Rise of the Alchemy God

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A few minutes earlier, in an area close to where the group was located.

Two figures stood still as they looked ahead.

It was Ethan and Da Shu, who had finally found the group of disciples from their sect.

Seeing the situation they were in, they decided to hide and come up with a plan to rescue them.

Ethan could tell that three of the group were in the Qi Refining stage, with two of them almost at the peak of the stage.

While the other one was stronger, most likely already in the third stage, although he didn't know exactly what level.

He could tell that among the four, that one would be the most problematic to deal with.

The only consolation he had at the moment was that there didn't seem to be anyone else around, so at least they had some chance to attempt a rescue of the group.

Da Shu, too, who was watching the situation unfold, could understand this.

He clearly couldn't gauge precisely how strong their opponents were, but he could at least tell that they were all at a higher level than him.

At that moment, the figure with the highest cultivation base had just removed the rectangular talisman from the object in his hand and was preparing to pull it out from the cloth it was wrapped in.

As soon as he removed a layer of the cloth and the blackish energy began to seep out, Ethan felt a sense of alarm.

He didn't know exactly what that object was, but he could tell it wasn't anything good for them.

Confirming this feeling was the voice of Bai Yu, who, having recovered from her earlier thoughts, spoke at the sight of this scene.

"Whatever your plan is, do it quickly.

That object in that man's hand is emanating a strong cursed aura.

It's probably a cursed object.

I'm not sure what its function is, but from my experience, I can tell you that dealing with a cursed object is never a good thing," she said, warning Ethan of the danger that object posed.

"A cursed object? What is that?" asked Ethan, hearing of this for the first time.

He had an idea of what a curse was, after all, in his world, there were numerous TV shows, anime, or even novels that featured curses, each with their own version.

Having never heard of curses in this world, he wondered if they were the same thing here as well.

In his previous world, curses had never been proven to have any real effect, so they were considered imaginary.

But in this world, where the line between reality and fantasy didn't exist, curses most likely did exist, perhaps not in the form he was used to thinking about.

Bai Yu, hearing Ethan's question, gave him a brief explanation.

She had already noticed that Ethan seemed to lack some basic knowledge that even existed in the mortal realm.

She never asked him why, thinking that everyone had their own circumstances.

For all she knew, Ethan could have lived under a rock his entire life, though that still didn't explain some of the things he created in his sea of consciousness.

"In simple terms, curses are a product of the negative energy released by any living being.

It is also a type of energy, but its effects lead it to be considered harmful to most living beings."

She said, letting Ethan absorb the information.

Then she continued:

"Just like the spiritual energy present in nature, negative energy is also a type of energy.

And just like spiritual energy can be controlled, so can negative energy, through special objects or techniques.

It can be used for various purposes, but most of them are never good, so you should always exercise caution when dealing with curses.

The object in that man's hand is one with a strong curse upon it."

Hearing the explanation, Ethan somewhat understood why Bai Yu had warned him to be careful with that object and to act quickly.

He knew he couldn't waste too much time here and had to find a way to deal with the group of enemies immediately.

As he was deep in thought, a voice came from beside him, interrupting him.

"Hey, I have a plan, but it could be dangerous," said Da Shu, now with a much more serious expression than before.

Curious, Ethan asked what it was.

"I'm sure you can tell that the group ahead is strong, much stronger than the two of us," Da Shu began to explain.

Ethan simply nodded and didn't interrupt.

"Facing them head-on would most likely lead to almost certain death, so we have to opt for a different method of attack."

At these words, Ethan could already guess what his friend was about to propose.

He pulled out a dark green pill from his spatial ring.

Ethan, seeing it, didn't recognize it but could tell it was at least a level 2 pill.

"This is a high-grade level 2 pill," Da Shu said, confirming Ethan's assumption.

"It allows a person to raise their cultivation for a certain period of time.

In my case, if I take it, I could reach the strength of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Once I take it, I'll draw the group's attention while you go save our companions."

Hearing this, Ethan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

But after thinking for a moment, he immediately saw a problem.

There was no way a pill like that didn't have some negative side effects; otherwise, it would be widely used by cultivators.

Ethan knew there were pills capable of providing a small boost in exchange for mild side effects, which most of the time were something manageable.

But this was a different case with Da Shu's pill.

Ethan didn't believe that a pill like this, which apparently allowed someone to have power beyond their cultivation stage, would have only a mild side effect.

He was sure that the consequences of using such a pill would be quite harmful to the person.

"And what are the side effects?" he asked.

"Well, nothing too serious.

At most, I'd be bedridden for a few months," Da Shu said as if it were nothing.

Hearing this, Ethan wanted to kick him.

Clearly, the effects of such a pill were not that mild.

"Are you sure that's all?" Ethan asked with a skeptical tone.

Da Shu wasn't surprised that Ethan would ask this.

A normal person might not think much of it, but for an alchemist, it was different.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hide certain things from his friend.

"Well, maybe a year or two," he said, avoiding Ethan's gaze, but then added,

"But that's fine.

With my talent, it won't be hard to make up for the lost cultivation time.

And don't forget that my family is a merchant family.

Finding medicines to speed up the recovery process won't be difficult for us.

At most, it'll be a bit expensive, but money is not something I lack," he said seriously.

Ethan understood what he meant and knew it wouldn't make sense to try to dissuade him.

The look on his face was one that Ethan knew all too well.

He had already made his decision.

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FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:

Here's today's chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don't hesitate to do so below.

See you tomorrow with another chapter.