Lord of the Demon Sect

The next day, Jiang Chen arrived at Lin Yushang’s room and knocked for a long time, but there was no response. He suspected that this mature and charming senior sister was either closed off in cultivation or out recruiting new disciples. Without knowing anyone else on Ghost Mist Peak, he could only leave in disappointment and head outside the mountain.

He planned to go to the Reception Hall on the main peak to ask around; logically, the attendant disciples there should give him some answers.

However, just as Jiang Chen stepped out of the cave chamber on Ghost Mist Peak, he encountered a chubby fifteen-year-old boy approaching him. Although the boy’s appearance bore some resemblance to Zhang Fei, he seemed less malicious and, in fact, had a friendly demeanor.

“Could he be Zhang Fei’s younger brother?” Jiang Chen wondered.

The chubby boy appeared to be easy to talk to, so Jiang Chen hurried over, cupping his hands in greeting, and said, “Hello, senior brother! I’m Jiang Chen!”

The chubby boy readily returned the greeting, saying, “No need for formalities, brother! I’m Zhang Pang. You look like you might be a couple of years older than me, so I should be calling you senior brother!”

Jiang Chen quickly shook his head and replied, “In the realm of cultivators, one’s status is determined by their cultivation level. Since your cultivation level is higher than mine, you should be the senior brother!”

Zhang Pang didn’t insist on excessive modesty, recognizing that status based on cultivation level was a norm in the cultivation world. He nodded in acknowledgment of Jiang Chen’s status as senior brother and asked, “Junior brother Jiang, are you the disciple my brother and Senior Sister Lin just accepted yesterday?”

“Yes! I’m very grateful to your brother and Senior Sister Lin; otherwise, I’d still be wandering around outside,” Jiang Chen thought, confirming that his initial guess about Zhang Pang being Zhang Fei’s younger brother was correct.

At that moment, Zhang Pang patted his chest and said in a big-brother tone, “Junior brother Jiang, I noticed you were rushing down Ghost Mist Peak. Is there something urgent? If you need my help, I would be more than willing to assist!”

Jiang Chen figured that Zhang Pang was likely the youngest disciple on Ghost Mist Peak. It was exciting to finally find someone younger than him who had just entered. Zhang Pang also seemed genuinely friendly and uncomplicated. Since he had no friends in the Ghostly Slaughter Sect, this could be a good opportunity to make a connection.

Jiang Chen quickly showered him with compliments and tried to get closer. Zhang Pang, being just a fifteen-year-old who was normally the youngest disciple on Ghost Mist Peak, rarely experienced such attention. Lacking any ulterior motive, he quickly considered Jiang Chen as one of his best buddies.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Chen finally brought up the topic he was eager to discuss. “Uh, Senior Brother Zhang, I’m interested in learning alchemy. I originally planned to ask Senior Sister Lin about it, but I didn’t expect her to be unavailable. Do you know where I can go to learn about alchemy?”

Zhang Pang’s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, “Junior Brother Jiang, you want to learn alchemy?”

“What’s the matter? Is learning alchemy that difficult?” Jiang Chen asked, puzzled.

“Of course it is! Not only is alchemy difficult, but gathering materials is even harder! The success rate for new alchemists is incredibly low; even with a hundred batches of materials, you might not produce a single pill. If you decide to learn alchemy, it could leave you completely broke!” Zhang Pang said with a look of sympathy. “Our sect has two alchemists, and the sect invested a lot of resources to train them. Everyone treats them like treasures… Sigh, and it’s not just about having the materials to become an alchemist; talent plays a huge role too. I wish I had the talent for alchemy!”

As soon as Zhang Pang mentioned the two alchemists in the sect, his expression was filled with envy.

Jiang Chen, however, was unconvinced. “Is there anyone in the world who knows everything from the start? If I can prove that I have the talent for alchemy, wouldn’t the sect then be willing to nurture me in that area?”

After a moment of thought, Zhang Pang stroked his chin and replied, “Well… it should be that way! But our sect is not as big as the famous sects; they won’t just hand out materials for newcomers to experiment with. Otherwise, with hundreds of people in the sect, if each one got a chance to experiment, the sect would go bankrupt! You’ll need to find a way to prove your alchemical talent yourself!”

“Oh? What method can I use to prove it?” Jiang Chen asked, intrigued.

Zhang Pang pointed south and said, “If you travel five hundred miles south from our sect, you’ll reach a city called Blood Shadow City, where cultivators gather. Rogue cultivators and small families of cultivators live and trade there. Our sect disciples often go there to buy and sell items…”

He swallowed hard and continued, “Moreover, there are several important guilds in that city, namely the Alchemist Guild, the Artifact Craftsmen Guild, and the Talisman Maker Guild. These organizations are established by the elder council of the Demon Sect, which consists of the six top sects, for the qualification assessment of alchemists, artifact craftsmen, and talisman makers. If you can secure the qualification of a junior alchemist, the sect will definitely prioritize your training! After all, the two alchemist elders in our sect are just a junior alchemist and an intermediate alchemist.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang!” Jiang Chen exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement as he prepared to head down the mountain.

“Wait!” Zhang Pang quickly stopped him. “Junior Brother Jiang, you’ve just reached the first layer of qi refinement. You probably haven’t learned any spells or martial skills yet. If you don’t learn at least a couple, once you get down the mountain, you could encounter rogue cultivators with ill intentions, and they might harm you for your treasures! You need some self-defense capabilities!”

Jiang Chen slapped his forehead, realizing belatedly that he had forgotten such an important matter.