Chapter 188 On the Pill God Tree
At least several dozen level-three alchemists successfully received leaf blades, which is certainly a joyous occasion.
However, they were not the only ones who successfully refined level three pills.
There were also many level-three alchemists whose furnaces had not yet exploded. Although they held up the pills in their hands, they did not feel anything unusual. They all knew that if the Pill God Tree was interested in the fragrance of the pills, it would come to absorb it.
When they first discovered that none of the level three alchemists who had completed their pills had any leaves to receive them, they could assume that they hadn't reached that stage yet. Later, when leaves came to greet Zhong Cai first, and then the best level three alchemists, they were still hoping that the Pill God Tree might be absorbing the pill fragrance in batches, and that they hadn't been called yet.
However, when those leaves flew back to the Pill God Tree, and when other alchemists' pills were produced and leaves came to receive them... the alchemists' expressions changed slightly.
Even though they successfully refined the elixir, they failed to pass the selection of the Divine Elixir Tree.
The alchemists put away the pills they had already refined and abruptly closed their eyes.
Many of their clansmen, relatives, fellow disciples, and martial arts cultivators who had accompanied them approached them and offered them gentle words of comfort.
"The selection process for the Divine Wood is already very difficult, so just do your best."
"This test won't eliminate you in one go. This batch of pills isn't your best result. You can try again."
"My son, come again! Don't be discouraged!"
"It's alright. Even if it still doesn't work, watching other alchemists refine pills here will be very beneficial to you."
"We've brought enough medicinal herbs, feel free to come again!"
Amidst these words of comfort, the alchemists who had failed took a deep breath, quickly adjusted their energy and spirit, carefully cleaned their alchemy furnaces, and began refining pills again.
They're already doing well if they can produce any pills at all. Many others, due to nervousness or other factors, have had their furnaces explode after only a short time of refining. They've already failed three or four times! Not a single pill has been produced.
·
The Dan Shenmu is very strict; if you don't meet a certain standard, you simply cannot climb it.
The Divine Tree is also benevolent. During the entire Spring Return Day, alchemists who meet the standards can continue refining as long as they wish. Even on the last day or the last hour of the deadline, any alchemists who finally meet the standards will be sent to the Divine Tree to participate in this activity.
As for what exactly the standard is for Dan Shenmu?
So many years have passed, and I still can't say for sure.
But overall, there are two fundamental points that must be met:
Firstly, if there isn't even a single top-grade pill in a batch of pills, then one is certainly not qualified.
Secondly, even if a cultivator at a higher level were to refine a pill that is one level below their own strength, they would most likely not be qualified.
For example, cultivators of the Suspended Illumination Realm can refine level 5 pills and level 4 pills, but if they only participate in the test as level 3 alchemists, they will basically be eliminated.
The word "mostly" means that there are exceptions to this. There was a cultivator in the Fusion Realm who refined two top-grade pills of the fourth level and was eventually invited by Ye Zi. However, there was another alchemist in a similar situation who only refined one top-grade fourth level pill and was not invited by Ye Zi.
Normally, if one can refine two top-grade, slightly lower-level pills in one batch, they should also be able to refine pills at the same level as themselves. However, some people try to take shortcuts, insisting on abandoning strict self-discipline in pursuit of the day of rejuvenation, only willing to "defeat others by lowering their standards." The Pill God Tree naturally won't welcome them…
·
Another incense stick's time passed, and finally another level four alchemist produced a pill.
Zhong Cai produced the pill within the fastest time, "one hour," while this person, although also successful, took almost an hour and a half.
Judging by his speed alone, he is far inferior to Zhong Cai.
After refining, the fourth-level alchemist quickly took out the pill and held it in his hand.
There are six pills in total: one top-grade, three high-grade, and two medium-grade.
The results were already excellent, but compared to Zhong Cai's achievements, the gap was enormous.
The fourth-level alchemist looked rather grim, with a hint of frustration and resentment in his eyes.
He is a grand-disciple of a ninth-level alchemist.
·
With such high status as level nine alchemists, they spent all their time improving their alchemy skills and further enhancing their strength—they were no longer young, and even if they could obtain many longevity-extending items, they still hoped to advance to the Tongtian realm.
Therefore, they simply didn't have time to teach their disciples.
Therefore, they haven't taken on any disciples for over a thousand years.
Even the disciples they had taken in during their spare time had already participated in the Day of Return to Spring.
Of the alchemists brought by their two treasure ships, only a few level-six alchemists are their disciples; the rest are all disciples of their disciples, or even lower-ranking grand-disciples.
But since they were brought here, their talent and current alchemy skills are quite good.
Just like Pang Yunfei, who is the second-ranked fourth-level alchemist.
His master was the third disciple of a level nine alchemist, and he himself was a level seven alchemist who was already researching level eight pills.
This seventh-level alchemist had a profound foundation, as he was personally taught by a ninth-level alchemist. He was also quite proficient in various alchemy techniques and gave Pang Yunfei a lot of guidance, which enabled Pang Yunfei to make rapid progress.
Pang Yunfei did not disappoint his master, and was always one of the most outstanding among his fellow disciples.
Among his grandmaster's many disciples, Pang Yunfei's master was not the most powerful—after all, his grandmaster had also taught an eighth-level alchemist. However, whenever the disciples sparred with each other, Pang Yunfei's performance was always among the top three.
It brought a lot of prestige to his master.
Therefore, Pang Yunfei was proud of his alchemy skills, and apart from the disciples of another ninth-level alchemist, he rarely paid attention to the alchemists trained by other forces.
·
After arriving here, Pang Yunfei quickly began refining pills.
However, because his self-confidence was too high, he felt that he could crush everyone without a doubt, so he did not choose the kind of pill he was best at, but rather one that he was more familiar with.
The extraction of the elixir proceeded smoothly, of course.
However, he was already discouraged by Zhong Cai even during the alchemy process.
Pang Yunfei's hands were very steady, and the blow did not affect his alchemy.
After the pill was produced, he regretted it very much... He should have chosen the one he was most familiar with.
If he is the most skilled, there may be no other alchemist who can beat him!
Even though the other party was still faster, the quality of the pills they produced was still better than his...
However, Pang Yunfei had refined three top-grade pills using the pills he was most skilled in.
Although it was an extraordinary performance that only happened once, back then, his master took him to pay respects to his grandmaster!
His master also gave him a reward...
·
Pang Yunfei slowly calmed himself down, letting the Pill God Tree absorb the fragrance from his pills, and then boarded the rapidly flying leaf.
After that, he would never let his guard down again!
If anyone had paid attention to Pang Yunfei, they would have noticed that he exuded arrogance even when he was on the ninth-class treasure ship.
But at this moment, Pang Yunfei's aura had calmed down considerably.
There's no longer any sense of restlessness or impetuosity.
If anyone were to observe the disciples and grand-disciples of those other ninth-level alchemists, they would find that those young and arrogant alchemists have all become more composed.
There are always people more capable than you.
There are far too many genius alchemists in this world.
Even setting aside Zhong Cai, who stands out from the crowd, there are many other alchemists who can rival them.
Among alchemists, alchemy skills ultimately determine who prevails.
Joining the ranks of a ninth-level alchemist only provides them with more avenues to improve their alchemy skills, but it certainly doesn't mean they can rest easy!
·
More and more alchemists ascended to the Alchemy God Tree.
More and more fragrance of cinnabar permeated the cinnabar tree.
At this moment, the unique fragrance of the Dan Shen Wood seemed to subside, leaving only the aroma of the alchemists.
·
After Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan up the Dan Shen Tree, they didn't stop for a moment and sat cross-legged in the very center of the leaf.
They took out the alchemy furnace and several baskets of medicinal herbs.
Zhong Cai sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, flicked his finger, and the wood fire entered the furnace chamber.
Wu Shaogan stood quietly a few feet away, in the shadows, keeping watchful of Zhong Cai.
The two didn't communicate much, and their actions were different, but somehow, you could still see the intimacy between them.
There was an atmosphere where no one else could get in, and a tacit understanding that allowed them to quickly cooperate with each other.
Zhong took out a handful of medicinal herbs and threw them directly into the alchemy furnace.
So skilled, so incredibly skilled.
This level of skill is in no way inferior to when he was refining the Firefly Pill!
Add the medicinal herbs, control the flame, and observe the reaction in the alchemy furnace...
A quarter of an hour later, a unique fragrance emanated from the mixing and collision of the medicinal herbs in the alchemy furnace.
Clear and transparent.
This is because the burning was thorough and there were no mishaps during mixing.
Therefore, the original impurities were removed, and no new impurities were added.
Absolutely perfect.
·
No matter how many leaves fly onto the Divine Tree, they will only hover between two or three hundred feet at most.
No one is superior to Zhong Cai or Wu Shaogan.
Even after some time had passed, when a level 5 alchemist produced pills and received "positive reviews and an invitation" from the Pill God Tree, their position was still not very high.
Yes, the height at which the leaf supporting the alchemist is located has nothing to do with the alchemist's own level; it all depends on the judgment of the Alchemy God Tree.
If someone is a mediocre sixth-level alchemist, they might be at a relatively low level, surrounded by third- or fourth-level alchemists.
·
That is why countless alchemists were watching when Zhong Cai was refining pills.
Their souls continued to communicate and intertwine.
[This technique is flawless. King Sangdan, how did you train this disciple?]
[Cai'er has always been well-behaved and doesn't need constant guidance from me. She mostly figures things out on her own, and only seeks my advice when she encounters difficulties.]
Such talent?!
[Cai'er is naturally very intelligent.]
[Observing this young man's alchemy, his techniques are concise and refined, seemingly honed through countless trials. Every movement is decisive and flawless. If all goes well, he should have successfully produced another batch of pills, many of them of exceptional quality.]
"King Sangdan, is it possible for your disciple to produce five more top-grade items?"
Sang Yunchu chuckled softly, but did not give a definite answer, only transmitting her voice.
[This is a Cleansing Pill. Cai'er refined it once before in front of me, producing three top-grade pills. I was ashamed that this pill already possessed cleansing power, making further improvement difficult. Perhaps this time will be the same.]
Many alchemists were taken aback.
Level 4 Cleansing Pill? It is indeed a pill used to cleanse impurities from a cultivator's body.
Upon reflection, they realized that any pill with similar medicinal effects, regardless of its grade, would be at least of medium to high difficulty.
Now King Sangdan says that his disciple felt ashamed because he only produced three top-grade pills in one batch.
What arrogant words these are!
They wanted to see if this young man could really produce such a large number of pills!
Sang Yunchu smiled but remained silent.
In fact, the junior disciple had refined the Cleansing Pill in front of him not just once, but several times, and each time he consistently produced three top-quality pills.
Therefore, the junior disciple expressed with some shame that he was truly unable to make progress, and so on...
·
Zhong Cai is also very skilled at using Qingti Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine formula).
The reason is simple: he values its ability to cleanse impurities. It can be kept on hand so that if he and Lao Wu ever need to take a pill with impurities, they can immediately use it to cleanse the impurities. It can also be sold in large quantities; this stuff is relatively expensive.
Therefore, he spent a lot of time on these elixirs when he was honing his skills.
Now, it's almost as if you can produce pills with your eyes closed...
·
Another hour passed.
The clanging of the pills in the furnace stopped, and Zhong Cai opened the furnace lid and took out all the pills inside.
There are six pills in total, three of which are top-grade Cleansing Pills! The remaining three are all of superior quality.
Such a result is still among the best!
Exceptionally outstanding.
It is also very stable.
·
Sang Yunchu transmitted his thoughts through his soul.
As expected.
The spiritual thoughts of other advanced alchemists emanated from all directions, creating a great commotion.
[There really are three, and the rest are all of good quality too!]
[Master Zhong Xiaodan has inherited the mantle of King Sangdan; his future is limitless...]
Congratulations, King Sangdan!
Sang Yunchu responded politely.
Congratulations! Congratulations! All your outstanding students are exceptionally talented and have achieved excellent results.
Many advanced alchemists: "..."
Indeed, so far there hasn't been a single furnace explosion, and the quality of the pills produced has been quite good, but it's really not something to be "happy about".
Their joy was simply incomparable to that of Sang Yunchu!
·
After taking out six pills, Zhong prepared to feed them to the Pill God Tree.
He doesn't need to go anywhere in person; he just needs to gently tap the surface of the leaf and place the pills he wants to feed the plant there.
Without hesitation, Zhong Cai placed all six Cleansing Pills on the leaf.
In an instant, a blue light rose from there.
After the light faded, all six pills disappeared.
At the same moment, a ball of light floated in front of Zhong Cai.
Something was shrouded in that ball of light.
Without hesitation, Zhong Cai reached into the ball of light and took the item.
Then he looked down and paused slightly in surprise.
Wu Shaogan also looked over, slightly taken aback.
·
In Zhong Cai's hands was a tattered booklet.
It looks really unremarkable; just by looking at it, it looks like a piece of junk.
But nobody really thinks so.
In fact, these booklets are among the most difficult resources to obtain from the Dan Shen Wood.
This book contains the alchemy techniques of exceptionally skilled alchemists!
It will also include many common mistakes in processing medicinal materials, as well as more novel and proven effective alchemy ideas and techniques.
For young alchemists, the contents of this book can greatly enhance their experience and knowledge, while the novel parts can broaden their thinking and allow them to see a wider world.
·
Before coming here, Sang Yunchu had already told Zhong Cai about the resources that alchemists had obtained, and Zhong Cai especially remembered some of the resources that were already very famous.
This booklet is the one that Sang Yunchu lamented about.
Throughout history, there have not been many alchemists who have obtained such tattered booklets... On each day of rejuvenation, perhaps only one or two people will receive one.
Moreover, the knowledge levels covered in the booklets vary depending on the booklet you obtain.
·
Zhong Cai took a deep breath, wondering what level of content her booklet contained.
Without hesitation, he turned to a page.
The technique for processing a certain medicinal material described in the first few lines of text is quite interesting. It not only saves a lot of time but is also more perfect than other methods and has a lower chance of error.
Zhong Cai was almost immediately attracted.
Then, he casually flipped through the back and saw another research approach for a pill he had refined. He instantly understood and grasped the essence of that approach. He even felt that if he went back and rummaged through the medicinal herbs he had stored, he could immediately research a new pill! One with similar effects, but with more refined medicinal properties.
Zhong Cai wanted to flip through it again...
At that moment, Wu Shaogan's soul transmission sounded.
【Ah Cai, snap out of it!】
Zhong Cai immediately snapped out of her daze and looked at her old man, Wu.
Wu Shaogan smiled helplessly at him and said, "Now is not the time to look through it."
Zhong Cai was a little embarrassed.
Although he initially learned alchemy for purposes such as making money, helping Lao Wu heal his injuries, and improving his own cultivation efficiency, as time went by and his alchemy skills gradually improved, he developed a stronger interest in alchemy itself.
Before he knew it, he was completely absorbed in what he was watching.
Fortunately, Lao Wu reminded him in time, otherwise he would have unknowingly read the whole book.
Moreover, these two short passages have already given him so many ideas. I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to figure it out even if he studied it for ten days or half a month. He would have to spend all his time on this book!
Now that she was fully awake, Zhong Cai slammed the book shut and tossed it to Wu Shaogan.
"Old Wu, can you take a look and tell me what level this is?"
Wu Shaogan was not an alchemist, so he naturally did not feel such a strong attraction. He simply and quickly flipped through the pages and then said with a smile, "The highest level is eight, but there is very little content."
Zhong Cai was all smiles.
This is only the first resource he's acquired, and it's already pointing him straight to level eight!
When he got back, he first showed the document to his master for review, and then he kept it for himself after his master had finished looking at it!
Zhong Cai said enthusiastically, "Old Wu, can you put this away for me? I'll continue!"
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "A-Cai, go ahead."
Zhong Cai felt at ease and casually took out a cleansing talisman to clean the alchemy furnace.
Then, he began refining the second batch.
·
Each batch of fourth-grade pills takes a considerable amount of time. Although Ye Zi chose to wait for Zhong Cai and let him be the first when they ascended the Pill God Tree, once they arrived, the third-grade alchemists successfully refined the pills and fed them to the Pill God Tree. Naturally, the Pill God Tree did not delay and responded promptly.
Therefore, Zhong Cai was not the first person to receive the gift of the Divine Wood.
There are at least twenty more level-three alchemists who have already obtained a ball of light resources.
Because their standards are good, they also receive decent resources.
Some obtained the elixir formula, some obtained higher quality wood and fire, and some obtained a very rare and precious medicine...
Each one still satisfied them.
However, no one else received the tattered booklet like Zhong Cai.
Even those who received a simplified version of the ancient alchemists' inherited experience or techniques did not have it.
·
The second time, Zhong Cai refined neither the Cleansing Pill nor the Flowing Firefly Pill, but instead used the Flying Feather Pill.
They are quite skilled at it.
He had refined it countless times, and it was still something he could do without thinking, just mindlessly refine it.
From preparation to refining, Zhong Cai made absolutely no mistakes at every stage.
And the entire refining process, without any doubt, took him only one hour.
The elixir has been produced once again.
Zhong Cai happily took out the pills.
It's still a full set of pills, three top-grade and three high-grade.
The art of alchemy is very stable.
However, the fact that different types of pills can remain so stable only highlights Zhong Cai's remarkable abilities.
·
As usual, Zhong Cai fed all the pills to the Pill God Tree.
After the azure light, the Dan Shenmu gifted another ball of light.
This means that it was very satisfied with the elixir provided by Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai chuckled, a little curious about what was inside.
The first one was a tattered booklet, what will it be this time?
Zhong Cai reached out and took it without hesitation.
In an instant, he felt a weight in his hand and quickly put the object on the ground.
Zhong Cai's eyes widened: "A pill furnace?"
Wu Shaogan also saw the alchemy furnace and said in a low voice, "A level six alchemy furnace."
·
The alchemy furnace was three feet tall and looked very heavy. Its surface had many natural patterns, and it exuded a very ancient and profound charm.
It is not only a level six alchemy furnace, but also an ancient level six alchemy furnace.
Although Zhong Cai did not yet know the purpose of these natural patterns, he suddenly developed a great fondness for the alchemy furnace as soon as he saw it.
What a great stove!
·
Zhong Cai didn't know the purpose of the natural patterns on the alchemy furnace, but the advanced alchemists watching did.
These patterns are clearly designed to help alchemists shorten the time required for alchemy!
It would take at least four hours for a level six alchemist to refine a batch of level six pills.
However, if this alchemy furnace is used in conjunction with it, and if all goes smoothly... the time can be reduced by half.
At the same time, because it saves time, the requirements for the alchemist are also higher—he must be able to adapt to the alchemy furnace, and the use of each medicinal material and the control of the fire temperature must also be changed.
So, while this time-saving feature sounds great, in reality, if an alchemist cannot master the pills they are refining with exceptional skill, and if they do not possess exceptional talent and the ability to control the heat, they simply cannot use this kind of alchemy furnace.
In other words, Dan Shenmu believed that Zhong Cai was capable of mastering this alchemy furnace, which is why he gifted it to him.
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