LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 366: The Difficulty
Chapter 366: The Difficulty
“His Majesty has arrived!”
The ceremonial procession of the new Emperor, the First Prince, had arrived.
Xu Lian, Marquis Qin, and the nobles and ministers gathered to greet him.
The new Emperor wore a warm smile as he approached Xu Lian, taking his hand in a familiar gesture. “Grandmaster, there’s no need for formalities. We are close in age – think of me as your brother.”
Xu Lian subtly withdrew his hand, recognizing the hidden meaning behind the prince’s words. Obviously, this was an expression of gratitude for Xu Lian’s encouragement in the past.
With Emperor’s presence, the nobles and ministers finally toned down their unruly behavior.
Aware that his presence might dampen the festive atmosphere of the housewarming banquet, the New Emperor excused himself after three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, departing gracefully.
Once he left, the nobles and ministers became lively again.
Unable to refuse, Xu Lian joined them in the drinking and merrymaking, blending into the crowd.
It wasn’t until late at night that the guests finally left, their faces beaming with satisfaction.
Only then did the banquet come to an end.
Amidst the scattered cups and plates, Ning Meixue gazed at Xu Lian with a hint of resentment in her autumnal eyes. “All the main chambers are now occupied by mistresses. Those who couldn’t secure a main chamber settled for the side rooms instead of leaving. They’ve even brought their maids and nannies with them – it seems like they have no intention of going anywhere.”
Xu Lian was stunned… These cunning old foxes.
He sighed inwardly, but managed a diplomatic reply. “If they wish to stay, then let them stay. It’s better to face a thief up front than to worry about being targeted all the time. I can defend myself for a while, but not forever. Besides, these noble daughters are under tremendous pressure at home. Let’s consider this place as a refuge for them.”
Ning Meixue frowned, sensing something off about his words. With a reproachful glance, she decided that it was too late to argue further.
Huangpu Shuyi clenched her teeth in frustration. “These shameless old foxes! How dare they sneak people into our household like this? Disgusting!”
Xu Lian found her reaction amusing. She was still young and hadn’t been hardened by the harsh realities of this world. He calmly reassured her, “Ladies, please don’t worry. No matter what happens, your positions in this household will remain unchanged. These newcomers are just that – newcomers. I know where my priorities lie.”
Upon hearing this, Ning Meixue and Huangpu Shuyi felt somewhat reassured. They exchanged glances and retreated to their respective quarters, leaving Xu Lian to handle the situation on his own.
A quick sweep of his consciousness confirmed his suspicions. Xu Lian made his way to one of the main chambers. The mansion, which was personally supervised by the Minister of Works, had been built with the finest materials and even reportedly contained protective barriers. Ordinary experts would find it nearly impossible to sneak in unnoticed. Naturally, he needed to express his gratitude.
The days passed.
In March, the peach blossoms bloomed, and the scenery inside the Grandmaster’s residence was breathtaking.
The uproar over the plundering of the exclusive cultivation resource zones gradually subsided, and the empire returned to normal.
After much deliberation, the Imperial Court made a significant decision: to consolidate the remaining zones capable of producing Metamorphosis Elixir into a single massive zone under unified management!
Who else could oversee this colossal zone but the Grandmaster himself-Xu Lian? After all, only he possessed the unparalleled skill to refine two elixirs from a single batch of materials.
With the loss of three zones, the Empire faced a sharp decline in the availability of rare medicinal herbs and exotic beasts. With resources already scarce, the hope was that Xu Lian’s divine alchemical abilities could maximize the efficiency of the remaining materials, ensuring that the total output of Metamorphosis Elixir matched previous levels – or even exceeded them.
After making calculations, the Imperial Court concluded that if each batch of materials produced two elixirs, the total production could surpass the previous figures.
Thus, Xu Lian received the imperial decree.
He had no choice but to leave the comfort of the grandmaster’s residence, bringing Ning Meixue and Huangpu Shuyi along as he took charge of this supermassive exclusive cultivation resource zone.
Upon entering, Xu Lian was in awe. Sixty-seven High Furnaces, tens of thousands of apprentice alchemists, and over two hundred thousand gardeners were working tirelessly. The vast fields of medicinal herbs stretched like miniature continents, and the breeding grounds for exotic beasts were endless.
This was a golden opportunity – a heist of unprecedented proportions! If he was successful, Xu Lian would surely strike it rich. Even if he couldn’t amass five hundred Metamorphosis Elixirs, three hundred seemed well within his reach. Adding another two hundred from the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands would be more than enough for his advancement in the Sage Realm.
Of course, pulling off such a heist would leave the Qian Dynasty reeling – not just metaphorically bleeding, but suffering a severe blow to its foundation.
Each Metamorphosis Elixir required tens of thousands of rare herbs and exotic beasts, with strict requirements for the age of the herbs and the maturity of the beasts. Cultivating and breeding these resources from scratch would take an eternity.
Although Xu Lian felt a twinge of guilt, he harbored no hesitation. He wouldn’t engage in actions that harmed others without benefiting himself-but when it came to self-interest, he had no qualms.
However, his excitement quickly dimmed as he surveyed the security measures in place. Five Quasi-Supremes stood guard!
It seemed that every available Quasi-Supreme in the Empire had been stationed here!
Moreover, the protective barrier surrounding this consolidated zone had been greatly strengthened. Even an ordinary Supreme would struggle to breach it, let alone five Quasi-Supremes working together to maintain it. The defenses were impenetrable.
Clearly, the Empire had learned its lesson from the loss of three zones. Once bitten, twice shy – they spared no expense in fortifying their remaining assets.
“This job… is going to be extremely difficult.”
The thought flashed through Xu Lian’s mind.
Although his strength now rivaled that of a Quasi-Supreme, facing five of them simultaneously offered no chance of victory.
Forcing his way through was clearly out of the question.
“Pay your respects to Grandmaster Xu!”
“Pay your respects to the Imperial Perceptor!”
Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, several other alchemists capable of refining Metamorphosis Elixir , along with tens of thousands of alchemist apprentices and over two hundred thousand gardeners, all bowed deeply to Xu Lian.
Watching this magnificent scene, Ning Meixue’s autumn eyes glazed over with a sense of surrealism. Not long ago, her junior brother had been an underappreciated alchemist, suppressed by Zhao Ming, unable to even express his feelings for her. Now that he had reached such heights, it felt like a dream too good to be real.
Huangpu Shuyi, on the other hand, was caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She had initially pursued this middle-aged alchemist, who had been cultivating for over two millennia, solely to learn his divine alchemy techniques. Her plan had been simple: once she had mastered his skills, she would sever ties and find a top-tier genius from the younger generation to become her Dao Companion. However, she hadn’t anticipated that this middle-aged alchemist would achieve greatness later in life, rising far beyond her expectations. Now, it seemed that she had no choice but to marry him.
Xu Lian showed no arrogance toward his master Chi Sui, respectfully returning the bow. “Master, what brings you here?”
Chi Sui chuckled, his tone filled with pride rather than shame. “We have all been transferred to this consolidated supermassive exclusive cultivation resource zone to assist you as your subordinates – and to learn your incomparable alchemical techniques.”
He spoke without hesitation, for this was his disciple whose achievements now surpassed his own. Such success was a source of immense pride for any teacher.
Zhao Ming smiled warmly. “Junior brother, please guide us.”
Xu Lian looked at Zhao Ming and couldn’t help but think inwardly. A classic saying came to his mind: When your achievements surpass others, they feel envy; but when your achievements surpass theirs by leaps and bounds, their envy disappears completely.
With a reassuring pat on Zhao Ming’s shoulder, Xu Lian said, “Brother-in-law, consider it done.”
At the house-warming banquet months earlier, Marquis Zhao had brought a young woman with him. Xu Lian later learned that she was one of Marquis Zhao’s daughters by a concubine-Zhao Ming’s half-sister. Perhaps it was fate. Since they had already put aside past grievances and sought to form family ties, Xu Lian, being a man of broad-mindedness, eventually resolved old conflicts. Time truly had a way of smoothing things out.
The other alchemists capable of refining Metamorphosis Elixir also hurried to greet Xu Lian, who encouraged them one by one.
“Everyone, let’s get to work.”
With a wave of his hand, Xu Lian issued the command. “Once we successfully refine the Metamorphosis Elixir, I’ll ensure that everyone is rewarded accordingly. No one will be left out.”
The tens of thousands of apprentice alchemists and hundreds of thousands of gardeners immediately dispersed and went about their business.
Without delay, Xu Lian began refining the Metamorphosis Elixir.
Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, and the other alchemists watched intently, hoping to grasp his divine alchemy technique. By imperial decree, none of them were permitted to refine Metamorphosis Elixir themselves due to the scarcity of materials. Only those capable of producing two elixirs from one batch of ingredients could attempt it.
“My alchemical technique cannot be taught,” Xu Lian explained while refining. “It can only be understood intuitively – it cannot be taught by words. You must observe carefully. Whether you succeed or not depends on your individual aptitude.”
How could they learn if he wouldn’t teach them? The alchemists were confused and turned to Chi Sui and Zhao Ming for answers.
Chi Sui nodded with a smile. “That’s exactly right.”
Zhao Ming agreed. “Junior Brother’s alchemy skill was entirely self-taught through diligence and painstaking effort. He has no formal theory to pass on, so teaching is impossible. We can only rely on observation and practice.”
And so it went.
Xu Lian refined the Metamorphosis Elixir , while 67 alchemical masters observed closely.
Decades passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day the furnace was opened, two Metamorphosis Elixirs were indeed produced.
During these decades, the Empire had grown increasingly frustrated and anxious. Despite their best efforts, none of the 67 alchemist masters could replicate Xu Lian’s technique. Relying solely on Xu Lian to refine the elixirs was simply too slow.
If they allowed all 67 alchemists to refine the elixirs together, it would result in a significant waste of material.
This put the empire in a difficult position. They repeatedly urged Xu Lian to pass on his divine alchemical technique to the 67 masters.
But Xu Lian insisted that there was nothing he could do. “This kind of skill relies entirely on intuition,” he repeated. “It can only be understood, not taught.”