Chapter 192 The Alchemists' Casual Chat
The two of them rummaged through the resources.
The amount of work given to Wu Shao was less than last time—which is normal, since the difficulty of the wooden beast's attack hadn't increased, so the reward for the second "clearance" naturally wouldn't be as high as the first. However, the quality of the items Zhong Cai received was better than last time, probably because Zhong Cai's skill level remained consistently high, and she was given an extra top-grade pill?
Zhong Cai tilted his head and thought for a moment, but didn't analyze it further. Anyway, they were all taking things from the Dan Shenmu, so naturally, the other party could give them whatever they wanted. Instead, he picked up the new large bow that Wu Shaogan was holding with great interest.
It really looks like the Sun-Shooting Bow!
However, it doesn't resemble the Sun-Shooting Bow that has been reassembled now, but rather it looks exactly like the Sun-Shooting Bow, the companion treasure that Old Wu Gang once summoned.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but laugh: "Old Wu, this bow is quite ancient. Do you think it was made because one or more owners of the Sun-Shooting Bow made a great name for themselves many years ago, and someone admired it so much that they made this replica?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "A Cai's guess makes a lot of sense."
Leaving aside the other owners of the Sun-Shooting Bow, just the one in the image, the destructive power he displayed against the Great Sun Kunpeng using the Sun-Shooting Bow was enough to inspire awe in those ancient people who were deeply mired in such a threat.
While admiring them, one naturally wants to imitate them.
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and came up with a new guess: "Maybe it was because one of the previous owners of the Sun-Shooting Bow couldn't fully utilize its power when his own cultivation level was low, so he found an excellent craftsman to make a replica?"
Wu Shaogan nodded and said, "That's quite possible."
Just like himself, if the Sun-Shooting Bow hadn't been ruined back then, and he had grown normally, as his realm increased, he would have wanted to find a weapon maker to extract some of the characteristics of the Sun-Shooting Bow itself to forge something similar, constantly getting used to it and adapting to a similar feel, so as not to affect his combat strategy. In high-level battles, if some details are not mastered enough, it may cause problems.
The two exchanged a few words of laughter.
Zhong Cai still instructed Wu Shaogan to put those resources away safely, and Wu Shaogan did so.
The two began a new round of trials.
·
In the new round, everything remained unchanged except for the pills refined by Zhong Cai, which were transformed into Moon Essence Pills.
The number of pills produced was still three top-grade and three high-grade, and the number of wooden beasts slaughtered by Wu Shaogan was about the same as before.
All the pills were fed to the Pill God Wood, and the azure light still appeared on time.
There are still five resources:
Among those belonging to Wu Shaogan were a replica of a level 7 Sun-Shooting Bow, a jade tablet for level 6 archery skills, and a jade tablet containing combat experience in archery skills from level 1 to level 7.
Among those belonging to Zhong Cai, one is an eighth-level ancient pill formula and the other is a seventh-level ancient pill formula.
·
In the next round, the pills refined by Zhong Cai became Yin-Turning Pills, but nothing else changed.
The number and quality of pills produced, as well as the number of people Wu Shaogan slaughtered, remained unchanged.
As usual, the Dan Shenmu continued to provide resources.
Those belonging to Wu Shaogan include three jade tablets related to archery.
Belonging to Zhong Cai, it is a rare seventh-grade precious medicinal herb and an eighth-grade ancient elixir prescription.
·
In yet another round...
No change...
Play a stable role...
The donated resources...
·
In this way, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan would move on to the next round after each time they received resources, and their performances were almost identical each time.
It's so stable, really so stable.
Moreover, the foundations of the two are exceptionally strong.
Since the wooden beast first appeared, it has now gone through ten rounds!
Zhong Cai refined ten batches of pills in a row without a single explosion, and without any changes in the number or quality of the pills produced. Moreover, each batch contained different pills. Despite this continuous refining, the Xuan energy within his body was still able to sustain itself without any signs of being unable to withstand the strain.
Wu Shaogan slaughtered the wooden beasts in ten consecutive rounds, without ever delaying. Whenever a wooden beast appeared, he would kill it as quickly as possible. Although it was clear that he tried his best to reduce the consumption of his Xuan power each time, it was still a full ten rounds! The number of wooden beasts that died at his hands must have been in the thousands!
It seems a bit exaggerated no matter how you look at it.
Of course, such a performance is also exceptionally outstanding.
The things Dan Shenmu gave Zhong Cai were at least level seven rare medicines, and many pill formulas of unknown grade; what he gave Wu Shaogan were hard bows, materials for repairing various bows and arrows, and many jade tablets.
It's easy to imagine that only about a day has passed since the day of the return of spring, and Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan have already gained so many benefits. As long as they continue to refine and fight, the rewards they can obtain will be extremely abundant!
When they return, these two will inevitably go into seclusion, and their strength will certainly increase significantly.
How enviable!
·
If at first the many alchemists and martial arts practitioners were only quite interested in observing the two, as time went on and the two continued to perform, everyone had to devote some attention to them, regardless of who they were looking at or what they were doing.
At the very least, they would take a look at Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan's final performance and the resources they received each time.
Before anyone knew it, a number of advanced alchemists arrived on the treasure ship of the Azure Dragon Academy.
Of course, most of those who came had dealt with Sang Yunchu before—among them were level seven alchemists and level eight alchemists.
An eighth-level alchemist said with a smile, "Brother Sang, your disciple is likely to win first place this time. He has acquired many pill formulas. I wonder if he would be interested in exchanging them for resources?"
The one who spoke was the eighth-level alchemist who had the most dealings with Sang Yunchu.
Because Sang Yunchu was truly exceptionally talented in alchemy, he had previously participated in some alchemist exchange meetings and had even been observed refining pills by Tang Xingning, an eighth-level alchemist.
Tang Xingning was a kind-hearted person. When he discovered some mistakes in Sang Yunchu's work, he took the initiative to give him some guidance. Because of Sang Yunchu's own abilities, he also discussed many alchemy techniques with him.
In Tang Xingning's view, Sang Yunchu would soon become an eighth-level alchemist, so he did not regard Sang Yunchu as a junior, but as a close friend despite the age difference. Sang Yunchu also respected him to some extent.
Now, it is more appropriate for Tang Xingning to be the one to bring this up.
·
Alchemists naturally care a lot about their respective lineages. Having lived for so many years, they would acquire other lineages and alchemical formulas through various channels, and there is no need for them to keep them all to themselves.
In previous alchemist exchange meetings, many alchemists would exchange their unused alchemical formulas with others, or study ancient formulas that they did not understand or that were incomplete with other alchemists. Some outstanding formulas would also be exchanged for resources.
Zhong Cai has already obtained many formulas, and with his alchemy skills, what he has obtained should all be of high quality, which will naturally attract the envy of some high-level alchemists.
He wanted to first talk to Zhong Cai's master to get a word in edgewise.
·
Sang Yunchu greeted Tang with a smile, then said, "If Cai'er is interested in exchanging resources after she returns, then so be it. As her master, I will not stop her."
Many alchemists then understood that it all depended on their disciples' own wishes, and they would not object to their disciples' decisions at all.
Tang Xingning said with a smile, "Then why don't you tell me first, Brother Sang, what kind of resources does your disciple prefer?"
Sang Yunchu already knew his disciple quite well. The pill formulas in his inheritance were very abundant, and he probably didn't hold ancient formulas in high regard. He had just observed his disciple's expression, and he didn't seem particularly excited or concerned... If other alchemists were willing to exchange generous resources for some, his little disciple would probably be very happy to do so.
Of course, this cannot be guaranteed, so Sang Yunchu still will not give any definite answer.
Sang Yunchu still smiled: "Besides pill formulas, what we alchemists love most are all kinds of rare medicinal herbs."
Many advanced alchemists then understood.
King Sangdan's beloved disciple loved ancient pill formulas and medicinal herbs. If he preferred the herbs they offered, he might be willing to exchange them for a pill formula; if the herbs they offered were ordinary, he would still prefer the ancient pill formulas; if they offered pill formulas in equal measure, perhaps they could exchange them.
Tang Xingning smiled and said, "We certainly don't lack any medicinal herbs or prescriptions."
That's about right.
As for the experience books on alchemy that Zhong Cai obtained... many alchemists would not be so tactless as to bring them up.
These are not things that can be easily exposed.
·
The topic of replacing the pill formula came to an end, and the other alchemists didn't leave. They chatted with Sang Yunchu over Canglong's side.
The surrounding area was cleared out, and some of the Spirit Transformation Instructors from the Azure Dragon Academy arranged for puppets to bring some food and water, as well as some seats, which were quickly arranged.
Sang Yunchu invited everyone to take their seats.
The numerous alchemists naturally sat down as well.
Jiang Chongguang stood guard quietly at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, while other corners were also guarded by powerful members of the Azure Dragon Academy.
As for the Azure Dragon Alchemist disciples who had not yet been able to ascend the Pill God Tree... their numbers were very small, and they were all moved to the other side of the deck.
·
The senior alchemists sipped tea while commenting on the alchemists' refining techniques on the Alchemy God Wood.
At this moment, they discovered that Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan had both taken a pill that could replenish their Xuan energy and were meditating to regulate their breathing, rapidly recovering.
One of the alchemists joked, "Brother Sang, your little disciple and his Daoist partner have finally exhausted their profound energy."
Sang Yunchu chuckled: "Those two lads are too lazy. They used to spend who knows how long they would take to break through in their cultivation. It's really annoying."
Upon hearing this, several alchemists curled their lip in disapproval.
King Sangdan's words are truly infuriating.
Tang Xingning chuckled and said, "Brother Sang, if you want to praise your disciple, feel free to do so. Don't worry about us laughing at you."
Sang Yunchu sighed softly, "It's not that I'm afraid you'll laugh at me, but if I really start praising, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself, and that will annoy people. Other things are fine... but what if someone is unhappy with me and wants to hit me? I'm so delicate, what should I do?"
Many advanced alchemists: "..."
For a moment, I couldn't find anything to say.
Shouldn't this guy take a look at what he's saying?! They really want to beat him up right now!
The hidden Azure Dragon powerhouses: "..."
To be honest, they never expected those words to come from King Sangdan's mouth.
Suddenly I'm a little worried that they might not have enough people to come this time.
Could it be that... because too many people ganged up on King Sangdan, they couldn't defeat him even if they attacked together?
Only Jiang Chongguang nodded secretly after listening to Sang Yunchu's words.
The pretty boy junior brother is right. If he were to praise those two lads, it would be hard to control himself, and he would definitely be disliked by others. That's the truth! Besides, the pretty boy junior brother is indeed very weak. If he were to be beaten, he wouldn't be able to beat anyone.
Jiang Chongguang sensed that his father's Nirvana clone was still sitting cross-legged in his Dao Palace, with several peak level seven puppets beside him, and felt slightly relieved.
·
Fortunately, the alchemists who came to exchange ideas were all kind and gentle people. Although things were complicated, they quickly moved on from the topic and the atmosphere did not become tense.
Tang Xingning thought for a moment with a sigh and said, "Brother Sang, do you have any plans to hold a small gathering of alchemy masters now?"
The other alchemists also looked over, smiling as they inquired:
"You've never held one before, but now that you're an eighth-level Pill King, shouldn't you organize one?"
"This pill-making competition is meant to showcase our strength. Even if it's troublesome, it won't be too complicated if the Azure Dragon Academy lends a hand."
"There are quite a few martial arts cultivators eagerly waiting, all wanting to know how many kinds of pills Brother Sang can refine, so that they can place orders."
"Let's hold it anyway. It's just that you're young, Brother Sang, and people always say you're still honing your skills. Otherwise, even if those martial arts cultivators don't dare to object, there will always be some who are envious of your talent, and every time they mention you, they'll... say something."
"Sigh! They themselves went through a lot of hardship to reach the eighth level, I don't know why they are so petty. Which eighth-level alchemist doesn't have a few unique skills and a lot of pill formulas? Yet they still make sarcastic remarks."
"If you know more than three level-eight prescriptions, Brother Sang, then we should hold the ceremony. It would save us a lot of trouble."
The senior alchemists' words of comfort were all well-intentioned.
In fact, any alchemist who has reached the advanced level—usually level seven and eight are considered advanced alchemists—will hold an alchemy gathering.
Even more so, upon reaching the fifth level of the Pill King realm, one is qualified to host a Pill Gathering.
·
The so-called Pill King Gathering, as these senior pill masters said, is a pill gathering to showcase the strength of pill masters.
More specifically, it refers to the alchemist's own pill exhibition and pill auction.
First, the elixirs were displayed.
The alchemist refined all the elixirs he had learned and displayed and introduced them one by one in a small exhibition hall.
The many martial arts practitioners and other alchemists attending the event can enjoy the spectacle.
Among them, alchemists naturally want to know the level of alchemy skills of their fellow practitioners, and they are more concerned with how to exchange alchemy techniques or even pill formulas with their fellow practitioners; martial arts cultivators mainly want to know the effects of these pills, what level and quality of pills the alchemist can refine, what the success rate of refining pills is, and so on, so that they can place an order with the alchemist when they need any pills in the future.
Then came the elixir auction.
Only pills of superior and top-grade quality are eligible to be auctioned.
In most cases, since only the Pill King is qualified to host the Pill Gathering, he will naturally put in the top-grade pills of various levels that he has refined... Only a few high-grade pills will be of superior quality.
For example, a level six alchemist who was also a level five alchemy king would likely submit top-grade pills from levels one to five to the auction when hosting an alchemy gathering, along with a portion of high-grade level five and six pills. Even high-grade level four pills might feel a bit overwhelming if included… Including lower grades would be rather embarrassing…
·
Basically, most of the Pill Kings will hold the event without needing to be reminded.
If they are independent cultivators, how can they let more martial arts cultivators know about them and place orders with them if they don't showcase themselves?
If a cultivator is from a faction, the faction itself will usually inquire about their cultivation level after a certain period of time—the number of alchemists a faction possesses is a way of demonstrating the faction's strength.
Only a powerful force like the Azure Dragon Academy would allow Sang Yunchu such freedom. Perhaps it's also because Sang Yunchu is still young and there's no need to rush things—it's better to wait until he knows more pills before revealing them to the world!
That being said, if the Pill Kings who are reluctant to hold their small gatherings don't show up often, they can easily be perceived as having empty titles.
It's understandable that Sang Yunchu, who became an eighth-level alchemist at such a young age, is considered to lack foundation and not know many eighth-level pills. While most eighth-level alchemists admire and value him, there are always a few narrow-minded people who are jealous of Sang Yunchu's talent and will not hesitate to suppress him—it would be even better if they could affect his mentality and pill-making rate.
·
Facing the gazes of numerous advanced alchemists, Sang Yunchu pondered and said, "To be honest, fellow practitioners, I do indeed have this plan."
The other alchemists all showed expressions of interest.
Sang Yunchu then said, "But... I intend to wait for my disciple."
These words puzzled the advanced alchemists.
One of them spoke up and asked, "Brother Sang, what do you mean by that?"
However, a few alchemists quickly realized what was happening and couldn't help but show a complicated expression of surprise and speechlessness.
Tang Xingning knew this young friend quite well, so he said, "Brother Sang, what you mean is that after we return this time, there's a high chance that Master Zhong will break through to level five and become a level five Pill King in a short time. At that time, would you like to hold a Pill King Gathering with Master Zhong and have a master-disciple collaboration?"
Sang Yunchu smiled and said, "That's exactly what I meant."
The other advanced alchemists were even more... indescribable.
How should I put this?
Is it true that Sang Yunchu has too much confidence in his disciple? But judging from Zhong Cai's current performance on the Pill God Wood, it is quite obvious that his alchemy skills are indeed very impressive. He seems to be close to a fifth-level alchemist—or perhaps he is already capable of becoming a fifth-level alchemist, but he is suppressing it for the Pill God Wood.
Once Zhong Cai reaches level five, with such talent, guidance from a master like Sang Yunchu, and so much resource support from Dan Shenmu, he does indeed seem to be able to reach the level of Dan King very quickly.
Thinking about this, the alchemists present felt a little envious.
Even the most magnanimous person will feel a pang of jealousy.
Sang Yunchu is incredibly lucky! He actually managed to organize a joint master-disciple gathering of alchemy masters!
What does this prove? It proves that Sang Yunchu truly has a successor!
By daring to do this, isn't it practically announcing that Zhong Cai will definitely reach the same level as Sang Yunchu in the future?!
Don't be fooled by the fact that advanced alchemists often have many outstanding disciples; none of them can guarantee that the disciples they favor will reach their level—there are just too many influencing factors! It's simply unpredictable!
If Zhong Cai is only in his thirties and already at level five, and has such a powerful Daoist companion with him, and his Daoist companion has so many strong backers, then it's almost impossible for anything to go wrong!
Moreover, there was another hidden meaning behind Sang Yunchu's willingness to hold the joint meeting...
Many senior alchemists understood that Sang Yunchu was indicating that the formulas for the various elixirs he displayed at the alchemy gathering would also be passed on to Zhong Cai.
In the future, once Zhong Cai's alchemy skills improve, he will not only be able to refine all kinds of pills inherited from his own lineage, but also possess everything that belongs to Sang Yunchu!
This clearly shows how much Sang Yunchu values Zhong Cai—more than a biological son, and even more than most masters and disciples.
·
The scene was quiet for a moment.
However, the advanced alchemists remained calm. After a moment of surprise and envy, they all regained their composure.
Several alchemists immediately said:
"In that case, I look forward to Brother Sang's master-disciple alchemy gathering as soon as possible."
"Make sure to send us an invitation when the time comes!"
"Don't forget to tell me when it will be held, or I'll storm the Azure Dragon and demand an explanation!"
"Yes! Brother Sang, don't be stingy, haha!"
"We'll see how many kinds of pills Zhong Xiaodan can refine then!"
"As I see it now, it's already quite a lot; by then, there will surely be even more..."
Hearing the smiling words of his fellow practitioners, Sang Yunchu also smiled and said, "Rest assured, everyone, I will naturally prepare invitations and invite you all to a meeting. At that time, please do not hesitate to give me any guidance."
Many advanced alchemists readily agreed.
Moreover, they were also making some plans in their minds.
Throughout history, there has never been a case of a master and disciple holding a small gathering of alchemists together, especially since both of them are so young.
Especially that young alchemist Zhong Cai, if he really has the courage to go with his master, he is even more extraordinary, and we should form a good relationship.
Therefore, many alchemists are considering whether to find their own private stashes and send them as congratulatory gifts.
For example, is it to celebrate Zhong Cai, the young alchemist, becoming the King of Alchemy?
Sang Yunchu's eyes were filled with a smile.
At that small meeting of Dan Wang, he should be able to get some more good stuff for Cai'er.
·
Zhong Cai on the Dan Shen Tree had no idea that his master had such plans.
He has now resumed alchemy.
Wu Shaogan continued to guard Zhong Cai and slaughter the wooden beasts.
·
This time, the method of the wooden beast attack was different from the very beginning.
In the original ten rounds, the wooden beasts appeared one by one in the early stages, and only gradually changed in the middle and later stages.
But now, the wooden beasts that are making their first appearance already number two.
One of them appeared head-on and attacked Wu Shaogan, while the other lurked in the shadows and rushed straight at Zhong Cai!
If one follows a habitual way of thinking, a martial arts practitioner may easily assume that everything is as usual. Even if they react quickly, they may still overlook something for a brief moment, leading to a crisis for the alchemist.
Wu Shaogan never underestimated the safety of his beloved Acai.
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