Advancing to First-Rank Alchemist! A Unique Heavenly Flame Reward

"Uncle Gu Ni, I think it worked?"

Chu Zhou poured the Spring Return Powder into a Porcelain Bottle and handed it to Gu Ni.

Gu Ni's lips trembled slightly. He took the Porcelain Bottle, sniffed its contents, and gave a strange smile. "Good. Very good. My nephew, your talent for Alchemist far exceeds anything I imagined."

Succeeding on the first attempt at alchemy marked someone as a genius.

Succeeding on the first attempt and producing something of such high quality marked someone as a genius among geniuses.

But what truly unnerved Gu Ni was that watching Chu Zhou refine medicine felt like looking in a mirror, watching himself perform the process again.

In other words, after watching him refine a single batch of Spring Return Powder, Chu Zhou had reproduced it almost perfectly, despite a few slight differences in the details.

It was hard to imagine just how high someone like this might rise in the future.

"It's all thanks to your teaching, Uncle." Chu Zhou smiled. "Did you notice anything I should watch out for?"

"No, you did very well." Gu Ni immediately shook his head. "At least, with my level of skill, I can't see any shortcomings."

Chu Zhou nodded slightly and continued, "Then should I refine more Spring Return Powder for practice, or learn the next pill?"

"Practice a little. Practice first," Gu Ni said at once.

He wanted to see whether Chu Zhou had reproduced the process by chance or had truly learned everything after watching it just once.

A quarter of an hour later, another batch of Spring Return Powder was finished, and Gu Ni fell silent.

Another quarter of an hour passed. When the third batch of Spring Return Powder was finished, Gu Ni hastily called a halt.

He was certain now that Chu Zhou truly knew how to refine this first-rank medicine.

His technique, timing, and management of the heat had all clearly improved again.

"Let's change our plan." Gu Ni's eyes shone. "I'll teach you how to refine the Nine Common First-Rank Pills next. I'll teach you all of them in one go and see whether you can remember everything."

Chu Zhou had no objection. He rose and cleared the space. "Please, Uncle Gu Ni."

An hour later, Gu Ni had finished refining all nine pills in succession.

Each time he finished one, Chu Zhou asked for it, saying he wanted to keep it in his collection.

Once everything was finished, Chu Zhou smiled. "Uncle Gu Ni, it's getting rather late today."

"How about I refine them tomorrow morning instead? If I still remember everything after a night, that'll be better proof that my talent is decent."

Decent?

You're an absolute Monster.

Gu Ni grumbled inwardly, but nodded gently. "All right. We'll do as you suggest."

He thought Chu Zhou's suggestion made sense, and he was already itching to share his astonishment with someone.

"See you tomorrow."

Gu Ni parted ways with Chu Zhou outside the refining room and immediately went to find Ya Fei.

Ya Fei was in her study, with a pot of tea already brewed. Clearly, she had been waiting for him.

"Uncle Gu Ni, it seems Chu Zhou really does have a good talent for alchemy?" Ya Fei watched him hurry in with a smile.

"Good." Gu Ni sat down across from Ya Fei, picked up a cup of tea, and drained it. His voice brimmed with excitement. "He's more than good. He's a Monster! I think surpassing Pill King Gu He will be no problem for him, given time."

"My lady, we haven't just stumbled upon a treasure this time. We've found a priceless treasure. Heaven has smiled upon us."

"I used to dislike that Mu Zhan brat from the Mu Family, but now I have to thank him. If he hadn't forced you to come to Wutan City, we never would have met a treasure like Chu Zhou."

Ya Fei: "..."

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Ya Fei's voice trembled.

Pill King Gu He was the Jia Ma Empire's only Sixth-Rank Alchemist. Even powerful figures from neighboring empires often paid enormous sums to commission medicine from him.

If Chu Zhou could surpass Pill King Gu He... just how incredible would he become?

"Not in the slightest." Gu Ni shook his head gently and immediately began describing Chu Zhou's performance.

After patiently hearing him out, Ya Fei fell silent.

Even though she knew nothing about alchemy, she understood the significance of what Chu Zhou had accomplished.

"Uncle Gu Ni, it looks like we're going all in." Ya Fei's eyes gleamed.

Going all in was a form of wisdom, and Ya Fei clearly possessed it.

She did not ask for much. As long as Chu Zhou grew into a Fourth-Rank Alchemist,

he could support her, allowing her to control her own life within the Mittel Family and escape the possibility of being married off for an alliance.

Meanwhile, Chu Zhou had already returned to the bedroom in his private courtyard, where he took out the pills and swallowed them one after another.

Streams of information and images surfaced, memorized and thoroughly assimilated by his Myriad Medicine Clarity Body.

With his constitution suppressing any adverse effects, he had no need to worry that taking medicine without being ill would harm him.

After swallowing everything, he even felt that his Dou Qi had increased, and immediately began circulating the Azure Flame Soul-Refining Art.

Refining medicine and taking pills today had given him a chance to improve his soul perception a little.

Small gains would add up. Sooner or later, he would reach the Spirit Realm.

Time slipped away during cultivation, and before he knew it, morning had arrived.

Chu Zhou opened his eyes, took the scroll containing the Azure Slashing Sword Aura out of his Storage Ring, and memorized its contents.

"Epiphany!" Chu Zhou chose to use one epiphany opportunity for Black-Tier cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques awarded by the Firmament Ledger.

In an instant, countless insights into the Dou Technique surfaced, along with memories of himself practicing it with utter absorption.

These were not merely memories of the soul, but muscle memories as well. A faint strand of sword intent emerged within his soul world.

Chu Zhou felt that all he lacked now was a sword.

With a sword in hand, he could unleash a powerful strike.

[Name]: Chu Zhou

[Age]: 22

[Attributes]: Fire with Wood

[Talents]: Void Perception / Myriad Medicine Clarity Body

[Realm]: One-Star Dou Practitioner (Dou Qi), early Mortal Realm (soul), early first tier (mortal body)

[Cultivation Technique]: Azure Flame Soul-Refining Art (High Xuan Tier)

[Dou Techniques]: Azure Slashing Sword Aura (mid Black Tier / can grow), Explosive Flame Step (low Black Tier), Fire-Pushing Palm (high Yellow Tier)

[Equipment]: Storage Ring

[Location]: Wutan City (Jia Ma Empire, Northwest Continent, Dou Qi Continent)

[Identity]: Mittel Auction House Appraiser

After checking his current condition, Chu Zhou was thoroughly satisfied.

He got out of bed and washed with the help of a maid. After breakfast, Chu Zhou headed to the refining room.

Gu Ni was already waiting there early, and Ya Fei was present today as well.

"Sister Ya Fei, Uncle Gu Ni." Chu Zhou greeted them with a smile.

"Uncle said you have a remarkable talent for alchemy. You don't mind if I watch, do you?" Ya Fei wore a luxurious, form-fitting black dress today that accentuated her graceful figure, and a fragrance trailed her as she walked.

"Of course not." Chu Zhou smiled faintly and shook his head. "Alchemy requires complete concentration. If having you beside me affects my refining, that just means I need more practice."

Ya Fei let out a clear, melodious laugh. Chu Zhou always knew just what to say to make her happy.

The three entered the refining room together. Chu Zhou walked straight to its center and took out his Medicine Cauldron.

Without wasting words, he got straight to work and began refining pills.

One, two, three... nine!

An hour later, Chu Zhou had reproduced all nine pills Gu Ni had refined afterward.

He made no mistakes throughout the process, and the pills he produced were of excellent quality—far beyond what a novice could achieve.

Gu Ni and Ya Fei were momentarily speechless. All that remained in their hearts was astonishment, and the cry that they had found a treasure.

After finishing the nine pills, Chu Zhou felt that he had thoroughly assimilated Gu Ni's techniques and experience in refining first-rank pills. He had also incorporated Yao Lao's techniques, experience, heat management, flame control, and more from refining the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid.

Even for a first-rank pill he had never taken before, he could now refine it with nothing more than a pill recipe, and its quality would not be low.

The next moment, he learned that this was no illusion.

[Firmament Ledger announcement: Summoner "Chu Zhou" is the first to advance his Alchemy to the first rank. Reward: one unique heavenly flame.] ×3