Chapter 62 Observing the Daily Life of Alchemy

When Zhong Cai was announcing his number at Shaoling, he couldn't help but glance at his old man, Wu.

Once the spots were decided, many alchemists left the arena, and Zhong Cai hastily packed up his things and jumped off the stage without looking back.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Shaogan arrived at the edge of the arena, opened his arms, and caught Zhong Cai perfectly.

Zhong Cai threw herself at Wu Shaogan, her face beaming with a bright smile.

"Old Wu! Aren't I amazing?"

Wu Shaogan answered matter-of-factly, "You're the best."

The two embraced happily.

Zhong Cai suddenly said, "Old Wu, why don't you pat me?"

Wu Shaogan gently patted his back.

Zhong Cai understood. That made sense. He was too weak. If Lao Wu got excited and didn't control his strength, their joy would turn into sorrow.

After hugging for a short while, Wu Shaogan finally let go of Zhong Cai.

Zhong Cai grabbed his arm and walked out with him.

·

This scene was also witnessed by many cultivators who had been paying attention to the two of them for some time.

The cultivators from the Qiao family surrounded the area, escorting the numerous Qiao family alchemists out.

Some of the Qiao family alchemists on the stands were talking to the alchemists competing in the arena today, some were glancing at the other cultivators who wanted to rush up nearby, and many others were glancing back from time to time.

Qiao Qin looked curiously and asked, "Su Su, what are you looking at?"

Not only Qiao Qin had this question, but other alchemists in the arena also noticed similar actions from their clansmen when they talked to them.

There was nothing to hide, so Qiao Su and the other alchemists on the platform shared their experiences with the top alchemist they had met, supplementing each other's accounts.

Qiao Su added, "I was thinking of going to say hello, but... it doesn't seem like the right time."

The other alchemists in the stands nodded in agreement.

The alchemists in the arena were focused on refining pills, but they never expected to encounter such a formidable opponent.

When they looked over there, they saw the young alchemist happily gesturing to his husband...

That atmosphere was definitely not the right time.

The many alchemists from the Qiao family exchanged glances, deciding it was best to leave first.

Anyway, the final competition will take place in a few days, and that alchemist might come to watch the other alchemists' competition, so there should be a chance.

As Qiao Wen glanced around, she also looked at the alchemists and cultivators from the other two major families.

Sure enough, everyone's reaction was similar.

Every alchemist present today will pay attention to that young alchemist with exceptional alchemy skills.

·

Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan towards the exit.

His performance was highly regarded by many alchemists, which made him even more sought after by the onlookers.

However, Wu Shaogan accompanied Zhong Cai.

The cultivators had long known about Wu Shaogan and understood his strength.

Besides, even if Wu Shaogan wasn't that powerful, they wouldn't go so far as to attack Zhong Cai's husband if they wanted to get closer to her, would they?

Wouldn't that just make us enemies?

Seeing Wu Shaogan protecting Zhong Cai by his side, and his body radiating a subtle sense of vigilance... the cultivators pondered for a moment, but did not want to give up this opportunity.

Later, a powerful and gentle-looking rogue cultivator walked over from the side, cupped his hands in greeting, and politely said, "Please wait a moment, you two."

Zhong Cai turned her head and asked, "Who are you?"

The gentle rogue cultivator immediately said, "Master Zhong, we apologize for disturbing you. We simply wish to inquire whether the pills you refine are for sale?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai glanced around behind him and suddenly realized what was happening.

There were quite a few cultivators looking this way from not far away. Was this guy their chosen spokesperson?

Zhong Cai said directly, "It's for sale."

The gentle, unaffiliated cultivator's face lit up with joy.

"Master Zhong, what is the price of these pills?"

Zhong Cai also directly quoted a price:

"Antidote pills: low grade 600 gold, medium grade 1000 gold, high grade 1500 gold."

"The Snow-Nourishing Pill costs 1,000 for the low grade, 2,000 for the medium grade, and 3,000 for the high grade."

"Jade Marrow Pills: 1,000 for medium grade and 2,000 for high grade."

Upon hearing this price, many cultivators behind the gentle rogue cultivator couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

So expensive!

However, they had already learned about the uses of several kinds of pills, knew the approximate prices of other similar pills, and understood that Master Zhong had not quoted a high price.

It's simply that it's very expensive.

The gentle, unaffiliated cultivator was already mentally prepared, so he asked again, "When will Master Zhong start selling pills? Where should we go..."

Zhong Cai casually interrupted him: "How much do you want?"

The gentle rogue cultivator was taken aback, then overjoyed. Master Zhong was willing to sell right now!

At this moment, Wu Shaogan whispered to Zhong Cai, "Shao Qing also asked."

Zhong Cai certainly still remembered Shao Qing, after all, they had played the old Wu tune together.

So he nodded: "How much does Shao Qing want?"

Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Then you'll have to ask Shao Qing."

At this moment, Shao Qing walked over from the other side.

Shao Qing gave a slight, bitter smile.

Although he had long known that he didn't have much of a presence in the eyes of this couple, he didn't expect it to be this low.

He had been standing next to Wu Shaogan the whole time, but in order not to disturb the couple's intimacy, he didn't go up to them. He just followed them at a distance, waiting for an opportunity to strike up a conversation...

Shao Qing also greeted them: "Master Zhong, Brother Wu."

The gentle rogue cultivator had actually discovered Shao Qing before, but ultimately didn't want to miss the opportunity.

His expression changed slightly at the current situation, and the other cultivators were also somewhat annoyed.

Although the Shao family has many alchemists, they should not have Zhong Danshi's formula... If they also come to compete for the pills, they will probably have no chance, and they also cannot afford to offend the Shao family.

Moreover, Shao Qing was indeed more familiar with Wu Shaogan than they were, and should have been ahead of them in some ways.

At this point, the gentle rogue cultivator could only wait, unable to speak.

·

Zhong Cai then asked Shao Qing directly.

How much do you want?

Shao Qing smiled and said, "Take as many as you have."

The gentle cultivator beside him immediately felt somewhat disheartened.

Zhong Cai thought for a moment, then asked the gentle rogue cultivator, "And you?"

The gentle rogue cultivator was taken aback, and quickly added, "There are many of us, and we all want it."

Zhong Cai's lips twitched slightly.

"Fine, you two can each have half."

Shao Qing was already quite familiar with the two of them, so since Zhong Cai said so, he didn't say anything more.

Then, Zhong took out the refined pills and sold them to each family in half.

Because of the high price, even though the quantity of pills was not large, both sides still had to pay tens of thousands of gold.

Shao Qing was wealthy and paid the bill directly with Xuanzhu.

The gentle rogue cultivator quickly discussed the matter with the other cultivators and swiftly gathered the gold, which he then handed over to Zhong Cai.

Zhong Cai casually put away the Xuanzhu and gold, then pulled Wu Shaogan away.

Shao Qing accompanied them out.

Behind them, the gentle cultivators were distributing the pills.

One cultivator remarked, "Master Zhong is quite easy to talk to."

The other cultivators also laughed:

"Master Zhong's alchemy skills are superb, and the quality of his pills is always excellent, which is why he doesn't seem to care."

"Don't be fooled by how easy-going Master Zhong is; her husband is not so easy to talk to."

"It's only because we're all relatively honest, otherwise..."

Regardless, most of these cultivators managed to purchase the pills.

The purpose of this trip has been achieved.

·

As Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan out, she undoubtedly forgot about Shao Qing again.

Shao Qing put away the pills, quite used to it.

Upon reaching the door, Shao Qingcai said, "You two—"

Zhong Cai was startled.

Shao Qing: "..."

Zhong Cai couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Shao Qing's expression.

"Senior Shao, I'm sorry, is there anything else?"

Shao Qing said, "I just wanted to take my leave."

Zhong Cai then bid him farewell.

Shao Qing then said, "...I have another request, though it may be difficult for you."

Zhong Cai said with a smile, "There's no need to be so polite, please speak frankly, senior."

Shao Qing said directly, "I would like to order some pills from Master Zhong."

Zhong Cai realized that a money-making opportunity had come knocking.

He readily asked, "What kind of pills? How many do you want?"

Shao Qing was delighted to hear this, and then tentatively asked, "Besides the three kinds of pills given today, does Master Zhong have any else...?"

Zhong Cai didn't hide anything: "Golden Cauldron Pill, Ganoderma Cloud Pill, Palace-Opening Pill."

Shao Qing looked shocked.

Although I guessed that Master Zhong should have other things he could refine, I didn't expect there to be as many as three!

He underestimated Master Zhong Dan!

Master Zhong didn't demonstrate today, could it be... that these three are not familiar to him?

Even so, it was still extremely impressive for someone of Master Zhong's age.

·

Seeing Shao Qing standing there in a daze, Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "Brother Shao?"

Shao Qing immediately came to her senses and realized that she had kept them waiting for too long.

He didn't want to ruin their relationship.

Shao Qing didn't hesitate: "I need all six kinds of pills, the more the better."

Zhong Cai: "Alright, leave me a way to contact you. I'll give you as many as I can refine before I leave."

Shao Qing quickly took out a palm-sized seashell.

Zhong Cai took it.

Shao Qing explained, "This item is unique to my Shao family. As long as Master Zhong is still in Jade Dragon City, he can make a call by opening this item and calling out my name."

Zhong Cai nodded, opened the seashell to take a look, and felt something was amiss.

A "phone" limited to the same city...

It's quite interesting.

Zhong Cai casually asked, "The Bai family and the Qiao family must have similar ones, right?"

Shao Qing sized up Zhong Cai and, seeing his nonchalant attitude, replied, "Yes, there is."

But he didn't say what it was.

Then, Shao Qing took his leave of the two.

Zhong Cai responded quite politely.

After Shao Qing left, Wu Shaogan glanced to the right and asked, "What are you still standing there for?"

Zhong Cai followed Wu Shaogan's gaze.

It was Xia Jiang carrying Wu Dongxiao on his back as they walked over.

Wu Dongxiao called out, "Uncle, Uncle Zhong."

Zhong Cai immediately laughed: "It's you two, here to watch me refine pills?"

Wu Dongxiao nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"Uncle Zhong's alchemy skills are amazing; none of them can match him."

Although Wu Dongxiao didn't quite understand it, he could see very clearly when the numbers were counted at the end—Uncle Zhong's box contained more pills than the other alchemists, by quite a lot.

Wu Shaogan could tell that Wu Dongxiao's praise was sincere, and his expression softened slightly.

Zhong Cai was quite pleased: "You have a good eye, kid!"

Wu Dongxiao smiled and said, "I'm just telling the truth."

Zhong Cai was in a good mood.

Wu Shaogan then called Wu Dongxiao and Xia Jiang to go back together.

·

That evening, the alchemists and cultivators from various schools were reviewing the miscellaneous knowledge they had encountered during the day.

In the competition among the three miscellaneous disciplines of weaponry, array formations, and talismans, nothing unexpected happened at any level.

All the practitioners of miscellaneous knowledge who were compared were of similar levels.

In the final selection, the three top families will together account for more than 80% of the spots, and each family will have roughly the same number of spots.

Therefore, the discussion mainly revolved around Zhong Cai.

Zhong Cai was the only exception.

A highly talented alchemist whose origins are unknown.

The alchemists who hadn't seen Zhong Cai's refining techniques and the medicinal materials he used during the day studied them with their clansmen. When they were unsure, they would consult higher-level alchemists.

Each of the major families has one level-five alchemist and a handful of level-four alchemists.

These alchemists often had their own lineages, but none of them possessed the three elixir formulas refined by Zhong Cai.

I'd heard of the Detoxification Pill and the Snow-Nourishing Pill before, but the Jade Marrow Pill was completely unheard of.

However, level four and five alchemists are experienced and can explain some techniques to them by listening to the stories of many other alchemists.

Many alchemists also benefited greatly from this.

After several high-level alchemists from different families gave their explanations, they all used similar words to ridicule the younger generation.

"You've always been so focused on comparing yourselves with the other two alchemists, never really winning or losing, and you're all so unaware of each other's superiority. Now that you've been suppressed by an outsider alchemist, have you finally realized that your alchemy skills are inadequate?"

While embarrassed, the younger generation of alchemists were also spurred on and devoted themselves even more diligently to studying alchemy...

·

Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan lay side by side on the bed, chatting idly.

Wu Shaogan thought for a moment, then pulled Zhong Cai close and massaged his back and arms.

Although Zhong Cai was always very diligent in refining pills, the time he spent refining them each day was fixed, usually five or six hours.

Eight hours straight today, must be quite tiring.

Zhong Cai leaned lazily against Wu Shaogan, feeling very comfortable.

"Old Wu, your cooking is pretty good."

Wu Shaogan chuckled and said, "I'll just give you a massage today."

Zhong Cai immediately opened her eyes wide and rubbed her head against Wu Shaogan's chest.

"Old Wu! No! Why only today?"

"I'll be comparing again in a few days, and it'll definitely be even more tiring than it is now!"

"I'll be refining pills every day from now on, which will be very tiring."

"It can't just happen once. You've already done it to me. You have to do it again in the future."

“Old Wu…”

Wu Shaogan was just joking, but when Wu rubbed against him like that, he quickly pressed Wu's head down.

"Okay, okay, I'll give you a massage if you ask me to."

"Stop fooling around, go to sleep early."

Zhong Cai hummed and mumbled, then closed her eyes again.

As drowsiness crept in, Zhong Cai mumbled, "Old Wu, do you want to go and compete in making talismans...?"

Wu Shaogan slowly massaged Zhong Cai's back and softly replied, "No, thank you."

Zhong Cai said "Oh," and then asked, "Are you tired? I'll give you a massage too..."

Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "No need, I haven't used up much energy, you go to sleep."

Zhong Cai let out another "oh," her eyelids grew even heavier, and she had already fallen asleep.

Wu Shaogan's movements didn't stop; instead, he became even more meticulous.

Zhong Cai also slept even more soundly.

Wu Shaogan only stopped when he felt he had done enough.

Zhong Cai nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly.

Wu Shaogan didn't move away from him, but simply wrapped his arms around his waist and closed his eyes to sleep.

·

Zhong Cai stayed in bed late in the morning.

Wu Shaogan didn't urge him; instead, he stayed with him and lingered.

After lying down for a while, Zhong Cai said lazily, "The miscellaneous skills competition for selecting participants will be held in three days."

Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Want to go see it?"

Zhong Cai nodded and said, "I'm too lazy to move."

Wu Shaogan poked him.

Zhong Cai was poked, but she still didn't move.

Wu Shaogan understood and couldn't help but chuckle: "I'll carry you across."

Zhong Cai immediately opened her eyes wide, her expression sparkling.

Wu Shaogan walked to the bedside and leaned down slightly: "Come here."

Zhong Cai cheered, flipped herself up, and pounced on him!

Wu Shaogan lifted him up and carried him on his back.

Zhong Cai lay on Wu Shaogan's back, looking much better and no longer lazy.

"Let's go! Old Wu! Let's set off!"

Wu Shaogan felt helpless, yet also somewhat amused.

Then, carrying Zhong Cai on his back, he slowly walked out the door.

·

Outside the room, Xiang Lin and the others had already gotten up.

Bichen and Qiaohong don't usually show their faces, but they always prepare breakfast on time so that their two masters can have it whenever they want.

At this time, the servants, attendants, and guards all had their own tasks to do.

After seeing Wu Shaogan carrying Zhong Cai out, they didn't go up to say anything.

In a room on the side, Wu Dongxiao, who had already woken up, was looking out the window.

...and then I saw my uncle carrying Uncle Zhong on his back, walking out affectionately.

Wu Dongxiao silently lay back down.

No rush to go out, huh?

Seeing this, Xia Jiang also stayed inside.

·

Wu Shaogan carried Zhong Cai out of the guest courtyard.

Zhong Cai whispered to him.

Both of them were oblivious to their surroundings.

Most of the cultivators living in the surrounding guest courtyards also get up very early, and these days they have all been going to the Dragon Fighting Arena to watch.

At that moment, they witnessed this scene.

Unlike the previous few days, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan had become famous in their respective fields. The neighboring cultivators were originally happy that they happened to live nearby and would occasionally bump into the two of them...

Now that we've indeed encountered this situation, it's inconvenient to disturb you.

The neighboring cultivators were speechless for a moment, still hesitating whether to go over and say hello, when the two had already walked away.

Zhong Cai didn't notice any of this; she was focused on talking to her husband, Lao Wu.

"Let's go watch the alchemy today, and pick a secluded spot."

"Let me see how many of these formulas match mine!"

"If I manage to match them, I might even learn some techniques, so I can avoid pitfalls when I'm refining pills myself someday..."

"If you have any questions, just ask me!"

"If I don't understand either... then don't ask."

Wu Shaogan listened with a smile, and when he heard "Don't ask," he bounced Zhong Cai upside down.

Zhong Cai exclaimed "Hey!" and reached out to rub Wu Shaogan's face.

Wu Shaogan did not resist, but he bounced around a few times.

Zhong Cai: "..."

·

As the two walked toward the Dragon Battle Arena, they were met with countless stares.

But neither of them cared; they just watched.

Upon arriving at the Dragon Fighting Arena, Wu Shaogan followed Zhong Cai's suggestion and went to the corner between the two stands.

It's a rather narrow place with an average view; it's quite remote.

Wu Shaogan put Zhong Cai down.

Zhong Cai's feet didn't even touch the ground before she happily settled down.

"Old Wu, please sit down!"

Zhong Cai reached out and pulled Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan sat down to his left.

When Zhong Cai saw that no one could get in on her right and that Lao Wu was blocking her left, she immediately felt very safe.

He couldn't help but praise, "Old Wu! You found a great spot!"

Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "Of course."

Zhong Cai was delighted and started chatting excitedly with him again.

·

Their seats were off to the side, and Wu Shaogan deliberately concealed his aura and used his body to block Zhong Cai, making them even more hidden.

Many people gradually arrived at the stands, with alchemists and cultivators in groups, creating a lively atmosphere.

Many cultivators wanted to get close to those alchemists, but the alchemists' clansmen and companions always managed to stop them.

Zhong Cai leaned against Wu Shaogan, watching the commotion, and found it quite interesting.

There were also some alchemists and cultivators looking around, as if they were looking for someone.

There were just too many people, and everyone just sat down disappointed.

·

Not long after, Shao Ling appeared on the ring.

The second alchemist competition has begun.

The rules were no different from yesterday, and the process was very quick.

In just a short while, 150 second-level alchemists started their furnaces, and the aroma of countless medicinal herbs wafted out.

Zhong Cai also quieted down, pressing down on Wu Shaogan's arm, and watched the alchemists' techniques with great interest.

Wu Shaogan let him hold him down.

However, he didn't watch the alchemist refine pills closely. Instead, he followed Zhong Cai's gaze and occasionally glanced at Zhong Cai's expression.

Zhong Cai's emotions changed rapidly.

As Wu Shaogan watched, a smile appeared on his face.

·

The number of license plates for the second day will start from "151".

Zhong Cai started by looking at this account and observing the techniques of the blue-robed alchemist.

The blue-robed alchemist is processing medicinal herbs.

His movements were still swift; he was using a small knife to cut open a fist-sized precious herb and extract the essence that resembled soft flesh.

The process of refining something yourself is very different from watching others refine it. After watching for a while, Zhong Cai became a little anxious.

"Ouch, why are you poking it like that! You have to use gentle force with this thing, pry it from the right side!"

"Right, right, right..."

"It's over, it's ruined."

Zhong Cai muttered to herself, then sighed.

Wu Shaogan saw it clearly, just as A Cai had said.

When the blue-robed alchemist pried open the soft flesh from the middle, the tip of his knife pierced into it. In that instant, the soft flesh changed from a translucent white to a dark bluish-green, and a small amount of viscous fluid spurted out.

The blue-robed alchemist reluctantly tossed the soft flesh aside.

Next, he took out the second precious medicine and picked it out in the same way.

Zhong Cai looked at the discarded precious medicine with a pang of heartache and said softly, "This thing costs three hundred gold coins a piece. If we keep using this method, we won't be able to pry off a whole one even if we use ten or eight pieces."

Wu Shaogan asked in a low voice, "A-Cai, can you tell me about this? I've never seen it before."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai felt relieved.

Although he felt it was a pity to waste the precious medicine, it wasn't his money after all, and it was more important to explain it to his old man, Wu.

Wu Shaogan noticed that A Cai's mood had improved, and couldn't help but smile.

Zhong Cai explained in detail: "This is the root of the Thousand Horned Wood, and the soft flesh in the middle is the Horned Wood Essence. Apart from the essence, the part of that root is neither poisonous nor medicinal. It can be put into the alchemy furnace as a whole, but it will take more time to melt the essence, and the useless parts will become impurities, affecting the quality of the finished pill."

"Therefore, alchemists will process this thing in advance and extract the hornwood essence."

Wu Shaogan asked, "Will prying it open from the middle cause changes in the drug's properties?"

Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "The main thing is that this thing must be kept intact. It's easily bumped, but even the slightest bump won't do."

Wu Shaogan looked at him curiously.

Zhong Cai said, "The middle part is very difficult to apply force to. If your fingers are not precise, it will break. But if you pry it from the right side, you can cut along the side of the tuber. There is a small stem there. Even if you don't apply force precisely, it can block the tip of the knife. After prying out the essence, you should hold the small stem and place it on the alchemy furnace."

Wu Shaogan listened attentively.

Zhong Cai was very interested: "When the fire in the alchemy furnace is steaming, the small stem will naturally fall off when it encounters the fire, and the essence will fall into the alchemy furnace. As long as we grasp the timing of this falling off, the essence of the horned wood will be used in medicine very accurately."

Wu Shaogan nodded: "So, precisely because the blue-robed alchemist doesn't know this technique, he wastes a lot of time processing medicinal herbs."

Zhong Cai nodded: "Yes. Unless you have a mastery of your strength, it's basically a matter of luck how many times you can successfully pry out the Horned Wood Spirit by poking it through the middle."

At this point, Zhong Cai glanced at the blue-robed alchemist and nudged Wu Shaogan.

“Look.”

Wu Shaogan indeed saw it; in the short time the two were talking, the blue-robed cultivator had already pierced four tubers.

Even though level-two alchemists are usually quite wealthy, the blue-robed cultivator looked both anxious and pained.

Wu Shaogan said, "Since you're not confident about this medicinal herb, why not try a different prescription?"

Zhong Cai pondered, "Perhaps he only knows three level-two prescriptions. In order not to lose half his score, he used the least confident one first when he was in the best condition?"

Wu Shaogan thought for a moment: "Perhaps."

Zhong Cai added, "But he failed several times, and there are time constraints in alchemy, so he will probably change the formula at the appropriate time."

Wu Shaogan nodded: "Perhaps."

·

Just as the two had guessed, the blue-robed alchemist tried three or five more times, but decided to give up first.

After all, the number of spots is more important. If you're not in a good mood right now, you might as well try something you're good at.

Next, the blue-robed alchemist replaced the herbs with other ones and quickly prepared the medicine.

This time it went much more smoothly.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the blue-robed alchemist had prepared most of the medicinal herbs.

With the furnace blazing, he threw in a large number of medicinal herbs and, estimating the time, prepared other medicinal herbs.

Soon, the medicinal herbs arrived one after another.

The blue-robed alchemist manipulated the wood and fire, his previous anxiety gone, replaced by a confident demeanor.

·

Zhong Cai smiled and said, "This is the Palace-Opening Pill."

Wu Shaogan recognized them as well; he had processed all the medicinal herbs.

Zhong Cai was very familiar with this elixir, and as he looked at it, he started talking about the timing and method of preparing it.

Wu Shaogan was quite familiar with the alchemist. Even though he himself didn't know how to refine pills, he was still able to point out the flaws in the blue-robed alchemist's technique and discuss them with Zhong Cai.

Both of them were in a very good mood.

Zhong Cai suddenly said, "Old Wu, let's guess how many pills he can produce, and what their quality will be?"

Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow and said, "My grasp of the drug's effects is certainly not as precise as yours, which is unfair to me."

Zhong Cai snorted: "Where is it unfair? Your cultivation level is so much higher than mine, and you're so far away. I can't hear the pills colliding inside the furnace, but you can hear it clearly."

Wu Shao chuckled and admitted defeat: "My mistake. Then let's have a competition to see who is more accurate."

Zhong Cai was finally satisfied.

·

The blue-robed alchemist was unaware that a married couple had used his pill-producing abilities to make a bet.

He was completely focused on manipulating the fire and carefully observing the condition of the medicinal herbs in the furnace.

Gradually, the medicinal liquid mixed smoothly.

The blue-robed cultivator felt a slight joy in his heart.

This feeling was consistent with every time he had successfully produced a pill in the past.

If nothing unexpected happens, the number of pills produced will be quite good...

·

Time continued to move forward.

The fragrance of elixirs gradually filled the alchemy furnace of the blue-robed cultivator.

Finally, the refining process is nearing its end!

The alchemy furnace trembled slightly, and the condensed pills inside collided repeatedly.

Wu Shaogan listened intently.

Zhong Cai listened intently... and indeed, with his level of understanding, he couldn't hear very clearly.

However, Zhong Cai has her own method of judgment.

He had a good understanding of the extent to which the blue-robed alchemist processed the medicinal materials and his control over the alchemy furnace.

It's just that I can't hear clearly and can't be sure of my judgment.

·

Wu Shaogan suddenly spoke up: "Collect the pills."

Zhong Cai's eyes brightened as he looked at the alchemy furnace.

The two spoke almost simultaneously.

Wu Shaogan: "Produced five pills, three of which were of low grade and two of medium grade."

Zhong Cai also said, "Five pills will be produced, three of which will be taken..."

etc.

The two locked eyes.

Zhong Cai: "Our judgments are the same."

Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "That makes it a draw."

Both of them felt that their answers were so consistent that the results were probably accurate.

·

As expected.

The blue-robed alchemist quickly took out the pills and put them into a nearby box.

There were five pills, and their quality was as the two of them had guessed.

·

Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan and couldn't help but say, "Old Wu, you're something else."

Wu Shaogan said modestly, "A-Cai taught us very well."

Zhong Cai said smugly, "That's true."

Wu Shaogan smiled immediately.

·

The two have always enjoyed making bets.

Since the blue-robed cultivators were evenly matched, their gazes turned to the area where the other alchemists were located.

Zhong Cai mainly observed the alchemists' techniques, explaining them to Wu Shaogan as she watched.

Wu Shaogan is very willing to learn about these things; the more he knows, the more topics he will have to talk about with A-Cai.

Zhong Cai was the same.

He usually spends time explaining alchemy to Old Wu, cultivates with Old Wu, asks Old Wu for guidance in his training, and even watches Old Wu make talismans...

That's why the two of them always have so much to talk about.

·

At this moment, the two were betting on a yellow-robed alchemist.

The alchemist made a mistake while processing a certain medicinal herb.

This error may affect the efficacy of the medicine, or it may be corrected by the alchemist in the following steps.

So, it's possible that the oven will explode or not.

Wu Shaogan gambled and the stove exploded.

Zhong Cai bets on the furnace not exploding.

With the production of this batch of pills nearing completion, the question of whether to detonate them or not is now at hand!

After a breath, a dull thud came from the alchemy furnace.

The yellow-robed alchemist immediately took action, his fingers forming hand seals in a dazzling display, while simultaneously adding other medicinal herbs...

The muffled sounds from the alchemy furnace gradually subsided.

The sound of countless pills colliding rang out.

Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan with a smug expression.

Wu Shao chuckled dryly and made a gesture of conceding defeat.

After half a cup of tea, the alchemist in yellow robes took out the pills.

There was only one, a low-grade pill.

The yellow-robed alchemist's face was full of disappointment, but compared to the furnace exploding, he figured he might as well get one out.

Wu Shao chuckled dryly and asked, "If the condensed pills are all substandard and shatter upon impact, without producing a single pill... then who wins, you or me?"

Zhong Cai said matter-of-factly, "We're betting on whether it will explode or not. As long as it doesn't explode, I win."

·

The two then made a bet based on the pill-producing results of several alchemists.

All alchemists produce pills at different speeds, and they may not be able to gamble only once per hour.

Once a choice is made, sometimes the situations of several alchemists will be put together for a bet.

Zhong Cai was a professional in alchemy.

Even though Wu Shaogan was very perceptive and could easily sense the general situation inside the alchemy furnace, he still lacked the ability to judge the medicinal properties.

Naturally, in each bet, it either ended in a tie or Zhong Cai won.

As the number of bets increased, Zhong Cai's expression became increasingly smug.

Wu Shaogan looked at him with smugness, yet also found him quite adorable.

·

Before we knew it, several hours had passed.

Zhong Cai could see that the alchemists on the stage all showed obvious signs of fatigue.

The alchemists had already taken pills to replenish their profound energy several times, but they were still struggling to keep up.

More and more alchemists are exploding their furnaces.

As time went on, many alchemists produced fewer and fewer pills.

Zhong Cai was a little puzzled.

Although he felt very tired when he refined pills, the number of pills he produced almost never decreased... The more times he opened the furnace, the more pills he produced, and the better their quality would be.

Wu Shaogan also noticed this and naturally saw Zhong Cai's doubts.

He smiled and said softly, "Talent."

·

Although Zhong Cai always boasted proudly, Wu Shaogan felt that his wife, A Cai, didn't understand him well enough.

Wu Shaogan could see that A Cai had a very high sensitivity to various medicinal materials and could easily judge how much of the medicinal properties each material still retained.

Many alchemists' furnace explosions are not necessarily due to operational errors; often, it's because the medicinal properties of the herbs they use are insufficient.

Some alchemical formulas require the use of rare herbs that have been used for thirty years, and many alchemists naturally followed these instructions.

However, even though they are all rare medicinal herbs that have been grown for thirty years, the medicinal properties of those grown in the wild, in different environments, or cultivated by various forces vary slightly depending on the circumstances.

Many alchemists cannot distinguish this difference, or their judgment is not accurate enough.

But his wife, A-Cai, is different.

Given the same choice of a 30-year-old rare herb, A-Cai could immediately tell how much was appropriate and choose to add a little more herbs or cut off parts of the herbs.

Moreover, this instinct continued to grow stronger as A-Cai continued to refine elixirs.

Wu Shaogan also recalled things from the past.

In fact, this talent didn't suddenly appear after Acai summoned the altar.

·

When the two were young, they went out to gain experience. Wu Shaogan went hunting, while Zhong Cai went to the vicinity to pick medicinal herbs and scavenge for scraps in the nooks and crannies.

Zhong Cai never made a mistake when picking herbs, and each time she picked herbs, they were always intact.

Wu Shaogan didn't have many opportunities to meet Zhong Cai. He noticed that Zhong Cai picked medicinal herbs very smoothly, so he assumed that Zhong Cai had learned how to do it at the Zhong family.

In fact, Zhong Cai had never systematically studied medicinal herbs.

It wasn't until after their marriage that Wu Shaogan learned from Zhong Cai's casual remark that he had mostly acted on instinct.

Zhong Cai did read some books about medicinal herbs at the Zhong family's house, but those books were for cultivators, simply telling them what medicinal herbs could be used and how to identify them.

How can we better preserve their medicinal properties during harvesting?

There was absolutely no introduction.

Zhong Cai was able to handle things smoothly every time because of her intuition.

This was actually evident very early on; Zhong Cai was indeed talented.

After Zhong Cai summoned the altar, he immediately chose to refine pills. Besides the fact that alchemists indeed held the highest status and pills were the most lucrative, his own instincts probably told him that he would achieve great things in this field.