Pill Valley/Story

== Proof of Study ==
Yun Qi gives LC a Proof of Study. With this, LC will be able to enter Pill Valley, the holy land in the eyes of alchemists.
But LC would need to become a Pill King before twenty, then he can use this tablet to register there.
A person like grandmaster Yun Qi had trained for almost a hundred years and had only reached the peak of Pill Master. 
Yun Qi had kept this a secret for so long, all in order to get revenge on Wei Cang.
He had kept this ‘treasure' to constantly draw Wei Cang's attention. Wei Cang longed for it deeply since he didn't know the truth.
Xia Baichi had also appeared most likely just to obtain it. When Long Chen had then popped up later, Yun Qi's treatment of him had caused them to panic.
That was why they wanted Long Chen to die. They wanted Yun Qi to have no more successors. If he, Wei Cang, was unable to obtain it, then let it die in Yun Qi's hands.
"Although you are extremely talented, you were unfortunately born in an uncivilized place like this. There are no powerful schools' inheritances for you here, and so the chance of you being able to use this tablet is low. But even a slight chance is something. When my master gave me this, he told me to find someone to pass it on to. One of his ancestors had managed to enter Pill Valley, and this tablet was a sign of their honor. That is why I hoped there would one day come a genius who could take this tablet and once more join Pill Valley. I've invested so much time for master's inheritance. Now, I will pass it on to you. It is also a load off my shoulders." Yun Qi had an extremely complicated expression.
If Long Chen could enter the Pill Valley, in terms of pill cultivation, it would be like ascending to become an immortal.
Although grandmaster Yun Qi hadn't taken Long Chen in as his apprentice, that was only because he didn't want to draw any attention to Long Chen. After all, Wei Cang was watching him like a tiger watches his prey.
However, Long Chen's current state of affairs with Wei Cang was something everyone knew about. He had beaten his apprentice and expressed his thoughts about the man.
Before letting him leave, grandmaster Yun Qi warned Long Chen once more to be cautious. If the enemy was pressed too hard, then they might make a desperate move. Long Chen nodded his assent and went home.
Eventually Chen does achieve Yun Qi's wish and becomes a Pill King by age 17.Long Chen/Alchemy
== Pill Yang, Huo Wufang ==
In Volume 6, LC travels to Pill Tower as Long San.
== Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect, Zhao Changting ==
Zhao Changting was actually a chess piece that Pill Valley placed inside the Xuantian Dao Sect to keep watch. Although Pill Valley claims that it doesn't participate in the cultivation world's struggles and is neutral, it actually secretly controls countless sects. That's because all the large sects are dependent on it. Although the Dao Sect treated Zhao Changting well, his aspirations were too high. Even though this matter was a result of Pill Valley's decision as well, the original idea definitely didn't come from them.
After Long Chen helped Xuantian Dao Sect defeat the Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect, who was allied with the Pill Valley, the Pill Valley spy Zhao Changting sabotaged the Alchemy Pavilion in revenge against XDS. Li Tianxuan then executes Zhao.
== Origin of factions ==
"Why is your conservative faction so stubborn? Pill Valley clearly has the ability to grow even stronger, so why do they still cower?" asked Long Chen.
"You really know how to ask questions. Your first one is the most difficult one and the reason why Pill Valley is split into two factions. In truth, it's not that we're conservative, but that certain people have forgotten the meaning behind Pill Valley's existence.
"Pill Valley is situated outside the rest of the world. It has its own mission. But some people are selfish and greedy and want to stretch their hands into this chaotic world. That's not the meaning behind Pill Valley's existence, and doing so would be very dangerous. It would influence the entire balance of the Martial Heaven Continent, and Pill Valley might even be drawn into a cataclysm because of it. But sometimes, people simply refuse to be reasonable and see the truth. So this world is fraught with struggle."
"What could bring Pill Valley danger? Isn't Pill Valley the strongest power in the Martial Heaven Continent?" asked Long Chen.
"Sorry, this relates to Pill Valley's secrets, so forgive me for not being able to answer," said the Pill Fairy.
Long Chen's heart pounded. It seemed he still knew too little about the Martial Heaven Continent.
Something that could even threaten Pill Valley? What power was that? Or was it the danger zones?
== Scheme ==
"Idiots from the radical faction, after using me, you want to get rid of me? You scammers, you're shameless trash! You tricked me into killing the elite disciples of the Divine Shield Alliance in the Heaven Dragon Flame Region, and then you told Dan Yanxue and Kan Dongze to kill me so no one would know! Did you think turning me into a vengeful ghost would allow you to live happily? Fuck your grand dreams, I'm not going to let you get away with it! Since you want me dead, I'll make you pay a price!"
One person roared, "Long San, don't talk nonsense! After committing such crimes, randomly accusing others won't let you escape!"
That person was precisely an Elder from the radical faction who possessed great authority. His position was only slightly lower than a Grand Elder, so he knew the real plan involving Long San.
There were hundreds of Life Star experts on these flying boats, and although the majority were flame cultivators from the Divine Flame Hall, there were also alchemists.
After all, the Thousand Treasure Pavilion had been pilfered, Zhuo Tianxiang had been slain, and the Alldevil monster's essence blood and soul essence had been taken. Pill Valley had never suffered such an insult. If they didn't capture Long San, they would become the laughingstocks of the cultivation world.
Thus, there were also experts from the conservative faction that were all infuriated upon hearing Long Chen's words.
=== Evidence ===
"This is proof of how you baited me. I've kept it all this time. Since you wanted to kill me, and since I won't be alive soon anyways, I'll make your ugly faces public. People from the conservative faction, look properly! These photographic jades are for you!"
Long Chen tossed out hundreds of photographic jades behind him.
One of the Elders immediately extended a hand to unleash a powerful attack, but as a result, another Elder blocked him. "What? Do you have a guilty heart? You want to destroy evidence?"
The photographic jades were rapidly snatched up. Although the radical faction's experts ‘accidentally' broke a large portion of them, there were more than ten that landed in the hands of others, and five in the hands of the conservative faction.
An Elder activated the photographic jade, revealing a scene of Kan Dongze giving a list of people to Long San and telling him to kill them. He also mentioned the benefits he would obtain if he eliminated them all.
The conservative faction's people were enraged. A portion of the recording came from within the Heaven Dragon Flame Region, and there was no way it was fake.
There were scenes of Kan Dongze and Dan Yanxue. The chances of it being fake were essentially zero.
Now, Pill Valley had been half-destroyed, over a hundred Life Star experts had been slain, the Thousand Treasure Pavilion had been pilfered, and most infuriating of all, the two priceless treasures the valley master had obtained by slaying the monster had also been snatched away. That made them crazy with fury.
== Pill Valley vs. Heaven Devouring Forest ==
According to their hypothesis, he probably hadn't accurately calculated the self-destruction of the flying boat, and so he had been blown apart in the explosion.
A flying boat of this level was comparable to an Ancestral item. Its core contained a powerful formation, and if it exploded, its power would kill even Life Star experts who were on it.
Long San's death wasn't what they cared about. The main thing was that he had held all of Pill Valley's wealth on him.
That wealth had been accumulated for tens of thousands of years. There had been countless treasures. Even the valley master's heart had bled upon hearing this.
The most infuriating thing was that at this time, the photographic jades Long San had thrown out before his death reached his hands. The truth was instantly exposed.
At that moment, the valley master had truly wanted to start a slaughter. All the experts who had seen him in that state had a deep impression of that time.
There had been two parts to the photographic jades. One recorded the sinister plot in the Heaven Dragon Flame Region, while another contained the recording of Zhuo Tianxiang raising him step by step into a killing machine to be used against the conservative faction.
At that time, the valley master's expression had been ashen, but he hadn't killed anyone. Instead, he had only left behind a single sentence: Just wait for when I come out of seclusion!
The valley master was at a critical moment in his cultivation, and he couldn't bring out his true body. He could only send out clones. His meaning was clear: once he was out of seclusion, he would properly settle his debts with these people.
Once the valley master left, the radical faction's Elders all looked like they had aged a decade. They were listless.
As for the conservative faction's Elders, they were enraged, and they ordered the people of the radical faction to get to work. They ordered them to go over every inch of the battlefield until they found Long San's spatial ring.
That was nothing more than bossing them around. Even the best spatial ring was only on the level of a King item. How could it survive the explosion of a flying boat?
Long San wasn't a Life Star expert. He didn't have his own astral space to store things. So treasures had to be placed in his spatial ring.
Having been unable to protect his own life, how could Long San have had the power to protect the spatial ring? It had to have shattered, and the treasures would have been lost in the chaotic flow of space and disintegrated.
Having them search was just to torment them. Who had asked their sinister plot to end in such abject failure? They could only be tormented now.
They were like a group of prisoners on death row, just waiting for their execution. And their execution date was the day the valley master came out of seclusion.
As for the battle between Pill Valley and the Heaven Devouring Forest, Pill Valley had already ordered everyone to shut their mouths and not to talk about it to outsiders.
However, how could it be possible to keep something like this secret? Pill Valley's losses numbered in the tens of thousands, and the majority of people had been secretly recording the fight.
That was their pride and glory. For ordinary people like them to have experienced something so amazing, they would definitely need proof so that they could brag.
That was why Pill Valley's gag order was essentially useless. On just the third day, news of the battle spread.
This news didn't actually come from within Pill Valley, but from some travelers who had been sneaking their way through the Heaven Devouring Forest.
The Heaven Devouring Forest was just too huge, and some travelers had no choice but to take the danger of sneaking their way through it.
They didn't dare to fly through as brazenly as Pill Valley. Instead, they concealed their auras and traveled like thieves. That gave them a very high chance of getting through the forest safely.
That was especially true of those with low cultivation bases. The battle between Pill Valley and the Heaven Devouring Forest had been witnessed by them, and they were the ones who unleashed the first wave of news. Countless photographic jades spread with recordings of the battle from the distance.
Very quickly, the second wave of photographic jades spread. Those were much clearer with the first-person view of the battlefield.
The entire world was shaken. Everyone went all-out to investigate what had happened, and as a result, the name Long San quickly shook the world.
== Aftermath ==
When LC returns to XDS he beats up many of the sects that surrounded the XDS.
LC's ruthlessness enraged countless sects. Their strongest Jade Core disciples had all been killed by Long Chen. They had lost a whole generation of geniuses.
They went to demand justice from Pill Valley, wanting their Pill Tower to teach the Xuantian Dao Sect a lesson. Last time when Zhuo Tianxiang had led them to the Xuantian Dao Sect and their Life Star experts had been killed, they had received a large amount of compensation that had drawn Pill Valley closer to their side.
This time, they had suffered huge losses because they had been currying favor with Pill Valley. They had to stand up for them.
However, they hadn't expected that the Eastern Xuan Region's Pill Tower had changed masters. The new Tower Master was from the conservative faction.
As a result, the door was slammed in the face of these experts. They didn't even get a single pill as compensation.
Now those sects were dumbfounded. Last time, the Pill Tower had been so generous. But this time, they were a cheapskate that wouldn't even give them a copper coin.
These experts could only clench their teeth and return to their sects. They had to accept a fact. Pill Valley had been flipped on its head.
This was because of Master Long San. The radical faction had been completely suppressed. Although the valley master had said that he would put them in their place once he came out of seclusion, they were like death-row inmates. They only quietly waited for execution. Although they knew that the valley master wouldn't kill them, they would at least be losing a layer of their skin. They were so busy acting obedient that they didn't have time to bother with anything else.
With Pill Valley giving in, a storm of protest erupted in the Eastern Xuan Region. The Xuantian Dao Sect was too domineering and killed too many people, and yet no one dared to do anything to them. Even the ancient races and the ancient family alliance didn't make a sound, let alone try to punish the Xuantian Dao Sect.
The Xuantian Dao Sect's attitude was obvious. They were rising, and anyone who dared to try stropping them would be viewed as mortal enemies.
Even an existence as powerful as Pill Valley had retreated, not willing to provoke the Xuantian Dao Sect. It seemed even with their power, destroying the Xuantian Dao Sect would come at a huge price.
This was especially true with how Master Long San had half-destroyed Pill Valley.
Pill Valley didn't want to do anything, while the ancient races and ancient family alliance also didn't want to take any risks without getting anything in return. Although they were also enormous existences, they weren't completely united.
== Pill shortage and decline ==
A piece of news spread. Problems had occurred in the circulation of pills coming out of Pill Valley, and that shook the entire cultivation world.
People quickly managed to investigate the truth. When that Master Long San had plundered Pill Valley, he had taken all their medicinal pills and ingredients.
This news threw the cultivation world into a panic. Without medicinal pills, the world would enter chaos.
Pill Valley did their best to hide the truth because they hadn't wanted to cause a panic. However, their ability at keeping secrets was far too lacking to succeed in such a venture.
Countless sects turned to the Huayun Sect who viewed alchemy as a side business. Many sects were afraid of not being able to have their medicinal pill requirements be met by Pill Valley, so they secretly went to buy pills from the Huayun Sect.
The Huayun Sect's stock of medicinal pills was quickly bought out, but countless sects were won over by their actions. Even though the demand had been so high, they hadn't inflated the price at all.
Therefore, many sects began to sign long-term purchasing contracts with the Huayun Sect. The Huayun Sect always kept such contracts secret, and there were many measures in place to keep others from learning of them.
As a result, the various large sects all formed agreements with the Huayun Sect. This way, they would have two sources for medicinal pills. This was the best option for them.
Even those sects that had been hugging Pill Valley's leg from the start were starting to sway. That was because Pill Valley was hard-pressed, and their interior was still a mess. They couldn't bother with outsiders.
These sects' disciples had been killed by Long Chen because they had been currying favor with Pill Valley. However, Pill Valley hadn't given them any compensation. It didn't even say a single word of comfort. Now, even those loyal followers had no choice but to side closer to the Huayun Sect.
Pill Valley couldn't do anything as the Huayun Sect expanded its business into the pill market. Right now, they were doing their utmost to refine more pills to meet the market demand.
They could only pick medicinal ingredients from their fields, but some of them took hundreds or thousands of years to mature. Without their previous stock, there was no way for them to meet the demand.
All of Pill Valley was in disorder. The Elders and disciples belonging to the radical faction were all repeatedly cursed, but they couldn't even retort.
However, after a moment of chaos, the waves passed. After calming down, the sects realized that they had been worrying over nothing.
They already possessed a large stock of medicinal pills that could last them for many years. During this time, Pill Valley or the Huayun Sect would be constantly trying to resolve this problem.
If they couldn't buy medicinal pills, well, others couldn't either. Everyone would be on even playing grounds, so there was no need to panic.
This wasn't something that would cause some sects to be wiped out and others to dominate. So there was no need to panic. Everyone could suffer together.
The waves caused by the shortage of medicinal pills passed.
== After Spirit World arc ==
After LC returns from the Spirit World, the XDS and Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect get destroyed.
The radical faction had lost all its power. It should be next to impossible for them to regain power.
If they were just participating in name, if they were only saying that he was a devil without actually doing anything, then it would be fine.
But suppose that Pill Valley wanted to pull one over the ancient races, Corrupt path, and ancient family alliance by killing him before they could? This would show off their power for everyone and protect their status as the overlord of the continent. 
When he had first heard that Pill Valley was involved, he hadn't thought too much about it.  But after seeing this golden tablet intimidate those people, he looked at things at a deeper level, and saw a bigger problem.
Pill Valley had always been the overlord of this world. They definitely wouldn't allow anyone else to stand above them. In fact, they wouldn't allow someone else to stand on the same level as them.
But now Long Chen's matter had shaken the Eastern Xuan Region. If Pill Valley didn't take a leading position in this manner, it would make their prestige fall.
So whether they were being active or passive, they would have to show up sooner or later. And once they did, they would definitely be coming in the most domineering and tyrannical manner possible.
== After Dragon Slaughtering Convention ==
“Long Chen, hello. I am-” began the leader of this group of Pill Valley experts.
“A hypocrite,” sneered Long Chen, finishing his introduction.
That expert’s face twitched, but he swallowed his anger. The higher-ups had already told him that he was only to negotiate with Long Chen.
“The Xuantian Dao Sect’s method of greeting its guests is really unique!” praised the leader. It seemed he was an expert at negotiating, and he smiled lightly instead of getting angry.
“First of all, you aren’t our guest. What guest would be so stupid as to run to the host’s house and destroy it, then come back with a smile and act like nothing had happened? And you say you aren’t a hypocrite?” asked Long Chen. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table.
“It seems your Xuantian Dao Sect has no intention of reconciling?” asked the leader coldly.
“Reconciling? Are you an idiot? Do you think words can make up for Pill Valley killing so many people of my Xuantian Dao Sect?” sneered Long Chen. “Don’t act like you’re the magnanimous person wanting to reconcile. Or are you telling me that you don’t even know what your side has done? The images of Pill Valley attacking the Xuantian Dao Sect have filled the streets. Everyone on the Martial Heaven Continent knows of it. With such irrefutable evidence, you’re not able to control the public opinion any longer. That’s the only reason you’ve come today. Since you’ve come, you’ve admitted to your mistakes. So hurry up and get to the point. How much money are you going to compensate us with?”
With Zheng Wenlong’s help, there was a copy of that photographic jade in practically everyone’s hands. Even in a random ditch beside a street, it was possible to pick up a copy.
This news had shaken the entire Martial Heaven Continent. At the same time, Qu Jianying had come out and pointed her sword at Pill Valley. The Righteous path was no longer under Pill Valley’s control, and the sects that were dissatisfied with Pill Valley all began to loudly criticize them.
They claimed to be neutral but had secretly colluded with so many different powers, even using divine items to attack an ancient sect of the Righteous path. That was a grave sin.
Although Pill Valley had sent out news that they had killed the main conspirators, including the Flame Divine Palace’s master and vice palace masters, the damage was already done. That might have shut some people’s mouths, but things weren’t over. In the end, the real victim was the Xuantian Dao Sect. The Xuantian Dao Sect’s attitude was what mattered.
If Pill Valley was unable to settle this matter, then Pill Valley could give up their thoughts of continuing to do business with the Righteous path. The current Huayun Sect was already focusing on their alchemy business. They were providing a huge amount of medicinal pills each year.
Recently, the Huayun Sect’s medicinal pills had grown especially abundant. There were as many available as people wanted. Their sales might even be greater than Pill Valley in that regard.
In truth, that was because those medicinal pills had been the pills Long Chen had snatched from Pill Valley and given to the Huayun Sect. The Huayun Sect wouldn’t need to worry about running out of medicinal pills for at least a few years.
This was a fatal blow to Pill Valley. They had to placate the Xuantian Dao Sect in order to placate the Righteous path.
Pill Valley might not be afraid of the Xuantian Dao Sect, but they couldn’t be as indifferent when it came to the Huayun Sect. The Huayun Sect’s business domain was now reaching into their bowl. If this continued, even their bowl would be snatched.
Long Chen knew all of this, which was why he didn’t waste time with pleasantries. All he wanted to know was how much they were offering.
Negotiation required testing the other side’s minimum and then haggling based on both side’s limits.
However, Long Chen simply repeatedly asked how much money he was offering. There was no way for him to reply to that. Starting too low would be offensive, while starting too high was not beneficial to the haggling.
“For the damage done to the Xuantian Dao Sect, including its buildings, mountains, treasures, etc., pay us back one hundred times the cost,” said Long Chen indifferently.
“These are the details of the damage to the Xuantian Dao Sect. It includes our one hundred and eight main mountains, over nine thousand buildings, thirty thousand pieces of equipment…”
Long Chen rattled off a list, while the elder recorded everything. In the end, the elder said, “According to that, the damages cost around three hundred and fifty thousand spirit crystals. A hundred times that would be thirty-five million spirit crystals. I will send them over within three days.”
“Alright, excellent. Then the calculations for the damage are complete. Now let’s calculate the price for the lives of the disciples and commoners from the Xuantian Dao Sect that you killed!” Long Chen also had a smile. However, his smile looked even more sinister.
=== Compensation ===
Long Chen trusted that his enemies wouldn’t let things go after such a loss. Although Pill Valley had paid their compensation, he knew that they hated him to the bone now.
They were like hunters hiding in the dark right now. They would keep waiting until they could launch a fatal blow.
== Volume 9 ==
Heaven-shaking news instantly spread throughout the continent.
Long Chen had charged into Pill Valley, played with Elder Tianqi, and managed to sneak into the Brahma secret realm. There, he had collected a fee to enter, broken the divine pillars, entered the palace, fought with thirteen Empyreans with awakened manifestations, and killed Leng Wufeng and Lu Zichuan. If the Pill Fairy hadn’t come, the remaining Empyreans might also have died.
The entire continent was shaken. When it came to courting death, if Long Chen claimed he was number two, no one would dare claim to be number one.
If they could find him, perhaps they could obtain his secrets and become a second Long Chen.
===Flow Eruption - Chapter 2129 ===
“How is this possible? If the qi flow eruption occurs there, if all that energy gathered and burst forth there, wouldn’t the seal also be broken? If that happened, the Yin Yang World’s Blood race would be able to charge into the continent!”
“The gathering of Blood Qi like the gathering of qi flow... could it be...”
Long Chen’s eyes flickered. He suddenly thought of the strange energy that had tried to extract a trace of his blood when he had left the Brahma secret realm.
When Long Chen had sensed it, he had rejected it. At that time, he had been curious about it but didn’t know what it was.
This message from the High Priest made him think of that energy that had tried to extract a trace of blood from every person leaving.
There had been a million geniuses to enter the Brahma secret realm. They represented practically the entire continent’s qi flow.
Extracting a trace of blood from every one of those people... Long Chen thought of a possibility. Had Pill Valley used the Brahma secret realm to extract their blood in order to make the qi flow eruption occur ahead of time, and even at a certain location?
What was their goal in controlling the time and location? Long Chen shivered. Pill Valley seemed to be up to something exceedingly dangerous.
===Chapter 2148===
That blood they had just poured out was composed of the essence blood from billions of different entities. Merging it into the Sovereign seal would dilute the Sovereign’s blood seal, weakening it.
“It really is those bastards from Pill Valley.” Although the two of them had concealed their auras, as a fellow alchemist, he could sense the air of alchemists around them.
“They intentionally drew the qi flow eruption here and are damaging the Sovereign seal. Are they colluding with the Blood race?” Long Chen’s expression was dark.
If that was the case, Pill Valley might be traitors of the human race. But that also felt wrong. Pill Valley had the inheritance of Lord Brahma and Fallen Daynight. Why would they collude with other races? Wouldn’t that be betraying their gods?
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is power. Don’t you want to take advantage of the qi flow eruption? Let’s see if you can.” Long Chen slowly vanished.
Long Chen wasn’t able to stay calm as he left the entrance to the Yin Yang World. Just what was Pill Valley’s goal in doing this? Just how did this benefit them?
If he could obtain proof, he could completely destroy Pill Valley and turn them into the continent’s enemy.
However, Pill Valley had come prepared. There was no evidence for him to use against them.
Whether it was the extraction of people’s essence blood in the Brahma secret realm or their arrangements in front of the Yin Yang World, there was no substantial evidence that would point out that this was done by Pill Valley.
The essence blood extraction in the Brahma secret realm had been extremely stealthy. Even Long Chen had barely sensed it, let alone others.
As for what was happening in front of the Yin Yang World, saying it was done by Pill Valley would just be empty words. Pill Valley wouldn’t admit to it.
== References ==
Category:Pill Valley
Category:Story