Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 582 The Things the Pill Tower Expects
Over the years, as reforms have progressed, Xuan Kongzi's increasingly weathered will has gained a touch of the spirit of "an old steed in its stall still aspires to gallop a thousand miles."

He had a strong feeling that he was doing something of great significance.

These seemingly unremarkable events may not be as thrilling as my old friend Yao Chen's breakthrough to Dou Sheng, the reopening of the Sifang Pavilion, or the fight against the Soul Palace, but their significance is in no way inferior. They are great achievements that would make my life worthwhile!
Xuan Kongzi had absolute expectations and support for Lin Yuan, who brought about these changes.

The other two members of the Big Three shared similar ideas.

Slightly gathering his thoughts, Xuan Kongzi took out a silver jade slip and handed it to Lin Yuan, who was sitting opposite him.

"This is the progress of 'the way of medicinal cuisine,' take a look!"

"Following your suggestions in the 'Strengthening Foundation Plan of Dou Qi Continent,' the Tower has changed its research strategy over the past year, shifting towards developing low-cost medicinal cuisine, with fruitful results."

"Not only has the variety of 'medicinal cuisine' increased dramatically, but its cost has also been greatly reduced."

"Oh? Let me see!" Lin Yuan's eyes lit up. After pouring tea for Xuan Kongzi, he put down the teapot, took the jade slip, and quickly read the information inside.

"Good! Very good!" After a long while, he withdrew his soul power, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "I never expected that such tremendous progress could be made in just one year..."

As Lin Yuan, the creator, predicted, the way of medicinal cuisine developed rapidly after the change in development direction.

Some of the grandmasters and seniors of the Little Pill Tower would also devote some of their spare time to studying this elegant pursuit that was somewhat related to alchemy, and which could also cultivate their character and improve their lives.

Indeed, in the once leisurely Little Pill Tower, the art of medicinal cuisine is now regarded as an elegant pursuit, and small competitions such as "culinary showdowns" are even held occasionally.

Compared to the alchemy competitions that often last for ten days or half a month and don't have many variations, the medicinal cuisine competition is much more interesting.

Not only does it consume less time, but it also offers a wide range of comparisons—efficacy, taste, shape, ingredients, creativity, and so on. There are too many aspects to compare, and it has nothing to do with the core function of "alchemy," so everyone can approach it with a relaxed mindset.

Thanks to this, the number of medicinal cuisine recipes increased dramatically, and even Lin Yuan, the creator, gained a lot of inspiration from the many recipes recorded on the jade slips.

Lin Yuan has no intention of giving up his identity as the strongest chef among alchemists.

Of course, compared to the masters' entertainment activities, the most important achievement in the development of medicinal cuisine this year was the significant reduction in the cost of low-level medicinal cuisine.

Taking the low-level medicinal diet used in the Qi Refining stage as an example, the cost of the same medicinal diet that assists in Qi Refining has been reduced to less than 20% of the original cost, and can be enjoyed for just a few dozen gold coins.

Compared to elixirs like "Foundation Building Elixir" and "Primordial Essence Elixir," the price of medicinal cuisine is less than one-tenth of the former's cost.

Dozens of gold coins, though still valuable to ordinary people, are no longer out of reach.

The reason for this is that the requirements for controlling the heat and harmonizing the medicinal properties of low-level medicinal cuisine are not as demanding as those for alchemy. It does not necessarily require an alchemist; other people who have been well trained can also complete it with the help of some special devices!
One of the fundamental reasons why elixirs are so valuable is that alchemists are extremely rare—there are only one in ten thousand qualified alchemists, and even fewer who can truly become alchemists.

For example, in Wutan City, which has a population of hundreds of thousands, the number of alchemists is less than a handful.

Liu Xi, a mere first-grade alchemist, was able to influence the balance of power among the three major families in Wutan City, prompting a great Dou Shi family to actively share profits and send a snake woman to win him over. This demonstrates the status of alchemists in many places.

Alchemists are so rare and have such high social status that their "labor costs" are naturally outrageously high.

If low-level "medicinal cuisine" is not decoupled from alchemists, it will definitely be impossible to promote it on a large scale.

To address this issue, Lin Yuan proposed a solution in the Strong Foundation Program: in addition to controlling raw material costs, utilize weapon crafting techniques to develop special devices for preparing medicinal cuisine.

Lin Yuan is a top-tier alchemist, but he is more than just a top-tier alchemist.

As a transmigrator from an industrial civilization, few people on the Dou Qi Continent understood better than him the immense role that "tools" could play.

Even though worldviews may change, the underlying logic remains the same.

Lin Yuan wouldn't presume to know what role the specific "tools" from his past life could play in this life, since the world is completely different and the rules of heaven and earth are completely different. However, the Dou Qi Continent also has the potential to develop its own system of tools!

Promoting the innovation and development of weapon crafting was already part of his plan, but to expand it on a large scale, he would have to wait until he broke through to the Dou Di realm.

It's not just about weapon crafting; the Dou Qi Continent he envisions should be a continent where all kinds of skills flourish!

However, medicinal cuisine, which does not require high alchemy skills, can still replace the role of a junior alchemist by using some exquisite tools and methods.

In fact, in Lin Yuan's plan for the three giants, there were several devices he designed that could replace low-level alchemists and complete simple tasks of blending medicinal properties.

The reason Lin Yuan was able to do this was because he had long been studying weapon crafting and even had a very deep understanding of it!

Seven years ago, when he and Fairy Doctor Zi Yan traveled to the four kingdoms of Luoyan, Luohuang, Tianyun, and Tiandou, they destroyed the overlord of the Tiandou Empire, the Wanqi Sect, and obtained the sect's weapon-refining inheritance... Since then, he has been exploring the art of weapon refining in his spare time.

After arriving in Zhongzhou, he held high positions in both the Pill Tower and Dragon Island, controlled numerous forces, and acquired a great deal of inheritance and information related to weapon crafting.

Several years ago, he even received the inheritance of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, which included parts related to weapon crafting.

Now, with numerous top-tier inheritances and the blessing of the Azure Ice Flame, his skill in weapon crafting is unparalleled, even across the entire continent.

For Lin Yuan, who was already a grandmaster of alchemy, creating some tools by combining weapon crafting and alchemy was not difficult.

The "Strengthening Foundation Plan of Dou Qi Continent" entrusted to the three giants includes a "prototype" he designed. The task entrusted to the three giants is to improve efficiency and reduce costs... Now it seems that the three of them will do a good job.

When low-level medicinal cuisine no longer requires the participation of alchemists, it naturally reduces a lot of "labor costs," which is the basis for promoting and popularizing it to ordinary people.

Once martial arts-level medicinal cuisine becomes widespread, martial artists under the age of fifteen will no longer be rare geniuses!

Thinking of this, even Lin Yuan couldn't hide his joy.

To achieve great deeds, to leave a mark on history, to reach the pinnacle, to change the world... This is the romance and aspiration of a fine man, engraved in his soul since his past life.

Lin Yuan is now making steady progress on this path.

Standing to the side, Xuan Kongzi also smiled broadly, "It was all thanks to your meticulous planning that things went so smoothly!"

"I truly never expected that you, the Medicine Master, would not only be the best among your peers in alchemy, but also possess such attainments in weapon crafting. If it weren't for your design of the prototype device, we wouldn't have been able to improve it in such a short time and thus significantly reduce costs..." At this point, he also sighed, noting that alchemists generally have a high opinion of themselves and mostly delve into more advanced alchemy techniques, rarely dabbling in other fields of knowledge.

Alchemists like the young man before us, who are knowledgeable in almost everything, are extremely rare.

If Lin Yuan hadn't unlocked the clone technique early on, he would have chosen to specialize in alchemy instead of pursuing a path that balances breadth and depth, as he does now.

"Hehe, Elder Xuan, you flatter me!" Lin Yuan simply smiled and waved his hand at Xuan Kongzi's praise, then changed the subject and said, "So, the Tower hopes to take advantage of the Pill Gathering to let me announce this to the outside world when I win?"

“Exactly!” Xuan Kongzi nodded and said in a deep voice, “The Pill Gathering and the Heavenly Pride Competition have brought countless people to Saint Pill City. There is no more suitable time to declare our achievements.”

"Following this Dan Conference, the mainland will inevitably begin to change..."

"And we, the people of Danta this generation, will surely leave a mark on history by initiating this transformation!"

"Even the Medicine Clan will be mere foils to our Dan Tower."

At this point, Xuan Kongzi's usually calm and composed voice became unconsciously heated.

The reform of the cultivation system will impact billions or even hundreds of billions of people. Even if the Pill Tower disappears in the future, this achievement will be sung forever... The opportunity to achieve personal success and contribute to the Pill Tower's eternal legacy is right in front of you, and almost no one can refuse it!

For this reason, when Lin Yuan's "Battle Qi Continent Foundation Strengthening Plan" was submitted to the Grand Elder Council, not a single decision-maker objected, and they all gave it the highest level of support.

The investment in this project is absolutely no less than any human or material resources!
Those seemingly simple, low-level medicinal diet recipes that will be widely distributed across the continent were developed by the top masters of the Pill Tower and selected from countless experimental recipes.

The methods for cultivating medicinal herbs for medicinal cuisine, which are meant to be widely taught to the public, were also developed through experiments and summaries by many masters. For this reason, they did not hesitate to humble themselves and take care of those low-grade medicinal herbs that they considered no different from "weeds".

In addition, there are some grandmasters and powerful individuals who have deduced secret techniques for cultivating low-level medicinal materials.

The fact that all the grandmasters of the Dan Tower were pooling their wisdom and efforts for a single goal, creating such a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere, was something Xuan Kongzi had never witnessed before in his life.

The reason is simple: the allure of being remembered in history is too great, and no one wants to miss this opportunity.

After all, this is much more fulfilling than training a disciple or refining a few pills. Participating in it is a matter of very little effort but very much reward!

This matter also has significant practical implications for the development of Danta.

After the successful promotion of "San Yuan Ju Qi" and "Medicinal Cuisine", most of the younger generation in mainland China will have to carry on this legacy and form a positive connection with Danta.

A good deed done during one's vulnerable years can often have a lasting impact on a person.

Even if the possibility is small, with a population base of hundreds of millions, sooner or later someone will benefit from this good fortune, overcome their weakest period, and become a powerful figure. Perhaps at some point in the future, that person will help Danta in some way...

This hidden wealth will further solidify Danta's transcendent status.

All of Danta's plans ultimately converged on one point in time—the Dan Conference, the top-level event in Zhongzhou that takes place once every thirty years!

After all, is there a more suitable opportunity than this?
The future leader of Danta defeated the younger generation of the Medicine Clan to win the Dan Tournament championship. He then announced the many achievements of the "Dou Qi Continent Strengthening Plan," which were spread throughout the continent by countless spectators... The Dou Qi Continent will surely be in an uproar!
The mere thought of that scene stirred a burning passion within Xuan Kongzi, a passion that had been calmed by the vicissitudes of life.

This glorious achievement was accomplished during his tenure as one of the Big Three, and it is a significant accomplishment for him.

As for whether Lin Yuan could defeat the younger generation of the Medicine Clan, Xuan Kongzi had no doubts about that after visiting the Four Directions Pavilion a few months ago.

Based on the information he heard from the old medicine master, he had some guesses about Lin Yuan's alchemy skills.

And that kind of alchemy skill is far beyond the scope of the younger generation!

"It seems the Tower trusts me a lot!" Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, then roughly understood the Tower's plan. He smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, I won't let everyone down. Leave the matters of winning the championship and the announcement to me..."

“That is only right!” Xuan Kongzi nodded solemnly and said earnestly, “This honor should be borne by you, the true master of everything, on behalf of the Pill Tower.”

Whether it's the "Way of Medicinal Cuisine," the "Three Elements Gathering Qi," or the "Strengthening Foundation Plan of the Dou Qi Continent," all of these are great achievements forged only after the young man took the first step and the Dan Tower took over and perfected them.

When it came to the final stages, no one could replace Lin Yuan, not even the three giants of the Pill Tower!

Shaking his head, Xuan Kongzi dispelled the reverie in his mind.

Based on past experience, prematurely concluding that you have won is not a good habit; it often leads to inexplicable defeats!

Xuan Kongzi took a sip of the fragrant tea, then smiled and asked, "Speaking of which, what kind of pills does your alchemy plan to refine? Are you still lacking medicinal herbs?"

"The pills you want to refine?" Lin Yuan stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Elder Xuan, please allow me to keep this a secret for now. Perhaps I can give you a big surprise! I have already prepared all the medicinal materials, so there's no need to worry..."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi didn't ask any further questions and replied with a smile, "A big surprise? Hehe, then let this old man look forward to it!"

Lin Yuan nodded, smiled slightly, and a meaningful look flashed in his eyes.

Lin Yuan never hesitated to reward his own people.

Over the past few years, Xuan Kongzi has been extremely supportive of him and has been actively implementing his ideas, whether intentionally or unintentionally... He deserves a very generous reward!
-
In the southern region of Zhongzhou, at the Starfall Pavilion.

In the quiet valley behind the mountain, a solitary cave dwelling is nestled among the peaks, surrounded by overgrown weeds, symbolizing the passage of time.

Not far away, an elderly man in white stood with his arms outstretched, his figure seemingly in harmony with the heavens and earth.

In a moment, the old man slowly opened his eyes, turned around to look at the cave behind him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"After two months of seclusion, this kid is finally coming out!"

Before the words were finished, the heavy stone door of the cave trembled slightly, then slowly opened, and a powerful aura surged out from it...

(End of this chapter)