“Alchemy is closely related to celestial phenomena and the timing of the hours. Some pills must be refined at specific times to achieve their greatest effect. For example, today and tomorrow are not suitable for alchemy, but the hour of Zi the day after tomorrow is an excellent time.”

Chapter 12: The Pill Recipe

“Aiya, even if I explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand. The mysteries within are very complex. Just follow your master, watch carefully, and learn well.”

“Oh, I see.” David Thompson, pretending to be deep in thought, was actually thinking about something else.

The pill that Daniel Thompson gave him was clearly effective, which also meant that the laws of this world were completely different from those of his own.

If he wanted to deal with Daniel Thompson, he needed to learn much more about this unfamiliar world.

“Cultivators from novels? Doesn’t seem like it. What kind of cultivator uses people as ingredients for alchemy? And what kind of cultivator enslaves mortals to help themselves become immortals?”

“And by convention, shouldn’t an ordinary cultivation sect give me a foundational cultivation technique? Why haven’t I received one?”

The more David Thompson learned about this place, the stranger he found this Daoist temple. It was nothing like the image of Daoist cultivators he had in his mind.

“By the way, Junior Brother Xuanyang, let me give you a tip. You’d better have everything prepared before Master opens his mouth.”

“For example, yesterday’s pill. Because your hysteria acted up, you missed the timing. If you deliver the medicinal guide before the hour of Zi the day after tomorrow, wouldn’t that be like apologizing to Master?”

“Don’t be fooled by Master’s unpredictable moods. As long as you keep him happy, you’ll naturally benefit.”

“Yesterday’s pill ingredients?” David Thompson was momentarily stunned.

“Yeah, what, did you forget? What did Master ask you to deliver yesterday?”

“Bai Bai Lingmiao.” David Thompson’s pupils shrank to pinpoints. So much had happened, but this matter still wasn’t resolved.

If he didn’t come up with a solution before the day after tomorrow, that albino girl would end up like all the previous medicinal guides—crushed into a pulp!

David Thompson didn’t even know how he made it back to his quarters. He lay on his stone bed, the gold anklet wrapped in red thread pressing on his chest like a red-hot iron, urging him to find a way out.

But right now, not only was there a huge gap in strength between Daniel Thompson and David Thompson, the entire temple was filled with Daniel Thompson’s people.

The fate of those senior brothers who had died before also showed that blindly running away was useless.

Tossing and turning, the night passed.

On the eve of morning class, David Thompson put on his clothes and walked out of the cave.

He wanted to check the pill room, to see if there was any other way.

Just as he stepped out holding an oil lamp, a sharp, monkey-faced figure emerged from the darkness, startling David Thompson. It was Jack’s face.

“Hehehe, Senior Thompson, it’s nothing. I just noticed you didn’t come to the ingredient room all day yesterday and got a bit worried, so I came to check on you.”

“Is Junior Sister Bai alright?” David Thompson took a step back and asked.

“She’s fine, she’s fine. You personally said Junior Sister Bai could help manage the ingredient room—who would dare disobey? Hehehe, Senior Thompson, you’re impressive. Since you took charge of the ingredient store, you haven’t lost a single person.”

Hearing Jack say this, David Thompson felt extremely irritated. He pushed the guy aside with his oil lamp and strode out.

When David Thompson arrived at the alchemy room, he found that some early-rising boys had already started scrubbing the pill furnace and floor with burlap.

One boy was even standing inside a stone vat, using a pig bristle brush to scrub the leftover bits of flesh from the stone walls.

As a disciple of Daniel Thompson, no one dared say anything when he entered the alchemy room.

David Thompson pretended to stroll casually, but his eyes began to carefully observe his surroundings.

The entire alchemy room was extremely simple. Aside from the huge black pill furnace that took up a third of the space, there was only the stone vat and stone club that Daniel Thompson used to smash things.

There weren’t even any books on alchemy, not a single calligraphy or painting on the walls, and the whole room was very empty, with nowhere to hide.

“What are you looking at?” A familiar yet chilling voice suddenly sounded behind him.

David Thompson turned to see who it was and quickly saluted with both hands. “Master.”

“I asked you what you were looking at.”

David Thompson quickly thought for a second and immediately came up with an excuse. “Disciple saw how skilled Master is at alchemy and felt great admiration, so I was wondering when I might reach that level myself.”

Daniel Thompson was very pleased with David Thompson’s change in attitude. It seemed this kid had finally figured things out.

He clasped his hands behind his back and circled the black pill furnace. “It’s good to be ambitious, but it’s not that I won’t teach you—external alchemy is not so simple.”

“Ordinary pills are one thing, but if you want to achieve immortality through alchemy, you must refine both external and internal pills. For me to reach the verge of ascension now, it took a lot of effort.”

A trace of pride and excitement appeared on Daniel Thompson’s face, as if he were already enjoying the immortal life to come.

“Master, are you about to become an immortal?”