"Moo!" The black ox eyed Chen Xun worriedly.

"It's alright. I need a few days to recover my spiritual energy."

"Moo!" The big black ox responded, implying that he could take years to recover, for all it cared.

Three days quickly passed and Chen Xun finally replenished his depleted spiritual energy.

Today, he felt his spirit shake with an omen and he jumped into work. "The favorable time has come. I, as the master, shall begin the alchemical process. May the immortals and gods protect me and give me a chance at success!" he shouted.

"Moo moo moo moo!"

The furnace ignited, and one by one, the spirit herbs flew into the furnace. Soon enough, another batch turned into a puddle of useless liquid, which was disappointing.

...

Another month passed, and with his spiritual energy replenished, Chen Xun sat down, his hands shaking.

"The favorable time has come. I, as the master, shall begin the alchemical process. May the immortals and gods protect me and give me a chance!" He yelled.

"Moo..."

The alchemical furnace ignited, and once again, the herbs flew into the furnace, but this time, a fragrant aroma filled the air, and Chen Xun finally grasped the essence of it.

The big black ox's eyes gleamed, and it slowly stood up, wanting to exclaim "awesome," but its vocal cords just couldn't make it happen.

"Old ox, it worked! I did it, hahaha..."

Chen Xun laughed maniacally with bloodshot eyes. He eyed the furnace with what seemed like lust and wanted to bounce on it. This damn thing had devoured a bunch of precious materials over the past few days!

They could really feel the strain on their finances, and it became clear that not any dog could become an alchemist. Those alchemists needed the backing of immortal sects to fuel their work.

"Moo moo~~" The big black ox was extremely excited, looking at the dozen or so pure white pills, it kept nudging Chen Xun's shoulder.

The scent of the pills permeated the whole cave. It was truly wonderful.

"Let's record the process first, it's all about experience."

Chen Xun almost forgot the main task, so he quickly took out his notebook and began scribbling. He had plenty of time to spare.

"Old ox, let's see their effect."

"Moo."

Both of them used their hands to take one of the pills, which slid smoothly down their throats. Chen Xun and the big black ox were instantly invigorated as a wave of pure power flowed through them.

That feeling was like... swimming in the ocean and feeling liberated, providing the most exquisite enjoyment.

"This feels so good." Chen Xun couldn't help but murmur, and as the medicinal power spread, he felt the bottleneck loosen.

Another pill was ingested, and they continued digesting the pills.

The big black ox's mouth was filled with joyful moos as it sat on the ground.

"Awesome!!"

"Moo!!"

When they ate the third pill, the bottleneck that had held them back for many years went loose and started cracking, like a dam overwhelmed with water.

With that, they broke through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining, causing Chen Xun and the black ox to jump up in excitement.

"For this month, let's not focus on alchemy. We should stabilize our realm. "Chen Xun said excitedly, "Then, let's find a river and take a bath. We'll start concocting again next month!"

"Moo moo." The big black ox nodded eagerly.

In the days that followed, they fell into a routine. They would cultivate the seeds, refine pills, and practice diligently from sunrise to sunset. Another year passed in the blink of an eye, and the Ascension Conference started on schedule again, but the bandit turned alchemist was nowhere to be found.

The people from the Liao clan were furious, their ambush completely in vain once more. They had no idea what the bandit looked like, let alone their origins. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.

Inside the cave, Chen Xun once again added the Immortal Point to the Essence of All Things.

In the latter half of the year, Chen Xun succeeded in three more batches of alchemy. They continued to consume the pills and consolidate their realm. They chose to remain clear headed and down to earth, refusing to let power blind them with arrogance. They took things slowly, after all, time was the least valuable thing they had, and taking each step carefully was of most importance. Their speed had picked up in the past year, and they had broken through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, which was mind-boggling.

"Although these spiritual herbs have extremely harsh growth conditions, it seems our Essence of All Things can override those."

Chen Xun and the big black ox dug another opening in the cave and continued planting new batches of spiritual herbs, all several decades old.

Chen Xun had read about this in the "Comprehensive Guide to Spiritual Herbs." The growth of these spiritual herbs required a specific kind of spiritual soil, not just ordinary soil.

"Moo~"

The big black ox looked at their little space filled with herbs and was filled with joy. The rich spiritual energy was almost too strong, and they utilized that by practicing here.

"It's just that this furnace is too unreliable." Chen Xun frowned. He always felt that this furnace wasn't up to par. "It seems we'll have to replace it when the time comes.

The big black ox nodded. It didn't really understand alchemy, but it felt like the furnace's exterior had changed a bit.

In the second year, although Chen Xun didn't engage in alchemy, he was still extremely busy with studying the Comprehensive Guide to Spiritual Herbs. He recited it every day in order to memorize what needed to be memorized.

On the other hand, the black ox was in charge of the spiritual herbs. When they reached the right age, it had to pluck them and store them in medicine boxes.

Just like that, life went by peacefully without many disturbances.

Another year of the Ascension Conference arrived, bringing many new faces. They were ambitious, full of confidence, and ready to become immortals with a single leap.

Some of the familiar faces shook their heads and sighed. Those who had mocked the bandit in the mask back then were now in that position themselves. Opportunities were right in front of them, and it was hard not to feel regret.

They looked down on the mortal realm and would rather die in the Nine Star Valley than return with their tails tucked between their legs. In fact, countless skeletons were buried deep within the Ningyun Mountain Range, most likely the same people who had once carried the same belief.

The people who sold their books were overjoyed. With the increasing number of fresh blood, their sales skyrocketed.

What most people didn't know was that there were many similar Ascension Conferences; the Ten Great Sects didn't just hold one Ascension Conference.

The Liao clan had completely given up and returned to doing their usual business in the Nine Star Valley. In the end, it was a trivial matter, and they let it go, lest others mock them for being narrow-minded. They assumed that the bandit's remains must have been consumed by some monstrous beast in the mountains, leaving no trace behind.

...

Inside the cave, Chen Xun added the Immortal Point to the Essence of All Things and began to calm his mind and focus his energy in order to start another session of pill concocting.

The big black ox had prepared the spiritual herbs and now acted as a cheerleader on the side, kneading Chen Xun's shoulders and rubbing his back.

"Now that my spiritual energy has greatly increased, I'm going to ignite the flames. May the immortals and gods protect me, and give me a chance!"

Chen Xun's gaze sharpened, his robe fluttered without wind, and his black hair floated up to the air. The suspense was at an all time high.

"Moo~~" The big black ox let out a long bellow.

Chen Xun was skilled and rapidly placed one spiritual herb after another into the furnace with remarkable success.

Originally, refining a batch of pills would require a three-day recovery, but now it only took two days.

Time rushed by, and half a year passed.

A loud bang echoed from the cave, and the furnace exploded...

Chen Xun's face was full of black grime, his face filled with shock. Thick black smoke billowed from his mouth , and the center of his forehead was completely scorched.

"Moo!!"

The big black ox was in a state of panic, emitting heavy breaths as it quickly rushed forward to check on him. Thankfully, Chen Xun was unharmed.

For some reason, its legs went weak and it fell on its knees, with its large eyes falling into two crescents. It subconsciously took a step back, and its belly twitched strangely, trying to suppress a constant influx of breaths that threatened to emerge.

"It actually exploded." Chen Xun's brow furrowed slightly in thought. At this moment, he hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation. "It seems this magical tool is also susceptible to wear and tear."

"Why does it feel a bit chilly on the top of my head?"

Chen Xun felt a sense of foreboding. He touched his head. He touched it again and his face began to twist and distort in fury.

"Where the hell is my hair!!!

A roar of anger resonated inside the cave, causing the debris on the ground to shake and rattle.

The big black ox was on the verge of breaking down, making odd noises. It had never seen Chen Xun in such a state before.

The man silently placed the fierce bandit headgear on his head. His blood-red eyes glared at the big black ox. "Forget what you just saw, old ox, or prepare to meet your end!"

"Moo~~!!!"

A heart-stopping scream echoed from the cave, reminiscent of the sound of slaughtering cattle during a festival.