Chapter 69: A Master Opens the Door, but Cooking the Pills Is Up to the Individual

He stood there in a daze, staring at the jade bottle Si Chen had taken from his Storage Ring, his entire body frozen stiff.

That was a Nascent Condensing Pill! A supreme-grade spirit elixir that countless Core Formation Stage cultivators would fight tooth and nail over — one that could even spark all-out wars between sects!

"Young Master... y-you're saying that this method of cooking alchemy... actually worked?"

Si Chen, oblivious to the storm of emotions churning across Wang Yan's face, cheerfully retrieved the jade bottle from his Storage Ring and tipped out a single pill, holding it out to him.

"Here, take a look."

The pill rolled into Wang Yan's trembling palm. Across its smooth, lustrous surface, violet radiance swirled and danced, with the faint resonance of the Dao coiling around it.

Just a single breath of the fragrance drifting off it was enough to make his newly consolidated Foundation Establishment realm settle even more firmly into place.

This quality — it surpassed every pill he had ever laid eyes on by a hundredfold!

"The method of cooking alchemy… can truly reach such heights?!" he murmured to himself.

Si Chen gave a nod, his expression perfectly matter-of-fact. "I followed your theory. The heat just wasn't quite right at the start — scorched it a little — but I corrected it later."

Scorched it a little? Corrected it later?

In an instant, Wang Yan's heart surged, and an image rose unbidden in his mind:

Beneath a solitary lamp in the dead of night, the Young Master, in order to test this seemingly absurd theory of his, had stood alone before an alchemy furnace — or, well, a wok?

Failing again and again, adjusting the heat again and again, wreathed in smoke and scorched by flame, perhaps even injured by the shockwave of an exploding furnace...

After enduring untold hardships, burning through who knew how many precious materials, he had finally succeeded in "cooking" out this legendary Nascent Condensing Pill!

What an arduous journey of exploration! What a selfless act of devotion!

Not only had the Young Master helped him achieve Foundation Establishment, he had quietly blazed a trail ahead of him, proving through action that his "Dao" was no mere fantasy!

What did it mean to have true vision? What did it mean to have true magnanimity?

At that thought, Wang Yan's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up beyond his control.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees again, his voice choked with emotion:

"Young Master… you did all this… for me… you went this far for my sake! I, Wang Yan… what have I done to deserve this…"

He was so overcome that his words came out in a jumble. He felt that no words of gratitude could possibly do justice to this moment, and he only lamented that he hadn't been born a woman — otherwise, offering himself in marriage still wouldn't repay even a fraction of this debt!

Si Chen was left thoroughly baffled by the way Wang Yan had dropped to his knees without a moment's warning.

He had only found Wang Yan's idea interesting and tried it out for fun — how had he ended up making the man cry?

"Get up first."

Wang Yan wiped his face hard, his gaze turning with fierce conviction and blazing intensity. "Young Master! I beg you to teach me! Teach me this method of cooking alchemy!"

Si Chen looked at the near-burning flame in his eyes and grew even more puzzled. "Teach you? Don't you already know it?"

"Huh?"

Wang Yan was completely dumbstruck, his mouth hanging open. What did he already know? He hadn't even touched an alchemy furnace yet!

The two stared at each other, and for a moment the air between them grew a little awkward.

Si Chen looked at Wang Yan's utterly blank expression and assumed he was being modest, so he helpfully reminded him: "It's that theory you mentioned before — cooking and alchemy follow the same principles, don't they?"

Wang Yan was startled at first, then it dawned on him all at once — the Young Master was going to teach according to his aptitude!

He hurriedly fished out the small notebook he always carried from his robes, flipped it open with great solemnity, and looked up at Si Chen with eager eyes. "Please, Young Master, guide me on the finer details!"

Si Chen saw how earnest he looked and figured there was no harm in sharing, so he made an effort to recall his own "cooking alchemy" process...

Chop the ingredients, light the fire, add them to the wok, stir-fry, scorch the bottom, and then — well, then the pill was done.

"First of all… you need a good wok."

Wang Yan nodded vigorously and wrote at a furious pace:

[First: The wok is the foundation of the Dao! If the vessel is lacking, the pill shall not coalesce!]

Heishan, standing to one side, glanced over and screamed inwardly.

Hold on — all he said was "you need a good wok"?!

"Then, heat control is crucial," Si Chen continued to summarize.

Wang Yan's brush flew across the page:

[Second: Fire is the soul of the pill! Too fierce and it scorches; too weak and it scatters. Tame it and life is born; unleash it and all is lost!]

"Also, the timing and force of the stirring." Si Chen thought of those few pieces of Jade Marrow Zhi that had gone flying.

Wang Yan seemed to grasp something profound:

[Third: The stir is the rhythm of the technique! Slow and swift in proper order, hard and soft in harmony — like commanding heaven and earth!]

"And finally…" Si Chen thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"…Your heart must be sincere. If you think 'this pill must form,' it will form."

This cryptic, almost mystical line sent a shiver through Wang Yan's entire body, and he wrote it down in a flash:

[Fourth: The heart is the root of intent! Where sincerity reaches, even metal and stone will yield, and the pill shall form of its own accord!]

When he finished writing those four lines, Wang Yan stared at his notebook in a daze, as though he had glimpsed the supreme truth of heaven and earth.

He drew a deep breath and added one final line in smaller characters at the end:

[The heart's intent is the guide; the divine will shapes the pill. These four essentials are the supreme heart method of cooking alchemy!]

He clutched the notebook tightly. This was no mere collection of cooking tips — this was a true teaching that pointed directly at the Grand Dao!

Wok, fire, stir, heart — four words that seemed simple on the surface, yet secretly aligned with the four great pillars of cultivation: Artifact Forging, fire control, channeling force, and cultivating the Dao Heart!

"Young Master…"

Wang Yan's voice was thick with emotion. "You have hidden the supreme Grand Dao within the most ordinary of crafts!"

Si Chen looked at Wang Yan, who was so moved he was nearly fainting, and though he didn't quite understand why the man was going on about some "supreme Grand Dao," he nodded anyway.

"Good that you understand."

At those words, Wang Yan froze.

The Young Master was affirming his comprehension — acknowledging that he had received the true Inheritance!

Not only had he validated his theory, he had casually gifted him such a precious Nascent Condensing Pill as a reference, and now he had imparted the entire "cooking alchemy heart method" without reservation…

This was clearly… an invitation to become his Personal Disciple!

Wang Yan could no longer suppress the excitement surging within him. With a resounding thud, he dropped to his knees once more and performed a full, reverent bow of three prostrations and nine kowtows.

"Master, please accept your disciple's bow!"

"Your disciple, Wang Yan, vows never to betray the grace of Master's teachings!"

Si Chen was caught off guard by this sudden form of address:

"Master? When did I become a Master again?"

Hmm — why did he say "again"?

He blinked, feeling as though this scene was somehow familiar.

But Wang Yan was already too overwhelmed to contain himself.

As expected! The Young Master's disciples were already spread far and wide — he himself was merely one among many! But this only proved that his choice had been right. To be accepted under such a renowned master was a blessing Wang Yan must have cultivated across several lifetimes!

"Your disciple understands! A master opens the door, but cooking the pills is up to the individual! Your disciple will practice diligently and never bring shame upon the master's lineage!"

"Master, your disciple will go home right now and fire up the furnace — no, fire up the wok!"

Wang Yan rose to his feet, his face radiant with a brilliance unlike anything he had shown before. "With the supreme heart method bestowed by Master in hand, your disciple will surely cook up a batch of world-shaking spirit pills!"

With that, he clutched his precious notebook to his chest and strode out of the small courtyard with a light, buoyant step, as though he had finally found the direction of his life.

Watching his retreating figure, Heishan finally couldn't help sidling over. "Brother, since when were you taking on disciples?"

Si Chen spread his hands with a look of pure innocence. "I wasn't."

He had only shared some cooking tips — how had things ended up like this?

Chifeng and Red Bean exchanged a glance and sighed in unison. One dared to teach, the other dared to learn — they really were a perfect match.

Meanwhile, Wang Yan, striding briskly homeward, had his mind entirely consumed by those four lines of the "supreme heart method," turning them over and over.

He clenched his fist, eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve.

From this day forward, he, Wang Yan, would use this wok to cook himself a path straight to the heavens!