"Incredible!"
"Only Apothecary Bai Ming is capable of forging Acupoint Soothing Pill under such circumstances!"
"Acupoint Soothing Pill is difficult to forge, and Apothecary Bai Ming's technique is even more complicated. I have never seen it before. I would like to see what flaws this Zhang Xuan can point out!"
"Hehe, let's wait for a good show!"
Upon seeing Apothecary Bai Ming forge the Acupoint Soothing Pill, many apothecaries chuckled.
The higher the grade of the pill, the more complicated the forging technique. Acupoint Soothing Pill is considered to be a decent grade-1 pill, and the forging technique is incomparably complicated. Even they are unable to determine the flaws in the forging technique, so how can an apprentice see through it?
"Alright, now that the pill is forged, tell me the name of the forging technique and its flaws!"
Sneering coldly, Apothecary Bai Ming calmed his breathing and gestured grandly.
To think that he would succeed in Pill Debate just because he obtained information from an unknown source, he must be dreaming!
Without true ability, it was impossible for him to point out the flaws in the forging technique accurately. It was impossible for him to win his admiration!
"Are you sure you want me to say it?" A bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuan's face once more.
"Stop trying to pull a fast one here. If you can't point it out, admit defeat!" Apothecary Bai Ming harrumphed coldly.
"Alright then!"
Zhang Xuan shook his head. Placing his hands behind his back, he walked slowly to the center of the room.
"The forging technique you used is called 【Thousand Peaks Hands】. Legend has it that it was created by a 2-star apothecary named Feng Xuan. By placing the medicinal herbs in according to a unique sequence, just like a mountain, layer after layer, wave after wave. The control of the flames follows this sequence as well, varying the intensity of the flames. This way of forging pills allows the medicinal properties to fuse together and form a pill easily! However, its flaw is also very obvious. It is extremely difficult to raise the grade of the pill! "
"Thus, even though you have succeeded in forging these three Acupoint Soothing Pills, they are only of the lowest grade. It is almost impossible for you to achieve Fullness. This forging technique is only suitable for low-level apothecaries to mass produce pills. Honestly speaking, any slightly better apothecary would never learn it. After all, it is equivalent to holding back one's progress. No matter how many times one practices, it is impossible to raise the quality of the pill. What is the point of learning it? "
"Unless … I feel that I have no more potential to excavate, so I give up on myself!" Zhang Xuan smiled and looked at him meaningfully. "Apothecary Bai Ming, am I right?"
"Hmph!"
Hearing those words, Bai Ming gritted his teeth, and his face alternated between red and white.
As the head of the Bai Clan, as well as a 1-star apothecary, he possessed an esteemed standing. Yet, in the words of the other party, he became... a low-level apothecary...
However, he couldn't refute it.
The flaw of the Thousand-Peaks Hands was exactly as the other party had said. Even though it was easy to forge the Acupoint Soothing Pill, it was unable to advance any further.
Exhaling deeply, Bai Ming suppressed his rage and said, "Don't get too complacent. It's useless for you to say all that. You still have to point out the mistakes I made in my pill forging to be considered as your victory!"
"Alright!"
Zhang Xuan didn't waste any time. He took two steps forward and arrived in front of the pill furnace. "Then I'll start from the basics!"
"As long as one is an apothecary, they would know that in order to forge a good pill, one must have an extremely strong control over the flame and cauldron. Just now, Apothecary Bai Ming picked up the medicinal herbs and started forging. How much does he know about the cauldron? Where's the flame? "
"There's no need for you to refute my words. The specifications of these cauldrons are roughly the same, so there's no need to fuss over it. I can clearly tell you that the same medicinal ingredients, the same cauldron fire, and the same cauldron will produce different pills. Just because of this slight difference, the slightest carelessness could cause the refined pills to drop by a grade! "
Sliding his finger lightly across the cauldron, Zhang Xuan continued, "If you don't believe me, I can tell you right now."
"This cauldron is seven chi and three cun tall and three chi and two cun wide. It was forged by a 3-mo craftsman of the Stone Well Workshop seven years and three months ago. It has forged a total of 147 pills, of which eighty-eight were grade-1 pills and fifty-nine were pills below grade-1! In the process of transporting it, it suffered three impacts, and there are a total of thirteen fine marks on the entire cauldron. These marks are harmless when forging ordinary pills, but it will cause the medicinal energy to dissipate and the Origin Energy to dissipate. As a result, when the pill is formed, the medicinal energy will be insufficient and the grade will drop! "
"The thickness of this cauldron is slightly more than one cun, and for the heat to seep through it completely, it requires an incense's time and thirty-four breaths. The thickness of the cauldron on the left and right is slightly different, a difference of three strands of hair. Don't underestimate this difference in thickness. Under the same flame, there will be a five percent difference in the heat between the two sides. Thus, placing medicinal herbs on the left and right sides of the Acupoint Soothing Pill will result in a completely different medicinal effect! "
"Are you for real?"
"There are so many explanations for a cauldron?"
...
Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, many of the apothecaries below widened their mouths in shock. They were on the verge of going insane.
Even though they knew that different cauldrons would result in different grades of pills, they didn't expect that there would be so many explanations for a cauldron.
Furthermore...
This was a cauldron that the Apothecary Guild had brought in for this Pill Debate. How did he know so much about it? In fact, he even knew where the cauldron was forged, the thickness and size of the cauldron, the number of times it had been forged...
The heck, this was way too heaven-defying!
To be able to see through all of this with a single glance, are you... a monster?
"Now that I'm done talking about the cauldron, let me talk about the flames!"
Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Zhang Xuan pointed to the flames beneath the cauldron and said, "This is produced by the combustion of [Tiandu Coal]. At its hottest point, it can even melt metal into liquid. Coupled with a fighter's zhenqi, one can easily control the intensity of the flames and thus, the temperature."
"However... the flames and the medicinal herbs aren't in direct contact. The pills that we forge are formed within the cauldron. What we have to control is how much of the flames that pass through the cauldron's walls remain in the cauldron."
"Tiandu Coal is the best coal for forging pills. Putting aside the high temperature of the flames, its penetrative ability is also strong. Ordinary coal can only retain 37% of its heat after passing through an inch of the cauldron's walls. On the other hand, this type of coal can retain 46% of its heat! Only by knowing this rule can one ascertain how high the temperature the medicinal herbs can withstand, and how long it takes for the medicinal herbs to fuse with one another, thus creating the highest quality pill! "
"Of course, these are only the most basic of an apothecary. They can't be considered as flaws. I am just casually introducing them!"
Zhang Xuan chuckled. Turning to the side, he asked, "However, I would like to ask Apothecary Bai Ming. Before forging the pill, do you... pay attention to these things?"
Apothecary Bai Ming felt his scalp go numb and he nearly fainted.
Pay attention, pay your head!
I am just forging a pill casually. These things are so complicated, how... would I know?
Besides, even if I wanted to pay attention to them, there was nothing I could do. Could I possibly find a ruler to measure the cauldron before testing the temperature of the flames?
If that was the case, how could I forge the pill after two to three days?
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