Chapter Twenty-Seven: Even at My Worst, I Should Be at This Level, Right? [Second Update—Please Recommend]

At the break of dawn, Yao Chen had already prepared everything needed for alchemy. Unfortunately, his storage ring was still in Xiao Yan's possession, and it contained quite a few useful items.

The spiritual herbs he gathered were all ingredients for crafting a Grade-One Rejuvenation Pill. The Rejuvenation Pill was a common remedy, widely used; it could heal wounds swiftly and was considered a bestseller among medicinal pills.

The cauldron he used was a Grade-Two alchemy vessel borrowed from the Alchemy Hall, more than adequate for practice. However, the only thing troubling Yao Chen was that one of the elders from the Alchemy Hall insisted on accompanying him, claiming skepticism that Lin An could truly craft pills.

"Lin An, let me ask you: were you already an apprentice alchemist before joining the Cloud Mist Sect?" Elder Zhao Haisheng from the sect's Alchemy Hall, who managed most of the records and affairs there, was himself a Grade-Three alchemist and counted among the honored guests of the sect.

"To be honest, before entering the Cloud Mist Sect, I had never been exposed to alchemy at all, so I was certainly not an apprentice," Lin An replied truthfully.

"Absurd! Even if you are the Sect Master's personal disciple, you must not tarnish the profession of alchemy. I know the identity of an alchemist is prestigious, and you wish to earn the Sect Master's approval, but attempting to craft pills without any prior experience is nothing short of wishful thinking."

"Enough, I'll take these spiritual herbs and the cauldron back. If you're truly interested in alchemy, you must start as an apprentice," Zhao Haisheng said, intent on reclaiming the items he had just handed over.

"Elder Zhao, isn't this against the rules?"

"The herbs and cauldron are already with me. Even if you want them back, you'll have to wait until I'm finished," Lin An insisted, unwilling to return the items Yao Chen had painstakingly acquired.

"This is outrageous. If you persist, I'll report this to the Sect Master!" Zhao Haisheng said angrily.

To him, the profession of alchemy was sacred and inviolable—even the Sect Master's disciple was not exempt.

"Elder Zhao, do you truly believe I cannot craft the Rejuvenation Pill?" Lin An asked.

Zhao Haisheng looked at Lin An as if he were a fool. The prestige of an alchemist stemmed from the extreme difficulty of becoming one; wealth and talent were both essential!

"If you can craft the Rejuvenation Pill today, I will acknowledge you as my master and bow to you whenever we meet!" Zhao Haisheng said, still agitated.

"No need for such ceremony. If I succeed, I ask only that, whenever I need spiritual herbs for alchemy, you help me find them immediately," Lin An replied.

"Agreed. But if you fail, you must kneel before the Alchemy Hall for a day and a night, and never attempt alchemy again!" Zhao Haisheng declared.

"If you have no objections, neither do I," Lin An answered.

Lin An's ready acceptance gave Zhao Haisheng a sudden sense of foreboding. Yet he quickly shook it off; Lin An did not seem to be lying, nor had they ever crossed paths before this. Had he not heard Lin An wished to craft the Rejuvenation Pill—and been interested in finding a disciple himself—he would never have come.

Even if Lin An was a once-in-a-lifetime alchemical genius, it was simply impossible to craft the Rejuvenation Pill on his first attempt.

Lin An's residence contained a special chamber for pill forging. When Zhao Haisheng saw the disorder inside, with cobwebs everywhere, he knew instantly that no one had ever used it.

In such a place, to hope for a successful pill—for Zhao Haisheng, it was impossible.

Lin An retrieved the cauldron from his storage ring, then closed his eyes, recalling the memories he had acquired from an alchemist. That alchemist had unique insights and techniques, but was limited by natural talent and could advance no further than Grade-One. Later, he tried to forcibly enhance his spiritual power through sinister means, but was discovered by experts from the Cloud Mist Sect and, until his death, remained imprisoned in their dungeon.

Yao Chen and Zhao Haisheng watched, convinced Lin An was merely putting on a show.

Soon, a pale flame appeared at Lin An's fingertips and was directed into the cauldron. Lin An entered a focused state, executing each step with flawless precision. Watching his technique, Zhao Haisheng found it impossible to believe this was Lin An's first attempt at pill crafting.

As a rich aroma filled the chamber, Lin An finally succeeded in producing the Rejuvenation Pill. Judging by its quality, it was already above average.

"Incredible—simply incredible! If I didn't believe you had no reason to deceive me, I would suspect you were already an alchemist," Zhao Haisheng exclaimed, marveling at the pill in his hand.

Even Yao Chen was astonished by Lin An's talent. Merely by reading alchemists' notes, without any proper guidance, Lin An had managed to craft a pill—a feat so extraordinary it bordered on myth.

"Given your skill, I think you could try a Grade-Two pill," Yao Chen remarked. As a master alchemist, his discerning eye told him Lin An was ready for more advanced recipes.

"You are an alchemist?" Zhao Haisheng asked, surprised.

"That's right. In terms of rank, I am already a Grade-Three alchemist," Yao Chen replied, careful not to exaggerate. After all, the most powerful alchemist in the entire Jia Ma Empire was Grade-Six, known as Pill King Gu He.

"You...you!" Zhao Haisheng felt as though his worldview was being shattered. Earlier, Lin An claimed never to have crafted a pill, yet confidently promised to produce a Grade-One. That alone seemed absurd. But now Yao Chen, who entered the Cloud Mist Sect as Lin An's attendant and was thought to be a capable martial artist, claimed to be a Grade-Three alchemist?

Did they think alchemists were as common as cabbages, found everywhere?

Yao Chen felt rather innocent; at his apparent age of twenty-four or twenty-five, he believed even with average talent, one should have reached Grade-Three by now. Some prodigies could even craft Grade-Five pills at this age, let alone Grade-Three.