and see what becomes of it.”

Still toying with the pill bottle in his hand, Elder Tan could hardly wait.

After all, this affliction had long left him unable to enjoy his food or sleep in peace. It had not only greatly disrupted his normal life, but had also caused an irreparable flaw in the firmness of his Dao heart. If the pills in his hand truly worked, then they would be a form of salvation for him.

Naturally, Zhong Qi had to seize this opportunity and state his demand. He never beat around the bush. If, after making his intentions clear, he were rejected by Elder Tan, then he would absolutely leave at once with Hong Ling, and even if he had to give away the Dragon Essence Tiger Vigour Pills for free, it would not matter.

But conversely, so long as Elder Tan showed even the slightest hint that, through his arrangements, there might be a chance to send him to the secret realm, Zhong Qi would try, no matter how slim that chance might be.

“Elder Tan, this junior has heard that within your esteemed sect’s secret realm, there are sometimes disciples from other sects who enter to train and undergo observation. May I ask whether there are any restrictions on that?”

Elder Tan looked into Zhong Qi’s eyes, as if weighing the matter, then shook his head and said, “There is such a thing. However, which one of those foreign disciples is not an elite child from the family of the pavilion master’s close friends or relatives? And the sects they belong to have all been friendly with Cloud Loft Pavilion for generations, mutual allies standing watch over one another.”

Elder Tan was an astute man; he understood at once what Zhong Qi was after.

After some internal struggle, he had chosen his words carefully.

Hearing this, Zhong Qi was secretly delighted. Elder Tan had not flatly said no. It seemed there was still room for this matter to turn around.