Chapter 1819 - 1917: A Drastic Decline
Chapter 1819: Chapter 1917: A Drastic Decline
"What is destined to happen will still happen," Fang Lin put away the jade slip, feeling a mix of emotions.
Qi Liansheng’s mental setback caused his alchemical power to continuously decline. From one of the celebrated dual heroes of the Pill Saint Palace, he has now fallen to a level even below many ordinary disciples. Such a drastic contrast is truly lamentable.
Many people couldn’t understand how a genius in alchemy like Qi Liansheng could suffer a mental setback and thus plummet from his rising stage.
Even the Hall Master of Kylin Hall, Yan Pingshan, was unclear about the specifics. Qi Liansheng wouldn’t talk to anyone, as if he had isolated himself from the world.
Because of this, Yan Pingshan was extremely worried. Having a disciple so outstanding appear, he wasn’t willing to watch Qi Liansheng continue down this path of decline.
Yan Pingshan tried many methods, attempting to understand what exactly went wrong with Qi Liansheng’s mental state, but after several failed attempts, he found himself at a loss.
Even Fang Lin, both a rival and a friend, was very concerned about Qi Liansheng’s condition, asking him several times. Yet Qi Liansheng still remained tight-lipped.
In the most recent encounter, Fang Lin once again pressed Qi Liansheng about what happened. Qi Liansheng remained silent, provoking Fang Lin to anger, and he scolded Qi Liansheng on the spot.
After that incident, it was as if Qi Liansheng and Fang Lin drifted apart, never appearing together again.
Meanwhile, Fang Lin still shone brightly on the path of alchemy, advancing rapidly without any signs of being affected.
On the other hand, Qi Liansheng became increasingly depressed and dispirited, to the point where he lost the strength of a Five Cauldrons Pill Refiner, and directly had his title revoked by the Pill Saint Palace, becoming the first disciple in its history to be stripped of such an honor.
As a result, Qi Liansheng became a laughingstock. Many in the Pill Saint Palace felt greatly disappointed in him, no longer paying attention to him.
Of course, there were still many who hoped that Qi Liansheng could reclaim his former glory, even if he couldn’t match Fang Lin, at least to lessen the gap a bit, so as not to fall too far behind.
However, the path of alchemy, like martial arts, resembles rowing upstream — if you don’t advance, you fall back.
Qi Liansheng’s setback was more than just a step back; it was a sheer drop from the heights, a truly devastating fall.
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"Are you willing to continue like this?" In the grand hall, Yan Pingshan’s expression was somewhat somber as he looked at Qi Liansheng, a bit frustrated at his lack of progress.
Qi Liansheng kept his head down, with no expression on his face, even displaying a hint of indifference and detachment, as if entirely unaware of Yan Pingshan’s face that was as dark as a pot’s bottom.
"I’m sorry to disappoint you, Hall Master. I am ashamed," Qi Liansheng said, having repeated this response countless times.
Yan Pingshan wanted to pound the table and reprimand Qi Liansheng, but after some thought, he held back, still admiring Qi Liansheng more than feeling disappointed.
"If this continues, you might end up in a point of no return. The Pill Saint Palace isn’t a place of comfort; if your realm falls too deeply, you might lose the protection of the Pill Saint Palace, and then even I won’t be able to say much in your defense, do you understand?" Yan Pingshan said, somewhat helplessly.
Qi Liansheng nodded slightly, responding with a noncommittal sound.
How could he not understand the rules of the Pill Saint Palace? Having stayed there for some years, he knew it was a place belonging to the strong. Previously, he was radiant, hailed as one of the Pill Saint Palace’s dual heroes, matching Fang Lin, garnering everyone’s attention.
But once fallen from grace, all that brightness would be lost, and no one would continue to sympathize with a failure; their attention would only focus on the strong.
When the day came that Qi Liansheng was expelled from the Pill Saint Palace, people would only regretfully remark, and then no longer remember someone named Qi Liansheng.
Such is the reality; the destiny of the weak is just that.
Seeing Qi Liansheng’s unyielding reaction, Yan Pingshan’s disappointment grew even more, knowing that nothing he said would change this person’s mindset. He could only dismiss him with irritation.
"I take my leave," Qi Liansheng bowed before exiting the grand hall.
Along the way, everyone who saw him looked at Qi Liansheng with peculiar eyes. Though no one openly mocked him, Qi Liansheng wasn’t foolish and could feel some gazes laden with ridicule.
Nonetheless, Qi Liansheng didn’t mind these things. Although his mental setback caused his alchemical skills to collapse quickly, his heart was calm, like an ice-covered lake, unaffected by the howling winds.
Returning to his living quarters, Qi Liansheng did nothing else but stood silently in front of a pill furnace, staring at it, lost in his thoughts.
The pill furnace was somewhat dusty, and there was no smell of herbs, clearly indicating Qi Liansheng hadn’t refined pills for some time.
This was indeed unusual for a pill refiner, especially one of the Pill Saint Palace.
However, Qi Liansheng indeed hadn’t refined pills for some time, not because he didn’t want to, but every time he geared up to refine pills, a resistance welled up within him.
As for why this was the case, Qi Liansheng understood. It was indeed a problem with his mental state, and it had something to do with a prior conversation with Fang Lin in the Sinking Abyss.
"Am I really willing to accept being a stepping stone, admitting I’m inferior to Fang Lin, letting it impact my mental state so severely?" Qi Liansheng stroked the pill furnace, a hint of bitterness on his face.
He didn’t want to continue this downward spiral, but the state of mind is not easily resolved unless thoroughly processed.
Moreover, Qi Liansheng hadn’t gone to the Sinking Abyss for a while; he didn’t want to disappoint his master.
"Perhaps it’s time to make a trip," Qi Liansheng thought to himself, hesitating for a while before deciding to visit the Sinking Abyss.
Arriving at the Sinking Abyss, seeing the figure in the array prison, Qi Liansheng felt guilty. If not for his master’s guidance, he might still just be an obscure disciple in the Pill Saint Palace, never getting the chance to become its top genius.
Arguably, his biggest benefactor, allowing him to stand out among many disciples, was his still unnamed master.
Unfortunately, he let down his master, now having fallen so low, almost without the face to meet him.
"I know your current situation. Have you come to seek a way to remedy it?" Fang Lin asked directly.
Qi Liansheng nodded, "I hope Master can guide me through the maze."
ps: First update, continuing to write.