Chapter 1 - Memories of the Pill Sovereign

"Who am I? I am Long Chen." "Am I the unrivaled Pill Sovereign who looks down upon the Nine Heavens—Long Chen? Or am I the worthless fool who is bullied and unable to cultivate—Long Chen?" Chaos reigned in his mind, and intense pain wracked his body, forcing Long Chen to bring his chaotic thoughts to a halt and emit a groan of pain. "Chen'er, you're finally awake? Thank goodness, you had your mother worried to death. Tell me, why on earth would you engage in a duel?" A gentle voice sounded in Long Chen’s ear, filled with relief and comfort, yet toward the end, a hint of a sob crept into the voice. Slowly opening his eyes, Long Chen found his vision blurry. As the view gradually clarified, the face of a woman appeared before him. The woman seemed to be in her thirties, strikingly beautiful, yet at the corners of her eyes were deep crow's feet that seemed out of place for her age. At the moment, the woman was looking at Long Chen with teary eyes, brimming with love and tenderness, causing warmth to surge in his heart. "My child, you frightened your mother so," said the woman, her eyes becoming even redder as tears began to fall uncontrollably. “Mother?” Long Chen looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar face, uttering the word in slight confusion, with a trace of astonishment on his face. “My child, don't scare your mother like this. Do you not even recognize her anymore?" A panicked expression flickered across the woman's face. At this moment, an old man appeared beside her and glanced at Long Chen, saying, "Madam Long, the Young Master Long Chen suffered a severe blow to the back of his head. It might take some time for his thoughts to clear. Please don't worry too much. We just administered medicine to the Young Master, but its effect hasn't completely taken hold yet. It would be best to let him rest a bit more." With a worried gaze, Madam Long nodded reluctantly and, with some hesitation, followed the old man out of the room. In the distance, Long Chen faintly heard the old man gently advising, “Madam Long, it is already a blessing that Young Master Long survived. Some things are beyond our control.” Madam Long replied with a trembling voice, “Master Alchemist, do you mean my son...?” The old man, addressed as an alchemist, sighed and said, “The Young Master has suffered severe trauma to the back of the head. To be frank, his awakening is already a miracle; however, the aftereffects are quite serious. Even amnesia would be understandable…” With that, the two became less audible as they moved further away, leaving only the sound of Madam Long's soft sobs reaching Long Chen’s ears. Staring at the ceiling above, Long Chen felt the all-consuming pain throughout his body, especially the throbbing pangs at the back of his head. "What on earth is happening? I am Long Chen, and Madam Long is my biological mother. Why do I feel a sense of unfamiliarity towards her? Where are all these chaotic memories coming from? It's as though I am either a magnificent and unparalleled figure or a miserable and useless wretch. Pill Sovereign Long Chen? Worthless Long Chen? Which one truly is me? Is it the Pill Sovereign reincarnated, or did the useless one merge with the soul of the Pill Sovereign?” Countless questions whirled through Long Chen’s mind. Nonetheless, regardless of the situation, he was Long Chen—wretched or supreme, the vital fact was that he was alive. Since the memories intertwined inseparably, there was no point in fixating on this foolish problem. What needed to be done now was to recover as swiftly as possible. Feeling through his body, Long Chen discovered multiple fractures: three broken ribs, two broken spots on an arm, and a significant depression on the cranial bone due to a severe impact. Such ruthless means! “Hmm, although I can't gather Qi, my spiritual energy seems incredibly strong. I can sense everything within a ten-zhang radius around me,” Long Chen thought with a mix of delight and surprise. According to the tumultuous memories in his mind, he recognized that spiritual energy was immensely valuable, especially for an aspiring Pill Master. Fortune smiled upon him—whether he was the reincarnated Pill Deity or simply inherited those extraordinary memories, either way, he hit the jackpot. To be possessed by the Pill Deity and live another lifetime, that was indeed a heavenly gift. Or, if it were merely an ultimate expert's soul fusing with his own, how incredible would that be? However, as Long Chen painstakingly examined his body, his face changed dramatically: "My spirit root has been drained, a piece of the spirit bone in my chest is missing—clearly dug out—and there's a hollow spot in my heart! Who on earth could be so cruel as to strip me of my spirit root, spirit bone, and spirit blood, leaving me incapable of cultivation?” Long Chen was filled with fury. Now, with his powerful soul, he could look within and uncover the secret of his impaired condition. The spirit root, located in the dan'tian, is the foundation of cultivation. Without it, there's no way to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, let alone absorb it for cultivation. Spirit blood is a trace of innate blood one is born with, possessing it unbeknownst to most cultivators. People with spirit bones are extraordinarily rare among cultivators—it’s an emblem of supreme talent. Yet, the spot where Long Chen's spirit bone should be was clearly missing a piece, taken by some unknown hand. Long Chen’s expression was extremely dark. If not for merging with those memories, he'd never have known his body had been tampered with. In theory, each of these elements, while precious, is useless once removed from the body. Why go to such lengths to harm him? Such tactics were more vicious than killing him outright. Frustratingly, anger served no purpose; those elements were long gone. "Let me find out who did this," Long Chen muttered, gritting his teeth. The person responsible had indeed been insidious. With a spirit bone, his status as a genius was undeniable, and yet, thanks to some contemptible scoundrel, he was reduced to a useless wastrel, an object of ridicule. While Long Chen fumed inwardly, the door opened softly, revealing a delicate young girl of thirteen or fourteen, his personal maid, Bao’er. "Young Master, it’s time for your medicine." "Medicine? What medicine is that in your hand?" Long Chen sniffed lightly, inquiring. “This is the Tiger Bone Pill, which Madam obtained at great expense. It is known to rapidly heal external injuries,” Bao’er explained. Having opened a finely crafted little box, she presented the pill to him, saying, "It’s said that this pill was crafted by Master Yunqi of the Alchemist Guild, and its efficacy is formidable. Would you allow Bao’er to assist you in taking it, Young Master?” With a peculiar expression, Long Chen examined the object in his hand. Could this truly be called a Pill? It resembled a misshapen meatball more closely than a legitimate pill. Putting aside its shape, the color was pitch black without a hint of luster; if not for the faint herbal scent emanating from it, Long Chen might have mistaken it for a pellet of sheep dung. Sighing, Long Chen thought of how the alchemical properties of this pill had been squandered by over eighty percent. What had this "master" done to reduce it to such a state? Pills ranked from Low, Medium, High, Top to Supreme Grade. However, the pill in his hand clearly did not fit into any of these categories, straightforwardly a defective product—a discard—usually not sold by respectable Pill Masters due to pride. Such defective pills were often dissolved into liquid or simply discarded. "Young Master, don't daydream. Madam sold her jewelry to acquire this treasure for you. Quickly, take it," urged Bao’er softly. A pang hit Long Chen's heart. From his memories, he knew his mother cherished him deeply, sometimes to the point of indulgence, rarely denying him anything. She expended extensive care for him. Madam Long, once a renowned beauty, now in her thirties, bore deep crow's feet around her eyes, a testimony of her toiling sacrifice for Long Chen. Examining the pill, despite it being a defect, the ingredients were nonetheless of good quality. Even with eighty percent impurities, it should suffice to heal his wounds. Consuming the pill, Long Chen instructed Bao’er to keep his recovery confidential, his voice firm yet gentle, even hiding it from his mother. Although puzzled, Bao’er simply nodded obediently out of trust. Given that Long Chen could not utilize cultivation to refine the medicinal power, he directed it to heal his wounds using his robust spiritual energy, yielding rapid recovery. By the next dawn, Long Chen opened his eyes slowly, a smile playing on his lips as he stretched his limbs. Great, while the pill's craftsmanship left much to be desired, the raw herbal components were top-notch, and his injuries had healed substantially, save for the trauma to his skull. Peering into a mirror, he saw a young man with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, his appearance undeniably striking. From today onward, I, Long Chen, refuse to remain the Long Chen of old. I will rise like the phoenix. Though still somewhat feeble, walking posed no challenge. Stepping out, he was greeted by the rising sun. After a half-hour of careful contemplation, Long Chen called over Bao’er, handing her a lengthy list of herbs he needed her to purchase. Yet, Bao’er’s worried expression hinted at a struggle, prompting Long Chen to realize that the Long family was presently in dire straits. Bao’er probably wasn’t able to acquire funds from the accounts room. If not, Madam wouldn’t have had to sell her jewelry—her invaluable cherished dowry. The Long family had clearly fallen on hard times. Checking his pocket, he found eighty silver coins remaining. It wasn't much, but more than enough for these herbs. With commendable efficiency, Bao’er managed to secure the herbs within an hour, allowing Long Chen to commence blending them in precise proportions in a clay pot for brewing. Three hours later, as the aromatic fragrance of the medicinal brew permeated the air, Long Chen regarded the bowl of simple broth with a satisfied smile. “Let my rise begin with this bowl of concoction.” ...