365 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

**Chapter 365: Retreat to Refine Pills** "Young Master," a bodyguard whispered respectfully from behind a man, "it's just the owner of a small pill shop in the lower celestial realm. Why are you being so polite to her? If you really want this pill, we can simply take it for you." In the cultivation world, it's not uncommon for the strong to take what they want. Although the Alchemist Alliance frowns upon robberies or murders involving alchemists, leading to ostracism and refusal to sell any pills to offenders, this was merely the lower celestial realm. The opposing party was just a low-ranked alchemist, and the bodyguard was confident that even if they got caught, it wouldn’t cause much friction over such a minor figure. "You don't understand," the young master replied. "If I'm not mistaken, this pill should be the legendary Soul-Nourishing Pill." "Soul-Nourishing Pill?" the bodyguard echoed. The young master nodded. "Exactly. Right now, in the upper, middle, and lower celestial realms, soul-related pills are almost extinct. My father's soul was damaged before, and although he's recovered, there are still hidden injuries. If this pill works..." He paused, contemplating, before suggesting, "Find someone with a damaged soul, have them take this pill, and see if it works. If it does, then tomorrow, pay that shop a visit, offer some celestial crystals, and get acquainted with the alchemist who made it." "Oh, so that’s the young master's intention. You truly have foresight," the bodyguard flattered before leaving to execute the plan. If they couldn’t find someone with a damaged soul, they'd make sure to create one. Meanwhile, Ye Ling Long shot a glare at Feng Li who was teasing her, "Stop joking around; we need to talk business. I've got to go into seclusion to refine some pills. I've unlocked the second floor of the Pill Tower, so this shop will be closed for a few days. Are you coming into the space with me, or staying outside?" Feng Li remarked, "The second floor of that broken tower is open? Is it as you guessed? Are there mid-tier alchemy recipes?" Ye Ling Long nodded. "Exactly, I'm planning to go into seclusion for research." After contemplating, Feng Li decided, "Xiao Hei and I will head back into the space. My cultivation level is pretty weak right now." With that settled, Ye Ling Long closed up the shop, leaving a sign on the door. She then took Feng Li to the small courtyard where they rented, and together, they entered the mystical space. Inside the space, it was as serene as always. Most of the spiritual herbs in the fields had been replaced with celestial herbs. Recently, all the materials for the pills Ye Ling Long had been refining were cultivated by the little ginseng spirit, saving a fortune in celestial crystals. After checking on the Devourer Bees and glancing at the ice cocoon within the cold pond, Ye Ling Long took Qian Jun into the Pill Tower, leaving Feng Li and Xiao Hei to cultivate in the space. "This is the so-called artifact, the Pill Tower?" Qian Jun, hovering by Ye Ling Long's shoulder, looked at the nine-story tower before them with intense curiosity. It was his first time seeing another artifact spirit aside from himself. Although there were other artifacts with awakened consciousness, they were merely semi-artifacts, their spirits weak and barely capable of communication. "Yes, it's a little guy, but it's quite cute." With that, Ye Ling Long entered the Pill Tower with Qian Jun, heading straight for the second floor. Upon entering, they saw Xiao Ta snoozing on a bookshelf, lying on his back with an adorably round belly. Qian Jun, intrigued as if seeing something novel, reached out and poked Xiao Ta's belly. "Who! Who's poking my belly?" Xiao Ta awoke groggily and yelled. He then spotted Qian Jun floating in front of him. After a moment of wide-eyed staring, Xiao Ta suddenly exclaimed, "Why does he look bigger than me when we're both artifact spirits?" Qian Jun coldly retorted, "Childish." Xiao Ta was baffled, "???" Was he calling him childish? It seemed to be, yes? Xiao Ta, who had always been cherished in the Divine Realm's Pill Pavilion, immediately became indignant, "Who's childish?! Explain yourself! Who's childish?!" "You~" Qian Jun, with his cool demeanor, truly had a knack for provoking others. Watching the two ancient artifact spirits squabble like schoolchildren, Ye Ling Long shook her head helplessly. She gathered some of the beginner mid-tier pill recipes Xiao Ta had previously selected from the stone platform, ready to practice in the alchemy simulation room. Once she was proficient in creating pills in the simulation room, she could proceed with actual materials. Initially, she wanted to ask Qian Jun about his connection with the man they had encountered, but seeing the two spirits still bickering, Ye Ling Long decided to wait until she completed her practice. With a thought, Ye Ling Long found herself in an enclosed chamber. The layout was similar to her previous rented alchemy room, but several times larger, with an alchemy furnace centered in the room. Next to the furnace, a groove seemed to be meant for inserting some elongated object. On a whim, Ye Ling Long glanced at her jade slip and inserted it. Instantly, a white light flashed beside the furnace, revealing a pile of alchemy materials. Upon closer inspection, they were the exact materials required by the recipes on the jade slip, from the main ingredients to the auxiliaries, all perfectly complete with quantities sufficient for ten batches. "This is quite intelligent," Ye Ling Long praised. She sat cross-legged, using her mind to control the celestial herbs into the alchemy furnace. A long while later, a tremendous explosion echoed throughout the Pill Tower. Xiao Ta, who was still bantering with Qian Jun, nearly toppled off the bookshelf from the shock. Barely managing to stabilize himself, Xiao Ta nervously eyed the direction of the alchemy simulation room and muttered, "Is Ye Ling Long trying to dismantle the tower? She just went in, and the furnace is already exploding." Little did Xiao Ta know that such explosions would become ever more frequent in the future. ... Back at the Pill Shop "Sigh, it looks like Alchemist Ye will be closing the shop for a while," murmured a customer. "It seems we won't be able to buy her pills anytime soon." "Yes, Alchemist Ye's pills are extraordinarily effective." "Oh well, let's go. We can't get any for now." The crowd gradually dispersed, revealing a few individuals from the previous day. "Young Master, it seems we won't be meeting the alchemist today," the bodyguard reported dutifully. The young master nodded, his expression shifting to amusement as he glanced at the sign hanging outside the shop. The sign read, "The world is vast, and I wish to explore it, so the shop will be closed for a few days, return date unknown." After a while, the young man smiled and instructed, "Post someone nearby. As soon as she's back, inform me immediately." "Understood~"