Immortality and Cultivation: I Have Too Many Talents

Chapter 279 The Newly Appointed Senior Brother

Chapter 279 The Newly Appointed Senior Brother (Seeking Subscriptions)

Gu Jinqin's cave dwelling.

Shen Xuan stared at the shocking numbers in the ledger and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Brother, I..."

Gu Jinqin blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

However, she quickly became self-righteous.

"I only lost two million; the bulk of the loss was incurred by my eldest and second eldest sisters!"

Gu Jinqin managed the affairs of Xiaogu Peak for thirty-five years, and only incurred a deficit of two million spirit stones.

She is indeed more frugal than her two predecessors.

Shen Xuan glanced at Gu Jinqin speechlessly.

"Junior sister, where are my two hundred thousand spirit stones?"

"At this!"

Gu Jinqin quickly flipped to the account book.

It was written very clearly on a certain page of the ledger.

I hereby borrow 200,000 spirit stones from my junior brother Shen Xuan to pay the repair costs for the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and Cave.

At that time, Shen Xuan was still a disciple in name only, and Gu Jinqin's junior brother.

"No, junior sister, you made up for my spirit stone deficit without telling me?"

"Senior brother, I also contributed spirit stones!"

Gu Jinqin pointed to another line of smaller text.

I hereby borrow two hundred spirit stones from Gu Jinqin to pay the wages of the servants of Xiaogufeng.

"Besides, who told you not to come and pick it up!"

One costs 200,000, and the other costs 200,000.

It provides a good contrast.

"Senior brother, I'm entrusting the general affairs of Little Lonely Peak to you! From now on, if you have spirit stones, you can use them to cover expenses first!"

Shen Xuan is the only male disciple of Master Gufeng.

Although it is not stated explicitly.

Everyone knew the truth in their hearts.

Master Gufeng defines Shen Xuan as the newly promoted "Senior Brother".

He then took care of Xiao Gufeng's trivial matters.

This arrangement is a good thing for Xiao Gufeng.

But for Shen Xuan, it was a hot potato.

"Senior brother, Little Lonely Peak is actually not too bad, the expenses are not high. You can talk to Master again and ask her to find a way to make money so that we can make up for the deficit."

Gu Jinqin was right.

Although Xiaogufeng's deficit was as high as nearly nine million spirit stones, it had been accumulated over a hundred years.

On average, it costs only 80,000 to 90,000 spirit stones a year.

The bulk of the cost is the spiritual energy expense for the cave dwellings of the direct disciples.

Other expenses, such as servants' salaries and daily maintenance and repairs, are necessary expenditures.

What's truly unreasonable is that Senior Sister Yun Chixin borrowed 200,000 spirit stones before leaving.

The ledger also shows that Master Gufeng Zhenren was actually a good person.

Shen Xuan had inquired about it.

The disciples of the other peaks all had to find ways to earn spirit stones to pay for the spiritual energy of their caves.

The real people won't take on all the responsibilities for them.

Otherwise, it would be unfair to those who have fewer disciples.

"Hasn't Master thought of a solution?"

"What does Senior Brother mean..."

"Alchemy, weapon crafting, array formations, talismans, planting, swordsmanship, medicine, poison, beasts, puppetry, and so on—none of the myriad arts of cultivation were taught to you by your master?"

"That's true!"

Gu Jinqin smiled and said, "Even Master doesn't know how."

Shen Xuan asked, "Impossible! Master really doesn't know any of these things?"

"Alchemy, the alchemy furnace explodes! Weapon crafting, the weapon crafting furnace explodes! Talisman drawing, the talisman explodes!"

Gu Jinqin said, "Master comes from a prestigious family and is used to a life of luxury; he is not suited for such delicate work!"

If it's low-level alchemy, artifacts, arrays, or talismans, then Master Gufeng is certainly capable of making them.

However, for a True Person to create low-level alchemy artifacts and arrays is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also devalues them.

How dare a dignified True Person compete with a Foundation Establishment cultivator for food?
"What about you?"

Shen Xuan asked curiously, "From the eldest senior sister to the newly joined sixth and seventh junior sisters, you must all need to learn one or two cultivation skills to make a living, right?"

"We? Of course we will listen to our master, cultivate diligently, strive to condense our inner core, and bring glory to our ancestors."

"We don't even have enough time for cultivation, why bother learning that!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xuan stopped asking questions and silently put away the ledger.

Like teacher, like student.

So, it turns out that everyone on Little Lonely Peak except him is just a spendthrift!
Thinking about it, it makes sense.

Master Gufeng was such a person.

All of his disciples were female.

Learn from others.

The fact that this little isolated peak can still survive is a testament to the profound connections of the Lone Peak Master.

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

Now that Shen Xuan has taken over the affairs of Xiaogufeng, there is no need for him to pry into the past.

Master Gufeng took him as his personal disciple with the intention of having him manage the affairs of Xiaogufeng.

Shen Xuan understood this.

If it were him, with such a group of troublesome female disciples, he would also try to find a shrewd and capable male disciple to get out of the predicament.

Master Gufeng, after all, had never experienced poverty and destitution.

With the full support of his family, he has never had to worry about resources for cultivation.

Unlike Shen Xuan.

He spent many years hustling at the bottom of the cultivation world.

Even a single spirit stone requires careful calculation.

Xiao Gufeng's general affairs department was in dire straits.

Shen Xuan was not worried.

The fact that they can get so much credit shows that the sect is aware of the situation at Little Lone Peak.

It's also the default setting.

The Foundation Establishment stage fairies of Little Lonely Peak can marry into prestigious families if they wish.

A mere few million spirit stones is nothing in the eyes of the sect's higher-ups.

Even so, in Shen Xuan's eyes, it wasn't a big deal.

Since he dared to take on the affairs of Xiaogufeng, he must have a plan to get Xiaogufeng out of its predicament.

Compared to becoming the senior disciple of Xiaogu Peak, Shen Xuan believed that his most important task was to improve his cultivation level, consolidate his Dao foundation, and increase his chances of forming a core.

Rather than becoming a core figure on Little Lonely Peak, it's better to attain the Golden Core stage on your own.

Now, Shen Xuan has broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and his strength has greatly increased.

Many things that I didn't dare to do before, I can now do.

However, before that, he first needs to resolve the issue of the deficit in Xiaogufeng's general affairs.

This definitely requires the Master's strong support.

……

Little Lonely Peak, a blessed land in a grotto.

"Refining pills in a large furnace?"

Looking at the thick plan that Shen Xuan took out, Master Gufeng looked puzzled.

In her mind, alchemy was a very troublesome thing.

Even such a small alchemy furnace can explode. Let alone the giant furnace that Shen Xuan described, which is ten feet tall.

In terms of volume, it is thirty times that of an ordinary alchemy furnace.

"Shen Xuan, you know alchemy?"

"will not."

Shen Xuan answered honestly.

"However, I have a friend who does."

"My senior brother, the Immortal Changsheng, is a third-level alchemist!"

Master Gufeng said irritably.

Changsheng Zhenren is the head of the Lingdan Hall and the only third-level alchemist in the Qingyun Sect.

"Will the Immortal of Longevity refine pills for Master for free?"

Upon hearing Shen Xuan's words, Master Gufeng became interested.

"make it clear."

“Master, I have taken over the general affairs of Xiaogu Peak. For the past hundred years, it has been in deficit, which has accumulated to eight million eight hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones.”

"Oh."

Master Gufeng responded, clearly already knowing what was going on.

"I've checked, and the expenses are fine. But what about the income?"

"Xiao Gufeng has no income. That's the reason for the deficit in general affairs."

Master Gufeng asked, "So, you want to use this large furnace alchemy method to refine pills and earn spirit stones?"

"Yes, Master."

Master Gufeng glanced at the diagram of the alchemy workshop.

"Speak. What do you want your master to do?"

"Master, may I meet my friend first?"

Master Gufeng glanced at the Soul-Nourishing Wood at Shen Xuan's waist.

"Let her out!"

Shen Xuan transmitted a message through his soul.

A dark cloud rose from the Soul-Nourishing Wood.

The meditating cultivator Li Ruyi revealed himself and bowed respectfully to the Lone Peak Master.

"Li Ruyi, a cultivator in meditation, pays respects to the Venerable Master Gufeng, a great cultivator of the Supreme Sect!"

Master Gufeng glanced at Li Ruyi a few times.

"Not bad. The soul foundation is solid, the aura is pure, and there is still some hope for condensing the soul core."

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ruyi was overjoyed.

A true person doesn't speak nonsense.

If you're going to speak, you must have a reason.

If one can condense a soul core and become a True Immortal of the Underworld, one can also prolong life and attain enlightenment.

"Tell me, is this large-furnace alchemy method feasible?"

“It works!”

Li Ruyi said decisively.

"High-grade elixirs may be difficult to obtain. But with the Spirit Gathering Elixir, a few more attempts will surely lead to success."

This is a difference in philosophy.

Like Columbus standing an egg upright.

It's just a very simple method.

No one before us could have imagined this.

It's still due to the influence of habitual thinking and a lack of innovative awareness.

In the world of cultivation, alchemy skills are extremely precious and their inheritance is closed and singular.

When Shen Xuan proposed the idea of refining pills in a large furnace, Li Ruyi was utterly shocked.

She is a second-tier high-grade alchemist.

I never thought of using a large alchemy furnace to increase production and improve efficiency.

Alchemists always start with alchemy skills, trying to improve them, increase the success rate of pill formation, and enhance the quality of elixirs.

It can be said that Shen Xuan's thinking is completely different from that of the alchemist.

This is the difference in mindset.

Actually, in Shen Xuan's previous life...

In the pharmaceutical process, new drugs must undergo small-scale and pilot-scale trials before being mass-produced for commercial use.

The so-called large furnace for alchemy is only thirty times larger than an ordinary furnace, and can at most be considered a small-scale trial.

It's not that difficult.

The key to alchemy lies in the state of the medicinal materials' coagulation, the control of the alchemical fire, and the timing of opening the furnace to complete the alchemy.

Master these three points.

The success rate and quality of the pills will naturally increase.

With Li Ruyi's help.

Shen Xuan's plan for refining pills in a large furnace is full of sincerity and has a very high success rate.

To achieve a good binding effect from medicinal herbs, simply select high-quality herbs that have been aged for a full year.

For alchemists, controlling the heat of the alchemy furnace is not easy.

They usually also practice the "Fire Control Technique" to regulate the fire in the alchemy furnace.

This is also why most alchemists are fire-based cultivators.

Shen Xuan disagreed with this.

Using the "Fire Control Technique" to control the fire in the alchemy furnace actually limited the amount of elixir produced.

His plan was to inscribe a simple temperature calculation array inside the alchemy furnace.

By referring to the temperature inside the alchemy furnace, adding or reducing the intensity of the earth fire in a timely manner, and adjusting the ventilation of the furnace, one can steadily control the temperature of the furnace.

As for the timing of opening the furnace to form the elixir, it is said to be extremely mysterious, but in fact it mainly depends on the alchemist's experience and spiritual sense to judge.

Shen Xuan also took a different approach.

Inside the alchemy furnace, an observation array is set up to directly observe the condensation state of the medicinal liquid inside.

Control the temperature in the alchemy furnace to allow the fused medicinal liquid to solidify into a single mass.

Just as the medicinal liquid was about to reach its critical point, the fire was suddenly intensified, causing the temperature inside the furnace to rise sharply. Under the pressure of external force, the medicinal liquid solidified into a round solid.

Seemingly simple.

To truly integrate alchemy, weaponry, and array techniques, one must also have an open and innovative mindset.

A local alchemist, that's truly unexpected.

Master Gufeng does not understand alchemy.

But she knew that the cultivator opposite her was a genuine alchemist.

If she says it's feasible, then it must be.

As a mere cultivator, he dared not lie to her.

If it really succeeds.

This is equivalent to having thirty second-tier alchemists refining Spirit Gathering Pills for Xiaogufeng for free.

So it is calculated this way.

A deficit of a mere eight million spirit stones is nothing!
"Shen Xuan."

"The disciple is here!"