Chapter 967 I Was Here First

Zhang Xiaokai sat on a stool, staring at the copper alchemy furnace.

On the square stove in front of you, the hanging tripod is divided into three layers, upper and lower.

In the middle is a sea of ​​water made of fire silver, which is used for cooling and insulation.

The upper and lower layers are used to refine the main elixir and the secondary elixir respectively.

Each furnace of elixir must be designed with two chambers, imitating the human heart with two petals. The advantage is that the main elixir and the secondary elixir can be compared. Different temperatures have different effects and characteristics. Each time of refining elixir is not only to refine the elixir, but also to continue to improve the elixir formula.

When sold, the main pills and secondary pills are also divided into two categories: excellent and good, and marked with prices that match their quality.

In the Jindan Kingdom, these records will be compiled and sent by the Danfang to the Dan Department for comprehensive verification, and the recipes of existing elixirs will be further improved.

Zhang Xiaokai lowered his gaze and looked at the base.

The magic energy brought by the magic bottle continuously replenishes the fire element crystals in the stove, allowing the temperature to remain stable.

In the past, maintaining a constant temperature was a hassle. Even firewood and coal of the same weight would cause considerable difficulties due to unpredictable weather changes and different combustion degrees caused by different wood species and ages.

For a long time, alchemy had very high requirements for location, furnace, fuel and people, and the season and time when the furnace could be opened were fixed each year.

Now, there is no need to worry about these. As long as a specific number of fire element crystal structures is selected, such as one crystal or two crystals, it represents the number of standard crystal structure combinations. Even people who know nothing can prepare the corresponding equipment according to these requirements.

By the time the sun was about to set, a new batch of [Calming Pills] main and secondary pills had been completed, with a finished product rate of over 30%. For a small workshop, this was already pretty good.

Zhang Xiaokai packaged the pills, sealed them and put labels on them.

Then he showed his boss what he had accomplished today.

The boss handed him a green coin and said, "This is your week's wages. Go to school when you have enough money. You are still too young. It is time for you to go to Forest College."

Zhang Xiaokai took it happily: "Understood, Boss!"

This is the newly issued currency of the Yao clan. It is a round metal coin plated with expensive gold material and has the number 1 engraved on it, representing the face value of 100 seashells.

As an alchemy furnace assistant who does not have an alchemist license or an apprentice certificate, this weekly salary is reasonable.

Zhang Xiaokai took the money to the corner store and bought four hot meat patties and a bottle of Falling Sun wine. He put them in his backpack and wrapped them in cloth, then ran all the way to the sand dunes outside the city.

Over the hill, in an area of ​​dense cacti, he saw the person he was looking for.

"Master Alchemy, here I come!"

A stone stove was built between the cacti, and sitting beside the stove was a girl in green with her face covered.

She had thick, smooth white hair falling on her shoulders, and her eyes were pure and bright silver. Even though her nose and mouth were covered, it was still clear that she was a beauty.

Being beautiful is certainly attractive, but what Zhang Xiaokai cares more about is her alchemy skills.

However, there was one more person beside Alchemy today.

She was a dark-skinned woman, probably in her twenties, with a red birthmark around her eyes.

She was standing next to a sand furnace, wearing thick gloves, using a long iron pipe to burn sand into an enamel bottle. This is sand-based enamel, one of the unique techniques of Sand City.

But normally, this job requires a lot of strength, and is usually done by middle-aged men or extraordinary people. However, this ugly woman is very strong, and her eyes are focused on her enamel.

Zhang Xiaokai didn't know who this was, but he still handed the meat pie and wine to Lian Danzi.

"Master, please use it."

Lian Danzi called out to the people beside him: "Shali, it's time to eat."

"Yes, Master."

The dark-skinned woman over there then carefully put down the stick, closed the lid, extinguished the fire, took off her gloves and came over.

She wiped her rough fingers with a towel, took the cake and started eating it.

master?

Zhang Xiaokai was a little surprised: "Master Liandanzi, don't you have no apprentice?"

"I just collected it today."

Lian Danzi said.

"Congratulations to Master Lian Danzi for gaining a good disciple. She must be very talented in alchemy... She is definitely not like me, with mediocre aptitude." Zhang Xiaokai felt a little sour, but still forced a smile.

"Shali doesn't know how to make elixirs. She is an enamel craftsman, and the enamel she produces is very beautiful."

Zhang Xiaokai suspected that he had misheard: "She doesn't know how to make elixirs, are you asking her to make enamel?"

"Yes. The container for the pill is also important."

“…”

Lian Danzi's eyes were serious and determined.

Zhang Xiaokai couldn't help but say, "But isn't the elixir the most important thing in alchemy? No matter how beautiful the bottle is, it can't help anyone?"

"You're right. But people will only take a second look at the bottle if it looks good, and will be more willing to keep it with them. It also needs to look good. I'll teach her how to make pills, and then I can promote the pills and the bottle together, which will be more popular."

Just because of this?

Teaching alchemy for the sake of a bottle? Zhang Xiaokai felt dizzy and couldn't stand steadily.

Obviously I was here first! Whether it was meeting Master Liandanzi or asking her for advice on alchemy, I was here first.

But this black-faced woman got there first! Damn it!

Zhang Xiaokai clenched his fists, feeling very unwilling: "Master Liandanzi, you are willing to accept a layman like her who has no foundation, why don't you accept me as your disciple?"

Shali next to him was just munching on the cake without saying a word.

"Ah? You want to be my apprentice?"

Lian Danzi looked surprised.

Zhang Xiaokai's face twitched.

Anyone can tell! I asked him about alchemy, gave him food and drink, and was polite and respectful. Of course, I was trying to learn the technique. Otherwise, was it because I just liked to serve others?

Although you are good-looking, I am not the kind of wimp who can't walk when I see a beautiful woman! "I really want to be your disciple. Please accept me as well!"

Zhang Xiaokai knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"no problem."

Lian Danzi agreed readily: "If you want to be my disciple, just tell me. How would I know if you didn't tell me? I thought you just wanted to exchange techniques with me. Shali just wanted to learn some alchemy techniques from me so that you can make better pill bottles."

Zhang Xiaokai felt regretful. Empiricism was really the deadly thing.

According to the tradition of the Jindan Kingdom, alchemy is either practiced in a alchemy workshop or by becoming an apprentice to an alchemist. Either way requires a strict apprenticeship process.

The master needs to assess the character and ability of his disciples. Usually, the disciple must first become a Dan boy in "Xuelu Garden", and then an alchemy apprentice, and only then will he be qualified to become a disciple.

As a result, when it came to Lian Danzi, all she had to do was say a word.

Originally I was supposed to be the senior brother, but now I have become the junior brother.

well.

He was angry.

The old apprenticeship system for alchemists has long been out of date!

…

Although there were some minor setbacks, Zhang Xiaokai was able to become Lian Danzi's disciple as he wished.

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

The rest are minor details; learning the skill of alchemy is important.

Zhang Xiaokai still remembers that when he was looking for cockroach shells in the sand dunes, he saw a girl wearing a helmet wandering alone in the desert, like a ghost.

The area she stepped into was where the Huayun monks appeared.

Those undead monks walk among the sand dunes like clouds. As long as you don't provoke or attack them, they will not hurt others and will just wander around.

Zhang Xiaokai wanted to remind the other party of the danger.

When he ran over, he saw the girl pounce on a Huayun monk. Like a bird catching insects or a farmer harvesting wheat, she easily grabbed the Huayun monk, kneaded it, and stuffed it into her helmet.

Then she took off her helmet and began to stuff various medicinal powders into it and compress them. She heated them with fire in her hands and removed the impurities, repeating this step.

As the medicine was being refined, white mist in the shape of an elongated and thin monk rose from the pot. Finally, she used beeswax to shape the powder, and it became a crystal clear bright yellow pill.

Zhang Xiaokai watched the whole process in amazement.

The other party actually used a small crucible and refined the "God-praying Pill" with his bare hands.

He was addicted to refining pills, and couldn't help but ask, "Can low-temperature quenching also achieve the effect of making pills?"

"Can."

The other party told him: "The Cloud Monks are a very good medium. They are part of the cloud themselves, which can ensure a certain humidity. Together with the beeswax and oil, they can ensure that the raw materials are not damaged by high temperatures. This is a good place for natural alchemy. They will not die."

Zhang Xiaokai confirmed it after chatting with the other party.

This person's understanding of alchemy is too strong. He can easily come up with a lot of details and experience. He must have practiced it thousands of times to understand the key points.

She called herself Lian Danzi and said she lived in the mountains and learned alchemy at home.

She looks like a girl, but it is very likely that she has used some kind of magic to stay young forever.

Zhang Xiaokai decided to take the other party as his master.

He thought that sincerity could move mountains and stones, and was ready to move the other party with his persistence and sincerity.

Unexpectedly, the other person was not that type at all. I didn't feel anything at all. It was just like I was flirting with a blind man.

After entering the master's sect, Zhang Xiaokai learned several pill recipes. The master not only knew how to make common pills like "Yangxue San" and "Yangqi Wan", but also very difficult high-level pills like "Pohuan Dan" and "Yanshou Dan".

Although the longevity pill cannot really extend life, it can help people breathe again at a critical moment, activate the internal organs, and slow down the process of dying. It has the same effect as the quick-acting heart-saving pill.

After finishing his work every day, Zhang Xiaokai came over to learn the skills and do odd jobs and serve as an assistant to Lian Danzi.

Half a month later, one evening, the alchemy furnace began to shake.

At first, Zhang Xiaokai thought they were the Cloud-Transforming Monks, because these monks would gradually wake up after being caught in the alchemy furnace, and then turn into clouds and leave, which would also cause the furnace to emit jets and shake.

However, this time the shaking was very violent, and there was a tinkling sound inside. Sister Shali, who was firing enamel bottles nearby, stopped what she was doing and ran over to see what was going on.

The sound gradually became smaller and turned into a rhythmic buzzing sound, as if something was rubbing the furnace inside.

Finally, it became quiet.

The alchemist used a lifting pole to pull open the lid on top.

In the smoke, three pills were spinning and rolling slowly in the crucible.

Lian Danzi picked it up with his bamboo claws, observed it for a while, then wrapped it in the beeswax next to him and put it in his mouth.

After chewing slowly, she exhaled: "You guys try it too."

Without hesitation, Shali picked up one with his bamboo claws, put it in his mouth like his master, and immediately showed a look of surprise on his face.

After Zhang Xiaokai swallowed the pill, he felt an extra layer of strange power on the surface of his body. His strength, speed and reaction were much faster, and he felt as light as a swallow.

"Master, what kind of elixir is this? The benefits are so strong."

"Let's call it 'Power Pill'. It's not very good, but the effect is that it lasts for an hour, increasing strength by 10 points, health by 1,000 points, and speed by 1 point. The advantage is that it doesn't have too many side effects. It can only be used once a day, it will cause body aches, and it can't be used in a cumulative manner."

Zhang Xiao said happily that the master was indeed extraordinary and could see the specific information of life. Only powerful extraordinary people could do that.

Wait.

Strength +10, health +1000, speed +1?

No side effects yet!

This furnace of elixirs is priceless.

Zhang Xiaokai opened his eyes wide. "This is an invention that will shock the alchemy world... It opens up a path for strengthening the route. Master, go to the alchemy department and register the recipe, lest someone else steal the name. This is a recipe that will be remembered forever!"

"This isn't that good. It was invented for everyone to use. Registration is too troublesome..."

She waved her hands but looked uninterested.

"Take it and eat it."

The alchemist sighed, "This is not the elixir I want. It is just a failed product... Or maybe I am too weak and cannot control it accurately. If the master knew, he would be very disappointed. Alas."

She dropped the medicine jar, returned to the sand dune, and sulked alone at the moon.

Zhang Xiaokai's hands were shaking a little.

All failed products are of this standard.

The idea of ​​a successful elixir was simply unthinkable.

The Master is so strong!

(End of this chapter)