boyutpedia 941. Insufficient Daoist Alchemy
941. Insufficient Daoist Alchemy
"You kid, you're really blessed with good fortune. It seems like advancing to the mid-stage of the Soul Heaven Realm is a sure thing now."
As a ninth-grade alchemy master who had been immersed in alchemy for many years, Huo Zhen could tell at a glance that Xiao Yan's soul power had made great progress during this period.
Xiao Yan knew there was no point in being low-key in front of such a master, so he touched his nose and said, "Just good luck."
"If this is lucky, I'll have to lament how unfair fate is, how come you get all the good things?"
Without hesitation, Huo Zhen took out three herbs and placed them in front of Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan glanced at them and saw that the one that kept emanating cold air and was bone-chillingly cold was the Autumn Moon Lotus of the Cold Pool; the one that was earthy yellow and had many roots was the White-Headed Immortal Ginseng. Both of them had one thing in common—the extraction requirements were extremely demanding. Xiao Yan had extracted and used both of them before and knew the difficulty involved.
As for the last type, the spiritual flower surrounded by flames and flying bright flames, Xiao Yan didn't even recognize it.
However, Huo Zhen had obviously anticipated this and took the initiative to explain to him, "This is a unique item of my Yan Clan, the Mang Xue Yan Hua (Wild Blood Flame Flower). Not only is it troublesome to cultivate, but it also requires a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) level expert to provide for it. Apart from refining ninth-grade pills, it is basically never used. It's normal that you don't recognize it."
Xiao Yan nodded: "Then what does Senior mean?"
"Last time you declined because you didn't have time, but this time I'm going to test you properly. Get started refining, and remember, you can't use any strange fire!"
Huo Zhen's tone wasn't very polite, but Xiao Yan smiled—if he was to be asked to refine herbs under these circumstances, it meant he was going to be taught some alchemy techniques. Receiving guidance from such a master was a rare opportunity, and Xiao Yan couldn't be happier.
Then, Xiao Yan obediently summoned the red and yellow flames associated with the Burning Flame Technique. He had only used this flame before absorbing the Strange Fire, and its power was vastly different from the Strange Fire itself. Xiao Yan first took the Autumn Moon Lotus from the Cold Pool and began refining it step by step. Without the help of the Strange Fire, Xiao Yan's refining speed was several times slower. However, throughout this process, he maintained the necessary patience, showing no impatience on his face.
Huo Zhen waited quietly to the side, carefully observing Xiao Yan's condition for a while, his brows furrowing slightly. He then stopped observing and instead took out a jade slip from his storage ring, beginning to get busy.
As the refining process progressed, the alchemy room fell silent, with only the occasional sound of steam rising as Xiao Yan's flames melted the Autumn Moon Lotus in the Cold Pool.
After ten days, Xiao Yan finally finished refining the three herbs one by one, placing the three clumps of liquid separately for Huo Zhen's inspection. Afterwards, Xiao Yan couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Huo Zhen had his reasons for being able to produce these three herbs. During the refining process, Xiao Yan also sensed the different characteristics of these three herbs, and the difficulty of refining them continued to increase. The last herb took a full five days to refine.
During this process, although Xiao Yan tried his best to maintain his focus, he couldn't help but think: if he could use a different kind of fire, the refining process would be much simpler. After all, no herb could withstand the terrifying temperature of a different kind of fire for long.
Seeing Xiao Yan complete the task, Huo Zhen, who was standing to the side, moved his soul power and drew all three herbs to his front. His vast soul power began to examine the medicinal liquid.
"It's mostly finished, but all three have minor flaws. These details are insignificant when refining eighth-grade pills, and the difference in effect will only be almost imperceptible, at most just a difference of one pill lightning bolt. But when it comes to ninth-grade pills, there are many more such problems. At best, the pill cannot be formed; at worst, it can be out of control, causing the furnace to explode and backfire."
Huo Zhen then pointed out the problems with the three medicinal liquids to Xiao Yan one by one. After careful examination, Xiao Yan realized that Huo Zhen's insight was extremely sharp. More importantly, what Huo Zhen didn't say, Xiao Yan already understood: if these three herbs could cause problems, then Xiao Yan might also encounter problems when refining other materials. If there were too many problems, then condensing a ninth-grade pill would be a pipe dream.
Throughout the narration, Huo Zhen's face remained expressionless, offering only earnest advice to Xiao Yan—Huo Zhen was extremely meticulous when it came to alchemy.
"Then, Senior Huo Zhen, what should I do?" Xiao Yan's attitude was very good, knowing that since Huo Zhen had pointed it out, there must be a solution.
Huo Zhen's eyes widened at this moment: "What should we do? Of course, the only way is to practice more, try more, and nurture your experience and feel for it at all costs. Otherwise, even after a hundred years, you will still only be a peak eighth-grade alchemist."
"There are quite a few eighth-grade alchemists on this continent, but ninth-grade alchemists are extremely rare, precisely because the barrier between the eighth and ninth grades is incredibly difficult. It's common for someone lacking perseverance to be stuck at the eighth grade for their entire life, unable to make any progress."
Then Huo Zhen thought of something: "Speaking of which, there's probably a new ninth-grade alchemist who could appear on this continent now, like your teacher. He's been resurrected, so many years have passed, and with his own insights, he should be fine by now."
Clearly, although Huo Zhen was a member of the Yan Clan, he was aware of many things on the continent and had also taken notice of Yao Lao.
Xiao Yan nodded upon hearing this. How could he not know what Huo Zhen was referring to? It was just that his time was truly limited. Even with the existence of the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Yan wished he could divide his time in half. Deep down, he would prefer to delve deeper into his alchemy skills, but unfortunately, under the current circumstances, increasing his strength was the top priority.
Huo Zhen seemed to see through Xiao Yan's thoughts: "I know your difficulties, but ultimately the choice is yours to make. Your talent in alchemy is amazing, and I don't want it to go to waste."
"Of course, you can't dream of instant success. You can't gain hundreds of years of alchemy experience overnight. Everything still needs to be done step by step."
Then Huo Zhen handed over a jade slip, which was the one he had been busy with while Xiao Yan was refining it.
"Keep it. It records my experience at this stage. You don't have to copy it all, but it's still valuable for reference."
Looking at the brand-new jade slip, Xiao Yan realized this kind of specialized guidance was a privilege reserved for direct disciples. Since it was a newly crafted jade slip by Huo Zhen, it was clearly made especially for him. Therefore, Xiao Yan didn't refuse, simply cupping his hands in gratitude and saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. I will remember this kindness!"