Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 391 - 246: Gu Shuang Requests a Pill
After a short while, the three of them arrived at a separate courtyard. Under Lu Chang’sheng’s watchful gaze, Gu Shuang set up a Sound Insulation Spirit Array, which took Lu Chang’sheng a bit by surprise.
For a family like the Gu Family, they naturally had warning arrays set up. Whenever someone probed with Spiritual Sense, the array’s power would be triggered.
This showed that whatever Gu Shuang was about to bring up would be highly confidential.
"Alchemist Lu’s reputation has really grown this year."
Gu Shuang smiled as she spoke.
Lu Chang’sheng smiled in return, "Fellow Daoist Gu, you flatter me. How could my reputation compare to the Gu Family’s?"
Though he said this aloud, his heart was increasingly intrigued.
Gu Shuang was known to be rather aloof—at least, that’s how she always was around people like them.
Previously, when Lu Chang’sheng, Xiao Feng, and the others appeared before Gu Shuang, she barely gave them the time of day. Now she was all smiles; he couldn’t help but wonder about her intentions.
Next came a round of polite conversation, which Lu Chang’sheng responded to one by one.
The woman before him didn’t seem to be much for small talk. After a few words, she couldn’t help but say, "The reason I invited you here, Fellow Daoist, is that I have something I’d like your help with."
Gu Shuang felt a bit helpless inside.
She wanted to follow the advice of her family elders—use the Gu Family’s advantage to control the conversation. Unfortunately, she simply wasn’t skilled at such things.
She’d originally hoped Lu Chang’sheng would ask first, but he was even more patient than she was.
"Please, just say it. If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll certainly do my best."
Lu Chang’sheng put away his smile and answered solemnly.
It was clear Gu Shuang was rather bashful, so there was no need to rub salt in the wound and risk making her dislike him.
After all, Gu Shuang came from a Foundation Establishment clan, so he had to give her face as a major cultivator.
Sure enough, Gu Shuang’s expression improved, and she said, "I have a new Pill Formula and would like your help in making it. Of course, I don’t expect you to do it for nothing." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Lu Chang’sheng said, "May I ask what kind of Pill Formula it is? I have limited abilities. If it’s too advanced, I might not be able to refine it."
Gu Shuang rolled her eyes slightly and replied, "Don’t be so modest, Alchemist Lu. Your alchemy skills are top-notch at White Cloud Pavilion nowadays. I didn’t ask Fellow Daoist Xiao and the others to stay because I know a bit about your abilities."
Lu Chang’sheng could only smile wryly—such was the trouble fame brought.
Once you’re well-known and on a higher tier, you inevitably draw the attention of other powers.
He wondered just how much they really knew.
"This new Pill Formula isn’t actually that difficult, but the timing is a bit tight," Gu Shuang explained.
Lu Chang’sheng listened to some details about the Pill Formula—it was name unknown for now, but it was a top-grade first-rank pill, needed within half a month. The Gu Family would provide the materials; all he had to do was produce a single successful batch.
"I’ll give it a try," Lu Chang’sheng agreed.
They soon moved on to talk of compensation. Lu Chang’sheng thought it over and said, "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Gu would allow me to have a look at the Spirit Body Cultivation Method?"
At his words, Gu Shuang immediately frowned deeply.
The Spirit Body Cultivation Technique was even more valuable than Immortal Techniques—even she couldn’t access it so easily.
But since she needed his help, she couldn’t bear to say no on the spot. "That method is just too valuable—I really can’t promise you right away. Let me get back to you in a few days. Would that be all right?"
"Thank you for your trouble," Lu Chang’sheng said, rising to his feet.
Leaving the Gu Family, Lu Chang’sheng walked back with Li Nangua.
Only now did Li Nangua voice his confusion, "Doesn’t the Gu Family have their own dedicated alchemists? Why did they come to you?"
"Must be something urgent," Lu Chang’sheng was a bit puzzled himself, and couldn’t help but think of the Red Cloud Daoist affair.
Still, he didn’t intend to look into it; getting involved could be asking for trouble.
But the matter of the Spirit Body Cultivation Technique was still on Lu Chang’sheng’s mind. Gu Shuang hadn’t turned him down outright, which proved that the Gu Mansion really did possess that method.
Although he was optimistic about what the Heaven-Burning Valley visitors might bring in the future, he wanted to leave nothing to chance.
According to what Xiao Feng and the others had said, the White Cloud Mountain Range was also training Zhou Lin with everything they had. Their foundation was clearly stronger than White Cloud Pavilion’s—and nobody could say what might happen in the end.
Lu Chang’sheng didn’t go back to Lu Mansion, but instead headed to White Cloud Pavilion. As for Gu Shuang keeping Lu Chang’sheng behind, Xiao Feng and the others didn’t ask any questions.
Some things are better left unsaid—ask, and you only invite resentment. After years traversing the Spirit Realm, they knew how to weigh their words.
Afterward, a few of them tested Lu Chang’sheng’s alchemy abilities personally. Lu Chang’sheng didn’t hold back, directly refining a few batches of pills.
Xiao Feng and the others were full of praise; Lu Chang’sheng’s alchemy skills were far beyond what they’d imagined.
Because his actual cultivation held him back, his alchemy skills could only go so far. So each day, he focused on cultivating the Barbarian Armor Technique, and occasionally found time to study the Turtle Shell Map and the Inheritance Jade Scroll from Master Baiyun.
His alchemy experience continued to steadily accumulate.
It was a pity—reaching the second-rank level would take far too long. Otherwise, Lu Chang’sheng wouldn’t be so fixated on obtaining the Spirit Body Cultivation Method.
······
The next day, Lu Chang’sheng heard a knock at the door.
Elder Li came to visit. However, it wasn’t about alchemy—he wanted to know if Lu Chang’sheng would accompany him to a funeral.
"A funeral? Whose?" Lu Chang’sheng asked.
Elder Li knew Lu Chang’sheng was busy preparing for the Heaven-Burning Valley trials, so he wouldn’t have come unless it was important. This funeral must be significant.
Sure enough, Elder Li said, "It’s for Wu Feng—Fellow Daoist Wu."
Lu Chang’sheng was surprised. "How did Fellow Daoist Wu die?"
He said the words, but several guesses flashed through his mind.
"He got caught in a disaster while trying to round up the Red Cloud Daoist. I just found out myself."
Lu Chang’sheng couldn’t help but sigh.
Just a few days ago at White Stone Ridge, Wu Feng and his companions had left. Who would’ve thought that the one posing as the Red Cloud Daoist would be so powerful?
They said it was actually a corpse puppet. Red Cloud Daoist could hold his own against Foundation Establishment cultivators, so this corpse puppet played a pivotal role.
To make his escape, Red Cloud Daoist didn’t hesitate to use the corpse puppet as bait.
"Fellow Daoist Wu was just careless. That corpse puppet was no real threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators, but for Qi Cultivation cultivators like us, it’s a different story." Elder Li sighed.
He had some friendship with Wu Feng, and this time had been invited by the family to pay his respects.
Of course, such invitations always carried meaning—the Wu family wanted to use Wu Feng’s former connections to deter any ill-intentioned individuals.
In this way, they could keep the Wu Family safe, at least for a while.
Many late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators had contacts, and Wu Feng especially so. Elder Li also hoped Lu Chang’sheng would get out more and build his own connections.
"All right."
It wouldn’t take much time either way, and Lu Chang’sheng wanted to make more friends in the field. That way, if he needed something later, he wouldn’t be at a loss for contacts.
The Wu Family wasn’t much of a clan—Wu Feng was the only one of note. Now that he was gone, their connections were paper-thin.
