After Xiao Fusheng gave a brief explanation, Yang Kai finally understood what was really hidden inside those poisonous pills.
The jar of poisonous pills hadn't been complicated to refine, and the ingredients weren't even expensive — otherwise there wouldn't have been so many of them.
But the real purpose of these poisonous pills was to test the purity of a person's Yuan Qi.
Alchemists were also martial artists, and all of them had Yuan Qi flowing through their bodies. The only difference was that this particular group of people had made alchemy their primary profession, and all their efforts to increase their cultivation and boost their strength served that craft.
Once the poisonous pill was swallowed, if a person's Yuan Qi was pure enough, they could force all the toxins out of their body. If not, they couldn't.
The purity of one's Yuan Qi was connected to many things — the cultivation technique a martial artist practiced, the combat skills they'd learned, the pills they'd consumed, their physique — all sorts of factors could affect it.
Those alchemists may have devoted their lives to their craft, but due to all sorts of circumstances, the Yuan Qi in their bodies had become muddled and impure. That was why they had failed Xiao Fusheng's test.
Since Yang Kai had begun cultivating, the only technique he'd practiced was the True Yang Technique. On top of that, he'd been constantly tempering his Yuan Qi. It was hardly surprising that the purity of his true essence now met Xiao Fusheng's requirements.
Dong Qingyan's situation was similar. She practiced a fire-attribute cultivation technique, and the Dong family was powerful and wealthy. She'd been at the peak of the Separation-Union Realm, and in order to help her break through to the Zhenyuan Realm, the family had spent a great deal of rare natural treasures to help her condense her true essence. Her Yuan Qi naturally wasn't too muddled.
After finishing his explanation, Xiao Fusheng let out a bitter laugh. "Truth be told, if I had those alchemists take my poisonous pill, more than ninety-nine percent of them would fail the test. They simply don't take the purity of their Yuan Qi all that seriously. When refining pills, many alchemists have to personally test the properties of medicinal ingredients. With all sorts of conflicting medicinal effects building up inside their bodies, how could their Yuan Qi remain pure? But if you had someone with outstanding talent who practiced a fire-attribute or yang-attribute technique take it, that would be a completely different story."
Yang Kai's eyes lit up with sudden understanding. No wonder his time spent neutralizing the toxin had been even shorter than Dong Qingyan's — there was another layer to it after all.
But who would come to take Xiao Fusheng's test if not an alchemist? Only a martial artist like Yang Kai, who had his own particular motive, would give it a try.
Finding a true successor in the alchemy profession was genuinely difficult.
The fact that Dong Qingyan had passed the test smoothly was thanks in no small part to the Dong family's lack of support for her alchemy pursuits over the years. If she'd started learning alchemy from childhood, she probably would have ended up disappointed this time too.
"The path of the alchemist — so many have gone down the wrong road. I went down the wrong road too!" Xiao Fusheng let out a long sigh, heavy with loneliness and regret.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and said thoughtfully, "Master, based on what you're saying, wouldn't it be better to find a talented child and start training them from a young age?"
"A child…" Xiao Fusheng shook his head at these words and smiled bitterly. "I can't wait that long."
Yang Kai's heart stirred, and he looked at Xiao Fusheng in surprise.
The two beautiful women also wore somber expressions, as though they wanted to say something but held back.
Dong Qingyan, reading their expressions, said in shock, "Master, you…"
Xiao Fusheng chuckled lightly, his face calm and composed. "It's fine. I still have a few years left to live, but in this lifetime, I'm afraid I won't be able to break through to upper-grade Mysterious Rank. I really would have liked to see what the Spirit Rank above the Mysterious Rank looks like."
His words were filled with longing and regret.
Then his expression brightened again, his spirit rallying. "I may not be able to do it, but I want to train a Spirit Rank alchemist — to shatter the barrier that says no Spirit Rank alchemist exists under heaven. That depends on the two of you putting in the effort!"
It was precisely for this reason that Xiao Fusheng wanted to take on disciples. He had devoted his entire life to the art of alchemy, yet he had never managed to break through to the Spirit Rank. How could he not feel regret?
He possessed alchemical knowledge unmatched by anyone in the world, and he had walked the path of alchemy with his own two feet. He was confident he could raise a disciple who would surpass him!
Sensing the depth of Xiao Fusheng's resolve, Yang Kai's expression wavered for a moment before he spoke in a low voice. "Senior, please forgive me, but my reason for coming to Cloud Hidden Peak was not actually to learn the art of alchemy."
Xiao Fusheng's brow furrowed, and he looked at Yang Kai in surprise.
"I want to reach the pinnacle of martial arts. If I take up alchemy, I'm afraid my attention will be divided." Yang Kai spoke with genuine sincerity. His only reason for coming to Cloud Hidden Peak had been to use its geographical advantage to get closer to Pill Sage Peak.
Xiao Fusheng had opened his heart to him, and Yang Kai didn't want to deceive the old man too much. He obviously couldn't mention Pill Sage Peak, but he couldn't very well learn alchemy either, or he might not be able to get away when the time came.
Hearing Yang Kai's words, the two beautiful women immediately furrowed their brows and shot him looks tinged with displeasure.
But Xiao Fusheng simply laughed. "Who says alchemy can't reach the pinnacle of martial arts?"
Yang Kai's expression shifted, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
His first meeting with Xiao Fusheng had left a deep impression on the young man. Though the old man was half-buried in the earth already, his spirited ambition and his desire to rival the heavens themselves were something many young people simply didn't possess.
The grandmaster didn't ask him or Dong Qingyan to formally take him as their master, and so they simply stayed on.
Several more days passed. Xiao Fusheng rarely made an appearance, Dong Qingyan insisted on addressing him as "Master," and Yang Kai simply called him Elder Xiao.
Although the two beautiful women had shown some displeasure toward Yang Kai that one day, they were women of excellent composure. They didn't make things difficult for him, greeted him with smiles every day, took care of all the daily affairs on Cloud Hidden Peak, and quietly gave their all.