Swallowing the Heavens with a Single Breath

“It’s fake. Chu Ling’er is still alive.”

Leng Yunshang suddenly appeared behind Xu Yi, making it clear that she had been watching the previous events unfold.

Xu Yi asked, “How can you be so sure?”

Leng Yunshang replied calmly, “If one party dies, the Heaven-Bestowed Marriage Contract will naturally dissipate.”

“The information about Chu Ling’er is something I saw with my own eyes on the marriage contract back then. It cannot be false.”

“Therefore, Chu Ling’er must still be alive.”

Xu Yi thought for a moment. “If the historical records my family has are flawed, then my only option is to try my luck at the City Lord’s Mansion.”

He felt a headache coming on.

The City Lord’s Mansion was powerful, and much more prestigious than the Xu family.

How could he possibly gain access to borrow books from the City Lord’s Mansion?

Leng Yunshang’s voice was cold. “In this world, strength is respected. As long as you’re strong enough, you can obtain whatever you want.”

“Right now, the reason your cultivation speed is limited is due to the concentration of spiritual energy. In small places like this, it’s difficult to find places where spiritual energy is abundant.”

“Therefore, I suggest you accelerate your cultivation by consuming elixirs.”

“Uh… who doesn’t know that elixirs are great? But they’re way too expensive; I can’t afford them…” Xu Yi responded.

“You can make them yourself,” Leng Yunshang stated plainly.

“I have significant knowledge in alchemy. Teaching you how to make elixirs is more than within my capabilities.”

Alchemy?

Xu Yi’s heart stirred as he recalled a traveling alchemist who had once visited Qingshuang City, someone the City Lord had personally received.

In Qingshuang City, any alchemist would be considered an honored guest!

“If I can become an alchemist, not only could I enhance my cultivation speed through consuming elixirs, but I might even be invited to the City Lord’s Mansion!”

Xu Yi clapped his hands in excitement, but then his expression fell. “But to learn alchemy, I’d need herbs, wouldn’t I? I’m flat broke right now and can’t afford the ingredients…”

Leng Yunshang’s tone remained indifferent. “It seems you still don’t understand the true potential of the Heaven-Bestowed Marriage Contract.”

“From the moment you opened the contract between us, a mysterious connection was formed.”

“Through this connection, you can gain all of my cultivation experiences.”

“Naturally, this includes alchemy.”

“Is that even possible?” Xu Yi was pleasantly surprised.

“But why haven’t I sensed this mysterious connection?” he asked.

“How am I supposed to access your cultivation knowledge?”

“My experiences and memories are too vast for you to absorb all at once,” Leng Yunshang explained. With a wave of her hand, Xu Yi suddenly felt a heaviness in his head, as though he might fall asleep at any moment.

“Go now, and immerse yourself in my alchemy knowledge…”

Xu Yi drifted off into a deep sleep right there in the Xu family’s library.

…

In the darkness, Xu Yi felt as if he had become a little girl standing before a massive alchemy furnace, continuously tossing various herbs into it.

“The most important aspect of alchemy is controlling the heat.”

“If the heat is too high, the herbs will burn to ashes…”

“On the other hand, if it’s too low, you won’t be able to extract the medicinal liquid…”

“First, use spirit fire to control the heat…”

“Then, refine the medicinal liquid…”

“Purple Vein Flower, Deer Revival Grass, and Moon Dew Root are the ingredients for making the Vitality Pill, but each herb requires different temperatures for refinement…”

“Finally, form the pill…”

It was as if Xu Yi was personally refining the pills. Like a sponge, he eagerly absorbed all of Leng Yunshang’s experiences related to making the Vitality Pill.

After countless failures, he finally succeeded!

The surrounding darkness gradually brightened.

Leng Yunshang nodded approvingly. “Not bad. You’re now capable of reliably refining Vitality Pills with one cloud pattern. If you’re in good form, you might even manage to create a two-cloud pattern Vitality Pill.”

“I’ve already imparted more than half of my knowledge on Vitality Pill refinement to you.”

“Cloud patterns?” Xu Yi asked in confusion.

“Cloud patterns indicate the quality of the elixir. The more cloud patterns, the stronger the medicinal effects,” Leng Yunshang explained.

She continued with a hint of praise, “To achieve this level in three days shows that you have some talent for alchemy.”

“Three days have passed?” Xu Yi was startled and quickly stood up. His expression suddenly changed.

“My… my cultivation level?”

He was filled with disbelief. “How did I reach the peak of the fourth level of Martial Disciple?”

What happened? How did he sit there for three days and suddenly break through to the fourth level?

Now, he was even on the verge of reaching the fifth level!

For an ordinary martial artist, breaking through from the third to the fourth level of Martial Disciple would be considered exceptional if achieved in two months.

And yet, he had managed it just by sitting there for three days without actively cultivating?

“There’s no need to be so surprised,” Leng Yunshang said calmly. “Both your chaotic physique and the Supreme Chaos Method allow for continuous, automatic cultivation.”

“If not for the low concentration of spiritual energy in this region, you would likely already be at the sixth level of Martial Disciple.”

“That’s… amazing!” Xu Yi’s delight was unmistakable.

“Now, go and get certified as an alchemist. The sooner you become an alchemist, the sooner you’ll be able to find clues about Chu Ling’er.”

“The sooner you find Chu Ling’er, the sooner your life will be secured.”

“I understand.” Xu Yi nodded, greeted his parents, and then left the Xu family estate, heading straight for Qingshuang City’s only Alchemy Pavilion.

Half an hour later, at the top floor of the Qingshuang City Alchemy Pavilion.

The guild’s sole alchemist, Master Ma, scrutinized Xu Yi, who was dressed in a black cloak and wearing a silver mask, completely concealing his identity. Master Ma frowned slightly.

“So, you’re the one seeking alchemist certification?”

Xu Yi nodded.

Master Ma spoke in a low voice, “If you’ve come here, you should know that passing the alchemist certification requires successfully refining a batch of level-one elixirs, and you only get three attempts!”

“I understand,” Xu Yi replied with a nod.

“Very well. What elixir do you plan to make?” Master Ma asked.

“The Vitality Pill.”

Master Ma’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you certain? Although the Vitality Pill is remarkable among level-one elixirs, its difficulty is equally high.”

“I’ve seen many alchemists fail when using the Vitality Pill for certification.”

“Young man, I suggest you choose something simpler, like the Bone-Strengthening Pill.”

Xu Yi remained calm. “Since I’ve chosen the Vitality Pill, I’m confident in my abilities.”

“Let’s not waste time. Let’s begin.”

“Such arrogance!” Master Ma’s brows furrowed as he gestured towards the alchemy furnace. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you fail all three attempts, you’ll be responsible for the cost of the herbs and banned from entering the Alchemy Pavilion for three years!”

“If you’re prepared, then proceed.”

Xu Yi stepped up to the alchemy platform, performed a hand seal, and blue spiritual flames erupted from beneath the furnace, sending waves of heat rolling outward.

Seeing this, Master Ma’s expression improved slightly.

This level of fire control was quite impressive; even some level-one alchemists would struggle to achieve it.

It seemed this person wasn’t just trying to show off, but Master Ma still doubted that Xu Yi could successfully refine a Vitality Pill.

If Xu Yi had chosen a simpler elixir like the Bone-Strengthening Pill, his chances of success would be much higher.

Out of concern for potential talent, Master Ma spoke up once more, “Young man, I’ll give you one more chance to change your mind. You should reconsider…”

However, before Master Ma could finish his sentence, his words trailed off.

Xu Yi had already selected three herbs—Purple Vein Flower, Deer Revival Grass, and Moon Dew Root—and tossed them all into the furnace at once.

Master Ma’s eyes widened in shock as he stood up abruptly. “What are you doing?!”

“How dare you throw them all in together? These herbs have different properties and require different temperatures to form the medicinal liquid!”

“By doing this, you’re going to ruin the entire batch of Vitality Pills!”

“Stop talking nonsense and just watch,” Xu Yi said confidently, his hands moving without hesitation.

This was a technique he had learned from Leng Yunshang—Ghost Hand of the Alchemy God, which allowed simultaneous refinement of different herbs, greatly increasing the success rate of forming pills.

Master Ma was taken aback, then his brows furrowed. No one had ever spoken to him like this before!

He was so furious that his beard quivered. “Outrageous! If you fail to form the pills, prepare to face the wrath of the Alchemy Pavilion!”

“Oh? And what if I succeed?” Xu Yi asked casually, all while refining the pills.

“Succeeding with such recklessness? If you do, I’ll acknowledge you as my master right here and now!” Master Ma scoffed.

“Deal!”

Xu Yi’s gaze sharpened as his hand trembled slightly in the air. Suddenly, his right hand turned a jade-like white!

At that moment, the flames from the spirit fire array shifted in response to his hand’s movements.

The flames’ color deepened or lightened, and the intensity grew higher or lower.

Master Ma was stunned. He realized that the flames surrounding the furnace had been divided into three distinct strands, each at a different temperature corresponding to a separate area.

His heart trembled violently.

He was well aware of the exact temperatures needed to transform Purple Vein Flower, Deer Revival Grass, and Moon Dew Root into medicinal liquids.

And the three strands of flames controlled by Xu Yi were perfectly aligned with those temperatures!

Simultaneously refining three types of medicinal liquids in a single furnace and merging them into pills—what a remarkable technique!

Master Ma felt his scalp tingle as if a new door had opened before him.

This level of skill far exceeded that of a mere level-one alchemist and reached a height that commanded his admiration.

Moreover, because the three medicinal liquids were refined together, the chance of forming pills was greatly increased!

Master Ma was dumbfounded. He never expected that the person before him was truly a master of alchemy!

Time passed bit by bit.

Suddenly, Xu Yi reached into the furnace and scooped with his jade-like hand. When he opened his palm, five perfectly round, dark-colored Vitality Pills lay there.

Master Ma’s heart jolted, and he exclaimed in disbelief, “Five! You refined five Vitality Pills in one batch?! How is that even possible?”

He had been refining elixirs for ten years and knew how difficult it was to succeed. His own success rate was only around thirty to forty percent.

Moreover, he had only ever managed to refine one pill at a time, with two pills being an extremely rare occurrence.

But this young man had managed to produce five pills in one batch, and he did it so quickly!

It was utterly unbelievable!

Staring at the pills in Xu Yi’s hand, Master Ma couldn’t take his eyes off them. Suddenly, he noticed some faint patterns on the pills.

“Could it be…” He seemed to realize something and took a closer look, his eyes widening once more.

“Are those… cloud patterns?”