Chapter 59

Ren Cai stared at Zhang Yan like a wooden chicken. He had met countless masters before, but none of them had the confidence to distinguish between the true elixir and the poisonous one, let alone discern the medicinal properties within.

In fact, the toxicity in the two elixirs was divided into yin and yang. When ingested, they needed to be crushed and then neutralized with the third elixir to be safe to consume.

The missing part of the prescription Zhang Yan had obtained described how to combine the three properties in the alchemical furnace.

After Ren Cai obtained this prescription, he completed and modified it, resulting in this peculiar creation. The efficacy was less than a third of the original, and the claim that the neutralizing elixir could extend life was merely to save face. Now, with Zhang Yan's words revealing the intricacies, his face turned red, and he was speechless.

Zhang Yan noticed his embarrassment and smiled, "I won't reveal today's matter to anyone, but I have a request to make."

Ren Cai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Please speak, Daoist friend."

Zhang Yan pointed to the three "Life-Extending Elixirs" and said, "I am willing to exchange a high-quality elixir for this prescription. What do you think?"

"Ah?" Ren Cai was taken aback. The elixir was called "Life-Extending," but it could only extend life by fifteen to twenty years. The herbs used, though not extremely valuable, were not insignificant. For cultivators, its value was somewhat marginal. He hesitated and cautiously asked, "May I ask what Daoist friend intends to do with it?"

Once an elixir involved toxicity, it had to be handled with caution. This not only concerned the reputation of the alchemist but also the potential for Zhang Yan to use the elixir to harm others, which could lead to retaliation if others knew it was his unique secret.

To his surprise, Zhang Yan replied very straightforwardly, "There is nothing to hide. In recent years, my master has often felt that the old elixir compendium contains too few elixirs, and many high-quality elixirs are not recorded. Therefore, he is planning to compile a new elixir compendium and intends to collect rare prescriptions from all over the world. I was momentarily excited by this."

"Ah, I see." Ren Cai was enlightened but still did not agree immediately. He asked, "May I ask who your master is?"

Zhang Yan stood up and bowed in the direction of Jingcang Sect, "My master is Zhou Chongju."

"Ah?" Ren Cai was startled and quickly stood up, his face solemn, "So you are the disciple of Master Zhou. Please accept my respects."

Zhang Yan quickly stepped back, surprised, "Why such formality, Daoist friend?"

Ren Cai said seriously, "This is not a gesture to you, but out of respect for Master Zhou. Master Zhou, a direct descendant of the Zhou family, gave up the path of cultivation to dedicate himself to alchemy, aiming to create an elixir of immortality for all. He is a role model and a saint of alchemy. Now that he is compiling an elixir compendium, how can I not contribute?"

Zhang Yan was taken aback. He did not expect that Zhou Chongju, who had been forced to leave the Zhou family, would have such a reputation outside. This was likely due to the Zhou family's efforts to maintain their reputation, covering up the truth and providing a perfect explanation for Zhou Chongju's departure.

Ren Cai walked to the desk, took out pen, ink, and paper, and quickly wrote down a prescription. After some thought, he took out another piece of paper and wrote something on it. He then handed the two papers and the brocade box containing the elixirs to Zhang Yan, "These two prescriptions, one is an ancient incomplete formula, and the other has been supplemented and modified by me. I will give them to you along with the three elixirs. I hope you won't mind."

Zhang Yan solemnly accepted them. He was about to take out an elixir to exchange, but Ren Cai stopped him, "Since Master Zhou is compiling an elixir compendium, we should contribute our share. I will give you this prescription and these elixirs. At the elixir conference, there are many sects and alchemists with rare prescriptions. I will persuade them to join the effort. What do you think?"

He looked at Zhang Yan expectantly.

Zhang Yan understood his intention and smiled, "Since these elixirs are a gift from you, your name will be recorded in the future elixir compendium."

Ren Cai was delighted. As an alchemist, he had no hope of advancing in cultivation and a limited lifespan. All he sought was a bit of fame. With Zhou Chongju's status, once the elixir compendium was compiled, he would be remembered for generations.

Zhang Chongju had indeed been collecting prescriptions and compiling a new compendium for decades. Before leaving, he had instructed Zhang Yan to collect more prescriptions if possible. However, Zhang Yan's real intention was to obtain the elixirs, and he did not expect to gain such an unexpected benefit. If Ren Cai promoted it, his reputation would quickly spread throughout the Dangyu Water Kingdom, achieving half of his original goal.

Ren Cai suddenly thought of something, slapped his forehead, and said, "I've been talking to you and delayed your journey. Why don't you travel with us?"

"I am a messenger of my sect, and this mission is important. I don't want to delay Daoist brother," Zhang Yan politely declined. He knew his limits. He could deceive with the broken jade, but his knowledge of alchemy was inferior to Ren Cai's. If he talked too much, he would be exposed, so it was better to have less contact.

Ren Cai looked disappointed but said a few more words before Zhang Yan got up to leave.

The boat owner, Huang Bao, saw Ren Cai politely see Zhang Yan off and was full of admiration. He now knew that this young cultivator was no ordinary person, but he was worldly and did not ask about Zhang Yan's background.

He maneuvered the boat to the base of the cliff. Two whale demons threw down six large hooks, and Huang Bao had them catch and secure them on the boat's edge. He shouted, and the two whale demons above exerted their strength, gradually pulling the boat up.

When they reached the entrance, two more whale demons stood up, each extending a hand to lift the boat over their heads and gently place it on the river behind. Huang Bao quickly handed them a small bag of spirit shells. The whale demons pinched the bag, felt the weight, and without counting, pushed the boat into the current.

The river in the cave was winding and turbulent. If not for Huang Bao's skilled boat handling, the boat would have crashed into the rocks at any turn. After about two hours, Zhang Yan and Luo Xiao arrived at a relatively calm lake.

It was already evening, and every thousand steps on the lake, there was a bright light like a lantern. As the boat approached, they saw that these were mermaids holding trays with luminous pearls, their light shimmering like flowing colors.

The mermaids occasionally sent flirtatious glances and light laughter to Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan found this somewhat novel. Huang Bao seemed to be used to it and paid no attention. After a while, he brought the boat to a dock and said, "Daoist friend, you can disembark here. Follow the waterway south, and you will reach the 'Nanguigong' in the southern part of the Water Kingdom. You can pay a small fee to go wherever you want, and it's easy to gather information."

Zhang Yan bowed, "Thank you, Boatmaster Huang."

Huang Bao returned the bow, "I will be here for another twenty days. If you need anything, feel free to come and ask."

"Thank you, Boatmaster Huang. If I need anything, I will certainly trouble you."

Huang Bao laughed, looked at the mermaids, patted Zhang Yan's shoulder, and whispered, "Most demon cultivators are unfeeling and unrighteous. I've suffered from it. Be careful, Daoist friend."

Luo Xiao heard this and huffed in dissatisfaction.

Zhang Yan smiled but did not say more, bowing to Huang Bao.

He and Luo Xiao disembarked and saw a waterway with a rippling surface. The clear lake bottom was covered with white shells emitting a soft glow, extending southward, indicating the path forward.

Zhang Yan looked ahead and saw a distant cluster of stars, which he assumed was the location of "Nanguigong." However, the spiritual energy here was disturbed by the primordial magnetism, making it impossible to fly. To cross the vast water, he would have to walk on the water.

Luo Xiao, however, laughed softly behind him, "Sir, there's no need to worry. Just proceed with confidence."

Zhang Yan was surprised, "Oh, have you been here before, Daoist Luo?"

Luo Xiao smiled but did not answer.

Zhang Yan shook his head. Since Luo Xiao said so, there must be a reason. He took a step forward and, as soon as his foot touched the water, he heard a whistle. A carp jumped up and supported his foot. With each step, another carp would jump up to support him.

As he walked, the carps would jump up just in time to support his feet. After about a mile, he saw a vast expanse of water palaces connected by a series of boats. Pearls hung from the eaves, and the water was dotted with colorful lanterns. The front of the palace was a bustling market, with a crowd of people, likely numbering in the thousands. If not for the presence of some strange-looking demon cultivators, it would have seemed like a prosperous human kingdom.

Upon reaching the water palace, Zhang Yan quickly found the location of Nanguigong and entered, presenting his credentials to the official.

The official, seeing that he was from Jingcang Sect, did not dare to be negligent. After reviewing the credentials, he respectfully returned them to Zhang Yan, "The higher-ups have already instructed that