Alchemy Genius

The alchemy room was silent as a grave; only the crackling of burning kindling could be heard.

Cheng Ming and the other alchemists stared at the scene before them, their eyes wide as saucers.

Wei Luo absolutely did not know how to refine pills. That was beyond doubt.

Yet after watching for two hours, he had refined a pill himself.

It defied logic—at least, the logic they knew.

As though possessed, Cheng Ming strode straight to the pill furnace. Ignoring the pill's scorching heat, he picked it up in his palm and examined it closely.

The pill had quite a few flaws. It was not round enough, had no pill fragrance, and seemed to contain many impurities.

But even so, it had still been refined.

"This... you... I..."

Cheng Ming looked at Wei Luo. Countless questions filled his heart, but when the words reached his lips, he could no longer explain them clearly.

Wei Luo, meanwhile, was rubbing his temples furiously. If he had not been too dizzy to move right now, how could he have allowed Cheng Ming to touch his pill so casually?

"Did you already know how to refine pills?"

Cheng Ming's expression was exceedingly complicated. After thinking for a long while, he finally asked this question.

Only that could explain the fact that Wei Luo had refined a pill. Otherwise—after refining pills for half his life, he might as well have been a joke.

It was not just Cheng Ming. The other alchemists also had strange looks in their eyes.

"If I knew how to refine pills, would I have come here begging for help?"

Wei Luo's reply shattered the last shred of wishful thinking in everyone's hearts, and their faces darkened considerably.

"Wei Luo, what happened? You only refined one batch of pills—why did it take so long?"

The door to the alchemy room was pushed open. Seeing that Wei Luo had not returned for so long, Zhao Xiu had come looking for him.

"Holy shit, Wei Luo, what happened to you? Did you fight someone?"

Seeing Wei Luo's haggard expression and unsteady steps, as though he had just fought a great battle with someone, Zhao Xiu was immediately startled.

"I'm fine. I just overused my brain refining pills," Wei Luo replied.

Refining pills? Overusing his brain?

Zhao Xiu did not quite understand, so he turned his gaze toward Cheng Ming.

"Alchemist Cheng, what's going on? Didn't I ask you to help my brother test out his pill formula?"

At that, Cheng Ming wore a bitter smile and recounted everything from beginning to end.

From his refusal to refine the pills to Wei Luo refining one himself, he concealed nothing. Yet even as he spoke, his old face flushed red.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. You aren't joining forces to mess with me, are you?"

Zhao Xiu's face was full of disbelief after listening. They had known each other for months—how could he not know whether Wei Luo could refine pills?

But Cheng Ming spoke with absolute certainty. Zhao Xiu turned to verify it with Wei Luo, and after learning that Wei Luo truly had refined it himself, his gaze gradually became strange as well.

"Though the pill formed, we haven't tested its effects yet."

Alchemist Wang offered a reminder, and only then did Cheng Ming come back to his senses.

They still had to see what effect the pill had. Wei Luo's formula contained quite a few potent ingredients; whether it had any medicinal effect at all was still uncertain.

The main reason was that Wei Luo's successful pill refinement had shocked them so badly that they had nearly forgotten this matter.

"Go bring several animals for testing."

At Cheng Ming's call, several medicine boys accepted the order and went to work.

Zhao Xiu held the two pills Wei Luo had refined and studied them for a while, then took the initiative to explain a few things to Wei Luo.

New medicines all had to undergo this testing process. First, to test their effects; second, in case some pills were poisonous and killed whoever ate them.

Wei Luo nodded in agreement as well. Although the formula provided by the Great Thousand Revelation was guaranteed to be correct, he knew his own limits.

He did not even count as a half-baked alchemist. He had refined the pills into ovals; if he had actually refined something toxic, it would not have been strange at all. Better safe than sorry.

Zhao Xiu rolled the pills between his fingers, gave Wei Luo another scrutinizing look, then suddenly said,

"Wei Luo, even if these pills have no effect, you still deserve to be called a 'genius.'

Would you be interested in studying the path of pill refinement?"

Cheng Ming stood nearby. Hearing Zhao Xiu's words, his brow suddenly twitched, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

He seemed about to say something, but Zhao Xiu signaled him with a look, and he fell silent.

"As long as you agree, my Zhao Family is willing to devote everything to training you. Medicinal herbs, pill formulas—we will hide nothing from you.

What do you say?"

Zhao Xiu's sudden question caught Wei Luo off guard.

He had not considered it much. Although alchemists were respected and earned plenty of money, it was not his first choice.

Besides, he relied on the Great Thousand Revelation to refine pills. Doing it once in a while was fine, but if he did it too often, he feared it would burn his brain out.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Zhao, but these are cramped and perilous times. I still want to focus on the martial path."

"Wei Luo, you have talent for pill refinement. It would be too great a pity to let it go to waste..."

Zhao Xiu's expression immediately darkened somewhat. Then a conflicted look appeared on his face as he said,

"I rarely ask others for help. Just consider it a favor to me—the Zhao Family truly needs alchemists right now."

Sensing that something was off in his tone, Wei Luo was also taken aback.

He knew Zhao Xiu's character well. The man was loyal and generous, always helping others.

This was the first time Wei Luo had seen him ask anyone for help. Even when Wei Luo had arrived today, the atmosphere in the Zhao Family had felt somewhat off, and Zhao Xiu had asked Sun Qianchuan for assistance as well.

It seemed the Zhao Family really was in trouble.

Wei Luo thought for a moment and was just about to ask.

At that moment, the medicine boys returned carrying the animals, and Cheng Ming immediately interrupted their conversation.

"Young Master, let us first see exactly how effective this pill is.

After all, Young Master Wei is a guest. It is already late, and he still needs to return home."

There was meaning behind Cheng Ming's words. Zhao Xiu sighed and said no more.

"Then let's test the medicine first."

The medicine boys brought over several iron cages.

A field mouse, a long snake, and a mountain monkey.

There were two pills in total. Cheng Ming carefully cut half of one with a bronze knife, divided it equally, and had the medicine boys feed it to the animals.

"Now we shall see what effect this pill truly has."

A trace of anticipation gleamed in Cheng Ming's eyes.

If it truly had an effect, then Wei Luo would be an unquestionable 'genius'!

Everyone's eyes fixed on the three animals.

After only a few breaths, the animals in the cages seemed to grow restless.

The field mouse reacted most strongly. Its entire tail turned red, and it frantically gnawed at the iron cage.

The long snake also twisted its body without pause, while white vapor sprayed from the mountain monkey's nostrils as it bared its fangs and screeched.

"Could it be poisonous?"

Seeing the animals' agitated state, one of the medicine boys could not help speaking up.

No sooner had he spoken than the field mouse suddenly let out a shriek. It then spewed bloody froth from its mouth and lay twitching in the cage.

"This pill refinement failed. There should still be toxins inside."

Alchemist Wang shook his head at the sight, and the other alchemists nodded in agreement.

For Wei Luo to form a pill on his first attempt at refinement was already heaven-defying. If it even had medicinal effects, then all their years of living might as well have been lived as dogs.

But just then, Cheng Ming said with some excitement,

"It didn't fail. He didn't fail! The pill's potency is simply too strong!"

As though to prove Cheng Ming's words, the other two cages suddenly erupted into commotion.

In the blink of an eye, the scales on the long snake's body shook loose, and its size swelled by a full circle. It struggled within the cage, making even the cage itself shake.

The mountain monkey's reaction was even more intense. Blood energy surged across its body, and it bent several bars of the little-finger-thick iron cage, nearly breaking free at once.

Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned silent for a long while.

Half a pill had produced such an effect. What kind of pill had Wei Luo actually refined?

The alchemists all watched Wei Luo in silence, as though trying to see flowers bloom from his body.