For example, the Qingluo in the hands of Alchemist No. 1 has many strands of silk and tastes sweet and bitter. It looks and tastes very similar to silk grass, except for the color. If you cover your eyes and cannot distinguish the colors, it is easy to confuse the two herbs.
Another example is the Luoling fruit in the hands of Alchemist No. 3. The vast continent is rich in species, and there are countless fruits. The fruits are the size of marbles, and you can count a long string of them with your eyes closed. So it has its own characteristics, but more of them are commonalities. Apart from the texture on its surface, it is estimated that only by taking a bite can you carefully identify what it is. This is the courage of the alchemist who gambles. After all, if your eyes are covered, no one can determine that the thing in your hand is not poisonous.
…
Looking at so many pills, An Ran admired Dan Tang's background even more, and was determined to win!
Ten minutes later, the field began to get busy, with people whispering to each other, commenting and speculating about the upcoming results.
"Do you think they can guess it?" A young man leaned forward and asked his companion next to him. Can this group of alchemists really guess the answer to such a difficult question?
"I don't know. I guess some of them work, and some don't..." The young man shook his head and said blankly. He was just watching the fun and didn't know anything about the various herbs.
"Hey, how about we bet on whether alchemist number one will guess it right? How about a hundred gold coins?" The young man in a gorgeous robe leaned over and suggested to the two in front of him. While several alchemists were guessing, wouldn't it be great to make a bet?
"Tsk, one hundred is one hundred, who's afraid of who? I bet that the number one pill master will guess it right!"
"I bet on it too!"
"Ahem, then I'll just bet I won't win..."
…
The crowd was talking about it, and many people placed bets, guessing whether the ten alchemists would guess correctly or not.
"Ranran, Xu Errong, what do you two think of these people?" An Yu leaned over and asked, looking at Anran's little face. He was an idiot about herbs and could only watch the fun, but Anran and Xu Errong had been practicing with Venerable Mo Shang for quite a while, so they naturally knew more than her.
"It's hard to say." An Ran shook her head and replied decisively.
It's really hard to say. The alchemy competition not only tests one's knowledge of herbs and proficiency in alchemy techniques, but also depends on one's luck. What's more, An Ran is not familiar with these alchemists.
"I don't know." Xu Errong frowned and answered.
"The results will be out soon." Jun Zichen raised his lips and reminded.
Swish, swish, swish!
Tens of thousands of eyes on the field were focused on the ten alchemists like searchlights. The moment was about to come and the answer was about to be revealed.
The quarter hour was almost up, and the alchemists on the stage either frowned, curled their lips, or felt relieved...
Finally, under everyone's anticipation, the host walked to the front of the stage and said, "Time is up, please take back the herbs."
Following the order from the supporter, the ten staff members came forward, took back the herbs from the alchemist's hands, and stood aside again.
"Please come forward, No. 1, and tell us the name of the medicine and its various properties!" The host nodded, and the alchemist No. 1 came forward.
"Qingluo is a medicinal herb similar to silk grass. It tastes bitter and sweet, crisp and juicy. When exposed to the bright sun, it shines like a dazzling silver luster. It is as beautiful as a willow blown by the breeze, with fine silk wrapped around it. It is mainly used to treat lung diseases..." The number one alchemist was wearing a blue robe and covering his eyes with red brocade. He spoke slowly in the gaze of everyone, his voice low and a confident smile on the corner of his lips.
As soon as the words fell, the scene fell into silence. Everyone stared with wide eyes, clenched their palms, and collectively waited for the answer to be revealed.
On the judging platform, the ten judges nodded one after another. Even if one could not see their expressions, one could imagine the smiles on their faces. Following Elder Tian Wu's eye signal, the host on the stage trembled and his face shone with excitement.
"Congratulations to Alchemist No. 1, you have achieved excellent results in the first stage of herbal identification!"
Boom! Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Everyone stood up, cheering and shouting. Screams of approval echoed one after another, echoing throughout the huge playground for a long time...
She had seen lively events before, but never anything like this. At that moment, An Ran deeply felt everyone's respect for the alchemist. It was heartfelt approval, it was admiration from the bottom of their hearts. Even strangers could cheer for the same victory over a small topic...
There were people shouting beside them, and people cheering behind them. Everyone stood up and waved their arms to cheer. The sound penetrated the air and created ripples in the Youlan Academy.
An Ran sat in her seat, quietly feeling the atmosphere around her. On the stage, the first alchemist took off the red brocade cloth and stood on the right side of the stage with the attitude of a winner. The second alchemist walked to the front of the stage.
"Grass fungus, shaped like a mushroom, with a lingering fragrance, is an edible herbal remedy for dysentery. Due to moisture, dark spots will appear on the surface, but it does not affect its medicinal properties. Expose it to the sun and the spots will disappear in three days..." The second alchemist also had his eyes covered with red brocade. He raised his chin slightly and spoke slowly.
"Correct!" Elder Tian Wu nodded, a hint of satisfaction on his old face. It seemed that this group of alchemists were indeed quite good. They not only named the herbs, but also described their transformations. Not bad...
Wow, there was an uproar at the scene, everyone looked excited and kept shouting excitedly.
Alchemist No. 3 on the stage immediately walked to the front, frowned, and remained silent amidst the hesitation of the crowd.
"Please ask alchemist No. 3 to tell me the herbs with special medicinal properties..." Seeing that alchemist No. 3 remained silent, the host on the stage reminded him.
The man opened his mouth and finally closed it, with a hint of bitterness at the corner of his mouth.
"What's wrong? What's going on?" Two minutes passed, and everyone was whispering and talking among themselves. Looking at the alchemist on the stage who remained silent the whole time, their faces were filled with confusion.
Why aren’t you talking?
As the third alchemist on the stage spent more time, the reaction in the field began to become more intense. Everyone talked loudly and without any regard for the feelings of the alchemists on the field. In their view, alchemists were also divided into high and low levels. Being stuck at the first level undoubtedly meant that his skills were not as good as the previous two, or he was not an excellent alchemist at all.
"It seems that there is no answer." An Yu's face was filled with disappointment.
"This is expected." Xu Errong curled his lips and spoke lightly. Hearing his words, An Yu and Jun Zichen looked at him at the same time with puzzled expressions.
"Do you guess whether he can answer it?" Xu Errong looked at An Ran and asked lightly.
"There are tens of thousands of green fruits in the world. Of this size and appearance, smell and touch alone are not enough to identify their characteristics, so it's normal that you can't guess them." An Ran nodded with a faint smile on her lips.
Seeing the puzzled looks of An Yu and Jun Zichen, Xu Errong smiled lightly and explained softly, "The basic qualities of an alchemist are not only the ability to identify herbs, but also courage. This green fruit seems to be testing his ability to identify herbs, but it's not the case. When blindfolded, in addition to touch and smell, there is another important sense - taste!"
(To be continued.)
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