Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

What is the actual effect of the ‘Qingchen Pill’? Over the past few days, this question has been a hot topic in every corner of Tianshui Market—be it in the streets, teahouses, or taverns. Both the ‘Qingchen Pill’ and Gu Yao have undoubtedly become the center of attention.

“’Qingchen Pill’? Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! I only took one pill, and I already felt that the spiritual energy in my body became much purer. With purer energy, I noticed that the power of my spells when battling sea beasts increased significantly. I bet the effect of taking another pill will be even better, but unfortunately, I’ll have to wait a few more days before I can take the second one.”

“Exactly. After I used the ‘Qingchen Pill’, I could clearly feel impurities being expelled from my body. Those with deeper ‘pill toxins’ must feel the effect even more strongly.”

“Master Gu is truly remarkable. In the past, we’ve heard of items that can cleanse ‘pill toxins’, but none of them were within our means. Those heavenly treasures are incredibly rare and never something ordinary people like us could afford or fight for.”

“That’s right. The price of the ‘Qingchen Pill’ isn’t too high—it’s just slightly more expensive than a mid-grade pill but far cheaper than high-grade ones. What makes Master Gu even more commendable is that he didn’t hoard it for profit. Ordinary cultivators like us can actually afford it.”

The fact that you only need to take a ‘Qingchen Pill’ once every few years, instead of regularly, makes it completely manageable for most cultivators. This is what delights the majority of them the most. Otherwise, even if Gu Yao had set a much higher price, there would still be many cultivators flocking to buy it.

“The Tianfu Academy isn’t so bad, after all. I think I’ll inquire if they accept loose cultivators like me to join mid-way. Or maybe for the next Ascension Conference, I’ll have my younger siblings give it a try. If they can get into Tianfu Academy, they’ll have a huge advantage.”

“True. If someone has talent for pill-making, it’s even better. I heard that Master Gu often mentors the academy’s alchemists.”

With Gu Yao’s growing fame, the Tianfu Academy has also gained significant attention. This time, however, the reputation is quite different.

In the past, the academy was often associated with terms like “trash shelter.” But now, many families are eager to send their younger generation to Tianfu Academy.

The reputation of the ‘Qingchen Pill’ quickly spread beyond Tianshui Market to other regions. Any faction connected to Tianshui Market on the continent received the news. High-ranking members of these factions, along with their disciples, hurried to the market. In an era of increasingly scarce cultivation resources, the significance of the ‘Qingchen Pill’ became all the more apparent.

—

City Lord’s Residence.

Elder He summoned Ruan Xinhui and ordered her tracks outside to be thoroughly erased. “Girl, stop acting recklessly, especially at such a critical time. If this happens again, it won’t be as easy to resolve as last time,” Elder He warned sternly.

Ruan Xinhui, furious, retorted, “Was it you, Elder He, who stopped my people? Why? It’s just some random pill! For all we know, it could’ve been created by Master Hu or obtained from some ancient secret realm. How could a minor cultivator from such a small place possibly achieve such a feat? And why would our City Lord’s Residence need to elevate him to such importance?”

Elder He’s face darkened. While others might indulge Ruan Xinhui, he had no such inclination. Displeased, he replied, “This is a direct order from the City Lord’s Residence. If you, Miss Ruan, have any objections, you’re free to leave.”

Ruan Xinhui’s face turned alternately pale and flushed. While her father held a high position in the Treasure Pavilion, even he couldn’t override the City Lord’s enshrined elders, much less the City Lord himself. Being outmaneuvered by a minor cultivator whom she looked down on infuriated her. Yet, the prospect of being sent back was even more humiliating. Swallowing her anger, she said, “I’ll abide by Elder He’s instructions. With your leave.”

Storming off, Ruan Xinhui returned to her quarters. Elder He, however, instructed his men to continue monitoring her. Any rash actions on her part could provoke a united backlash from the factions across Tianlin Continent against the City Lord’s Residence.

Elder He hadn’t expected such a young alchemist to develop a pill of this magnitude. Even the esteemed Changxian Sect had never heard of such talent. A single pill like the ‘Qingchen Pill’ could potentially reshape the continent’s balance of power.

Especially troubling was the discovery that the Changxian Sect token once held by this alchemist had been exchanged for freedom from his family. If the City Lord learned of this, he would undoubtedly be furious. And should this news reach the Changxian Sect, the disciple who gained entry using the token would likely face severe consequences.

Ruan Xinhui returned to her room and, in her fury, smashed everything in sight. To make matters worse, just after finishing her rampage, she received a message from her father. He inquired whether she had managed to approach the alchemist responsible for the ‘Qingchen Pill’. If she could recruit him into the City Lord’s Residence, their family would earn great merit. At the very least, she was to acquire the pill formula. After reading the message, Ruan Xinhui was so enraged that she spat out blood.

“Miss!” her servant cried in alarm.

“Get out!” she shouted.

—

Meanwhile, Gu Yao was entirely unaware that his pill had angered a certain noblewoman to the point of spitting blood. If he knew, he’d likely be quite pleased. For now, however, he couldn’t even leave his temporary residence. Lu Qiusheng and Tian Feirong warned him that the moment he showed his face, he’d be mobbed by a swarm of cultivators. Just imagining such a scene gave him chills, so he stayed obediently in his alchemy room, refining pills. Nearby, a small kitten seemed to let out a mocking coo.

Tian Feiyang came running in excitedly that day. “Good news! Fantastic news!”

“What is it, brother?” Tian Feirong asked curiously.

Grinning, Tian Feiyang replied, “Because of the ‘Qingchen Pill’, many cultivators from various factions are rushing here. Now, we won’t have to worry about the sea beast tide. The sect master and elders all agree that the credit goes to you, Gu Yao. Without your pill and the news spreading in Tianshui Market, we wouldn’t have seen such a strong response.”

Whatever their motives might be, as long as the results were beneficial, it was enough. Once they arrived, they wouldn’t stand idly by in the face of a sea beast invasion. With their help, Tianhai Sect’s losses would be minimized.

“Really?” Gu Yao was surprised to learn about the ripple effects caused by the ‘Qingchen Pill’. Was this an unintentional stroke of good luck?

Seeing his reaction, Tian Feiyang’s smile grew even wider. The elders had even asked him whether Gu Yao had intentionally announced the ‘Qingchen Pill’ at this time to attract cultivators to resist the sea beast tide. Tian Feiyang instinctively denied it back then. However, seeing Gu Yao’s current expression, it was clear the thought had never crossed his mind. Still, this didn’t stop Tian Feiyang and the entire Tianhai Sect from feeling immense gratitude toward Gu Yao.

“However, there’s some bad news as well,” Tian Feiyang added, his smile fading slightly as he remembered another issue the elders had brought up.

“What is it? Is someone trying to harm Gu Yao?” Tian Feirong asked, his eyes widening.

“No, second brother, don’t jump to conclusions,” Tian Feiyang quickly waved his hand. “Who would dare harm Gu Yao now? That would provoke everyone’s anger. The problem lies with the earlier sea beast riot. The sect has been investigating, trying to uncover clues, but all traces have been wiped clean—it’s infuriating!”

The substances used to trigger the riot were all classified as forbidden items, so the sect had attempted to trace the incident through these means. With the advent of the ‘Qingchen Pill’, Tianhai Sect became even more determined to uncover the truth. However, not only were they hindered at every turn, but all related evidence had been completely erased, and every cultivator involved had vanished.

Disappearing cultivators were common during such times, as many might fall to the beast tide. But in this case, it was clear that witnesses had been silenced.

Gu Yao, however, merely smiled lightly. “It doesn’t matter. Even if evidence is found, it’s unlikely to make much of a difference. Brother Tian, don’t trouble yourself over it.”

Tian Feiyang could only accept this reality. Deep down, he had his suspicions about who was behind it, but he also understood the helpless frustration that came with it.

—

“Gu Yao,” Chi Changye entered the room, holding a letter. “Jiang Yan sent this over. It’s from the City Lord’s Residence. No surprise, it’s about the ‘Qingchen Pill’.”

Jiang Yan had been too busy to deliver it himself and had someone else bring it. Chi Changye happened to intercept it and, given his temperament, nearly destroyed it on the spot with a burst of sword energy.

“The City Lord’s Residence?” Gu Yao took the letter, opened it, and was surprised. “They want me to go with Master Hu? Looks like I can’t avoid it this time.”

This invitation wasn’t for him to stay at their temporary residence but to discuss important matters. Gu Yao felt a headache coming on. If he had the choice, he’d rather stay in his alchemy room or even head to the frontlines to hunt sea beasts than deal with people like this.

“Wait… Master Hu has to go too?” The little chubby boy nearly blurted out, “My grandpa,” but managed to stop himself at the last moment.

“Mm. With everyone watching, don’t worry, nothing will happen. Master Hu has been to the City Lord’s Residence in Shifang City multiple times,” Gu Yao assured him. He hadn’t forgotten how respectfully the City Lord had treated Master Hu last time, so he dared not take this invitation lightly.

The chubby boy frowned but said no more.

Later, Jiang Yan finally found a spare moment to come by and discuss what might happen at the City Lord’s Residence and how to handle it.

“They probably just want the formula for the ‘Qingchen Pill’. If that’s the case, we might as well give it to them. With their involvement, the pill can reach more people, which would ultimately benefit more cultivators.”

Gu Yao shrugged. In his previous life, he had published his research formulas on the interstellar network, including one for a genetic enhancement potion. “With us and Cuiyan Valley setting the pace, the City Lord’s Residence won’t be able to drive up the price. Besides, even if we don’t hand it over now, their alchemists might eventually reverse-engineer it.”

To Gu Yao, the formula wasn’t something worth keeping secret forever. The alchemy pavilion alone housed countless formulas, and he wasn’t short on ideas. If not for the concern of causing too much disruption, he would have released even more formulas. He believed that only by sharing knowledge could alchemy flourish and develop. Hoarding techniques for personal gain only hindered progress.

“But what if the City Lord’s Residence hands the formula over to Changxian Sect? What if your achievements are taken by someone else?” Jiang Yan asked. This was a very real possibility. Changxian Sect would never openly admit that the formula for the pill was developed by a small-time cultivator from a remote area. That would make such a prestigious sect look incompetent, unable to surpass a mere wilderness cultivator. Even if Gu Yao joined them in the future, he might not be able to clear his name.

Jiang Yan was convinced that people like Gu Yao and Chi Changye wouldn’t remain confined to the Tianlin Continent forever.

“It doesn’t matter. I believe I won’t stop at just creating the ‘Qingchen Pill’ formula,” Gu Yao replied with a confident smile. He wasn’t afraid of others stealing his achievements.