"This..."
Apothecary Luo was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to continue the conversation.
The other party's words were so logical that she couldn't refute them at all.
She wasn't the only one who had such an expression. The entire room was silent as well.
This... works too?
How deep of an understanding of medicinal herbs, pill formulas, and cauldrons must one be in order to achieve such a feat?
Everyone turned to look at the young man before them once more, as if they were looking at a monster.
"I've heard the conversation between you and the others earlier. It's true that one's soul energy will be burned by the cauldron, and adding in the Spirit of Sweetheart Grass should be able to neutralize it. However … have you ever considered the possibility that the Spirit of Sweetheart Grass could easily fuse with the Zhizaki Wood that you put in previously, thus reducing its effectiveness?"
"This..."
Apothecary Luo was stunned once more.
The Zhizaki Wood had the ability to absorb spirit, and the spirit of the Willheart Grass could be easily devoured by it, thus reducing its effectiveness.
"That's the second flaw."
Zhang Xuan continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you used [Gentle Hands of the Dark Night Rain] when forging the pill, right? This technique protects the spirit of the medicinal herbs, but... it increases the number of steps required to forge the Spirit Gathering Pill. You should have tossed seven medicinal herbs into the cauldron in one go, but using this technique, you took thirty-two breaths, resulting in the loss of the medicinal properties of the medicinal herbs... That's the third flaw!
"When forging the pill, you used the Clear Cold Art to fend off the heat of the flames. Even though you managed to protect yourself, you caused the heat of the cauldron to dissipate, resulting in you being unable to assimilate with the spirit beast blood essence... Fourth flaw!"
"... Fifth flaw!"
"... Sixth flaw!"
...
"... This is the twenty-seventh flaw!"
"To forge a mere grade-5 pill, you are unfamiliar with the cauldron, the medicinal herbs, the forging method, the cultivation technique, the lecture, the analysis, the focus, and the will..."
Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed. "How can you call this pill forging with so many problems?"
"I..."
Retreating a few steps, Apothecary Luo's face paled, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
The other party's voice sounded as if a machine gun, and coupled with the accuracy of his words, it left her breathless.
He thought that he had already become one of the most outstanding 5-star apothecaries in the world, but who could have thought that before a true expert, he would be nothing more than a laughable idiot?
"Do you want me to list the remaining one hundred flaws as well?" Zhang Xuan continued.
Apothecary Luo's body trembled in fear.
The other party listed twenty-seven flaws in a row, all of which appeared when she was concocting pills just now. It was reasonable and well-founded, making it impossible for anyone to refute.
After hearing so much, Zhang Xuan already felt a little apprehensive about concocting pills. He didn't know what he should do. If he were to continue speaking, his confidence would really crumble, and it would be difficult for him to recover!
"No, no need …"
He clasped his fist and bowed deeply. When he looked at the young man in front of him again, it was not with contempt, but with respect and admiration.
To be able to see through so many flaws in the pill forging process with a single glance, just what level of understanding did the young man before him possess toward pills?
Perhaps even her alchemy teacher would find it difficult to compare to him.
"Alright, there's no need to feel pressured. Pill refinement isn't like painting. If you follow the rules strictly, you'll be able to create an exquisite piece of Reality Depiction. Who knows how long you'll have to temper yourself and comprehend the properties of medicinal herbs before you can succeed? "
Seeing the pale face of the lady before him, Zhang Xuan knew that she had suffered a huge blow. Thus, he consoled, "It's already not bad for you to be able to forge a pill of this tier at your age. There's no need for you to feel pressured … How about this? Just follow my instructions and try forging the Spirit Revitalization Pill again. I guarantee that you'll reap a different result!"
Zhang Xuan's voice was infused with the Impartation of Heaven's Will, thus winning her trust.
Even though the lady before him was a 5-star master teacher, she was only at primary stage, and her Soul Depth was only at 15.0. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan's Soul Depth had already reached 16.0. It was easy for him to win her trust through the Impartation of Heaven's Will.
As expected, upon hearing those words, Apothecary Luo's shaken confidence reignited. She closed her eyes and recalled the flaws that the young man before her had said. Gritting her teeth, she nodded, "Alright!"
She walked up to the cauldron.
Usually, pill forging required three sets of medicinal herbs. She had only used a single set previously, so there were still two sets left on the table. Thus, she didn't have to worry about the medicinal herbs.
Driving her zhenqi, she lit the fire, heated the cauldron, and extracted the medicinal essence in a single breath. All kinds of medicinal herbs fell into the cauldron like raindrops, and spiritual energy burst into the air.
Twenty minutes later, Apothecary Luo exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and came to a halt.
The Spirit Revitalization Pill that she should have taken an hour to forge had actually been completed more than twice as fast!
She pushed her palm forward.
Jiya!
The lid of the cauldron opened, and a rich aroma gushed out, reminiscent of a pure-white cloud.
A round pill floated above the cloud. A golden pill mark was inlaid on it, giving off a dazzling light.
"This is … an Inscribed Pill?"
"How is this possible?"
"Even though there's only a difference of a single realm between Inscribed Pill and Perfection Pill, there's an insurmountable gap between them. Even a 6-star apothecary wouldn't be able to accomplish this feat!"
"Indeed. An Inscribed Pill already possesses its own spirit. Not only is it a pill, it can even be said to possess life!"
"That pill was only at Perfection Pill, but that apothecary actually managed to get Apothecary Luo to forge an Inscribed Pill … Isn't this a little too incredible?"
…
Upon seeing the pill that flew out of the cauldron, everyone's face paled in fright.
Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill were the four realms of a pill. Of the four realms, Perfection was the limit of a pill. Only a genius who had reached the pinnacle of pill forging was able to forge an Inscribed Pill.
Putting everything aside, the Apothecary Guild of the Miryu Empire had been established for many years, and it had produced countless talented apothecaries. However … no Inscribed Pill had ever appeared before!
It was said that only the Apothecary School of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had ever produced a few Inscribed Pills, and every single one of them had shaken the world.
They had thought that Inscribed Pill was something that only existed in legends, and no one had ever seen it with their own eyes. Who could have thought that … Apothecary Luo would actually forge one herself?
Fearsome!
Apothecary Luo was incredible, but … wouldn't the young man who had guided her be even more unfathomable?
In an instant, everyone turned their gazes toward the young man on the stage, and deep respect could be seen in their eyes.
This was the respect they had for experts.
Even though his strength might be beneath some of them, his comprehension of pill forging was probably above even that of the guild leader!
While the crowd was shocked, Apothecary Luo also woke up from her trance. Looking at the golden pill before her, her body trembled in agitation. She stepped forward and kowtowed, "Lord, I wish to acknowledge you as my teacher. Please accept me as your student and guide me on pill forging!"
She could clearly sense that the bottleneck that had been holding her back had been broken. In other words, she had gained a new insight into pill forging. As long as her cultivation reached a certain level, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to become a 6-star apothecary.
And all of this … was bestowed upon her by this young man who looked even younger than her.
Under the other party's guidance, she had broken through her bottleneck, and she could already be considered half a teacher to him. If she could acknowledge him as her teacher and listen to his guidance, her accomplishments in pill forging would surely soar!
"Acknowledge you as my teacher?"
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
His goal was to win the other party's trust so that it would be easier for him to forge the medicinal solution. He didn't expect this lady to ask him to be her teacher directly. This made him feel a little embarrassed.
"Teacher, please accept my request!"
Apothecary Luo hurriedly said.
"Alright, I can be your pill forging teacher. However, I don't have much time to guide you …"
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, "How about this? I have a unique medicinal solution here that can test your foundation and temperament, as well as your sincerity in acknowledging me as your teacher. Let me tell you in advance, as long as you follow my instructions strictly, you'll be able to successfully forge the medicinal solution … If you succeed, I'll accept you as my student. If you fail, it means that we aren't fated to be together! "
"I'll definitely succeed!"
Apothecary Luo hurriedly nodded in agitation.
"Un!" Seeing that the other party was convinced, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking his wrist, he took out the Great River Snake's Inner Core and Sorrow Severing Grass.
"These two are the main medicinal herbs. You'll need two taels of Dragon Beard Flower, one tael of Stardust, three qian of Wood Bark …"
Zhang Xuan casually listed more than a dozen medicinal herbs, and they were all required for the concoction of the medicinal solution.
"Guild leader, can I trouble you to bring a set of these medicinal herbs over?"
Noting down the medicinal herbs and quantities required, Apothecary Luo turned to the elder beside her.
"That's easy. I'll have someone prepare it right away!" The elder chuckled.
These medicinal herbs weren't particularly valuable, and they could be easily found in the guild. Thus, it wasn't a big deal. After instructing the elder, an apothecary swiftly brought the medicinal herbs over.
Seeing that the medicinal herbs were all of the highest maturity, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
He had indeed made the right decision in coming here. Otherwise, with so many aged medicinal herbs in the guild, it was unlikely that he would be able to buy them with money.
"Teacher, how do I forge the medicinal solution?"
After checking the medicinal herbs, Apothecary Luo was also satisfied. She turned to the young man beside her once more.
"Forge the medicinal solution according to my instructions. You mustn't make any mistakes!"
Zhang Xuan nodded. Frowning, he began instructing, "Heat the cauldron for forty-five breaths. Add in the Stardust after that. Seven breaths later, add in the Dragon Dawn Flower. After that, use your zhenqi to drive the flames for three breaths …"
The medicinal solution to awaken Yuan Tao's unique constitution was something that Zhang Xuan had spent a long time designing. He had also had the Library of Heaven's Path examine it, so he knew the exact forging process.
Due to Zhang Xuan's detailed instructions, it became much easier for Apothecary Luo to forge the medicinal solution.
The flames blazed furiously, and heat filled the entire cauldron.
As more and more medicinal herbs were added into the cauldron, the spiritual energy in the surroundings grew denser and denser. At the same time, the energy within the cauldron grew more and more violent, as if it would explode at any moment.
"It's the inner core of the Great River Snake …"
"That is the essence of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. Coupled with the ferment in the cauldron, even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert would find it difficult to control it. For Apothecary Luo to forge it … isn't this too much of a burden on her?"
Upon seeing this sight, the guild leader and the 5-star master teachers frowned.
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