The Hehuan Sect Was Squeezed Dry for Ten Thousand Years, but It Became a Sacred Ground?-Chapter 72

Chapter 72

At the foot of the mountain, vast stretches of fertile spiritual fields had been cultivated.

Lush spiritual herbs thrived within, their growth vigorous and promising.

On a nearby verdant peak, several majestic pavilions stood amidst the forest, forming a surrounding embrace that highlighted the most towering pavilion at the center.

Medicine Pavilion.

The golden plaque bore bold, flowing characters that shimmered under the sunlight, reflecting dazzling golden light.

Even from halfway up the mountain, the pavilion was strikingly visible.

At this moment, a long line of beautiful female cultivators bustled in front of the pavilion’s entrance.

They whispered among themselves, each face brimming with excitement and anticipation.

“Are you all here to receive the Qinglian Chongyang Pills too?”

“Yes! I heard the new Elder Ji has developed some new elixir with incredible effects, and everyone gets a share!”

“I just returned from a mission and came straight here. I wonder if it’s true—it sounds too good to be real,” said a tall female cultivator, her face showing traces of fatigue.

As soon as she finished speaking, a petite female cultivator behind her immediately responded, “How could it be fake? Elder Ji is not only immensely powerful but also an unparalleled alchemist! This is already my second time coming to receive the pill.”

“How effective is it?”

“Let me put it this way—before the effects wore off, my cultivation speed increased by at least tenfold! Even the barriers that hindered my progress loosened! With just one pill, I went from the fourth level of Qi Refining to the fifth level in a single night, and I could feel I was just a step away from breaking through to the sixth level!” The petite cultivator gestured animatedly.

The tall cultivator was stunned. “That powerful?”

She came from a small cultivation family and was familiar with the treatment of ordinary disciples in major sects.

Even in the Great Xia’s most prestigious Yuan Tan Academy, ordinary disciples could only receive ten mid-grade Qi Refining Pills every thirty days.

Though the quantity seemed substantial, even high-grade Qi Refining Pills could only replenish a certain amount of spiritual energy and boost cultivation speed by thirty percent.

Thirty percent versus tenfold—were they even comparable?

For a moment, she wondered if she was hallucinating.

The petite cultivator shook her head, her face filled with regret. “Yes, but once the effects wore off, my speed returned to normal, and the bottlenecks came back. I’ve been stuck for half a month without a breakthrough, so here I am again.”

“Sigh, after taking one pill, I feel addicted! I wonder if the sect will provide more ways to obtain the Qinglian Chongyang Pills in the future, like as mission rewards or something.”

“I heard the pills are distributed based on cultivation levels. The Foundation Establishment seniors receive Qinglian Chongyang Pills with even better effects. I wonder how that feels?”

As the petite cultivator spoke, the tall cultivator’s anticipation soared.

However, at that moment, the pavilion’s door slowly creaked open.

Everyone instantly fell silent, their gazes fixed on the entrance.

Four young women dressed in green short robes, resembling herb gatherers, emerged. Two of them carried trays covered with red cloth, while the other two began organizing the crowd.

“Form a line and come forward one by one.”

When the red cloth was lifted, the trays revealed round, glossy, dark brown pills, each bearing three distinct pill marks—a sign of supreme quality.

The two trays of pills were quickly distributed.

Seeing the still-long line, the leading girl nodded apologetically. Her clear voice, amplified by spiritual energy, rang out, “Sorry, we’ve run out of Qinglian Chongyang Pills. We’re temporarily missing a key ingredient, so we can’t refine more at the moment.”

Disappointment washed over the crowd, with some sighing deeply.

“When will more be available?” one cultivator asked.

The leading girl smiled gently. “They should be available again tomorrow morning. Elder Ji has already set out to find the missing ingredient.”

Hearing this, those who hadn’t received their pills felt somewhat relieved. As long as they could get them eventually, it was fine.

The once-orderly line dispersed, with many acquaintances chatting and descending the mountain together.

“All the sect’s spiritual herbs are concentrated here on Medicine Peak, right? What ingredient could be so rare that even Elder Ji has to personally search for it?”

“Who knows? It must be extremely rare, given the pill’s incredible effects.”

“I heard the Medicine Pavilion will soon recruit disciples interested in specializing in alchemy. I’d like to try. If I could learn to refine the Qinglian Chongyang Pill, that would be amazing.”

...

On the path from Medicine Peak to the back mountain of the Sect Master’s Hall, a green-haired woman in a light brown flowing dress walked gracefully, her every step exuding elegance.

“Greetings, Elder Ji!”

“Greetings, Elder Ji!”

Female cultivators passing by bowed respectfully upon seeing her distinctive hair color. Some even went out of their way to approach and pay their respects.

Their eyes shone with admiration and excitement.

Aside from those who had just returned from missions or were still away, nearly every disciple had experienced the effects of the Qinglian Chongyang Pills she had developed.

The results were nothing short of miraculous!

With her high cultivation level and profound alchemical skills, Elder Ji was undoubtedly the most prominent figure in the sect recently.

In response to the disciples’ greetings, Ji Zhiqing smiled and nodded.

Though her face grew stiff from the prolonged smiling, she chose not to fly to her destination.

After drifting aimlessly for countless years, the sensation of her feet firmly touching the ground felt utterly delightful.

Indeed, Ji Zhiqing had successfully taken human form.

On that day, the Yimu Qing Emperor Cauldron, having absorbed Xiao Qin’s feedback, was fully restored. As the cauldron’s spirit, she chose to manifest her own divine artifact as her new body.

It seemed she had done this before, but after sustaining damage, she lost the ability to fully materialize and had to exist as a spirit, unable to venture more than twenty meters from her original form.

Now, her body was indistinguishable from a real human’s. She was her own entity, free from restrictions, and could go wherever she pleased.

...

As she entered the Sect Master’s Peak, the surroundings grew quiet.

Aside from a few personal disciples she knew and the sect’s management, this area was off-limits to others.

Thinking of her purpose for coming here, Ji Zhiqing pursed her full lips.

Her condition for successfully taking human form was to become an honorary elder of the Qinglian Sect and oversee the sect’s development in alchemy.

Soon after, Sect Master Liu Ruyan assigned her first task: to develop a unique pill, based on the miraculous nectar of that extraordinary youth, that could rapidly enhance the overall strength of the sect’s disciples.

Achieving results wasn’t difficult; the challenge lay in controlling the potency.

Given the nectar’s extraordinary quality, even a tiny drop could easily elevate a Qi Refining disciple by several levels.

The effects were too potent, and with over a thousand disciples in the sect, the supply was insufficient.

Thus, the key was to dilute the nectar a hundred or a thousandfold, supplement it with other herbs, and ensure its vitality remained intact during refinement.

She also added lotus juice as a distinctive flavor.

The Qinglian Chongyang Pills had different formulations for each cultivation stage.

When taken according to one’s level, they could boost cultivation speed by about tenfold.

Due to the varying auxiliary herbs, taking a pill meant for a higher stage was ineffective.

This tenfold increase was the result of discussions with Sect Master Liu Ruyan.

Tenfold was already astonishing; anything more would inevitably draw suspicion.

After all, a tree that stands out in the forest will be toppled by the wind.

For Ji Zhiqing’s alchemical skills, this wasn’t particularly challenging.

The real difficulty lay in obtaining the core ingredient.

Since realizing Ning Chen’s uniqueness, she had deliberately avoided him.

Over the past days, she hadn’t visited the Demon Prison at all.

Even when the nectar for refining the Qinglian Chongyang Pills ran low, she had Xiao Qin retrieve it.

After her successful transformation, the Sect Master officially assigned Xiao Qin to her as a personal disciple.

But this time, Xiao Qin had been in seclusion since last night, learning the refinement techniques for the Chongling Pill, a slow-brewing elixir that hadn’t yet taken form. Unable to help, Ji Zhiqing had to go herself.

A trace of unease flickered across her exquisite face.

But since she had come this far, she couldn’t just leave.

Many disciples were still waiting for their pills.

...