The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

Chapter 1820: Chapter 1918: A Head-On Wake-Up Call

"I can’t help you much either. The myriad of emotions and states of mind, only you can see through them clearly," Fang Lin said.

Qi Liansheng sat on the ground, looking at Fang Lin within the array, and asked, "Master, disciple still doesn’t know your name."

Fang Lin said, "There is no need to know, and I have not officially taken you as a disciple, so I’m not truly your master."

"Even though the master hasn’t officially taken me as a disciple, I still consider you my mentor in teaching, and nothing the master says can change that," Qi Liansheng replied.

Fang Lin sighed lightly, "If you cannot overcome the barrier in your heart, you will continue to be despondent until you are completely disconnected from the Alchemy Tao."

Qi Liansheng was silent. His grandfather was a Pill Refiner at the Pill Saint Palace, and he himself was not talented in Martial Arts, forcibly cultivating it would achieve nothing. As for the Alchemy Tao, although his talent was not particularly outstanding, it was at least passable, and with effort, he had a chance to make a mark in the Alchemy Tao.

If Qi Liansheng were to give up the Alchemy Tao, it would be absolutely unacceptable to him. If he abandoned the Alchemy Tao, all his previous efforts would have been in vain, and the subsequent years would inevitably pass in mediocrity.

This mediocrity is something Qi Liansheng cannot accept. He does not hope for his life to be spectacular, but at least it should be valuable and meaningful, not just a person who muddles along.

"I have seen many geniuses in the Alchemy Tao, some who became famous at a young age and traveled smoothly all the way, considered heavenly prodigies, but after experiencing a single failure, never rose again," Fang Lin said, while Qi Liansheng listened earnestly outside the array prison.

"I have also seen some who faced obstacles from the start in the Alchemy Tao, with no one having high expectations for them or paying attention, and yet, unnoticed by everyone, they unknowingly surpassed them all."

"What we call a genius, those whose talent and aptitude exceed that of ordinary people, can be called geniuses."

"But in my view, this kind of genius is only innate talent, having advantages others do not possess, and not considered to be true geniuses."

"Only those who can maintain their original intentions without losing themselves amidst the spotlight, and who do not sink into failure, regardless of whether they fail or succeed, coming through smoothly, are true geniuses."

Speaking to this point, Fang Lin gazed at Qi Liansheng, who also stared blankly at him.

"Which do you think you are?" Fang Lin asked.

Qi Liansheng shook his head. He didn’t know how to answer. Currently, he felt like one of those whom Fang Lin described, suddenly trapped in a quagmire and unable to pull out, facing the danger of sinking to the bottom.

Seeing Qi Liansheng remain silent, Fang Lin continued, "You are not a genius; in terms of talent, you are not exceptional. Even among the disciples of the Pill Saint Palace, many are more diligent than you. What makes you the dual prodigies of the Pill Saint Palace? How can you compete with Fang Lin, who is born for the Alchemy Tao?"

Qi Liansheng pursed his lips, his fists unknowingly clenched.

Seeing Qi Liansheng’s reaction, Fang Lin felt touched but continued speaking, "You say you are inferior to Fang Lin, willing to be his stepping stone? But I think you do not truly believe that; you think you are not weaker than Fang Lin, and more so, you believe you can compete with Fang Lin, and perhaps even defeat him to become the number one genius in the Pill Saint Palace!"

Like a thunderclap, Qi Liansheng’s mind was struck, and he seemed suddenly stunned.

"If you are unwilling to be resigned, if you think you can achieve it, then why choose to fall into despair? Fight! Strive! Challenge him! Even if you want to be a stepping stone, you must show the qualities of one. As you stand now, you aren’t even fit to be Fang Lin’s stepping stone, merely a negligible pebble on his path to the top, kicked aside without a thought. Are you willing to accept that?" Fang Lin said angrily, like a sudden enlightenment, as if it was a wake-up call.

Qi Liansheng stood abruptly, without saying a word, deeply bowing toward Fang Lin.

"Disciple Qi Liansheng will not waste the master’s efforts!"

Qi Liansheng left, and Fang Lin sat within the array prison, watching the familiar yet slightly changed silhouette of Qi Liansheng leaving.

Qi Liansheng had become different.

"Fang Lin, oh Fang Lin, to have such a rival, isn’t it your blessing?" Fang Lin murmured softly, as if talking to himself, or perhaps speaking to this era’s Fang Lin.

After all, whether it is the Fang Lin here or the Fang Lin of this era, fundamentally they are the same person, just coincidentally with two different people appearing in the same era.

And in this era, Fang Lin is not Fang Lin; he is Lin Erdan, an insignificant figure in the Pill Saint Palace, remembered by no one, as if events have nothing to do with him.

Yet many things in Fang Lin’s memory now seem closely related to this incarnation of Lin Erdan.

Only those in this place can truly understand the mystery.

···

Although Fang Lin has never left the Sinking Abyss, the Old Palace Master always informs Fang Lin of external affairs immediately through the Message Transmitting Jade Slip.

When Fang Lin heard the name Hou Yi becoming more prominent recently, he knew that everything was proceeding along the set path.

Hou Yi was the final maneuver left by Xuanyuan Ya, the strongest trump card. Without Hou Yi, nothing could be accomplished.

After all, besides the revealed Ancient Spirit Incarnations of Mountain Tu, there is Mo Shouhe and an original Demon Saint. Though the original Demon Saint hasn’t appeared, it is feared he won’t sit out when catastrophe descends.

Asking Fang Qingye to simultaneously confront Mo Shouhe and the original Demon Saint is indeed too demanding; another Martial Lord is needed to share the burden with Fang Qingye.

As for whether there are other Ancient Spirit Incarnations from Mountain Tu, that can no longer be considered, for a Martial Lord of such caliber doesn’t just appear at will. Since the ancient times to the Nine Countries Seven Seas era, there have only been three Martial Lords in the Human Clan.

"In my memory, Hou Yi’s achievement as a Martial Lord and my achievement as a Pill Sovereign in my previous life should have occurred consecutively," Fang Lin mused, quietly calculating how much time he had left.

Now, for Fang Lin, there is no need to involve himself in certain matters; he only needs to elevate his cultivation and power as much as possible.

Immortal cultivation, while being able to roam the world in future eras, is still not considered significant in this era.

Fang Lin’s goal is to step into the Heavenly Mandate!

ps: Second update, continuing to write