Eternal Life: My Talents Can Refresh

Chapter 418 - 205: What Qualifies Chu Ning to Be a Steward

Three months later, the Jiuhua Sect.

Inside the Steward Hall of the Alchemy Pavilion, several people watched Chu Ning’s departing figure and turned to He Yanzong with questions:

"Senior Brother He, this person named Chu Ning seems very young.

Although he’s already at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, how did he immediately become a steward of our Alchemy Pavilion?"

The speaker was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who appeared much younger than He Yanmao.

This person had a medium build, seemed about thirty years old, and clearly had entered Foundation Establishment early, which made him appear youthful.

Once entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, the aging process of appearance slows significantly.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators are actually a hundred or two hundred years old, yet their appearance does not differ much from when they first reached Foundation Establishment.

This person was another steward of the Jiuhua Sect’s Alchemy Pavilion, Yuan Rongzhang.

Upon hearing Yuan Rongzhang’s question, He Yanmao glanced at him.

"This steward was personally appointed by Master Gong, Junior Brother Yuan, could it be that you’re still uneasy?"

Yuan Rongzhang was a descendant of another Golden Core Elder within the sect, so even as He Yanmao mentioned Gong Yuyuan, he still frowned and said:

"I know it was Master Gong’s appointment, but there are requirements for stewards within the sect’s Alchemy Pavilion.

They must be Intermediate Middle Grade alchemists, able to refine five types of Intermediate Middle Grade elixirs with a success rate over sixty percent, and ten types of Intermediate Lower Grade elixirs with a success rate over eighty percent.

Otherwise, they cannot serve as a steward within the pavilion.

Can he meet these requirements?"

As Yuan Rongzhang spoke, he pouted, then continued:

"Even if our Alchemy Pavilion only has four stewards, we can’t just pull anyone in because we’re short on people.

Lately, the Alchemy Pavilion has been ridiculed by others in the sect.

If we bring in another incompetent alchemist as steward, won’t we be even more humiliated?"

Saying this, Yuan Rongzhang glanced towards a woman in palace attire and an old man beside him, adding:

"Senior Sister Su, Senior Brother Xu, don’t you agree with this reasoning?

This palace-attired woman was named Su Yuqing, and the old man named Xu Minghua was another steward of the Jiuhua Sect’s Alchemy Pavilion.

Su Yuqing, looking dignified and graceful, smiled at this moment and said:

"Since Master Gong chose to appoint Junior Brother Chu as steward within the Alchemy Pavilion, he naturally has his reasons.

As for this junior brother’s alchemy skills, we’ll surely come to understand them later."

The old man Xu Minghua then said:

"What Junior Brother Yuan said might not be without reason either. Junior Brother He, we indeed need to know about Junior Brother Chu’s alchemy skills."

Upon hearing these words, a hint of helplessness flickered across He Yanmao’s dark face.

Ultimately, he vaguely replied:

"We’ll see later. Junior Brother Chu has just arrived at the sect and hasn’t settled down yet; let’s discuss this after he does."

Hearing He Yanmao’s words, their expressions varied.

With the stewards still divided in opinion, the other cultivators within the Alchemy Pavilion were naturally even more animated.

Especially within the entire pavilion, there were now five stewards including Chu Ning, but the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators far exceeded this.

For a time, the Alchemy Pavilion was filled with all sorts of discussions.

"Junior Martial Uncle Liu, I heard there’s a young middle-stage Foundation Establishment junior martial uncle in the pavilion now, is it true that they’re becoming a steward?"

"So there’s another steward, I heard Elder Gong personally brought him back to the sect.

Apparently, he’s the child of an old friend of Elder Gong. Pshaw, he looks even younger than me."

"What does becoming a steward matter, now the Foundation Establishment Pills in the pavilion are all gone, and the sect’s various pavilions are all pointing fingers at us."

...

Meanwhile, the subject of everyone’s discussion, Chu Ning, followed a disciple from the Alchemy Pavilion to a small courtyard.

"Steward Chu, this cave mansion is arranged for you by the pavilion."

The one leading Chu Ning was a disciple in the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, around twenty years old, named Wang Ping.

With a simple-looking face, he didn’t appear particularly clever.

Yet Chu Ning, seeing his age and his Ninth Layer of Qi Refining level, thought his cultivation talent was quite good.

Saying this, Wang Ping handed a jade token to Chu Ning.

"Steward Chu, this is the jade token to activate the cave mansion’s restriction."

Chu Ning took it casually, then said: "I’ll go inside myself, you can leave."

"Oh, alright, disciple takes his leave!"

Wang Ping didn’t say much more, only bowed and then left directly.

"Perhaps He Yanmao thinks my personality is solitary and hard to approach, so he found such a straightforward disciple to show me the way."

Chu Ning mused briefly, then walked inside with the jade token.

The small courtyard was built against the mountain, the terrain steep, with sheer cliffs ahead.

It resembled Xiao Cheng’s previous residence somewhat, but of course, in terms of terrain and Spiritual Qi, it was far superior.

This was the difference between Jiuhua Mountain and Chu Ning’s previous places in Cyan Creek Sect and Thousand Lakes and Thousand Islands.

Jiuhua Mountain not only had many peaks, but each peak was also accompanied by numerous cliffs and precipices.

Most cave mansions for sect cultivators were built on small platforms atop these cliffs.

Due to the terrain, they weren’t dug very deep, instead establishing independent small courtyards as cave mansions.

For alchemy, one can go to the Alchemy Pavilion’s Alchemy Room specifically.

The Earth Fire there is more stable.

Chu Ning entered the courtyard, took a look around, and nodded in satisfaction.

The courtyard was spacious; upon entering was a large area suitable for planting a medicinal garden.

Though not as large as the one in Yanfeng, it’s sufficient for growing Spirit Medicines even if not Spirit Plants.

Inside, in the position closest to the mountain, was a two-story small pavilion, fully equipped for cultivation and living.