"Give it a try?"
Ouyang Cheng wasn't the only one who went insane. Du Man and the others also felt their heads spinning.
Brother, do you think that apothecaries are cabbages and cucumbers that can be bought in the market?
Trying to take the test? Are you toying with me?
Apothecaries are one of the top occupations in the Upper Nine Paths. To become an official member, which of them hasn't gone through many years of hard work?
Yet, you want me to give it a try...
Your head!
Do you know the content of the test? Do you know how to become a true apothecary?
"Cough cough cough!" Suppressing the urge to spurt blood, Ouyang Cheng looked at Zhang Xuan seriously and said, "In order to become an apothecary, not only does one have to recognize medicinal herbs and differentiate them, one also has to prepare, extract, forge, condense, forge pills, and so on. Just pill forging alone requires thousands of methods... It won't be that easy to pass the test!"
"That's right. During the process of alchemy, the control of the heat is also extremely important. Any mistake in any part will lead to a complete loss. Only through serious study and repeated practice day and night can one succeed. It's impossible to succeed in one go!"
Du Man explained.
"It's that complicated?"
Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly. "Then, it seems like I won't be able to do it within half a month?"
The Freshmen Tournament would be held in half a month's time. His motive for coming here was simple. He wanted to find a pill that could awaken Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya's unique constitutions so that they could advance their cultivation and emerge victorious in the Freshmen Tournament.
He had to solve this problem within half a month. If he couldn't, what was the point of becoming an apothecary?
Through his conversation with Huang Yu, he had already set his goal, and that was to become a master teacher. Lu Xun laoshi challenging him was dangerous, but it was also an opportunity. If he were to defeat the other party, he would have sufficient qualifications to become a master teacher!
Just like apothecaries, to become a master teacher, one had to become an apprentice. This was a necessary step.
If one wasn't valued by a master teacher, how could one become an apprentice?
"Half a month..."
Hearing his words, everyone fell speechless.
Which apothecary didn't remain an apprentice for many years before daring to take the examination?
Yet, you want to take the apothecary examination right after becoming an apprentice... Half a month at that, you must be joking!
This was especially so for Sun Tao and Zhu Hua Hua. They almost took off their shoes and threw them over.
Big Brother, is it okay for you to act so real?
Becoming an Alchemist is even harder than becoming an apprentice. Don't you see how we struggle to become an apprentice?
Become an Alchemist in half a month?
I think you can only dream about it …
"Zhang Xuan, don't bite off more than you can chew. You aren't even twenty yet. If you were to become a true apothecary before thirty, you would have broken the record of Tianxuan Kingdom. Fifteen days is impossible! I advise you to study step by step and walk steadily. Don't think too much … "
Ouyang Cheng tried to persuade him earnestly.
This fellow is talented, but isn't he a little too anxious? To become an apothecary in half a month... What in the world is he dreaming!
"Alright, since it's so troublesome, I won't take the test. I'll think of another way!"
Zhang Xuan shook his head upon hearing the other party's words.
He wasn't too interested in becoming an apothecary. With the Heaven's Path Divine Art, breaking through was as easy as eating and drinking. Pills were useless to him, so what was the point of becoming an apothecary?
If not for Yuan Tao, he wouldn't even have come here.
Seeing him give up, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man thought that he was finding it troublesome. Thus, they tried to dissuade him, "There are many occupations in the world, and apothecary is one of the most noble occupations. You possess such talent and have specialized in medicinal herbs. If you don't become an apothecary, won't you be wasting your many years of effort?"
"Many years of effort?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.
It was only four hours, where did many years come from?
"I still have other matters to attend to. Since the apothecary examination is so complicated, and I have to forge pills on top of that, I won't be able to learn it within a short period of time. Forget it!"
Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
"Don't be anxious. There is another way to take the apothecary examination other than pill forging!" Ouyang Cheng suddenly thought of something and said, "You have such a good memory, perhaps this method is more suitable for you!"
"You mean …" Du Man's face changed.
"That's right!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head.
"But … you must be clear of the consequences. The moment you fail, the punishment will be severe. In fact, it might even be impossible for you to take the apothecary examination in the future …"
Du Man said anxiously.
"I know, but this is the only way to become an apothecary swiftly. Otherwise, pill forging requires endless practice and the accumulation of countless medicinal herbs. It isn't easy to succeed within a short period of time!"
Ouyang Cheng said.
"But …"
"There are no buts. We are only in charge of informing him of this matter. Whether he chooses to take the test or not is up to him!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head.
"What kind of method is it?"
Seeing the two of them talking animatedly, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.
"There are two ways to take the apothecary examination. The first is through normal pill forging. As long as one is able to forge a grade-1 pill, he will naturally become a grade-1 apothecary! This is the most orthodox and standard method! "
Without any hesitation, Ouyang Cheng explained.
"The second method isn't pill forging but [Pill Debate]!"
"Pill Debate?"
Zhang Xuan was perplexed.
He wasn't the only one. Even Zhu Hua Hua, Sun Tao, and the others seemed to have never heard of it before.
"That's right. There is a noble occupation in the Upper Nine Paths, master teacher. I believe you all should have heard of it!"
Ouyang Cheng said.
"Un!"
The crowd nodded their heads.
Knowing of the Upper, Intermediate, and Lower occupations, one would definitely know of master teacher.
It was the highest ranked occupation in the Upper Nine Paths, and its standing was many times higher than that of an apothecary.
"Formidable master teachers are able to offer pointers not just to one's cultivation, but pill forging, smithing, formation, and the like as well!" Ouyang Cheng explained. "However, it takes a lot of time for a person to become a master teacher. How can one have the time and energy to learn pill forging, smithing, or even become an apothecary or blacksmith?"
"But if one doesn't become one of them, how can one guide others?"
"In order to balance out this situation, the unique examination method, [Pill Debate], was created!"
"Using us apothecaries as an example, in order to become a true apothecary, one has to forge pills nonstop. However, master teachers don't have that much time to waste. All they need to do is to gain a deep understanding of pill forging!"
"That is to say, they don't need to practice it. As long as they can explain the theory, they will be able to pass the apothecary examination!"
"Of course, this examination isn't that easy. It requires ten true apothecaries to debate with them and discuss the various details of pill forging. As long as there is a single mistake, they will fail the examination and be severely punished!"
Ouyang Cheng slowly explained the other method of the apothecary examination, [Pill Debate].
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