Chương 76: The Peerless Pill Venerable (Part 4)

At the village entrance, the morning sun had just risen.

"Brother Chen…" Su Chen, pack slung over his shoulder, turned at the sound of the voice. A graceful young woman stood there.

"Ah Fang?" He was genuinely surprised.

"Brother Chen, are you leaving the village?" Ah Fang managed a smile, though it looked forced. Su Chen nodded.

"I know you're a martial cultivator. My parents always said one day you would leave." Ah Fang spoke with her head lowered. Su Chen fell silent. He was no longer the simple cowherd Su Chen.

"Ah Fang, thank you—and thank Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang for me. I've already spoken with City Lord Nangong. Soon, someone will come to escort your family to the city. You'll live a life of comfort and luxury." Tears welled in Ah Fang's large eyes.

"Brother Chen… may I hug you once?" Su Chen nodded without refusal. Ah Fang pleaded in a trembling voice, "Brother Chen… this isn't what I want. I want to leave with you. Please take me with you." Su Chen shook his head. The world of cultivators was no place for ordinary people. Ah Fang lacked any martial aptitude; she could never become a cultivator. He spoke gently, "Ah Fang, a human life lasts only a hundred years. I am merely a passing traveler. One day, you will meet a boy who moves your heart.

You'll marry, have children, and live happily together. Why cling so stubbornly?" The girl in his arms clung to him desperately.

"But none of them are you, Brother Chen. I only like you." Su Chen left. He knocked Ah Fang unconscious, carried her home, then set off alone on the path of cultivation, slaying monsters and forging his name across the world. Nangong Tao would ensure Ah Fang and her family lived in peace and security for the rest of their days. The journey of life stretched long ahead. He could not pause his steps for any one person. … Dragon Firmament Dynasty, Imperial Capital. Su Chen narrowed his eyes.

After three months of traveling and investigating in every direction, he finally understood exactly where he was. After circling around, he had returned to the Eastern Wasteland of the Heavenly Profound Continent. More than two thousand years had passed, and the Eastern Wasteland had changed dramatically. With the fall of the Profound Origin Sacred Land, only eleven sacred lands had remained in the Eastern Wasteland. But a thousand years ago, a supremely powerful Saint King from the Central Continent arrived.

His title was the Undefeated Saint King—and the name was no exaggeration. He suppressed every sacred land and orthodox lineage in the Eastern Wasteland until none dared raise their heads. Remarkably, this Saint King turned out to be the sworn brother of an ancestor from a minor sect called the Prison-Suppressing Sect. After helping that small sect avert total destruction, he voluntarily became their guest elder.

With a Saint King overseeing them, the Prison-Suppressing Sect filled the vacancy left by Profound Origin Sacred Land and rose to become Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land. Although the Saint King did not remain long, he left behind profound foundations: a Saint King weapon that could be awakened at will, and several saint-grade artifacts. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Su Chen's mouth twitched.

Prison-Suppressing Sect—this was none other than the sect he himself had founded in his fifth life. Back then, he had established it merely to preserve and pass down the Prison-Suppressing Sovereign's inheritance after the sacred land's collapse. He never imagined that in just over two thousand years it would grow into one of the Eastern Wasteland's dominant sacred land orthodoxies. He had unwittingly become the ancestral founder of a sacred land? Talk about unexpected success.

An unintentional planting had grown into shade. In a way, he had more than fulfilled the dying wish of the old goat-bearded man—the Prison-Suppressing Sovereign.

"What a loyal sworn brother! What a pity he was born in the wrong era." Su Chen thought to himself. If only in that lifetime, he had held on for a few more centuries until Fang Bubai appeared—perhaps he really could have coasted to victory. Unfortunately, let alone a few centuries, even exhausting every last resource of the Prison-Suppressing Sect would not have bought him more than a handful of years once his lifespan ran dry. Su Chen felt a twinge of regret.

"Young master, we've arrived at the imperial capital." Su Chen paid the fare and stepped down from the carriage. He had come to the Dragon Firmament Dynasty's imperial capital with two main goals. The first was to participate in the upcoming grand alchemy conference of the dynasty. Over the past three months, beyond the news of Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land, Su Chen had also pieced together the old man's true identity.

Su Weichang had once been a sixth-grade Pill King alchemist of the Dragon Firmament Dynasty, known far and wide as the Eight Desolations Pill King. His reputation had been resounding, yet luck had never favored him—he was forever second best. In the end, a single gambling match left him gravely injured, his cultivation plummeting from the Profound Connection Realm to the Spirit Soul Realm. Disheartened, he withdrew from the cultivation world entirely and chose to live in seclusion.

"Old man, just watch carefully. I'll show you how the number-one alchemist is made!" To wash away the old man's lifelong shame of being second best—that was Su Chen's first goal. His second goal was to use the Dragon Firmament Dynasty as a stepping stone to obtain the qualification to enter the Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land. After all, he was technically the ancestral founder of that sacred land. For now, though, there was a more immediate task at hand. Su Chen arrived at the entrance of the Alchemist Guild.

"Young master, are you here to take the alchemist assessment?" A beautiful maid greeted him with a warm smile. The young man before her clearly came from an affluent background; the aura around him made it impossible for anyone to look down on him. Su Chen nodded.

"Su Chen. Assessing for first-grade alchemist." First-grade alchemists were far from rare in the imperial capital. The maid quickly escorted him through the registration process. Moments later, Su Chen emerged from the alchemy chamber, a first-grade alchemist badge now pinned to his chest.

"Next, second-grade alchemist assessment." Less than a few hours passed.

"Third-grade alchemist assessment." In under half a day, Su Chen walked out again and stated calmly, "Fourth-grade alchemist assessment." One day, four grades. The entire Alchemist Guild was thrown into an uproar. This youth intended to challenge the fourth-grade rank! The staff could no longer handle it on their own. Fourth-grade alchemists held an exalted status in the Dragon Firmament Dynasty. They hurriedly summoned the vice guild master.

The vice guild master arrived, accompanied by several genius alchemists of the guild.

"You're the one requesting the fourth-grade assessment?" The vice guild master looked astonished. Su Chen nodded. The vice guild master cautioned, "Fourth-grade alchemist is no easy rank to achieve. Every year, many are seriously injured during the attempt. With the alchemy conference approaching, are you certain you wish to proceed?" Su Chen remained resolute.

"This junior would like to try." The vice guild master did not press further. He led Su Chen to the alchemy chamber. One day later. The Alchemist Guild trembled with shock. When Su Chen emerged once more, a gleaming fourth-grade alchemist badge adorned his chest. There was no doubt—he had succeeded. In less than two days, an ordinary young man had transformed into a revered fourth-grade alchemist. Such a thing had never occurred in the entire history of the Dragon Firmament Dynasty.

It was a miracle destined to be recorded forever in the annals of the Alchemist Guild. The vice guild master felt a surge of admiration and spoke with genuine warmth.

"Young friend, do you have a master?" Su Chen thought of the old man and nodded.

"This junior is a disciple of the Eight Desolations Pill King."

"What a pity… wait—what did you just say?" The vice guild master's eyes widened in disbelief. The entire guild fell deathly silent, everyone doubting their own ears.

"Eight Desolations Pill King?"

"Isn't that the legendary Pill King senior of our Dragon Firmament Dynasty? He vanished without a trace two hundred years ago!"

"Hiss! So he's the disciple of a Pill King—no wonder, no wonder!" In an instant, every gaze directed at Su Chen changed completely. A sixth-grade alchemist… a Pill King-level master. Even in the entire Dragon Firmament Dynasty, such figures could be counted on one hand—and among them, the Eight Desolations Pill King had once ranked second!