Chapter 223 Alchemy Exchange Meeting 3
Zhong Cai continued to control the flames methodically.
The flames are now gentle, swirling around the entire furnace and flowing slowly, as if soothing something.
The stove was enveloped in a strange aura, as if it possessed an extremely terrifying attraction, making people dare not look closely, as if looking at it for too long would capture their soul and make it impossible to extricate themselves.
Many martial arts practitioners were momentarily stunned, but they all possessed extremely keen senses, so they reacted in an instant. Several nearby martial arts practitioners exchanged glances, each with a subtle feeling in their hearts.
However, they also realized that this was a mysterious phenomenon during the formation of the Soul Fusion Pill, and it needed to be treated with caution.
The alchemists naturally understood it even better.
Some level-five alchemists who could refine Soul Fusion Pills compared the strange sensations they felt when they produced their own pills with those of Zhong Danwang, and they all felt that Zhong Danwang's pills were even more miraculous... They had a premonition that Zhong Danwang would produce another top-grade pill this time.
·
Around the quarter-hour mark, the alchemy furnace began to vibrate slightly, and a faint, muffled sound seemed to echo within it.
This is the condensed elixir colliding with each other.
If the quality of the pill is confirmed to be good, the pill that has already been formed will not be damaged... otherwise, it will certainly be impossible to form a complete pill.
The moment the tremor began, all the strange phenomena that had been shrouding the area vanished.
The other alchemists and martial arts practitioners watched this scene intently, anticipating the number of pills successfully formed.
At this point, there is no longer any possibility of the oven exploding.
·
Very precisely, at exactly four hours, the slight vibration of the alchemy furnace stopped!
In that instant, the fire in the furnace suddenly turned into a wisp of fire, which disappeared into Zhong Cai's hand and was retrieved by him.
Zhong Cai smiled, her eyebrows curving upwards, and reached out to lift the lid of the alchemy furnace.
The next moment, he pulled out a handful of pills.
All the cultivators could see it clearly: there were six full-sized pills!
Numerous spiritual thoughts also quickly swept over.
Three top-grade... three superb-grade!
In an instant, several gasps were heard, almost all from alchemists of level four or five.
This alchemy technique! It's truly formidable!
The advanced alchemists were also slightly surprised when they saw this.
Admittedly, when Zhong Cai was on the Dan Shen Wood, he had produced some top-grade pills through constant refinement, but those were only level four pills.
The difference in difficulty between fourth-grade and fifth-grade pills is too great, while Zhong Cai's cultivation level is still at the Suspended Illumination stage. Although there has been progress, this progress will not provide him with much convenience and will not reduce the difficulty of refining fifth-grade pills.
Looking back, there were quite a few fifth-level pill kings among the advanced alchemists, but their success rate and the quality of their pills were far from as high as Zhong Cai's!
But then again, the fact that Zhong Cai could directly put out more than a thousand top-grade level 5 pills for auction already foreshadowed their high value.
Given Zhong Cai's level of alchemy skill, it wouldn't be too surprising if he produced so much.
·
Zhong Cai separated and put the pills away.
The best quality ones were put into one bottle, and the two finest ones were put into another bottle, which were then naturally stored in the mustard seed bag.
There was one left, which Zhong Cai displayed to the cultivators for their appreciation.
At that moment, a master alchemist said, "Master Zhong, may I have the opportunity to examine your work?"
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Of course."
After speaking, he used his profound energy to send the pill to the alchemist who had spoken—that alchemist and several others nearby seemed to be level five alchemists, and they were the group who watched Zhong Cai's demonstration of alchemy most attentively.
The alchemist carefully examined the pill in his hand and then passed it around among the alchemists nearby.
Sang Yunchu sat upright on the stone platform, first looking at Zhong Cai and instructing her, "Cai'er, you can give an explanation." Then she smiled slightly at everyone and said, "If you have any insights or questions, please feel free to ask them at any time."
Zhong Cai obediently nodded and began her "panel performance".
He first counted on his fingers without circulating his profound energy, then quickly explained, "As you all have probably noticed, I used three fire control techniques. Only the first one is from my lineage; the latter two are gifts from the Divine Pill Tree. Their usage and the effects they bring are respectively..."
Zhong Cai took out the wood fire again.
This time, he no longer directly manipulated the alchemy process, but instead carefully analyzed the explanation he had just given, and made the wood and fire react accordingly.
Very flexible.
Many alchemists were deeply impressed.
Zhong Danwang was indeed very skilled. He could make the wood and fire perform incredibly precise movements through the fire control technique. He could even use a hand gesture to "draw out the threads" of the wood and fire—that is, to directly draw out a line of fire and cleverly tie a knot in the line.
He can do so much, but what is it if he just manipulates the flames to warm the furnace and controls the temperature?
Even more so...
After Zhong Cai finished explaining, under everyone's gaze, he threw the firewood into the furnace and carefully burned off the remaining impurities.
Although these impurities were already barely visible, even difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, Zhong Cai could manipulate the wood fire, moving through every inch of the furnace to carefully burn them away.
Alchemists could all notice that there were some subtle changes in the alchemy furnace.
How subtle is it?
If this change hadn't occurred, most alchemists wouldn't have noticed anything amiss with the alchemy furnace. But after the change, they would suddenly realize that it was indeed different—it was cleaner.
Zhong Cai used a wood fire to clean the alchemy furnace, which took a full cup of tea's time.
He usually uses the top-grade purification talisman drawn by his own old master, otherwise he would always use wood and fire to clean it, which would be too time-consuming.
But now, in order to demonstrate his alchemy skills, he can't take the easy way out and will use wood and fire for practical application.
This completes the entire process from furnace warming to furnace cleaning.
·
Zhong Cai's explanation was straightforward and unreserved, and many alchemists of the same or even higher level benefited greatly from it.
They quickly absorbed these insights, their fingers constantly manipulating the fire control techniques they knew, and they even used some of the little tricks that Zhong Cai had figured out himself... Sure enough, they became more agile in controlling wood and fire.
Many level 5 and 6 alchemists showed satisfied smiles—this alchemy king gathering was worthwhile!
Some lower-level alchemists didn't quite understand—but that's okay. Just write it down first, and when you reach a higher level, you'll naturally gain some insight when you come back to it.
High-level alchemists comprehend things even faster, quickly digesting and absorbing the knowledge. They don't even need to release their own wood and fire to practice; they already understand it thoroughly and have made it their own experience.
·
Since Zhong Cai was organizing the Pill King Conference with her master, she was taking it very seriously.
Having studied alchemy for so many years, and with all the benefits it brought him, Zhong Cai no longer considered it just his job, but also his hobby.
Zhong Cai felt a sense of satisfaction every time she successfully produced a pill!
Now, Zhong Cai is very willing to share her experience with other colleagues, and her explanations are always rigorous.
Furthermore, he is not stingy in sharing his knowledge.
After explaining how to control wood and fire and how to adjust the heat, Zhong Cai took out seven or eight rather strange medicinal materials and explained the bizarre methods for processing them, many of which were unusually difficult.
However, all the difficulties were handled with ease and dexterity by Zhong Cai's fingers, without the slightest hindrance, as if there were no difficulties at all.
Many alchemists listened attentively, and if they happened to have such medicinal materials on hand, they would take them out and learn from Zhong Cai how to process them.
Although those who can become alchemists are relatively flexible, once they actually get the hang of it, most alchemists discover that many kinds of medicinal herbs are not as easy to handle as Zhong Cai is, but rather unruly in their hands.
It can't be made, it really can't be made.
Forcing things will only create various obstacles and make the medicinal herbs look their ugliest.
Fortunately, Zhong Cai explained the common processing methods, and also demonstrated the methods she had tried or those that were introduced in the tradition.
Many alchemists discovered that this King Zhong compared various techniques, and when they tried them out, they found it much easier!
This made the alchemists even more excited.
Because Zhong Cai only processes level 5 medicinal materials, it seems that they are of little use to high-level alchemists. However, as long as one wants to comprehend them, one can comprehend anything! Therefore, high-level alchemists absorb the essence of processing medicinal materials, and after they see the principles of some ingenious techniques, they quickly replace them in their minds, which gives them more ideas for processing high-level medicinal materials of their respective levels.
After Zhong Cai finished talking about the medicinal herbs, she began explaining how to distinguish the medicinal properties of a particular herb...
Advanced alchemists all have their own methods for this, and they know that this thing is very dependent on talent, so they don't spend too much time studying it. Instead, they discuss it among themselves through telepathy.
[Young friend Zhong's talent is indeed extraordinary. Even though he is only at level five now, some of his alchemy ideas have been very inspiring to me.]
[That's right, I gained something too!]
[This young friend Zhong is quite magnanimous. In my experience, when he explained the fifth-level alchemy, he also expanded upon many higher-level and more refined principles and approaches to alchemy. Many of these were things I had never seen in my own lineage, and they have been of great help to me.]
[Haha! Isn't that right? If I had known this young friend Zhong before, who would have known that a fifth-level alchemist's explanation of alchemy could be beneficial to an eighth-level alchemist like myself? It's all thanks to the fact that I didn't truly regard him as an ordinary junior, otherwise I would have really missed out.]
[Sang Danhuang is truly fortunate! It's inevitable that he'll have two Pill Emperors in his lineage someday, perhaps even two at the ninth level, or even two Pill Venerables! If that day comes, given their personalities… just look at how meticulously they explain alchemy now and how open-minded they are; their future won't be too different. At that time, perhaps we can further improve our alchemy skills and reap many benefits!]
"Brother Li's words make sense. If it were any other alchemist, they might not survive long enough for him to rise to prominence. But this master and disciple are different. One is a Pill Emperor over two hundred years old, and the other a fifth-level Pill King not yet forty. They cannot be judged by ordinary standards. In a few hundred years, we might already be witnessing that spectacle!"
[A mere few hundred years... It sounds unbelievable, but upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.]
·
Sang Yunchu smiled, and her smile was warm.
But quietly, he had already released his soul and spread it out, joining the "group chat" to listen in.
He felt extremely happy whenever he heard high-level alchemists praising their disciples.
He would never tire of hearing praise for his disciples, no matter how much he heard it.
·
In the innermost row, a tall, handsome man listened to the boy's explanation on the stone platform while recording a video with a photo-taking stone.
Behind him, in the front row of the outermost circle, sat a handsome young man in white, also holding a photo-taking stone, recording the boy on the stone platform from another angle.
These two people were Wu Dongxiao and Xuan Bing.
Having received an invitation from his Uncle Zhong long ago, Wu Dongxiao, along with his senior brother, arrived on the day the Pill King Gathering began.
The two attended the entire auction.
Xuan Bing even participated in the auction of the pills, but his family was not wealthy enough, and he could not compete with the other cultivators. After much hesitation, he gave up.
Wu Dongxiao was even less likely to be filmed.
Firstly, his level of cultivation is already so high that he doesn't need to use it at all; secondly... he's poor, burdened with huge debts, and who knows how long it will take to pay them off.
Wu Dongxiao has a great talent for alchemy and has decided to work hard to improve so that he can provide pills for his senior brother in the future.
He felt that although his current level was not high enough, his learning environment was much better than that of Uncle Zhong back then. He would definitely not be as good as Uncle Zhong in alchemy in the future, but he should be better than ordinary alchemists. He should also be able to refine pills beyond his level. Once he reached the Suspended Illumination stage, he could try to help his senior brother refine pills.
It will take my senior brother quite a few years to break through from the Fusion Realm to the Palace Building Realm. He should have already reached the Suspended Illumination Realm by then.
Xuan Bing had great faith in Wu Dongxiao. The reason he didn't go all out to compete was also because he had high hopes for his junior brother. After all, he didn't necessarily need to use pills, since the biggest drain on his energy to alleviate the pain of soul fusion was no longer necessary.
The two brothers got along very well, and they even wrote down the explanations of each kind of pill at the auction, which helped Wu Dongxiao.
At the alchemy exchange meeting, Wu Dongxiao watched with great attention.
Xuan Bing is a young cultivator with martial arts talent but also very meticulous and hardworking. Whenever he encounters something he wants to comprehend, he will review it repeatedly, so he often carries a lot of recording stones with him.
Now, Xuan Bing is taking the initiative to record videos for his junior apprentice.
After seeing this, Wu Dongxiao also asked him for a photo stone.
Xuan Bing was in charge of recording the overall footage, while Wu Dongxiao was responsible for the detailed recording. When his Uncle Zhong was refining pills, he would carefully record the details whenever there was a part he didn't understand. When Uncle Zhong was explaining, he would also record any parts that he didn't understand.
In this way, Wu Dongxiao studied very diligently, and would occasionally tell his senior brother how to distinguish elixirs, or marvel at how remarkable his Uncle Zhong's attainments in alchemy were.
Xuan Bing looked at his junior brother with a gentle expression.
His junior brother is perfect in both temperament and talent; he will surely become an extraordinary powerhouse in the future.
As his senior, he really wanted to see the day he reached the highest peak... uh.
Xuan Bing paused, then continued thinking with a hint of helplessness: At least, he is the second peak, only slightly inferior to Junior Brother Zhong in alchemy and only slightly inferior to Junior Brother Wu Shaogan in martial arts.
·
Zhong Cai spent more than two hours explaining his alchemy techniques.
During this time, some alchemists did raise their questions, and Zhong Cai explained them to them one by one.
After Zhong Cai finishes speaking, you can ask questions freely.
Many level-five alchemists would mention the difficulties they encountered when refining pills—of course, these were general, not secretive difficulties that were mentioned casually, but when it came to specific pills, the questions raised would only involve the twenty-two kinds that Zhong Cai had sent to the auction.
Zhong Cai was still very generous and answered every question.
Even more so, he would demonstrate, allowing the alchemists who raised the questions to watch closely—often one would come up, and several or even more with similar questions would come up on stage to carefully observe his movements.
Before long, all the alchemists left satisfied.
Then came other questions from the other alchemists…
Zhong Cai provided all the answers.
Many alchemists were surprised to find that although only level 5 alchemists could ask questions, at least several dozen had already spoken up. Each question was different, and some were extremely tricky, but Zhong Cai was able to answer them all and even expand on them.
That's quite a broad range of knowledge!
Some level eight alchemists were knowledgeable and experienced, and they also heard many different lineages involved... It seems that it can be inferred that the lineages Zhong Cai himself had explored were also diverse, and most of them were very exquisite and profound.
It seems increasingly likely that Zhong Cai has obtained the ninth level of inheritance.
However, even though some alchemists are quite envious of Zhong Cai's achievements, not all alchemists are of good character and open-minded... Those alchemists with ulterior motives must suppress their restless bad thoughts.
Sang Yunchu is a Pill Emperor! And a Pill Emperor who values his disciples highly and would secretly cause trouble for them! Who would dare to make a move on his disciples?
Moreover, Sang Yunchu has already established connections with the state lord, and it's obvious that the state lord will not underestimate this Pill Emperor and must have secretly provided him with protective measures. Canglong is even more determined to hold onto the Pill Emperor tightly, and who knows how many other methods he has secretly devised.
Moving Zhongcai is the same as moving Sangyunchu, and moving Sangyunchu is like touching the dragon's reverse scale.
Moreover, Zhong Cai's talent is even more terrifying; how could Canglong possibly let something happen to Zhong Cai...
·
After Zhong Cai finished his presentation, he put away his alchemy furnace and switched places with Sang Yunchu.
Sang Yunchu began to expound on his alchemy.
The alchemy process was also demonstrated during this period, and it was shown at both the sixth and seventh levels.
Level 6 pills are fine; they can be refined by a Spirit Transformation Pill Master in just one hour.
However, starting from the seventh-level pill, the refining time will increase significantly, taking up to five days in a row. This is because cultivators enter a new stage from the Spirit Transformation stage, which is a leap in the essence of life. The refining ideas and difficulties of this level of pill are far beyond those of the sixth-level pill.
However, all the cultivators who came to the meeting were mentally prepared for this.
For cultivators, a mere ten days or half a month is really nothing—especially for alchemists, who wish this time could be longer so they could absorb more nutrients to replenish themselves.
While refining the pills, Sang Yunchu explained the process, and afterwards, he also answered questions from many alchemists.
The alchemists were all very enthusiastic.
·
After explaining levels six and seven, Sang Yunchu stopped explaining level eight. It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that the other alchemists already expended a lot of energy watching others refine level seven pills, so watching level eight pills would do more harm than good for them.
Therefore, there will be a practice session on level eight pills, but it will be subject to certain restrictions.
It cannot be offered to all alchemists.
Now we will move on to the next step.
Zhong Cai and Sang Yunchu had answered many questions before, but other alchemists still had questions, and they couldn't quite explain these questions clearly just by talking. So, they also went on stage to demonstrate, inviting Zhong Cai and his apprentice, as well as the other alchemists, to watch their refining process and collectively find out the problems for them.
The alchemists watched attentively and remained very enthusiastic.
Countless ideas collided during the exchanges among the alchemists, sparking a great deal of thought. With numerous alchemists possessing various lineages, and through collective wisdom and effort, there were no blind spots or real problems.
Therefore, no matter which alchemist took the stage or how strange or unusual the questions they brought, they were all resolved without exception.
·
Immersed in such an "academic atmosphere," Zhong Cai could feel her knowledge reserves increasing every moment.
Although he did possess a great deal of inherited knowledge and insights, he also benefited greatly from hearing the insights of other alchemists.
For example, sometimes when a certain alchemist raises a question, he can indeed provide an answer, but after other alchemists speak up, he may find that the solutions they have come up with are simpler than what he knows—some are not so simple, but the other alchemists' thinking can help him to a certain extent, and some can broaden his horizons and give him new insights.
Zhong Cai felt very comfortable and always had a smile on her face.
The alchemists also exchanged ideas frequently. In such an atmosphere, almost no one would hide anything—there were so many alchemists coming over that even if some did want to conceal their thoughts, they weren't the only ones who knew similar viewpoints; other alchemists also knew and would raise their concerns.
Alchemists who are willing to share their knowledge will naturally gain the favor of more alchemists, and discussions will be more comfortable...
·
Time passed unnoticed, but the alchemists never stopped working.
The alchemists initially practiced individually, but later many alchemists practiced separately...
The other alchemists initially focused on solving the problem by working with one person, but then split into many groups, each seeking out the specific areas of knowledge and challenges they wanted to explore...
Many alchemists would argue because of their different lineages, different understandings of the same elixir, and different approaches to alchemy. In some heated arguments, they even considered fighting, but in the end, the alchemist with the higher level of cultivation would release his aura to force them to calm down.
·
The opportunity to exchange alchemy techniques with countless alchemists is extremely rare, especially for novice alchemists, who can gain tremendous benefits from it.
The small meeting held by the Emperor Dan was quite different.
After this Pill Emperor Conference concludes, the pill masters who attended should have made significant progress in their alchemy skills.
·
For martial arts practitioners, it wasn't boring at all.
They may not fully understand the principles of alchemy and alchemy, which can be very difficult for them, but their knowledge of the properties of elixirs and how to distinguish them is of great help.
The alchemists were bustling about, and the martial arts cultivators could hardly get a word in edgewise—but if they encountered something they wanted to know, they could call out from the sidelines and ask the alchemists.
At this point, the alchemists would generally not find it troublesome and would answer some of the questions.
·
More than a month has passed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com