Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 369 - 226: The Final Outcome

Elder Li and the others all lit up with delight. These elders weren’t fools; if they could find someone with exceptional talent to support them, their Baiyun Pavilion could win the rivalry against the White Cloud Mountain Range—and that just might open the gate to Heaven-Burning Valley.

The future looked promising.

By comparison, their personal investments in those like Fan Shou suddenly seemed insignificant.

But when they heard what Xiao Feng said next, the smiles on their faces froze, giving way to a touch of scrutiny in their eyes.

They believed they knew Lu Chang’sheng well enough; if Xiao Feng was touting him as a rare talent, it basically confirmed that Xiao Feng was acting out of self-interest.

Elder Li chuckled, his expression noncommittal.

He didn’t outright refute Xiao Feng’s claim, choosing instead to handle it with subtle tact—no need to escalate friction between himself, Xiao Feng, and Lu Chang’sheng.

"Alchemist Lu’s talent in the Alchemy Dao is quite impressive, but alas, his cultivation talent is a hurdle he simply can’t overcome."

"Heaven-Burning Valley is a Golden Core powerhouse, and they care deeply about cultivation talent. Fellow Daoist Lu’s shortcomings in that department are just too great—they completely bury his brilliance in alchemy."

Elder Guo and Elder He nodded at just the right moment.

Still, Xiao Feng’s face betrayed no hint of displeasure.

"Words are pointless. Why don’t you take a look at this pill?"

Xiao Feng didn’t say much more. He took out the pill Lu Chang’sheng had given him and placed it up front.

Elder Li and the other two exchanged glances, catching a flicker of suspicion and uncertainty in each other’s eyes.

The meaning was clear: Xiao Feng showed no reaction at all. Did that mean something had happened with Lu Chang’sheng they didn’t know about?

Elder Li suddenly remembered the recorder cultivator from earlier, who’d looked like he wanted to say something but held back—and he felt an entirely different sort of intuition now.

And when Elder Guo opened the jade bottle and revealed its contents, that feeling hit a peak.

Staring at the pill before them, their expressions quickly morphed: confusion, then shock, then outright fright, and finally, wild delight.

Just in a few short minutes, the elders’ faces ran the gamut of emotions.

Without another word, Elder Li bolted out the door. In no time, he’d tracked down the recorder cultivator.

"What were your thoughts on Alchemist Lu’s record?"

The recorder cultivator saw how tense Elder Li looked and was immediately swirling with anxiety inside, but in the face of a late-stage Qi Cultivation elder, he didn’t dare hide or manipulate anything.

He replied, "I don’t really know how to put it, only that this pill was somehow different—almost more perfect than the usual highest-grade ones."

If you’re chosen to be a recorder, you might lack other skills, but when it comes to pill recognition, you’re the very best.

So even if his insight wasn’t complete, the recorder could still spot some crucial clues.

"Hoo~ Just as I suspected!"

Elder Li muttered, as if waking from a dream.

"What’s going on?" Staring at his hasty retreat, the recorder was completely baffled.

"This has to be a Perfect Pill, without a doubt!"

Inside, the elders eyed two pills on display like they’d just uncovered some priceless treasure.

There was a dreamy hint in their eyes.

One person might make a mistake, but if they all see the same thing, how could it be fake?

Even if it were, it was indistinguishable from a Perfect Pill.

This proved that Alchemist Lu’s talent in the Alchemy Dao was much greater than they’d imagined.

"Ahem ahem~" Xiao Feng coughed, snapping the three from their trance.

"So, this matter—"

"No need to say any more. If these two pills really are made by Alchemist Lu, we completely support him going."

The three elders all voiced their support.

······

Soon enough, Lu Chang’sheng received the news, and couldn’t help but let a smile spread across his face.

Just as he was about to ask Ziyou to prepare spirit tea for his guests, he saw Xiao Feng arrive together with Elder Li and the others.

None of them cared about drinking tea—their faces were rushed and expectant, tinged with respect.

"Would you be willing to let us witness the process of creating a Perfect Pill?" Xiao Feng asked.

Lu Chang’sheng let out a quiet sigh in his heart.

The humility in their bones was now obvious; they’d looked down on him a bit before, but after hearing he could make Perfect Pills, their attitude flipped in no time.

This was human nature, after all. The four of them were no slouches in the Alchemy Dao, and more importantly, they were all late-stage Qi Cultivation.

Lu Chang’sheng might have the combat power of a seventh-layer Qi Cultivator, but in reality, his cultivation was only sixth-layer, so naturally they’d looked down on him somewhat.

"Of course. But, to be honest, the success rate isn’t very high."

The implication here was deep.

On the one hand, he was hedging his bets on results; on the other, he was negotiating terms.

Lu Chang’sheng himself didn’t need to cater to these elders’ whims—if he just made pills for them whenever they wanted, where was the dignity in that?

"You can take the ingredients you need from the sect. If you succeed in making a Perfect Pill, the sect will reward you based on how many you produce."

Elder Li said.

Xiao Feng kept quiet, since his relationship with Lu Chang’sheng ran deeper than the others—it wouldn’t have been appropriate for him to intervene.

This arrangement was functionally the same as taking private pill-making commissions.

Lu Chang’sheng nodded, showing his approval of the plan.

It might look like he was getting the short end of the stick, but what choice did he have? He needed the backing of these elders to get a line into Heaven-Burning Valley.

After that, the elders all got busy gathering supplies per Lu Chang’sheng’s specifications.

It was no easy feat to make a Perfect Pill, and Lu Chang’sheng had plenty of preparation to do. The right materials were vital—without them, success was hardly guaranteed.

Especially now, with Red Cloud Daoist making trouble all over, every marketplace in Immortal City was clamping down on supplies. Securing everything he needed was no simple matter.

Luckily, these veteran alchemists with late-stage Qi Cultivation had enough connections, and before long, they’d gathered what he asked for.

Soon after, it was time to begin alchemy.

The elders wanted to witness the birth of a Perfect Pill firsthand, so naturally, it couldn’t be in Lu Chang’sheng’s private Alchemy Room. Instead, they cleared out the Alchemy Room Baiyun Pavilion had built especially for sect assessments.

For several whole days, everyone holed up inside, leaving Baiyun Pavilion disciples who’d caught wind of it in utter shock.

Nobody could figure out what the elders and Alchemist Lu were doing in there.

Especially Fan Shou, Luo Ji, and the rest—their faces all soured. The elders’ behavior looked a whole lot like they were testing Alchemist Lu, which spelled trouble for the rest of them.

The news quickly spread among their group, sowing anxiety and uncertainty. Some even started plotting against Lu Chang’sheng.

Still, that sentiment never really gained the upper hand. Lu Chang’sheng’s late-stage Qi Cultivation prowess and network carried enough intimidation that, without elder support, they didn’t stand a chance.

"Now, it all hinges on the elders’ verdict!"

Days passed, and Fan Shou and his crew grew increasingly restless and uneasy—the longer it went on, the slimmer their odds became.