Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 241 - 162: Taking a Master

The two of them wrapped up this topic, and Zhou Lin suddenly brought up Lu Chang’sheng, "Senior Brother, you don’t seem to care much for him? You know, he did receive a Grade B evaluation."

Zhou Lin referenced Grade B, not Upper Grade C, precisely because there was some internal controversy about it—some felt that, given Lu Chang’sheng’s performance at the time, he truly deserved a Grade B in the end.

Back then, Alchemist Lei’s actions seemed pointed and deliberate.

And since Zhou Lin is on good terms with Alchemist Lei—plus, as the only alchemist to get a Grade B in the past few years—he naturally wanted to avoid suspicion. When speaking about it publicly, he would always call it Grade B, not Upper Grade C.

"Come on, you know how it is. Even an alchemist’s talent needs time to mature. If his bone age wasn’t so advanced, or his cultivation was a bit higher, he wouldn’t have ended up with just a Grade C evaluation."

Alchemist Lei’s little scheme that day didn’t pass unnoticed, but why did no one ultimately speak up for Lu Chang’sheng?

That was the real reason.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to potential. Lu Chang’sheng may have had some talent in alchemy, but with such limited time left to him, potential is all it was—and nothing more.

"His cultivation and Root Bone are lacking; at his age, just how much time does he have left?"

Shifting his gaze to Zhou Lin, his tone changed.

"You’re different. You have plenty of time to turn your alchemy talent into real achievement. That’s why we’re willing to support you."

Zhou Lin gave a slight smile. "Thank you, Senior Brothers, for your advice. If you ever need any favor from me down the road, just let me know."

He understood the rule of mutual benefit.

······

This encounter with the Inner Sect made Lu Chang’sheng see clearly: White Cloud Cave Mansion did not truly value him. Still, he took it in stride.

If this road is blocked, then I’ll find another way.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at Yun’an Institute, Steward Mo appeared with news: many people were asking to see him.

Looking at the pile of greeting cards Steward Mo delivered, Lu Chang’sheng felt his earlier frustration melt away.

The Inner Sect and White Cloud Pharmacy function as two entirely different worlds.

Especially for those factions surviving in the regions surrounding Platinum Immortal City, Lu Chang’sheng—a person like him—was actually their best option as alchemist.

Someone like Zhou Lin might catch Master Baiyun’s attention, so his vision and needs aren’t something your average power could ever meet. Building ties with Zhou Lin comes at a steep price.

Lu Chang’sheng, on the other hand, was a different story.

He wasn’t the best, but he sure wasn’t the worst—just right for their aims.

Lu Chang’sheng picked up a letter and scanned it, immediately spotting a greeting from Niu Xi of the Zhu Family.

Knowing that the Zhu Family would soon head back to the Great Yuan territory, Lu Chang’sheng set it aside for special consideration.

He leafed through the rest of the letters, finally selecting about a dozen for follow-up.

Most were from factions similar in power to the Zhu and Qu Families—worth meeting at least. As for those run by cultivators stuck at the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, he saw no need to get too involved.

"I really ought to hand these petty affairs off to someone else," Lu Chang’sheng thought instinctively of Lu Chang’an.

His eldest son had real skill in this area, and if tasked with these matters, he’d surely thrive. But considering how it would split Chang’an’s focus and harm his cultivation, Lu Chang’sheng hesitated.

"I’ll talk to Chang’an once he’s back."

These families might not be especially powerful, but they have some resources. With no way to contact Nangua via Sound Transmission Shell, leveraging these families to relay information was the next best thing.

"Right now, since my Spirit Root Talent has yet to show, I can set aside pure cultivation for a while and focus mainly on alchemy."

Pushing these trivial matters aside for now, Lu Chang’sheng mapped out his next steps.

Alchemy always comes first.

He would use it to build a solid foundation; once his Spirit Root Talent surfaced, he could turn it all into tangible power.

That night, Lu Chang’sheng figured out exactly what kind of resources he had at his disposal.

Alchemists ranked A, B, C, and D all had different monthly resource allocations—the higher the rank, the greater the allocation.

Currently, there’s no one at Grade A level—just Grade B.

Every month, a Grade B alchemist got between 5,000 and 30,000 lower-grade Spirit Stones’ worth of materials.

If you didn’t use your share that month, it rolled over and accumulated until year’s end.

Those shares were used to exchange for materials for alchemy.

More resources might mean more work, but for an alchemist, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Early on, frequent alchemy practice is the best way for an alchemist to improve.

"Seriously, alchemists are all just crazy competitive!"

Lu Chang’sheng thought with a sigh.

No way around it—he had to join the grind too.

But unlike the rest, when he pushed himself, he did it with much greater efficiency.

Grade C alchemists got far less—just 2,000 to around 5,000 lower-grade Spirit Stones’ worth of resources a month.

Grade D only received under 1,000.

Of course, that’s just on the surface. There were hidden allocations too, but tapping into those required extra qualifications.

In short, alchemists lived pretty well; the more advanced you were, the more frightening your wealth became.

No wonder alchemy had risen above all the other mystical arts, claiming the top spot among the Four Great Skills.

······

"Alchemist Lu, do you require a mentor?" The next day, Steward Mo came to visit and asked.

Some newcomers weren’t very practiced in alchemy, so they were allowed to seek a temporary teacher for guidance.

Of course, unlike taking a formal master, this arrangement worked both ways. If an established alchemist took an interest in a new arrival, they could claim them as a disciple and pass on their craft.

If not, and the newcomer requested guidance, White Cloud Pharmacy would assign a temporary instructor—who’d only assist with the basic equipment skills and nothing more.