“ cháng shēng gǔ de jù tǐ wèi zhì rú jīn hái bù míng què ， bù guò wǒ yǐ jīng xiān cóng tiān xuán jìng zhōng gòu mǎi le yī pī liàn zhì cháng shēng dān suǒ xū de yuán cái liào 。”
“长生谷的具体位置如今还不明确，不过我已经先从天玄镜中购买了一批炼制长生丹所需的原材料。”
"The exact location of the Immortal Longevity Valley is still unclear, but I've already purchased a batch of raw materials needed for refining the Elixir of Immortality from the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror."
shuō zhe ， lǐ fán dà shǒu yī huī ， yī méi chǔ wù jiè dùn shí fú xiàn zài kōng zhōng 。
说着，李凡大手一挥，一枚储物戒顿时浮现在空中。
Saying this, Li Fan waved his hand, and a storage ring instantly appeared in mid-air.
“ liǔ lǎo nín kàn kàn chéng sè rú hé ， néng fǒu mǎn zú liàn dān xū qiú 。” lǐ fán wèn dào 。
“柳老您看看成色如何，能否满足炼丹需求。”李凡问道。
"Old Master Liu, please take a look at the quality. Can it meet our alchemical needs?" Li Fan asked.
liǔ sān jiē guò jiè zhǐ ， chá kàn yī fān hòu ， shén sè yà rán ：“ pǐn zhì shàng jiā ， jī běn dōu shì shēng zhǎng chāo guò bǎi nián de líng yào 。 shǎo zhǔ nǐ shì tè yì tiāo xuǎn de ？”
柳三接过戒指，查看一番后，神色讶然：“品质上佳，基本都是生长超过百年的灵药。少主你是特意挑选的？”
Liu San took over the ring and examined it before his expression turned surprised: "Of excellent quality; most of these are spirit herbs that have grown for more than a hundred years. Young Master, did you specifically select them?"
lǐ fán yáo le yáo tóu ：“ bù guò shì tiān xuán jìng nèi fàn mài de pǔ tōng líng zhí bà le 。”
李凡摇了摇头：“不过是天玄镜内贩卖的普通灵植罢了。”
Li Fan shook his head: "They're just ordinary spirit plants sold in the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror."
liǔ sān wén yán ， bù jīn yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi ：“ zhè wàn xiān méng gēn wǔ lǎo huì yī tǒng xiū xiān jiè 、 zhěng hé quán tiān xià de zī yuán hòu ， guǒ rán kuò chuò fēi cháng 。”
柳三闻言，不禁有些感慨：“这万仙盟跟五老会一统修仙界、整合全天下的资源后，果然阔绰非常。”
Liu San couldn't help but feel a sense of awe: "The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders' Association have unified the cultivation world and integrated resources from all under heaven. Indeed, they are quite generous."
“ zài wǒ men nà ge shí hòu ， jiù suàn shì xiān dào shí zōng ， kǒng pà yě wú fǎ rú cǐ dà pī liàng de tí gōng gāo pǐn zhì líng yào 。”
“在我们那个时候，就算是仙道十宗，恐怕也无法如此大批量的提供高品质灵药。”
"In our time, even the Ten Sects of Daoism would struggle to provide such high-quality spirit herbs in large quantities."
lǐ fán yě shì xiào le xiào ， zàn tóng dào ：“ huò xǔ yě yǒu tiān xià xiū shì sǐ le dà bàn de yuán yīn 。 rú jīn xiū xiān jiè de guī mó ， yuǎn bù bǐ shàng wǒ men dāng chū 。 bié de bù shuō ， guāng shì wǒ men yào wáng zōng zhè jǐ qiān hào rén ， zài shàng gǔ zhī shí ， yě zhǐ shì zhōng děng mén pài guī mó 。 yī zhōu zhī dì ， xiàng wǒ men zhè yàng de mén pài bù zhī fán jǐ 。”
李凡也是笑了笑，赞同道：“或许也有天下修士死了大半的原因。如今修仙界的规模，远不比上我们当初。别的不说，光是我们药王宗这几千号人，在上古之时，也只是中等门派规模。一州之地，像我们这样的门派不知凡几。”
Li Fan smiled and agreed: "Perhaps it's also due to most cultivators having died off. The scale of the cultivation world today is far less than what we had back then. For instance, with our thousand or so people at the Medicine King Sect, we were just a medium-sized sect during ancient times. In one state, there could be countless such sects."
“ kě xiàn zài ……”
“可现在……”
"But now..."
lǐ fán dùn le dùn ：“ rú guǒ wǒ men quán dōu zhòu rán chū xiàn ， pà bú shì yào zhí jiē hōng dòng tiān xià ， yǐn lái cháng shēng jìng qiáng zhě de zhù shì 。”
李凡顿了顿：“如果我们全都骤然出现，怕不是要直接轰动天下，引来长生境强者的注视。”
Li Fan paused: "If all of us suddenly appeared, it might directly cause a sensation throughout the world and attract the attention of Immortal Realm experts."
liǔ sān sǒng rán ér jīng ， wēi wēi zhòu méi ：“ wǒ xiān qián fēi lüè shù zhōu zhī dì ， yě fā xiàn le zhè ge wèn tí 。 bǐ qǐ dāng nián ， xiū xiān jiè yào xiāo tiáo tài duō 。 dì guǎng rén xī ， chú le gù dìng de chéng chí ， huāng yě zhī shàng jī hū nán dé néng kàn jiàn xiū shì 。 ér dāng nián ， zhǐ yào shì gè yǒu líng mài de shān chuān ， dū huì yǒu xiū shì zhàn jù 。”
柳三悚然而惊，微微皱眉：“我先前飞掠数州之地，也发现了这个问题。比起当年，修仙界要萧条太多。地广人稀，除了固定的城池，荒野之上几乎难得能看见修士。而当年，只要是个有灵脉的山川，都会有修士占据。”
Liu San was startled and frowned slightly: "I noticed this issue while flying over several states. The cultivation world is much more desolate than before. With vast expanses of empty land, one rarely sees cultivators outside fixed cities. Back then, any mountain with a spirit vein would have been occupied by cultivators."
“ suǒ wèi shù dà zhāo fēng 。 rú jīn de cháng shēng jìng qiáng zhě 、 nì tiān dì zhī lǐ ， bǐ xiān dào shí zōng zhōng de nà xiē zōng mén zhǎng lǎo yīng gāi dōu yào qiáng shàng bù shǎo 。 wǒ men yào wáng zōng chuān yuè shí guāng 、 zì shàng gǔ lái dào xiàn zài ， rú guǒ bào lù ， nán miǎn huì yǐn qǐ bié rén de jì yú 。”
“所谓树大招风。如今的长生境强者、逆天地之理，比仙道十宗中的那些宗门长老应该都要强上不少。我们药王宗穿越时光、自上古来到现在，如果暴露，难免会引起别人的觊觎。”
"Big trees attract wind. Today's Immortal Realm experts and those who defy the laws of nature are probably stronger than the elders in the Ten Sects of Daoism. If we reveal ourselves from ancient times to now, it might draw others' envy."
“ shǎo zhǔ nǐ de jué dìng hěn duì ， huà zhěng wéi líng 、 fēn sàn qián fú jìn wàn xiān méng ， cái shì wǒ men jǐn kuài huī fù shí lì 、 ér yòu bù yǐn qǐ bié rén zhù yì de zuì hǎo bàn fǎ 。” liǔ sān kàn zhe lǐ fán ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò xīn wèi zhī sè 。
“少主你的决定很对，化整为零、分散潜伏进万仙盟，才是我们尽快恢复实力、而又不引起别人注意的最好办法。”柳三看着李凡，眼中闪过欣慰之色。
"Young Master, your decision is correct. Dispersing our efforts into the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and hiding under the radar is the best way for us to recover quickly without drawing attention," Liu San said with a relieved look in his eyes.
“ rú jīn zài wàn xiān méng ， yī qiè xiū xíng zī yuán dōu lí bù kāi gòng xiàn dù 。 yǐ jīng qiàn le zhōu dào yǒu yī xiē le ， suī rán tā zuǐ shàng bù shuō shén me ， kě rú guǒ cóng wǒ men shēn shàng chí chí kàn bú dào shōu yì de huà ， nán bǎo bú huì chū shén me wèn tí 。 zhǐ yǒu qiáng xíng bāng wǒ men bǎng dìng chéng lì yì gòng tóng tǐ ， cái shì zuì wěn tuǒ de fāng àn 。”
“如今在万仙盟，一切修行资源都离不开贡献度。已经欠了周道友一些了，虽然他嘴上不说什么，可如果从我们身上迟迟看不到收益的话，难保不会出什么问题。只有强行帮我们绑定成利益共同体，才是最稳妥的方案。”
"Currently, everything here depends on contribution points. We already owe Fellow Daoist Zhou some. Although he doesn't say anything, if we don't show any returns soon, it might cause problems. The only surefire solution is to bind us as a single interest group."
lǐ fán jiě shì zhe ：“ rén xīn bù kě qīng xìn ， wéi yǒu lì yì fāng cái yǒng héng 。 suǒ yǐ yào néng jǐn kuài wěn dìng chǎn shēng zhǎng shēng dān 。 hái yào láo fán liǔ lǎo nín le ！”
李凡解释着：“人心不可轻信，唯有利益方才永恒。所以要能尽快稳定产生长生丹。还要劳烦柳老您了！”
Li Fan explained: "Trust cannot be easily gained; only shared interests endure. So, we must stabilize the production of Elixirs of Immortality quickly. I'll leave this to you, Old Master!"
liǔ sān yī liǎn sù rán ：“ zhòng zhù yào wáng zōng róng guāng ， lǎo fū yì bù róng cí 。 shǎo zhǔ jǐn guǎn fàng xīn biàn shì ！”
柳三一脸肃然：“重铸药王宗荣光，老夫义不容辞。少主尽管放心便是！”
Liu San's expression turned solemn: "Restoring the glory of the Medicine King Sect is my duty. Young Master, rest assured."
dài lǐng yī zhòng dì zǐ ， lái dào yào wáng dǐng zhōng yāng de liàn dān shì nèi ， liǔ sān chén shēng dào ：“ shǎo zhǔ qiě fàng kāi quán xiàn ， ràng wǒ yù shǐ yào wáng zhēn dǐng 。”
带领一众弟子，来到药王鼎中央的炼丹室内，柳三沉声道：“少主且放开权限，让我御使药王真鼎。”
Leading his disciples, they arrived at the alchemy chamber in the center of the Medicine King Cauldron. Liu San said gravely: "Young Master, please relinquish control; let me command the True Medicine King Cauldron."
suí zhe lǐ fán shén niàn yī dòng 、 jiāng cǐ chù de shǐ yòng quán xiàn zàn shí zhuǎn jiāo ， chǎng dì zhōng yāng píng kōng fú xiàn chū yī dào yào dǐng xū yǐng 。
随着李凡神念一动、将此处的使用权限暂时转交，场地中央凭空浮现出一道药鼎虚影。
As Li Fan's spiritual awareness shifted, a virtual cauldron appeared in the air.
liǔ sān xū kōng qīng pāi ， nà xū yǐng biàn yóu shí zhuǎn xū ，“ bāng ” de yī shēng luò zài dì shàng 。
柳三虚空轻拍，那虚影便由实转虚，“梆”的一声落在地上。
Liu San lightly tapped the air, and the virtual image transformed into a real one, which then landed with a thud on the ground: "Line up!"
“ rù liè ！” liǔ sān mù guāng sǎo guò shēn páng zhòng dì zǐ ， qīng shēng hè dào 。
“入列！”柳三目光扫过身旁众弟子，轻声喝道。
Liu San swept his gaze over the ninety-nine selected base cultivators and softly commanded: "Step forward."
yī gòng jiǔ shí jiǔ míng jīng guò tiāo xuǎn ér chū de jīng ruì zhù jī dì zǐ ， fēn fēn yù shǐ zhe zì jǐ de xiǎo yào wáng dǐng ， àn zhào tè dìng de fāng wèi ， zì nèi ér wài 、 yǐ yào wáng zhēn dǐng wèi hé xīn ， zhú jiàn pái kāi 。
一共九十九名经过挑选而出的精锐筑基弟子，纷纷御使着自己的小药王鼎，按照特定的方位，自内而外、以药王真鼎为核心，逐渐排开。
One by one, these elite base cultivators used their own small Medicine King Cauldrons to arrange themselves around the True Medicine King Cauldron in specific positions.
qīng sè guāng máng cóng yào wáng zhēn dǐng zhōng fā chū ， yǐ zhōu wéi xiǎo dǐng wèi jié diǎn ， chà nà jiān róng huì guàn tōng ， zài dì miàn shàng gōu lè chū yí gè wán zhěng dà zhèn yàng mào 。
青色光芒从药王真鼎中发出，以周围小鼎为节点，刹那间融汇贯通，在地面上勾勒出一个完整大阵样貌。
A green light emitted from the True Medicine King Cauldron. It connected with the surrounding smaller cauldrons, instantly forming a complete array pattern on the ground.
“ jì shì cháng shēng dà zhèn me ……” yī páng àn zhōng guān chá de lǐ fán qiáo jiàn zhè yí mù ， ruò yǒu suǒ sī 。
“济世长生大阵么……”一旁暗中观察的李凡瞧见这一幕，若有所思。
"Immortal Longevity Great Array..." Li Fan observed this scene thoughtfully.
zhǐ jiàn liǔ sān quán lì yuǎn zhuǎn cháng shēng jīng ， yī gǔ jīng chún de cháng shēng qīng lì zì zhōng yāng yào wáng zhēn dǐng liú chū ， zài wài liú zhuǎn yī quān ， yòu jīng guò zhèn fǎ de jiā chí 、 cuì liàn ， biàn dé gèng jiā shēng jī àng rán jǐ fēn ， chóng xīn huí dào zhēn dǐng nèi 。
只见柳三全力远转长生经，一股精纯的长生青力自中央药王真鼎流出，再外流转一圈，又经过阵法的加持、淬炼，变得更加生机盎然几分，重新回到真鼎内。
Liu San activated the Immortal Longevity Scripture to its fullest extent, and pure green life force flowed from the True Medicine King Cauldron. It circulated around before being refined by the array, becoming even more vibrant, and returned to the cauldron.
dāng dǐng nèi de cháng shēng qīng lì yǐ jīng rú tóng jī shuǐ bān ， jī zǎn le dà bàn gè dǐng wèi hòu ， liǔ sān biàn kāi shǐ zhú yī jiāng liàn dān suǒ xū de yào cái fàng rù dǐng zhōng 。
当鼎内的长生青力已经如同积水般，积攒了大半个鼎位后，柳三便开始逐一将炼丹所需的药材放入鼎中。
When the green life force in the cauldron had accumulated to half of its capacity, Liu San began adding the required herbs one by one.
líng yào rù dǐng ， cháng shēng qīng lì fǎng fú fèi téng qǐ lái yì bān ， bù tíng jù liè fān yǒng 。
灵药入鼎，长生青力仿佛沸腾起来一般，不停剧烈翻涌。
The spirit herbs entered the cauldron, causing the green life force to boil and churn violently.
ér nà xiē líng yào ， yě zài chà nà jiān róng huà ， xiāo shī yú dǐng zhōng 。 zhēng fā xíng chéng de qì tǐ gèng shì níng ér bù sàn ， zài dǐng de zuì shàng fāng xíng chéng yī dào tòu míng bì zhàng ， zǔ dǎng zhe cháng shēng qīng lì de wài yì 。
而那些灵药，也在刹那间融化，消失于鼎中。蒸发形成的气体更是凝而不散，在鼎的最上方形成一道透明壁障，阻挡着长生青力的外溢。
These spirit herbs melted instantly and vanished into the cauldron. The vapor formed a transparent barrier at the top, preventing the green life force from spilling out.
liǔ sān miàn sè níng zhòng ， gēn jù dǐng nèi zhuàng kuàng ， kòng zhì zhe jiā rù yào cái de shí jī 。
柳三面色凝重，根据鼎内状况，控制着加入药材的时机。
Liu San's expression turned serious as he controlled the timing of adding more herbs based on the situation inside the cauldron.
ér zhōu wéi jiǔ shí jiǔ míng dì zǐ ， zài jié lì cāo zòng xiǎo yào wáng dǐng fǔ zhù de tóng shí ， yě shì zhuā zhù zhè ge nán dé jī huì ， mù bù zhuǎn jīng de dīng zhe liǔ sān liàn dān de guò chéng 。
而周围九十九名弟子，在竭力操纵小药王鼎辅助的同时，也是抓住这个难得机会，目不转睛的盯着柳三炼丹的过程。
The ninety-nine disciples, while desperately operating their small Medicine King Cauldrons to assist, also focused intently on Liu San's alchemical process.
shí jiān yī fēn yī miǎo guò qù 。
时间一分一秒过去。
Time passed slowly.
suí zhe zhū duō yào cái de jiā rù ， cháng shēng qīng lì biàn dé yuè lái yuè nóng chóu ， shèn zhì wǎn rú shí zhì 。
随着诸多药材的加入，长生青力变得越来越浓稠，甚至宛如实质。
As more herbs were added, the green life force became increasingly thick and almost solid.
dào le zuì wèi guān jiàn de shí kè ， liǔ sān dà hē yī shēng ：“ níng ！”
到了最为关键的时刻，柳三大喝一声：“凝！”
At a critical moment, Liu San shouted: "Condense!"
shuō zhe ， cháo zhe zhōng yāng dǐng de wèi zhì líng kōng yī zhǐ 。
说着，朝着中央鼎的位置凌空一指。
He pointed at the center of the cauldron.
shà shí jiān ， yào dǐng zài dù xū huà ， suí hòu cháo zhe zhōng xīn měng dì shōu suō 。
霎时间，药鼎再度虚化，随后朝着中心勐地收缩。
Instantly, the cauldron virtual image reappeared before contracting towards the center.
zài zhè chà nà jiān de yā suō zhōng ， yuán běn jiù yǐ jīng nóng chóu dào jí zhì de cháng shēng qīng lì ， fā shēng le zhì biàn ， wán chéng le yóu yè tài dào gù tài de zhuǎn biàn 。
在这刹那间的压缩中，原本就已经浓稠到极致的长生青力，发生了质变，完成了由液态到固态的转变。
In this brief compression, the already extremely thick green life force underwent a qualitative change, transforming from liquid to solid.
yào wáng zhēn dǐng xū yǐng bú jiàn ， zhǐ jiàn kōng zhōng tíng liú 、 xuán zhuǎn zhe yí gè sàn fà zhe nóng yù shēng jī de qīng sè dān yào 。
药王真鼎虚影不见，只见空中停留、旋转着一个散发着浓郁生机的青色丹药。
The True Medicine King Cauldron's virtual image vanished. Instead, a vibrant green pill hovered and rotated in mid-air.
yī gǔ nóng yù de yào xiāng ， zì qí zhōng sàn fà ér chū 。
一股浓郁的药香，自其中散发而出。
A strong medicinal aroma emanated from it.
zài chǎng suǒ yǒu xiū shì ， bāo kuò liǔ sān ， zài wén dào zhè gǔ yào xiāng de shùn jiān ， yǎn zhōng dū xià yì shí de shǎn guò yī sī tān lán 。
在场所有修士，包括柳三，在闻到这股药香的瞬间，眼中都下意识的闪过一丝贪婪。
All present cultivators, including Liu San, instinctively showed signs of greed when they smelled this fragrance.
dàn liǔ sān bì jìng shì hé dào xiū shì ， mǎ shàng cóng yì cháng zhōng fǎn yìng guò lái 。
但柳三毕竟是合道修士，马上从异常中反应过来。
But as a realm-bonded cultivator, Liu San quickly recovered his composure and shouted: "No good!"
liǎn sè wēi biàn ， hū de dà hē yī shēng ：“ bù hǎo ！”
脸色微变，忽的大喝一声：“不好！”
He lunged forward with an enormous hand, capturing the newly refined Elixir of Immortality within it.
suí hòu xiàng qián zhuā chū ， xíng chéng yī zhī jù dà de shǒu zhǎng ， jiāng gāng gāng liàn zhì ér chū de cháng shēng dān lǒng zhào zài nèi 。
随后向前抓出，形成一只巨大的手掌，将刚刚炼制而出的长生丹笼罩在内。
"Ah?"
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
Just as everyone was puzzled, a loud explosion sounded from inside Liu San's palm.
jiù zài zhòng rén yǒu xiē bù jiě de shí hòu ， biàn tīng dào yī shēng jù dà de bào zhà shēng cóng liǔ sān zhǎng xīn zhōng chuán lái 。
就在众人有些不解的时候，便听到一声巨大的爆炸声从柳三掌心中传来。
Liu San's body trembled. Even though he quickly retracted his hand, his face still showed signs of embarrassment.
liǔ sān shēn qū wēi chàn ， jí biàn hěn kuài jiù dàn dìng de shōu huí shǒu zhǎng ， dàn shì réng rán nán yǐ yǎn shì tā liǎn shàng de nà yī sī gān gà 。
柳三身躯微颤，即便很快就澹定的收回手掌，但是仍然难以掩饰他脸上的那一丝尴尬。
"Is this... a failed alchemy attempt?"
】
】
Li Fan and the Medicine King Sect disciples looked at Liu San with strange eyes.
“ zhè shì ， liàn dān shī bài le ？”
“这是，炼丹失败了？”
"Cough cough..."
lǐ fán yǐ jí zhū wèi yào wáng zōng dì zǐ ， jiē shì yòng guǐ yì de mù guāng kàn zhe liǔ sān 。
李凡以及诸位药王宗弟子，皆是用诡异的目光看着柳三。
Liu San cleared his throat and softly explained: "I forgot about the cosmic upheaval and still used my previous method. So..."
“ hāi hāi ……”
“咳咳……”
"But it's not a big deal; just make some minor adjustments."
liǔ sān qīng ké le yī shēng ， qīng shēng jiě shì dào ：“ wǒ wàng le tiān dì jù biàn ， yī rán hái yòng zhī qián de shǒu fǎ qù liàn dān ， suǒ yǐ ……”
柳三轻咳了一声，轻声解释道：“我忘了天地巨变，依然还用之前的手法去炼丹，所以……”
"Next time, next time will definitely be fine," Liu San said confidently.
“ bù guò wèn tí bù dà ， zhǐ xū yào xiē xǔ xì wēi tiáo zhěng biàn shì 。”
“不过问题不大，只需要些许细微调整便是。”
Li Fan nodded but didn't say much more.
“ xià yī cì ， xià yī cì yí dìng méi wèn tí 。” liǔ sān xìn shì dàn dàn dào 。
“下一次，下一次一定没问题。”柳三信誓旦旦道。
Liu San then conjured another virtual Medicine King Cauldron to start refining the Elixir of Immortality again.
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ， bìng méi yǒu duō shuō shén me 。
李凡点点头，并没有多说什么。
Although there was no explosion this time, the final product...
yú shì ， liǔ sān zài dù níng jù chū yī zūn yào wáng dǐng xū yǐng ， kāi shǐ le cháng shēng dān de liàn zhì 。
于是，柳三再度凝聚出一尊药王鼎虚影，开始了长生丹的炼制。
Li Fan's face twitched as he examined the half-green, half-purple pill in his hand.
zhè cì suī rán méi yǒu bào zhà ， dàn shì liàn zhì chū lái de chéng pǐn ……
这次虽然没有爆炸，但是炼制出来的成品……
Liu San's expression couldn't hold back any longer and shouted: "Again!"
lǐ fán kàn zhuó shǒu zhōng zhè méi bàn qīng bàn zǐ de dān yào ， liǎn chōu le chōu 。
李凡看着手中这枚半青半紫的丹药，脸抽了抽。
The disciples, intimidated by their elder's anger, obediently continued to cooperate.
liǔ sān liǎn shàng yǒu xiē guà bú zhù le ， nù hè dào ：“ zài lái ！”
柳三脸上有些挂不住了，怒喝道：“再来！”
After three attempts, they finally successfully refined a qualified Elixir of Immortality.
zhǎng lǎo fā nù ， zhòng dì zǐ fēn fēn jìn ruò hán zhàn ， zhǐ dé jì xù pèi hé 。
长老发怒，众弟子纷纷噤若寒战，只得继续配合。
Only then did Liu San breathe a sigh of relief.
"The exact location of the Immortal Longevity Valley is still unclear, but I've already purchased a batch of raw materials needed for refining the Elixir of Immortality from the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror."
Saying this, Li Fan waved his hand, and a storage ring instantly appeared in mid-air.
"Old Master Liu, please take a look at the quality. Can it meet our alchemical needs?" Li Fan asked.
Liu San took over the ring and examined it before his expression turned surprised: "Of excellent quality; most of these are spirit herbs that have grown for more than a hundred years. Young Master, did you specifically select them?"
Li Fan shook his head: "They're just ordinary spirit plants sold in the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror."
Liu San couldn't help but feel a sense of awe: "The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders' Association have unified the cultivation world and integrated resources from all under heaven. Indeed, they are quite generous."
"In our time, even the Ten Sects of Daoism would struggle to provide such high-quality spirit herbs in large quantities."
Li Fan smiled and agreed: "Perhaps it's also due to most cultivators having died off. The scale of the cultivation world today is far less than what we had back then. For instance, with our thousand or so people at the Medicine King Sect, we were just a medium-sized sect during ancient times. In one state, there could be countless such sects."
"But now..."
Li Fan paused: "If all of us suddenly appeared, it might directly cause a sensation throughout the world and attract the attention of Immortal Realm experts."
Liu San was startled and frowned slightly: "I noticed this issue while flying over several states. The cultivation world is much more desolate than before. With vast expanses of empty land, one rarely sees cultivators outside fixed cities. Back then, any mountain with a spirit vein would have been occupied by cultivators."
"Big trees attract wind. Today's Immortal Realm experts and those who defy the laws of nature are probably stronger than the elders in the Ten Sects of Daoism. If we reveal ourselves from ancient times to now, it might draw others' envy."
"Young Master, your decision is correct. Dispersing our efforts into the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and hiding under the radar is the best way for us to recover quickly without drawing attention," Liu San said with a relieved look in his eyes.
"Currently, everything here depends on contribution points. We already owe Fellow Daoist Zhou some. Although he doesn't say anything, if we don't show any returns soon, it might cause problems. The only surefire solution is to bind us as a single interest group."
Li Fan explained: "Trust cannot be easily gained; only shared interests endure. So, we must stabilize the production of Elixirs of Immortality quickly. I'll leave this to you, Old Master!"
Liu San's expression turned solemn: "Restoring the glory of the Medicine King Sect is my duty. Young Master, rest assured."
Leading his disciples, they arrived at the alchemy chamber in the center of the Medicine King Cauldron. Liu San said gravely: "Young Master, please relinquish control; let me command the True Medicine King Cauldron."
As Li Fan's spiritual awareness shifted, a virtual cauldron appeared in the air.
Liu San lightly tapped the air, and the virtual image transformed into a real one, which then landed with a thud on the ground: "Line up!"
Liu San swept his gaze over the ninety-nine selected base cultivators and softly commanded: "Step forward."
One by one, these elite base cultivators used their own small Medicine King Cauldrons to arrange themselves around the True Medicine King Cauldron in specific positions.
A green light emitted from the True Medicine King Cauldron. It connected with the surrounding smaller cauldrons, instantly forming a complete array pattern on the ground.
"Immortal Longevity Great Array..." Li Fan observed this scene thoughtfully.
Liu San activated the Immortal Longevity Scripture to its fullest extent, and pure green life force flowed from the True Medicine King Cauldron. It circulated around before being refined by the array, becoming even more vibrant, and returned to the cauldron.
When the green life force in the cauldron had accumulated to half of its capacity, Liu San began adding the required herbs one by one.
"Pfft..."
The spirit herbs entered the cauldron, causing the green life force to boil and churn violently.
These spirit herbs melted instantly and vanished into the cauldron. The vapor formed a transparent barrier at the top, preventing the green life force from spilling out.
Liu San's expression turned serious as he controlled the timing of adding more herbs based on the situation inside the cauldron.
The ninety-nine disciples, while desperately operating their small Medicine King Cauldrons to assist, also focused intently on Liu San's alchemical process.
Time passed slowly.
As more herbs were added, the green life force became increasingly thick and almost solid.
At a critical moment, Liu San shouted: "Condense!"
He pointed at the center of the cauldron.
Instantly, the cauldron virtual image reappeared before contracting towards the center.
In this brief compression, the already extremely thick green life force underwent a qualitative change, transforming from liquid to solid.
The True Medicine King Cauldron's virtual image vanished. Instead, a vibrant green pill hovered and rotated in mid-air.
A strong medicinal aroma emanated from it.
All present cultivators, including Liu San, instinctively showed signs of greed when they smelled this fragrance.
But as a realm-bonded cultivator, Liu San quickly recovered his composure and shouted: "No good!"
He lunged forward with an enormous hand, capturing the newly refined Elixir of Immortality within it.
"Ah?"
Just as everyone was puzzled, a loud explosion sounded from inside Liu San's palm.
Liu San's body trembled. Even though he quickly retracted his hand, his face still showed signs of embarrassment.
"Is this... a failed alchemy attempt?"
Li Fan and the Medicine King Sect disciples looked at Liu San with strange eyes.
"Cough cough..."
Liu San cleared his throat and softly explained: "I forgot about the cosmic upheaval and still used my previous method. So..."
"But it's not a big deal; just make some minor adjustments."
"Next time, next time will definitely be fine," Liu San said confidently.
Li Fan nodded but didn't say much more.
Liu San then conjured another virtual Medicine King Cauldron to start refining the Elixir of Immortality again.
Although there was no explosion this time, the final product...
Li Fan's face twitched as he examined the half-green, half-purple pill in his hand.
Liu San's expression couldn't hold back any longer and shouted: "Again!"
The disciples, intimidated by their elder's anger, obediently continued to cooperate.
After three attempts, they finally successfully refined a qualified Elixir of Immortality.
Only then did Liu San breathe a sigh of relief.