Page 20: Some Truths

Long Bai has been cultivating the whole night in his room. Everyday was work for him but the task was nothing heavy. After a week from the awakening ceremony, the four of them; Ling Tian, Ah Mu, and Yue had been separated and was assigned to their respective places. Ling Tian and Ah Mu served the same master so they stay at the same place while Yue was taken into the sect leader's courtyard. The three of them had been learning directly from their masters while Long Bai had only relied on the library to increase his knowledge.

Due to Long Bai's relations to the three, the elder who took Ling Tian and Ah Mu recommended him as a medicine helper of an inner disciple who works at the alchemy house. Although it was a small position, Long Bai was satisfied with it compared to being stationed at the outer courts to work with hard labor. Another ups for Long Bai was that everything he learns about medicine is being added into the system. It was as if the system creates an archive of information and sorts it automatically for easy access. Long Bai thought that maybe he would also be able to create pills in the future. For now, since the start of his stay, he had been collecting information from books about spiritual herbs and pill formula as he try to steal glances on his senior's pill creation.

Right now, Long Bai is satisfied with his cultivation results. It was a five day worth of cultivation and he was able to reach the middle layer (4th). At the same time, his essence core has also progressed. If he was still outside, it might take him a month where resources are scarce. If outer disciples receives ten red essence shards a week, inner disciples must be receiving more aside from the personal teaching of their master. Before going to his chores, he gave his system one more check.

[STATUS

Cultivation: Flesh Tempering Layer (middle- 4th)

Core grade: High (51% in progress)

Skills

Movement skills:

~Flash steps(mastered)

~Ghostly steps(untrained)

- requirement: use essence with Flash Steps to reach the initial success

- can be evolved upon mastery

Martial skills:

~Sword of Twelve Critical Strikes (mastered)

~Sky Sword of Critical Strikes (untrained)

- requirement: integrate essence into sword strikes to reach initial success

- can be evolved upon mastery

Cultivation Base: (in progress) ]

The last time Long Bai checked his status, the Cultivation Base was labeled with "none" but after the construction of his essence, there was the notice of being constructed in progress. According to his senior sister who works at the alchemy house, Cultivation Bases are the foundational techniques that a cultivator uses to cultivate. Some cultivation bases were focused on learning the sword like the Sword Heart Mantra that the sect leader is using. Upon cultivating it, the world essence is absorbed and transformed into a sword's characteristics which takes forms depending on the person's talent. Other cultivation bases focus on the elements just like the Lotus Flame Heart that utilizes the fire essence. If a person cultivates an elemental based cultivation, that person will be immune to that specific element however, he can only efficiently absorb that element's essence to further his cultivation. If that person absorbs the world essence instead, the efficiency goes down and the growth will be slow. Some other cultivation that his senior sister enumerated were the Ghost Manipulation technique that is deemed evil by most sects and another one is the Golden Ape Body that is practiced by Body Cultivators. Without a cultivation base, the rate of cultivation is slower compared to someone who practices one. It was like a manual that teaches a person how to manipulate the essence into their body for their benefit. However even if a person has a good core grade, it would become meaningless without an abundant resources. Taking the essence in a normal surrounding would not be enough for a cultivator who aims for a higher level.

The changes in the system were not just these. Some miscellaneous options has been modified too.

[Options:

Cultivation status: (Faked)

~Fake info: Flesh Tempering stage (initial- 1st)

* Anyone below the Bone Tempering layer sees the fake info input above.

Appraisal: Passive...]

Now Long Bai is ready to proceed to the alchemy house where his senior sister works. As for his senior sister, she is working as an apprentice of a grade 4 alchemist, the highest in the entire merchant city. Although the elder was the highest of rank in the city, he would just look like a puppy to an alchemist from a 2nd rate sects where they can even have as high as grade 7. As for an alchemist that surpassed grade 10, they are called alchemy grandmasters. The number of alchemy grandmasters are too scarce that even in a first rate sect, you would only find one. Although alchemists tend to have lower cultivations since they focus in making pills and weapons, they are respected greatly second only to sect leaders. Such power they hold but they seldomly join in the power struggles in a sect. However, people with the backing of a high level alchemist will be able to wield greater command. As for the alchemist's grade, this is an evaluation done by the alchemy tower. Only an alchemist of a higher rank can administer a test. Once approved, then a badge with carved number in it is given to the person.

Long Bai has reached the pill room of his senior. Upon entry, he could smell the aroma of spiritual herbs wafting around the room. These herbs were picked by some outer disciples while Long Bai is responsible for preparing them. As a medicine boy, Long Bai reaps a small benefit from it. After the spiritual herbs are used by her senior sister, she allows him to use the left over dregs for practice. Although the amount of essence is already almost used up, this was not a concern to Bai since what he aims is to register information to the system as much as possible. The little essence present is utilized for a one-time practice and at the same time, he can increase the efficiency little by little.

For an alchemist to create a pill, the ingredients and the amount of temperature must be memorized. Writing it in a memo is also a choice but such methods could only bring a huge disadvantage. Pill recipes on written papers can be stolen and be claimed by another people. Since there are no copyright laws, a person must take effort in keeping records. Although this is true, common pill recipes are still present and are available to the general populace. Even a person knows the recipe, that person won't be able to create the pill without the materials, the equipments and the necessary skills. This is true to grade 1,2 and some grade three pills.

[STATUS

Alchemy level: Beginner

~grade 1 pills (80% efficiency)

-low grade (60%)

-middle grade (15 %)

-high grade (5%)

-mystic grade (0%) *presence of pill vein

~grade 2 pills (no data)

*Beginner alchemist are self taught. They can control an amount of essence to make a quantity of 10 grade 1 pills atmost. ]

Just as he finished setting up the materials and the herbs according to the preparatory manual, the door of the room opened. A woman of elegance and purity has blessed the room by her presence, is what Long Bai wants to express but such words just don't match with the person who just came. Even though she holds the title of "Four Goddess" in the sect, in Bai's experience, this person should be described as a bipolar. She might behave nicely outside but once she's near her furnace, everything changes.

[Zhang Li

Age: 18

Cultivation lvl: Visceral Tempering layer (initial- 3rd)

Core grade: High ]

On her waist, an alchemy tower's badge is hanging and on it is a number "1". She was a certified grade 1 alchemist, an alchemist that can make a grade 1 pill.

Long Bai looked at his senior and was immediately startled by the abrupt and loud voice.

"Hey, brat! Did you fixed what I needed? I will be making a grade 2 pill today. Don't slack- off while I work. Let's begin!"

"Yes Senior sister Li. I already preheat your pill furnace. You may proceed."

Long Bai stayed beside Senior Li and watched the whole process one after another attempts. Prepare the ingredients, collect the dregs, and clean the furnace. This was his routine every time his senior sister uses the room and as this continues, data collected keeps better and better raising the efficiency for each formula.

[STATUS

Alchemy level: Beginner

~grade 1 pills (% efficiency)

-low grade (60%)

-middle grade (19 %)

-high grade (1%)

-mystic grade (0%) *presence of pill vein

~grade 2 pills

-low grade (30%)

-middle grade

*Self taught, a beginner. You can control a certain amount of essence to make a quantity of 10 grade 1 pills atmost. ]