Jinyun Valley.

Before a bamboo forest sat a luxurious, sprawling mansion with three main courtyards.

This was the residence of Tributor Li.

"Brother, Jinyun Valley is in urgent need of the Cold Frost Pill. It must be incredibly important, yet you keep making excuses to put it off. Aren’t you afraid of provoking Jinyun Valley’s dissatisfaction?"

Li Hong looked at his elder brother, his face etched with worry.

Though they were blood brothers, the younger, Li Hong, was powerfully built, with a square face and a wide mouth—nothing like his elder brother, Tributor Li, who had short, stout limbs and a small, squat frame.

"It would be one thing on any other day, but the circumstances are special right now!"

"The more special the circumstances, the more it highlights my importance, wouldn’t you say?"

Before he could finish, Tributor Li cut him off.

"Lu Yi wants to use that kid to counterbalance me, but too bad for him—the boy doesn’t have the skill! He can’t refine the Cold Frost Pill, so Jinyun Valley will have to come crawling back to rely on me! The day they kick him out is the day I resume my alchemy!"

"As long as I’m around, the Valley can forget about having a second Pill Master Tributor!"

Tributor Li poured a cup of wine, looking perfectly serene and self-assured.

Pill Masters were hard to find.

And Tier One High Grade Pill Masters were even rarer.

Over the years, it wasn’t that Jinyun Valley hadn’t tried to cultivate other Pill Masters, but all their attempts had ended in failure.

"As long as you’re confident, Brother, that’s all that matters."

Li Hong smiled.

"You’ve already reached the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and have a good chance at Foundation Establishment, so you’re in desperate need of Cultivation Resources. All the more reason why we can’t afford any mistakes right now."

Tributor Li took a sip of wine, his gaze fixed eagerly on Li Hong.

He himself had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, but thankfully, Li Hong had a decent aptitude and was worth cultivating.

Over the years, he had supported him all the way to the Eighth Layer. This was a critical moment. ’If the Valley gains another Tributor, how will I embezzle resources in the future? If it affects Li Hong’s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, wouldn’t all my years of effort be wasted?’

"Tributor Li, the storeroom isn’t authorizing the withdrawal of the Ice Spirit Branches you requested!"

Just as the two were chatting, a disciple hurried over and said in a low voice.

"Why?"

Tributor Li’s gaze turned cold as he shot a frosty look at the disciple.

The disciple flinched, saying fearfully, "Valley Master Lu has ordered that since Tributor Chen has begun refining the Cold Frost Pill, the Ice Spirit Branches are to be prioritized for his use!"

"He can refine the Cold Frost Pill?"

Tributor Li was in disbelief.

"Yes! And Tributor Chen said the Valley can come pick them up in three days."

After speaking, the disciple hurried away.

Leaving only the two brothers in the small courtyard, their expressions grim.

"Brother, what should we do?"

Li Hong thought grimly, ’This is bad.’ The Ice Spirit Branch was a key material for the Realm-Breaking Pill, as well as the main ingredient for refining the Cold Frost Pill.

Tributor Li’s expression shifted constantly; this situation was completely unexpected.

Hearing Li Hong’s urgent question, he let out a soft chuckle, then abruptly stood and walked toward the inner courtyard.

"Brother, what are you doing...?"

"Lighting the furnace. It’s time for alchemy!"

From the courtyard came Tributor Li’s voice, laced with scorn. "If you refine something that can’t be consumed, you can’t call it an elixir. Since that brat claims he can refine the Cold Frost Pill, let’s just let Jinyun Valley see for themselves whose elixirs are of a higher quality."

...

In the Cave Mansion’s Alchemy Room, Chen Che sat before the Chixia Tripod.

Holding his breath and concentrating, his hands continuously formed a series of complex seal techniques.

As a torrent of True Essence poured into the Chixia Tripod, flames churned within the side hall, sending out waves of heat that grew more intense by the moment.

But inside the Pill Furnace, enveloped by his Divine Sense, it was a completely different scene:

A dense layer of frost had already formed on the inner wall of the Pill Furnace, and it was constantly spreading outward, as if turning the interior into an ice cavern.

CLICK!

After a full half-hour, a soft click came from the Pill Furnace.

Chen Che let out a long sigh of relief, withdrawing his hands as the furnace fire silently extinguished.

He walked to the Chixia Tripod and lifted the lid.

When a dazzling, rosy light dissipated, nine perfectly round elixirs could be seen resting at the bottom of the tripod, each one coated in a layer of irregular blue ice crystals.

"Not bad!"

Chen Che picked one up, feeling the chill on his fingertips, and nodded in satisfaction.

’If this were a test, I’d get full marks for this Cold Frost Pill.’

The scoring criteria for the Cold Frost Pill were: two points for successful formation, two points for appearance, and two points for ice crystals, with a limit of five elixirs for judging.

Thirty points, secured.

The other Pill Formulas were graded in much the same way.

Previously, although he had memorized most of the Pill Formulas backward and forward, his limited Divine Sense had prevented him from refining Tier One High Grade Elixirs with complete ease. Now that his Divine Sense was unlocked, his success rate had skyrocketed.

On top of that, he could also save a large amount of Spirit Grass.

’I wonder if Tributor Li will feel his position is threatened when he sees this bottle of elixirs?’

Chen Che smiled, placing the refined elixirs into a Jade Bottle and sealing it.

As the sole Pill Master in the Valley, Tributor Li enjoyed absolute status and authority. And for many years, Jinyun Valley had indeed relied on and valued him.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been unwilling to steal the spotlight like this.

But given his position, peaceful coexistence with Tributor Li was impossible. Once interests were involved, conflict was inevitable.

Besides, in such chaotic times, he had to secure his footing in Jinyun Valley.

...

"In alchemy, you must pay attention to the hierarchy of ingredients—the sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy. What does this mean? The sovereign is the ingredient that plays the decisive role in a formula, while the minister plays a secondary role. If you make a mistake, a life-saving elixir can become a poison."

"This is the fundamental principle; everything else is just a variation of it."

In the backyard of the Pill Shop.

Chen Che was giving a lesson.

As news of him becoming a Tributor spread, the shop’s reputation in the Market grew. And as demand increased, many elixirs were often out of stock.

Therefore, Chen Che decided to start by teaching Zhao Deyou how to refine some of the more common elixirs.

Zhao Deyou listened with extreme care, not daring to miss a single detail. But even with his solid foundation, some of the content was still beyond his comprehension.

"Is something wrong?"

Seeing the other man hesitate, Chen Che asked.

"Proprietor, what you’re saying is too profound..."

Zhao Deyou said cautiously.

"If you don’t understand, then just write it down and mull it over when you have time," Chen Che said casually.

"Write it down?"

Zhao Deyou was stunned, hardly able to believe his ears. A look of ecstasy spread across his face.

"Thank you, Proprietor! I’ll only read these notes inside the shop; I will never take them out! Without your permission, I won’t even teach a word of it to Zhao Changping."

Chen Che nodded slightly.

This was precisely why educational resources in this world were so lacking. Most Cultivation Techniques were passed down only by word of mouth to prevent them from being leaked. Without a master’s permission, writing down even a single character was a grave offense. If a student didn’t understand something, they could only guess, leading to greater and greater deviations over time.

As the saying goes: true inheritance can be passed on in a single sentence, while false teachings fill ten thousand scrolls.

"Proprietor, someone from Jinyun Valley is here again!" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Right in the middle of the lesson, Ding Fei’s slightly hurried voice came from outside the door.

"Someone’s here again?"

Chen Che was a little surprised. Hadn’t he just handed over the Cold Frost Pills yesterday?

"Continue studying on your own. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come and ask me."

After instructing Zhao Deyou to study on his own, Chen Che went to the front of the shop and saw Master Hu waiting there.

"Master Hu!" Chen Che called out with a cupped-fist salute.

"You honor me too much. Just call me Xiaohu."

Master Hu quickly corrected what he considered Chen Che’s faux pas.

"What brings you here, Master Hu? Was the number of elixirs I submitted not enough, or was there some other issue?" Chen Che asked as he sat down. Ding Fei immediately served some Fragrant Tea.

"Neither."

Master Hu quickly explained, "Tributor Li also refined a batch of Cold Frost Pills a few days ago, so the shortage has been met."

"Then?"

"The situation on the front lines is dire, so this batch of elixirs is urgently needed."

Master Hu respectfully handed over a list.

Chen Che took the list and pondered for a moment before asking, "And Tributor Li?"

"The demand for elixirs is enormous. This is only half of the order; Tributor Li has already begun refining the other half. He says he can finish it all within half a month at most!"

Master Hu said softly.

’He couldn’t find the time before, but now he suddenly can?’

Chen Che grumbled inwardly.

’Before, when Jinyun Valley asked Tributor Li to refine just a few Cold Frost Pills, they had to ask and urge him repeatedly, yet he just kept stalling. Now, the amount of elixirs on this list is several times greater, but his response is this fast?’

’Is it because he feels threatened, or is he just unwilling to be outdone by me?’

’Is this the otherworld version of an office rivalry? The one who wins the rat race solidifies their position. The one who loses either gets demoted or gets the boot?’

Thinking this, Chen Che chuckled and said:

"Come back for the elixirs in seven days."

’If Jinyun Valley only has room for one Alchemy Master, then it has to be me!’