Section 35: Magical Purple Fragrant Yam
2014-06-18 Author: Gu Zhenren
The atmosphere in the main hall was heavy.
Dozens of people were seated around a large round table, each with a life assistant standing silently behind them.
All these people were masters of pill refining, any one of whom could command great respect and be considered an Alchemy Master, or even a Grandmaster, if they were to venture outside.
Among them, two individuals stood out remarkably.
They were excessively young. Compared to the majority of elders and middle-aged men present, they possessed a youthful vitality and drive.
Many of the life assistants dispatched by the Yun Family found their gazes involuntarily drawn to these two young men.
They were geniuses among geniuses, their eyes occasionally flashing with a wisdom unknown to their peers. Their future was exceptionally bright, and their talent was recognized and acknowledged by everyone. Without a doubt, they would achieve even greater accomplishments one day.
Undoubtedly, these two were Chu Yun and Yun Baishen.
They were familiar with each other and had a close relationship. Whenever they attended a discussion meeting, they would sit together for easier communication.
However, this time, they sat upright and serious, not whispering or exchanging words as they usually would.
“Three weeks. More than half a month has passed, everyone,” Marquis Yi Dan’s somber voice echoed through the hall. Everyone could sense the suppressed rage in his tone.
“Yet, we have made no progress whatsoever. The final problem remains unsolved. This is a disgrace, a profound disgrace! Among us, each one is at least an Alchemy Master, and several are Grandmasters. And yet, we are all stuck at this final hurdle, unable to move forward?” Marquis Yi Dan’s white beard trembled as he grew more agitated with every word.
He had initially thought that pooling their collective strength, the Yun Family’s alchemists, would surely overcome the final refining challenge and complete the Second Spirit Light Pill.
But things had turned out far beyond Marquis Yi Dan’s expectations. Three weeks had vanished in the blink of an eye, and they were still stuck at this final step with not even an inch of progress.
The thought of the immense glory that would accompany the birth of a Supreme grade divine pill under his watch, coupled with the confidence he had expressed when personally guaranteeing the project to the Yun Family’s higher-ups, fueled Marquis Yi Dan’s anxiety and anger.
Yun Wanqing stood behind Chu Yun, not daring to take a breath.
She understood deeply what a significant figure this thin old man before her was.
Marquis Yi Dan, a Grandmaster Alchemist!
Every word that casually left his lips could stir up enormous waves in the alchemy world. He was renowned, and his life story was almost legendary. He had started with mediocre alchemy talent but had persevered, putting in countless times more effort than others to reach the đỉnh cao he now commanded.
Every Alchemist respected him. He was the epitome of a diligent and hardworking alchemist, and the life idol for the vast majority of alchemists.
Yun Wanqing felt as if the entire hall was trembling under Marquis Yi Dan’s reprimand. All the alchemists sat upright, heads bowed, too afraid to make a sound.
These Masters and Grandmasters possessed their own pride, but in the face of Marquis Yi Dan, they couldn’t muster any of it.
All because he was Marquis Yi Dan!
Only Marquis Yi Dan could command such authority and silence the assembly.
Yun Wanqing quietly observed Marquis Yi Dan with respectful eyes. The other life assistants were no different.
Immediately after, Yun Wanqing shifted her gaze. Marquis Yi Dan’s anger had instilled a tremendous psychological pressure on her, and she dared not look any longer.
Subconsciously, Yun Wanqing’s eyes then moved to Chu Yun.
Her father’s words seemed to still echo in her ears: “Wanqing, this is an opportunity I worked hard to secure for you. I won’t say much about his prospects and talent. If you can marry him in the future, it will be a monumental improvement not only for you but also for our family’s branch influence. My daughter, please do not disappoint me.”
Considering this, Yun Wanqing’s gaze towards Chu Yun couldn’t help but become complex.
If nothing unexpected happened, this gifted young man would be her future husband. What kind of person was he?
Diligent, silent, mysterious, and persistent.
Over these three weeks of close proximity, Chu Yun had left an extremely deep impression on Yun Wanqing.
From her privileged upbringing and broad perspective, Yun Wanqing had met many talented young men. However, when compared to Chu Yun, the former paled in significance.
Chu Yun was a man of few words, but when he did speak, he always became the center of attention. His words were also usually incisive and carried significant weight.
His talent and aptitude had astounded everyone in the Yun Family, a fact Yun Wanqing had been mentally prepared for. However, she had not anticipated Chu Yun’s sheer dedication and hard work.
Whenever he had free time, he would ponder deeply or take out a prescription to study it. Yun Wanqing had observed the sparks of wisdom frequently flashing in his eyes during these moments, signifying he was undoubtedly contemplating a difficult alchemy problem.
Upon returning to his residence, he would sequester himself in his room, engaging in intense solitary cultivation as if in a retreat. During these periods, he wouldn’t allow anyone into his room, not even herself as his life assistant.
His refusal was firm, leaving Yun Wanqing no choice but to reluctantly accept.
Furthermore, his energy levels were extraordinarily high. Yun Wanqing was astonished to discover that Chu Yun only slept for two hours each day.
Possessing such talent yet working so diligently made Yun Wanqing feel a pang of shame.
Hardworking and diligent individuals always commanded respect.
The more time Yun Wanqing spent with Chu Yun, the more she found herself admiring and respecting him. Now, she believed in his potential more than anyone else.
It was a joke; with superhuman talent combined with a powerful will and unwavering, almost masochistic effort, how could such a person *not* achieve remarkable success? It would be defying the heavens!
At the same time, Yun Wanqing also found Chu Yun increasingly mysterious.
He was unfathomably deep!
He never allowed anyone to observe him during his cultivation retreats. No matter how Yun Wanqing tried to probe, he never uttered a single word about his past life. The most astonishing incident for Yun Wanqing was when she discovered that the Immortal Pouch at Chu Yun’s waist stored an immense number of items, indicating it was undoubtedly an Upper grade Immortal Pouch.
Yun Wanqing was an anomaly within the Yun Family; she disliked pill refining but was passionate about pouch making. She had extensive knowledge of Immortal Pouches. Therefore, whenever she saw Chu Yun, her gaze would instinctively drift to his Immortal Pouch.
“This is an Upper grade Immortal Pouch; not even King level experts necessarily possess one! But Yun Wuming has one…”
Each time, a similar exclamation would escape her lips, her gaze towards the Immortal Pouch filled with fervent admiration.
Putting away her wandering thoughts, Yun Wanqing’s gaze suddenly froze as it settled on Chu Yun’s face.
Chu Yun’s expression was calm, his eyes distant, and his brows slightly furrowed. He seemed completely oblivious to Marquis Yi Dan’s angry scolding echoing in his ears.
“He’s lost in thought…” Yun Wanqing was intimately familiar with this expression on Chu Yun’s face, and her breathing hitched.
Marquis Yi Dan was unleashing his fury opposite him, yet Chu Yun didn’t even spare him a glance, completely ignoring him. This showed incredible audacity… “Please don’t let Marquis Yi Dan notice him,” Yun Wanqing found herself worrying about Chu Yun. She was extremely anxious, but with Marquis Yi Dan sitting opposite, and herself five steps behind Chu Yun, she couldn’t make any subtle gestures to warn him.
“If Marquis Yi Dan discovers someone is not paying attention to him…” Yun Wanqing shivered, daring not to continue the thought.
Chu Yun was unaware that a fair maiden was so concerned for him at this moment. Facing Marquis Yi Dan’s rage, which made others feel as if their very breathing was difficult, he felt completely at ease. What was this? He hadn’t flinched when facing the Night Emperor or the Dragon Emperor before. He hadn’t panicked even when facing the Star Saint.
Although he was physically in the main hall, most of his mind was currently immersed in his own Immortal Pouch World.
Inside the Immortal Pouch World, a fierce battle was raging.
The gates of gods and demons had opened, and countless chaotic Demonic creatures surged in, forming waves of attacking torrents that battered his Demonic Plant defenses.
The Black Gold Beetles and Steel Pincer Mantises had all fallen before the formations of the Raging Blade Chaotic Willow and the Floating Blood Drop Fungus. The Ground Spiked Ferocious Snakes, which had previously caused Chu Yun a slight disadvantage, were now in a bizarre state.
Some had entered hibernation, some appeared mad, and some even turned to attack other chaotic Demonic creatures.
“The Magical Purple Fragrant Yam is taking effect,” Chu Yun was gratified to see that his choice had been wise.
The Magical Purple Fragrant Yam was the fourth batch of Demonic Plants Chu Yun had relocated.
Unlike the previous three, it was of Supreme grade and extremely expensive. Chu Yun had even incurred a debt with the White Emperor to acquire this batch of Magical Purple Fragrant Yam.
Each Magical Purple Fragrant Yam was a spherical mass, as large as a small mountain. They grew deep within the soil, with only a small portion exposed above ground.
From the surface, these exposed parts resembled purple hills, with gentle contours, appearing mysterious and noble.
The Magical Purple Fragrant Yam could greatly modify the surrounding soil, transforming a thousand-mile radius of barren land into fertile purple yam soil. This would make it much easier for Chu Yun to relocate and cultivate a large number of Demonic Plants in the future.
Of course, what Chu Yun valued most was the combat capability of the Magical Purple Fragrant Yam.
It was a star among Illusion-type Demonic Plants. The fragrance it exuded could plunge any creature into illusions, causing them to go mad and lose control.
On this battlefield, Chu Yun had only planted a dozen or so Magical Purple Fragrant Yams, but they had already yielded excellent results.
A significant portion of the surging chaotic Demonic creatures, whether Black Gold Beetles, Steel Pincer Mantises, or Ground Spiked Ferocious Snakes, had been affected by the Magical Purple Fragrant Yam’s illusionary Dao techniques, turning their weapons against their own forces and helping Chu Yun defend.
“Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five… Good, we can now withstand up to the thirty-fifth wave.” A jump from being able to hold out only into the twenties to thirty-five waves was a massive improvement. All credit belonged to the Supreme grade Magical Purple Fragrant Yam.
“However, the Magical Purple Fragrant Yam is not without its flaws. Its Yin energy is too strong. If left unchecked, the modified purple yam soil will eventually backfire, gradually turning into purple marshland, filled with miasma and poisonous fog, making it difficult to utilize. I must choose another type of Demonic Plant in the future to supplement and counteract it.”
As Chu Yun pondered this internally, a loud voice entered his ears, interrupting his thoughts.
Chu Yun looked up and saw the enraged Marquis Yi Dan glaring at him: “Yun Wuming, what were you thinking just now, to make you stray in thought at this moment? Hmm? Do you find this old man’s nagging annoying?”
(To be continued)
