228: Chapter 228 An Unreachable Height

Great Master Changming gently placed the purple clay teapot back onto the tea tray, raised his eyes to look at Zhou Tianchen, and his tone became a few degrees more solemn than before: "I have enjoyed our conversation very much, young friend, but I do not yet know your name. May I ask what it is?"

Zhou Tianchen set down the white porcelain teacup in his hand, smiled slightly, and cupped his hands: "This Junior is Zhou Tianchen."

The hand holding the teapot paused slightly, then slowly set it down as a look of "as I expected" appeared on the face of Great Master Changming.

Great Master Changming stroked his graying beard, examined Zhou Tianchen's face carefully for a moment, and suddenly laughed aloud, the laughter tinged with a bit of self-deprecation and a bit of emotion.

"No wonder, no wonder." Great Master Changming shook his head, his tone full of sighs.

"When I first saw you, young friend, I felt you looked familiar, but I could not recall where I had seen you. Now that I hear this name, I have suddenly realized the truth."

Zhou Tianchen was slightly taken aback: "Has Senior seen this Junior before?"

"A portrait." Great Master Changming picked up the teacup and took a sip to moisten the throat before continuing.

"Although I have not met you in person, young friend, I saw your portrait some time ago."

Upon hearing this, not only Zhou Tianchen, but even Lu Jinghan and Duan Xinghe turned their heads slightly.

Sun Mingcheng and Changming Lingxi pricked up their ears, their gazes fixed tightly on Great Master Changming, waiting for the continuation.

Great Master Changming put down the teacup, a look of reminiscence entering the eyes: "At that time, Master of Medicine King Valley, Senior Danchenzi, was still at the Central Plains Pill Tower. Several old friends and I were gathered in the Pill Dao Pavilion of the Pill Tower, discussing an ancient Pill Formula with Senior Danchenzi."

"There were Heaven-Tier Alchemists present, as well as old fellows like me who have been stuck at the Earth Rank Advanced stage for many years. A dozen of us argued over a single formula for three whole days, and no one could convince the other."

"It was then that Senior Danchenzi received a communication Jade Slip sent from the Medicine King Valley in the Southern Wilderness."

Saying this, the gaze returned to Zhou Tianchen, the look of emotion in the eyes intensifying: "The sender was the Grand Elder of Medicine King Valley, Dan Qingzi."

"Dan Qingzi stated in the Jade Slip that an incredible young Alchemist had appeared in the Southern Wilderness. With the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Stage, he had refined an Earth Rank Advanced Medicinal Pill during the Alchemy competition at Medicine King Valley, with natural dao rhyme, shocking everyone present. The Jade Slip also included a portrait of that young Alchemist, which was you, young friend."

Once these words were spoken, a very subtle silence fell around the stone table.

The jade-boned folding fan in Sun Mingcheng's hand snapped shut with a "clack." He stared at Zhou Tianchen with wide eyes, his lips slightly parted, his face full of disbelief.

He had previously only known that Zhou Tianchen was a Disciple of the Lord of Kunlun and possessed extraordinary combat power, but he had never imagined that this young man, who looked as gentle as jade and was younger than himself, was actually an Alchemist capable of refining Earth Rank Advanced Medicinal Pills.

Earth Rank Advanced! What kind of concept was that?

Great Master Changming had been stuck at this Realm for hundreds of years without making any progress, and there was not a second Earth Rank Advanced Alchemist to be found in all of Huaiyang City.

Yet this Zhou Tianchen before the eyes, only in the early twenties, was already standing at a height that countless Alchemists could not reach even after exhausting their entire lives.

Changming Lingxi's reaction was even more direct than Sun Mingcheng's. She had been pouring tea for the grandfather, but when she heard the words "Earth Rank Advanced," the teapot in her hand trembled violently. The spout shifted away from the cup's rim, and a few drops of emerald tea splashed onto the stone table.

She hurriedly placed the teapot back onto the tea tray and looked up, staring fixedly at Zhou Tianchen. The sharpness in the almond-shaped eyes was now completely replaced by an emotion so complex it was beyond words.

She had studied Alchemy under the grandfather since childhood and considered the talent to be top-tier among peers. Before she was seventeen, she had already touched the threshold of a Profound Rank Alchemist and was a recognized Alchemy Genius in all of Huaiyang City.

Yet this young man before the eyes, who was only a few years older than herself, was already an Earth Rank Advanced Alchemist, half a rank higher than her grandfather.

She suddenly felt that the talent and achievements she had once been so proud of were simply not worth mentioning in front of Zhou Tianchen.

Great Master Changming ignored the granddaughter's dejected appearance and continued: "Senior Danchenzi immediately unfolded your portrait, young friend, and passed it around for us old fellows to see."

"I remember very clearly that when Senior Danchenzi spoke of you, the tone was full of admiration. He said you were the most talented young Alchemist he had ever seen, and what was even more rare was that your Alchemy technique contained certain profound truths of the Dao, to the point that even he felt inferior."

"The Heaven-Tier Alchemists present were all quite curious about you, young friend, and some even suggested wanting to go to the Southern Wilderness in person to meet you."

"However, Senior Danchenzi said that you had a Revered Master behind you whom even he had to treat with great respect, so it would be inconvenient to disturb you rashly, and the matter was dropped."

"At the time, I only thought that a once-in-ten-thousand-years Alchemy Genius had appeared in the Southern Wilderness, but I never expected that I would be able to see you in person today in Huaiyang City."

Saying this, Great Master Changming stood up and bowed solemnly to Zhou Tianchen: "As an Earth Rank Advanced Alchemist, you were willing to sit down and listen to an old fellow of the same rank like me discuss the Dao, and you even stepped in to resolve my doubts just now. For this breadth of mind and demeanor, I am full of admiration."

Zhou Tianchen quickly stood up to return the bow, the tone sincere: "Senior, you are too kind."

"Although this Junior was lucky enough to step across the threshold of the Earth Rank Advanced stage, your attainments and accumulation in Alchemical Fire refinement are far beyond what this Junior can reach. The path of Alchemy is meant for mutual exchange and collective improvement; there is no distinction of high or low."

Upon hearing this, a flash of approval appeared in the eyes of Great Master Changming.

He straightened up, turned to look at Lu Jinghan and Duan Xinghe, and smiled: "I presume you two are also distinguished Disciples of Kunlun?"

Duan Xinghe held the long sword, and a rare, polite, faint smile appeared on the cold, clear face. He spoke: "Senior, you have misunderstood. This Junior is Duan Xinghe, a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, not from Kunlun."

Great Master Changming was slightly taken aback, then laughed heartily: "It is my poor eyesight. However, I have long heard of Young Friend Duan's Star River Sword Intent."

"Although I do not have a deep friendship with Elder Jianchi, we once met at an Alchemy conference. That Star River Sword is something that remains fresh in my memory."

Duan Xinghe nodded slightly and said no more.

Great Master Changming sat back down and took a palm-sized green jade bottle from the sleeve. The bottle was transparent, and one could vaguely see a pill the size of a dragon's eye inside.

He gently placed the jade bottle in front of Zhou Tianchen, the tone solemn: "Your Yin and Yang Fusion technique just now resolved decades of my confusion. To me, this kindness is no less than a grace of rebirth."

"This is a Green Jade Soul-Condensing Pill, an Earth Rank Advanced Medicinal Pill that I was lucky enough to refine. I used the Green Jade Cold Flame as the primary fire, supplemented by dozens of rare Spirit Medicine, and it took several months to complete a batch."

"This pill can significantly increase the Divine Soul strength of the user and is especially precious to Alchemists. I had intended to keep it for my own use, but having received your guidance today, please accept this pill as a token of my gratitude."