HLnovel Chapter 43: Against the World
Chapter 43: Against the World
The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the sky a gorgeous orange-red, and also cast a mysterious veil over Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's journey. After leaving Qingyun Gate, they headed west, following the guidance of the map drawn by Ling'er, heading towards the misty forest shrouded in clouds and mist.
"Xingchen, are you sure the information Ling'er gave you is reliable? This misty forest is extremely dangerous. Even many experienced hunters dare not step in easily." Nanli frowned slightly, with a hint of worry in her tone.
Gao Xingchen stopped and turned to look at Nanli, with a confident smile on his face: "Don't worry, Nanli, Ling'er won't lie to me. Besides, in order to refine the star grass and to truly control my own destiny, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, I will give it a try!"
Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen's determined eyes and a warm feeling surged in her heart. She knew that no matter what happened, she would always be by his side, supporting him, encouraging him, and facing all challenges together with him.
The Misty Forest is just as its name suggests, shrouded in thick fog all year round, with extremely low visibility. In addition, the terrain is complex and dangerous, and one can get lost or even die here if one is not careful. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were very careful along the way, and with their extraordinary strength and tacit understanding, they avoided wave after wave of dangers, and finally arrived at a quiet valley after seven days.
The valley is shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland, and a few quaint wooden houses can be vaguely seen hidden among the flowers, plants and trees.
"It should be here." Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and said to Nan Li in a low voice.
The two men walked lightly and slowly approached the wooden house. Before they could knock on the door, an old man in a green shirt and with white hair and beard came out of the house. The old man had a thin face, but was energetic, with a pair of bright eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" The old man spoke in a low voice, with an aura of majesty without even being angry.
"I'm Gao Xingchen, a junior, and this is my friend Nanli. We heard that you are a master of alchemy, so we came to visit you, hoping to get your guidance." Gao Xingchen bowed respectfully and said sincerely.
"Master of alchemy? Haha, I'm just an idle person living in seclusion in the mountains. I can't be called a master." The old man glanced at Gao Xingchen indifferently, with a hint of disdain in his tone.
"Senior, you are too modest. I came here this time because I have a elixir that needs to be refined. I beg for your help." Gao Xingchen said as he took out an exquisite wooden box from his arms. After opening it, a fragrance immediately filled the air. It was the precious star grass.
The old man's eyes fell on the star grass, his brows slightly raised, but he soon regained his composure. He put his hands behind his back and said calmly: "This spiritual medicine is indeed precious, but why should I help you refine it?"
Gao Xingchen had expected that the old man would not agree easily. He took a deep breath and recounted in detail why he wanted to refine star grass and the hardships he had experienced over the years.
The old man listened quietly, without any expression on his face. He spoke slowly after Gao Xingchen finished speaking, with a hint of amusement in his tone: "Your story is indeed very touching, but why should I waste my precious time and energy on a kid I don't even know?"
The old man's words were like a wake-up call, which made Gao Xingchen feel cold. Could it be that the Star Grass that he had obtained with so much difficulty could not be refined into a pill in the end? He clenched his fists unwillingly, and was about to speak up to argue again, but he heard the old man continue to say: "However, what I admire most in my life is young people like you who are not afraid of difficulties and are brave enough to move forward. Well, I will refine this Star Grass for you."
Gao Xingchen was overjoyed when he heard this, and quickly bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, senior! I am grateful to you!"
"No need to thank me. It's not easy to refine this star pill. You still need to suffer some hardships." The old man said, turning around and walking into the wooden house.
Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other and hurriedly followed in.
The furnishings in the wooden house were simple, but there was an air of simplicity and elegance everywhere. The old man motioned Gao Xingchen and Nan Li to sit down, and then began to explain the secrets and techniques of alchemy.
"The art of alchemy is profound and cannot be mastered overnight. What you need to learn is not only the characteristics of various medicinal materials and the methods of refining, but more importantly, you need to have a heart as calm as water, without arrogance or impatience."
The old man explained and demonstrated in person, explaining each step in great detail. Gao Xingchen listened very carefully, afraid of missing any details. Although Nan Li knew nothing about alchemy, in order to accompany Gao Xingchen, she also forced herself to be alert and listened quietly.
In the following days, Gao Xingchen began to try to refine the Star Pill under the guidance of the old man. He got up before dawn every day, began to prepare various medicinal materials, and then refined it step by step according to the method taught by the old man.
The process of alchemy was dull and tedious, and the failure rate was extremely high. At the beginning, Gao Xingchen failed almost every time. Either the temperature was not well controlled, or the proportion of the medicinal materials was not properly grasped, and sometimes there was even the danger of the furnace exploding.
But Gao Xingchen was not discouraged. He summed up his experience and lessons again and again, and constantly tried new methods and formulas. With repeated failures, his alchemy skills were steadily improving.
Nan Li silently supported Gao Xingchen and cheered him on. She would help Gao Xingchen sort out the herbs, clean the alchemy room, and bring him tea and water when he was tired, asking about his well-being.
With the joint efforts of the two, Gao Xingchen finally succeeded in refining a furnace of star pills one day!
When Gao Xingchen and Nan Li saw the faint starlight emanating from the furnace, they were so excited that they could hardly control themselves. They knew that this was just the beginning, and there would be more challenges waiting for them in the future.
Gao Xingchen did not relax after refining the first batch of Star Pills. He knew that this was only the first step in a long journey. If he wanted to truly master the method of refining Star Pills, he would need to put in more effort.
Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen's increasingly thin face, and her heart was filled with distress. She knew the responsibilities and pressures Gao Xingchen shouldered, and also knew the unyielding will in his heart. In order to allow Gao Xingchen to concentrate on refining the elixir, Nan Li took on all the trivial matters of life herself, washing clothes and cooking for him, cleaning the yard, and even personally picking and sorting the medicinal materials Gao Xingchen needed for refining the elixir.
"Xingchen, take a break. You have been refining for three days and three nights in a row." Nanli walked to Gao Xingchen with a bowl of porridge and comforted him softly.
Gao Xingchen raised his head and looked at Nan Li's gentle eyes, his heart warmed. He took the bowl of porridge and said with a smile: "It's okay, I can still hold on. Refining the Star Pill requires a lot of energy, I can't relax at this time."
"But..." Nan Li wanted to persuade her further but was interrupted by Gao Xingchen.
"Don't worry, I know what's going on. You don't have to worry about me, just take care of yourself." Gao Xingchen held Nan Li's hand in his palm and said softly.
Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen's determined eyes and finally said nothing. She knew that no one could change Gao Xingchen's decision.
In addition to Nanli's company, Gao Xingchen's good friend Ling'er also often came to visit. Ling'er brought news from the outside world and also brought the cultivation resources that Gao Xingchen needed.
Ling'er took out a few jade boxes from the storage ring, and when she opened them, she saw that they were filled with some rare medicinal herbs.
"These are what I got by chance when I was training outside. See if you can use them." Ling'er said.
Gao Xingchen took the jade box and examined it carefully. He found that these herbs were all auxiliary materials needed for refining the Star Pill, and they were of excellent quality. He couldn't help but feel warm in his heart.
"Ling'er, thank you." Gao Xingchen said sincerely.
"Do we need to say thank you to each other?" Ling'er said with a smile, "Just concentrate on your cultivation here. I will take care of things outside for you."
With the support of Nanli and Ling'er, Gao Xingchen was able to devote himself to alchemy without distraction. He practiced day after day, constantly tried, summed up experience from failure, and continued to grow through setbacks.
The old man was very pleased to see Gao Xingchen's progress. He knew that although Gao Xingchen's talent was not top-notch, he had a tenacious heart, which was more important than anything else.
"Xingchen, come here." One day, the old man called Gao Xingchen to his side and handed him a pill emitting faint starlight.
"This is..." Gao Xingchen looked at Pharmacist Li in confusion.
"This is the Star Pill that I improved based on your condition. You can try it." said Pharmacist Li.
Gao Xingchen took the pill, his heart full of anticipation...
Gao Xingchen took the pill with trembling hands, and the starlight flowed in his eyes, as if foreshadowing something. The pill exuded a refreshing fragrance, which was completely different from the ones he had refined before. He knew that this was specially improved by the old man according to his situation, and the effect must be extraordinary.
Gao Xingchen swallowed the pill in his hand without hesitation. The pill melted in his mouth, turning into a warm current flowing into his limbs and bones. He felt as if he was in the galaxy, surrounded by endless star power. This power washed over his meridians and continuously strengthened his body.
Gao Xingchen sat cross-legged, practicing the Star Art, guiding this powerful energy to flow through his body. As time passed, beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, but his eyes became brighter.
After an unknown amount of time, Gao Xingchen finally opened his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed across his eyes. He let out a long sigh, feeling the power filling his body, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
"Congratulations, you succeeded." The old man's voice sounded in his ears with a hint of relief.
Gao Xingchen stood up and bowed deeply to the old man, "Thank you for your teachings, Master!"
The old man helped Gao Xingchen up and said earnestly: "Xingchen, although your talent is not top-notch, you are willing to work hard and endure hardships, which is more important than anything else. You must remember that the path of alchemy is endless, and you must not be proud and complacent."
"Let's play and remember the teachings of our predecessors." Gao Xingchen replied respectfully. He knew that his achievements today were inseparable from his master's careful teaching and his own hard work day after day.
However, Gao Xingchen didn't know that while he was practicing hard, there was a pair of eyes watching him in the dark. Lin Feng, the fellow disciple who had always had a grudge against him, was secretly investigating his progress in alchemy. Knowing that Gao Xingchen had made rapid progress under the guidance of the alchemy master, Lin Feng's jealous flames burned fiercely, and a vicious plan gradually formed in his mind...