The lid of the medicine cauldron lifted, revealing a thin layer of nearly translucent, milky white **at the base to the old man's sight. A richer fragrance wafted out, causing him to nod repeatedly, a faint blush rising on his face: "Excellent, excellent. Even a Fourth Grade Spirit Alchemist would struggle to refine this kind of Spring Rejuvenation Dew."

The old man looked at Nie Kong with undisguised admiration: "Little fellow, I'd like to take some of this 'Spring Rejuvenation Dew' back to study. Are you willing?" As he finished speaking, the old man looked somewhat sheepish; asking a junior for the elixirs they refined to study felt rather humiliating.

Nie Kong smiled: "Elder, if you need it, please just take it."

"Good!"

The old man picked up a small jade vial from the table. Without any visible effort, his right hand swept over the cauldron, and the Spring Rejuvenation Dew flowed out like a stream of water, slipping accurately and unerringly into the narrow bottleneck. "Little fellow, take this. Come to the Alchemy Hall tomorrow."

The old man untied a jade tablet from his waist and handed it to the delighted Nie Kong. "Present this tablet, and someone will bring you to see me." Fearing Nie Kong hadn't taken his words to heart, the old man emphasized his instructions: "Remember, you must come tomorrow. Don't forget!"

Seeing Nie Kong nod in agreement, the old man eagerly snatched up the vial and hurried out of the room. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished at the stairwell leading to the fourth floor.

Nie Kong examined the jade tablet. It was entirely crimson, red as blood, engraved only with a miniature medicine cauldron on its surface, with no other markings. It appeared to be a clan token indicating status. Nie Kong had lived in the Nie Clan for over a decade and had never seen one before, but judging by the cauldron emblem, it might be exclusively used by the Alchemy Hall. Since this elder belonged to the Alchemy Hall, he could seek his guidance on alchemy knowledge in the future.

With this thought, Nie Kong felt quite pleased. Under the astonished gazes of the Spirit Pharmacists outside, he quickly walked downstairs. The illusionary Cauldron Body he currently inhabited could last another fifty-odd minutes; he couldn't waste the time.

Rushing to a small grove not far from the Spirit Pharmacy entrance, Nie Kong sat down cross-legged and continuously refined four bottles of "Spring Rejuvenation Dew" before stopping. Based on Nie Kong's estimations, these four bottles were slightly inferior to the one refined on the third floor, with a potency fusion rate somewhere between ninety and ninety-five percent.

After finishing, dusk was settling in. Nie Kong chewed on some medicinal herbs to replenish the little one's energy as he walked home, his mind preoccupied with the jade tablet. Only upon entering his courtyard did Nie Kong suddenly realize that he had completely forgotten to ask someone from the Spirit Pharmacy about the old man's identity.

However, since he was going to the Alchemy Hall tomorrow anyway, asking later wouldn't matter much.

There was another issue that required immediate preparation: crafting a new small cauldron that matched the appearance of the cauldron projected by the little one. This way, he wouldn't risk exposing his secret when the little one needed to rest and he couldn't produce the cauldron. As for whether this new cauldron could refine elixirs with over ninety percent fusion, there was no need to worry; even the best make mistakes sometimes!

...

A few rays of sunlight breached the mountaintops, scattering across the steps leading up to the Alchemy Hall, yet they failed to dispel the morning chill, much like Nie Mazi's mood.

Nie Mazi felt utterly cursed lately. First, Lian Tianxin stripped him of his right to refine independently and demoted him to an assistant for a junior. Then, he fully devolved into manual labor, opening and sweeping the hall every morning, clearing away medicinal dregs, and grinding herbs until he was dizzy.

The root of all this misfortune was that little brat who came to the Alchemy Hall to present a formula!

Later, Nie Mazi learned that the little brat was called Nie Kong, who had been sick for eighteen years and, on the verge of death, had miraculously recovered without treatment. After that, the little brat became unstoppable, advancing from the First Grade of Spirit Gathering to the Ninth Grade in just a few days. Subsequently, he secured a spot to enter the Illusionary Realm for experience. Rumor had it he reached the First Grade of Spirit Communication shortly after entering. If not for an accident where his soul returned and plunged him into the second layer of the Illusionary Realm, leaving him half-dead, he might already be rivaling the past glory of Grand Elder Nie Shen Gong.

"Heaven's will! Truly Heaven's will!"

Nie Mazi whipped the stone steps of the Alchemy Hall with his broom, cursing under his breath viciously, "You little bastard, you think you're so great! You think you're so great! You caused me to lose the right to refine spirit medicine! Why didn't you just die back then, running out now to harm everyone!"

"Hoh, such potent resentment." A slightly teasing voice sounded from behind him.

"Nie Kong, it's you again, you little bastard?" Nie Mazi jumped, spinning around to see that familiar and detestable smiling face. He immediately gritted his teeth, the dense pockmarks on his face beginning to twitch, and sneered, "What? Did you come up with another 'Stamina and Virility Soup' formula?"

Nie Kong looked at the ugly, pockmarked face opposite him and said with a smile, "No 'Stamina and Virility Soup,' but I do have a 'Muscle Strengthening and Flesh Growth Soup,' which would be perfect for repairing those pits and valleys on your face. So you don't look like you've encountered a ghost when you come out in broad daylight."

"You..."

Nie Mazi hated nothing more in his life than people mentioning his pockmarked face. Hearing this, his temper instantly flared. However, before he could erupt, a figure inserted herself between them, saying with a smile, "Nie Kong, why are you here so early? Did you discover some good formulas?"

"Big Sister Feng Yan."

Seeing the middle-aged woman who had guided him to the Spirit Pharmacy to collect medicine previously, Nie Kong smiled, "Not exactly a formula, but an old man asked me to find him here yesterday evening." As he spoke, Nie Kong held up the red jade tablet. "He said that upon seeing this, someone would guide me to him."

"This is..."

Nie Feng Yan's eyes widened in astonishment as she looked strangely at Nie Kong. "I understand. Nie Kong, you go on in; the person waiting for you hasn't arrived yet."

Seeing the red jade tablet, Nie Mazi's eyes glazed over.

Only after Nie Kong and Nie Feng Yan's figures entered the Alchemy Hall did he snap back to awareness, involuntarily shuddering. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking how much incredible luck the little bastard had stumbled upon to receive even a token from that esteemed elder! Good thing he hadn't acted rashly just now, or he would have been ruined!

Only a few people were currently in the Alchemy Hall. After greeting them, Nie Feng Yan led Nie Kong straight upstairs. Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, "Big Sister, can you tell me that old man's identity?"

Nie Feng Yan smiled, "Well... I dare not tell you. Since the venerable elder didn't reveal his identity yesterday, he probably intended to give you a surprise. When he arrives, even if you don't ask, he will tell you himself. Alright, stop worrying. I'll take you upstairs to wait first."

When mentioning the old man, Nie Feng Yan's expression towards Nie Kong was filled with envy.

Nie Kong became even more puzzled. The Nie Clan's Alchemy Hall possessed considerable strength. Besides Lian Tianxin and the Fifth Elder, both Fifth Grade Spirit Alchemists, there were three Fourth Grade Spirit Alchemists. Judging by her demeanor, the owner of this jade tablet held quite a high status in the Alchemy Hall—perhaps one of the Fourth Grade Spirit Alchemists...

...