Alchemy

The sky had only just begun to brighten when Wang Yue emerged from the Essence Chamber, still carrying the lingering aura of pure essence energy.

Cultivating in the chamber every day, his Blood Qi steadily increased. His ten strands of Blood Qi grew ever more robust, and he became increasingly proficient with the variations of the fourth move of the Blood Dragon Secret Method. Every time he circulated his cultivation technique, he could clearly feel the strength within his body rising.

This solid sense of reaping tomorrow what he had labored for today delighted Wang Yue greatly. He had always enjoyed martial arts; more than anything else, he relished this process of putting one foot before the other and steadily growing stronger.

"I'll visit the Alchemy Workshop first today, then return to the Forging Workshop this afternoon to practice hammering. Neither side will be neglected."

With that calculation in mind, Wang Yue headed toward the Alchemy Workshop in the Wang Clan's side courtyard.

Weapon forging could strengthen his physique and control over power. If he could learn alchemy as well, it would solve his need for cultivation pills. The two complemented each other, and both were indispensable aids to him.

Before long, he arrived at the entrance to the side courtyard lane. A gilded plaque hung above the door, the three words "Alchemy Workshop" shining brilliantly. Before he even pushed open the door, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted out from within, mingled with the warmth of charcoal fire, invigorating anyone who breathed it in.

Wang Yue pushed open the wooden door. Before him lay a small courtyard, with bamboo racks for drying herbs arranged along both sides. Several youths in apprentice robes stood around the racks, holding thick books as they frowned in thought. From time to time, they murmured among themselves, their expressions intent.

"Wang Yue, why are you here at the Alchemy Courtyard too?" A crisp, silver-bell-like voice suddenly rang out, carrying a trace of surprise and delight.

Following the voice, Wang Yue saw Jiang Peiling emerge from a room at the rear of the courtyard. She wore a light-colored dress and carried a porcelain tray holding several freshly picked herbs. A faint smile rested on her face, while a trace of curiosity about alchemy hid in her eyes.

"Peiling, you're learning alchemy too?" Wang Yue replied with a smile. He had not expected to encounter Jiang Peiling here.

Jiang Peiling walked up to him, two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks. Her voice brimmed with excitement. "Master Fu said I have a good sensitivity to herbs and told me to give it a try, to see whether I have talent for alchemy."

Her eyes were full of admiration. Though Fu Shuangyun was picky, he was especially patient with gifted apprentices. Over the past few days, he had taught her quite a few tricks for Herbal Identification.

Upon hearing their conversation, the apprentices in the courtyard all stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at Wang Yue.

They were all newly recruited disciples from outside clans, having joined the Wang Clan only recently. Though they had heard Wang Yue's name, they had never seen him in person. Seeing Jiang Peiling so familiar with him now, they all secretly began guessing at his identity.

Wang Yue paid no attention to the apprentices' gazes. Yet as his eyes swept across the courtyard, they paused on a thin, small apprentice. The boy looked only fifteen or sixteen, with a frail build that clearly showed he had never practiced martial arts. But when he held a book and turned its pages, an unusual gleam shone in his eyes.

It was as though he could find a different kind of delight within the dull herb manual, and a faint, barely noticeable confidence rested between his brows.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. This kid's comprehension is probably far beyond ordinary people's, Wang Yue thought. He had seen many exceptionally talented disciples, but rarely had he seen anyone outside the martial path possess such focused yet lively eyes.

But he soon withdrew his gaze, his heart undisturbed. Even if this apprentice's comprehension was high, how could he compare with Wang Yue himself?

Right now, all he wanted was to increase his strength. Whatever talents these apprentices possessed was no more than an insignificant matter to him, not worth mentioning.

"Master Fu is refining pills inside. Let's not disturb him here. Shall we go in and take a look?" Seeing his gaze linger, Jiang Peiling assumed he was curious about the process of alchemy and softly suggested it.

Wang Yue nodded and followed Jiang Peiling into the alchemy room at the rear of the courtyard.

The alchemy room was warmer than the courtyard. At its center stood a pill furnace half a man tall, its body dark red and engraved with dense cloud patterns. Several adjustable vents lined the edge of its lid. In the charcoal brazier beneath it, coke burned fiercely, orange-red flames blazing under the furnace and continuously providing heat.

Fu Shuangyun stood before the pill furnace in a blue robe, attentively adjusting the size of the vents. From time to time, his fingers lightly tapped the furnace body, as if he could judge the heat of the pills within by sound alone.

A faint medicinal fragrance lingered around him, and his movements were calm and unhurried.

Wang Yue did not step forward to disturb him. He merely stood quietly to one side, his gaze fixed on the pill furnace as he observed in secret. He wanted to see the alchemy process, and he also wanted to use the panel to determine whether Fu Shuangyun possessed alchemy talent or any special equipment.

A quarter of an hour later, Fu Shuangyun finally stopped. He took a deep breath, grasped the handles on the furnace lid with both hands, and slowly lifted it.

Buzz!

The moment the lid opened a crack, a rich yet non-pungent medicinal fragrance burst forth. The scent carried threads of warmth, and after Wang Yue inhaled it, even the Blood Qi within his body stirred slightly, as though it could nourish his body.

Blood Replenishing Pills—and judging by the richness of that fragrance, they're premium-grade! Wang Yue was delighted. He had seen ordinary Blood Replenishing Pills at the Martial Academy before, but their medicinal fragrance had been nowhere near this mellow. Fu Shuangyun's alchemy was clearly far beyond that of ordinary alchemists.

Using a jade spoon, Fu Shuangyun carefully scooped out the pills from the furnace. There were more than ten of them, crimson throughout, round and plump, their surfaces gleaming faintly. One look was enough to tell that they were of exceptional quality.

He placed the pills into a porcelain bottle and sealed it with a stopper before turning around, his gaze falling on Wang Yue.

"You must be Wang Yue?" Fu Shuangyun asked warmly, a slight smile appearing on his handsome face. "Ever since I came to the Wang Clan, I've often heard your elders mention you. They said you are the finest among the Wang Clan's younger generation, and that your Blood Qi condenses far faster than ordinary people's."

He had actually heard Wang Yue's name from Xu Weiwu long ago. Xu Weiwu had offered the child a little praise, and anyone capable of earning Xu Weiwu's praise might well be a piece of jade worth carving. Fu Shuangyun had always paid special attention to gifted disciples, and now that he saw Wang Yue in person, his interest deepened further.

"This junior is Wang Yue. Greetings, Master Fu." Wang Yue bowed respectfully.

Fu Shuangyun waved a hand, his eyes carrying a trace of scrutiny. "Did you come to the Alchemy Workshop today to ask for pills?" As he spoke, he took out the porcelain bottle containing the Blood Replenishing Pills and offered it to Wang Yue. "If so, consider this bottle of premium Blood Replenishing Pills a gift for our first meeting. There are ten inside, enough to last you a while.

"If you need pills again in the future, so long as the Wang Clan can provide the herbs, I can sell them to you at a discounted price."

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!

Wang Yue looked at the porcelain bottle held out before him and froze slightly.

But he did not accept it. Instead, he raised his head to look at Fu Shuangyun and spoke sincerely. "Thank you for your generosity, Master Fu. However, aside from wishing to witness the art of alchemy today, this junior also wishes to ask whether you would be willing to offer a little guidance if this junior wanted to learn alchemy?"

Wang Yue bowed with lowered head, his tone earnest. "This disciple truly wishes to learn the art of alchemy and give it a try. I ask that Master Fu grant me this opportunity!"

At those words, Fu Shuangyun's brows shifted slightly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the pill furnace. He knew well that although the Dragon Transformation Sect had methods for discerning talent, there had never been an absolutely accurate standard. Some disciples with heaven-defying comprehension in martial arts were like rotten wood when faced with herbs and heat control, while some seemingly ordinary people instead managed to shine upon the path of alchemy.

The experience the sect had accumulated over the years amounted only to the rough method of "observe essence energy, examine spirit and form." Those with highly active essence energy and full vitality had at least a thirty percent chance of being suited to alchemy. Though it often meant hitching an ox to a horse, it was already the most practical means of judgment.

"Then I'll test you." Fu Shuangyun slowly stepped forward and gently pinched Wang Yue's forearm with his right index finger.

Wang Yue felt a chill over his skin as a thread of pale golden essence energy was drawn out by the other man and suspended above his fingertip. Fu Shuangyun lightly clenched his fist, yet that thread of essence energy remained condensed without dispersing. It even pulsed with faint liveliness, as though alive in his palm.

"Hm?" Fu Shuangyun's brows abruptly furrowed, surprise flashing through his eyes. He was only in the Blood Condensation Realm—how could the quality of his essence energy be so high?

The essence energy of ordinary Blood Condensation Realm disciples was usually pale and loose, dispersing with the slightest force. Yet Wang Yue's essence energy was not only threadlike in its condensation, but its vitality was terrifyingly high. This simply defied all reason!

Could it be... ? A bold guess surfaced in Fu Shuangyun's mind. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes locking tightly onto Wang Yue's as he tried to find an answer within that clarity. Those with exceptional innate bones and comprehension often carried a spiritual gleam in their eyes; such foundations could not be hidden.

Wang Yue felt uncomfortable under his stare and instinctively shifted his gaze away. Fu Shuangyun's eyes were too sharp, as though they could pierce straight through his body. Even the existence of the panel made him faintly uneasy, and he feared his secret might be exposed.

Seeing that his eyes were bright yet steady, and that the essence, energy, and spirit around him were so full they nearly overflowed without the slightest trace of emptiness, Fu Shuangyun gradually reached a conclusion. "Your essence, energy, and spirit are abundant, and your essence energy is highly active. At the very least, you are qualified in the basic conditions to walk the path of alchemy."

He withdrew his gaze, a warm smile returning to his face. Walking over to the bookshelf, he took down a thick, yellowed volume from the highest shelf and handed it to Wang Yue. "This Hundred Herbs Illustrated Manual records three hundred common medicinal herbs. Take it and study it first."

Wang Yue reached out to accept it. The instant his fingertips touched the rough pages, golden words flashed in the panel within his mind:

Tier Two Alchemy Talent: Herb Recognition. Recognize spirit herbs, understand medicinal principles, rapidly identify herb properties, and grasp basic medicinal knowledge.

Delight rose in his heart, but he suppressed the urge to extract it.

He held the volume against his chest, gently rubbing its pages with his fingertips and sensing the alchemical knowledge contained within, while maintaining an intent expression.

"If you can recognize every herb in the manual, I'll give you a pill formula and let you refine a batch of pills with this cauldron." Fu Shuangyun pointed toward the Gathering Qi Cauldron beside him, his tone carrying a hint of guidance.

"Thank you, Master! This disciple will not fail your expectations!" Wang Yue nodded heavily. Taking advantage of his bow, he quietly shifted closer to the pill cauldron. He had noticed long ago that a faint spiritual glow flowed through the cloud patterns carved on its body. There was clearly something extraordinary hidden within.

The next instant, golden words leaped across the panel one after another, making his heart tremble:

Tier Two Item: Flowing Cloud Cauldron

Martial Soul: Azure Flow Sword (Proficient)

Martial Soul: Three Revolutions Dragon Transformation Strength (Beginner)

Martial Soul: Flowing Water Strength (Beginner)

Martial Soul: Returning Cloud Strength (Beginner)

Tier One Alchemy Talent: Alchemy. Master basic alchemy procedures and independently refine low-grade Tier One pills.

Tier Two Alchemy Talent: Hundred Pills Mastery. Familiar with the refining methods of one hundred pills and able to flexibly adjust the details of pill formulas.

It actually has so many Martial Souls and alchemy talents! Wang Yue rejoiced inwardly.

But he did not act in haste. From his experience extracting the weapon-forging talent, Wang Yue knew it was better to extract the Tier One talent first. Whether in alchemy or weapon forging, if he could not even make Tier One pills, then no amount of experience would let him speak of Tier Two pills. It was better to begin with the foundational art of alchemy and proceed step by step.

He secretly pressed his palm against the edge of the pill cauldron. Shielded by the volume, he silently recited in his heart, Extract the Tier One Alchemy Talent: Alchemy!

A gentle energy surged from the cauldron into his body, transforming into countless shadows flowing through his mind. From herb preparation and heat control to pill-furnace regulation and judging the completion of a pill, every step of alchemy became incomparably clear, as though he had already refined pills hundreds or thousands of times.

Wang Yue quietly let out a breath, suppressing his excitement as he looked up at Fu Shuangyun. "Master Fu, this disciple wishes to take the manual back to his residence to study. If I encounter anything I do not understand, I will come seek your guidance."

Fu Shuangyun shook his head slightly, a trace of understanding flashing in his eyes as his tone turned faintly helpless. "You truly are impatient. If you stay here and read the manual, you can ask me whenever you encounter medicinal principles you do not understand. If you go back, I'm afraid you can only puzzle it out by yourself."

He mistakenly believed that Wang Yue was merely seeking novelty and wanted to take the manual away to put on a show.

"This disciple will study it carefully and never be perfunctory!" Wang Yue quickly assured him. Clutching the Hundred Herbs Illustrated Manual, he bowed, then turned and headed out of the Alchemy Workshop. He needed to return to the Essence Chamber as soon as possible and extract Herb Recognition.

Fu Shuangyun watched the direction of his departure and gently shook his head. Then he returned to the pill furnace and picked up the jade spoon to clean out the medicinal residue inside.

The medicinal fragrance still lingered in the alchemy room.

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