Looking at the Shennong Cauldron in his dantian, Gu Yifeng's breathing became somewhat heavy. He didn't need to look at the appraisal information to know the importance of this small cauldron; it was absolutely unique.
"Shennong Cauldron, according to legend, is the cauldron used by the sage Shennong when refining elixirs. It has refined countless herbs, and the essence of all the herbs on the continent has been condensed in this cauldron. Refining medicine with this cauldron can improve the quality of the elixirs."
"Note: The power of this cauldron is perfectly matched with the power of the Azure Dragon, and it also contains a powerful sealing force that can suppress destiny."
Looking at the information in his mind, Gu Yifeng was somewhat excited. The Shennong on Blue Star and the Shennong here seemed to have something in common, and perhaps they were also inevitably connected to Blue Star.
Although he doesn't have many clues right now, as the system's rewards get better and better, many things that match Blue Star are gradually appearing, such as the Nine Provinces on the Continent of Light, which are similar in name to the Nine Provinces of the Ancient Xia Kingdom on Blue Star.
...
In short, the Shennong Cauldron was an invaluable treasure for Gu Yifeng.
About ten days later, the enrollment ceremony for Changchun Valley officially began. The registration process had already screened out a number of people, but even so, the area outside the gates of Changchun Valley was still bustling with people.
Gu Yifeng and his group were naturally invited to the outer square of Changchun Valley, where today's enrollment ceremony would be held.
The first step is to test the strength of the soul. Changchun Valley is a sect that mainly cultivates alchemy, so it does not value age and physical constitution, which are important to ordinary sects. What it really values is the strength of the soul and comprehension.
Divine soul power can help cultivators better complete a series of operations required for alchemy, while comprehension can help alchemists develop their own methods of alchemy.
Different alchemy methods result in vastly different elixirs.
Gu Yifeng, having entered through connections, was naturally placed first. The test for his soul was quite simple: a giant portal.
All you need to do is use your spiritual power to open the portal, and the elders will give you a score.
Gu Yifeng calmly approached the massive bronze gate. With a thought, a wisp of dragon soul power surged forth, and he gently pointed it out. The gate creaked open slowly.
In the blink of an eye, the bronze portal opened wide, and he calmly walked in, completely unaware that the surroundings were gradually becoming quiet.
Three breaths later, the surroundings became lively again. Gu Yifeng walked directly to the next stage, and it happened to be the turn of a young cultivator at the peak of the Concentration Realm behind him to step forward.
He focused all his strength on condensing his divine soul, and then unleashed it with all his might. The power of the peak of the Condensation Realm was not wasted at all, and he condensed it all into a solid attack that slammed hard into the bronze gate.
A piercing crash rang out, causing many people to cover their ears to avoid injury to their souls. The powerful shockwave instantly jolted the young cultivator's soul back into his sea of consciousness.
Looking closer, the door was only slightly a inch open. Fortunately, the young cultivator was thin enough to squeeze through, so all that effort was worthwhile.
"Damn it! We've been set up!"
A storm raged in Gu Yifeng's heart. Seeing the process of this young cultivator passing the test, how could he not react?
...
At the summit of the back mountain of Changchun Valley, in a pavilion, two elderly men in white robes sat on the ground with a chessboard between them, leisurely sipping spiritual tea.
"Hehe, it seems your eyes are still as sharp as ever. How about it, this kid's strength should be enough to catch your eye, right?"
The old man holding the black pieces asked with a smile.
"His talent and strength are probably higher than you and I think. Although we can't see any clues, he is definitely not just a mere Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. His talent is indeed extraordinary, but his control over power... is too poor."
The old man holding the white pieces responded slowly, acknowledging Gu Yifeng's abilities but finding his method of circulating his divine soul power unacceptable.
"That being said, he is still a promising talent. In any case, given his age, it is no problem for him to reach the ninth rank in the future. If he has the opportunity, it is not impossible for him to even break through to the legendary tenth rank."
The old man with the black hair spoke slowly, glancing down the mountain. From here, they could see the view of the outer valley, and everything in the square was taken in by the two of them.
"No rush, let's keep watching. Since he's a seedling sent by Crimson Profound Mountain, he's bound to be good. But I'm curious about what grade of pills he can refine in the later independent pill refining stage."
The old man with white hair remained calm, seemingly having already anticipated Gu Yifeng's strength, and simply spoke slowly.
"Keep pretending. If I remember correctly, the record in the valley is for fifth-grade pills. With those medicinal herbs and the provided pill formulas, the limit is only fifth-grade pills. But this time you're not limited by the pill furnace, so I'm afraid that limit will be raised even higher."
Upon hearing this, the old man with the black hair recalled for a moment, then fell silent and turned his gaze to the outer valley square.
This recruitment ceremony has only five stages. The first stage tests the spirit and soul, the last stage tests comprehension, and the three stages in between test the ability to identify herbs, the properties of herbs, and the skill of controlling fire.
Gu Yifeng undoubtedly won the first place in the first four rounds, and was the undisputed number one, even crushing most of the outer sect cultivators who had already entered the valley.
The final test assesses comprehension. Changchun Valley provides a certain type of medicinal herbs, as well as several pill formulas, which the participants can choose from based on their available resources.
You can refine pills yourself without a recipe, or you can refine them according to a recipe. However, the scores for the two methods are different, and the former is obviously easier to get a high score.
In addition, Changchun Valley will provide alchemy furnaces and earth fire, but you don't need to worry about whether you have them or not. What they are really testing is your comprehension and talent in alchemy.
The alchemy furnace and the flames are merely bonuses.
Gu Yifeng pondered for a long time, then put the pill formula aside and began to select medicinal materials. He then took out the Shennong Cauldron and inscribed several talismans on its surface, enough to conceal the appearance of the cauldron.
Furthermore, since the Shennong Cauldron had already been refined by the Dragon Phoenix Black Flame, when it was taken out now, it looked like a pitch-black boiler, without any resemblance to an alchemy furnace.
"Two ounces of seven-petaled flowers, three drops of gold and silver dew..."
Without pausing, Gu Yifeng took the medicinal herbs beside him and a wisp of black flame flashed, instantly refining the herbs into essence, which he then placed into the alchemy furnace in an orderly fashion.
In just one hour, he had put the essence of over a hundred medicinal herbs into his alchemy furnace, almost using up all the medicinal herbs provided by Changchun Valley.
There were over a hundred medicinal herbs, most of which were pills with conflicting medicinal properties. No one could tell what Gu Yifeng was planning, and even the two old men on the back mountain frowned.
"It's almost done, start refining!"
Gu Yifeng let out a low shout, his hands forming a circle, which he then slowly sliced open. The black flames in his hands then slowly fell into the alchemy furnace and began to be refined.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
