"Expert?"
The few 2-star apothecaries glanced at one another and were taken aback.
"That's right. Wasn't there someone who wanted to purchase the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood a while ago? There are many kingdoms in the vicinity that have these two items, and our kingdom is the closest to them. Thus, I was ordered to deliver them to them! "
Apothecary Hong nodded.
"I know about that matter. Didn't you say that you were going to the lowest tier of kingdoms, Tianxuan Kingdom? Why... "The 2-star apothecary who asked the question was perplexed.
Going to the lowest tier of kingdoms and meeting an expert? Raising his apothecary rank?
"It's the lowest tier of kingdoms. On my way there, I found out that the person who purchased these two items was a 1-star apothecary who passed the Pill Debate examination!" Apothecary Hong continued.
"Passed the Pill Debate examination?"
Everyone's eyes narrowed.
Few in Tianxuan Kingdom knew what Pill Debate was. However, in a large kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom, almost all apothecaries knew of it.
This examination was several times more difficult than ordinary pill forging. It required one to have a deep understanding of pill forging. Even in Tianwu Kingdom's several thousand years of history, almost no one had ever succeeded!
How fearsome must one be to become an apothecary through Pill Debate?
"Indeed. When I first heard the news, I was infuriated. I thought that it was Tianxuan Kingdom's Apothecary Guild, a small place, who didn't know the rules and used them recklessly. However, when I saw the Record Crystal they left behind, I realized that I was wrong! "Recalling the scene that day, Apothecary Hong still felt a lingering fear.
If Zhang Xuan were to see him, he would surely recognize the Apothecary Hong whom Jiang Chen wanted to introduce to him. He was the Apothecary Hong Yun who had lost the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood to him back in Tianxuan Kingdom.
Back then, he was only a 2-star apothecary. After a month of absence, he had already passed the examination and achieved a breakthrough.
"Could it be that... the person who passed the Pill Debate examination is... the person before us?"
A 2-star apothecary exclaimed in shock.
"That's right, it's him!" Apothecary Hong smiled bitterly. "After we met, he offered me some pointers, which enlightened me, allowing me to forge 3-star pills and become a 3-star apothecary!"
"This..."
Everyone's eyes narrowed. they turned to look at the young man who had just walked out with fear.
He had become an alchemist in the Pill Debate examination, guided a Two-Star Alchemist to refine a Three-Star Alchemical Pill, and now, he had even obtained 130 points in the Supporting Occupation Hall …
"He's not even twenty years old, how could he have such profound knowledge of alchemy …"
One of them could not help but ask.
No matter how talented a person was, there was always a limit to what they could learn. To possess such profound knowledge at the age of twenty, anyone would find it hard to believe.
"Initially, I was also perplexed by this matter. Later on, I looked into it and found out that he has an incredible teacher named Yang Xuan. He is a master teacher who is at least a 3-star master teacher!" Apothecary Hong Yun said.
"A master teacher beyond 3-star?" Everyone's breathing hastened.
Just like the other occupations, master teachers had a total of Nine Stars. Three Stars was a rank, and there wasn't a single master teacher in a Conferred Kingdom who had surpassed three stars!
No wonder he was so powerful at such a young age. It turned out that he had such a profound background.
…
While everyone was whispering, Zhang Xuan walked up to Wu Shi.
After watching the puppet for a while, he realized that it had too many flaws. Because of time constraints, there were still many that he hadn't had the time to point out. Even so, the instant he opened the cauldron, he knew that he had cleared it.
The pill was round and full, and there was a unique pattern flowing on its surface. It was actually a superior pill that surpassed Perfection, reaching the level of Pill Inscription.
It would be inconceivable if he were still unable to clear such a pill.
Initially, he thought that the pill he forged would at most be seventy to eighty points. Never in his dreams did he expect it to reach 130 points. He was shocked.
"This … Is it spoiled?" Zhang Xuan muttered.
Hearing those words, Wu Shi's body swayed. He couldn't help but explain, "You were the one who found the flaws of a 4-star apothecary …"
"Is this the level of a 4-star apothecary?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in disdain. "Too weak!"
Everyone spurted blood.
It's not that a 4-star apothecary is weak, it's that you are too strong, alright …
It was no wonder Zhang Xuan would have such an expression. This time, he didn't use the ability of the Library of Heaven's Path to guide him in pill forging. Instead, he relied on his own eye of discernment.
Having compiled all of the books in Tianxuan Kingdom's Apothecary Guild, his understanding of grade-1 pills had already reached an extremely high level.
If he were to guide grade-2 pills without using the Library of Heaven's Path, he might not be able to match up to some 2-star apothecaries, but grade-1 … Putting aside 4-star or 5-star apothecaries, even 6-star apothecaries might not be able to match up to him.
This was just like the Heaven's Path Divine Art. Currently, its tier was very low, so it was nothing much. However, in terms of low-tier cultivation techniques, even the most precious secret manuals in the continent might not be as formidable as the one that could condense such pure zhenqi.
In other words, even if a 5-star or 6-star master teacher were to lecture on cultivation techniques beneath Half-Zongshi, they might not be able to hit the nail on the head like Zhang Xuan did.
"Let's begin the third test, the Puppet Hall!"
Knowing that it was impossible to converse with a monster like Zhang Xuan, and the more he spoke, the more frustrated he would be. Thus, Wu Shi pointed to the third door.
"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head.
"You won't be awarded points in the Puppet Hall. Upon entering, there will be a red puppet and a blue puppet. Both of them are of similar strength, and you will have to guide the red puppet to defeat the blue puppet to pass the test."
Wu Shi explained the rules to Zhang Xuan.
"Alright!" Hearing that the rules were similar to what Ling Xiaoxiao had said, Zhang Xuan pushed open the door and walked in without much hesitation.
In the room was a circular dueling ring with a diameter of around twenty meters. On it stood two puppets, one dressed in blue and the other in red.
Upon seeing Zhang Xuan enter, the two puppets began battling.
Peng peng peng!
The two of them exchanged blows, and the wind from their fists howled.
"Tongxuan realm pinnacle strength?"
Zhang Xuan was astonished.
These two puppets were actually able to exert the strength of a Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Furthermore, their movements were agile. If they were to face a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert alone, the latter might not even be a match for them.
Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts could be considered as old ancestor-level experts in Tianxuan Kingdom. Yet, they couldn't even match up to a puppet here.
As expected of Mingshi Tang!
"The difficulty of this test is indeed high. It is no wonder why it is difficult to take the master teacher examination before reaching Tongxuan realm pinnacle!"
Zhang Xuan remarked.
Without sufficient strength, it would be difficult for one to point out the flaws and flaws of a Tongxuan realm pinnacle puppet. If one couldn't do so, how could one pass the examination?
"Let's begin!"
Knowing this, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the two Otherworldly Demon puppets.
His current strength had already reached Half-Zongshi. Even without the Library of Heaven's Path, he was able to point out the flaws and flaws of any puppet beneath this level.
This was because he cultivated the most correct path. As long as it was different from what he cultivated, it would be an error.
It didn't take long for the flaws of the two puppets to be seen and memorized.
Hu!
The battle came to a halt.
Just like in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, a voice sounded, asking him to point out the victory of the red-clothed puppet.
After the voice sounded, the two puppets gathered their strength, ready to begin their second duel at any moment.
"The red-clothed puppet wields a forceful and violent strength whereas the blue-clothed puppet wields a light and agile strength. In a battle between the two, each has their own strengths, making it difficult to determine the victor... Since that's the case, I will point out the flaws of the two puppets and strengthen the red-clothed puppet while weakening the blue-clothed puppet..."
Soon, Zhang Xuan had an idea. He even simulated the duel and felt that he would surely win. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.
Hu hu hu!
Just as Zhang Xuan's thoughts stopped, the two puppets began fighting once more.
"Red-clothed puppet, move three cun back, turn half a body to the right, and strike with your fist..."
Seeing that they were fighting once more, Zhang Xuan began to offer pointers.
...
"Do you think that he will be able to clear this round? Just because he is skilled in pill forging doesn't mean that he is skilled in providing pointers! "
"Looks like you still don't know. Apothecary Hong Yun said that this Zhang Xuan is the student of a master teacher who surpasses 3-star!"
"The student of a master teacher who surpasses 3-star? Then... he will definitely be able to clear this round! "
"Indeed..."
Master teachers are skilled in providing pointers. As his student, his pointers on cultivation are probably even more fearsome than pill forging. It would be a joke if he couldn't even clear this round.
"Even though there's no score for this round, there's a time limit and a limit to the number of moves one can use. Many people use this to compare themselves with one another!"
Standing in front of the entrance to the third round, Wu Shi stroked his beard.
The other master teachers nodded.
When two people of the same cultivation realm were guiding one of them to defeat the other, there was a huge difference between using three minutes and ten seconds.
After receiving pointers, there was a huge difference between using a hundred moves to defeat the other party and using a single move to defeat the other party.
"According to Mo shi's pointers, the red-clothed puppet used less than twenty moves to defeat the blue-clothed puppet, and it became a legend!" Wu Shi glanced at Mo Hongyi.
"It's seventeen moves!"
Mo Hongyi nodded his head confidently.
"That's right, it's seventeen moves! With just a few moves, he was able to defeat two evenly matched puppets. For one of them to emerge victorious, his understanding of cultivation must have reached an extremely profound realm! "
After praising Mo Hongyi, Wu Shi turned to look at the door. "I wonder how many moves this Zhang Xuan can use!"
"I would like to take a look as well!" A glint flashed across Mo Hongyi's eyes.
The other party had already broken his records consecutively. He wanted to see how formidable this lad from Tianxuan Kingdom was, and whether he was equally formidable in terms of cultivation guidance.
...
"It's one thing for him to be proficient in pill forging despite being under twenty years old, but I don't believe that he will be formidable in terms of cultivation as well!"
Jiang Chen harrumphed as he stared fixedly at the door in front of him.
He had grown up in a family of master teachers, and under his father's guidance, he had never taken any detours. As such, he was extremely familiar with cultivation. In the examination, he used a total of twenty-five moves to complete the examination. He didn't believe that this lad could be faster than him.
"The two puppets' demonstration match will take around 300 breaths. Ten breaths later, we will move on to the next match! Based on the rate of one move per breath, 310 breaths later, we should be able to calculate how many moves he has used... "
Even though he felt that the other party might not be a match for him, Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel nervous.
This fellow was simply too incredible.
If it was in the past, if someone were to tell him that a student who had taught for a few days would possess an Affinity Level of 85, he would definitely spit on the other party's face.
If someone were to say that a student who had scored 130 points in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion would probably tear that person's mouth apart.
But now... all of them had appeared on this fellow.
Even though he viewed the other party with enmity due to his relationship with Princess Mo Yu, he had to admit that the other party did possess unimaginable capabilities.
"312, 313, 314..."
Tapping his right hand on the back of his left hand, Jiang Chen counted nonstop.
As time went by, his eyes glowed brighter and brighter.
"333, 334, 335!"
Soon, he reached 335 breaths. In other words, the other party was still nowhere to be seen. Heaving a sigh of relief, Jiang Chen's face lit up in delight.
"Haha, it seems like my cultivation guidance isn't that impressive after all..."
Harrumphing coldly, Jiang Chen's eyebrows shot up.
He thought that the other party would be able to surpass his expectations just like in the previous two tests. Yet, the other party was still nowhere to be seen after 335 breaths. In other words, even under his guidance... the other party was still unable to defeat him in twenty-five moves. Even if the other party were to come out, his result would surely be inferior to his.
...
Not only did Jiang Chen's eyes light up, Wu Shi and Mo Hongyi also glanced at one another and shook their heads.
"Looks like I'm still a little weak in terms of cultivation guidance!"
"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. He might be skilled in pill forging, but his guidance on cultivation is lacking. However..."
Mo Hongyi tilted his head upward, and a glint flashed across his eyes. "He is neglecting his roots and pursuing trifles. There is nothing to fear!"
You are a master teacher, and the greatest responsibility of a master teacher is to guide the cultivation of others so as to raise their strength.
No matter how skilled one is in pill forging, it would be better for others to look for an apothecary. Why would he look for you?
This is just like a teacher saying that you are good at piloting a plane when you are bad at teaching. What's the use of that?
Every occupation has its own responsibilities.
Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would be his future opponent due to his outstanding performance in the previous two tests. However, from the looks of it now, he was overthinking it.
Since the other party was lacking in guidance on cultivation, there was nothing to fear about this master teacher.
"Indeed, it is a pity..."
Wu Shi also understood this point, and a hint of pity flashed across his face.
Given how outstanding the other party was in the first two tests, he thought that he would be able to emerge victorious in the third test as well. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like he was overthinking it.
How could there be a person in the world who was proficient in every occupation?
It was already fearsome to have such an incredible apothecary, and to think that the other party would be able to comprehend cultivation as well? If this wasn't wishful thinking, what else could it be?
Just as the thoughts of the few of them were running wild, ten breaths later, 'jiya!', the door finally opened, revealing Zhang Xuan's head.
"A total of 352 breaths. In other words, the both of them exchanged around 42 blows..."
Jiang Chen sneered coldly. Just as he was about to mock the other party, the young man scratched his head awkwardly.
"This... When I was guiding the other party, I seemed to have used too much force, and the red-clothed puppet smashed the blue-clothed puppet's head off... I have been trying to fix it, but to no avail. May I ask... this... shouldn't be considered my failure, right?"
"Smashed its head off?"
"Be it in terms of structure or strength, the two puppets are on par. After guiding the other party, the most I could do is defeat it and smash its head off. What in the world is going on?"
Countless people fell to the ground, and the entire room fell silent.
(A 4000-word chapter. I didn't finish it in the morning, so I was a little lacking. I went to work earlier in the afternoon and finished it before my lessons. If I missed a chapter in the bookstore, I can delete the book from the bookshelf and start over.)
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