Library of Heaven's Path
Chapter 616-624

Chapter 616: Can This Even Be Called Pill Forging? [2in1]

“The reason why I built the Mystical Treasure Hall was to have these stone pillars deciphered. Since I’ve received the answers I sought, I can die without any regrets now. It’s time for me to return to my hometown and live my final years in peace.”

Gan Yiping chuckled. His face had a serenity like never before.

Attracted to the mystery of the unknown, he had spent fifty years on these stone pillar, attempting to decipher them. When everything was done, he felt as though a burden weighing heavily on his shoulders had disappeared, and he suddenly felt much lighter.

“This…”

A look of admiration reflected in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he nodded.

It seemed like this person had thought everything through now that his limit was approaching.

Indeed. Since his greatest wish had been fulfilled, there was indeed nothing left for him to regret.

These artifacts might be valuable, but none of them could be taken to the afterlife.

Just as empty-handed as one came, empty-handed will be how one departs!

Knowing that the other party sincerely wished to give these artifacts to him, Zhang Xuan accepted them politely. In exchange, he offered the other party several pointers on his cultivation.

After hearing Zhang Xuan’s pointers, Gan Yiping thanked him profusely in excitement.

After chatting for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan left with Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang.

After leaving the Mystical Treasure Hall, Sun Qiang asked, “Young Master, where are we going now?”

“On top of the inner core of a Great River Snake and the Sorrow Severing Grass, we still need more medicinal herbs to mediate the properties before brewing a medicinal solution…”

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before adding, “We’ll head to the Apothecary Guild. Over there, we’ll be able to engage the help of an apothecary too!”

Even though he was an official 3-star apothecary, he only received his rank through the means of Pill Debate. It would be best for him to do leave the job of pill forging to another.

“Yes!” The duo nodded.

The Apothecary Guild was quite a far distance away. The trio searched for a carriage, and after around an hour-long journey, they finally arrived at their destination.

The building of the Huanyu Empire Apothecary Guild was tall and vast. In front of the main entrance was a stone sculpture of a cauldron a dozen meters tall, granting a solemn and grand atmosphere to the Apothecary Guild.

Stepping in, a whiff of fragrant medicinal herbs and spiritual energy gushing through the pores of their bodies left them revitalized.

Taking a slight sniff, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile, “This is Pill Fragrance. It seems like someone has forged grade-5 pills here, and on a frequent basis at that!”

Upon the successful forging of a grade-5 pill, a deep Pill Fragrance could be produced by chance. Those who smelled it would immediately replace themselves re-energized.

Only a place where pills of such grade had been frequently successfully forged could such a deep scent be produced.

“Since there are 5-star apothecaries here, it isn’t too surprising for there to be grade-5 pills as well!” Sun Qiang nodded.

The most capable apothecary of Huanyu Empire had reached the level of 5-star pinnacle.

“Un. Let’s enquire at the front reception to see if we can get a 5-star apothecary!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The inner core of a Great River Snake and Sorrow Severing Grass were extremely valuable, and he only had a set of them. No mistakes could be tolerated. Also, even though it was just a medicinal fluid, its concoction consisted of complex processes that demanded the hands of a 5-star apothecary. Otherwise, there was a high chance it would end in failure.

“Gongzi, may I know what you need?”

At the front reception desk stood an eighteen or nineteen-year-old lady. She greeted Zhang Xuan with a bright smile.

“I need to concoct a unique medicinal solution. May I ask if there’s any 5-star apothecaries here that I can engage the help of and what price it would be?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Since one could buy Tutelage Jade Tokens at the Master Teacher Pavilion, naturally, one could also engage the services of an apothecary at an Apothecary Guild too.

The price of engaging the service of an apothecary tended to be much lower than purchasing the completed product, but one would have to gather the ingredients himself.

“The services of a 5-star apothecary?” The lady receptionist was taken aback.

“Why? It can’t be done?” Seeing the other party’s reaction, Zhang Xuan frowned.

It would be troublesome if he couldn’t do so. Given that the Great River Snake had reached a cultivation realm of Transcendent Mortal 7-dan before its death, its inner core was likely to possess immense power, and a 4-star apothecary couldn’t hope to suppress is rampaging energies during the concoction.

On the other hand, the minimum requirement to becoming a 5-star apothecary was to achieve a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm, so it shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

After a moment of hesitation, the receptionist replied, “We do provide such services, just that… a formidable 5-star apothecary from the headquarters has come by today to conduct a lecture, and all of the 5-star apothecaries in the guild have gone over to listen to it… In fact, even 4-star and 3-star apothecaries are all there as well. So, for the time being, we don’t have anyone available. If it’s possible, may I ask you to return tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

They would be deciding on the final distribution of slots for the Cleansing Lake tonight, and it shouldn’t be long before they go in. It was unlikely that Zhang Xuan would have much time left.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, “I can’t wait that long. When does the lecture end? Can you help me ask around to see if any 5-star apothecary is willing to take on my job?”

“Ask around?” The receptionist’s face darkened. “I am just a receptionist. 5-star apothecaries are too noble for me to approach.”

As a receptionist in charge of the front desk, she was only an apprentice. Putting aside 5-star apothecaries, it would be difficult for her to even come into contact with 3-star apothecaries. There was simply too huge a disparity in their ranks.

“Besides, there will surely be a bout of discussion after the lecture to exchange experiences and learn from one another. Everyone will likely be busy for the entire day, so I doubt that you’ll be able to engage their service no matter how much you pay!”

This was a precious opportunity to learn. They would never miss this chance just for a small sum of money.

While the apothecary from the headquarters was of equivalent rank to them, he was likely to possess more advanced techniques to pill forging and controlling the cauldron. This, in itself, was more than worthy of their attention and research.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

This was indeed a good learning opportunity for the apothecaries, so it was unlikely that anyone would pass on it for his job. But on the other hand, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to do it himself.

Putting aside whether it was too late for him to learn pill forging now, even if he could master it swiftly, his cultivation was only at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, so it would be impossible for him to suppress a rebound from the Great River Snake’s inner core.

So… what should he do now?

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan asked, “Since that’s the case, can you bring me over to where the lecture is held?”

It would be impossible to get the concoction of the medicinal solution done if he were to wait for the entire session to end. Since that was the case, he decided to enter the lecture hall and ask them personally. After all, as fellow apothecaries, it should be easier for him to ask for their favor.

“Bring you over?” The lady frowned. “That’s a place where only apothecaries can enter…”

“Oh, I’m an apothecary too. It’s just that I haven’t taken a promotion exam in recent time!”

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out his apothecary emblem.

His current rank was still 3-star, obtained back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom. But even so, it was sufficient for him to attend the lecture as well.

Upon seeing the emblem, the receptionist immediately bowed deeply and said, “Master apothecary, this way please!”

While a 3-star apothecary might not rank at the top of the pyramid in Huanyu Empire, he was still not a person that a little receptionist like her could offend.

“Un!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan proceeded along with Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao.

The Apothecary Guild was rather large. They had to walk a long distance before arriving at a huge hall.

Coming to a stop before the door, the lady apologized.

“I apologize but only official apothecaries can enter, so I can only bring you this far…”

“It’s fine!” Zhang Xuan smiled. Pinning his emblem on his chest, Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao, and instructed, “The both of you should wait here. I’ll go in and take a look!”

After which, he pushed open the door and walked in.

As the both of them weren’t apothecaries either, they couldn’t enter too.

There was a guard standing on the other side, but seeing Zhang Xuan’s emblem, they didn’t stop him.

This hall was several hundred square meters huge, and a huge crowd was seated in here. Every single one of them was dressed in an apothecary’s robe. In a sense, it was similar to the selection round with Ruohuan gongzi and the others back at the Myriad Kingdom City.

Lifting his gaze to the stage, he saw a person standing before a cauldron, forging a pill while deciphering the process step-by-step.

Flames blazed as a pair of fair hands steadily added herb after herb into the cauldron.

‘It’s a young lady?’

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He thought that a lecturer from the headquarters would be an elder in his seventies or eighties. To think that it would be a young lady in her twenties instead.

Female apothecaries were rare, and considering how she was qualified to conduct a lesson to even 5-star apothecaries, she was likely to a rather capable one at that. Thus, his interest was piqued.

The other party was dressed in a loose purple robe, and her long, black hair was coiled on top of her head. Her eyes sparkled like the stars, reflecting wisdom. However, her face was as cold as the middle of winter, and not the slightest emotion could be seen on it.

Surprisingly, her appearance was on par with the Sixth Young Mistress from before. In fact, the slight curvature that could be seen under her loose robe accentuated to her beauty.

An emblem with 5 stars was pinned on her chest, indicating her identity as a 5-star apothecary!

‘Pill forging requires one to be accompanied with flames for a long period of time, and it can be considered to be one of the tougher occupations. To think that she would actually reach 5-star at such a young age, incredible!’

Zhang Xuan was impressed.

Most of the high ranked apothecaries were all males. It wasn’t that females couldn’t make it, but the intense heat from the cauldron was usually a huge deterrent factor. On top of that, there were plenty of rare medicinal herbs required for pill forging that grew on top of treacherous terrains, making the occupation a dangerous one as well.

As such, most ladies choose not to take on this occupation.

On the other hand, the lady before him actually reached a rank of 5-star at such a young age. Her forging technique was profound, and her movements were fluid… It showed that she had devoted a lot of effort into her pill forging usually.

Otherwise, regardless of her talent, she couldn’t possibly possess such level of skill!

Regardless of what occupation one was in, talent was only one of the many factors to one’s success. In comparison, hard work played a much greater role.

Standing not too far away from the young lady was an elder, who was stroking his long, white beard in commendation.

‘He must be the guild leader here!’ Zhang Xuan deduced.

This elder carried an authoritative demeanor, and his cultivation felt deep like an abyss, revealing that he was likely in a position of power. On top of that, he seemed to be standing behind the young lady to take care of her, interjecting now and then to add on to the young lady’s points. Even if he wasn’t the guild leader, he was probably an influential figure here.

After looking around, Zhang Xuan found an empty seat and sat down.

At that moment, the young lady’s voice sounded.

Her voice was crisp-similar to a jade and a stone knocking on one another-and listening to it, in itself, was a pleasure. However, her tone carried a cold edge that distanced her from others.

“Emerald Jade Grass has a cold attribute, and if you were to put it into the cauldron directly, it might cause a conflict with the Wooden Cypress Flower placed in previously. Thus, it has to be soaked in Hamachi Extract for two hours before it can be used. This can accentuate its medicinal properties while lowering the temperature in the cauldron, thus enhancing the quality of the pills forged!

“As for the Wood Incense Flower, it has to be soaked in Violet Flora Water and basked under the hot sun for five days to maximize its medicinal properties. Otherwise, considering how it is added at the very middle of the forging process when the cauldron is at its warmest, it is highly likely that it would be burned to crisp…”

…

The lady explained the forging process and the preparation of the ingredients one-by-one. Her words were backed by logical explanations, leaving the listening crowd nodding their heads ceaselessly as though drunk.

“Impartation of Heaven’s Will? Could she be… a master teacher as well?”

Seeing the expressions on everyone’s face, and noting the unique intonation to the voice, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a slight smile.

Even though the young lady on the stage was lecturing on the Art of Pill Forging, she had infused Impartation of Heaven’s Will into her lecture to facilitate the learning process.

Only master teachers were capable of doing so.

From the looks of it, on top of being an apothecary, the young lady before him was also a master teacher.

It was just moments ago that he met two 5-star master teacher in his twenties, and right now, he was meeting yet another one. As expected of Huanyu Empire, it was indeed overflowing with talents.

If they had been within the twenty-eight regional powers as well, Zhang Xuan would surely have been in fourth place in the Master Teacher Tournament.

It was not that he was less knowledgeable than a 5-star master teacher, but his cultivation was simply too lacking. He stood no chance against them in a direct battle.

“Since she’s a master teacher, it should be easier for me to communicate with her. I should try to engage her help later on…”

Since the other party was a master teacher on top of being a 5-star apothecary, it should be easier for Zhang Xuan to engage her help.

The core ingredient of the medicinal solution was the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Great River Snake. To maximize its effectiveness, Zhang Xuan’s guidance would play a crucial part. However, an ordinary 5-star apothecary wouldn’t possibly listen to the words of a 3-star apothecary.

On the other hand, since the young lady was a master teacher as well, it should be easier to Zhang Xuan to win her trust.

“I thank everyone here for your cooperation. This is my comprehension of the grade-5 Spirit Revitalization Pill!”

Just as Zhang Xuan was pondering over how he should negotiate with the other party to have her concoct the medicinal solution for him, ‘jiya’, the cauldron on the stage was opened, and a dense aroma immediately gushed into the room.

Raising his gaze, he saw round, smooth pills emerging from the cauldron.

“A grade-5 pill at Perfection?”

“As a grade-5 pinnacle pill, the Spirit Revitalization Pill has always been one of the hardest pills to forge for a 5-star apothecary. Even if the guild leader were to forge it personally, probably only two in ten cauldrons of pills would reach the level of Perfection. Yet, she actually managed to achieve such a rank on her first try. Incredible, as expected of an apothecary from the headquarters!”

“On top of that, you might be unaware, but on top of being an apothecary, she’s also a master teacher! This is the reason why her explanations are so clear. If I were to study based on the content of this lecture, I would surely make huge progress in my research!”

“Indeed. I’ve also benefited greatly from this lecture. As expected of an apothecary from Hongyuan Empire. Regardless of whether it’s the pill forging or the preparation of ingredients, her understanding of those is far deeper and more accurate than ours!”

“Of course. The Apothecary School of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has a much more complete heritage of pill forging than our branch.”

…

Upon seeing the pill emerging from the cauldron, a huge commotion broke out amongst the crowd.

The skill of an apothecary is determined by the quality of the pill he could forge. Even a pill forged through the same pill formula can have differing quality, ranked by: Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill.

Reaching Formation in a higher grade would qualify one for a promotion. On the other hand, if one could reach Satiation in the forging of a pill with a grade corresponding to one’s current rank, one could be considered to be above most of one’s peers already.

Achieving Perfection wasn’t easy at all. Even a skilled apothecary might not produce a single cauldron of Perfection pills amidst ten. And yet, this young lady in her twenties, despite explaining the process to everyone while forging the pills, was actually still able to reach this tier. Her mastery in pill forging had reached an astounding level.

“Let’s begin the discussion now. If you’ve any suggestions, feel free to raise them so that I can learn from it too!”

Putting the pill down, the lady on the stage glanced at the crowd.

“Apothecary Luo, I have a question. The Spirit Revitalization Pill has the effect of nourishing one’s soul as well, but to achieve this end, one has to fuse a part of his soul energy into the pill in the midst of the forging process. I’ve tried to do so, but I always end up being burnt by the flames. May I know if there’s any solution to that problem?” asked a 5-star apothecary on the front row.

Since it was a discussion, naturally, they could raise any questions they had.

“Considering the searing heat in the cauldron and the cold nature of one’s soul, it’s natural that one’s soul would be burned if one carelessly attempts to infuse one’s soul into the pill in the midst of the forging process. But in the first place, there’s no need for us to do so. Amidst the ingredients for the Spirit Revitalization Pill, there’s a Glacé Heart Grass which, being a spirit herb, possesses spirit.”

The young lady on the stage, Apothecary Luo, explained, “As long as one harnesses the spirit contained within the medicinal herb properly before the forging process, it can grant the equivalent effect as well!”

“I see!”

The 5-star apothecary came to a realization and nodded his head in gratitude.

“I have a problem too…”

Following which, another 5-star apothecary stood up.

Before long, seven 5-star apothecaries had already posed their question, but the young Apothecary Luo didn’t show the slightest hint of panic at all. She answered their questions calmly with rational arguments backed by logic, impressing the entire crowd.

“Does anyone have any other questions? The reason why I came here was to trade some feedback with everyone. If you’ve any opinions or advice, feel free to raise them!”

After answering several questions, Apothecary Luo glanced at the crowd.

Her study of pill forging had met a wall recently, and her apothecary teacher had told her that she had to interact more with other apothecaries to share ideas to further her own path.

That was the main reason why she came to the Apothecary Guild.

And honestly speaking, this was working out well as well. Before she started forging the Spirit Revitalization Pill, some of her concepts were still not clearly fleshed out, and there were some parts she was unsure of. However, as she explained it, she found her own understanding of pill forging deepening as well.

However, this wasn’t sufficient.

She wanted to hear an alternative opinion to her own to improve.

“Apothecary Luo must be jesting. Your understanding of the subject is deep, and your skills are exquisite. There’s no advice we can possibly offer you!”

“Indeed! Your movements are perfect, and not to mention, you even achieved Perfection in your forging of the Spirit Revitalization Pill. Even if we wanted to criticize your work, there’s nothing we can raise!”

“Your understanding of pill forging is far deeper than ours. If not for your lacking cultivation, you could have been promoted to a 6-star apothecary by now. We really dare not offer any advice to you…”

…

Everyone shook their heads.

The person before them had come from Hongyuan Empire, and on top of being a 5-star apothecary, she was a master teacher as well. She was even qualified to be their teacher, so how could they possibly raise any objections against her? Even if they had any, they wouldn’t dare to speak up!

“Sigh!”

Seeing everyone shake their heads, Apothecary Luo sighed deeply.

In Hongyuan Empire, no one dared to criticize her in fear of her identity. She thought that since no one knew of her here, she would be able to garner some feedback. Yet, her hopes fell flat in the end.

“Do you really wish to hear my opinion?”

Just as she was feeling disappointed within, an indifferent voice sounded from the crowd.

“Yes!” Apothecary Luo quickly nodded her head.

“Alright then… Here is my opinion… After wasting so much time and effort, can this even be called pill forging?”

Chapter 617: First Flaw

“What?”

“He said that Apothecary Luo’s actions cannot be considered pill forging?”

“This is way too much! Apothecary Luo is a 5-star apothecary from the headquarters. Everyone here can see that her forging technique and movements were flawless, and yet, someone actually dares to insult her pill forging? Who is that insolent fellow?”

“Audacious!”

It was as if someone had set gasoline on fire. Wrathful eyes immediately turned in the direction from where the voice came from.

And following which, they saw a young man in his twenties wearing a 3-star apothecary emblem on his chest.

“A mere 3-star apothecary actually dares to utter such nonsense?”

“Ignorant brat!”

Upon seeing the other party’s appearance, many among the crowd sneered, and some even bellowed angrily.

Apothecary Luo might be young, but her understanding of pills and pill forging technique were above most of them here.

Her succinct and precise movements in her pill forging were a pleasure to the eyes. If a pill forging of such level couldn’t even be considered as pill forging, what else could?

Besides, even if someone wanted to criticize her, one should at least be a 5-star apothecary. Can a 3-star apothecary like you even understand what has just happened? How dare you speak such arrogant words?

Apothecary Luo also frowned.

What she wanted to hear was a feedback, not an insult.

“The apothecary over there, may I know what mistakes there are in my pill forging for you to utter such words?”

“You want to know?” The young man raised his eyelids.

“Of course!” Apothecary Luo replied.

“There were a total of 127 mistakes in your pill forging just now. I fear that if I were to say them all… your confidence might be shattered, and you would replace yourself unable to forge any pill from now on!” the young man said impassively.

“127 mistakes?”

Harrumphing coldly, Apothecary Luo flung her sleeves and said, “If you can really list out that many, even if I were to have my confidence shattered, it will be only due to my lack of expertise!”

Initially, she thought that the other party might have noticed some major flaws in her pill forging. But upon hearing such words, she immediately denied that possibility.

Her pill forging technique had been refined by the countless predecessors of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, forming a nearly perfect art. If there was a mistake or two, she would still be able to acknowledge it. But more than a hundred…

You must be pulling my leg!

With so many mistakes, putting aside whether it is possible to form a pill, it is more likely that the cauldron would explode even before the fire is lit!

Even if one wanted to boast, there should be a limit! Beyond that, one would just be a shameless fool!

“Are you certain that you want to listen to them?”

A slight smile crept onto the young man’s face.

“That’s right!” Apothecary Luo replied.

“Sigh! Since you wish to know, if I were to continue remaining silent, you all would only think that I’m doing this intentionally to cause trouble!”

Shaking his head, the young man stood up and walked onto the stage. He first placed his hand on the cauldron beside the young lady before walking around it. After which, he turned to her and said, “Before that, I would like to ask you if you know of the background of this cauldron.”

“Knowing the background of one’s cauldron is the very basics of an apothecary. Of course, I at least know of the background of my own cauldron!”

Apothecary Luo knitted her eyebrows slightly in displeasure. “This cauldron was crafted by 5-star Blacksmith Wu Feng, and it took him a total of twelve years to finish its crafting. It’s made by an alloy of the Frigid Metal found at the bottom of an ocean and Blue Coppersilver, thus making it resistant to high heat and extreme cold. It is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle artifact…”

Hearing the young lady’s flawless explanation, the young man continued, “Correct! But do you know that this cauldron has once suffered an explosion?”

Naturally, that young man was Zhang Xuan.

To convince the other party to willingly obey his instructions in the forging of the medicinal solution, he would have to impress her first to establish his credibility.

He was contemplating how he could do so when the other party expressed that she was seeking the opinions or advice of others. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him not to grasp this opportunity.

While Zhang Xuan’s understanding of pill forging hadn’t reached 5-star yet, he was still able to see through the other party’s flaws through the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Apothecary Luo froze for a moment before replying.

“I do. It has suffered an explosion before, but the ingredients only ended up being charred black. The cauldron suffered no damage from the incident, and there are no cracks either. As such, it shouldn’t affect any subsequent pill forging!”

This cauldron was given to her by an elder of her family, and she had used it for three whole years. It did suffer from an explosion once, but… she should be the only one aware of it. How did the other party learn of it?

“You’re right that the cauldron didn’t suffer any damage!” Zhang Xuan touched the surface of the cauldron with his finger. “There are indeed no cracks. But based on the slightly gray tint on the opening of the cauldron and the slight scent of metallic rust, if I’m not mistaken, you were forging [Searing Flame Pill], a grade-5 pill!”

“Indeed!” Apothecary Luo’s frown deepened as she nodded her head.

The previous explosion indeed happened in the midst of the forging of a Searing Flame Pill. Even though she wasn’t the one forging it, she was present then and knew of the condition.

But to be able to know what was being forged during the explosion just by looking at the color of the cauldron and the scent of it, this young man’s eye of discernment was way too formidable!

If she had thought that this fellow was making up lies to attract the attention of others a moment ago, at this moment, she was already thinking that he might possess true capability.

“An explosion really occurred before?”

“To be able to tell this much just by taking a look, even 6-star apothecaries aren’t capable of such!”

“Indeed. This fellow might actually not be lying…”

The crowd below was astounded to hear Apothecary Luo acknowledge the young man’s words.

Checking a cauldron’s background and condition was something all apothecaries had to do… But still, to be able to infer so much just by taking a brief look, wasn’t this young man’s eye of discernment a little, no, way too incredible?

Even a typical 6-star apothecary would replace it hard to deduce this much.

Previously, everyone, just like Apothecary Luo, thought that this fellow was just trying to stir some trouble. But after hearing his analysis, they realized that they might be sorely mistaken.

“But so what if the Searing Flame Pill was being forged during the explosion? Does that make any difference?” Apothecary Luo asked.

As a pill rich in yang energy, it was normal for an explosion to occur. There shouldn’t be any problem with it.

“Of course, there is a difference!”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “If you were to continue forging Searing Flame Pill with this cauldron, then yes, it wouldn’t have made a difference. However, you chose to forge the Spirit Revitalization Pill instead! The Spirit Revitalization Pill can calm one’s nerves and nourish one’s soul energy, thus making it a particularly valuable pill. The greatest taboo of this pill is to introduce any possible ‘violent attributes’ into it. And yet, you used a cauldron that a Searing Flame Pill once exploded in to forge it. Did you think that it wouldn’t have any influence on the Spirit Revitalization Pill?”

“This…” Apothecary Luo fell silent.

Pills forged for the soul required the forging to be done under more stringent conditions, just that… even if a past explosion could have any influence on a pill, it should be minimal.

“Are you thinking that the effects it would have on the Spirit Revitalization Pill, if any in the first place, would be minimal?”

Seemingly having seen through the other party’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up. “You would be right if it was an ordinary forging process. However, there’s a mistake in your forging process that exacerbates this effect. I remember hearing you say that if the Emerald Jade Grass is placed directly in the cauldron, it would cause a conflict with the Wooden Cypress Flower. As such, it has to be soaked in Hamachi Extract beforehand. Am I right?”

“Yes!” Apothecary Luo nodded her head.

She had indeed said such words, and this was part of her forging process as well.

“The Emerald Jade Grass has a violent nature whereas the Wooden Cypress Flower has a gentle nature. Indeed, there would be a collision between the both of them, and using Hamachi Extract is a viable way to mediate between the both of the medicinal herbs. However… have you thought about what would happen if Hamachi Extract comes into contact with the main ingredient of the Searing Flame Pill, Blue-stemmed Wood?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“It would cause a violent reaction. However, it has been years since the Searing Flame Pill was forged, and in the interval since then, the cauldron has been used to forge many different pills as well. Even if remnants of the Searing Flame Pill still remain, it should be minimal, right?” Apothecary Luo replied.

Blue-stemmed Wood would indeed react violently with Hamachi Extract; they are just like fire and water, incapable of coexisting simultaneously in the same location. However… it had been years since the explosion, so even if a reaction occurred, it shouldn’t amount to much.

“Minimal?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. He turned to the old man on the stage whom he suspected before to be the guild leader and asked, “This apothecary over here, may I trouble you with something?”

“Feel free to speak!” the elder replied.

“May I trouble you to scrape a layer of this gray tint on the cover of the cauldron?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Alright!” Even though the old man had no idea what he was up to, he still took out a dagger, scraped off a layer of the gray tint, and placed it in a jade bowl.

“Do you have any Hamachi Extract with you? May I ask of you to pour some onto the gray scrapings?” Without touching the jade bowl, Zhang Xuan asked.

“Un!”

Nodding his head, the old man issued some instructions to an apothecary beside him, and the latter immediately rushed out. Soon, he returned with a calabash and poured a light-blue solution into the jade bowl.

Tzzzzzzzz!

As the solution came into contact with the gray scrapings, intense effervescence reminiscent to that of boiling water immediately occurred.

“This…”

Everyone was astonished.

No matter how dull-witted one could be, it was clear that this was a violent reaction.

Should this be subjected under the intense conditions within the cauldron, there was a high chance that an explosion would occur, thus reducing the medicinal herbs inside into mere dredges.

“How could this be?”

Shocked, Apothecary Luo’s face paled.

Clearly, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing to be true.

“An explosion in the midst of the forging of a Searing Flame Pill is indeed nothing, but you forgot about the strong adhesive property of its main ingredient, Blue-stemmed Wood. After the explosion, the Blue-stemmed Wood stuck onto the walls of the cauldron, and it is difficult to cleanse it using ordinary methods. While it wouldn’t pose any problem in the forging of other pills, it might result in serious problems when Hamachi Extract is involved in the forging process,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Is there any way to solve this issue?” Apothecary Luo asked.

“Of course, there is! Corrosive Lotus is capable of neutralizing Blue-stemmed Wood. If you add two liang of Corrosive Lotus before the forging of the Spirit Revitalization Pill, you will be able to clear away the remaining Blue-stemmed Wood easily. At the same time, it will also lower the temperature of the cauldron…

(1 liang is about ~37.8g)

“As such, you won’t have to soak the Wood Incense Flower with Violet Flora Water and bask it under the sun for five days, thus sparing you of this troublesome preparation process,” Zhang Xuan said.

“This…”

Apothecary Luo was rendered speechless.

As a 5-star apothecary, she was familiar with medicinal properties and could easily deduce the authenticity of the other party’s words. After careful analysis, she realized that the suggestions the other party offered were feasible and flawless, and it even boosted the efficiency of the forging process.

“While there are standard steps in pill forging, one mustn’t follow them blindly. It’s similar to driving a carriage; while there are rules and a standard set of skills involved, one’s driving method must still alter according to the condition of the road!

“On top of noting the steps, one must also assess the condition of one’s own cauldron and environment and make suitable changes. Otherwise, even if one were to follow the pill formula perfectly down to the minute details, one might still replace oneself stuck in a deadlock!”

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Apothecary Luo with an aloof expression. At this moment, he seemed as though a highly-esteemed, high-rank apothecary.

“This is… the first flaw I am pointing out to you!”

Chapter 618: I Wish to Acknowledge You as My Teacher!

“This…”

Apothecary Luo was rendered speechless. She had no idea how she should respond to that.

The other party’s words were backed by concrete evidence, and this left her no grounds for rebuttal.

And she wasn’t the only with such an expression on her face. At this instant, the entire hall was silent.

This… Is this even possible?

How deep of an understanding must one have of the pill formula and cauldron to deduce this?

Everyone turned to look at the young man once more, but this time, their gazes seemed to suggest that they were looking at a monster instead.

“In the discussion phase, you said that instead of infusing one’s soul energy into the cauldron—which would cause one to be seared by the heat—one could harness the spirit of a Glacé Heart Grass instead… But have you considered the fact that the spirit infused into the Glacé Heart Grass could react with the Jeqi Wood added in previously, thus reducing its effectiveness?”

“This…”

Apothecary Luo was stumped once again.

Jeqi Wood possessed the effect of absorbing spirit; there was a high chance that the spirit infused into the Glacé Heart Grass could be devoured by it, thus reducing the effectiveness of the pill.

“This is the second flaw.”

Zhang Xuan continued, “If I’m not mistaken, you used ‘Hands of the Twilight Drizzle’ to forge the pill. While this forging technique does help to protect the spirit contained in the medicinal herb, it increases the number of steps required for the forging process of the Spirit Revitalization Pill. There are seven medicinal herbs that should have been added in simultaneously, but this technique forcefully added an interval of thirty-two breaths between the first herb and the last herb. This results in significant loss in their medicinal properties… The incompatibility between your forging technique and the pill, this is the third flaw!

“In the forging process, you used Lucid Frost Art to ward off the blaze from the cauldron to protect yourself. However, in the midst of doing so, you inadvertently sapped heat away from the cauldron, resulting in an incomplete fusion of the spirit beast blood essence and the pill… This is the fourth flaw!”

“… This is the fifth flaw!”

“… This is the sixth flaw!”

…

“… And this is the twenty-seventh flaw!

“A mere grade-5 pill, but you displayed a lack understanding of your cauldron, lack of knowledge of medicinal herbs, lack of expertise in your forging technique, lack of control in your movements, lack of clarity in your explanation, lack of depth in your analysis, and a lack of concentration in your actions, resulting in a disappointing performance…”

A sharp gleam flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes. “Do you think something riddled with so many mistakes is worthy of being called pill forging?”

“I…”

Apothecary Luo staggered feebly backward. Paleness swept across her face, and her slim body trembled uncontrollably.

The other party’s words were like a machine gun, each shot striking her in her vitals, rendering her incapable of catching her breath.

She thought that she possessed skill above most 5-star apothecaries, and never in her dreams could she imagine that what she had taken so much pride in would be nothing more than a joke in the eyes of a true expert!

“Do you need me to continue on with the remaining hundred flaws?” Zhang Xuan continued.

Apothecary Luo’s body jolted in shock, and she lowered her head fearfully.

The twenty-seven flaws the other party brought up were all true and existent, she had no way of denying them.

Just this much was more than sufficient to plant a seed of doubt that would make her question herself whenever she forged a pill. She feared that if the other party continued on, her confidence would be completely shattered.

“N-no, there’s no need…”

Clasping her fist and bowing deeply, she looked at the young man before her once more, this time in admiration and awe.

To be capable of seeing through so many flaws in her pill forging, how deep must his understanding of pills be?

Even her teacher wouldn’t be a match for him!

“Alright, there’s no need for you to feel disheartened. Unlike painting, where one can create a Reality Depiction work just by strictly following rules, pill forging requires hard work over a long period of time to build a deep understanding of the properties of medicinal herbs before one can achieve mastery.”

Seeing the pale face and trembling body of the young lady before him, Zhang Xuan realized that he might have gone a little too far. Thus, he quickly consoled her. “It’s an incredible feat for one of your age to forge a pill of such quality, so you should take pride in your skills… Alright, why don’t you alter your pill forging method based on what I’ve just said and try forging the Spirit Revitalization Pill once more. I promise you the results will be different this time!”

His words were infused with Impartation of Heaven’s Will, thus allowing him to win the trust of the young lady easily.

As a 5-star primary master teacher, the young lady’s Soul Depth had barely reached 15.0. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan’s Soul Depth was currently at 16.1, allowing him to win the other party’s trust via Impartation of Heaven’s Will easily.

As expected, upon hearing those words, Apothecary Luo’s fragile confidence began to heal. Closing her eyes, she went through the words the young man had just spoken, and gritting her teeth, she replied, “Alright!”

She stepped up to the cauldron.

Typically speaking, apothecaries would prepare three sets of medicinal herbs in case of failure. She had only used one set in her previous forging, so there were still another two sets left on the table.

Driving her zhenqi, she lit the flames to heat up the cauldron. After which, she extracted the medicinal essence from the herbs swiftly, and one after another, medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron. Spiritual energy rippled in the air, and a slight fragrance permeated the hall.

Twenty minutes later, with a deep exhalation, Apothecary Luo’s movements finally came to a halt.

The Spirit Revitalization Pill that should have taken her an hour to forge had taken less than half of her previous timing this time!

She stretched out her hands and pushed open the cauldron lid.

Jiya!

A dense and refreshing aroma gushed out from within, forming a beautiful white cloud.

Above the cloud was a smooth, round pill, and what could be clearly seen on the pill was a spectacular, golden stripe.

“This is… an Inscribed Pill?”

“How can this be?”

“Even though there’s only a level of difference between Perfection and Inscribed Pill, a nigh unbreachable gap lay between the two tiers. Even 6-star apothecaries would be incapable of forging a Spirit Revitalization Pill at the tier of an Inscribed Pill!”

“Indeed! An Inscribed Pill surpasses the notion of an ordinary pill. It possesses spirit, which makes it an existence worthy of being considered as a lifeform!”

“With a short lecture, this young apothecary allowed Apothecary Luo, who was still forging Perfection tier pills a moment ago, to successfully forge an Inscribed Pill… This is inconceivable!”

…

Upon seeing the pill rising from the cauldron, innumerable faces paled in shock.

Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill. While four tiers were established to grade the tier of a pill, Perfection was commonly known to be the limit. Only those who had managed to comprehend the Art of Pill Forging to an unthinkable level would be able to forge an Inscribed Pill.

Putting everything aside, despite the long history behind the Huanyu Empire Apothecary Guild and the many talented apothecaries who rose from this ground, there had never had been an Inscribed Pill emerging from here before.

It was said that only in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy did a handful of pills of such superior quality appeared before. Every single one of such pills had caused a huge uproar, and the apothecaries who forged them became respected figures in their circles.

As such, the apothecaries of Huanyu Empire had always viewed this tier to be one that only existed in the legends, something far away from them. Never could they have imagined that… Apothecary Luo would actually succeed in forging one!

Fearsome!

Apothecary Luo was formidable to have forged the pill… but wouldn’t the young man who guided her be even more so?

In an instant, everyone’s eyes fell on the young man once more with deep admiration reflecting in their gazes.

This was the admiration one would only display to true experts.

The young man’s cultivation might be lacking, but in terms of comprehension of pill forging, not even their guild leader would be able to rival him!

While everyone was still immersed in shock, Apothecary Luo finally recovered from the unique state she had been in. Staring at the golden stripe on the pill in her hands, her body trembled in agitation, and she abruptly kneeled down. “I’d like to acknowledge you as my teacher. I beseech you to accept me and enlighten me in the Way of Pill Forging!”

She could clearly feel the bottleneck which had limited her progress before shattering entirely. In this short period of time, she had gained a lot of insights into pill forging. As long as her cultivation reached the required level, there was a good chance she could clear the 6-star apothecary examination.

And this all… was thanks to the young apothecary standing before her.

It was only due to the other party’s guidance that she was able to surpass her limits. In a way, the other party could already be considered as half a teacher to her. If she could become the other party’s student and listen to his teachings constantly, her skills as an apothecary would surely improve by leaps and bounds!

“You wish for me to be your teacher?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

His purpose behind this act was to win the other party’s trust so that he could have the other party concoct the medicinal solution for him. Who could have thought that the young lady would end up askinh him to be her teacher? This made him feel slightly embarrassed.

“I beseech you to accept me!” Apothecary Luo pleaded earnestly.

“Alright. I’ll be your apothecary teacher, but I’ll have to tell you beforehand that I won’t have much time to teach you…”

At which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before adding, “How about this? I have a unique forging method for concocting a medicinal solution which could test your fundamentals, mental fortitude, and sincerity. Just a heads up, you’ll have to follow my instructions strictly for the concoction of this medicinal solution to succeed… If you succeed, I’ll take you in as my student. Otherwise, I can only say that we aren’t fated to be!”

“I won’t let you down!”

Apothecary Luo’s face flushed in agitation, and she anxiously nodded, seemingly fearful that the young man before her would change his mind.

“Un!” Seeing that he had succeeded in hoodwinking the other party, 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 are the main ingredients. On top of that, I’ll need one liang of Dragon Beard Flower, one liang of Stardust, three qian of Woodyer Skin…”

(One qian = ~ 3.75g. One liang = 37.5g)

Zhang Xuan quickly listed a dozen of medicinal herbs; these were the core ingredients required to forge the medicinal solution.

Noting down the medicinal herbs and the quantity required, Apothecary Luo turned to the elder beside her and asked, “Guild Leader, may I trouble you to bring a set of these herbs over?”

“No problem, I’ll have someone prepare it now!” the old man chuckled.

These medicinal herbs weren’t exceptionally valuable, and they could all be found in the guild. In just a few moments later, an apothecary returned with the listed herbs in hand.

Zhang Xuan swiftly looked through the medicinal herbs to check if everything required was present. While doing so, he noted that the prepared herbs were of the highest maturity, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Indeed, he had made the right choice coming over here to hoodwink a 5-star apothecary. Otherwise, he would surely be unable to gather so many high maturity medicinal herbs. After all, these medicinal herbs were useful to the apothecaries as well, so it would have been difficult to buy these herbs from them with money.

Apothecary Luo swiftly looked through the herbs as well before turning to the young man before her.

“Teacher, I am ready.”

“Follow my instructions strictly, there mustn’t be the slightest deviation!” Zhang Xuan reminded gravely once more. “Warm the cauldron for forty-five breaths before adding in one Stardust. Seven breaths later, add in Dragon Dawn Flower and raise the flames for three breaths…”

The forging process for the medicinal solution required to awaken Yuan Tao’s unique constitution had undergone many refinements in Zhang Xuan’s hands, and the Library of Heaven’s Path had verified it as well.

Zhang Xuan’s instructions were extremely detailed, allowing Apothecary Luo to focus her attention on the forging.

The cauldron flames blazed intensely, and heatwaves rippled in the room.

As more medicinal herbs were thrown in the cauldron, the spiritual energy in the air gradually grew more and more concentrated, and the energy contained within the cauldron became more and more violent. It seemed as though it would reach a breaking point any moment soon and trigger a massive explosion.

“That is a Great River Snake’s inner core…”

“This object contains the essence of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, and the energy contained within it is extremely violent. Even Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts would replace it difficult to suppress the inner core’s energy if it were to be placed under extreme conditions within the cauldron. To have Apothecary Luo deal with it… isn’t that going beyond her limits?”

The 5-star apothecaries and the guild leader frowned upon seeing this scene.

Chapter 619: Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique

The inner core of a Great River Snake was the most energy-concentrated part of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, and it could be said to carry almost the full cultivation of a Perfect Harmonization realm expert. Even the guild leader would replace it difficult to suppress the violent energy contained within this thing, and yet the young man actually wanted the Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Apothecary Luo to deal with it? Was success really possible?

Dong dong dong!

Amidst everyone’s doubtful gazes, a sound reminiscent of the rumbling of lightning and the knocking of a drum sounded from the interiors of the cauldron. The cauldron’s lid danced about its opening, and it seemed as though the violent energy would burst out at any moment. From the looks of it, if the energy wasn’t suppressed soon, an explosion would be inevitable.

“Shit, looks like an explosion is going to occur…”

Everyone clenched their fists tightly in trepidation.

As apothecaries, it wasn’t too hard for them to deduce the current situation of the forging. Under normal circumstances, in order to prevent an explosion, one would use one’s zhenqi to suppress the rampaging energy contained within the cauldron. But… Apothecary Luo clearly didn’t possess sufficient strength to deal with such powerful energy!

“Guild Leader…”

A 5-star apothecary couldn’t help but turn to look at the guild leader anxiously.

“Since the apothecary up there didn’t ask for our help, it’s best that we don’t interfere…”

Knowing that this was a test for Apothecary Luo, the guild leader waved his hands.

While he did possess sufficient strength to suppress the explosion, it would be highly disrespectful for him to dash in and interfere with the forging process.

‘Don’t worry. While the situation may seem dangerous, an explosion could be easily stopped by removing the flames…’ the guild leader thought, consoling himself.

The situation before him might look dangerous, but as long as the intensity of the flames was lowered instantly, it shouldn’t pose any threat.

Controlling flames was one of the basic lessons an apothecary had to undergo. It shouldn’t be a problem for Apothecary Luo to do so.

Just as he was thinking so, the young man before him said, “Pump in more zhenqi, intensify the flames!”

“Intensify the flames?”

The guild leader was taken aback. His face paled, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “But an explosion would occur…”

Hong long long!

Before he could finish his words, the cauldron suddenly shook violently, and a destructive aura gushed into the surroundings. Cracks appeared on the shaking ground, and heat waves came crashing down like waves. Under the powerful heat gale, Apothecary Luo’s hair danced in the air, and her robe fluttered.

“Run, it’s about to explode!”

“That’s a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Great River Snake inner core! If it explodes, the whole hall will be utterly destroyed!”

“Lunatic, he really is a lunatic! How can one forge a pill like that…”

…

The legs of all apothecaries in the room trembled in fright, and there were even a few who immediately turned around to escape.

The might of the explosion of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle inner core was equivalent to an attack of full might from a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle expert. While the hall might be sturdily built, it couldn’t possibly survive such immense might. It would be reduced to dust in an instant.

The powerful 5-star apothecaries might still be able to stand their ground before such destructive force, but the 1-star to 4-star apothecaries would surely be crushed. They would have to be mad to not escape now.

Geji! Geji!

Amidst pandemonium, the cauldron reached its limit and would explode at any moment now.

Cold sweat also dripped down Apothecary Luo’s forehead.

While she knew that the young man possessed incredible mastery of pill forging and he was likely to be in control of the situation, she still couldn’t help but feel a shiver going down her spine.

“Don’t panic!”

Just as anxiety was tackling her mind, a calm voice behind her brought her back.

Turning around, she saw a young man looking at her with a completely composed face, as though he cared not if the cauldron would explode or not.

The other party’s calm demeanor and soothing voice washed away her worries, and her trembling body found its stability.

“Use the Descending Flower Technique to put the Harmony Grass in!”

Apothecary Luo heard the other party say so.

Without any hesitation, she immediately added the Harmony Grass into the cauldron.

Hong long long!

It was as if fuel had been added to the fire, and the shaking of the cauldron further intensified.

“Add in the Cottoneye Flower and Greenthorn Leaf…”

The voice continued instructing he calmly.

Knowing that there was no backing out now, Apothecary Luo continued throwing in medicinal herb after medicinal herb.

As more medicinal herbs were thrown in, the cauldron shook even more intensely. But what left her perplexed was that, no matter how violent the shakings became, an explosion didn’t happen.

Even though the cauldron was clearly at the limits of its durability, it seemed to be treading along the lines of the breaking point, refusing to surpass that boundary.

Noticing the bizarreness of the situation, everyone stared at one another in confusion.

At this moment, a thought flashed across the mind of the guild leader. His face flushed red, and his body trembled in agitation.

“Could this be… B-but how can that be possible?”

“What is it, Guild Leader? Have you thought of something?” a 5-star apothecary asked, and many other apothecaries turned their gazes over as well, curious to hear his view on the matter.

“If my eyes are not playing tricks on me… this is the long-lost… Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique!”

Perhaps due to his agitation, the guild leader’s voice sounded slightly hoarse.

“Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique?”

Everyone was perplexed by those words.

They had never heard of this name before, needless to say, they knew nothing about it.

“It was said that this pill forging technique was created by a fanatic apothecary. However, due to the excessive danger one would be exposed to when utilizing this technique and the long list of death toll in its history, no one dared to try it anymore, and thus, it eventually disappeared in the annals of history… I only happened to chance upon it while reading through ancient texts. I thought that it was just a legend, yet… to think that it is actually real!”

The guild leader’s teeth were clattering with excitement.

“This…”

Noticing the excitement in the guild leader’s tone, the crowd felt even more curious about this legendary technique.

The guild leader also didn’t beat around the bush. “You all should have seen it for yourself. The cauldron has been on the verge of explosion for a while now, but yet… it hasn’t exploded yet!”

“Un!” Everyone nodded.

If it were them up there, the cauldron would have exploded long ago. But for some reason, despite the cauldron continuing to leap around furiously, it simply refused to explode.

This was something inexplicable to them.

“All things, including cauldrons, have a breaking point. I believe everyone should be aware of this,” the guild leader said.

The crowd replied, “Indeed!”

A cauldron would only explode if the stress it was put under exceeded its limits.

Taking water as an analogy, only below zero degrees Celsius will it turn into ice, and similarly, only at a hundred degrees Celsius will it turn into steam. Anything within the limits, not even one degrees Celsius nor ninety-nine degrees Celsius, could induce such change to water.

The same went for cauldrons as well. Anything within its limit would not cause an explosion.

An apothecary suddenly thought of something, and his eyes narrowed in disbelief.

“What you mean is that… that young apothecary knows what the breaking point of the cauldron is, and he’s intentionally controlling it at this point such that it is impossible for an explosion to occur?”

The others also found their jaws falling to the ground.

“The limit of every cauldron is different, and it can vary from situation to situation based on the medicinal herbs one is dealing with. How can he be so sure what the breaking point is?”

Sure, it did work theoretically… but the problem lay in whether one could accurately determine the breaking point or not.

The cauldron, the environment, the flames, the purity of the apothecary’s zhenqi, and his forging technique… A difference in any of these would spell a difference in the cauldron’s breaking point. How could this fellow be so sure that his perception of the breaking point was accurate?

It was similar to walking along a cliff blindfolded. The slightest mistake in one’s perception could potentially lead to a disastrous outcome… But based on the other party’s speech and demeanor, it seemed like he was extremely confident. Where in the world did his confidence come from?

“I’ve no idea how he can accurately determine the breaking point either, but in any case, it’s clear that he has succeeded. Whenever the cauldron is about to exceed the breaking point, he adds a medicinal herb containing spiritual energy to dampen the rampaging violent energy within… In other words, he’s continuously delaying the explosion by using the ingredients of the pill to dampen the energy level… the push and pull in this scenario is similar to revolving in a circle, thus the name of the forging technique!” the guild leader said slowly.

“Limit Revolving Pill Forging Technique… I see. But what is the advantage of this forging technique?” An apothecary asked.

Since such a technique was invented, surely it should have some kind of overwhelming advantage to it. Otherwise, who would risk their lives for it?

“Advantage? Its advantage is immense!”

The guild leader swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, “Everyone should know that the most difficult part regarding processing the inner pill is to melt it. Without several hours of intense flame, it’s impossible to achieve. What makes it worse is that one must keep watch over it during this period of time or else there is a high chance an explosion may occur!”

“Un!” Everyone nodded in agreement.

The inner core was one of the most valuable parts of a spirit beast, as well as the most dangerous and destructive part of it.

It is just like steel, and melting it was no easy task. As such, most apothecaries were unwilling to process it.

“On the other hand, if one were to subject the cauldron to extreme conditions reminiscent of those prior to an explosion, it means that the inner core is also on the verge of explosion, and its emission of energy is also at the maximum tolerable limit!” the guild leader continued.

This wasn’t too difficult to understand. If not for the immense energy leaking from the inner core, it would be impossible to push this incredibly large and sturdy cauldron to its breaking point.

The guild leader said, “With a maximum emission of energy from the inner core, it would mean that the fusing process would be significantly faster, thus reducing the required several hours of effort into just ten minutes!”

“This…”

Everyone was stunned.

Using such a dangerous pill forging technique just to minimize the time required to fuse the inner core?

Wasn’t he treating his life a little too casually?

Cultivators had long lives, and often, they would spend a month or two at a time in seclusion. To them, time wasn’t of much worry. To use such a dangerous pill forging technique just for the sake of saving several hours… What in the world was he thinking?

“That’s not the only advantage!”

Seeing everyone’s expression, the guild leader shook his head. “Under such intense conditions, the inner core can fuse better with other medicinal herbs, and the medicinal properties after the fusing would be maximized as well… As such, the quality of the pill would be brought up a notch as well!”

Only then did everyone come to a realization.

“Look, the medicinal herbs are all in! The forging is about to be complete…”

Amidst discussions, the guild leader’s face turned grim, and everyone quickly turned their gazes over.

Apothecary Luo flicked her wrist, and the final medicinal herb was thrown into the cauldron. The cauldron shook violently for a moment before the lid burst open. Following which, a light golden medicinal solution shot out as though a fountain.

In an instant, a deep aroma wafted in the air, and spiritual energy gushed in from the heavens.

“Deep Aroma Drawing Spiritual Energy… This is… a grade-6 medicine?”

The guild leader narrowed his eyes.

Chapter 620: Your Teacher, Zhang Xuan!

Legend had it that a grade-6 pill’s aroma, similar to a master teacher’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, could draw in spiritual energy that would further raise the quality of the pill.

The guild leader was already a 5-star pinnacle apothecary, and all along, he had been trying to forge higher grade medicine. But due to his lack of cultivation and the guidance of a formidable teacher, he had never succeeded.

He thought that the ultimate limiting factor was his cultivation, but upon seeing this sight, he realized that he was mistaken.

Even though Apothecary Luo came from Hongyuan Empire and was probably more knowledgeable than him, her cultivation was still two whole realms lower than his. After all, she was still much too young.

Thus, in terms of who would be able to forge a grade-6 pill first, he thought that he was in the lead…

But reality clubbed him in his face!

Considering how the other party’s medicinal solution had drawn in spiritual energy with its deep aroma, it had clearly reached grade-6.

“It’s him…”

The guild leader narrowed his eyes, and his body trembled in agitation.

He had been paying close attention throughout the forging process, and Apothecary Luo followed the other party’s instructions strictly. The reason why this forging of a grade-6 medicine succeeded was clearly the credit of this young man.

To be able to allow a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan 5-star apothecary forge a grade-6 pill with his guidance… Wasn’t this just too formidable?

How did he do it?

“Grade-6?”

Hearing the guild leader’s exclamations, everyone’s lips trembled in shock.

The higher grade a pill was, the harder it was to forge it. It wasn’t unheard of for a talented 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pill… but a 5-star apothecary forge a grade-6 pill, never before!

“Having forged a grade-6 pill once before, both Apothecary Luo’s confidence and grasp over the medicinal herbs would surely achieve a great advancement. No doubt about it… she will surely become an incredible apothecary in the future!”

“Indeed. How could I have been so foolish? If I had rushed up to acknowledge him as my teacher, the chance would have been mine!”

“Such a pity! Say, do you think that it’s too late to acknowledge him as my teacher now?”

“I doubt that he would be willing to accept any more students…”

…

Many of the onlookers expressed their regret toward this matter.

As a 5-star apothecary, successfully forging a grade-6 pill was an exceptionally precious experience. Just this in itself would induce a huge improvement in one’s understanding and eye of discernment, thus making it highly likely that one would advance to become a 6-star apothecary in the future.

If they had rushed forward to acknowledge that young man as their teacher before Apothecary Luo, the chance would surely have been theirs… and they wouldn’t be sighing helplessly in regret now.

Hu!

While some of the crowd were wallowing in their disappointment and others were still stunned with shock, the person in question, Apothecary Luo, heaved a huge sigh of relief. She stared quietly at the medicinal solution floating silently before her, and her face slowly flushed in excitement as her body began trembling intensely.

Just as others had guessed, her grasp of pill forging had been brought up a notch, and in the foreseeable future, pill forging would become her greatest expertise among all of her supporting occupations.

She would surely leave many sighing in awe when she returned to Hongyuan Empire.

“Impressive!”

She glanced at the young man before her once more, her eyes gleaming in admiration.

Through just the other party’s guidance, she was actually able to forge such a high-grade medicine. Even the number one apothecary of Hongyuan Empire, the head of the Apothecary School, would replace it hard to match up to his eye of discernment and extensive knowledge.

“Teacher!”

Filling the medicinal solution in a jade bottle, she passed the bottle respectfully over to the young man.

“Un!” Grabbing hold of the jade bottle, a hint of agitation appeared in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as well.

He thought that a grade-5 medicinal solution would be a great outcome already, but due to the unexpectedly high maturity of the mediating medicinal herbs and the lack of errors in the forging process, it actually managed to hit grade-6.

If Yuan Tao were to consume it, his Emperor’s Bloodline would surely be awakened by a huge portion, and his cultivation would rise by leaps and bounds.

“The fact that you were able to forge the medicinal solution successfully shows that you possess incredible talent, and I can also see the sincerity behind your acknowledgement. Alright. From today onward, you shall be my apothecary student!”

Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Xuan assumed an indifferent front, as though forging a grade-6 pill was no different from eating or drinking to him.

Despite the threat of an imminent explosion from the cauldron, the other party was actually able to put her trust in him and followed his instructions precisely with composure. Just this in itself reflected the sincerity of her intention to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as her teacher.

“Teacher, thank you for accepting me!”

Upon hearing that she had been accepted by the ‘expert’ before her, Apothecary Luo clasped her fists in excitement and hurriedly kowtowed to complete the acknowledge ceremony.

Knowing the other party’s sincere intentions, Zhang Xuan was satisfied as well. He turned to look at the other party and asked, “Un. What’s your name?”

“I am Luo Qiqi, teacher can call me Qiqi!” Apothecary Luo said.

“Qiqi? Un. Then from today onward, I shall call you Little Qi…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Yes!” Luo Qiqi replied in delight.

“Alright, I still have things to attend to, so I’ll be leaving for now!”

The stone pillar challenge at the Mystical Treasure Hall and concocting the medicinal solution in the Apothecary Guild-all in all, around ten hours had passed. It was about time for the crown prince’s banquet to begin, and given that the slots for the Cleansing Lake were at stake, he had to be present.

“Yes…”

Seeing that the other party was going to leave, Luo Qiqi felt a little disappointed.

“Pill forging is an accumulation of experience, not something one can achieve mastery in all of a sudden. Try to comprehend what I taught you today, and you will surely improve greatly!” Having seen through Luo Qiqi’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan said.

Luo Qiqi nodded her head. Following which, Zhang Xuan took out ten middle-tier spirit stones and passed it over to the guild leader, “Here is the money for the medicinal herbs!”

If not for the guild leader bringing out so many valuable medicinal herbs, it would be impossible for the medicinal solution to have reached grade-6. Unwilling to take advantage of the other party, Zhang Xuan decided to pay a reasonable sum to the other party.

On the way here, Sun Qiang had passed the 700 middle-tier spirit stones which he took from the Sixth Young Mistress to him.

“This… It’s my honor to be able to see a medicine of such quality to be forged within my lifetime, how can I accept your money…” The guild leader hurriedly turned down Zhang Xuan’s gesture.

“Take it!” Zhang Xuan threw the spirit stones over.

If the other party didn’t accept it, it could be seen as that he owed the other party a favor, and Zhang Xuan detested incurring such a relationship. Instead of causing possible problems in the future, he would rather repay his debts on the spot.

“Alright!”

The guild leader also could tell Zhang Xuan’s intentions from his insistence. He shook his head in disappointment, knowing that he had lost a chance to get acquainted with a talented apothecary.

“Farewell!”

After throwing the spirit stones over, Zhang Xuan walked out of the hall.

Watching as he slowly disappeared into the distance, Luo Qiqi hurriedly shouted, “Teacher… Where can I replace you?”

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan stopped, and an impassive voice sounded. “Remember this, my name is Zhang Xuan!”

…

“It has been some time already, why isn’t Young Master out yet? The crown prince’s banquet is about to start already!”

Outside the hall, Sun Qiang was pacing around the corridor anxiously.

“Indeed!” Yuan Tao tried to peek into the hall, but the doors were tightly shut, preventing him from seeing anything at all.

Before entering, Zhang Xuan had told them to wait outside. However, four hours had already passed, and there was no sign of him. It was inevitable that they would be worried.

Besides, the crown prince’s banquet was about to start. The motive of the banquet was to vie for the slots of the Cleansing Lake. If the champion of Hongfeng Empire were to not appear in such an important banquet, wouldn’t Hong shi be in tears?

Just the Master Teacher Tournament back then was enough to reduce that 5-star master teacher to tears. If Zhang Xuan were to miss out on this banquet as well, who knew if that old man would be able to take the blow?

“Young lady, may I trouble you to enter and call our young master out?”

After waiting another moment longer in futility, Sun Qiang turned to the young lady beside him.

It was the front receptionist who had brought them over.

“This… I’m sorry, but I can’t. Only official apothecaries can enter, and if I were to enter without permission, I would surely be punished. In the worst-case scenario, I might even face expulsion…”

The young lady quickly shook her head.

How could a mere receptionist like her be qualified to attend such a grand apothecary conference?

“This… but you’re all members of the Apothecary Guild, not to mention, you are only entering to replace someone. Surely they won’t go that far?”

Sun Qiang frowned.

“They will!”

Deference surfaced on the eyes of the young lady. “Apothecary, as an Upper Nine Paths occupation, possesses exceptional standing in society. Due to that, it also has strict rules governing its members, especially when it comes to etiquette. It’s not like you’ve never seen how official apothecaries, dressed in their occupation robes, hold themselves with grace and majesty…”

Just as she was in the midst of explaining the rules governing apothecaries, ‘jiya!’, the gate was suddenly knocked open.

Following which, a large group of 3-star and 4-star apothecaries dashed out of the room fearfully. Some of them dropped their hats while others had their robes torn. In fact, there was even one who, due to sheer panic, bumped into the pillar, and at this moment, was lying on the ground as though a dead pig…

At this moment, instead of proud apothecaries, they looked like a group of refugees instead.

“This… is the grace and majesty you were talking about?”

Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang widened their eyes in shock.

“…” The young lady found her vision darkening at the sight as well.

As the front receptionist, she often came into contact with these apothecaries. Usually, all of them would hold themselves proudly, exuding an air that distanced others from them. But now… they resembled defeated mercenaries, stripping of their armor and tossing apart their weapons to flee as fast as they could. Their appearances couldn’t possibly look any worse than this.

Weren’t they listening to a lecture inside?

Why were they fleeing like frightened lambs then?

Just what in the world was being lectured inside?

Apothecaries streamed out of the hall ceaselessly, and every single one of them had a panicked look on their faces. At the moment, Yuan Tao thought of something and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

“It can’t be that teacher… has done something inside again?”

“This…”

Sun Qiang stroked his lower jaws and nodded his head. “Now that you say it, there does seem to be such a possibility!”

The young master was the type of person who had to cause a pandemonium no matter where he went. Just in the Master Teacher Tournament itself, he left all of the competitors on the verge of insanity. While he only said that he was going to replace a 5-star apothecary to forge the medicinal solution for him, could he have caused some kind of trouble?

The possibility would be so low that they wouldn’t entertain such thoughts if it was someone else, but their young master… The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed to be true!

“Your young master? How is that possible? Don’t worry, given that he’s only a 3-star apothecary, it’s impossible for him to stir something of such scale!”

Recovering from her shock, the young lady shook her head upon hearing the duo’s conversation.

She had met the person in question, and she knew that the other party was only a 3-star apothecary.

There was a huge bunch of apothecaries of such rank in the guild. Even if the other party did try to start something, how big of a mess could he cause?

“That’s hard to say…” Sun Qiang shook his head.

“You’re thinking too much. Our guild has a lot of 5-star apothecaries. While a 3-star apothecary might be a formidable existence in other branches, before them, he doesn’t mean much at all…” replied the young lady.

She was just about to continue speaking when, ‘jiya’, the entrance opened once more and the ‘young master’ from before walked out casually.

“Farewell, Apothecary Zhang!”

“Apothecary Zhang, if you replace yourself with some spare time, our guild would be honored to have you here! If you could conduct a lecture, we’d be most grateful!”

Following which, the guild leader and the numerous elders of the guild walked out and bowed humbly as they saw him off. Within their eyes, one could see respect and admiration.

“…” The young lady burst into tears.

Shouldn’t that guy be unable to stir anything of sizeable scale? Shouldn’t that guy mean nothing to you?

What in the world is going on?

Chapter 621: Crown Prince’s Residence

“Let’s go!”

Ignoring the guild leader and the elders who were respectfully seeing him off, as well as the young lady who was crying pitifully by the corner, Zhang Xuan gestured to Yuan Tao and Sun Qiang before walking out with wide strides.

If he had more time, he would surely return here to clear all of the books in the guild. Otherwise, he could only drop the matter.

Walking out of the Apothecary Guild and getting into a carriage, Zhang Xuan passed the jade bottle over to Yuan Tao.

“Apply a portion to your skin each time, and only after you’ve fully absorbed everything can you apply it once more… Train properly, and your cultivation will surely soar swiftly!”

“Thank you, Teacher!”

Yuan Tao took the jade bottle from Zhang Xuan’s hands in agitation.

Having followed his teacher for the entire day, he knew how valuable the medicinal solution was, and how much effort his teacher put into preparing it for him. The favor his teacher had shown him was so great that he didn’t think he could ever repay it.

“Take these spirit stones. You’ll need them when you cultivate!”

After which, he passed a few dozen middle-tier spirit stones over.

The medicinal solution could only awaken Yuan Tao’s unique constitution. He would still require a huge amount of spiritual energy to fuel his cultivation. In any case, after the incident with the Sixth Young Mistress, he didn’t lack spirit stones at the moment.

Understanding his teacher’s intentions, Yuan Tao took the stones.

“Sun Qiang, take these spirit stones with you. I might be gone for a few days when the Cleansing Lake opens, so I’ll be counting on you to distribute them to Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang when they require any. Make sure that everyone, including you, has sufficient spirit stones so as to not delay your cultivation!”

Saying so, Zhang Xuan passed around two hundred spirit stones over to Sun Qiang.

Once the Cleansing Lake opened, he would have to spend several days inside to cultivate. Thus, it was best for him to make preparations in advance so as to not delay his students’ and butler’s training.

“Don’t worry, Young Master. We’ll surely train hard!” Sun Qiang hurriedly nodded his head.

Hearing Sun Qiang’s confident declaration, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“I’m not worried about others, you are the one whom I’m the most worried about…”

Zheng Yang and the others, perhaps spurred by Zhao Ya and Lu Chong, were extremely motivated, and he need not worry about them.

The main problem was Sun Qiang. He simply slacked off way too much, and the moment no one’s eyes were not on him, he would immediately trail off. He was indeed a huge headache to deal with.

“Ah…”

Understanding the young master’s intentions, Sun Qiang scratched his head awkwardly.

“Alright, these are the items obtained from the Mystical Treasure Hall. Split them among the others, and sell everything else that you don’t need for spirit stones!”

Zhang Xuan took out the storage ring Gan Yiping gave him and passed it over.

Of everything in the Mystical Treasure Hall, Zhang Xuan only kept the ‘Glacier Rain Sword’, the Upgradable Artifact. Everything else was useless to him, so it would be best to trade them for spirit stones instead.

“Yes!” Grabbing the storage ring, Sun Qiang acknowledged Zhang Xuan’s instructions.

Knowing that there was nothing for him to worry about leaving everything to Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan said no more.

In a rush for time, Zhang Xuan had the carriage travel at its full speed, and around an hour later, they finally returned to their living quarters.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Hong shi waiting at the entrance anxiously. Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan were standing behind him.

There was a total of three Cleansing Lake slots for each Vassal State. For Hongfeng Empire, these slots were given to the top three rankers in the Master Teacher Tournament.

Since the banquet tonight was to determine the distribution of slots, naturally, the both of them were qualified to attend the banquet as well to witness how their fates would be decided.

“Zhang shi, you’re finally here! Did anything bad happen? If something really happened… you must tell me in advance so that I can have my teacher resolve it for you…”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s return, Hong shi became so agitated that he nearly burst into tears.

Ever since returning from the confrontation with Luo Zhao and the others, he immediately returned to look for Zhang shi, but… despite waiting for eight whole hours, the other party still remained out of sight.

The fear that the other party might have caused some kind of trouble started to overwhelm him.

After all, this wasn’t the twenty-eight regional powers nor the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, where Hong shi could easily resolve any problem with his influence… It would be best for them to maintain a low profile over here, at Huanyu Empire’s capital. Otherwise, if something were to happen, they would have to ask his teacher, Pavilion Master Jiang Wei, for help.

“Don’t worry, I only went to the Apothecary Guild to have a medicinal solution concocted!”

Seeing how Hong shi was fearing that he had caused some kind of trouble, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

What the heck was this… What kind of person do you take me for?

Am I someone who causes trouble wherever he goes?

No matter what, I’m still a master teacher, and I have a reputation to uphold. Under the situation that no one steps on my toes, why would I go around causing trouble? Why are you speaking as though I’m the God of Destruction, as if I cause a pandemonium no matter where I go…

If Hong shi knew of Zhang shi’s thoughts, he might have rushed forward to strangle the other party.

You said you aren’t the God of Destruction? Then what about my Ghost Domain Illusory City? What about my Celestial Chess? What about my Book of Emptied River? What about my Otherworldly Demon…

Forget it, I should stop thinking about it. Otherwise, even my heart would become a goner…

“It’s good that nothing happened. Alright, the banquet is about to start, so let’s hurry there!”

Knowing that this wasn’t the time to speak, Hong shi gestured to the others, and the four of them started walking to the Crown Prince’s residence.

Crown Prince Ye Qian’s Eastern Palace was only several hundred meters away from the living quarters. Before long, they were already at the entrance, and they passed their invitation letter to the guards.

“This way please!”

Upon seeing the invitation letter, a guard on duty stepped forward and led the way.

Following behind the guard, Hong shi asked, “This brother here, I would like to ask if Feng shi from Fengyuan Empire, Luo shi from Qianfeng Empire, and Chen shi from Zhuyue Empire are here yet?”

Naturally, Luo shi from Qianfeng Empire referred to Luo Zhao, whom he just extorted a moment ago, whereas Chen shi from Zhuyue Empire referred to the old man who was with Luo Zhao back then.

The both of them, along with Feng Yu and Hong shi, were the people in charge of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the Four Great Vassal States, as well as the hosts of the Master Teacher Tournament in their own regions.

“They already arrived an hour ago…” the guard replied.

“An hour ago?”

Hong shi’s mouth twitched.

He thought that he could take advantage of the fact that he had arrived early, but contrary to his expectations, the others had arrived an hour earlier than him.

An hour… It can’t be that the distribution of the slots had already been decided in that time!

After a moment of hesitation, Hong shi asked, slightly embarrassed, “Has the banquet… started yet? Am I late? If I’m late, it would be bad to bother the crown prince…”

“The banquet hasn’t started yet. The crown prince has gone off to invite the Sixth Princess and the others and hasn’t returned yet!”

The guard shook his head.

“The banquet hasn’t started yet? That’s a relief!”

Heaving a sigh of relief, Hong shi flicked his wrist and passed a spirit stone over. “Little brother, thank you for bringing us over!”

“You’re welcome!”

Seeing the other party giving him a generous tip of a middle-tier spirit stone, the guard’s eyes lit up. His attitude immediately became much better, and he leaned over and began speaking in a hushed voice.

“I heard that the banquet is to confirm the distribution of slots for the Cleansing Lake…”

“We don’t even know how the crown prince is going to determine the distribution the slots, needless to say, prepare ourselves for it…” Hong shi smiled bitterly as he shook his head.

“I’m not too sure about the rules as well, but… I heard that the primary aim of this banquet is to welcome the geniuses from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, as well as to allow the talented master teacher from the various Vassal States to meet their seniors.”

“Welcome? You mean… all four guests from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy will be present for the banquet?”

Hong shi was taken aback.

He had heard from Luo Zhao previously that the crown prince was going to take away four slots for these geniuses from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

He thought that this banquet was hosted only to solve the issue regarding the distribution of slots, he didn’t think that the four guests would be invited over as well.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Hong shi’s mind.

“Could it be that… they are related to the distribution of slots as well?”

The soldier scanned his surroundings before telling Hong shi what he knew in a lowered voice.

“I’m not too sure either. But in any case, if they were to speak up, it’s unlikely that the crown prince would refute their words… As such, Luo shi and the others prepared many gifts to get on their good side. I think that you should also prepare some gifts. Anyway, there’s no harm going the extra mile…”

“Gifts?” Hong shi’s face paled.

His entire wealth had been destroyed by that fellow behind him in the Master Teacher Tournament! Even if he had wanted to present any gifts, there was nothing of value that he could offer!

After all, considering that the four of them had come from Hongyuan Empire, it was unlikely that one could win their goodwill with an ordinary present.

Oblivious to Hong shi’s expression, the guard nodded his head and continued, “Indeed. After all, there’s no one who would turn down a present. As long as one can get on good terms with them, it shouldn’t be a problem to obtain a slot at all… Alright, the banquet hall is just ahead. I’ll see you off here!”

“Thank you!”

Having been told so much information after the ‘gift’, Hong shi clasped his fist and thanked the guard.

Regardless of the time and place, money always works wonders.

At the very least, with this information, they would be prepared for what that was about to come.

Just that… with this new information came a new headache.

“A gift? What kind of gift should I prepare to win their favor? If only I still had the Book of Emptied River with me… or the Otherworldly Demon could work too…”

Rubbing his glabella, Hong shi’s face turned bitter.

If those artifacts of his hadn’t been destroyed, he was certain he could have surely made the eyes of the guests from Hongyuan Empire lit up with those. But now…

Noticing the other party’s awful complexion, Zhang Xuan walked over and asked, “Hong shi, what’s wrong?”

“I-it’s nothing!” Hong shi quickly shook his head.

Since what was done was done, it was futile for him to blame Zhang shi for it. The important thing at hand was to replace a way to get on good terms with those four guests.

“Are you worried over the present?” Luo Xuan asked.

“That’s right!” Hong shi nodded.

“Present? If only I knew, I wouldn’t have passed the storage ring to Sun Qiang…”

Seeing that Hong shi was worried about this problem, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had just swept away everything in the Mystical Treasure Hall, and valuable artifacts worthy as a gift was truly one thing he didn’t lack right now. Just that… he had given everything to Sun Qiang already, and who knew if he could make it in time if he were to fetch the stuff now.

“Actually, there’s no need for us to worry about it now. There is an extremely high chance that the slots will be distributed based on our capability as master teachers. If gifts really work, what will become of the occupation?”

All those who were going into the Cleansing Lake were headed for the Master Teacher Academy, so the distribution of slots were likely to involve tests on one’s capability as a master teacher. In truth, the gifts could be considered as nothing more than an additional topping, so it shouldn’t be of much concern.

“I hope so!” Hong shi understood this fact as well, but lagging behind at the starting line still left him worried.

Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the discussions they had and asked, “Right, Hong shi. When you went over to wreak havoc, did you receive any news from them?”

“Oh, I did receive some news regarding the four geniuses from the Master Teacher Academy…”

Nodding his head, Hong shi was just about to inform Zhang Xuan about the matter concerning the Sixth Princess and her companions when a pair of footsteps approached, and a voice sounded.

“Hong Qian, are these the talents you’ve chosen? They don’t look impressive at all!”

Following which, a figure walked over from the hall ahead of them. It was Master Teacher Luo Zhao from Qianfeng Empire.

Chapter 622: Late

At this moment, Luo Zhao was dressed in a large crimson master teacher robe which looked magnificently beneath the lighting. He held a glass of fine wine in his hands as he glanced at the approaching group with a smile.

From his appearance, it seemed as though he wasn’t in the least bothered by Hong shi’s actions earlier in the afternoon.

“Luo Zhao, what do you mean by that?”

“Nothing much, I just feel that Hongfeng Empire has regressed too much. To think that even Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle cultivators could make it into the top three… Tsk tsk, you’re truly getting worse with each passing generation!”

Luo Zhao shook his head as he spoke.

Both Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan had already reached Consonant Spirit realm; only Zhang Xuan was still stuck in Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle.

Zhang Xuan also didn’t intentionally hide his cultivation either, so Luo Zhao was able to notice it with a glance.

While the Four Great Vassal States might not be as powerful as Huanyu Empire, they had vast territories beneath it and countless geniuses. Often, those who managed to get into the top three would have already reached Consonant Spirit realm. Only a monster like Zhang Xuan would be able to leave the competitors on the verge of breakdown despite possessing a lower cultivation.

Seeing how the fellow was mocking Zhang Xuan’s low cultivation, Hong shi retorted, “What’s wrong with Transcendent Mortal 4-dan? It’s not like the Master Teacher Tournament revolves around strength!”

You’re only saying this because you don’t know how fearsome he is…

Looks like Feng shi didn’t tell you who the cause of his fall was. If you knew, you wouldn’t have uttered so much nonsense.

As old acquaintances, Hong shi had a clear gauge of Luo Zhao’s fighting prowess. But even so, he had a hunch that if the other party and Zhang shi were to be locked in the cage, Zhang shi would surely be the one walking out alive!

“Oh? You look very confident.” Luo Zhao’s lips curled up. “Just that, I wonder if you can maintain the same confidence you have after seeing my top three rankers!”

After which, he turned around and three young men came walking over. The aura of the trio was intensified and dampened as though a flickering light, but if one thing was for sure, none of them were weak.

“Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage?” Hong shi frowned. “You gave them… Consonant Spirit Pills?”

Consonant Spirit Pill was a grade-5 pill that allowed any Consonant Spirit realm cultivator to increase their cultivation by one small realm without any conditions or side effects!

Only 5-star apothecaries are capable of forging this pill, and the quantity available was extremely limited. Of the entire region, only Huanyu Empire sold it.

The bodies of the trio harnessed the violent energy reminiscent of a medicine-clearly, they had achieved a breakthrough via consuming medicine. Furthermore, considering how they didn’t possess full grasp of their strength, it shouldn’t have been long since they made the breakthrough.

“Indeed. The Cleansing Lake nourishes one’s soul, and as such, Consonant Spirit realm cultivators benefit the most from it… To think that there would be a person who hasn’t even reached Consonant Spirit realm within you group… Given such, do you think that the crown prince would still give the slot to you?”

Luo Zhao chuckled lightly.

The other three Vassal States had come to the empire early and spent an exorbitant price to purchase Consonant Spirit Pills. It was fortunate that they managed to obtain the pills before today, thus allowing their top three rankers to achieve a breakthrough.

Even though there was only a step of difference between Consonant Spirit realm and Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, there was a qualitative difference in the physical body and soul of both realms.

As long as one hadn’t reached Consonant Spirit realm yet, one would be unable to cultivate one’s soul separately. Even if one were to enter the Cleansing Lake, the effects one could derive from it would be severely limited.

“This…” Hong shi frowned.

He had held the Master Teacher Tournament at the same time as the other three Vassal States, but unfortunately, the tournament was held in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance this year, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too far away from Huanyu Capital.

The others had already arrived in Huanyu Capital earlier and made preparations in advance. In comparison, his group looked unready.

“The crown prince hasn’t announced the rules for determining the distribution of the slots yet. Besides, so what if your men have reached Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage? It’s still too early to see who will have the last laugh!”

Even though Hong shi was worried, he couldn’t possibly lose out in a fight of guts.

“Seeing how you’re so confident, I’ll look forward to your performance later!”

Luo Zhao chuckled before bringing the three men of his group back to the hall with a wine glass in hand.

“Humph!”

Hong shi flung his sleeves angrily.

He knew the other party was intentionally coming over to show off, but he still couldn’t hold back his anger.

Taking a deep breath, Hong shi turned to the young man beside him and said, “Zhang shi, don’t think too much into it…”

“Me? I’m fine!”

Not expecting to be looked down upon and consoled due to his low cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan chuckled. “Right, did you fight him in a Master Teacher Confrontation earlier this afternoon?”

“He did challenge me… but didn’t you tell me not to accept it?”

Hong shi looked at Zhang Xuan in confusion.

Zhang shi had analyzed the situation he would encounter if he were to confront the trio. The ‘suffered grievous injuries, won’t be able to fight for the next ten years’ was actually a work of the young man before him.

Otherwise, how could an upright person like him possibly think of such downright shameless words?

“Both he and you are Transcendent Mortal 6-dan primary stage cultivators, so there isn’t a huge gap between your strength. It’s hard to tell who would win, so it was indeed unwise for you to accept his challenge back then. But now… the situation is different!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled.

“Different?” Hong shi was taken aback.

What was different about the situation?

It had only been a few hours since then; his cultivation hadn’t advanced, and Luo Zhao didn’t grow weak either…

“I’m here, so you don’t have to worry about facing him. I can guarantee your win!” Zhang Xuan said calmly with pride and confidence.

“What you mean is that… you’ll guide me in my battle against him?”

Hong shi was taken aback for a moment before his eyes lit up.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan’s lips crept up.

You actually dare to mock my cultivation?

Fine, let’s have Hong shi beat you to the point that even your own father won’t recognize you.

Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage huh?

When your teacher is reduced to a pig head, let’s see whether you can get gleeful!

“Alright!” Hong shi nodded his head.

While this young man’s master teacher rank was lower than his, the other party had an 8-star master teacher as his teacher. Not to mention, he had witnessed the other party’s capability in giving pointers, and he could tell that he wasn’t a match for the other party.

With the other party’s help, his chances at defeating Luo Zhao would be increased by exponentially.

“Let’s go in!”

After a moment of discussion, the group of four entered the banquet hall.

As expected of the crown prince’s palace. The decorations were elaborate, and countless Night Illumination Pearls lit up the room as though it was day.

Resplendent carpets were laid on the floor, beautiful wallpapers brought elegance to the room, and many lush potted plants breathed life into the area… On the whole, the entire hall was extravagant and majestic, and its unique aesthetics were pleasant to the eyes.

“The crown prince possesses incredible talent. He managed to become a 4-star master teacher in his twenties, thus becoming the number one genius of the younger generation of Huanyu Empire. Thus, my teacher took him in as his student and sent him to the Master Teacher Academy!”

Hong shi sent a message over telepathically. “As such, he’s highly favored by the emperor. As if to reflect that, the scale of the Eastern Palace is on par with the royal palace, and its design is even more elaborate than the latter…”

“Un!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Of all of the palaces he had been to, there was none that could compare to this Eastern Palace.

On top of murals, there were also many works from famous painters hung on the wall, causing spiritual energy to linger in the air. Not only so, upon entering the hall, they immediately felt the temperature change to a soothing level. There should be a temperature-regulating formation set up here.

It seemed like the talented master teacher of a crown prince was highly favored by the emperor.

Walking along the soft carpet, they saw two sets of table and chairs were placed at the two sides of the vast hall, probably reserved for the members of the Four Great Vassal States. Luo Zhao and his group were seated on one of them.

Feng shi, who was nearly shattered to smithereens from falling from a high altitude, was present too. However, his injuries seemed to be much more severe than before. His cheeks were swollen red, and he looks extremely fragile at the moment. This was probably Hong shi’s work.

The only reason why he could continue remain seated without any problems was probably due to the consumption of some kind of incredible recovery pill. But even so, he looked drained, a complete contrast from his gleeful self earlier this morning.

“This is… Feng shi?”

Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai stared at one another in astonishment.

Just earlier this morning, this man was stood majestically on the back of a spirit beast as he blocked Hong shi’s passageway. While he was an enemy, they had to admit that there was an air of grandness around him. However, with a word from Zhang shi, he plummeted from the skies, reduced to… such a state.

Recalling what had been said just earlier on, they solemnly swore that even if they had to offend everyone in the world, they would never offend Zhang shi…

Ignoring Feng shi, Zhang Xuan turned his sight toward the other master teachers in the room.

Just as Luo Zhao said, the top three rankers from Fengyuan Empire, Qianfeng Empire, and Zhuyue Empire had all reached Consonant Spirit realm. In fact, there was even one who had reached Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage.

In terms of cultivation, Zhang Xuan indeed ranked at the bare bottom.

Other than the members from the Four Great Vassal States, there was a young man seated at the main table placed in the center. He was drinking alone, forming a stark contrast to the others in the room.

That man was wearing a robe, and five bright stars shone from the master teacher emblem pinned on his chest.

“5-star master teacher?”

Zhang Xuan was stunned. Turning to Hong shi, he asked, “Is this the crown prince?”

“He’s not the crown prince. The crown prince is only a half 5-star master teacher. That person is probably his senior from the Master Teacher Academy… Based on what I know, he must either be Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen!” Hong shi replied.

He had learned the names of the four guests from the Master Teacher Academy. Given that the person seated there was a man, it was impossible for him to be the Sixth Princess or Luo Qiqi. Thus, he had to be either Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen.

Otherwise, it was impossible for him to be seated so casually on the same table as the crown prince.

“Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Un, there are a total of four guests from the Master Teacher Academy, and two of the 5-star master teachers go by those names!” Hong shi explained. After which, he gestured the group to a table and said, “Since the crown prince isn’t here yet, let’s take a seat!”

From the information they received from the guard, they learned that the crown prince had gone over to invite the Sixth Princess and the rest of the group.

“Hong shi, considering the distance between Huanyu Empire and Myriad Kingdom Alliance, we won’t say anything about your prior tardiness. However, you should have arrived in the capital this morning already! To keep Wu shi waiting and only arrive at this late hour… don’t you think you’re being a little too disrespectful?”

Right after the group got seated, an impassive voice suddenly sounded in the air.

It was an elder seated opposite to them.

The 5-star master teacher leading Zhuyue Empire’s group, Chen Yue!

Hearing his words, Hong shi frowned in displeasure.

His voice wasn’t exceptionally loud, but it was sufficient so for everyone in the room to hear. This, of course, included Wu shi, who was drinking at the main table.

If he were to admit his tardiness, considering how he arrived later than the esteemed guest from the Master Teacher Academy, that would be no different from admitting to a breach of etiquette. Given so, he would surely leave a bad impression with the other party.

On the other hand, given that he had indeed arrived later than Wu shi, if he were to attempt to dispute the fact, the results wouldn’t be any better either.

It could be said that those words had put Hong shi into a deadlock.

What should he do?

Hong shi’s face darkened as he struggled to search for a reply. However, at that moment, he suddenly heard something, and his body stiffened.

Following which, his eyes lit up, and he turned to look Chen Yue in the eye.

“Chen Yue, please mind your words. This is just a banquet, a place that fosters camaraderie and harmony. To be talking about tardiness here… Are you going to blame the crown prince for arriving late later on as well?”

Chapter 623: Two Different Evaluations

“Hmm?”

Hearing those words, everyone was awed.

Master Teacher Chen Yue’s question was clearly an attempt at soiling Hong shi’s reputation. And yet, Hong shi actually managed to counterattack against such a difficult question.

You said that I was late? Fine! But even the crown prince isn’t here yet, are you going to blame him for the same as well?

This is just a casual banquet, and yet here you are pointing fingers around. Let me ask you, what are you trying to do?

Not only did those words seamlessly respond to Chen Yue’s accusation, it even left the him in a difficult position. He could neither agree nor disagree with Hong shi’s words, and his face gradually reddened in frustration. He felt so stifled that he could spew blood at any moment.

“Oh? It has only been awhile since we last met, and Hong shi has become much more eloquent than before!”

Seeing his alliance mate Chen Yue being placed in a difficult position, Luo Zhao stepped forward and intervened.

“Not just so, my cultivation also advanced significantly in the past few days. Luo shi, would you like to give it a try?” Hong shi filled his cup with fine wine as he glanced to the side. “Don’t you agree, Feng shi?”

“You… Pu!”

Feng Yu’s body staggered. In an instant, his injuries were triggered, and a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth.

Didn’t we agree not to talk about this matter? Why are you bringing it up now? Besides, they are the ones who are causing you trouble, not me! To think that I would still be shot despite sitting quietly in my corner over here…

“Feng shi was wounded by spirit beasts when he was out hunting a few days ago… he had been spending his time recuperating at his residence, so how could he possibly know how strong you are?” Luo Zhao harrumphed.

Luo Zhao’s words were indeed quite scathing. By saying that Feng shi was hurt by a spirit beast, he was hinting that Hong shi was no different from a vicious beast.

“So, he was hurt by a spirit beast? My condolences!”

Naturally, Hong shi could tell the insult hidden within the other party’s words, but he paid it no heed. He glanced at Luo Zhao calmly and said, “There are no clear cuts on his face, mostly swellings from region to region. The swellings on his face carry a tinge of redness amidst gray-this is a sign that zhenqi was harnessed behind the attack. The bridge of his nose is slightly caved in, forming a straight line with his forehead-this is clearly the result of a kick. The slightly redder print that stretched from his ears down to his lips-that is obviously caused by a slap…

“These wounds are obviously caused by a human, and yet you claim that he was done in by a spirit beast…”

At this moment, a glint flashed across Hong shi’s eyes as he continued, “Luo shi, may I ask if you’re blind? Or have you learnt how to spout barefaced lies?”

“You…” Luo Zhao’s face reddened, and he nearly fainted then and there.

Master teachers possessed exceptional eyesight. There were distinctive differences between the wounds caused by a spirit beast and those caused by a human. The only reason why he said the words that he did was to change the subject and alleviate the awkwardness in the air… Who knew that Hong shi would point them out explicitly and claim that he was lying through his teeth…

Luo Zhao’s entire body trembled in rage, but he couldn’t replace a single word to say.

If he were to claim that it was Hong shi who beat him up, the matter regarding them blocking the other party’s passageway would be revealed as well…

Damn it, hadn’t words always been his weakness? When did he become so sharp-tongued?

Everyone stared at one another in shock.

Hong shi was way too formidable!

Chen shi and Luo shi had worked together to corner Hong shi with their words, but they ended up being rendered speechless instead!

“What about me? Is there anything wrong with my words? Or could it be that… the ‘spirit beast’ that caused Feng shi’s injuries refers to you, and you’re feeling angry at having that pointed out by me?” Hong shi replied impassively.

“Humph!” Luo Zhao clenched his fists tightly. He was bubbling with rage, but he simply couldn’t replace the words to refute the other party’s accusation.

“Alright, enough. This is just a casual banquet, there’s no need to make things so tense here!” Seeing that Luo Zhao was about to explode from frustration, Chen Yue could only step in to mediate.

“Indeed, this is just a banquet. There’s no need to go so far!”

Hong shi sipped on his wine.

“Damn it…”

Seeing Hong shi’s attitude, Luo shi and Chen shi’s face darkened.

They intended to get back at Hong shi for wreaking havoc at their place so as to vent their frustrations before the start of the banquet. Who knew that before they could even lift up their legs, they were already kicked in the face?

Furthermore, it was the type where their faces were stomped on viciously.

The more they thought about it, the more frustrated they became.

They quickly turned to the main table to check if they had inadvertently left a bad impression with that genius, but the latter simply continued drinking his wine nonchalantly, as though he hadn’t heard the quarrel just a moment ago.

“That’s good…”

Seeing that Wu shi was no paying no heed to their affairs, they heaved a sigh of relief.

“For some reason, this fellow’s tongue is much sharper than before. There’s no benefits to arguing with him. We should wait for the crown prince to arrive first!”

Knowing that they would only get more frustrated the more they argued with Hong shi, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu came to an agreement.

And thus, the hall fell silent once more.

…

While the group over here were harboring their own thoughts, in one of the courtyards within the Eastern Palace, a well-dressed young man stood patiently as he waited for someone.

He seemed to have been standing there for quite some time now, but there wasn’t the slightest impatience in his expression. On the contrary, he was smiling instead.

If Hong shi were here, he would surely recognize the young man to be the crown prince of Huanyu Empire, Ye Qian!

“Damn it, it’s all that fellow’s fault! If not for him taking away my Sorrow Severing Grass, I wouldn’t be in such a dilemma now… Xing Yuan, have you found out who that guy is?”

A furious complaint sounded. Following which, a beautiful figure walked into the courtyard.

A slightly apologetic voice the sounded.

It came from the young man following behind the beautiful figure.

It was the Sixth Princess and Xing Yuan whom Zhang Xuan met at the Mystical Treasure Hall earlier.

After leaving the Mystical Treasure Hall, the Sixth Princess continued looking around to search for a Sorrow Severing Grass, but despite searching until now, her efforts were in vain.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt.

“Six Princess and Senior Xing Yuan!”

The crown prince walked forward and bowed.

“Oh? It’s great that you’re here. I have something I need your help on!” Xing Yuan said.

“Senior, feel free to instruct me!” Ye Qian hurriedly said.

“In the day, Sixth Princess and I met a young man in Mystical Treasure Hall. That young man is in his twenties, and he was walking around with a plump butler. Help me look into his identity and report back to me as soon as there’s any result,” Xing Yuan instructed.

“Yes!” Ye Qian nodded.

Even though the other party’s description was very vague, considering that they were within Huanyu Capital, it wasn’t too difficult for Ye Qian, with his influence as the crown prince, to search for a single person.

“Sixth Princess and Senior Xing Yuan, I’ll have this done immediately. Also, I’ve prepared a banquet for you tonight, and I would like to invite you over. At the same time, you can also meet the freshmen Huanyu Empire will be sending over to the Master Teacher Academy this year…”

“I’m not interested!”

The Sixth Princess waved her hands in annoyance.

She was still a proud princess when she left the residence earlier this morning, but by the time she returned, she had become the maid of another man instead. Angry and humiliated, how could she possibly be in the mood to attend a banquet?

“This…” Not expecting the Sixth Princess to reject his offer so directly, Ye Qian turned to look at Xing Yuan awkward. “Senior, you…”

“Oh, I’ll return to my residence first. I’ll be there in a moment!”

Xing Yuan waved his hands.

“Alright!”

Seeing that the Sixth Princess was at the peak of her anger, Ye Qian bowed and left the courtyard.

He might be the crown prince of Huanyu Empire, but his standing still paled far too much in comparison to the princess of Hongyuan Empire. The both of them weren’t of the same standing at all.

It would be a delight if the other party accepted his invitation, but even if that wasn’t the case, he dared not push his case.

Right before he was about to walk out of the courtyard, he heard Xing Yuan’s voice echoing by his ear, “Sixth Princess is currently at the peak of her rage. I’ll talk to her for a bit and come over with her later on!”

“Thank you, Senior!”

Hearing the other party’s promise, Ye Qian’s eyes lit up.

The purpose of this banquet was to welcome the Sixth Princess and the others. If they were to skip out on this banquet, it would indeed be embarrassing on his part.

“Sixth Princess, calm down. If we still aren’t able to replace a Sorrow Severing Grass, we can always purchase it from the young man back then after Ye Qian uncovers his identity…”

After Ye Qian left, Xing Yuan immediately hurried forward to console the Sixth Princess.

“This is none of your business!” The Sixth Princess sat down angrily.

Standing at the spot, Xing Yuan was at a loss. It didn’t feel right for him to stay there, but leaving also felt wrong either.

The Sixth Princess had an extremely eccentric temper that made it difficult for him to court her.

She would be fine one moment and throwing a tantrum the next. As fickle as the weather, she often left him feeling puzzled.

Honestly speaking, you were the one who agreed to become that lad’s maid. I tried to persuade you against it, but you simply didn’t listen… I even proposed to have him killed, but you turned that down too…

And yet, here you are, throwing a tantrum before me and Ye Qian over that matter. What the heck is this?

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

“Yu Fei-er, what’s wrong?”

Just as Xing Yuan was at a complete loss, footsteps sounded from the outside, and a lady excitedly entered the room. There was a bright smile on her face, and she looked as though she was about to skip in joy.

“Lady Qiqi, you…”

Looking at the other party’s expression, Xing Yuan was dumbstruck.

The lady before him, Luo Qiqi, was known for her coldness. She would always keep a distant aura no matter whom she was speaking to. Why would there be such a bright smile on her face today?

If those from the academy were to learn that this ice beauty was capable of smiling, would they go insane?

“It’s nothing!”

Only upon hearing Xing Yuan’s words did Luo Qiqi notice the smile on her face. She swiftly reverted back to her usual cold expression before walking up to the Sixth Princess and asked, “What’s wrong? Who made you so angry?”

“I…”

Princess Fei-er was just about to speak but she suddenly lifted her gaze to look at Luo Qiqi with a frown. “Actually, I’m more interested in what happened to you for you to be so happy.”

She shared the same thoughts as Xing Yuan. Luo Qiqi had always maintained a nonchalant expression in public. If she recalled correctly, the latter said that she was going to the Apothecary Hall to conduct a lecture. But if that was the case, there should be no reason for her to be so happy.

This was contrary to her personality!

“What happened to me? It’s nothing much…”

Recalling Zhang shi’s dashing figure, a hint of respect gleamed in Luo Qiqi’s eyes, and her lips subconsciously crept up once more. “It’s fine, you should speak first. I’m curious to see who can send our Sixth Princess to such a huge rage!”

“It’s all because of that shameless…”

But halfway through her words, Princess Fei-er shook her head and smiled. “Wait, why should I speak first? You should tell me who made our ice beauty Lady Qiqi so happy first!”

“I…” Luo Qiqi hesitated for a moment. “Alright, why don’t we speak together then!”

“Fine!” Princess Fei-er nodded. “Now!”

“It’s a despicable, shameless, ignorant, and infuriating young rascal!” Princess Fei-er gritted her teeth in resentment.

“It’s a refined, magnanimous, intelligent, and awe-inspiring young talent!” Luo Qiqi spoke in admiration.

Chapter 624: Greeting Gift

Hearing the words of the duo, Xing Yuan felt a little light-headed.

The person whom Princess Fei-er met was indeed despicable and shameless, so there was nothing to comment about that. However, who in the world did Luo Qiqi met for her to admire the other party so much?

In fact… this didn’t seem like plain admiration but adoration already!

“Despicable and shameless? What did he do to make you so angry?” Luo Qiqi asked.

“He… He’s completely shameless…”

The more Princess Fei-er thought about it, the angrier she became. She quickly recounted the entire matter.

“He actually made you his maid?”

Hearing Princess Fei-er words, Luo Qiqi’s mouth widened in disbelief.

Who was the lady before her?

Hongyuan Empire’s Sixth Princess, the dear daughter that the emperor doted a lot on. Even Xing Yuan dared not overstep his boundaries before her… and yet someone actually tried to make her his maid…

Wasn’t that person a little bit too daring?

Even if she became your maid, would you dare command her around?

Smiling lightly, Luo Qiqi shook her head and said, “Actually, I think that that person is rather formidable. To be able to make our obstinate Princess Fei-er so angry without you retaliating, he must be a person of great capability.

“You…” Princess Fei-er pouted. “Fine, continue gloating at my plight. Right, what about that person you spoke of?”

“Ah. Today, I went to the Apothecary Hall…”

Luo Qiqi came out clean with everything that happened today without any reservations.

“Just by looking at your pill forging, he was able to point out more than a hundred flaws? Furthermore, he even instructed you to successfully forge a grade-6 medicine… Th-this… More importantly, he’s only in his early twenties? Isn’t that way too dashing!”

Hearing her bosom friend’s words, Princess Fei-er widened her eyes in shock.

Luo Qiqi was a famous master apothecary across the entire Master Teacher Academy. She would get into the top few placings in every tournament conducted by the Apothecary School. And yet, such a genius had actually pointed out more than a hundred flaws in her pill forging?

How formidable must that young man be?

Putting aside Luo Qiqi, if Princess Fei-er could, she would definitely take the other party to be her teacher as well.

“Indeed. I, Luo Qiqi, have never admired anyone ever since I started cultivating. Zhang laoshi is the only exception!”

Recalling the confident and suave demeanor of that young man, Luo Qiqi’s lips began creeping up uncontrollably once more.

“Hmm, I’m also starting to feel a little bit of admiration for the Zhang laoshi you spoke of. When can you bring me to meet him? I also want to learn pill forging from him as well!” Princess Fei-er said.

“Sure! You should also bring me to meet that fellow you spoke of. I’m really interested to see the face of the man who dares have our Princess Fei-er serve as his maid. If he proves to be a mere weakling, I’ll help you pummel him until he forgets his own name!”

“Un!”

The duo chuckled intimately.

Seeing that the two ladies were chatting happily on and on, Xing Yuan suddenly interjected. “Cough cough. Ladies, Crown Prince Ye Qian has prepared a banquet to welcome us, and he’s invited some of the geniuses from Huanyu Empire over who will become our juniors very soon. Shall we go over to take a look now?”

“Right, there’s still the banquet!”

Only then did Luo Qiqi recall the matter. “Of course, we should go! However, we’ll need to prepare ourselves first!”

“Alright. Since you’re going, I’ll go as well!” Seeing that her best friend was going, Princess Fei-er also nodded in agreement.

After chatting with Luo Qiqi, the anger from before had mostly dissipated.

“…”

Hearing that the ladies needed to prepare themselves, Xing Yuan slapped his forehead speechlessly.

Without a doubt, the ladies’ ‘preparation’ would surely be lengthy. It would be hard to tell whether they would be able to make it for the banquet in time now…

…

“The crown prince arrives!”

While Xing Yuan was staring speechlessly into the sky, Crown Prince Ye Qian arrived at the banquet hall.

“Your Highness!”

Hong shi and the others immediately stood up and clasped their fists.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony!”

Ye Qian waved his hands casually as he walked up to the main table. Looking at the young man seated on the table, he greeted with a smile, “Senior Wu Zhen!”

“Un!”

Wu Zhen nodded. “Where are Xing Yuan and the others?”

“The other seniors will be here very soon!” Ye Qian replied.

“Alright!”

Wu Zhen noted before turning his gaze back to the wine on the table.

Thus, Ye Qian turned around to look at the crowd and said, “I believe everyone here should know the purpose why I invited you here!”

“Yes!”

“We understand!”

Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and the others nodded.

“Good. First, allow me to introduce Senior Wu Zhen from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to everyone here. He’s a Grade 2 student, a 5-star low-tier master teacher!” Ye Qian introduced.

Wu Zhen nodded as a gesture to everyone from his seat.

As one of the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, it was normal for him to have such pride.

“5-star low-tier?”

Hearing the other party’s introduction, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Hong shi in bewilderment.

Shouldn’t master teacher rankings be divided into primary, intermediate, advanced, and pinnacle? What does low-tier mean?

“Upon reaching 5-star as a master teacher, progressing through the ranks starts to become extremely difficult!” Hong shi replied telepathically.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Upon becoming a 5-star master teacher, one could be considered to have taken the first step to the upper society of the continent. However, at this point, not only would it be difficult for one’s cultivation to progress by even a small realm, it would also be difficult to raise one’s occupation rank as well.

“As such, in order to better divide the ranks, from 5-star onward, the sub-ranks of a master teacher are divided into low-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle instead!”

Hong shi continued, “This way, the sub-ranks can be corresponded to the cultivation of a master teacher. At Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, I’m a 5-star low-tier master teacher. At 7-dan, I’ll become a high-tier, and at 8-dan, pinnacle! But of course, the rise in one’s cultivation must be accompanied with an enhancement in one’s eye of discernment or else one wouldn’t be qualified for the next tier!”

Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

From 3-star master teacher onward, the cultivation of a master teacher in a certain rank could range over three different cultivation realms.

For example, the minimum requirement to becoming a 4-star master teacher was that one had to possess the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. However, one would have to reach Transcendent Mortal 5-dan to become a half 5-star master teacher.

In other words, at 2-dan, 3-dan, and 4-dan, one would be considered as a 4-star master teacher.

On the other hand, only upon reaching 6-dan would one be considered a full-fledged 5-star master teacher.

But of course, cultivation was only one of the criteria. There were a lot of other requirements in play as well.

“The grades of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy are divided based on one’s master teacher ranking. 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star master teacher freshman will be placed in Grade 1. If they advance to become a full-fledged 5-star master teacher, they will be promoted to Grade 2, and if they become a 5-star middle-tier master teacher, they will become a Grade 3 student… so on and so forth!

“There a total of 6 grades in Hongyuan Academy. In other words, even 6-star master teachers could be considered as students!”

“6-star master teachers are still students?”

Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

As expected of the Master Teacher Academy, it was indeed formidable.

He could already foresee the countless number of geniuses that would be in the academy.

He wasn’t too interested in the academy at the start, but after hearing this introduction, he started to bear some expectations toward it.

Given that it was a place where so many master teachers were gathered… perhaps, he might just replace a solution to the Innate Fetal Poison there! Even if he failed, studying among so many master teachers should also allow his master teacher rank to soar quickly.

At the very least, this was much better than him fumbling along alone.

“We’ve long heard of Wu shi’s name. A Grade 2 student, you are one of the top geniuses in the academy. It’s a privilege for me, Luo Zhao from Qianfeng Empire, to meet you!”

Hearing the crown prince’s introduction, Luo Zhao stood up and greeted with a bright smile. “As the locals here, surely we can’t welcome you empty-handed… A while ago, when I was out training in the Western Mulberry Fields, I happened to replace a few ‘Mulberry Sparrow Seeds’. Thus, I thought that I should give them to Wu shi and the other esteemed guests from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to express our goodwill!”

Saying so, Luo Zhao flicked his wrist, and a few crimson lotus seed-like objects slowly flew toward Wu Zhen via his zhenqi.

“Mulberry Sparrow Seeds? Is this the legendary medicinal herb that only grows by the nest of the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast Heaven Sparrow? It’s said that this item can revitalize one upon consumption, and it could augment one’s Soul Depth… To give out so many of them at once, what a valuable gift!”

“Incredible, these are truly good stuff…”

“As expected of the pavilion master of the Qianfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, his generosity is indeed exceptional…”

…

Seeing the gift that Luo Zhao gave, everyone was awed.

Even Hong shi and Zhang Xuan stared at one another with a deep frown on their foreheads.

Mulberry Sparrow Seed was an invaluable treasure. Its worth wasn’t beneath that of the Great River Snake’s inner core. It seemed like Luo Zhao had come prepared this time around.

“That fellow wasn’t completely honest…”

Hong shi’s face darkened as he clenched his fists tightly in rage.

Earlier today, when he went to wreak havoc at the other party’s place, while the other party did tell him whom the four guests were, they didn’t reveal any other details. Thus, he thought that they really didn’t know anything. Who could have known that… they would have actually prepared presents beforehand!”

Lag a step behind, and one will lag every step behind. It was already too late for them to replace a gift anymore.

“Mulberry Sparrow Seeds? These are indeed valuable. I’ll accept it in the stead of the Sixth Princess and the others then!”

Being offered such a valuable gift, Wu Zhen’s eyes lit up. He walked forward and took the seeds.

His eyes lit in satisfaction.

These Mulberry Sparrow Seeds were extremely rare, and it was troublesome to procure them even in the wealthier Hongyuan Empire.

“Since Luo shi has prepared gifts, how could our Zhuyue Empire possibly come empty-handed? Here is the ‘Moonstar Bodhi’ that I spent ten days in Moundless River to replace! I hope that Wu shi can accept this!”

With a flick of Chen Yue’s fingers, four pearl-like objects carrying a warm glow flew toward Wu Zhen.

“Moonstar Bodhi? The Moonstar Tree only gathers sufficient essence of the stars and moon to produce one of these seeds once a millennium! The energy it harnessed is comparable to the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle spirit beast. If one were to hold in while cultivating constantly, it could allow one to feel the stars, thus expanding the horizons one’s mind!”

“The value of this object can be said to be equivalent to the Mulberry Sparrow Seeds!”

“What do you mean by equivalent? I’d say that it exceeds it! Seems like Chen shi came prepared!”

“Given how they gave out so many valuable gifts, what about Hong shi?”

Seeing how even Chen shi had offered such a valuable gift, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai stared at one another with a deep frown.

It seemed like the previous provocation was nothing more than an appetizer, this was the main course. Given that the other party had taken out such valuable gifts, what should Hong shi do?

Just as the duo was in the midst of worrying, the swollen-faced Feng Yu also took out a treasure, the value of which wasn’t beneath that of the previous two gifts.

“Hong shi, this is our first meeting with Wu shi. We have all shown a token of our appreciation, where is yours?”

Luo Zhao turned to Hong shi and smiled.

Huala!

Everyone’s gaze immediately fell on Hong shi.