chapter - 8

"How did the Frost Wolves start appearing outside recently?"

"Terrible luck. We just hunted two first-tier beasts, and we didn't even have time to carve them up and store them."

"Maybe it's the Wolf King's succession struggle in the Xiaoyue Mountains again. I heard that centuries ago, when that happened, the wolves flooded the outskirts to escape the chaos."

"Forget it. Let's head back to Fang City and rest for a while. I've been exhausted lately."

"Well, at least we're still alive."

With a few casual exchanges, their frustration and the lingering fear of their brush with death were evident.

A group of cultivators made their way from the plains toward the heart of the city. As they passed by Gu Shengtian's small dwelling, they paused for a moment.

Then, a clear and straightforward female voice called out.

"Fellow Daoist, this area hasn't been safe lately. If you have the means, you should move somewhere closer to the inner city!"

Gu Shengtian remained silent.

If he had the means, he would have moved long ago.

But even living near the inner city was no guarantee of safety. Cultivators who lived that close had already walked the razor's edge, their hands stained with blood, carving out their survival in the darkness. Street fights and sudden deaths were all too common.

More than once, on his way back to the city, he had seen bloodstains on the ground—sometimes even bones.

This part of the city was dangerous, but the outer plains around Fang City were protected by defensive formations that deterred lower-tier beasts. Even stronger second-tier monsters instinctively avoided heavily populated human settlements.

For now, this place was relatively safe.

Besides, he lived quietly and modestly, making just enough spirit stones to get by each month. Few cultivators even noticed him.

"Hui Niang, why do you even care about that guy?"

"During the day, I saw him bathing in the stream and playing with mud. Probably some newbie who just arrived in Dahefang!"

"Forget him, let's go home."

Hearing no response, the group murmured a few more words before moving on.

As their footsteps faded, Gu Shengtian let out a breath of relief.

He feared human cultivators far more than he feared monsters.

That woman, Hui Niang, wasn't wrong. If something really was happening in the Xiaoyue Mountains, the southwest sector—where he lived—would be the first to suffer.

"My mindset is stable now, neither too anxious nor too relaxed. It's time to officially start refining pills tomorrow."

"I have to succeed this time!"

---

After a day and night of rest, his body and mind were in peak condition.

At dawn, after completing a round of Changchun Cultivation, Gu Shengtian tied a gray apron around his waist and walked to his small kitchen.

Before him stood a clay figurine of a bearded man wielding a wooden blade, his phoenix eyes sharp, his brows thick, and his cheeks slightly flushed with a red hue.

"Second Master Guan, bless me with success!"

Taking a deep breath, he lit the fire, fed the furnace with wood, and cast a Fireball Spell.

He first boiled the auxiliary ingredients, then roasted the mineral components before adding broth, Polygonum multiflorum, jade yam, fire dog whip, and other medicinal herbs in sequence.

Three hours passed. Finally, he added the last water-based ingredient—scallops—to balance the yin and yang properties.

Adjusting the heat between high and low flames, he let the mixture simmer for another two hours.

At last, the concoction thickened.

A pot of light red paste settled at the bottom, trembling like gelatin when prodded with a wooden spoon.

Close, but not quite.

The records stated that the final paste should be dark red to maximize the aphrodisiac properties of the Zhongmiao Pills.

Still, it was progress.

At least this time, it had solidified properly, achieving a smooth, bouncy texture.

For a cultivator, this failed batch wasn't completely useless. Someone desperate enough might still benefit from it.

But the side effects would probably be severe.

Gu Shengtian had no intention of selling it—he didn't want to get beaten up.

He tasted a small amount to gauge the medicinal potency, reviewed the process in his mind, then poured the remaining mixture into the stream outside.

That night, he trained as usual and went to bed.

The next day, he honored Master Guan and attempted alchemy again.

Failure.

On the third day, he honored Master Guan again and refined another batch.

Success!

Gu Shengtian stared at the deep red jelly-like substance in the pot, his eyes growing hot with emotion.

All the hardship had finally paid off!

"Damn… I used up materials for eight batches. That's about forty spirit stones wasted. If I count the forty bottles of Bigu Powder I could have made in those eight days, that's another eight spirit stones lost…"

"…I'm broke."

Pushing his worries aside, he quickly scooped out the thickened medicine, ignoring the heat as he cut it into small pieces and kneaded them into round pills.

"One night to dry, and they'll be ready."

There was even some leftover material—enough for one more batch tomorrow.

---

The next morning, Gu Shengtian rushed to his makeshift alchemy station.

Just as expected, the ten pills had shrunk to the size of longans.

The moisture had evaporated, leaving behind the concentrated medicinal essence.

A true man's ultimate remedy!

Carefully, he stored the little red pills inside a jade bottle and once again paid his respects to Master Guan.

"Second Master, you're looking out for me. Even though I've traveled through time, your blessing remains! If I ever make it big, I'll build a grand temple in your honor, with a golden statue!"

With that prayer, Gu Shengtian clenched his fist.

"I knew it! I was born to be an alchemist!"

"One day, I'll be famous! I've already thought of my title—'Eastern Wasteland's Alchemy God'! That old 'Alchemy Saint of Central Continent' has nothing on me!"

Encouraged by his success, he got to work again.

Thick smoke filled the air, blending with the heat of the kitchen.

When the sunlight finally spilled into the room, he looked at the results…

And was greeted by the sight of another failure.

"…Ahem. Even great masters stumble. Didn't the Alchemy Saint explode his first-tier cauldron back in the day?"

"Next time, I'll definitely succeed!"

Even so, Gu Shengtian still felt a pang of pain.

The cost of that batch was five spirit stones.

He was going numb.

"No choice. I have to sell this one bottle of Zhongmiao Pills for a high price, or I won't recover my losses."

---

Morning light bathed the world in a misty glow, and the boundless mountain range loomed like a yawning abyss, watching over Dahefang City.

A young man, dressed in a washed-out, low-grade robe, sprinted through the muddy streets of the shantytown like a gust of wind.

A woman, stepping out to empty a chamber pot, chuckled at the sight.

"That kid runs like a dog is chasing him!"

He was fast—surprisingly fast.

In just a few days, his martial arts mastery had advanced from basic to proficient, earning him an achievement point and doubling his speed.

What used to take him over an hour on foot now took only thirty or forty minutes.

Today, he reached the city gates in just twenty.

As he entered the bustling southwest district, he spotted an old acquaintance setting up his stall.

Gu Shengtian grinned.

"Uncle Chen, have you ever heard of the Crane in the Clouds?"