The pride of Kunyun City, Wu Shaoqian, had been crippled! Not only had he fallen from the clouds to the mud overnight, but his soul had also been dispersing, on the verge of death.
Feeling em...
Chapter 63 is the final chapter.
Zhong Cai listened blankly as his husband, Lao Wu, recounted the past before slowly coming to his senses and looking at his own hands.
It seems... that's really the case?
When he used to pick various medicinal herbs, he never thought that he could be so successful so easily.
But now that I think about it, it does seem that it did require some technical skills.
Zhong Cai hissed.
Wu Shaogan turned his head to look at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai smiled broadly and said, "I'm just that amazing!"
Wu Shaogan couldn't resist ruffling his hair twice.
·
On the arena, numerous alchemists were still competing.
More and more people are getting their ovens fried.
Many alchemists had to sit cross-legged and regulate their breathing, carefully reviewing their mistakes, while meticulously cleaning the alchemy furnace and pondering the method for refining the next batch of pills.
Some alchemists turned pale, and defensive formations flickered around them, barely managing to block the raging fire that burst forth from the furnace.
Some alchemists made mistakes in refining pills, spewing out bursts of poisonous smoke—if it weren't for the rapid activation of the defensive formation, the alchemists would probably have been caught off guard and inhaled the poisonous smoke, making them completely unable to compete.
·
Zhong Cai carefully observed the alchemists' refining process.
How the various medicinal materials react inside the alchemy furnace is invisible, but he can compare the methods the alchemists used to process the medicinal materials with what he knows.
As Zhong Cai looked at it, he sighed softly, "Old Wu, my lineage is very complete."
Wu Shaogan nodded.
He also noticed that every time the alchemist was dealing with a problem, A-Cai could either anticipate the other person's method or point out a simpler one.
It is evident that what those alchemists on the stage can do, his A-Cai can also do; and what those alchemists handle in a rougher way, his A-Cai can handle in a more refined way.
Moreover, his daughter A-Cai also knew all the formulas that the alchemist on stage knew.
·
Accompanying treasures may not necessarily bring inheritance to cultivators. Many cultivators must seek out cultivation techniques from various forces and through external training.
The same applies to the transmission of miscellaneous knowledge.
Broadly speaking, they can be categorized into exquisite, ordinary, and incomplete.
Whether exquisite or ordinary, most of them still reflect the miscellaneous knowledge level of the cultivators who left behind this legacy.
·
Take alchemy, for example.
Zhong Cai received a fairly comprehensive inheritance from the altar; he could obtain almost any aspect he wanted.
The explanations for each aspect are very detailed, the number of pill formulas is quite large, and there are many refining techniques that can be used. Each formula is also presented in a simple and efficient manner.
Even so, the pill formulas he possessed were only at levels one to five.
This is a very exquisite inheritance, but it also has limitations.
It's also possible that because the altar is very special, the collected alchemical techniques obviously come from multiple schools, and the essence has been selected.
So even with its limitations, it is still a top-notch inheritance.
Moreover, the altar can be upgraded.
The upgrade should bring even more inheritance.
·
Other alchemists might have even more variations.
The alchemists who summon the alchemy furnace usually bring along some alchemy recipes.
These prescriptions include the medicinal materials to be used, the refining methods, the required heat, the reactions at each stage, and so on.
The more exquisite something is, the more detailed it is; the more ordinary something is, the rougher it is.
Moreover, there are also prescriptions that are incomplete—for example, they may only contain the medicinal ingredients and not the others, or even the number of medicinal ingredients may be incomplete.
Therefore, these alchemists not only had to study their own lineage, but also had to obtain alchemical texts from other places for comparison, or seek help from their own factions to learn more about other lineages left by their predecessors.
If a certain alchemical formula is not available in any organization and cannot be obtained outside, and the alchemist still wants to study it, then they must rely on themselves to try and complete it multiple times.
This leads to a rather interesting phenomenon—
Several alchemists studied an incomplete elixir formula, and then they each completed it, resulting in many new elixir formulas with similar medicinal effects.
It's even possible that a skilled alchemist might create a formula with completely opposite effects.
·
It is extremely rare for an alchemist who has not summoned a pill furnace to possess a companion treasure that also brings alchemy skills.
Therefore, they mostly seek out their own lineage and so on.
Some people learn from the experiences of others, while others often need to summarize their own experiences.
·
In addition, alchemists do not necessarily follow the instructions in the tradition completely. Some alchemists with exceptional talent will come up with more appropriate methods when studying the formulas, which will become their own unique techniques.
Countless alchemists received the inheritance, comprehended it on their own, supplemented the inheritance, and left it behind... and then the inheritance was passed on to future generations.
As time flows by, countless traditions have been lost for various reasons, while countless new traditions have emerged.
And so it goes.
·
When Zhong Cai began explaining alchemy, he lowered his voice.
"Someone else is refining the Golden Cauldron Pill today, but their method is different from mine."
"If the timing of adding medicinal herbs is wrong, there will be more impurities."
"Look, there are only four low-grade ones."
Wu Shaogan nodded and said in a low voice, "Is it because the concentration wasn't high enough after adding the herbal juice?"
Zhong Cai's eyes lit up, and she praised, "Yes! Two more breaths would be just right."
Wu Shaogan asked curiously, "Is it because it wasn't clearly written in his legacy?"
Zhong Cai pondered, "The degree of concentration depends on the alchemist's own judgment..."
Wu Shaogan understood: "I'm not sure."
Zhong Cai nodded.
Soon, Zhong Cai pointed to the alchemy furnace of a girl in a yellow dress.
Wu Shaogan looked over and said, "The alchemist from the Qiao family."
Zhong Cai said, "She is refining the Spring Sunshine Pill."
Wu Shaogan: "Healing pills?"
Zhong Cai hummed in agreement and then said, "But its medicinal properties are inferior to Zhiyun Dan, and there are also significant differences in the medicinal materials used."
Wu Shaogan guessed, "Is it a common elixir formula?"
Zhong Cai laughed and said, "That's right! It should be because after comparing it with Zhiyun Pill, Zhiyun Pill is the best in all aspects, so it was picked out. In addition, there are several other healing pills in the ordinary prescriptions."
As he spoke, he pointed to several more alchemy furnaces.
Wu Shaogan looked over and saw that the medicinal materials brought by the alchemists were all very similar.
Zhong Cai understood his meaning and explained directly: "Similar prescriptions are mostly derived from the same type of pill prescription."
Wu Shaogan expressed his understanding and then asked, "Among these healing pills, is Zhiyun Pill the most difficult to make?"
Zhong Cai shook his head: "If it were the most difficult, there would be more than just this one recipe." He added, "The other recipes are also of different difficulties. Some are only slightly easier than Zhiyun Pill, some are about the same, and some are several times more difficult."
Wu Shaogan: "Where is this Spring Breeze Pill?"
Zhong Cai said, "It's relatively simple."
The two stopped making bets and instead chatted casually.
·
Shao Qing also came today.
Upon entering, he didn't see Zhong Cai and her husband at first and thought they hadn't come.
But after searching carefully, Shao Qing did find the person.
In the corner.
Shao Qing understood perfectly and naturally wouldn't go over to bother them.
Moreover, he himself wasn't very interested in alchemy; the only reason he was able to stay up all day yesterday was because he wanted to befriend the Wu Shaogan couple.
Shao Qing left after watching for only a short time.
·
The area of Master Qiao Jiadan.
Qiao Su stared at Qiao Wen on the ring.
Qiao Wen played today, and she will play tomorrow.
While Qiao Wen was focused on refining pills, Qiao Su felt that there was nothing wrong with her technique, so she was not in a hurry and looked around.
Qiao Su is looking for Zhong Cai.
She was a rather stubborn person; even though she didn't see him at first glance, she still insisted on searching everywhere.
Finally, Qiao Su saw Wu Shaogan.
I also saw a glimpse of Zhong Cai's image.
Qiao Su hesitated for a moment.
She really wanted to go and ask for advice, but since they weren't familiar with each other, it would be too presumptuous.
Qiao Su remained silent, glancing over there every now and then.
Upon closer inspection, she vaguely noticed that when Wu Shaogan occasionally moved his lips to speak, his mouth movements seemed to be related to alchemy.
Qiao Su looked at it carefully.
That's true.
Could Wu Shaogan also be an alchemist?
But soon after, Josu denied the speculation herself.
Alchemists are different from ordinary cultivators. The more times they produce pills, the more strange auras will accumulate on their bodies.
This aura is ethereal and elusive, but some skilled alchemists can sense it.
Qiao Su had sensed it.
This aura was very evident in Zhong Cai.
As for Wu Shaogan... he had none at all.
·
Qiao Su thought for a moment, then left without leaving a trace.
Then, she carefully sat down behind Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan.
Qiao Su made almost no sound, simply watching the fight on the stage quietly.
At the same time, she also overheard some whispers between the two people ahead.
Zhong Cai used the alchemists who were competing as examples to explain to Wu Shaogan one after another.
Many of the things were things she had never heard of before.
Qiao Su was secretly a little envious.
She could gain a lot from just a few words.
This alchemist, Zhong, is of unknown origin, yet the lineage he has mastered is truly exquisite…
As Qiao Su was reflecting on her feelings, she suddenly froze.
Zhong Cai spoke for a while, and seemed to be a little thirsty.
Wu Shaogan then took out a fruit and put it in his mouth.
The fruit is juicy and a good size.
Zhong Cai chewed it up in a few bites.
Qiao Su: "..."
·
After Zhong Cai finished eating one, she grabbed several more from Wu Shaogan's hand and ate them all, which quenched her thirst.
Then, he smiled at Wu Shaogan and gestured to the back.
Zhong Cai had already noticed that a woman from the Qiao family had appeared behind them at some point, seemingly listening to their conversation.
Although the other party did not make any noise, the changes in her breathing were very clear—every time he talked about the techniques of processing medicinal materials, her breathing would be calm one moment and turbulent the next.
Wu Shaogan didn't notice.
After all, Qiao Su had no ill intentions towards them, and his attention was entirely on Zhong Cai.
At this moment, Wu Shaogan heard Zhong Cai say this and asked in his eyes—get rid of him?
Zhong Cai was taken aback, then smiled and shook her head – there’s no need for that.
Wu Shaogan knew that Zhong Cai didn't care and that the other party had listened to the explanation, so he didn't react.
However, he had his own plans.
I'll have to spend some more Xuanzhu to summon Dao soldiers later.
It's okay to spend more money, but it's better to hire more helpers.
Those bronze-armored soldiers from before, they've all been trained to their peak condition by now...
·
Zhong Cai really didn't care much.
For alchemists, specific formulas are kept secret, but many techniques can be shared.
Even if the Qiao family woman discovered the exquisite nature of his inheritance, she wouldn't resort to any overt forceful seizure. For such a large family as the Qiao family to be vying for a top-grade item would be too shameful.
Moreover, the supervisors are watching during the product selection process.
So, at most, the Qiao family thought a few of his prescriptions were good and wanted to buy them from him.
...As long as the price is right, I'll buy it.
No matter how good a formula is, it will look different in the hands of different alchemists.
The Qiao family couldn't steal his business at all.
·
Qiao Suzhen just wanted to learn more.
Of course, she felt a little embarrassed, but...
Master Zhong Dan did not intend to hide anything.
So she listened without disturbing them...
·
Another day has passed.
Shao Ling went up on stage to inspect the alchemy work for the day and reported the number of thirty license plates.
The alchemists had different expressions, but those who had secured a spot all felt relieved.
Everything is the same as yesterday.
Seeing that the two people in front were about to leave, Qiao Su quickly called out, "Please wait, you two!"
Zhong Cai turned her head away.
Qiao Su sensed that the powerful aura of invincible enlightenment was waiting to be unleashed, seemingly observing her reaction and ready at any moment.
She suddenly became a little nervous and almost blurted it out.
"I am very grateful for the many guidances I have received from Master Zhong today, and therefore I would like to prepare a small feast to express my gratitude to both of you."
Qiao Su was indeed quite grateful—as she listened, she realized that the two people in front of her must have noticed her eavesdropping so closely. Yet, they didn't stop her in the end; they were truly a kind and considerate couple.
So she quickly extended an invitation, thinking it was a good opportunity to make friends.
Zhong Cai's lips twitched slightly as she glanced at the sky.
This alchemist from the Qiao family seems rather simple-minded.
Qiao Su also glanced at the sky and suddenly felt her face flush.
The arena was brightly lit, making her momentarily forget that it was already past midnight.
They're a loving couple, who has time to listen to her gratitude?!
Qiao Su was immediately embarrassed and stood there awkwardly.
Zhong Cai waved her hand and said casually, "I didn't mean to tell you, Miss Qiao, don't worry about it. Let's go back."
Qiao Su opened her mouth, wanting to express her gratitude a few more times.
However……
She watched helplessly as Zhong Danshi jumped onto her husband's back.
Qiao Su shut up.
·
On the way back.
Zhong Cai leaned on Wu Shaogan's shoulder and said with a smile, "The atmosphere in Jade Dragon City is quite good. Do you think it's because of the fixed-grade items, or has it always been like this?"
He and Lao Wu stayed in the city for several days and met many cultivators.
Most of them seemed quite cheerful.
Old Wu had defeated so many people before, but I didn't feel any great malice.
That day, when a group of cultivators wanted to ask for pills, their performance was quite good.
They have also communicated with people from two top families.
He had a good impression of Shao Qing and Shao Ling from the Shao family, as well as the Qiao family girl he met today.
·
Wu Shaogan walked forward steadily and said softly, "The family tradition was probably not bad to begin with."
Zhong Cai thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense.
The two of them, in perfect unison, both thought of Kunyun City at that moment... and some of the cities they had lived in and passed through.
Zhong Cai tapped Wu Shaogan's shoulder with her chin and said with admiration, "It's quite remarkable that Jade Dragon City can be like this."
The larger the city, the more difficult it is to manage.
They had traveled to many places, and the best place in terms of social atmosphere, besides Qianqiao Town, was Yujiao City.
Qianqiao Town is just a small town with a much smaller population.
However, Jade Dragon City is only a level four city.
Zhong Cai curled her lip and said, "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."
Wu Shaogan knew that Zhong Cai was thinking of Beitong City.
Sure enough, Zhong Cai mocked, "A so-called genius from the Dai family dares to be so insidious. In Beitong City, only that family produced a Construct Palace, and it's another one that directly commissioned a product? It's far inferior to Yujiao City."
Wu Shaogan nudged Zhong Cai and said gently, "There is indeed only one top-tier family in Beitong City."
Zhong Cai snorted coldly.
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly.
Neither of them really took the Dai family seriously.
They will eliminate Dai Rong and the Dai family's patriarch the moment they summon the silver-armored soldiers.
·
After returning to the guest house, the two washed up and went to bed.
They have changed the subject.
Zhong Cai leaned against Wu Shaogan and discussed, "The materials are all in place. When do you think we should start the upgrade?"
Wu Shaogan replied without hesitation: "It's up to you."
Zhong Cai stretched, rested her head on her arm, and said lazily, "I'm thinking about it too. The main problem is that upgrading requires fusion, and I don't know how long that will take. I also don't know what it will become after fusion."
"I'm going to participate in the general competition in two days, and after that, it'll be the beast tide."
"I'm quite interested in winning because it's better than getting a new pill formula. And those beast tides are pretty ferocious; neither of us has ever experienced one before. This time, it's rare that we can control them, so I think we should participate and gain some experience."
Tang Lie would naturally tell his two masters everything he knew.
The two of them naturally knew that this was the final test for the product.
·
Wu Shao chuckled dryly: "How about we ask the altar and the command platform first?"
Zhong Cai jolted awake and sat up abruptly.
"Yeah! Let's ask first!"
Wu Shaogan activated the isolation formation to block any soul thoughts that might sweep in.
Zhong Cai then summoned the altar.
Wu Shaogan also released the Command Platform from within the Taoist Palace.
In an instant, two very similar platforms were squeezed into the room.
They were very close together.
The two walked up and asked directly.
How long will the upgrade take?
·
Once the two companion treasures reach the threshold for upgrading, they can convey clear thoughts.
They were all voices devoid of any emotion.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan could vaguely sense that they didn't have true intelligence; they were simply answering questions.
That's better.
·
The images of the altar and the command platform echoed in both of their minds simultaneously.
Upgrade time: as short as three days, as long as seven days.
Zhong Cai thought for a moment, then asked, "You said that after the upgrade, the form will change. What will it change into?"
Two thoughts took turns speaking.
[The form is currently unknown, but it changes according to the most secret thoughts of the priest and the general.]
[A reminder to the priest and general: when changing forms, a mode selection is required.]
The first option is to find a sufficiently spacious area.
The second option is to adapt the design to the size of the space during integration.
Zhong Cai was taken aback: "It will become very large after merging?"
【Yes. 】
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and said, "It's your decision."
Zhong Cai pondered, "Even if we find a large enough space, putting something big outside would be too conspicuous. Our companions are both quite special, so let's keep it quiet."
Wu Shaogan naturally agreed: "After the beast tide, you and I will choose a cultivation room to go into seclusion. We can simply tell others that we gained something from the beast tide."
Zhong Cai nodded and smiled, "Great idea!"
The two agreed on the matter and put their companion treasures away with ease.
Wu Shaogan's income was from Daogong.
Zhong Cai transformed into a speck of dust and hid in his hair.
At the same time, the two of them were also somewhat hopeful.
Zhong Cai asked curiously, "Old Wu, what do you think we subconsciously want our companion treasures to merge into?"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Zhong Cai looked up at the sky: "I don't know either."
The two of them turned over at the same time and their eyes met.
They looked at each other.
Zhong Cai's eyes brightened: "But I guess it's something we both want."
Wu Shaogan smiled and nodded.
·
What will it actually look like?
·
For the next two days, Wu Shaogan continued to carry Zhong Cai to the Jiao Dou Arena every day.
Zhong Cai would also give Wu Shaogan a long, rambling explanation every day.
Although the two of them were still sitting in the corner, the space behind them was gradually taken over by several alchemists.
Perhaps to avoid attracting too much attention, there were not many people, and tall cultivators blocked the perimeter as well.
The Qiao family, the Bai family, and the Shao family each had only two members.
The alchemists didn't disturb the couple; they just listened quietly to Zhong Cai's story, just like Qiao Su.
Similarly, they also benefited greatly.
·
This was because after Qiao Su returned, she organized what she had gained and shared it with her clan.
The alchemists from the Bai and Shao families also soon found out.
After discussing it, everyone felt that this was an opportunity, but they couldn't be too reckless.
Therefore, each family selected a master alchemist with a good memory and high comprehension, who listened to Zhong Cai's explanations while taking notes and comprehending them on their own.
When we get home each night, we tidy up and exchange ideas...
·
Zhong Cai remained indifferent.
Wu Shaogan noticed the self-restraint of these alchemists but did not feel any aversion to it.
What's even more interesting is that on the night the first round of alchemy competition ended, each of the three families sent one person to give Zhong Cai a booklet.
Zhong Cai rolled over on Wu Shaogan's back.
It turns out that these booklets recorded some techniques of several alchemists.
While none of them involve specific prescriptions, there are quite a few diverse methods for processing medicinal materials.
Some alchemists even seemed to feel that their own processing methods were not up to par, and instead offered techniques for manipulating wood and fire.
Zhong Cai looked it over from beginning to end and compared it in her mind.
To be honest, it did inspire him somewhat.
At the end of the booklet, there were four more letters.
The Bai family and the Qiao family each received one letter, while the Shao family received two.
Three of the letters were written in the voice of various alchemists, inviting Zhong Cai to a small gathering after the family had finalized its alchemy techniques, so that they could exchange ideas on alchemy.
The letter also revealed that even prescriptions could be exchanged.
·
As Zhong Cai read, she read it aloud to Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan listened with a smile on his lips.
After reading the three letters, Zhong Cai couldn't help but laugh.
"It seems they still want the pill formula."
Wu Shaogan understood Zhong Cai's thoughts and said, "However, they are willing to exchange the pill formula."
Zhong Cai laughed and said, "No wonder the winning alchemist can also get the pill formula. It turns out that these families are quite willing to share."
Wu Shaogan said, "Acai has all the recipes they've prepared these past few days."
Zhong Cai folded up the letters and put them away, saying, "Let's see if they can offer anything that interests me. After all, they're a pretty ancient family; maybe they have something special among the things they don't know how to refine?"
·
There are too many elixir recipes in the altar's inheritance. For Zhong Cai, there are recipes for any kind of product or service, as long as he wants them.
However, the legacy of that Poison King last time provided Zhong Cai with a lot of supplements.
The three major families have put so much effort into training alchemists; perhaps they can also supplement his knowledge in some way.
Zhong Cai now also pursues her alchemy skills.
·
Zhong Cai pulled out the last letter.
It was created by Shao Qing.
He hasn't come over these past two days—probably because he doesn't want Zhong Cai to think he's here to urge him to refine the pills.
In the letter, Shao Qing expressed his desire to invite Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan to dinner, and said that he had not been able to entertain them well because he had to place orders for products recently. He also said that he would like to be their tour guide when he had time later.
After Zhong Cai finished reading, she discussed with Wu Shaogan, "Should we go or not?"
Wu Shaogan's smile deepened: "Since you want to go, then go."
Zhong Cai really does want to go.
Shao Qing's desire to befriend them was all too obvious.
Neither Shao Qing nor his family had done anything wrong, so it was fine to be friends with them.
·
After returning home, Zhong Cai wrote back to each of them.
The three major families readily agreed to attend the meeting and exchange alchemy techniques with them.
The message for Shao Qing said that they would schedule a time after the order was placed, and included the address of the residential compound where they were staying.
·
Finally, the day of reckoning has come.
Zhong Cai arrived very early and had already decided what kind of elixir she wanted to refine.
It's the same as before.
After all, he hadn't explored any new pills in the past few days, so he could only choose these three that hadn't produced any top-grade ones.
Zhong Cai, wearing her name tag, sat upright on the ring in her small area.
Compared to the refining process a few days ago, Zhong Cai felt the gazes from all directions much more clearly this time.
Many eyes were fixed on them, and they were burning with desire.
Zhong Cai: "..."
It was like being under a spotlight.
Don't get so emotional!
·
Meanwhile, Wu Shaogan had already handed Zhong Cai's reply to several families in the audience.
Shao Qing's items were also taken back by the Shao family.
Those alchemists who were unable to participate in the competition found a place to read the reply.
They quickly understood Zhong Cai's meaning—the other party was willing to communicate with them and didn't mind exchanging pill formulas at all.
This is absolutely exhilarating!
Naturally, the alchemists became even more enthusiastic about Zhong Cai.
·
Wu Shaogan sat alone on one of the tiers of the stands—the best spot to admire Zhong Cai's beauty.
Because of his distinctly aloof demeanor, alchemists were far less interested in him than in Zhong Cai, so naturally no one bothered him.
Wu Shaogan looked straight at Zhong Cai and gave him a smile.
Zhong Cai returned an even brighter smile.
At this moment, the intense gazes from all sides that had been somewhat troubling him no longer had any effect on him.
·
Shao Ling quickly went over the process again.
There was no difference from the previous few sessions, and all the requirements were the same.
The only difference is in the scoring; each pill now scores twice the points compared to previous rounds.
After the final rankings are completed, the top ten will be determined.
The top ten alchemists will not only receive a large number of rewards at different levels, but if they are alchemists from the three major families, they will also receive points again.
—For example, if a certain alchemist ranks sixth and has a total score of one hundred, then the final score recorded will be two hundred.
In this way, the more alchemists in the top ten, the greater the advantage the family will have in the entire alchemy competition.
·
Of course, this didn't matter to Zhong Cai.
What Zhong Cai cares about is that the rewards for first place, top three, top five, and top ten are all different.
If he gets first place, in addition to other resource rewards, he can choose five level-three pill recipes.
That's quite a large sum.
Moreover, if he doesn't choose any of the pill formulas, these five formulas can be converted into Xuanzhu (mysterious pearls).
He can make another fortune.
·
Zhong Cai calmed herself down, her expression serious.
We absolutely have to get first place!
His father, Lao Wu, has been watching over him all along.
Once he earns more Xuanzhu, he'll upgrade their companion treasures and then he'll give them to Lao Wu!
·
All the alchemists who followed Zhong Cai noticed that Zhong Cai was in high spirits.
Immediately afterwards, they discovered that when Zhong Cai refined those pills again, her technique was even smoother.
The processing speed is so fast...
Several alchemists even discovered that Zhong Cai's methods showed signs of improving upon their alchemy techniques. They had never even considered this possibility before.
What a terrifying talent.
They had just finished summarizing the booklet last night and handed it to Zhong Cai, who had already fully digested it.
...It's practically giving them psychological trauma.
·
As the pills were refined, the number of pills Zhong Cai produced became increasingly astonishing.
The antidote pills were refined in three batches.
All three furnaces produced pills, and all of them were full.
Among the pills, there are only medium-grade and high-grade pills.
The Snow-Nourishing Pill was refined in three batches.
The furnace exploded once, and the pills were extracted twice.
All pills produced are fully formed and are only of medium to high grade.
Jade Marrow Elixir was also produced in three consecutive batches.
The results were similar to those of Runxuedan.
·
Throughout the day's refining process, Zhong Cai maintained excellent time management.
Before each furnace operation, he would promptly take pills to replenish his profound energy. While regulating his breathing and restoring his profound energy, he would also smoothly process some of the medicinal herbs without wasting any time.
In the end, he produced a total of seven batches of pills, a total of sixty-three pills!
Such efficiency is unmatched by any other level-two alchemist.
The alchemists on the stands watched Zhong Cai's refining process intently, their eyes glued to her work.
A skilled alchemist can see through every step he takes, deduce his general purpose, and think about how the medicinal herbs will react.
However, many alchemists simply couldn't understand it.
Zhong Cai always processed and added medicinal herbs too quickly; sometimes, he could complete the entire process with just a casual movement of his fingers.
How exactly did I do it?
It's not clear at all.
Some alchemists had observed his refining process before, but they also found that his methods were not static.
This is outrageous...
·
No one bothered Wu Shaogan all day long.
However, some alchemists noticed that whenever they inadvertently glanced at Wu Shaogan, they would find that Wu Shaogan's gaze never strayed from Zhong Cai on the arena.
He kept his eyes on Zhong Cai the whole time, without the slightest distraction.
...This is even more outrageous.
·
When the time came, Shao Ling quickly instructed his attendants to check the pills.
Unsurprisingly, Zhong Cai emerged victorious!
This time, Shao Ling named all the top ten alchemists.
Interestingly, Zhong Cai is the first fault.
Below him, every three names represent a mix of alchemists from three different schools.
Within the top ten, each company has three.
·
Shao Ling didn't say much, but took out ten boxes and handed them to the ten alchemists.
Zhong Cai originally intended to put the box away, but since the other alchemists opened it in public, he followed suit.
In every alchemist's box, there is a mustard seed bag and a token.
Zhong Cai looked at her own token, then glanced at the others'.
Only his token was gold.
Second and third place are in silver, and fourth and fifth place are in purple.
The sixth to tenth are cyan.
Zhong Cai flipped through the golden token.
The token has the number "five" written on it.
·
At this point, Shao Ling also explained the purpose of the token.
Many alchemists can use these tokens to travel to the city lord's mansion at any time.
The city lord keeps the pill formulas provided by various families.
If none of the pill formulas are selected, the city lord can appraise the formulas and give the corresponding resources to the alchemist.
·
Zhong Cai suddenly realized that this thing was a certificate.
He immediately put the receipt away.
Then, Zhong Cai glanced at the mustard bag.
This mustard seed bag contains a considerable amount of resources.
Even at a cursory glance, one can already see piles of medicinal herbs from various years.
All of them are second-grade medicinal materials, including both rare and common ones.
A rough count reveals that there are over a thousand varieties.
The same medicinal materials are placed together, and there are hundreds of portions of each type.
Each medicinal herb is highly potent; there is absolutely no intention to deceive.
In addition to the medicinal herbs, there were several large boxes as well.
Zhong Cai recognized these large boxes... they were basically used to store gold.
According to this specification, each box would contain 100,000 gold coins.
Therefore, there are a total of 500,000 in the mustard seed bag.
There's a box on top of this box.
Generally speaking, it is used to place mysterious pearls.
And the size of this box... should be at least fifty Xuanzhu (a type of ancient Chinese pearl).
·
Zhong Cai was secretly taken aback.
Jade Dragon City must be really rich.
It was just a competition between second-level alchemists, yet he, as the top winner, not only received medicinal herbs worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold, but also a million gold in cash.
That's a huge investment, a really huge investment.
Not to mention, there are also five more prescriptions.
Even the most common level-three pill formula is estimated to be worth tens of thousands of gold.
All of that adds up to... several hundred thousand.
·
After handing over all the rewards to the alchemist, Shao Ling's task was completed.
Many alchemists left.
Without hesitation, Zhong Cai jumped off the stage and landed in Wu Shaogan's arms, just like before.
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly and teased in a low voice, "You've made a fortune?"
Zhong Cai chuckled, "We've hit the jackpot!"
·
The last five days are the days when the beast tide will attack the city.
After Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan returned to the guest house, they received a notice from Xiang Lin.
The notice explained the beast tide.
·
Any cultivator in the city can participate in the city defense activities.
The beast tide will split into three groups, attacking from the three city gates.
The number of beasts in front of each city gate is the same, but the types of beasts are different—their strength will be at a similar level.
The three city gates will be assigned to three different defense units.
The winner will be determined by drawing lots, with representatives from the three companies participating.
Other cultivators who wish to participate can choose any city gate.
After making their selection, the cultivators arrived at the city gate and obtained a marker from the guards to record the number of kills.
After defending the city, all visiting cultivators will also receive points.
These points are not counted towards the three major families, but cultivators can exchange them for corresponding resources afterward.
However, if the defense of a city gate fails, the cultivators who obtained the mark there will have their points erased and will no longer be able to exchange them for resources.