Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

“Then let’s schedule the public alchemy demonstration for five days from now. All alchemists certified by the guild will be granted entry. As for non-alchemist cultivators, I appreciate their interest, but that will suffice.” Gu Yao made it clear that neither he nor Chi Changye had the time or interest to meet with everyone individually.

“Very well. I will announce this immediately.” Hu Ting cast a glance at the eager elders. “You all need to give Alchemist Gu some space to rest and properly prepare for the demonstration. And remember, any materials required for the alchemy process will be provided by the guild. There’s no reason for Alchemist Gu to bear the costs himself.”

“Understood. I’ll compile a list of necessary materials shortly,” Gu Yao agreed without objection.

As the meeting concluded, Elder Hao eagerly volunteered to escort Gu Yao and his companions to a private courtyard for rest. Each elder had their own designated space within the guild, and though Gu Yao had never appeared publicly before, arrangements for his personal courtyard had long been made. Any required adjustments were handled promptly.

Hu Ting quickly issued an official announcement across the guild, stirring great excitement among the certified alchemists who eagerly awaited the event. Those not yet certified scrambled to register for assessments, hopeful they could qualify in time.

Meanwhile, visiting cultivators lamented being excluded from the demonstration, realizing the entry barrier effectively shut them out. Despite this, the once-chaotic scene outside the guild began to improve as the crowd thinned, leaving primarily alchemists and aspiring practitioners.

The five days passed swiftly. Gu Yao and Chi Changye remained unseen, save for submitting a list of herbs needed for the demonstration. However, observant elders noticed a portly young man frequently accompanying Hu Ting, who treated him with warmth and kindness.

Recalling past rumors, some elders pieced things together—no wonder Hu Ting had such a strong rapport with Gu Yao. It seemed he had entrusted his own grandson to learn by Gu Yao’s side long ago.

“Wait a second—didn’t this chubby kid start following Gu Yao back when they first appeared at Tianfu Academy? They already knew a lot about Gu Yao back then. Did they foresee his current achievements, or was it just sheer luck?”

Regardless of the answer, Hu Ting’s reunion with his capable grandson brought well-meaning congratulations from the elders. This time, Hu Ting didn’t deny their assumptions and even introduced his grandson formally, ending with a heap of welcome gifts. Tian Feirong was envious—such gifts from the elders were undoubtedly of high value.

As Gu Yao stepped out of his room, he saw the chubby youth and Tian Feirong waiting outside. With a smile, he asked, “Still wearing the mask? Aren’t you going to take it off?”

The youth touched his face and shrugged, “I’m used to facing other cultivators like this. Taking it off now would feel strange. Besides, not many know my identity, and those elders won’t gossip about it.”

Gu Yao patted his shoulder. The decision was his to make, though it was clear that if those from the academy or Cuiyan Valley learned the truth, it would surely cause a stir—likely with the youth being treated like a mascot.

The four of them exited the courtyard, where an elder and several guild staff members were waiting to guide them to the guild’s internal plaza. This space was typically reserved for public alchemy demonstrations by the guild’s president, elders, or senior members. However, entry requirements for this event were stricter.

The elder chuckled, “Since we announced the entry criteria for your demonstration, the number of alchemists seeking guild certification has skyrocketed.”

Gu Yao modestly replied, “It shows our guild truly resonates with alchemists.”

The elder stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “As expected, just as President Hu said—you’ve achieved so much at a young age, yet remain humble. That temperament is much like Hu Ting’s. No wonder you all get along so well.”

The plaza was packed with a sea of alchemists. Gu Yao raised an eyebrow, impressed by the gathering of alchemists at Alchemist’s Cauldron City. Although most were ninth-tier alchemists, their numbers alone made them a force that no faction could ignore, emphasizing the city’s growing importance.

“Look, that’s Alchemist Gu! So young—and handsome too! Ah, he smiled at me!”

“No, he smiled at all of us, not just you! Alchemist Gu is the reason I chose to become an alchemist without hesitation!”

“Senior Chi really has stuck by Alchemist Gu’s side. Even after becoming the strongest person on the Tianlin Continent, he still follows him. Senior Chi, you’re amazing!”

This remark came from a combat-obsessed alchemist, who stood out in the crowd. Some sword-wielding alchemists were also present, inspired by Chi Changye’s dual expertise in swordsmanship and talisman crafting.

Even these outliers were drowned out by the overwhelming admiration for Gu Yao from the crowd, especially among young alchemists. Their fervor mirrored the martial cultivators’ reverence for Chi Changye, as both had achieved remarkable heights in their respective fields.

Hu Ting raised a hand, signaling the crowd to quiet down. Silence swiftly followed as he briefly addressed them before handing the stage over to Gu Yao.

Today, the plaza belonged to him alone.

Gu Yao didn’t waste any time. After scanning the crowd, he took out his alchemy furnace, the spirit tool-level furnace that had come from the Cangkun Secret Realm. The elders and Hu Ting likely guessed its origins, as it had only appeared by Gu Yao’s side after the secret realm closed.

To one side, the Artifact Masters Guild had set up a rotating jade stone barrier to display the alchemical process. The pills Gu Yao crafted would be projected onto the barrier for everyone to see. After briefly explaining the key points of the alchemy process, Gu Yao ignited the furnace, and the plaza immediately fell silent. The images on the barrier projected the central stage, making it easier for those farther away to see the process clearly.

The stage was positioned at the center of the small plaza, surrounded by spectators in the stands. Despite countless eyes watching, Gu Yao felt no pressure. He began with low-grade ninth-tier pills and deliberately slowed his speed so everyone could clearly follow the process.

Even with the slowed pace, his movements looked effortless—so natural and smooth. The elders watching gradually became engrossed in the process.

Soon, there were pills emerging from the furnace—perfectly round, top-tier pills that astonished the alchemists in the plaza. They had heard rumors that Gu Yao could easily craft top-tier pills, but those rumors originated in the secret realm, so many had doubted them.

Now, it was clear—Gu Yao had been holding back in his usual practice.

He produced several representative ninth-tier low-grade pills in one go, and all of them were top-tier without a single mistake. This skill left all the alchemists present in awe.

Low-grade ninth-tier pills, middle-grade ninth-tier pills, high-grade ninth-tier pills—each was perfected into a top-tier pill, which also left the elders beside the stage wide-eyed. They saw even more clearly than the alchemists in the crowd. The most impressive aspect of Gu Yao’s alchemy was his impeccable control. Some had claimed his extraordinary talent came from his powerful soul, and after witnessing this, it was clear that this explanation was not wrong.

Additionally, it was evident that Gu Yao was highly familiar with all sorts of spirit herbs. He could easily work with them, even with his eyes closed, which showed that despite his outstanding talent, he had also spent considerable time familiarizing himself with various herbs and mastering their properties.

The pair of senior siblings who had crossed paths with Gu Yao earlier were also present in the stands. Because Elder Hao had noticed them, they were given a closer spot. They could follow along with Gu Yao’s crafting of intermediate pills, but when it came to advanced pills, they struggled. Eventually, they had to look away, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. They had tried to follow the steps using their spiritual senses, but for advanced pills, their spiritual sense wasn’t strong enough. Continuing would only lead to backlash.

They exchanged glances, filled with admiration and shock. Normally, when hearing others praise Gu Yao to the heavens, some of them felt uncomfortable, thinking there was no way a mere alchemist could reach such heights. But now, seeing it with their own eyes, they realized that those praises weren’t exaggerated—they were actually understated. The praise hadn’t even mentioned that Gu Yao could produce top-tier pills with every furnace.

If there hadn’t been so many cultivators present, word of Gu Yao’s skill might have been dismissed as exaggeration.

“Senior Brother, I feel like I’ve seen Gu Yao before. When he first arrived, we met four cultivators at the entrance of a shop. I think it was Gu Yao and his companions,” said the younger sister, her gaze fixed on Gu Yao’s profile. The more she looked, the more familiar it seemed.

“Could it be? Why would Gu Yao need to go to such a small place?” The senior brother asked, doubtful. The spirit herbs in that shop were mostly used for refining ninth-tier pills. In his opinion, Gu Yao’s standards should be much higher than that—there’s no way he would pay attention to such low-grade herbs.

The younger sister smiled bitterly. In the end, it probably didn’t matter. They had crossed paths that day and failed to recognize him, and now, she feared it would be hard to get close to him in the future. She realized that over these past few days, all the praise from those around her had made her a little carried away, but compared to Gu Yao, the difference was as vast as the sky and the earth.

Gu Yao continued to refine pills on the small plaza for an entire ten days and nights, never changing his position. When he became overly fatigued, he would take some pills to replenish himself and then continue. Although there were some failures, his success rate and the quality of the pills he produced were nothing short of miraculous for the alchemy world of the Tianlin Continent.

The entire alchemy process was recorded by a Stone of Remembrance, which would become an important collection for the Alchemist Guild, available for alchemists visiting the guild to view.

In the final stage, he refined eighth-tier high-grade pills. Although it looked somewhat taxing, the product was still top-grade, causing the elders to turn green with envy. They, too, desired to refine top-tier high-grade pills. However, success in creating top-tier pills depended on chance, and the probability was extremely low. Each elder secretly planned to use their resources to make a trade with Gu Yao once the alchemy session was over.