Chapter 10
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Chapter 10: Mastering Alchemy
Xu Fan waved goodbye to Wang Yulun with a smile, clutching a small bag of spirit stones.
“You little rascal, you’ve hit the jackpot! This contains all the combat techniques I’ve summarized from those action-packed manga.”
“Learning this is a real win!” Xu Fan said, holding the small bag of spirit stones tightly as he headed back to his courtyard.
Shang Ling Peak was the only place in the Outer Sect where one could catch a glimpse of inner sect disciples; it was also the go-to spot for outer disciples to trade and shop.
In a massive nine-story commercial building, run directly by the sect, the first three floors sold everything needed for the Qi Training Stage.
On the second floor, in a reception room, a middle-aged supervisor was carefully inspecting the spirit rice Xu Fan had brought.
“Impressive, very impressive.”
The supervisor marveled at the translucent grains of spirit rice in his hands, praising them endlessly.
“Xu, you’re something else! There aren’t many in the Outer Sect who can grow such high-quality rice. You’re one of the few.”
“Aside from those who’ve spent their entire lives cultivating spirit plants in the Outer Sect, it’s rare to see a young talent like you pull this off.”
“I’ll take all 1,230 pounds of your spirit rice for 600 spirit stones. How does that sound?” After making the offer, the supervisor continued to examine the rice closely.
This top-tier spirit rice was highly sought after by cultivation families, as it provided a solid foundation for their prodigies.
Such premium spirit rice rarely made it to the open market; it was usually reserved through cultivators specializing in spirit plants.
“That’s a fair price,” Xu Fan said, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “So, using the Small Spirit Rain Technique at its peak can really produce top-grade spirit rice?”
“Alright, I’ll throw in an extra 20 spirit stones. I hope you’ll come back to Wei Feng Trading Company when your next batch of spirit rice is ready,” the supervisor said with a warm smile. As a manager, his status was on par with a Golden Core cultivator in the inner sect.
“Thank you for your generosity, Supervisor. I’ll definitely sell to your company when my next harvest is ready,” Xu Fan replied with a smile.
“If you ever need large spirit fields for planting, don’t hesitate to reach out,” the supervisor added, knowing that most outer disciples only had access to their own small plots of land.
“Will do, Supervisor. I’ll keep that in mind,” Xu Fan nodded appreciatively.
Planting spirit rice just wasn’t worth the effort; he’d stick to his path of mastering alchemy and crafting.
After the deal, Xu Fan spent 500 spirit stones on a first-floor alchemy furnace that could automatically generate spirit fire.
On his way back, Xu Fan couldn’t help but admire his new, compact alchemy furnace.
“Good thing Yulun gave me those 500 spirit stones. Otherwise, I’d have been stuck with the most basic furnace, which is supposedly a nightmare to use.”
Xu Fan had previously asked his fellow alchemy students about it. The cheapest furnaces were designed for outer disciples with no spirit stones, giving them a chance to learn that alchemy wasn’t just for the wealthy.
The next day, Xu Fan eagerly made his way to Tai Xue Peak.
“If I’d had this kind of drive in my past life, my family would’ve been thrilled.”
“Just wait. Once I reach the pinnacle, I’ll definitely return.”
As Xu Fan thought about this, his determination grew stronger.
Tai Xue Peak, Alchemy Pavilion.
“Tuition is 500 spirit stones plus 100 contribution points,”
“This is just for one year; the total study period is two years.”
“You can take a day off in the middle and at the end of each month.”
“Once you become a junior alchemist, you can join the Alchemy Hall.”
A disciple working part-time at the Alchemy Hall explained to Xu Fan as he guided him toward the classroom.
The place where Xu Fan would study was a large courtyard covering more than ten acres, much like a school in his past life.
At the entrance of the classroom, the guiding disciple clasped his hands and said to Xu Fan, “I have already mentioned the important matters to keep in mind.”
“I wish you become a master alchemist soon.”
Xu Fan quickly returned the gesture, clasping his hands.
“Thank you for your good wishes, Senior Brother.”
Holding the token he had just received, Xu Fan found his designated classroom. The room spanned over a hundred square meters, accommodating ten positions, each with a designated spot for an alchemy furnace.
As Xu Fan entered the classroom, a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure approached him.
“Hello, Junior Brother. Are you a new student here?”
“Yes, my name is Xu Fan. May I ask your name, Senior Sister?” Xu Fan said with a smile, putting aside any impure thoughts he had at a glance.
“I’m Sha Yan, a preparatory instructor here. When my master is away, I usually teach the classes,” Sha Yan said with a charming smile, looking at the ordinary-looking junior brother in front of her.
Why not call her Sha Diao? This thought popped into Xu Fan’s mind, but he quickly shook his head, banishing the idea. Such beauty couldn’t possibly be foolish.
“Xu Fan, do you have any questions?” Sha Yan asked curiously, looking at Xu Fan.
“No, no. I was just wondering what happens to the classes I missed since we are learning together,” Xu Fan said, scratching his head and casually asking a question.
“That’s easy! The preliminary courses are all basic subjects. I have the materials in a jade slip.”
“I can give you additional lessons in the afternoon later.”
“Alright, class time starts now, so pay attention, Junior Brother!” Sha Yan said, her eyes narrowing into a crescent shape.
Xu Fan was instantly captivated by her adorable expression. In his past life, he had been an awkward nerd who never had a chance to interact with such a stunning beauty.
Additional lessons? Now that sounds great!
Xu Fan walked to the position assigned by Sha Yan and sat cross-legged on a cushion, exchanging glances with the other disciples around him.
Including Xu Fan, there were a total of ten students in the classroom, filling all the available spots.
“Next, we will discuss the importance of basic processing of spirit herbs in alchemy. The perfection of initial processing determines the quality of the pills produced later.”
“Now, I will explain the most fundamental techniques for processing spirit herbs. The first step is to extract the essence…”
As the alchemy class officially began, Xu Fan entered a focused state of learning.
In the afternoon, Xu Fan spent an entire afternoon alone with the beautiful instructor, feeling his heart flutter.
Returning to his little hill,
Xu Fan took out the class materials he had received and started to study them in detail.
A month later,
In the newly established alchemy room on his hill, Xu Fan prepared to refine pills for the first time.
“It hasn’t been easy. After more than a month of learning, I can finally get started on alchemy.”
Xu Fan took out a piece of spirit stone and painfully tossed it into the fire pit beneath the pill furnace, instantly igniting a roaring flame below the furnace.
‘Fire Control Technique,’ ‘Spirit Control Technique.’
Opening the furnace lid, Xu Fan quickly added the previously prepared spirit herb essence.
Water Spirit Grass, Sun-Eating Fruit, Spirit Mushroom, Herb Dew…
As Xu Fan added the essence to the pill furnace, he carefully controlled the heat.
Once all the spirit herbs were in the furnace, Xu Fan immediately applied the Pill Forming Technique he had learned.
Inside the bright-red pill furnace, the liquid essence of spirit herbs began to separate into ten small globules of liquid and started to refine itself using the furnace’s temperature.
Just as Xu Fan marveled at how alchemy wasn’t that hard,
‘Boom!’
“How could a genius like me have a furnace explosion?!”
