Chapter 59: Initial Formation of the Faction

"You mean natural formation restrictions? That's extremely difficult. I only managed to condense them through sheer coincidence, but I did record them in my legacy, specifically in the ninth volume of scriptures," Su Yuan said. You Chunli eagerly responded, "Could you let me try learning it? I can exchange contribution points for it!" Su Yuan replied, "Of course you can. I've already placed it in the Scripture Pavilion, clearly marked for exchange with contribution points. However, I'd advise against learning it—it purely depends on luck. But if you're truly determined, you should start with the first volume!" "Great, wonderful! Thank you!" You Chunli immediately exclaimed. Their conversation left the other Peak Masters below somewhat bewildered. How had the discussion shifted from their duel to You Chunli wanting to learn Su Yuan's techniques? What had been the outcome of their battle? Unable to contain his curiosity, Wang Siming asked, "Peak Master You, what was the result of your duel? How is Su Yuan's spiritual sense attainment?" You Chunli snapped back to reality and returned to her seat with a sigh. "I can't compare the merits of Su Yuan's techniques with our Ancestor's legacy, but I believe his expertise in spiritual sense defense surpasses that of our Ancestor's teachings. Combining both might elevate the Seven Extremes Sect's spiritual sense legacy to new heights." After a pause, she continued, "Of course, this is only Su Yuan's current level. His cultivation can still advance, and his techniques can be further refined. I dare not speculate about his limits." Hearing this, Su Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "I clearly lost just now. My spiritual sense was depleted by fifty percent, while I only managed to inflict ten-thousandth of the damage on Peak Master You. There's simply no comparison!" You Chunli's expression darkened. "What's your cultivation level compared to mine? If you could injure me at all, that would count as my failure! And the damage I dealt to you—what difference does it make to you? It's practically negligible!" The other Peak Masters exchanged glances, all seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes. When You Chunli had mentioned Su Yuan's strong spiritual sense defense, they had assumed his offensive capabilities were weak. Yet he had still managed to cause damage, proving his spiritual sense attacks were indeed formidable. This suggested Su Yuan's spiritual sense legacy might not be inferior to their Ancestor's teachings—at least not below the Golden Core level. You Chunli turned to Li Yuexin and said, "You should go to Three Extremes Peak. Focus on cultivating Su Yuan's methods. If you encounter difficulties, you can always come to Divine Extremes Peak for guidance on spiritual sense cultivation." "Thank you, Peak Master You!" Li Yuexin expressed her gratitude before moving to stand behind Su Yuan. Now, Su Yuan had three disciples standing behind him, while the other Peak Masters didn't have a single disciple by their sides. It was only at this point that the previously interrupted cultivation assessment resumed. The fourth disciple to undergo assessment was named Meng Changle, who remarkably possessed dual top-grade spiritual roots of fire and wood—perfect for the path of alchemy! Tao Yaoyao smiled at Su Yuan and said, "Little Brother Su, you can't possibly take this one from me, can you? I've never heard of you practicing alchemy. This disciple should rightfully be mine!" Su Yuan nodded with a smile. After being assessed at the early stage of Qi Refinement Level 4, Meng Changle also came before the Peak Masters. Tao Yaoyao said warmly, "I am the Peak Master of Pill Extremes Peak. I heard you wish to pursue the path of alchemy? Pill Extremes Peak welcomes you." However, instead of immediately bowing in gratitude, Meng Changle looked toward Su Yuan. This action made Tao Yaoyao's heart skip a beat—what was happening? Su Yuan coughed lightly. "Meng Changle, why are you looking at me? Hurry and pay your respects to Peak Master Tao! Show some manners!" Meng Changle cupped his hands toward Su Yuan and said, "This disciple wishes to join Three Extremes Peak!" Tao Yaoyao looked puzzled. "Why would you want to go to Three Extremes Peak? Peak Master Su doesn't know alchemy!" "I don't believe that!" Meng Changle shook his head. "Peak Master Su's legacy includes a book titled 'Introduction to Alchemy: Compiled by Su Yuan,' which details the refinement of various pills and explains hundreds of alchemy techniques. After three months of study, I've only mastered five techniques, but I feel my alchemy skills have already improved significantly. Although I haven't actually refined any pills yet, I believe I could produce mid-grade Yellow Rank pills now!" Tao Yaoyao looked at Su Yuan in confusion. "You really don't know alchemy?" Su Yuan explained, "I've merely read some herbology and alchemy texts, mentally simulated alchemy techniques, and then recorded all my conjectures. I clearly stated in the book that these were just my theories—I couldn't guarantee their effectiveness. I've never actually refined a single pill, so technically, I don't know alchemy." He added, "My main focus was researching the principles of heaven and earth. The transformations of medicinal properties in pills should also embody these principles. I incorporated some of my own insights into the pill refinement process, which probably made my theories even more unreliable. So they're fine as references, but not worth serious study!" Both Tao Yaoyao and Meng Changle were stunned. Meng Changle's eyes widened. "They're all... your theories? That can't be... They all seem so logical to me, albeit somewhat challenging!" Tao Yaoyao immediately said, "Let me see that book right now!" With resignation, Su Yuan took out a jade slip—a copy he had made earlier. "Just take a look," Su Yuan said as "Introduction to Alchemy" landed in Tao Yaoyao's hands. Tao Yaoyao's expression shifted from disbelief to skepticism, then to increasing astonishment as she progressed, occasionally flashing with sudden understanding. While the content was relatively basic for Tao Yaoyao, the details opened her eyes to new perspectives. Many of Su Yuan's alchemical views seemed peculiar at first glance, but upon careful comparison with her own refining processes, she found them surprisingly accurate. For instance, it mentioned that some auxiliary materials used in the refinement process don't actually end up in the final pill—they serve as 'catalysts' to facilitate the fusion of other medicinal properties. These materials initially integrate but must ultimately be expelled. This concept, like a brand-new philosophy, expanded Tao Yaoyao's understanding. Validating it against past experiences, she realized many of Su Yuan's insights were correct. While these details might seem insignificant, they often made the crucial difference between success and failure in pill refinement. Treating the text as a priceless treasure, Tao Yaoyao became completely absorbed, forgetting all about recruiting disciples. Su Yuan coughed lightly. "Ahem, ahem!" He reminded Tao Yaoyao to maintain some decorum—the disciples were watching. Tao Yaoyao waved him off. "Continue without me!" With resignation, Su Yuan turned back to Meng Changle. "Please accept me as your disciple, Peak Master Su," Meng Changle said with cupped hands. "Stand over there," Su Yuan instructed, and Meng Changle naturally took his place behind Su Yuan as a provisional disciple of Three Extremes Peak. The other Peak Masters exchanged glances, noting You Chunli's eager expression as she longed to study Su Yuan's legacy, Tao Yaoyao's state of complete absorption, and the four top-grade spiritual root disciples standing behind Su Yuan. Their expressions became increasingly complicated. Su Yuan coughed. "Let's continue!" The fifth disciple came forward—a top-grade dual spiritual root of fire and metal, who should logically go to Artifact Extremes Peak. But this time, Peak Master Shi Jian didn't extend an invitation. He simply looked at Su Yuan. Maintaining a neutral expression, Su Yuan remained silent. "This disciple wishes to join Three Extremes Peak. Please grant your permission, Peak Master Su!" As expected, the disciple straightforwardly pledged allegiance to Su Yuan. "'Introduction to Artifact Refining: Compiled by Su Yuan'—let me see that. That should be the name, right?" Shi Jian suddenly asked. Su Yuan was speechless—Peak Master Shi Jian had actually discerned his naming pattern. "Here you go," Su Yuan said, handing over a thick tome of over a thousand pages. Shi Jian took it and began reading casually. "Hmm?" "There's some substance here, but not much." Soon, he became engrossed in the content. Everyone: "..." Unsurprisingly, this disciple also ended up behind Su Yuan. Now, Su Yuan had five top-grade spiritual root disciples—personally recruited to Three Extremes Peak, they would naturally become his core followers. Once they matured, they would form his faction, far more reliable than the current disciples at Three Extremes Peak. Therefore, Su Yuan accepted them all without hesitation. After all, he only needed to spare some time to guide them occasionally. Unlike other Peak Masters who had to focus on their cultivation, Su Yuan could accumulate inspiration while mentoring his disciples and simultaneously boost his reputation—a win-win situation. The next three top-grade spiritual root disciples all joined Three Extremes Peak without exception. One Nascent Soul transformation elder disguised as a disciple declined, stating she had other plans. Thus, Su Yuan ended up with eight top-grade spiritual root disciples behind him. Su Yuan's only regret was the absence of a lightning spiritual root among them—he couldn't even attempt to remedy that. Nangong Xianweng should have abandoned his disguise by now, yet for some reason, he continued playing the role of a disciple, inexplicably becoming Su Yuan's nominal follower. Watching Nangong Xianweng bow to him, Su Yuan mused to himself: "Is this Nascent Soul elder tempering his Dao heart through worldly experiences? I've heard many Nascent Soul cultivators need to experience mortal life to refine their Dao heart and comprehend the principles of heaven and earth—like posing as ordinary mortal sculptors, spending decades carving stone statues from youth to old age to grasp life's truths and elevate their mental state. Could Nangong Xianweng be doing something similar, just by reliving the cultivation journey?" Deciding to play along with the elder's act, Su Yuan thought: "If enemies come after me in the future, I can just send out my 'disciple'—they'd have to at least defeat my 'disciple' (a Nascent Soul cultivator) before even qualifying to face me!"