Eternal Life Starts from Tai Chi

Chapter 198: Demon Sound Piercing Ears, Putting on a Show

Yang Chan hadn’t expected the people from the Celestial Sword Sect to travel alongside them the entire way. This was rather surprising, as he’d assumed they would either quicken their pace or slow down.

The journey was certainly lively. For several hours each day, he had to endure the Demon Sound Piercing Ears.

The verbal sparring between the two Advanced Pharmacists never ceased. Aside from rests during the day and at night, the two of them hardly ever stopped.

These two Advanced Pharmacists had certainly figured out the best use for the powerful physique of an Inner Master.

A Pharmacist’s combat prowess was generally average, but seeing them move the battlefield to their mouths was certainly an eye-opener for Yang Chan.

As their carriage traveled on, they came across carriages from several other Sects. There was the Lingxiao Pavilion from Xue State; its people, dressed in heavy furs, had come from the Land of Extreme Cold. Then there was the Celestial Martial Pavilion from Yun State, its members wearing short tunics that revealed their sturdy physiques, individuals who clearly focused on being Body Cultivators. All of these groups were heading to White Jade City for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference.

Previously, Yang Chan had only ever heard the names of these Sects, or at most read about them in books. This was the first time he had seen them with his own eyes.

The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was vast and abundant. Climates varied greatly even within the same season, a difference much larger than in the world of Yang Chan’s past life.

Some places were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, some were covered in snow year-round, and others experienced perpetually high temperatures. The differences were immense.

The clothing these people wore was a clear reflection of their native climates. Qing State’s climate, by comparison, was considered quite normal.

Upon seeing these people, Yang Chan felt an urge to mingle. However, the guards from the various Sects were clearly wary, their vigilance directed at the other groups.

Seeing the situation, Yang Chan dismissed the thought. If someone else started the conversation, he would be happy to join in and gather some useful information, but he had no intention of being the one to start. It was better to just keep to himself.

When he was bored, he could read the Pharmacist-related books he had borrowed from the Sect, like the *Pharmacopoeia* and the *Alchemy Compendium*. He naturally wanted to continue advancing his Pharmacist profession, as it was a great help for his Potential Points. Moreover, if he became an Advanced Pharmacist, he would be able to get his hands on even more rare medicinal ingredients.

He had inquired at the Medicine Hall and learned that the ingredients helpful for the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera had been all but taken by the two Advanced Pharmacists. Even the materials for the Three Revolutions Nourishing Viscera Pill were scarce, with most of the remainder going to the Intermediate Pharmacists. If he wanted to practice Alchemy, he had to submit an application and wait a while to receive sufficient ingredients.

This process was much more troublesome than when he was Refining the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill.

High Tier Spirit Medicines were already rare, and on top of that, Advanced and Intermediate Pharmacists had higher priority. As a Basic Level Pharmacist, he had to wait. After he succeeded in Refining the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill, the situation improved considerably, but he still had to wait.

In a little more time, he would be another year older. Upon returning to the Cyan Yuan Sect, he would be eligible to take the Intermediate Pharmacist examination, which would be a great help to his Elixir Refining.

’I really don’t want to go searching for rare medicinal ingredients myself,’ he thought. ’That would take far too much time. It’s much better to use the Sect’s power to have them delivered right to me for Refining. That would save a considerable amount of time.’

Rare Spirit Medicines were incredibly difficult to find. Even a power like the Han Family, one of Qing State’s eight great merchant houses, had to invest considerable time to find them. Only the overlord of Qing State—which received tributes from the state’s various factions and had other means of acquisition—could procure the variety of rare Spirit Medicines to satisfy Yang Chan’s Alchemy needs.

This was also why he had never considered leaving the Cyan Yuan Sect, even when he was being targeted by Lü Zhenghai, the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall. The help from such a powerful faction was immense and could satisfy his many needs—something Minor Sects could never accomplish.

It was simple logic: when you have a good option, you don’t choose a bad one.

To a certain extent, Yang Chan’s current achievements proved his choice had been the right one, saving him from taking many wrong turns.

What he needed was a stable environment, a steady supply of various Cultivation Resources, and the protection of a powerful Sect—the Cyan Yuan Sect fulfilled all these requirements.

The first half of the journey to White Jade City was relatively peaceful, but the second half was a complete mess. Under the daily assault of the Demon Sound Piercing Ears, even the scenery outside lost its appeal.

The arrival of the people from Xue State’s Lingxiao Pavilion and Yun State’s Celestial Martial Pavilion did not change the situation. In fact, it made things worse, devolving into a multi-sided shouting match.

Yang Chan sometimes found himself wondering if these people were acting on a blood feud, as if one had killed another’s father or stolen his wife. In this tense atmosphere, the disciple guards from every Sect grew even more vigilant. They were on guard in case one of the Sects decided to turn words into action.

Yang Chan found it strange but didn’t ask any questions, because Xu Gaocen was also at his side, reading a Pharmacist-related book, seemingly unaffected by the Demon Sound Piercing Ears.

Furthermore, Yang Chan noticed that the carriages of the major Sects were all incredibly luxurious, built from rare materials and opulently decorated. The styles varied widely, with some even showcasing unique regional features.

As the carriage pressed on, the roads became increasingly crowded. While there had been plenty of travelers before, the roads were now verging on congested, and they frequently passed other luxurious carriages.

Some were Sects from other states attending the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, while others were merchants from all over, heading to White Jade City. Within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, the most prosperous place was White Jade City, also known by the name Celestial White Jade City. This name alone was a testament to White Jade City’s prosperity.

As they drew closer to White Jade City, Yang Chan noticed that the verbal war between Yan Jinfeng, Luo Zhenming, and the others showed no signs of stopping. This made him realize something was off.

’This feels like they’re putting on a show,’ he thought. ’Yan Jinfeng might genuinely hold a grudge against Luo Zhenming, but it’s not logical for an argument to last this long. And it’s even stranger that other Sects have gotten involved.’

’These Advanced Pharmacists are all members of the Pharmacist Alliance, figures at the Honorary Elder Level. It’s normal for them to have friction, but not for it to be this persistent—unless it’s a deliberate performance for someone else to see.’

’And in the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, there is only one power you would need to put on a show for: the most powerful Noble Family in the dynasty, the Great Zhou Imperial Family.’

Before heading to White Jade City, Yang Chan already knew that the situation there was not very stable. The previous incident in Yu State had involved Crown Prince Yang Qian and even implicated some Royal Family Members.

The Cyan Yuan Sect had later withdrawn from the campaign to exterminate the No-Life Evil Cult in Yu State. Yang Chan hadn’t been clear on the reasons at the time, but he later heard rumors, and all of them were connected to the Great Zhou Imperial Family.

Previously, his reluctance to go to White Jade City was not only because it was filled with numerous experts, but also because of this complex situation.