The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise in his heart.

This person would rather wait ten years than leave.

This could only mean one thing: the difficulty in refining the pill he needed was incredibly high, so much so that the vast majority of alchemists in this world couldn’t refine it.

Even among fourth-grade alchemists, there might not be many who could succeed.

It was only under such circumstances that he would be willing to waste ten years just to wait.

Otherwise, he could easily find someone else—why waste so much time here?

At this moment, Long Xuan’s curiosity was piqued. What kind of pill was he trying to refine, for the difficulty to be so immense?

A mere third-grade pill that most fourth-grade alchemists couldn’t refine? This was truly intriguing.

He couldn’t help but become interested and asked curiously, “What exactly is the pill you want? Can you show it to me?”

Long Xuan immediately took the recipe, but with just one glance, his hands trembled, nearly dropping it.

Good heavens! Half the materials were ice-attributed, and the other half were fire-attributed, and all the ingredients were exceedingly rare in the world.

Ice and fire are mutually antagonistic. Putting both into a pill furnace was a guaranteed explosion.

Not to mention the fact that he intended to throw in so many high-grade materials, which would result in an explosion powerful enough to kill any third-grade alchemist.

Even a fourth-grade alchemist would likely not survive such an explosion, or at the very least, they’d be left half-dead.

Who in their right mind would want to meet the King of Hell by refining such a pill?

Finally, Long Xuan understood why this man had been willing to wait ten years without leaving.

Because no alchemist dared to refine this pill for him. Who had the guts to handle such a lethal recipe? Any sane alchemist would avoid it like the plague.

Even if the alchemist were fourth-grade, they wouldn’t risk their life refining this, no matter how high the reward.

“Ice and fire in one pill? You’re trying to blow me up!” Long Xuan instinctively exclaimed.

He hurriedly checked the recipe’s completion status and was even more shocked to see it at 100%.

Ice and fire could truly coexist and form a pill? Was he seeing things? He had clearly been ignorant.

The burly man gave a bitter smile. Every alchemist he had shown this recipe to had the same reaction, then cursed him out and drove him away.

The alchemist behind this young man was his last hope. If he was also rejected, he truly didn’t know who to turn to.

“I’m not joking with you. This recipe is absolutely genuine. As long as you successfully refine the pill, there won’t be an explosion. Instead, it will become a divine pill that will attract strange phenomena and is definitely worth researching. You won’t regret studying it.”

“You have the Integrity Gu, don’t you? If you bring it out, you’ll know I’m not lying.”

Long Xuan, having already confirmed the recipe’s legitimacy based on its progress, felt there was no need to take out the Integrity Gu. So he said, “I trust you, But what exactly does this pill do?”

The burly man explained, “This pill is called the 'Ice and Fire Polar Pill'. It is extremely difficult and dangerous to refine. Its function is to dissolve Gu, and it can dissolve most Gu in this world.”

“No matter what Gu you’ve been afflicted with, you can try using the Polar Ice and Fire Pill to break it.”

“To be honest, I’ve been afflicted with the Seal Spirit Gu by the Feng Clan. This Gu places a worm in the Spiritual Sea, which constantly absorbs the spiritual energy, eventually turning the person into a cripple.”

“Moreover, those affected by the Seal Spirit Gu will have most of their spiritual power suppressed, causing a drop in cultivation level.”

“That’s why I’m now merely a Marrow Cleansing Realm Gu cultivator. There is no solution to this Gu, except for the possibility of killing it with the Polar Ice and Fire Pill.”

Hearing that this man was only a Marrow Cleansing Realm Gu cultivator, Long Xuan cared even less.

A mere Marrow Cleansing Gu cultivator—he could kill him without even using his Gate of Life and Death.

“I’ve reached a dead end, which is why I have no choice but to ask for your master’s help. I hope you’ll grant me this favor.”

“I’ll purchase all the materials on your wall, as long as you can get your master to make one attempt!”

The burly man looked at Long Xuan nervously.

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan’s heart stirred. The materials on his wall were not easy to gather; they were all required to refine the extremely rare Three-legged Golden Toad.

However, fearing that someone might recognize those as the materials for refining the Three-legged Golden Toad, he had only dared to display half of them, mixing in unrelated items.

This man could afford to buy everything on the wall in one go?

Such extravagance meant this man was no ordinary figure.

Of course! Anyone who could be targeted by the Feng Clan’s Gu couldn’t be an ordinary person.

Long Xuan’s eyes flickered. He was truly tempted now—he couldn’t help it; the man’s offer was simply too generous.

Since he was about to embark on a long journey, he didn’t have time to continue collecting materials from the wall. If someone could buy them all at once, he would be more than happy.

Long Xuan wore a thoughtful expression, considering whether to take the deal. If he accepted, how would he refine such a third-grade pill?

Could a second-grade alchemist theoretically refine a third-grade pill? A bold thought suddenly arose in Long Xuan’s mind.

It seemed that in theory, almost anything was possible. Perhaps an alchemist could really surpass their grade in this world.

The only difference between a third-grade alchemist and a second-grade one was better technique, stronger soul power, and spiritual energy.

If a second-grade alchemist could meet these three conditions, why couldn’t they refine a third-grade pill?

Long Xuan’s heart pounded, and the more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became. At this moment, he truly believed that he could refine a third-grade pill beyond his current level.

'First, there is no need to discuss my alchemy skills in detail. I am confident that even Long Lao, a third-grade alchemist, is inferior to me. My skills should easily meet the standards of a third-grade alchemist.

As for my soul power, having lived two lives and cultivated the heaven-defying "Heavenly Demon Soul Splitting Divine Art", my soul power is far superior. Regarding spiritual power, I possess the

Ten Absolute Body, which naturally gives me much stronger spiritual power than those at the same level. Moreover, my mutated spiritual power is extremely pure and much more durable.

Of course, relying solely on these advantages might still be a bit far-fetched for refining third-grade Spirit Pills beyond my level. But what if I had the assistance of five clones? With the combined soul power and spiritual power of five clones, I would undoubtedly meet the standards of a third-grade alchemist in both soul and spiritual power.

I'm different from others. Even if a hundred second-grade alchemists worked together to refine a third-grade Spirit Pill, they would still fail due to a lack of coordination and differences in spiritual power. A mere alchemist's apprentice can only add a slight boost, and certainly cannot help an alchemist refine pills beyond their level.

However, my clones are entirely different. They can synchronize with my main body perfectly, and their spiritual power is identical. In every sense, they are me, and I am them. We are, strictly speaking, the same person.

Under these circumstances, the clones can indeed assist me in refining pills beyond my level. Theoretically, it is absolutely possible for an alchemist to refine higher-level pills.

At that moment, Long Xuan made up his mind. He decided to take on this job.

Over the next period, he would devote himself to this new type of alchemy, which he named "Universal Alchemy Technique", a method only learnable by those with multiple twins or external clones.

After making up his mind, Long Xuan pretended to be nonchalant and said, "The materials I have hanging on the wall aren't cheap, but since you're so sincere, I'll take on this matter."

"However, it's true that my master is in seclusion. It will take a long time for him to come out and refine pills for you."

"You will have to wait a long time, so be mentally prepared."

The reason Long Xuan said this was to buy himself time to research the 'Universal Alchemy Technique'. Refining pills beyond one's level is a heaven-defying act, and such techniques aren't easy to develop. Therefore, he needed to give himself ample time.

Upon hearing this, the burly man was overjoyed and said excitedly, "Thank you, young friend! Don't worry, I already have half of the materials you requested. I am confident I can gather the rest soon."

"I'll give you a deposit first. Also, here are the materials for the 'Ice and Fire Polar Pill', which I’ll give to you as well."

The burly man, fearing Long Xuan might change his mind, hurriedly poured a pile of materials from his storage ring. His storage ring was clearly similar to that of the Third Young Master, with a massive space capable of holding both living and non-living things.

Long Xuan nodded, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and calmly swept up the mountain of materials on the ground before walking away without looking back.

After this event, Long Xuan knew he had to leave this place as soon as possible. His master's reputation was too great. If he stayed any longer, who knew how many high-level cultivators would come knocking, asking for pills.

If a Gu King were to come and demand a fourth-grade pill, would he have to refine that too? Absolutely impossible!

So, before the Gu King showed up, it was best to make a quick getaway. This time, he had overplayed his hand.

He hurriedly arrived at the port and found the most crowded area, shouting loudly: "Recruiting crew! Recruiting crew!"

"We urgently need a navigator skilled in observing celestial phenomena, a first mate with extensive sailing experience, and a hunter experienced in killing sea beasts."

"We need an amazing chef, a gunner with precise aim, and multiple sailors with deep-sea navigation experience."

"All positions, including ship doctor, carpenter, and helmsman, are open. We're also looking for crew members with special abilities."

"Our ship will set sail for Sky Island. Anyone interested in treasure hunting on Sky Island ruins can join the crew, but you must swear an oath before the 'Integrity Gu' to be absolutely loyal to the captain and obey all orders."

"Anyone interested can sign up now! Don't miss this opportunity!"

As soon as Long Xuan finished speaking, everyone nearby became excited and rushed over.

At this moment, the ruins on Sky Island were about to open, and countless people wanted to head there for treasure hunting. However, you needed a large ship to reach the island, and most Gu cultivators didn't have the resources to build one.

As a result, many could only hitch a ride on someone else's ship. But of course, riding someone else's ship wasn't free. Many took the opportunity to make a fortune by charging exorbitant boarding fees, making treasure hunters bleed dry before they even set foot on the island.

Moreover, very few people had the skills to build large ships, so naturally, the number of large ships was limited. With more people than ships, demand far exceeded supply.

Most people were destined to miss out on this opportunity because they couldn't find a ship.

By now, a large number of Gu cultivators from various inland regions were gathered here, looking for ships to Sky Island.

Thus, whenever anyone recruited crew for a voyage to Sky Island, the response was overwhelming. Everyone scrambled to apply, creating fierce competition.

Especially since it seemed that this ship didn’t charge a boarding fee, the allure was even stronger for everyone.

"Pick me!"

"Pick me!"

---

The crowd was in chaos, surging towards Long Xuan like a tide.

In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded by applicants, all of them staring at him with eager eyes.

Long Xuan was taken aback, not expecting so many people to show up.

He couldn’t understand why so many people were rushing to the Sky Island to court death. Wasn’t living well enough? The Sky Island ruins were incredibly dangerous, so why go there? Were they not afraid of death?

Since the competition was so intense, with such internal rivalry, Long Xuan could only raise the bar. He loudly announced to the crowd around him, "This ship only recruits geniuses who are invincible at the Marrow Cleansing Peak Stage, and I won't charge any ship fees. Those who lack sufficient combat power can withdraw."

After his words fell, no one moved.

Long Xuan was speechless. Were their skins this thick? Didn't they know their own strength?

He had no choice but to shout again, "This ship only accepts Marrow Cleansing Peak-grade Gu cultivators, and I will not accept those with ill intentions. Those with bad hearts, please step back voluntarily. Don’t forget, I have a Integrity Gu, which can determine who has an evil heart."

"Anyone who doesn't meet these three criteria, leave immediately!"

As soon as he said this, the Gu cultivators below the late Marrow Cleansing stage could only shake their heads in disappointment and withdraw reluctantly.

A significant portion of the Marrow Cleansing stage Gu cultivators also had conflicted expressions, their eyes shifting constantly. After considering that they couldn’t withstand the interrogation of the Integrity Gu, they too left.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The Integrity Gu was enough to filter out the morally corrupt candidates.

Crew members with bad morals were absolutely unacceptable, no matter how strong they were.

Otherwise, who knew if they would stab you in the back later? And when it came time to divide the treasures, they would likely cause trouble. He didn't want to waste his energy constantly guarding against thieves.

Long Xuan was certain that there were demonic cultivators here. Those demonic cultivators were probably already planning how to kill him and seize the treasure ship before even boarding it. He had to be cautious.

He knew he didn’t have the ability to judge a person’s character, but he could certainly ask, in front of the Integrity Gu, whether they had ever committed any wrongdoing.

Any Gu cultivator who had done evil was not welcome. He would recruit only those who had never committed bad deeds, which would almost eliminate the possibility of betrayal.

He had always been curious about one thing: how many people in this world had never committed any wrongdoing.

Now, he knew the answer to that question. Just a moment ago, there had been a sea of people around him, but after that statement, the crowd retreated like a tidal wave.

Suddenly, the area around him became quiet, a gentle breeze blew, and the place was empty.

The crowd had vanished in an instant, leaving only a handful of people still standing. There were fewer than ten people left.

Long Xuan shuddered inwardly. Truly, this was a world dominated by evil people.

At this point, only nine people remained in front of him—six male Gu cultivators and three female Gu cultivators. The three female Gu cultivators were all quite attractive.

With ladies first in mind, Long Xuan decided to interview the three female Gu cultivators first.

He turned to the cute-looking girl nearest to him and asked, "Have you ever done anything bad?"

At the same time, he took out the Integrity Gu and placed it on his shoulder.

Miao Peipei glanced at the Integrity Gu with interest, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, and she smiled, "No! I’ve never done anything bad!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the eyes of the Integrity Gu lit up, but fortunately, it did not attack her in anger.

Miao Peipei's face turned extremely awkward, and her eyes started to dart around. Guiltily, she confessed, "Alright! I secretly took my father’s Green Wood Ship and accidentally sank it. I still don’t dare go home!"

"I swear! That’s the only bad thing I’ve ever done!"

"So, I hope to find some treasures on the Sky Island to compensate for my father’s loss!"

She lowered her head and stuck out her tongue, then looked up to see that the eyes of the Integrity Gu had dimmed, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Long Xuan gave her a strange look. The cost of a large ship was astronomical, and she had accidentally sunk it.

Who was the poor guy to have such a reckless daughter? He was surely cursed with bad luck.

Her father must have fainted from anger at the time. Long Xuan couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her unfortunate father.

Still, although this girl was troublesome, she was within an acceptable range.

He knew he couldn’t be too strict. In this world, how many people had truly never done anything bad? If he rejected everyone for a minor mistake, there wouldn’t be anyone left.

So, Long Xuan asked again, "What skills do you have?"

To board his ship, good character alone wasn’t enough. One had to possess abilities that could be of use to him.

He didn’t want to support a bunch of freeloaders. If this girl couldn’t demonstrate a special talent that satisfied him, she’d be eliminated—her cuteness wouldn’t save her.

Miao Peipei immediately answered, "I have the 'Green Wood Constitution', and I can accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs."

"Don’t underestimate this ability. It’s very useful at sea."

"It’s hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables at sea. If people don’t eat fresh produce for a long time, they’ll get sick."

"And on the open sea, far from any villages or towns, illness can be very dangerous."

"Although I can't accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs very quickly, I can speed up the growth of mundane fruits and vegetables at an incredibly fast rate."

"I can grow mundane fruits and vegetables in just seven days. Of course, if you want to eat spiritual fruits, that won’t be as fast."

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan's eyes lit up. This was indeed a useful skill.

Food variety was limited at sea, which could lower the quality of life. With a girl who could accelerate the growth of fruits and vegetables on board, he could enjoy fresh produce every day.

So, he decided she was worth recruiting. He had to have this crew member.