Jiang Chen hadn’t sugarcoated his words at all. He knew his actions were risky. What if Old Pill Rune flew into a rage? 

Nevertheless, his mentor from his past life had instilled a certain belief since day one: pill dao was about seeking and respecting the truth. Never lie to anyone under any circumstances. Stay true to the facts.

Jiang Chen had held himself to that principle since his first day of pill dao. No matter how important or authoritative the person he faced was, he never broke the principle.

Therefore, he never once considered lying to the protector despite the risks.

Old Pill Rune was silent for a long while before he sighed and asked in a quiet voice, “You’re bold to voice your true thoughts, young man, but there’s more than one reason why someone would be so blunt. Some follow their heart and spill their true feelings. Others speak their mind to gain a strategic advantage. Which are you?”

“I’ve learned not to twist the truth since the day I started learning pill dao,” Jiang Chen said seriously. “Facts are facts, and mistakes are mistakes.”

“So you do think the recipe is flawed?”

“It is. Very much so!” Jiang Chen’s tone was direct and without pretense.

“Explain.” Old Pill Rune decided to give the young man the benefit of the doubt since he sounded so confident.

“First, the proportion of ingredients. Too much of the main ingredient is used. The magical thing about the pill is the way different ingredients complement one another. When the portion of the main ingredient is too large, it’ll undermine the others and their complementary effects. This is the first flaw.

“The second critical mistake is the refining method. The pill has to be refined with low heat, not medium, and definitely not high heat.

“Then there are more trivial details. For example, the order of adding the ingredients makes a difference. Although the order recorded here is mostly correct, there are some mistakes. The little things combined can have a significant impact on the quality of the end products.”

Jiang Chen laid down his points clearly and without difficulty. He exuded confidence and a commanding presence. Old Pill Rune hung on his every word, transfixed for a good while.

“Where did you learn all that, young Jiang Chen?” the old man asked once he’d finally broke out of his trance. “Was your pill dao master good enough to teach you that?”

He had been an expert in pill dao since the ancient times. That recipe was something that had stumped him personally. He’d thrown it out as a test and hadn’t expected Jiang Chen to actually give an answer. 

To his surprise, the challenger’s answer was detailed and comprehensive, covering both important and trivial problems. Some of the points made even gave the old man some new ideas.

Old Pill Rune was caught off guard, and his level of approval for Jiang Chen rose significantly. He’d started to accept the young man.

“I’ve learned many things from different fields, a lot of which weren’t taught by a master,” Jiang Chen responded suggestively. “Knowledge seems to emerge out of nowhere in my head. It dawns on me when I wake up or even in my dreams.”

He knew the old man was smart enough to connect the dots.

As expected, Old Pill Rune blurted out in a conflicted tone, “Are… are you a god incarnate? Are you sure you gained knowledge in your sleep, young Jiang Chen?”

“I’m sure,” Jiang Chen said with deliberate nonchalance. “It’s happened many times.”

“I knew it, I knew it! You are indeed a god incarnate!” the old man exclaimed excitedly. “Do you know what that means?”

Jiang Chen nodded. “I’ve heard the phrase thrown around. Some other people suspect me of having the memory of a god as well. However, my recollection is messy. I don’t remember much about my past life. Shouldn’t I remember if I’m a reincarnated god?”

“Most have their memories of their past lives erased by the wheel of reincarnation. Only a few particularly powerful and willful cultivators retain some memories. There are also the rare exceptions who manage to keep a significant part of their recollection, who then become talented cultivators in their new life.”

Jiang Chen pretended to be in deep thought.

“If your memory fully awakens one day, young Jiang Chen, you’ll be on track to greatness. You’ll not only become the heir of the Veluriyam Pagoda, but may even surpass the former master of the pagoda.”

He wasn’t merely trying to comfort Jiang Chen. Being a god incarnate would truly give the young man a great edge in every aspect. He had even higher hopes for the young man and brought up a series of questions about pill dao that he’d been having trouble solving.

Jiang Chen answered every single one of them.

That won the old man over entirely. He’d now had a complete change of mind and his caution melted away. He even wanted Jiang Chen to stay a little longer, given that he had the opportunity to pick the brain of a pill dao genius.

Jiang Chen could understand. The old man had been on his own since the ancient times. He must have devoted his whole life to exploring everything about pill dao. He offered all he could to the protector, not holding anything back and explaining everything he knew about every issue.

Their exchange in pill dao lasted for three days and three nights. Still, the old man wasn’t satiated.

Fortunately, Jiang Chen didn’t have anything important to do at the moment since he wasn’t strong enough to take on the sixth palace, which would require him to reach advanced empyrean or even peak empyrean.

He settled for having an intellectual conversation with Old Pill Rune until the old man himself started feeling embarrassed for taking up his time.

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