566-577

566 Live Demonstration

When Wang Shuren made her appearance, the entire Assembly Hall became silent, and the only thing that could be heard were the beating hearts of these excited experts.

"Welcome to the Alchemy Gathering. I am Wang Shuren, a Pill Master from the Burning Lotus Sect, and I will be assisting my Master in today's event." Wang Shuren spoke to the people there with elegance, instantly catching their attention. It was something she'd learned after many years of experience working at the Burning Lotus Auction House.

"First and foremost, I would like to express our gratitude to everyone here for taking the time to participate in this gathering. I know there are many questions in your mind at this moment, but I request all of you to extend your patience a little bit further, as my Master would like to have a 'word' with everyone here."

Wang Shuren retrieved her storage ring and placed a cauldron in the middle of the room before stepping to the side.

A few moments later, Su Yang, who was still clad in black alchemy robes and wearing a mask, slowly walked onto the stage.

"That's the Alchemy Master who discovered the Earth Advancement Pill? What an extraordinary aura he exudes!"

"He's even more exalted than I'd expected!"

All of the experts there began breathing heavily upon feeling Su Yang's immense pressure, feeling as though they were in the presence of an almighty being.

And with every step Su Yang took, the people there panted even harder.

'What a show-off…' Hong Yu'er smiled to herself after seeing Su Yang's grand appearance.

After making his appearance, Su Yang walked straight to the cauldron in the middle of the room and sat before it, not even bothering to glance at the spectators.

A moment later, he waved his sleeves, surrounding the cauldron with fierce alchemy flames.

"What a powerful and beautiful flame!"

"I have never seen someone with such peerless control over their alchemy flames! Just how many years does it take for one to achieve such perfection?!"

The Alchemy Experts there were instantly mesmerized by the fierce flames that danced around the cauldron as though it was alive, especially Su Yang's ability to control the flames as though they were no different than the fingers on his hands.

A few seconds later, when the cauldron was fully heated, Wang Shuren carried a tray of ingredients to Su Yang.

"What? Does he intend on concocting a pill before so many Alchemy Masters? Is he not worried that we might steal the recipe for ourselves?"

The Pill Masters there were dumbfounded by Su Yang's decision to concoct pills before so many experts, as it was no different than cooking a family recipe while being surrounded by many world-renowned chefs that were watching his every movement.

They weren't sure if it was plain stupidity or pure boldness, but either way, these Alchemy Masters couldn't be happier to see what kind of pill Su Yang's going to create with those ingredients.

However, before the Alchemy Masters could even get a good look at the ingredients that were bundled together like a pile of leaves, Su Yang tossed the entire tray of ingredients into the cauldron.

"What on earth?!"

The Alchemy Masters there were shocked speechless by Su Yang's actions, as it was basic knowledge and plain common sense to throw in one ingredient at a time. Unless one could multitask and purify each ingredient individually at once, it was nigh impossible to concoct a pill with such a bizarre method. However, who could possibly achieve such a feat that none of these renowned Alchemy Masters would even dare to imagine doing?

In fact, in the history of pill making, the most ingredients a Pill Master had ever purified at once was 3 ingredients, yet Su Yang had tossed in over a dozen ingredients at once without hesitation.

'If we cannot watch him toss the ingredients inside the cauldron, then all we need to do is look inside the cauldron and watch him purify and mix the ingredients one at a time!'

The Alchemy Masters there quickly thought of a solution and immediately concentrated their spiritual sense inside the cauldron.

However, by the time these Alchemy Masters could see the contents inside the cauldron, Su Yang had already purified and mixed all of the ingredients, and it took him less than ten seconds to achieve such a feat.

"What?! He purified and mixed over a dozen ingredients in only a few seconds?! Impossible!"

When the Alchemy Masters realized what was going on, they all stood up from their seats with shock and disbelief written all over their faces.

Meanwhile, the people that had no experience in Alchemy were startled and confused by these Alchemy Masters' reactions, as they couldn't comprehend what was so impressive about the scene.

However, a few moments later, when Su Yang opened the cauldron and retrieved the pill inside, even the people that knew nothing about Alchemy were shocked that the pill had been created in such a short time, as all of them had expected it to take at least a few hours.

After a long time of silence, someone exclaimed loudly, "Impossible! He concocted a pill in less than a minute?! I don't believe it! This must be a setup that they had prepared beforehand!"

Once somebody expressed their doubt, more Alchemy Masters began voicing their suspicions, as Su Yang's abilities were simply too shocking and unbelievable in their eyes.

Seeing the doubtful crowd and hearing their complaints, Wang Shuren stepped forward and spoke, "Although it may be a hard pill to swallow, what you have witnessed just is not an act. I can assure you that my Master's abilities are the real deal."

"However, if you are not satisfied with my words, you can come and inspect the cauldron for yourselves. If there is any evidence of faking the demonstration just now, then we will give you the recipe for the Earth Advancement Pills."

"What?! Really?!"

The Alchemy Masters did not dare to waste time and immediately approached the cauldron after hearing Wang Shuren's words.

However, no matter how much time they spent looking, even after searching every nook and cranny of the cauldron, these Alchemy Masters were unable to find anything suspicious with the cauldron.

If the demonstration had been faked and the pill that came out of the cauldron was prepared beforehand, there should still be the ingredients that he'd tossed inside. And even if Su Yang burned the ingredients until there was nothing left, there would still be some evidence of that left behind.

But alas, the cauldron was completely clean, and there was no sign of the demonstration being faked.

Once the Alchemy Masters realized that fact, they all looked at Su Yang with nervous expressions on their faces, as his abilities had scared them.

"We deeply apologize for doubting your abilities, Senior Pill Master!"

The Alchemy Masters bowed and apologized to him afterward.

Su Yang suddenly raised his hand and spoke in a disguised voice that was deeper than his original voice with a mysterious feeling to it, "Anyone would doubt something they have never seen before, so I don't blame any of you for doubting my abilities. In fact, if you still doubt my abilities, why don't you inspect the pill that I'd just concocted? Even a beginner Pill Master that only knows of the basics should be able to tell when a Pill is created."

Su Yang extended his hands and showed them the pill resting on his palms.

"T-This is the Earth Advancement Pill! And it's purer than all of the ones being sold in the market!"

"This quality of pill is higher than any high-quality pills I have seen before… So what does that mean for this pill? What's even higher than a high-quality pill? A perfect-quality pill?"

Despite seeing all of the best pills in this world before, the Alchemy Masters was having trouble holding back the saliva in their mouth after seeing the flawless-quality pill for the first time in their lives.

"This fresh aroma… there's no doubt that this pill just came out of a cauldron. Even if we do not want to believe it, we cannot ignore pure facts." Senior Zeng, the top Alchemy Master there expressed his thoughts.

Sometime later, once all of the Alchemy Masters there had a chance to inspect the pill, Wang Shuren spoke, "Now that everyone is crystal clear about my Master's abilities, let's return to our seats and continue with the gathering, shall we?"

Although the Alchemy Masters were reluctant to part with the flawless-quality pill, they nodded their heads and eventually returned to their seats.

Once everyone had returned to their seats, Su Yang spoke, "I did not demonstrate my abilities just to flaunt my abilities, nor was it to dismiss the abilities of the Alchemy Masters in this place. Instead, the purpose of my demonstration is to broaden your views of Alchemy. What you witnessed today is only the surface of the ocean known as Alchemy, and I have gathered all of you today to hopefully increase your knowledge."

Chapter 567 Desperate for the Heaven Transcendence Pill

"You want to increase our knowledge in Alchemy?" The Alchemy Masters there exchanged glances, seemingly puzzled by his objective, as they do not see any advantage in doing such a thing.

"Excuse me for being blunt, but what is your purpose for doing something that does not benefit yourself? What do you really want from all of this?" Lord Xie suddenly spoke with a sharp gaze, asking Su Yang the question in everyone's mind right now.

While it may benefit the Alchemy Masters of this world to gain more knowledge and perhaps even skills, it does not appear to benefit Su Yang. In fact, doing such a thing would only bring him the opposite of benefits.

A mysterious smile appeared behind his mask, and he spoke, "You are right. I gain nothing by doing this, nor am I expecting anything in return. I am simply doing as I please because I pity this place."

"You… pity us? Can you elaborate on that, Senior?" Lord Xie raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

Su Yang nodded and spoke in a slow but clear voice, "When I first arrived at the Eastern Continent and saw the low quality of the pills here, I was shocked by how inexperienced the Alchemy Masters are in this place, and as a fellow Alchemy Master, I felt pity. Therefore, I want to share some of my knowledge, hopefully making this place a better place for all Alchemy Masters."

"W-Wait a minute… when you 'first arrived' here? D-Does this mean that you are from another Continent?" Lord Xie asked him with a shocked expression.

Because of the Jade Sea that separates each Continent and the powerful underwater beings that are always aggressive towards humans, people would rarely risk their lives to travel to another Continent.

In fact, even Lord Xie, one of the most powerful Cultivators in the Eastern Continent, hasn't been to another Continent, and only his father, Xie Wang, has experienced the other Continents.

Seeing Lord Xie's surprised expression, Su Yang nodded and spoke, "I am from a place where you people refer as the 'Holy Central Continent'."

"What?! The Holy Central Continent?!"

Many experts there immediately stood up from shock, including Lord Xie.

"So the Holy Central Continent truly exists! And here I thought it was only a legend!"

"Unbelievable! This explains why his skills are vastly superior compared to us — almost otherworldly!"

The experts there expressed their disbelief.

"A-Are you truly from the Holy Central Continent, Senior?" Lord Xie asked him for confirmation.

Su Yang nodded and spoke, "If you don't believe me, why don't I tell you a little bit about the Holy Central Continent?"

Su Yang proceeded to recall his experience at the Holy Central Continent, mostly talking about the Three Ancient Academies.

"In fact, I plan on returning to the Holy Central Continent soon. When that happens, I wouldn't mind bringing along some company."

When the people there heard Su Yang's words, they all stared at him in silence, before the place exploded into an uproar.

Sometime later, Lord Xie spoke, "I will be eternally grateful if I really get to witness the Holy Central Continent before I die, but how do you plan on taking us there? The Jade Sea… it's too risky."

"Naturally, if I have a way to get here safely, I would have a way to return safely. However, I don't want to ruin the fun, so I won't answer any more than that." Su Yang responded.

A few moments later, he continued, "Anyway, I did not gather all of you here today to talk about the Holy Central Continent."

His sharp gaze then swept the place, and he spoke in a serious voice, "The Earth Advancement Pill that I'd revealed some time ago was only the beginning — an introduction of sorts."

He then waved his sleeves, causing four pills to appear and float before the spectators, and continued to speak, "I have with me here four pills that will make the Earth Advancement Pill a humble pill."

"Starting from your left, we have the Profound Qi Gathering Pill, Hundred Days Pill, Heaven and Earth Restoration Pill, and finally, the Heaven Transcendence Pill."

Su Yang proceeded to explain the effects of each pill.

"Consuming the Profound Qi Gathering Pill will increase your Cultivation speed by 100% for 12 hours. The Hundreds Days Pill will instantly increase your Cultivation base as much as you would have cultivated in 100 days, but it can only be consumed once every four years. The Heaven and Earth Restoration Pill can restore even a peak Heavenly Spirit Realm Cultivator's depleted spiritual energy within seconds."

"And for the last pill, the Heaven Transcendence Pill… just like the Earth Advancement Pill, it will have a high chance of advancing someone at the peak of the Earth Spirit Realm to the Heavenly Spirit Realm depending on the pill's quality. At the highest quality, it has a 100% success rate, meaning any Earth Spirit Realm Cultivators have a chance to reach the Heavenly Spirit Realm regardless of their talent."

"..."

The entire Assembly Hall was dead silent, as they were all trying to process and comprehend what Su Yang had just said.

"A-Are you saying that if I consume the Heaven Transcendence Pill that I can enter the Heavenly Spirit Realm?!"

The first one to speak with Fang Xianjue, who stood up with her gaze fixated on the Heaven Transcendence Pill, her eyes filled with hope. After being stuck in the peak of the Earth Spirit Realm for over 30 years, she was starting to lose hope that she could ever reach the Heavenly Spirit Realm. However, with the appearance of the Heavenly Transcendence Pill, her passion to enter the Heavenly Spirit Realm has reemerged.

Seeing Fang Xianjue's enthusiasm, he nodded, "That's right. The Heavenly Transcendence Pill in my hands right now happens to be of the highest quality, so you are guaranteed to enter the Heavenly Spirit Realm if you consume it."

"W-Would it be possible to sell me that pill, Senior?! I have been stuck at the Earth Spirit Realm for many decades! Please! I am willing to pay any price for the pill!" Fang Xianjue did not mind losing face before so many experts and pleaded Su Yang in a desperate voice.

"Any price?" Su Yang asked her.

"That's right! I am from the Fang Family, one of the Four Great Families! You can name any amount!"

Hearing her confident voice, Su Yang nodded and raised three fingers towards her direction.

"Three million spirit stones? I will immediately have it prepared for you!" Fang Xianjue spoke with excitement.

However, Su Yang shook his head and spoke, "Are you underestimating the value of the Heavenly Transcendence Pill? A single Earth Advancement Pill is already worth hundreds of thousands of spirit stones."

And he continued, "If I were to allow anyone in this room to buy the pill for three million spirit stones, who would be willing?"

Immediately after Su Yang's question ended, everybody in the room raised their hand.

"Forget 3 million spirit stones! I am willing to pay even 5 million spirit stones!"

"I can pay 10 million spirit stones for the Heavenly Transcendence Pill! I have also been stuck in the Earth Spirit Realm for over 20 years!"

"T-Thirty million spirit stones! I will pay thirty million spirit stones!" Fang Xianjue suddenly shouted, dumbfounding the people there, even her own husband, who stared at her with wide eyes.

"Would that be enough for the Heavenly Transcendence Pill?" she asked him with a pained expression, as thirty million spirit stones would hurt even the Fang Family's finances.

However, she was hellbent on reaching the Heavenly Spirit Realm. Even if she had to sell an arm and leg, she would still buy the Heavenly Transcendence Pill.

"Thirty million spirit stones, huh?" Su Yang pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding his head, "Very well. I shall part with this pill for thirty million spirit stones."

And he continued, "And to prove to the others that the pill is real, I will let you consume the pill and breakthrough to the Heavenly Spirit Realm here."

"Y-You want me to consume the pill right now?" Fang Xianjue looked at him with surprise.

"That's right. Don't worry, I will ensure your safety while you cultivate. And it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes, anyway."

Fang Xianjue did not doubt his words and immediately approached him.

Before handing the Heaven Transcendence Pill to her, Su Yang spoke in a casual voice, "Just in case you plan on avoiding payment afterward, I have what it takes to completely erase the Fang Family, great family or not."

Fang Xianjue trembled at his words, and she showed him a reassuring smile, "I wouldn't even dare imagine trying to steal from Esteemed Senior, especially when there are so many witnesses here. Even if I have to sell my body to pay you the thirty million spirit stones, I swear upon the Fang Family that I will repay the debt."

"Good." Su Yang nodded and handed her the pill.

Chapter 568 Three Disciples

Fang Xianjue held the Heaven Transcendence Pill with trembling hands, her expression almost as though she was looking at her newborn.

After clearing her mind and calming her excitement, Fang Xianjue sat in the middle of the room in the lotus position, before she slowly tossed the pill in her mouth.

Once the Heaven Transcendence Pill touched her tongue, it melted as though it became water, before sliding down her throat.

A refreshing and cool sensation filled Fang Xianjue's stomach, and the Profound Qi in her Dantian immediately began to transfer.

A few minutes later, a ripple that carried the essence of the Heavenly Spirit Realm swept the room, shocking everybody there.

"Heavens! The Heaven Transcendence Pill is real!"

"This pill… just like the Earth Advancement Pill, it's going to shake the cultivation world but even more intensively!"

"With the Earth Advancement Pill and the Heaven Transcendence Pill, reaching the Heavenly Spirit Realm will no longer be just a dream! The Cultivation World is going to usher into a new era!"

After reaching the Heavenly Spirit Real, Wang Xianjue silently stared at her hands, seemingly in a daze.

To think that she'd be able to reach the Heavenly Spirit Realm when she'd already lost all hope. It was truly a miracle.

Once she'd calmed down, Fang Xianjue kowtowed to Su Yang and spoke in a respectful tone, "I cannot thank you enough, Senior. It's not an exaggeration to say that you've saved my life. If I didn't breakthrough into the Heavenly Spirit Realm, I would've died after a few more decades. But now that I have ascended into a new realm, I can live for another three hundred years."

Su Yang remained nonchalant and spoke, "I hope you didn't forget after breaking through, but I did not give you the Heaven Transcendence Pill for free. Those 30 million spirit stones, you have one month pay the debt, or I will personally come knocking at your door."

"I wouldn't dare forget. Even if I have to slave away my body or sell my limbs, I will repay this debt."

Su Yang nodded, "Once you have the spirit stones, you can give them to my disciple, Wang Shuren. You can find her at the Burning Lotus Sect."

When Fang Xianjue returned to her seat sometime later, Su Yang spoke, "Now that all of you have witnessed for yourselves the effect of the Heaven Transcendence Pill, do you have any questions for me?"

A few individuals immediately raised their hands.

"If you don't mind me asking… where on earth did you discover such a divine pill? Or does this pill already exist in the Holy Central Continent?"

Su Yang shook his head and said, "As of this moment, the Heaven Transcendence Pill only exists in the Eastern Continent. Even the Holy Central Continent does not know of its existence. As for where I obtained the recipe for this pill… let's just say that I have been to places that you cannot even comprehend."

Sometime later, Lord Xie asked him, "If there are pills that can help one reach the Earth Spirit Realm and the Heavenly Spirit Realm, do you think there exists a pill that has the effect to help one reach the Sovereign Spirit Realm?"

"..."

The entire room waited for Su Yang's response anxiously.

And after a long moment of silence, Su Yang finally spoke, "Perhaps."

Of course, such a pill exists. However, that kind of pill is only available in the Four Divine Heavens. The ingredients required to concoct that pill exceed tens of thousands of years old, something that couldn't possibly exist in a world that's less than ten thousand years old.

After spending many minutes answering questions, Su Yang moved onto the next topic.

"Now that I have answered all of your questions, allow me to talk about the main subject."

He swept the crowd with a sharp gaze, and he spoke, "I am going to accept three disciples from this Continent, and I am going to teach them how to concoct the Earth Advancement Pill and all of the pills I have shared today."

"What?!"

The people there expressed shock upon hearing his words.

"I don't care how old you are, nor do I care about your gender. I will be hosting an exam weeks from now, and if you pass my exam, I shall accept you as my disciple."

"Do you have any questions?"

Almost everybody in the Assembly Hall raised their hands.

"Senior! Who will be allowed to take your exam?!"

"Anyone." Su Yang quickly responded. "I will give everyone here a chance to take the exam, and if you know someone who has talent in Alchemy, you can also bring them to take the exam. However, since I do not want to spend too much time with this, I will limit every Family and Sect here to two participants."

The place immediately became filled with noise.

"Who do you think we should send from our family?"

"But nobody in the family knows anything about Alchemy…"

"Didn't you hear Senior? We are not limited to people from our own family! As long as we bring two people, no matter where they are from, they can take the exam!"

"..."

"Disciple Yong should definitely have one of those two spots, as his knowledge with Alchemy is definitely the best among the disciples."

"Although I don't doubt that he's the best among the disciples, there are many Sect Elders that are better than him! Age is not limited in the exam, so we should bring the best within the Sect!"

"..."

"What do you think, my daughter? Would you like to partake in the exam with me? Even though you are the youngest, your talents in Alchemy are the best the Cai Family has ever seen!"

"I would be honored to have a chance to become Senior's disciple."

"Then it's decided."

"..."

"Master… would you become that Senior's disciple if you had the chance?"

"Even though I am regarded as the number one Alchemist in the Eastern Continent, I am no different than a baby in the Senior's eyes. And despite my age, I will gladly become a disciple again if my Master is someone like the Senior."

"What about you? I won't blame you if you want to leave me and become Senior's disciple instead. After all, I want what's best for you."

"I will follow Master wherever he goes."

"Very well… then let us both partake in the exam."

While everyone was in a commotion, Wang Shuren said to Su Yang in a joking voice, "Am I not enough to satisfy you, Master?"

Su Yang smiled behind his mask and spoke, "You are a very diligent and talented disciple, but I doubt you'll have any time to practice your own techniques once the news of these pills start spreading outside of this place. Therefore, I am going to find a few more disciples who'll help you out. Furthermore, even if I leave this world, there'll be a few people who can continue what I started here."

Sometime later, Su Yang said to the crowd, "Although it was short, that's all I have for you today. In two weeks, I will return to this place for the exam."

Very quickly, the people began to leave the Assembly Hall, as they were in a hurry to find two participants for the exam, especially those that know very little about Alchemy.

Sometime later, only Lord Xie remained in the Assembly Hall.

He approached Su Yang and bowed to him, "You have opened my eyes today, Senior. It appears that I am still a frog in a well despite my status in the Eastern Continent. However, I still have one question for the Senior. How should I address you?"

"...My surname is Xiao." Su Yang responded with a mysterious smile behind his mask.

"Allow me to thank you again, Senior Xiao, for assisting the Eastern Continent." Lord Xie bowed to him again.

And he continued, "If you have the time, I would like to invite you to dinner back at my house. Perhaps we could talk more about your plans at that time."

However, Su Yang shook his head and spoke in a calm voice, "I will apologize in advance as my words may offend you, but I would rather not show preferences for one family over the others, regardless of your stature in this place, as that would be unfair to the others. If you want to talk with me on a more personal level, then you will have to pass my exam and become my disciple."

"I see… I will also apologize for putting Senior Xiao on the spot. However, if you ever change your mind, the Xie Family will always have our doors open for you." Although Lord Xie felt disappointed by the results, he did not dare to complain, as he was afraid of offending this mysterious Senior, who did not hesitate to threaten the Fang Family in front of everyone — including the Xie Family, ruler of the Eastern Continent.

Chapter 569 Patience

After everyone had left the Assembly Hall beside Su Yang and Wang Shuren, they returned to the Burning Lotus Sect to prepare for the Alchemy Examination in two weeks.

"What kind of exam are you going to make them take? Will it be something like the Profound Blossom Sect's disciple assessment?" Wang Shuren asked him.

"Not really. While talent is an important factor in Alchemy, even more important is their dedication and ability to remember things. Without dedication, even if you have the world's finest talent, you won't be able to concoct pills properly. And there are thousands of pill recipes that exist in this world with the number of ingredients a hundred times more than recipes itself. Without a good memory, how will you memorize what ingredients are needed for the pills, much less how to concoct the pill? While some pills may require similar ingredients, the way to concoct each pill is unique and vastly different."

"Therefore, I am going to test their ability to memorize pill recipes and have them undergo a test of patience."

"Testing their patience…?" Wang Shuren raised her eyebrows. "While I can see how the first exam will go about, I cannot imagine how you plan on testing their patience."

"It's simple, really."

Su Yang suddenly entered the pill room and began concocting a pill.

A few minutes later, he returned to Wang Shuren's side and showed her a pebble-sized pill.

"What kind of pill is this?" she asked him with her eyes flickering with interest and excitement.

Su Yang merely smiled and said, "Take a seat and close your eyes. I'll let you experience it for yourself."

"..."

Wang Shuren narrowed her eyes at him with a suspicious gaze. She could feel an ominous feeling coming from the smile on Su Yang's face, but she was too curious about the pill to refuse.

A moment later, she sat on the floor in the lotus position and closed her eyes.

Seeing this, Su Yang crushed the purple pill between his fingers and scattered the powder on Wang Shuren's face.

"..."

"..."

"..."

After waiting for many minutes without anything happening, Wang Shuren spoke, "What is taking you so long, Su Yang?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

However, nobody responded to her.

"Su Yang?"

Wang Shuren slowly opened her eyes, and it was at that moment she realized why Su Yang did not respond to her.

"W-Where am I?"

Wang Shuren had opened her eyes to find out that she was no longer inside her house or the Burning Lotus Sect for that matter.

Instead, she had been transported onto a mountain cliff in the middle of nowhere with mountains that were taller than even the clouds in all directions.

How did she suddenly get transported to this place without realizing it? Where the hell is this location?

"Ah… this must be an illusion…"

Wang Shuren shook her head with a smile on her face. "You almost got me, Su Yang. Even though this is clearly an illusion caused by the pill, I must admit, it's unbelievably realistic. If I didn't know about the pill, I would've definitely been fooled by it."

Wang Shuren decided to sit around until the effect of the pill wears off or when Su Yang pulls her out of the illusion.

However, after waiting for many hours, she remained in the exact same place, surrounded by mountains and clouds. But despite this, Wang Shuren remained calm, as she was confident that she was inside an illusion.

Ten hours… twenty hours… three days… seven days…

An entire week had passed by in the blink of an eye, yet Wang Shuren did not wake up from the illusion.

"Haha… I see what you are trying to do, Su Yang…" A smile appeared on her face when she realized what was happening.

"You are trying to test my patience, huh? Very well. I shall wait until you are satisfied!"

Thus, Wang Shuren continued to sit on the mountain cliff, patiently waiting for the 'test' to be over.

One week… two weeks… three weeks…

Wang Shuren has sat in the same position for a month by now, but the effects of the pills still remain, as she could see the mountain range.

"I don't know how long have passed since I arrived here, but it should be weeks. How long are you going to keep me here, Su Yang?" Wang Shuren said out loud, and her voice echoed into the distance.

"..."

Hearing no response, Wang Shuren stood up for the first time and sighed, "Since it's like this, I might as well look around. Maybe I'll leave the illusion if I wander far enough."

With that in mind, Wang Shuren left the mountain cliff and began traveling around the mountain range.

The surroundings were extremely silent, almost like she was the only living being in this world. However, that was to be expected, as she was inside an illusion created by the purple pill.

"Even though I have already expressed my admiration, the pill's ability to create such a realistic illusion is too baffling, even becoming more and more realistic the longer I remain in this place."

Wang Shuren proceeded to traverse the mountain range, but after spending a few more days in the illusion, she realized that she had been walking in the same area no matter which direction she walked or how far she walked because, in the end, she would return to the same mountain cliff from the beginning.

"Is this really an illusion…?" Wang Shuren began to doubt herself after spending a few more weeks in the place.

"I should have realized this when I first arrived in this place, but I have overlooked it… Why is there spiritual energy in an illusion? Is it even possible to create real spiritual energy inside an illusion?"

Wang Shuren started to cultivate to test the spiritual energy, and as she'd expected, she was able to cultivate normally with the Profound Qi in this place despite being in an illusion, which is the beginning of her doubts for this place.

"Well… since I can cultivate the spiritual energy in this place, it'll make waiting much easier…"

Thus, Wang Shuren returned to the mountain cliff where the spiritual energy was the densest, and she began cultivating there.

One month… two months… three months… six months… one year…

In the blink of an eye, over an entire year had passed since Wang Shuren was transported to this mountain range, yet there was no sign of her returning to her room in the Burning Lotus Sect anytime soon.

Two years… three years… five years… ten years…

Wang Shuren has increased her cultivation base by two whole levels within these two years, but without being able to concoct any pills for so long, she was beginning to miss the smell of medicine and sweating until her robes were soaked from concocting pills.

"Su Yang! Are you done testing me?! I am tired of seeing this same scenery for so many years! Please! Just let me leave already!" Wang Shuren shouted at the top of her lungs towards the Heavens.

However, there was no response from Su Yang no matter how long she waited.

"I guess it's not easy trying to satisfy an Immortal who has lived for thousands of years…" she sighed afterward. If she thought about it, she was incredibly lucky to have an Immortal like Su Yang lecturing her.

"I may not be a real disciple in his eyes right now, but I will prove to him that I have the capabilities to become one!" Wang Shuren resolved herself to wait for as long as she could possibly endure.

Fifteen years… thirty years… fifty years… one hundred years…

After spending one hundred years in the same place, Wang Shuren was beginning to go crazy. When she first entered this place, she was only at Earth Spirit Realm. But after spending 100 years in cultivation, she has ascended to the peak of the Earth Spirit Realm, being only a step away from the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

"I can feel it… I should be entering the Heavenly Spirit Realm in a few days…"

A few days of preparation later, Wang Shuren began her ascension to the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

Many hours later, she could feel her Dantian expanding many folds, and her spiritual energy was growing denser and purer.

"I did it! I have finally reached the Heavenly Spirit Realm!"

Wang Shuren shouted in excitement as she opened her eyes.

However, it was at that moment she realized that she was no longer in the mountain range, and Su Yang's handsome face could be seen standing a few meters away from her.

"S-Su Yang…?" she mumbled in a dazed voice, seemingly in disbelief.

"Congratulations, you have managed to endure 100 years of solitude without your mind breaking." Su Yang said to her with a smile, and he continued, "Even though you have experienced 100 years with the pill's effect, in reality, only 10 hours have passed since you closed your eyes."

"Eh?" Wang Shuren stared at him with wide eyes, speechless from shock.

Chapter 570 Everlasting Time Pill

"W-W-What do you mean only ten hours have passed…?" Wang Shuren asked him in a dumbfounded voice.

"The pill I made you experience is called the Everlasting Time Pill. Anyone affected by the pill will be entrapped within their own consciousness while feeling as though they are still in reality. It's akin to having a really long dream, but your mind is awake the entire time. From where I am from, the Everlasting Time Pill is commonly used on prisoners as a form of punishment. Of course, there are other uses as well, such as testing the mental fortitude of an individual." Su Yang explained to her.

"So… while you may have lived for a hundred years inside your mind, in reality, only ten hours have passed since the beginning."

After a long moment of silence, Wang Shuren mumbled in a low voice, "Then… all of my achievements… were just in my head — a mere dream? I did not really live a hundred years? And all the effort I'd put into reaching the Heavenly Spirit Realm… was all fake?"

Once she realized the truth, tears began flowing down her face, and she spoke in a trembling voice, "Even though it was just a test, this was very cruel of you, Su Yang… What did I do to deserve this?"

Seeing her reaction and watching tears flow down her beautiful face, Su Yang felt a little bit guilty for testing her. However, it was not as though he wanted to punish her or make her cry.

"I'm sorry for making you endure such a trial without any warning, but I truly believed that you'd benefit greatly from it. If you'd known about it in advance, then it would've been pointless."

"What do you mean I have benefited from this…?" Wang Shuren slowly wiped her tears and asked him.

"Although what you have experienced in your mind was fake, it is also real simultaneously," he said to her.

"Go ahead and try to cultivate."

"Right now?"

Seeing Su Yang nod his head, Wang Shuren immediately began cultivating, and to her surprise, it was much easier and natural than before, almost as though she'd been doing this for many decades.

"Because of the Everlasting Time Pill, your mental strength has increased tremendously, and the time you'd spent cultivating inside your mind, all of that experience you'd gathered during that time is real. Therefore, you've essentially lived for 100 years in the last ten hours, but your physical body remains unchanged."

"Eh?! Won't that make the Everlasting Time Pill an incredibly powerful and priceless treasure?!" Wang Shuren expressed shock.

"Depending on how you use it, yes, it can become a powerful treasure for training others. However, most of the time, that is not the case, because only extremely skillful Alchemists are able to concoct Everlasting Time Pills that will have an effect of over a hundred years. In fact, most Alchemists would only be able to make the pill last for a few years at most. Furthermore, you cannot consume this pill very often, or it'll greatly burden your mind, even breaking it at times."

"The most one can consume the Everlasting Time Pill is once every one thousand years. Therefore, it's mostly used to torture the minds of criminals from where I'm from."

Wang Shuren stared at him with wide eyes, and she spoke with an admiring tone, "I knew you were someone impressive, but to think you would be this crazy!"

Su Yang laughed at her words and said, "That's only natural, as I was personally trained by the Alchemy God. However, compared to the Alchemy God, my skills are still too green. For example, I can create 10,000 Years Everlasting Time Pills at most, whilst the Alchemy God can concoct 100,000 Years Everlasting Time Pills."

"100,000 Years Everlasting Time Pill?! Does this mean you would live for 100,000 years inside your mind?! Did you consume such a pill in your previous life by any chance?!" Wang Shuren's eyes widened with disbelief.

Su Yang nodded. "In fact, I have consumed a few of them before."

Wang Shuren stared at him silently for a good minute before asking him in a low voice, "How old are you, exactly?"

"Asking Immortals with a young appearance about their real age is akin to asking any woman about their age; it's quite impolite." Su Yang responded with a smile.

Wang Shuren was speechless. Do Immortals really find that kind of thing disrespectful?

"Anyway, do you have any more questions regarding the Everlasting Time Pill?"

"Well… it's not exactly about the pill itself, but it's definitely Alchemy related…" she spoke with a hesitant gaze.

"What is it?"

"If I followed you back to your world… Do you think I would be able to meet this Alchemy God someday? If this person claims to be the Alchemy God, he must be the best Alchemy Master in the world, right? I would like to see for myself just what the peak of Alchemy looks like for once before I die..."

Su Yang looked at her with a surprised face, before laughing out loud a moment later, "Hahaha… if you so desperately want to meet the Alchemy God that you'd be willing to leave this world, then I am willing to personally set up a meeting for you! And just so you know, the Alchemy God is not a 'he' but a 'she'."

"What?!" Wang Shuren explained loudly, her expression filled with shock.

"The Alchemy God is a woman?!"

Su Yang nodded with a smile and said, "Not only is she a woman, but she's also an incredibly beautiful one at that."

"A-Are you… and the Alchemy God… by any chance…" Wang Shuren asked him in a trembling voice.

A mysterious smile appeared on Su Yang's face, and she responded in a calm voice, "Who knows. If you are that interested, you should ask the Alchemy God about it yourself."

"I-I wouldn't dare…" she quickly shook her head, causing Su Yang to burst out laughing at her response.

"Well, you still have two years to decide whether you truly want to follow me or remain in this world. If you decide to follow me, you will not only be able to concoct pills you've never even heard of before but you'll also experience a whole new world of Alchemy."

Wang Shuren swallowed nervously, feeling extremely tempted by his words.

"I will let you know when I have come to a decision," she said to him.

Sometime later, Su Yang began training Wang Shuren again.

However, because it has been over a hundred years since she last experienced pill making, Wang Shuren's movements were awkward and stiff.

With that being said, because of the Everlasting Time Pill, her mental strength has increased significantly, allowing her to relearn everything at an extreme rate, even surpassing her old self just a few days later.

"What do you think? Are you still angry at me for testing you?" Su Yang asked her with a smile on his face afterward.

"Do you even need to ask that question? Even though it was cruel of you to make me experience 100 years of solitude, I understand why you did it. I was feeling more disheartened than angry that my 100 years of effort had turned out to be a mere dream. However, after seeing the benefits, I am beginning to feel grateful instead. It's almost like I've been reborn with better talent than previously. Perhaps my efforts weren't wasted, after all." Wang Shuren spoke as she stared at her hands with a dazed gaze and a gentle smile on her face.

"That's good to hear. And now that you are comfortable with Alchemy again, it's time to resume your special training." Su Yang said.

Wang Shuren looked at him with a puzzled expression for a moment before she finally recalled what this 'special training' was.

"Even though it hasn't been that long in reality, I feel like it has been forever since you last touched my body." Wang Shuren spoke before loosening her robes.

"As an apology for making you go through that experience, I'll satisfy your body with 100 years worth of pleasure." Su Yang said, before retrieving a bed from his storage ring and tossing it on the floor.

"O-One hundred years worth of pleasure...? I-I will die from that!" Wang Shuren exclaimed with a terrified expression.

"Hahaha... don't worry, your mental strength has increased enough to endure it."

A few moments later, Su Yang enveloped Wang Shuren in his embrace and began pounding his shaft into her body, causing her large and perky mountains to jiggle vigorously.

"Ahhhhn!"

After experiencing 100 years without feeling any pleasure, Wang Shuren's body trembled with delight she has never felt before, almost as though her body was deprived of pleasure, and her lower lips continuously gushed with Yin Qi as a response, letting Su Yang know of her satisfaction.

"Mmmm~!"

"Ahhhn!"

"Ooooh~!"

And for the entire week, Su Yang and Wang Shuren passionately cultivated with each other in the pill room, relieving Wang Shuren of all her stress from her 100 years of solitude and loneliness.

Chapter 571 Alchemy Examination

Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye, and on the day of the Alchemy Examination, Wang Shuren wobbled out of her room in a drunk-looking manner, feeling sore all over her body.

Su Yang walked out afterward, and he spoke to her, "If you don't want to be at the Assembly Hall, you can stay here and rest."

Wang Shuren quickly shook her head and said, "No, I want to be there because I also want to participate in your alchemy exam."

"You shouldn't force yourself too much. After all, you can barely even walk in a straight line." Su Yang shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Whose fault do you think it is that I am in such a state?" Wang Shuren looked at him with a face of disbelief. "If you didn't do me so intensively, I wouldn't be like this…"

Su Yang burst out laughing and said, "And who was the one that kept screaming 'do me harder'?"

"..."

Wang Shuren's face flushed with redness after hearing his words, and she mumbled, "How hateful."

Sometime later, the two of them left the Burning Lotus Sect and headed to the Assembly Hall, where hundreds of people had already gathered and were waiting for them.

"It's the Senior!"

"This Junior greets the Senior!"

"Welcome back, Senior!"

The people there immediately greeted him with respectful bows.

Once everyone had gathered at the Assembly Hall, Su Yang spoke, "Do you have any questions before I start the exam?"

Someone raised their hand and asked him, "How many tests will there be in total?"

"There will be three simple tests you have to pass in order to become my disciple."

"What happens if more than three people here pass the test?"

"Then we will have a contest between the winners until only the three most talented remains."

"Will we be required to concoct a pill for this examination?"

"No, I don't have the patience for that."

After answering everybody's question, Su Yang began the Alchemy Exam.

"For the first test, I will be testing the strength of your memorization." Su Yang suddenly waved his sleeves, causing hundreds of scrolls to fly towards the participants.

"There will also be two parts for the first test. There are 10,000 ingredients listed in each scroll with 10 different scrolls available, making the grand total 100,000 ingredients. And for the first part of the test, you have ten hours to memorize as many ingredients as you possibly can. In order to continue to the second test, you will have to memorize at least 10,000 ingredients."

"10,000 ingredients in ten hours?!"

At least half of the room was shocked speechless by the difficulty of the first exam. It would be a miracle if they can even memorize 1,000 ingredients in ten hours, much less 10,000!

As for the Alchemy Experts in the room, they all showed confident expressions on their faces, as they have already memorized tens of thousands of ingredients throughout their many years of their life as an Alchemy Master. It was almost like giving a Master Chef a guide book on how to cook basic dishes.

However, as soon as the test began, these Alchemy Experts quickly realized that they were wrong about the test and that they did not know the majority of the ingredients listed on the scrolls, and their confidence quickly shrunk until there was nothing left.

'What the hell is going on? I have memorized over 50,000 ingredients, and I can recall each of them as though they are written on the back of my hand, yet I do not recognize any of these ingredients?! Just how is this possible? Are these ingredients that only exist in the Holy Central Continent? He got me! I should've known that it wouldn't be this easy!' Senior Zeng, one of the most renowned Alchemy Masters in the Eastern Continent, cried inwardly as he was shocked speechless by so many new ingredients that he has never even heard of.

Wang Shuren was no different. Despite being taught by Su Yang, she has never seen most of the ingredients on the scroll before.

However, she did not dare to waste too much time thinking about it and purely focused on memorizing the names of these ingredients.

Ten hours later, Su Yang clapped his hands and said, "It's been ten hours. Stop what you are doing and look at me or I will fail you on the spot."

Immediately, the people there closed the scrolls and looked at him.

Unless one was cultivating, ten hours would normally feel like a long time. But for these participants, these past ten hours felt like ten minutes.

"What do you think of the first test?" Su Yang asked them afterward.

"Senior… are these ingredients from the Holy Central Continent?" One of them asked him.

"Something like that." He nodded.

And he continued, "You may be thinking that I am cheating by doing this, but if I didn't do this, it wouldn't be fair to those without much knowledge or experience in Alchemy, giving the Alchemy Masters here that has decades of experience all the advantage."

"And at the end of the day, I do not care about your current knowledge and abilities. I only seek the ones with the most potential, as that is the purpose of these tests."

Sometime later, Su Yang handed out a blank scroll to every individual in the room and explained to them the second part of the test, "For the next part, I will have you recall as many ingredients as you possibly can from the first part of the test into the scroll I just handed you. All you need to do is think about the ingredients in your mind while touching the scroll, and the scroll will automatically count for you. Just in case you are thinking of cheating by recalling ingredients that did not exist in the 100,000 ingredients I gave you, the scrolls won't count them, but you are free to try."

"And for this part of the test, you will have two hours to remember as many ingredients as you can."

After saying those words, Su Yang began the timer.

The place instantly turned dead silent, and everybody in the room beside Su Yang had their eyes closed to help their focus.

Two hours later, Su Yang suddenly clapped his hands again, startling everybody in the room.

"Open your scrolls and see for yourself the results. If your number is less than 10,000, you have failed the exam, and I will have to ask you to leave this place."

The people there began opening the scroll with trembling hands.

When they saw their results, more than half of the room showed a devastated expression, whilst the others showed relief on their faces.

In just one exam, more than half of the participants have failed, losing their chance to become Su Yang's disciple.

Sometime later, once those who have failed left the Assembly Hall, Su Yang said to the remaining participants, "Who here has over a number over 20,000?"

A few moments later, thirty people raised their hands.

Su Yang nodded and said, "For every 1,000 more ingredients you remember, you will be given 1 point. At the end of the exam, the three people with the most points will become my disciple."

And then he continued, "And for the individual with the best results for each test, you will be given an extra 10 points. So, which of you have the highest number?"

A moment later, Su Xun, his father, revealed his scroll to everyone and spoke, "I have 38,170."

Being one of the few Cultivators that have reached the Heavenly Spirit Realm, Su Xun's mental strength would obviously be much stronger than most people, allowing him to remember things faster.

"Anyone with better results?" Su Yang asked the crowd.

A second later, Bai Lihua raised her hand and said, "45,548."

"As expected of the Sect Leader of an Elite Sect…" The people there silently praised Bai Lihua.

Not only is she a beauty that can devastate an entire country, but she also happens to be one of the most talented individuals within her generation by reaching the Heavenly Spirit Realm at a very young age. Even now, she is the youngest one amongst all of the Heavenly Spirit Realm Cultivators in the Eastern Continent, not including Su Yang and Hong Yu'er.

"You are Bai Lihua, right?" Su Yang suddenly asked her.

"This humble one is indeed called Bai Lihua," she responded in a slightly surprised voice, as she didn't expect this Senior to recognize her.

"Mmm… I have heard good things about you from my little friend, Su Yang. Whether you pass this exam or not, you can stay here until the exam is done so we can talk more privately."

Hearing Su Yang's words, Bai Lihua's expression bloomed with joy, and she quickly bowed to him, "Thank you, Senior, for sparing your precious time for this humble one!"

'That Su Yang really helped me meet the Alchemy Master! I must thank him properly the next time I see him!' Bai Lihua thought to herself sometime later.

Chapter 572 Perfect Score

"What? Did the Senior just call Su Yang his 'friend'?"

"Is it the same Su Yang from the Profound Blossom Sect?"

"The number one genius who reached the Heavenly Spirit Realm at the age of 17?"

When the people there heard Su Yang's words, they immediately began whispering among themselves.

Although it was quite surprising at first that Su Yang would have connections to the Alchemy Master, after they thought about it for a moment, it made sense for him to know someone from the Holy Central Continent, as that would explain his tremendous growth and talent.

'I knew it! That Su Yang really has connections to the Alchemy Master! But why haven't I seen him yet? Isn't he also here in the city? Or did he come here for another matter?' Lord Xie pondered with a serious expression.

"It seems like we have side-tracked for a moment here. Anyway, does anyone here have a better result?" Su Yang said loudly.

A moment later, an old man revealed his scroll and spoke, "75,651."

"That's Senior Zeng, one of the most renowned Alchemy Masters in the Eastern Continent!"

The people there immediately recognized Senior Zeng, who has been a famous Alchemy Master for over a century now.

"So you are the best in the Eastern Continent?" Su Yang asked him in a calm voice.

"This old man wouldn't dare to claim himself as the best Alchemy Master before your excellence, Senior." Senior Zeng stood up and bowed to him with deep respect. "However, I have studied Alchemy for over 200 years now, so I am fairly confident in my abilities."

Su Yang nodded before continuing, "Anyone else with a higher result?"

A moment later, a beautiful young lady raised her hand, and she showed him the number recorded in her scroll.

"87,979."

"Hoh? Not bad for someone your age, young lady. What's your name?" Su Yang asked her.

The young lady calmly stood up and bowed to him before speaking, "This Junior is called Lou Yixiao, and I am currently Senior Zeng's disciple."

"As expected of Senior Zeng's disciple, she seems more talented than her own Master."

"If I recall correctly, she's only 25 years old, right? And she's only at the Profound Spirit Realm…"

"Although having a higher cultivation base may improve your memorization, talented people like her are born with excellent memories. It's no wonder why Senior Zeng accepted her as his disciple."

"She'll definitely obtain one of those three spots, I bet…"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. While she indeed has good memories, we don't know how she'll do in the next two tests."

"I do not care if you already have a Master or not. As long as you have what it takes and you are willing to become my disciple, I will accept you under my tutelage." Su Yang said to her.

A moment later, he turned to look at Wang Shuren and asked her, "What's your result?"

A confident smile appeared on Wang Shuren's face, and she revealed her results.

"93,211."

"How dare you look so smug with such a pathetic result. I have expected a perfect score from you. Looks like I have been going easy on your training lately, huh? Don't worry, once this is over, I will properly educate you." Su Yang said to her.

"..."

The smile on Wang Shuren's face immediately disappeared, and she stared at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief. Even the other people there looked at her with pity on their expressions, with a few of them even laughing at her misfortune inwardly.

"Is this it? Did nobody here obtain a perfect score?" Su Yang asked them a moment later.

Suddenly, another individual raised her hand.

"Here."

The beautiful young lady who just spoke raised her scroll into the air, showing everyone in the room the perfect score of 100,000 written on it.

"That's Hong Yu'er! As expected of the number two genius of the Eastern Continent! If anyone should become the Senior's disciple, it should be someone like her!"

"..."

Su Yang looked at her with narrowed eyes and spoke to her through spiritual sense, "What are you trying to do? What will you gain by becoming my disciple when you are already my wife?"

Tang Lingxi smiled and responded via spiritual sense, "Don't worry, I don't really plan to lower my status from wife to disciple. I'm just trying to have so fun before I return to my original body."

Su Yang sighed inwardly after hearing her reason, and he spoke loudly, "Because Hong Yu'er and Wang Shuren are my disciples already, I won't be counting their scores. Therefore, I will give the extra 10 points to Luo Yixiao for having the best results."

"What?! Hong Yu'er is already his disciple?!"

When the people there heard this news, they stared at her with wide eyes. Even Wang Shuren couldn't help but turn around to look at her with a surprised look.

'When did Su Yang accept her as a disciple? I thought I was the only one!' she cried inwardly, feeling as though her title as 'disciple' was no longer as impressive.

Sometime later, Su Yang continued with the exam.

"For the first test, I tested your memories. Now, for the second test, I will be testing your sense of smell." He said to them.

"As an Alchemist, it is incredibly important to have a good sense of smell, as there exist herbs that cannot be tracked or sensed by spiritual energy but can be found using your nose. It is also important that you can tell apart ingredients by their smells. If you have a good nose, with some training, you will even be able to smell the ingredients of a pill you have never seen before."

The people there looked at him with wide eyes.

One can tell the ingredients of a pill they have never seen before just by smelling it? That sounded a bit unrealistic, as they have never heard of someone with such an ability before.

Unlike Wang Shuren, who has witnessed Su Yang achieve this before, it was simply too hard to believe such a claim.

Chapter 573 Second Tes

Seeing the doubt on everyone's faces, Su Yang sighed inwardly before speaking out loud, "Who here has a pill on them right now? It does not matter what kind of pill it is."

The Alchemy Masters quickly realized what he was trying to do with a pill.

"I have one, Senior." Senior Zeng suddenly raised his hand and spoke. "However, it's not your regular pill, as it was created when I was experimenting on a new pill recipe, and it's not completed yet, so nobody in this world besides myself should know its ingredients."

"That's perfect. Let me see it for a moment." Su Yang casually said.

Senior Zeng nodded and handed him the pill without any hesitation. Because when an Alchemy Master tries to invent a new pill recipe, they would normally keep it a secret until the pill is completed, much less share the pill with someone else, as that would be letting people eat an unfinished dish as a cook.

Once the pill was in his hands, Su Yang placed it right before his nose and gave it a deep but slow sniff.

"Hmmm…"

Su Yang closed his eyes to ponder.

A few moments later, he began listing out the ingredients used to create this unknown pill, "Three grams of Spirit Grass, four grams of Strengthening Powder, a single blade of Harmony Leaf…"

By the time Su Yang finished listing out all of the ingredients, Senior Zeng's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"A-Amazing! I did not believe it at first, but after witnessing it with my own eyes, I cannot do anything but believe it! You actually listed out every ingredient perfectly!" Senior Zeng exclaimed a moment later, causing the other Alchemy Masters to take deep breaths.

Su Yang then said, "Calm down… I am not finished yet…"

After saying those few words, Su Yang took another sniff at the pill, before speaking, "This pill was created thirty-three days ago, and it came out of the cauldron sometime in the late afternoon."

Senior Zeng's jaw dropped from his mouth after hearing his words, but Su Yang was not done speaking, and he continued, "Judging from the ingredients you'd used to concoct this pill, I can tell that you were trying to create something that will help with your 'illness' down there. I suggest adding four drops of blood from an Earth Turtle and two more grams of Strengthen Powder. That should fix your 'sword' temporarily."

"?!?!?!"

Senior Zeng nearly fell off his seat after hearing Su Yang's words, the expression on his face looking as though he'd just seen the ghost of his Ancestors.

Meanwhile, the other people in the room looked at Senior Zeng whilst trying their hardest to resist their urges to burst out laughing.

Even his own disciple, Luo Yixiao, was trying to hide the redness on her face by looking away.

"..."

Senior Zeng's face flushed with redness. What did he do to deserve such treatment? He has never lost so much face at once before. And if it weren't for Su Yang's status, he would've long gone to beat Su Yang up for his unnecessary remarks.

However, no matter how angry he was, Senior Zeng controlled his emotions and bowed to Su Yang, before speaking, "Thank you, Senior, for your advice."

Su Yang nodded and spoke as he gazed at the people there, "Is there anyone who still doubts my words?"

The people there quickly shook their heads.

"Good. Then let us begin the second test."

Su Yang waved his sleeves, causing many storage pouches to appear. He then handed one to every individual in the room.

"Inside each storage pouch is 100 different scented pouches, each emitting a unique scent. For the second test, you all have four hours to smell each of these pouches and memorize it. Once the four hours have passed, I will explain the second part of the test. You may begin now."

The people there immediately opened their storage pouches to find 100 small scented pouches inside, each with a unique aroma to it and a number written on the pouch.

They then began to smell each of the scented pouches individually, taking many minutes to memorize the smell and the number it belonged to before moving onto the next scented pouch.

Four hours later, Su Yang clapped his hands and said, "Put everything back into the storage pouch and toss it in the middle of the room."

Sometime later, a pile of storage pouches laid on the floor beside Su Yang.

"I will now give each of you a bottle of scented substance."

Su Yang then handed each of them a small glass bottle that had a few drops of liquid inside.

"I have used 5 different aromas from the 100 scented pouches to create the substance inside the bottle with every bottle in this room emitting a unique aroma, and you all have ten minutes to smell the substance inside the bottle and find out which of the 5 aromas I had used to create that mixture. Once you have an answer, you may reseal the bottle, as that will declare your completion. You may begin now."

The people there looked at the glass bottle in their hands with a dazed expression on their faces.

When they opened the bottle and smelled the aroma, they cried inwardly, 'This is fucking impossible! I am not a pig, nor do I have the nose of a dog! How the hell am I supposed to figure out which aroma he'd mixed inside?!'

Seeing the perplexed and troubled expression on their faces, Su Yang smiled behind his mask, 'If it was too easy, I wouldn't have needed this examination to find a disciple!'

While the majority of the people in the room were having trouble sniffing out the correct aromas, Tang Lingxi took a single sniff of the bottle before casually sealing the bottle and placing it down.

Three minutes later, Wang Shuren also sealed the bottle with a confident expression on her face.

At the fourth minute, a pretty young lady that was not Luo Yixiao sealed the bottle.

Five minutes into the test, Senior Zeng and Bai Lihua sealed their bottles with a few seconds in between

Six minutes into the test, Luo Yixiao finally sealed her own bottle.

At the seventh minute, Su Xun and a few others sealed their bottles.

During the last three minutes, another ten people sealed their bottles, whilst the remaining participants showed a defeated expression on their faces.

By the end of the test, less than 20 people have managed to seal their bottles.

Chapter 574 The Third Tes

Once the ten minutes had passed, Su Yang handed out another piece of paper to everyone in the room and said, "It'll be just like the first test. The scroll will automatically record your thoughts, and it does not allow you to guess an answer, so if you do not have a confident answer, the scroll will not treat it as though you don't have an answer."

Despite his words, nobody in the room willingly left the room. Even if they were not confident about their answers, they still had to try.

Sometime later, when everyone in the room has their result, Su Yang spoke, "If your scroll is blank, you have failed the test, and you may leave."

Immediately after he said those words, almost all of the people in the room stood up and left the place.

A few minutes later, less than 100 participants remained in the room.

"Now, if your scroll has a number that's lower than three, you may also leave this room."

Those who had either number one or two on their scrolls immediately sighed, before leaving the room.

"If you have the number three on your scroll, it means that you have barely passed the test by getting three out of the five available answers correct. If you have number four, it means you have a powerful nose. If you figured out all five ingredients in your mixture, then you have a special nose that's suited for Alchemy, as only 1 in 10,000,000 people are born with a nose that can smell all five aromas from the mixture." Su Yang said to the remaining 20 people in the room.

"W-Wait a moment, Senior. Are you saying that only certain people with a special nose are able to smell all five aromas no matter what? Then what was the point of giving everyone a unique aroma?" Senior Zeng asked him, as he only managed to guess 3 out of 5 aromas, barely passing the second test despite ranking highly in the first one.

Su Yang smiled and said, "Everybody actually had the same mixture in their glass bottle. However, the mixture itself is very unique, and it will smell different depending on the person, hence why I said every glass bottle has a unique scent. As for the ingredients, they are all of the possible scents from the mixture."

"The mixture I gave you is called the 'Ever-changing Perfume', and depending on how sharp your sense of smell is, you can only smell whatever it allows you to."

"And if you cannot discern three or more aromas from the Ever-changing Perfume, it simply means that you do not have the nose to learn the techniques that I will be teaching my disciples."

Su Yang then spoke, "Show me your results. If your result is three, I will give you 10 points. If your result is four, I will give you 25 points, and if you have a perfect result, I will give you 50 points."

Sometime later, Su Yang began naming out every individual with the same result.

"Hong Yu'er, Su Xun, Senior Feng… 10 points."

"What? Hong Yu'er also barely managed to pass?"

The people there looked at her with surprised looks.

'Hmph. This body was not born with any talent for Alchemy, hence why I could only smell three out of five aromas. This is something even I cannot change. As for the first test, if not for my mental strength assisting this body, it would've been impossible for Hong Yu'er to have memorized all 100,000 ingredients…' Tang Lingxi thought to herself.

"Bai Lihua, Luo Yixiao, Wang Shuren… 25 points."

After naming everybody in the room except one person, Su Yang turned to look at the young lady who sealed her glass bottle four minutes into the test.

"You are the only one who has managed to discern all 5 aromas from the mixture. What's your name?" Su Yang asked her.

The young lady stood up and gave him an elegant bow before speaking, "This Junior is called Cai Yan, the youngest daughter of the Cai Family."

He nodded and continued, "If you can pass the final test and become my disciple, I have a technique that'll further strengthen your sense of smell. If mastered, you can smell certain things even from miles away."

"This Junior will do her best in order to not disappoint the Senior." Cai Yan bowed to him again before returning to her seat.

A few moments later, Su Yang looked at the remaining participants and said to them, "This will be the last test, but before I allow you partake in it, I must warn you that by participating in this test, you might suffer damages to your mind, so I will give all of you a few minutes to rethink this through."

"We might suffer mental damage? What kind of test is this?" Senior Zeng asked him.

"It would spoil the fun if I told you about it in advance." Su Yang shook his head, and he continued, "I can tell you, but you will have to forfeit the test."

The participants there exchanged looks with each other, their expressions filled with anxiousness and skepticism.

However, despite being told that they could damage their mind, nobody gave up, as they have progressed too far to give up now. Furthermore, even if it was risky, they believed that it was entirely worth it if they can be the disciple of a great figure like him.

"Nobody is giving up? Good." Su Yang smiled behind the mask.

And he continued, "Wang Shuren, Hong Yu'er, there's no need for the two of you to participate in this test."

Wang Shuren sighed with relief inwardly after hearing his words, as she did not want to experience that solitude again, or she might really go crazy.

As for Tang Lingxi, there was no point in making her partake in this test, as she was not really trying to become his disciple, and as a fellow Immortal, she was guaranteed to pass the test, anyway.

"As for the rest of you, I want you to sit beside each other in the lotus position and close your eyes." Su Yang said to them.

Chapter 575 Soul Invading Pill

After Su Yang's instructions, the remaining participants all gathered in the middle of the room and sat down in the lotus position before closing their eyes.

"This exam will only last one hour, but it might feel slightly longer depending on your mental strength. Good luck." Su Yang said to them before retrieving the Everlasting Time Pill and crushing it.

After smearing the powder into the air and over these participants, the entire room immediately turned silent.

"One hour… so they have to endure 10 years of solitude?" Wang Shuren asked him after seeing no response from the participants.

If she had experienced 100 years of solitude in 10 hours in the real world, it would make sense that one hour would mean 10 years of solitude.

However, Su Yang shook his head and said, "While it is true that they have to endure a minimum of 10 years of solitude, depending on their mental strength, it might increase for a few more years. For example, the pill is more effective on those who are weak-minded, and if you are terrified of being alone, those 10 years will become 11 years… 12 years… perhaps even longer."

Wang Shuren looked at the participants with a worried expression on her face, and she asked him, "What will you do if their mind really gets injured in the process? They are people with profound and powerful backgrounds. If they arrived here with a normal and healthy mind but return home retarded… I don't want to imagine what they might try to do…"

Su Yang chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I only said that to mess with their minds, increasing the effects of the pill on them. I will wake them up before they go crazy."

"This pill sure brings back some unpleasant memories…" Tang Lingxi suddenly spoke in a nostalgic voice, causing Wang Shuren to look at her with interest.

"Since you are also his disciple, you should know the Master's real identity, right?" she asked Tang Lingxi, who was still occupying Hong Yu'er's mortal body.

"Disciple? Since you aren't aware of the situation I won't blame you too much, but don't you dare lower my standing to a mere disciple. I am not his disciple. I am his wife." Tang Lingxi responded with a cold stare, sending chills down Wang Shuren's back.

"Oh… right… You are engaged with Su Yang. I nearly forgot. I apologize…" Wang Shuren said a moment later.

"..."

Seeing Tang Lingxi narrow her eyes, Wang Shuren quickly asked with a puzzled expression, "Am I wrong?"

"No, you are not wrong. I am his fiancee… but I am also not."

Hearing Tang Lingxi's confusing words, Wang Shuren tilted her head with raised eyebrows.

"Is she safe?" Tang Lingxi looked at Su Yang and asked him.

He nodded. "I have already told her about my real background."

"Listen well, Su Yang's disciple. You may be looking at Hong Yu'er right now, but I am not Hong Yu'er— at least not on the inside. My name is Tang Lingxi, and I am currently occupying Hong Yu'er's mortal body with the help of a Soul Invading Pill."

Hearing Tang Lingxi's seemingly crazy words, Wang Shuren's jaw dropped to the ground.

"Don't worry, I have Hong Yu'er's permission to use her body. Anyway, my real body is currently at the Four Divine Heavens, where Su Yang is originally from." Tang Lingxi continued to explain to her.

"Four Divine Heavens! So you are also an Immortal?!"

Tang Lingxi nodded and said, "But I am not just any Immortal. I am from the Asura God Clan, one of the most feared powers in the whole universe!"

"Wow…"

Although Wang Shuren does not comprehend even slightly the full extent of the Asura God Clan's prowess and reputation, she could not help but admire the otherworldly aura emitting from Tang Lingxi's body.

"By the way, what's this Soul Invading Pill?" Wang Shuren asked a moment later, as she was more interested in Alchemy than anything else.

"The Soul Invading Pill is a priceless and forbidden pill that allows one to detach their soul from their own body and temporarily invade anyone with a weaker mental. There is only one person in this entire universe who can concoct such a pill — the Alchemy God." Su Yang said to her.

"The Alchemy God!" Wang Shuren's desire to meet this individual greatly increased after learning of the existence of the Soul Invading Pill. After all, what kind of person could possibly create such a heaven-defying pill that allows one to invade another's body?

However, when Tang Lingxi heard them mention the name 'Alchemy God', her expression soured.

"Is there something wrong?" Wang Shuren noticed Tang Lingxi's expression and asked her.

"No… it's just that she's a very controversial person, so whenever someone mentions her, you would more often than not see similar expressions." Tang Lingxi sighed.

"Does it have anything to do with the Soul Invading Pill— a forbidden pill?"

"That's only one of many crazy pills that she has invented. There are even worse pills out there that could easily put the Soul Invading Pill to shame. One can only wonder why she would create these kinds of pills." Tang Lingxi said.

She then looked at Su Yang and thought to herself, 'Though, it's even more mysterious how he managed to seduce her, who's renowned for not caring about everything that's not Alchemy related.'

A few minutes into the final test, one of the participants suddenly trembled.

When Su Yang saw this, he immediately approached that individual and slapped that person in the face, immediately waking them up.

"Haa… haa... haaa… Where am I...?" The participant began panting heavily after waking up.

"Calm down. You are still in the Assembly Hall." Su Yang said to the man.

"W-What?! I-Impossible! But I was… for an entire year…!" The man looked at him with a panicked face.

However, Su Yang did not say anything else, and he suddenly poked the man's forehead with his index finger, which was glowing with a golden light.

A few seconds later, the man's expression turned blank, and his eyes were void of light, almost as though he had lost his mind.

After a few more seconds, the light returned to the man's eyes.

"Huh? What was I doing just now?" The man looked around with a confused expression.

"You have failed the exam. You should leave now." Su Yang said to him.

"What?! That's impossible!" The man exclaimed in a shocked voice, as he doesn't even remember taking the exam!

576 End of the Alchemy Exam

"Impossible, you say? Look around you. You are the only one here who has opened his eyes." Su Yang said to him, and he continued. "However, if you are not satisfied with the results, we can have a little contest in Alchemy. If you win, I will pass you, how about it?"

"I... I agree with the results…" Not daring to offend Su Yang, the participant mumbled with a disheartened face before leaving the place.

"Did you… did you just erase that man's memories?" Wang Shuren asked him afterward, her eyes filled with shock.

He nodded and said, "That's right. If I didn't erase his memories, his mind would've suffered some internal injuries."

"To think you can even erase one's memories, as expected for an Immortal. Is there anything that you can't do, Su Yang?" she asked him.

"Because I am always traveling, I have experienced many things in my previous life, so there is very little that I don't know. With that being said, I am not perfect, so there are obviously things that even I cannot do."

"Is that so…" Wang Shuren's eyes flickered with interest, but alas, knowing Su Yang, he definitely wouldn't tell her about his weaknesses.

Meanwhile, inside the participants' minds, the majority of them were still trying to figure out the situation despite spending many months inside the illusion.

"Just where did the Senior bring me? I am going crazy!"

"Ahhhh! Is there anybody here?! Hello?!"

"Please! I cannot stay here for much longer! There are places I have to be!"

Thirty minutes into the final test, over half of the participants were forced to wake up by Su Yang, as they were unable to endure the burden on their minds any longer.

After waking up, Su Yang proceeded to remove their memories before letting them leave.

"Cough!"

Su Xun woke up at the forty-minute mark, even coughing up a mouthful of blood afterward.

"W-What happened to me?" Su Xun looked around with a confused look on his face.

"You have failed the exam." Su Yang said to him.

"Is that so… That's a pity." Su Xun sighed.

"Well, since you are Su Yang's father, I shall bestow you a gift before you leave…"

Su Yang said to him before taking out a Heaven Transcendence Pill and handing it to him.

"Although this pill may not have any effect on you, I'm sure you'll find some use for it."

"T-Thank you, Senior Alchemist!" Su Xun quickly bowed to him.

With the Heaven Transcendence Pill in hand, Su Xun no longer felt as dispirited for failing the exam, even feeling quite elevated.

After leaving the Assembly Hall, Su Xun looked at the pill and thought to himself, 'Since Su Yang has already reached the Heavenly Spirit Realm, I should give this pill to Su Yin, who is still at the Earth Spirit Realm. Despite their revolting behavior, they are still my children — and very talented ones at that.'

A few minutes after Su Xun left the Assembly Hall, a few more participants woke up.

By the time there were only 5 minutes left in the exam, there were only four individuals left in the exam — Senior Zeng, Luo Yixiao, Cai Yan, and surprisingly, Bai Lihua.

"This is truly unexpected. I didn't expect Sect Leader Bai to last this long." Wang Shuren suddenly said.

Su Yang nodded, "Even I did not expect this."

"Who do you think will win in the end? I have my money on Senior Zeng, Sect Leader Bai, and Luo Yixiao." Wang Shuren said.

"That old man's no good." Tang Lingxi suddenly said.

"Huh? What makes you think that?" Wang Shuren asked her.

"Just a hunch," she casually said.

"A hunch, you say…?"

When there was only 1 minute left in the exam, Su Yang stood before Senior Zeng with a pondering gaze.

A few seconds later, Su Yang shook his head and slapped Senior Zeng awake.

"Huh?! What happened?! Where am I?!"

Senior Zeng quickly began panicking.

However, Su Yang gave him a few more slaps and said, "Calm down, old man. You are in the Assembly Hall."

"A-Assembly Hall…? Oh, right! The exam! I was taking the exam when I was suddenly thrown into this mysterious place, where I spent ten years in solitude!" Senior Zeng's memories quickly returned.

"What you experienced was merely an illusion — a dream, so to speak. I have erased the memories of the other participants that have failed, but I will let you keep yours, as it will be beneficial for you."

"Thank you, Senior." Senior Zeng bowed to him.

He then turned to look at Luo Yixiao, who was sitting there with a peaceful face.

'Thank heavens she hasn't failed yet…' he sighed with relief inwardly.

"Senior, do you think my disciple will pass the exam?" he asked Su Yang.

"We will know in a few seconds…" he responded.

Ten seconds later, Su Yang waved his sleeves, causing a gentle wind to brush past the participants' faces, and they began to wake up a few more seconds later.

"Hmm?"

"What is going on?"

"Where is this?"

The three ladies woke up with a confused expression on their faces, but they did not panic as the others had.

"Congratulations on passing the exam, you three. Do you remember me?" Su Yang's voice caused the three of them to turn and look at him simultaneously.

"You are… Senior Alchemist!"

"Senior! What happened to me? Before I knew it, I was transported to this endless mountain range, where I was stuck for many years!" Bai Lihua asked him.

Su Yang smiled behind his mask, and he proceeded to explain to them the situation.

"Everlasting Time Pill? To think such a profound pill could exist in this world…" Senior Zeng expressed great shock after learning of the pill's existence.

"So everything we've experienced in that place was only in our minds? It wasn't real?" Bai Lihua asked him.

"That's right. Though, you can also say that it was real because whatever insight you've gained while in that state will remain inside your head forever." Su Yang nodded.

577 Accepting Three Beautiful Disciples

"Umm… since we are the only three people that have passed all three exams, does this automatically make us your disciple?" Bai Lihua asked him sometime later.

Su Yang nodded, "That's right. Unless you don't want to become my disciple."

"It's not that I don't want to become the Senior's disciple, but I am the Sect Leader of an Elite Sect… I cannot simply push away my responsibilities as a Sect Leader just to learn Alchemy. And to be completely honest, I did not expect to last till the end, much less become your disciple… I don't even know anything about Alchemy."

"You don't have to worry about pushing away your responsibilities, because I won't take up much of your time. If you are willing to become my disciple, I will give you some techniques to study alone, and if you ever need advice, I will be there for you." Su Yang said to her.

"As for knowing nothing about Alchemy… isn't that the same for everyone when they try to walk a new path?"

"However, if you are serious about trying to become the best Alchemy Master in this world, then I will have to train you more seriously, and that will take up more of your time."

"Now, are you willing to accept me as your Master?" Su Yang asked the three ladies that stood before him.

"Cai Yan greets Master." The daughter of the Cai Family was the first one to accept him as Master, kowtowing without hesitation.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Lihua also kowtowed before him, "Bai Lihua greets Master."

If she becomes the disciple of someone as powerful as him, the Heavenly Swan Sect will also benefit from it. Furthermore, despite knowing nothing about Alchemy, she is always eager to learn something new, especially if she has the talent for it.

The only one who has yet to decide right now was Luo Yixiao, who was silently staring at Senior Zeng, almost as though she was asking for permission.

"What are you doing, you silly child? Hurry up and greet your new Master! If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't even hesitate!" Senior Zeng quickly said to her. "Although my abilities cannot compare to Senior Alchemist, you will always be my disciple in my heart."

Hearing his words, Luo Yixiao nodded her head, before kowtowing to Su Yang.

"Luo Yixiao greets her new Master."

"I have said this before, but you don't need to abandon your current Master in order to become my disciple. After all, I will only be your Master for at most two years, before I leave this place." Su Yang said to her.

"Eh? Will you be returning to the Holy Central Continent in two years, Senior?" Senior Zeng asked him.

"Something like that, I guess." He nodded, and continued, "Anyway, I will teach you everything I can for the next two years. After that… you will have to start studying by yourself."

"I will begin my first lecture next month. You can do whatever you want until then. Once it's time for the lecture, I will come to find you."

"However, before you leave, take these techniques and study them until our lecture." Su Yang then handed to each of them a couple of techniques for Alchemy.

"Thank you, Master!"

He then turned to look at Bai Lihua and said, "Regarding our private conversation, I will find you at the Heavenly Swan Sect in a few days."

"I understand, Master. I will prepare for your arrival." Bai Lihua nodded.

Sometime later, Su Yang dismissed the three of them.

"Is this it?" Wang Shuren asked him afterward.

"Yes, we are done for now. Were you expecting something else?" he said.

"I thought you were going to teach them a thing or two before letting them leave."

"Teaching Alchemy is not like teaching them Cultivation. They need to fully understand the basics before we can even start. And it's more effective to teach them like this."

"Anyway, I will be returning to the Profound Blossom Sect now. What are you going to do, Lingxi?" he asked her.

"Hmm… thanks to someone stealing my disciple, my schedule has unexpectedly opened up, so I think I will have some fun at the Profound Blossom Sect," she responded a moment later.

"What? Someone stole your disciple?" Su Yang looked at her with wide eyes.

He was more shocked by the fact that she would even accept a disciple than anything else.

"Well, I owed a favor to the Azure Cloud Sect's Leader for a few things, and he wanted me to train some brat from one of the Four Great Families in return. However, before she could even arrive at the Sect, she joined another Sect. What do you think, my darling? Does this situation sound familiar to you?"

"Well, this is truly unexpected." Su Yang laughed out loud after realizing the situation.

"Anyway, you are more than welcomed to stay in the Profound Blossom Sect," he continued a moment later.

Tang Lingxi nodded and said, "I will head to the Profound Blossom Sect after I return to the Azure Cloud Sect to let them know about my whereabouts."

After saying that, Tang Lingxi left the Assembly Hall.

"Well, I will be returning to the Burning Lotus Sect and continue with my own training. I cannot let these new disciples surpass me even if it kills me." Wang Shuren said to him.

"Take these with you." Su Yang suddenly tossed a small bottle filled with pills to her.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Consume one of them before you start concocting pills. It'll help with your concentration. As for the pill itself, I will let you figure it out yourself."

"Oh? Is this a challenge for me?" Wang Shuren suddenly spoke with a smile.

"That wasn't my intention, but since you mentioned it, if you cannot figure out the ingredients by the next time I visit you, I will make sure that you won't be able to move your body for the rest of the day."

"I-I won't lose this time!" Wang Shuren said in a nervous voice before hurrying away, as she cannot spare even a second there anymore.

Su Yang also returned to the Profound Blossom Sect shortly afterward.