Island Master Wang proposed that Ye Qin simultaneously serve as the Chief Alchemist for both Great and Lesser Liuli Islands.
Island Master Zhao pondered for a moment, making no objection. This was clearly the best way to resolve the matter; otherwise, the only outcome would be a direct confrontation between the two Golden Core cultivators, which would surely damage the harmony between them.
“Esteemed Ancestors, this youngster is merely speaking recklessly! How could someone so young possibly refine Seventh-tier Spirit Pills?! No one has ever witnessed it; it is all hearsay. Please, esteemed Ancestors, do not be so easily persuaded by a single account and rashly appoint him as the Chief Alchemist for both Great and Lesser Liuli Islands!”
Standing beside Island Master Zhao, a haggard, gray-bearded elder in a green robe suddenly rushed forward to object.
“Indeed, what Elder Li said is correct. This brat is an outsider, and we do not even know his true origins. How can we trust him so easily?” “Perhaps he merely intends to freeload here. My Lords, absolutely do not hand over our spiritual herbs to him; it will only be a complete waste.”
Several other green-robed alchemists quickly stood up to voice their strong opposition.
The appearance of Ye Qin, an Alchemy Master, was a delightful surprise for the majority of cultivators on Liuli Island. However, for a very small minority—specifically, the more than ten alchemists maintained by the two Island Masters—it was terrible news.
They refined spirit pills for the two Island Masters and other cultivators, enjoying extremely high regard. If Ye Qin were to replace them, the courtesy they received would undoubtedly plummet. The greatest benefits would fall entirely to Ye Qin.
The most anxious person in the main hall at this moment was likely Elder Li, the former Chief Alchemist of Great Liuli Island—the very green-robed, gray-bearded elder who had first spoken up.
After learning the news the previous night that an alchemist of extraordinary skill had appeared on the island, he hadn't slept a wink, sensing disaster looming. Now, with the two Island Masters proposing Ye Qin for the Chief Alchemist position, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, utterly unacceptable to him.
“That is true. Elder Li speaks sense. I only heard from my subordinates that your alchemy is quite good, and you yourself claim your skills are superior. But words are meaningless; you must refine actual spirit pills to prove it. What do you say, Martial Nephew Ye?”
Island Master Zhao narrowed his eyes and said with a smile.
“If the Island Master wishes to know the extent of my alchemy, refining just a few batches of spirit pills will make everything perfectly clear. Why say so much?”
Ye Qin replied calmly.
“Good! I will immediately provide you with ten sets of Sixth-tier spiritual materials and ten sets of Seventh-tier spiritual materials. If your alchemy is truly as profound as you claim, the Chief Alchemist position for both islands will be yours, undeniably. If it proves less skilled than you stated, and you waste these ten precious Seventh-tier spiritual material sets, I swear I will kill you to vent my anger!”
Island Master Zhao slapped his seat, making his decision. His tone carried a subtle, chilling edge.
“That is only natural.”
Ye Qin inwardly stiffened, knowing that if he failed to refine the spirit pills, Island Master Zhao would certainly not show him any mercy.
“Island Master, you must not! Ten sets of Seventh-tier spiritual materials are too precious. Even I might not succeed more than once or twice. How could this young man possibly manage it!”
Elder Li tried urgently to dissuade him.
But the two Island Masters would not listen; they held great anticipation for Ye Qin’s refining skills. The possibility of doubling the yield of spirit pills from the same quantity of herbs—such a high return—was enough for them to risk the gamble.
Great Liuli Island, Main Peak, a top-tier alchemy chamber.
Outside the chamber, dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators, clad in blue and jade robes, stood guard day and night, strictly forbidding any other cultivators from approaching. The two Island Masters and the green-robed alchemists visited almost every few hours.
A full seven days later, the alchemy chamber door opened, and a wave of aromatic spirit pill fragrance washed over them.
Dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators in blue and jade robes stood respectfully outside, gazing almost reverently at the young cultivator in white who emerged.
Those green-robed alchemists were now ashen-faced, having completely lost the courage to doubt.
Seven days prior, they had witnessed Ye Qin enter this alchemy room on the main peak with ten sets of Sixth-tier herbs and ten sets of Seventh-tier herbs, carrying nothing else. When he emerged, he held eight small porcelain bottles of Sixth-tier ‘Guiyuan Pills’ and three small porcelain bottles of Seventh-tier ‘Guishui Pills.’ The undeniable facts before them silenced any further objections. Having fiercely questioned his skills, they now dared not raise any dissent.
Golden Core cultivators Island Master Zhao and Island Master Wang, having absolutely no further doubts about Ye Qin’s alchemy, immediately announced him as the Chief Alchemist for both islands.
“Island Master Zhao, if you wish me to refine pills, I agree, but I have a few minor conditions. I prefer absolute solitude when refining, so I require a separate, secluded cave abode as my refining location, and I request that no other cultivator on the island intrudes without permission. Secondly, I need an alchemy attendant to serve as an assistant; I will hand the spiritual materials to the attendant, and he will pass them to me. Once refined, all spirit pills will be delivered directly by the attendant to the two esteemed Ancestors. Thirdly, I will only refine pills for the two Island Masters; I regret that I cannot assist the other island cultivators with their pill needs. Finally, there will be times when I must venture out to search for spiritual materials or hunt sea beasts. I request that the two Island Masters not interfere with my movements. If these few points are agreed upon, I am willing to serve the two Island Masters.”
After handing over these bottles of spirit pills to Island Master Zhao, Ye Qin did not immediately agree to take the Chief Alchemist position; instead, he laid out several demands.
All these demands were minor and reasonable.
Island Master Zhao naturally agreed to all of them.
Thus, Ye Qin officially became the Chief Alchemist for Great and Lesser Liuli Islands.
Island Master Zhao personally selected a cave abode rich in spiritual energy on a peak of Great Liuli Island and bestowed it upon Ye Qin. Furthermore, Ye Qin only needed to refine one furnace of Seventh-tier spirit pills for each of the two Island Masters every month; he was not required to refine pills for anyone else.
After becoming the Chief Alchemist of both islands, Ye Qin rarely left his cave abode, living a life of secluded cultivation, isolated from the world. Even when he occasionally went out, it was during the predawn hours or at night when people were few. He seldom interacted with other cultivators.
Soon, he fell silent, gradually fading from the memory of the ordinary cultivators on the islands. The addition of a Chief Alchemist brought no significant change to Great and Lesser Liuli Islands in the Eastern Sea.
Time passed swiftly on the island. Half a year went by in a flash.
One dawn, a young Foundation Establishment Seventh-tier cultivator dressed in white flew over from the main peak of Great Liuli Island, appearing at the ferry dock of the smaller island.
A small sailing boat was moored at the dock. Several low-level Qi Refining stage cultivators were resting aboard. Ye Qin leaped onto the boat.
“Senior, are you heading out to sea to hunt demonic beasts?”
The boat owner, a simple-looking man at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, quickly stood up to greet him, eyeing Ye Qin with confusion. He clearly did not recognize Ye Qin and had no memory of him.
“Are you the boat owner?”
“This humble one is he.”
“I heard from a brother of mine that the boatmen here are extremely familiar with the seas around the Liuli Islands. They know when and where sea beasts frequent, where it is dangerous, and where it is safe. I wish to hire your vessel to go out to sea to seek sea beasts. I wonder if your boat is available right now?”
The white-robed cultivator nodded and spoke lightly.
“Available, available, we’ll set sail immediately. My family has lived on this island for generations, and I’ve been sailing for forty or fifty years; I go out daily. I know the waters around these islands like the back of my hand. The price isn't high, just ten low-grade spirit stones. May I ask what kind of sea beast Senior wishes to hunt?”
The honest man laughed heartily, and along with the other Qi Refining cultivators, they raised the sails and set off.
“Uh… naturally, the more sea beasts, the better. Let’s circle around the islands first. You introduce a few spots, and I’ll choose.” Ye Qin stood at the bow, gazing out at the vast ocean surrounding the islands.
“Senior, within a hundred-mile radius of Liuli Island, there are upwards of a hundred places where sea beasts frequently appear. However, not many of those are suitable for hunting. If you wish to hunt sea beasts on the water, it’s best to find a reef. Within a few hundred miles of Liuli Island, there are dozens of exposed reefs; some are as large as one or two hundred zhang, capable of accommodating dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Some reefs are only a few zhang wide, enough space for just one Foundation Establishment cultivator to stand. These reefs are all bare rock, with no vegetation. However, almost all the reefs around Liuli Island have owners, with Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding them to hunt the sea beasts nearby.”
The honest man explained in detail while steering the boat.
“Oh? Is that so? Then cultivators without reefs cannot hunt sea beasts?”
Ye Qin frowned slightly, perplexed.
“Not entirely. Seniors can rent from the reef owner. After all, one cannot stay on the reef indefinitely, and its owner cannot be there all day. One only needs to pay a few spirit stones to rent the use of the reef.”
The honest man replied.
“Near Liuli Island, which reef area has the most sea beasts?”
“That would undoubtedly be Bafan Reef. It is seventy li from Lesser Liuli Island, nearly one hundred and twenty zhang wide, shaped like a banana fan. The sea beasts around it are the most numerous.”
The man said casually.
“Then let’s go to Bafan Reef.”
Ye Qin directed.
“We cannot go there! That is the reef belonging to Cultivator Han Zhengfeng, Island Master Zhao’s favored disciple. He often hunts sea beasts there. On Liuli Island, no one dares contend with him for that spot. Besides Han Cultivator using it himself, even Island Master Zhao occasionally hunts there. Therefore, other cultivators cannot even rent it.”
The honest man paused, almost thinking he misheard, and hurriedly tried to dissuade him. Having lived on Lesser Liuli Island for decades, he knew Han Cultivator’s temper well. Anyone who provoked him would face harsh consequences.
“It doesn’t matter. Just take me over to take a look.”
Ye Qin said lightly.
Since the man’s earnest pleading was useless against Ye Qin’s insistence, he reluctantly steered the boat toward Bafan Reef. The boatman inwardly complained, thinking about the trouble they would face later if they couldn't rent the reef and had to go elsewhere. Why bother with this?
More than two hours later, Ye Qin arrived near a large reef on the small sailing boat. This reef was indeed massive, shaped precisely like a banana fan. Moreover, medium-sized formation flags were set up at the four corners of the rock.
A middle-aged cultivator in blue robes was currently sitting cross-legged in the center of the reef, eyes closed, seemingly concentrating intensely on something. Beside him stood a top-grade flying sword, hovering in mid-air, radiating a golden light several zhang wide.
He had been sitting there rigidly for over two hours.
Suddenly, the middle-aged cultivator’s brow twitched. He formed a hand seal, waved his right index and middle fingers, and then the golden flying sword moved, shooting out like a beam of light toward the sea ten zhang to the west of the reef. The sea water churned violently.
“Pfft!”
A moment later, a gush of red blood erupted from the sea, staining a large area crimson.
The middle-aged cultivator in blue flicked his two fingers.
A golden sword ray shot out of the sea, impaling a long, flat sea beast. With a ‘snap,’ the flying sword firmly pinned the strangely shaped, elongated sea creature onto the reef.
The middle-aged cultivator in blue ignored the fish. He opened his eyes and looked sharply toward the slowly approaching small sailboat. Everyone knew that this Bafan Reef was his territory, Han Zhengfeng’s reef. Thus, very few other cultivators dared to come here to rent the rock. Even if someone blundered in, they were usually sent packing by him.
Ye Qin stood at the bow and cupped his hands toward the blue-robed cultivator on the reef, smiling: “You must be Brother Han. I wish to rent your reef for a short time; I wonder if Brother Han could grant this small favor?”
“This reef is not for rent. Please find another place to hunt sea beasts, Your Excellency.”
The blue-robed cultivator refused immediately without thinking.
However, he suddenly felt that the white-robed cultivator before him looked familiar. He recalled seeing Ye Qin once in the Liuli Main Hall more than half a year ago. Ye Qin had been employed as the Chief Alchemist by the two Island Masters specifically to refine high-tier spirit pills due to his astonishing skill in alchemy. But because Ye Qin had remained in seclusion afterward, Han Zhengfeng hadn't seen him again and had gradually forgotten.
“You are Brother Ye… Ah, my apologies, my utmost apologies!”
The blue-robed cultivator immediately showed astonishment. He even rose from his seated position, quickly stepping forward with a fawning smile, “Why would Brother Ye have time to hunt sea beasts out here? Your brother has been here for several days already and is growing tired. Since Brother Ye needs to borrow my reef, there is certainly no problem. Er, I have collected a few sets of spiritual materials over the years, but I’ve been struggling to find a suitable alchemist to refine them… I wonder if Brother Ye is free recently?”
“Thank you, Brother Han. Reciprocity is only natural. After I return, I will take a look at those spiritual materials for Brother Han.”
“Here is a small bottle of spirit pills—a few Tuoyuan Pills—as my fee for renting the reef.”
Ye Qin smiled and pressed a small bottle of spirit pills into Han Zhengfeng’s hand.
“I shall not refuse.”
Han Zhengfeng accepted it with a hearty laugh, making no pretense of declining.
The honest boatman and the other crew members on the small sailboat watched Ye Qin and Han Zhengfeng with wide-eyed shock. This white-robed cultivator, with just a few words, had convinced Island Master Zhao’s favored disciple to willingly lend him Bafan Reef.
This was something almost unheard of on Liuli Island.