The Path to Immortality: Mastering a Hundred Arts Chapter Eight: The Longevity Elixir Recipe

After dealing with Liu Tianci, Li Feng returned to Biyan Hall alone.

He bumped into Sister Hong while heading upstairs.

"I didn't expect Liu Tianci to show up. Leaving you stranded there wasn't my intention." Sister Hong apologized for her mid-way departure.

"It’s fine, I had a pleasant chat with Young Master Liu," Li Feng replied with a casual brush-off.

"You enjoyed chatting with him? He’s hardly a decent sort." Sister Hong’s expression shifted as she looked at him.

"How so?" Li Feng feigned confusion.

"Every woman he has ever taken as his wife has met a miserable end."

"I had no idea the man was a wolf in sheep's clothing. It seems I misjudged him—thank you for the warning, Sister Hong."

After putting on a show of gratitude and retreating to his room, Li Feng began to organize everything that had happened that day. Madam Jin was clearly acting as a matchmaker for Liu Tianci. That woman was far from simple and needed to be kept at a distance. Liu Tianci had discovered his little secret; the risk was currently low, but he feared the man might eventually connect him to the bounty issued by the Sky Crane Sect. If a suitable opportunity arose, he would have to eliminate him. Sister Hong was also growing suspicious of him, as evidenced by her probing words. These were all risks.

The more Li Feng thought about it, the more restless he became. The vial of crimson essence blood kept flashing in his mind, almost becoming his inner demon. Li Feng understood that all his troubles stemmed from a lack of strength. Over the coming period, he had to seize every opportunity to improve his cultivation.

"System, simulate!"

Having rested for so long, it was time to start a new simulation.

[This simulation will consume 1.2 years of lifespan. Remaining lifespan: 3.2 years.]
[Simulating...]
[Age 19: Desperate to become stronger, you purchase a large quantity of materials for refining Spirit-Enhancing Pills.]
[Limited by your weak strength, your success rate in refining these pills is low, yielding only one to three pills per furnace.]
[Aside from cultivation, you spend your days refining pills, occasionally selling them at the market for spirit stones while inquiring about news of Life-Prolonging Pills.]
[Life-Prolonging Pills are second-tier mid-grade pills, rare and highly sought after. You have the Chixia Gang search everywhere for them, but to no avail.]
[Age 20: After consuming nearly a thousand Spirit-Enhancing Pills, you develop a tolerance, and the pills no longer help advance your cultivation.]
[You accumulate tens of thousands of spirit stones, buying various heavenly treasures to aid your practice, but you still see no progress.]
[Your dantian feels like a bottomless pit that can never be filled.]
[Age 22: Your progress is slow, your alchemy skills remain stagnant due to your cultivation level, and your state of mind fluctuates.]
[You develop an interest in talismans, spending a fortune on books to study them.]
[You study talismans day and night, eventually succeeding in crafting first-tier low-grade Speed Talismans with a 60% success rate.]
[You realize that although you lack talent in cultivation, you are remarkably gifted in the hundred arts of immortality.]
[Having discovered your true talent, your state of mind improves, and your cultivation level breaks through naturally.]
[You reach the fourth level of Qi Refining, and your lifespan increases by two years.]
[Age 23: You become a first-tier mid-grade talisman master. At the same time, the once-every-five-years auction begins.]
[Upon learning that a recipe for Life-Prolonging Pills is among the auction items, you are ecstatic.]
[The competition at the auction is fierce. The price of the recipe skyrockets, and you can only sigh in frustration.]
[Knowing you are a cheater, you specifically investigate the seller and discover they are the Pavilion Master of the Linglong Pavilion.]
[You leave the auction venue, are targeted by a ninth-level Qi Refining rogue cultivator, and are killed in the street.]
[You have died!]

[Simulation complete. You may retain one of the following:]
[Cultivation level at age 23.]
[Alchemy experience at age 23.]
[Talisman experience at age 23.]

"Same as usual, one year of lifespan."

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the cultivation level at age 23!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the alchemy experience at age 23!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the talisman experience at age 23!]
[Remaining lifespan: 4.2 years.]

As the system's voice faded, a flood of memories poured into his mind, and his cultivation level climbed slightly. After adjusting to the changes in his body, Li Feng sighed inwardly. "Damn rogue cultivator!" He had been blindsided at the very last moment of the simulation.

After this simulation, the Spirit-Enhancing Pills were completely ineffective. From now on, he would have to sell them just like the Yellow Dragon Pills. Since becoming an alchemist, Li Feng had realized that this industry was ridiculously lucrative; it truly lived up to its reputation as the head of the hundred arts of immortality. The cost to refine a furnace of Yellow Dragon Pills was ten taels of gold, with a guaranteed yield of five to nine pills. Three pills could be exchanged for one low-grade spirit stone. An alchemist could reliably earn two spirit stones per furnace. Given the market exchange rate of 1:10,000 between spirit stones and gold, a single spirit stone could buy ten thousand taels of gold—a thousand-fold profit. However, that was just the market price; in reality, the markup was much higher, because very few people would trade spirit stones for gold. Spirit stones were far more precious.

The profit from Spirit-Enhancing Pills was similar, with a cost of only two spirit stones per furnace. Even with his lack of proficiency, he was guaranteed one to three pills. A single Spirit-Enhancing Pill sold for about six spirit stones on the market, meaning three pills fetched eighteen. After accounting for costs, the profit from one furnace was eight times the investment. In the world of immortality, an alchemist might not be the strongest, but they were certainly the wealthiest. This was a consensus among all cultivators.

The reason the threshold for alchemy was so high was that it required Fire, Earth, and Wood spiritual roots—missing even one wouldn't suffice. Fire and Wood were incompatible, while Earth supported all things, acting as a neutralizer. Beyond that, an alchemist had to be a qualified spirit plant master, proficient in the pharmacology of spiritual herbs. These two requirements alone were enough to screen out most cultivators. Although his "ten spiritual roots" had made Li Feng's life miserable, they had also maxed out his talent for alchemy and talisman making. For him, there was no barrier to any of the hundred arts. As long as he was willing to spend the effort, he could master them all.

After some planning, Li Feng started the simulation again. He would not stop until he obtained the Life-Prolonging Pill recipe.

[This simulation will consume 1.2 years of lifespan. Remaining lifespan: 3 years.]
[Simulating...]
[Age 19: You spend your days refining pills and making talismans, accumulating spirit stones just to obtain the recipe from the Linglong Pavilion Master ahead of time.]
[Age 20: Your talisman skills improve, and you become a first-tier high-grade talisman master.]
[Age 21: The prices of first-tier pills and talismans in Anhe City crash. The Alchemist Association and Talisman Alliance are shaken and send people to investigate second-tier alchemists and talisman masters.]
[To avoid trouble, you turn to black market trading, and prices continue to fall.]
[You finally save up 150,000 low-grade spirit stones and go to pay your respects to the Linglong Pavilion Master.]
[Seeing your status as an alchemist, the Pavilion Master says that if you can produce a Li-Wood Fruit, they will trade the recipe and owe you a favor.]
[Remembering that Sister Hong is also looking for a Li-Wood Fruit, you cannot help but wonder what her relationship with the Pavilion Master might be.]
[You return in disappointment.]
[Age 22: You exchange all 150,000 spirit stones for items that aid in cultivation, successfully breaking through to the fifth level of Qi Refining. Your lifespan increases by two years.]
[Curious about Sister Hong, you secretly have the Chixia Gang investigate her.]
[Age 23: You obtain information about the Linglong Pavilion Master and learn that they are a remnant of the previous dynasty.]
[At the same time, you discover an unspeakable secret about Sister Hong.]
[You are killed by a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.]
[You have died!]

[Simulation complete. You may retain one of the following:]
[Cultivation level at age 23.]
[Alchemy experience at age 23.]
[Talisman experience at age 23.]