Twelve-Star Pills

"It was you—just as I thought!" Master Mo was beside himself with excitement. Back then, he had only learned that the youth who had healed the injury was named Su Chen. Yet when he sent people to investigate, they could not find any youth named Su Chen in any Lineage of Clear River City.

He had nearly given up, never expecting the other party to come to the Alchemy Guild and for him to run into him here!

"Young Master Su, please, you must teach me the correct ratio between Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb!" Master Mo's expression instantly became both nervous and excited, completely losing his usual composure. "This formula for treating Coldheart Python bites was my master's final obsession before he passed away. I beg you—please teach it to me!"

"Certainly. I'll write the formula down for you." Su Chen agreed readily this time. To him, this formula was merely a drop in the vast ocean of memories in his mind. Besides, giving the formula to Master Mo would save more people bitten by Coldheart Pythons in the future. It was a deed that benefited others, so naturally Su Chen would not refuse.

"Thank you, Young Master Su!"

After his satisfaction, Master Mo could not help asking again, "By the way, what brings Young Master Su to the Alchemy Guild today?"

The apprentices had just said that Su Chen was a newly arrived alchemy apprentice, but Master Mo clearly did not believe that. With Su Chen's attainments in alchemy, why would he need to come to the Alchemy Guild to become an apprentice?

"Actually, I came to the Alchemy Guild because I wanted to borrow a yang-aspected pill furnace," Su Chen explained his purpose.

"A yang-aspected pill furnace?" Master Mo's eyes lit up. Without the slightest hesitation, he said, "No problem. Our Alchemy Guild happens to have a fine yang-aspected pill furnace. I'll take Young Master Su there."

As he spoke, Master Mo instructed an apprentice to open the door to the alchemy chamber, preparing to leave.

Just then, a notification came from outside the door. "Is Master Mo here? Master Qian wishes to see you."

Master Mo was taken aback. "Is that so? Master Qian has business with me?"

Master Mo walked out of the alchemy chamber. Seeing Master Qian outside, he asked, "Master Qian, you were looking for me?"

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Master Qian hurriedly said, "I have a small matter for which I'd like to ask Old Mo's help. I saw that you were refining pills inside just now, so I did not dare disturb you."

"What is it?" Master Mo asked.

"Our Alchemy Guild's Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace—I have a friend who wishes to borrow it. I hope Old Mo can make an exception this once."

As he spoke, before Master Mo could respond, Master Qian immediately added, "I know this is against the rules, but that friend is a master of alchemy whose attainments far surpass my own. If Old Mo is willing to make an exception, I am willing to donate materials worth ten thousand taels of silver to the Alchemy Guild in my own name."

Master Qian had originally wanted to say that Su Chen's attainments in alchemy even surpassed Master Mo's, but before Master Mo, he did not have the nerve to say it.

Master Mo was also stunned. Ten thousand taels? Master Qian was truly bleeding himself dry. What kind of friend could be so important to him?

But at this moment, Master Mo could only frown and say apologetically, "Master Qian, you came too late. There is already a master on my side who wishes to use the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace. Even if your friend wants to borrow it, he can only come another day."

Master Qian was immensely disappointed, but also somewhat puzzled. "There is another master who wants to borrow the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace?" What a coincidence.

"Old Mo, can't you let my friend borrow it first?" Master Qian, who had always respected Master Mo greatly, was unexpectedly stubborn today. He did not want to disappoint Su Chen.

But Master Mo would not yield in the slightest. "Master Qian, the master borrowing the pill furnace on my side is an extremely important person. Your friend should wait for now."

"Old Mo..."

The alchemy apprentices present were dumbfounded. These two were both alchemists of eminent status in the Clear River City Alchemy Guild, yet they were actually arguing in the Alchemy Guild's corridor without regard for their image.

Their dispute gradually became like children fighting over candy, neither willing to give way.

"Ahem..."

Only when a light cough interrupted the argument did the two stop at the same time and turn to look.

Su Chen stood at the entrance of the alchemy chamber, watching them with a trace of helplessness on his face.

When Master Qian saw that it was Su Chen who had coughed, he hurriedly said, "Master, there's been a slight problem here. But don't worry—the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace is something I will definitely secure for you."

Only then did Master Mo feel that something was off. Astonished, he asked, "Master Qian, the friend you said you wanted to borrow the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace for—is him?"

Master Qian was no fool. Hearing this, he also began to understand. "Old Mo, the master you said wanted to borrow the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace—is him as well?"

Su Chen smiled. "You two, if I had not spoken up, I'm afraid you would already have started fighting in the Alchemy Guild's corridor."

The two smiled sheepishly. Master Mo said, "Who would have thought that after arguing for so long, we were fighting to secure the chance to use the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace for the same person? Young Master Su, then let us take you to the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace now."

Su Chen nodded. "Sorry to trouble you both."

The three arrived at an alchemy chamber on the fifth floor, and Su Chen finally saw the legendary Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace in its entirety.

The pill furnace stood taller than a man and a half, its entire body crimson red. Elephant-shaped relief patterns were cast upon its surface. Its greatest feature was the pattern of nine coiling dragons inside the furnace. This pattern was not merely for appearance—it enhanced the temperature within the furnace, allowing it to refine more high-difficulty pills.

As for its attribute, this furnace was undeniably a fire-aspected pill furnace.

Su Chen was extremely pleased with the furnace. He murmured, "With this furnace, the Hundred-Year Supreme-Yang Pill refined should be enough

to completely eradicate the cold poison within Auntie."

The cold poison in Xu Yin's body was like a ticking time bomb. Naturally, the sooner it was eradicated, the better.

Master Mo and Master Qian remained in the alchemy chamber under the pretext of assisting Su Chen. To be honest, the reason they had been so eager to help Su Chen borrow the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace was partly selfish—they wanted to witness Su Chen's alchemy abilities.

However, if the apprentice alchemists and alchemy apprentices downstairs knew that the two highest-ranking alchemists of the Alchemy Guild were both assisting a fifteen-year-old youth in this chamber, the effect would be absolutely earth-shaking.

Su Chen did not disappoint them either. Refining the Hundred-Year Supreme-Yang Pill was not difficult for him at all, and with the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace, his alchemy prowess was displayed to the fullest.

At once, Su Chen's perfect and dazzling pill-refining techniques left Master Mo and Master Qian dizzy with amazement. They had originally thought that Su Chen was merely formidable in alchemy theory, but they had not expected his practical pill-refining ability to be just as breathtaking.

For some reason, although Su Chen used only basic techniques, he could always display consummate mastery and a profound understanding of the art of alchemy through those basic methods, leaving anyone who watched utterly exhilarated.

Unfortunately, Su Chen's pill refinement ended after only two short quarters of an hour. Master Mo and Master Qian were both left wanting more, practically wishing they could watch Su Chen refine ten more batches of pills.

At this moment, Su Chen seemed even more shrouded in mystery in their eyes. They could not help wondering where such a monstrous alchemy genius had emerged from. For someone Su Chen's age to possess such attainments in alchemy, it could not possibly be described by the single word "terrifying."

When Su Chen opened the lid of the Elephant-Pattern Fire Dragon Furnace and saw the finished pills, a trace of delight appeared on his face. "A twelve-star Hundred-Year Supreme-Yang Pill!"