Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 45 - 44: Ling Qiyue: Well Done, Little Junior Brother
In the tranquil courtyard.
A strikingly handsome young man in a purple robe was hard at work.
On the table before him were hundreds of egg-shaped fruits, each the size of a human head and glowing with a faint, clear light. His task was to cut them open and remove the kernels inside.
It seemed simple, but it was anything but easy. This Spirit Medicine, called the Desolate Ling Flame Golden Fruit, had a notoriously tough rind—so tough that even a Top Grade Magical Artifact would struggle to break it.
Moreover, Ling Changqing couldn’t use too much force, or he risked damaging the kernel inside, causing its medicinal properties to leak away and rendering it useless for concocting elixirs.
Fortunately, Ling Changqing’s Divine Soul Power was strong enough for him to precisely control the output of his Spiritual Power, making every cut just right.
After an initial adjustment period, Ling Changqing had gradually become familiar with the process of handling this Spirit Medicine, and he could now complete the tasks Ling Qiyue assigned him quickly and proficiently.
A moment later, an absolute beauty with a graceful figure and dignified bearing emerged from the Alchemy Room, her dress as white as snow.
"...Junior Brother, are you almost finished?"
Ling Qiyue called out softly. Beneath the hem of her magnificent skirt, the outline of her long, shapely legs was faintly visible.
"Almost done! Just one last one!"
Ling Changqing replied. The Magical Artifact Short Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a dazzling crystalline light, slicing open the incredibly tough rind with perfect precision. It revealed the dark, round kernel inside, which shone like a pearl.
He carefully extracted the kernel and placed it on the Golden Plate beside him.
The Golden Plate already held over a hundred kernels, resembling a tray of high-quality black pearls.
Ling Qiyue nodded in satisfaction. ’My Junior Brother’s comprehension is truly excellent. He’s gotten the hang of it so quickly.’
From the initial processing of medicinal ingredients to the intermediate step of concocting the elixir, and even the final step of Opening the Furnace and Refining Pills, Ling Changqing had performed exceptionally well.
Ever since Ling Qiyue had agreed to take him on as a disciple, Ling Changqing had been studying under her for over five months, practically living in the Alchemy Room.
He had gone from knowing nothing at all to being able to proficiently identify various medicinal ingredients, master the preparation methods for many common Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Herbs, and control and fine-tune the Pill Furnace’s heat.
He had also memorized numerous Pill Formulas for Grade One Elixirs and practiced by refining several Basic Elixirs, all of which he had done quite well.
This was the benefit of having powerful Divine Soul Power; his Innate Talent and Comprehension were steadily improving, making it easy for him to learn new things and new Cultivation Techniques.
"Junior Brother, if only I had met you sooner,"
Ling Qiyue sighed softly. "Even if it were just a year or two earlier, you’d probably be able to refine many common elixirs by now, wouldn’t you?"
"That’s all because Senior Sister taught me so diligently and guided me so well."
Ling Changqing said. This wasn’t just flattery; it was the truth.
The value of a Pill Master in the Cultivation Realm was self-evident. The requirements to become a disciple under a truly skilled Pill Master were incredibly high—far beyond the hopes of an ordinary, low-level Loose Cultivator.
Ling Qiyue was no relative of his, yet she had been willing to take him as a disciple and guide him with all her heart. This kindness was something that could not be measured in Spirit Stones or Cultivation Resources.
"It’s mainly because you’re so driven yourself. If it were some slow-witted fool, I wouldn’t have the patience to bother with them!"
Ling Qiyue said with a beaming smile. Her junior brother’s comprehension was excellent; he could pick up any technique quickly and rarely needed her to demonstrate more than once.
’When I first started learning Alchemy, was I even this talented?’
At this thought, the smile in Ling Qiyue’s eyes deepened. If she could just get Ling Changqing trained up quickly, he could definitely help share her burden.
"Alright, now that the ingredients are processed, follow me. Let’s begin Opening the Furnace and Refining Pills,"
Ling Qiyue said. "This time, we’ll try a Rank One Spirit Revitalizing Pill. Let’s see how far you can get!"
"If you can complete all the steps on your own and refine a Spirit Revitalizing Pill of acceptable quality... hmm-hmm~"
She cast a meaningful glance at the handsome young man in purple beside her, the implication being that if her junior brother performed well, there would be a reward.
Ling Changqing’s heart skipped a beat. He said cautiously, "Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I will do my best."
"That’s good to hear."
Ling Qiyue smiled and led him into the main hall.
A ten-foot-tall, dark-gold Pill Furnace sat squarely in the center of the hall. The Array Patterns and Restrictions on the floor and walls flickered with a faint Spiritual Light, already in a state of near activation.
Following the established procedure, Ling Changqing placed the medicinal ingredients inside, sealed the Pill Furnace, then turned and sat down before it. He began to form the first Spirit Technique.
As he moved, a Spirit Flame—brilliantly bright with a hint of ethereal blue—ignited in the channel beneath the Pill Furnace. Simultaneously, the Array Patterns and Restrictions on the walls and floor activated in sync.
Ling Qiyue, ethereal and beautiful in her snow-white dress, stood to one side. Her long lashes fluttered slightly as her dark, clear eyes watched Ling Changqing’s movements with a smile.
Ling Changqing focused his Mind, unhurriedly forming one Spirit Technique after another, meticulously controlling the fluctuations of the Spirit Flame’s heat.
This Pill Furnace was a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact, not a family asset. It was a treasure Ling Qiyue had acquired from the Immortal Mansion Ruins overseas—a fortunate encounter that was hers alone.
Furthermore, Ling Qiyue had personally prepared the materials to inscribe and set up all the supporting Arrays and Restrictions in the Alchemy Room. She had then gradually modified and adjusted them until they reached an ideal state.
By the standards of this world, Magical Artifacts of various grades corresponded to the Qi Cultivation Stage, while Spiritual Artifacts corresponded to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
It was precisely with the help of this Top Grade Spiritual Artifact Level Pill Furnace that Ling Qiyue could relatively easily refine various common Rank One and second rank elixirs.
Even her success rate in refining the Foundation Establishment Pill had increased, and her own Alchemy Mastery had also improved in recent years.
More than an hour later, a faint medicinal aroma began to waft from inside the Pill Furnace. The alchemy was clearly proceeding smoothly.
Ling Qiyue nodded in satisfaction. Based on her experience, as long as her junior brother made no mistakes from this point on, this batch of Spirit Revitalizing Pills was a sure thing.
’Come to think of it, when I first started learning Alchemy, I don’t think I was nearly as brilliant as my junior brother.’
’My Spiritual Power is running low,’ Ling Changqing thought to himself, ’but I should be able to hold on until Pill Formation.’
Alchemy was naturally a process that consumed a great deal of Spiritual Power. If one’s power gave out, failure was the only expected outcome.
Fortunately, the Spirit Revitalizing Pill wasn’t a particularly High Grade elixir. With Ling Changqing’s current Cultivation Level, he could definitely hold on until the end.
After another moment, a soft humming sound came from within the Pill Furnace. A hazy mist began to billow out, and the intoxicating medicinal aroma grew richer.
"It’s finally done..."
As Ling Changqing formed the final Spirit Technique, the heavy lid of the Pill Furnace slowly rose. A dozen or so round, full-bodied cyan elixirs emerged, bobbing up and down in the mist.
A clean fragrance filled the Alchemy Room. Just smelling it sharpened the senses and refreshed the mind, suffusing one’s entire body with an indescribable feeling of comfort.
"Excellent work, Junior Brother!"
Ling Qiyue praised him, raising a jade-like hand to draw all the freshly refined Spirit Revitalizing Pills toward her and collect them in a Pill Bottle.
"It was alright. It’s mainly because your Pill Furnace is so good, Senior Sister. I just benefited from it."
Ling Changqing said. In truth, with his current Cultivation, he couldn’t unleash the furnace’s full power at all, but it was still far stronger than a Magical Artifact level Pill Furnace.
Finally, after deactivating the Array and extinguishing the Spirit Flame beneath the Pill Furnace, Ling Changqing truly breathed a sigh of relief. He took an elixir from his Storage Pouch and swallowed it to restore his nearly depleted Spiritual Power.
Alchemy didn’t just consume Spiritual Power; it also took a heavy toll on one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit. A Cultivator without a certain degree of talent and aptitude couldn’t even dream of attempting it.
"Junior Brother, once your Cultivation Level is a bit higher—say, when you reach the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer or 8th layer—you should be able to try refining the Profound Yin Blood Essence Pill, right?"
Ling Qiyue asked, her fragrant, smooth, and supple hands landing seemingly casually on the young man’s shoulders as warm Spiritual Power slowly flowed into him.
The Profound Yin Blood Essence Pill was a Rank One High grade Elixir. It was an indispensable resource for cultivating the Profound Truth Black Water Scripture. The high-level Elders and Direct Lineage disciples of the Ling Family all relied on it, so the demand was quite large.
Ling Changqing mused, "I should be able to, but it will probably take several more years."
As he spoke, his body naturally leaned back, resting in his Senior Sister’s ample bosom.
Through the thin fabric, the warm, fragrant, smooth, and astonishingly supple sensation was undeniably real, causing Ling Changqing’s breathing to instantly grow heavier.
He was at an age where his blood ran hot and his vitality surged; his reaction to such stimulation was naturally extra sensitive.
"You scoundrel!"
Ling Qiyue’s beautiful face flushed red. Annoyed and embarrassed, she tweaked his ear a few times before gently pushing him away.
Ling Changqing bit his lip, not daring to turn and look at her expression. He asked in a low voice:
"Senior Sister, when are we going out to sea next?"
Ling Qiyue shot him a look. "We’ll talk about it after your Senior Sister Tang comes out of seclusion. We can all go to sea together then!"
"Okay."
Ling Changqing agreed. His main task right now was still to raise his Cultivation. Besides that, he had to go to sea to earn resources. The time he could spend on Alchemy was ultimately limited.
Therefore, all things considered, breaking through to the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer, let alone the 8th layer, was probably not a goal he could achieve in the next few years.
Ling Qiyue said nonchalantly, "You don’t really need to worry about Cultivation Resources. The good things you bring back from one trip to sea with me will be enough to last you a very long time."
As long as Ling Changqing continued to deliver in that regard, she wouldn’t be at a loss even if she covered all of his Cultivation Resource needs, including the Foundation Establishment Pill.
