Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Art of Alchemy

At dawn, Xu Chen couldn’t wait to book a flying ride as soon as he got out of bed.

“To Spirit Herb Mountain.”

“Eight spirit coins, let’s go~”

The Wind Spirit Bird spread its wings, soaring toward Spirit Herb Mountain.

Among the five major sects of Leizhou, the Daxi Sect ranked at the bottom, yet its secondary branches of alchemy and artifact forging were somewhat renowned. While not at the very top, they at least held a respectable position among the upper echelons.

Spirit Herb Mountain was one of the places where Daxi Sect’s alchemists cultivated their spirit herbs, and there was a grand marketplace here.

Sitting atop the Wind Spirit Bird, Xu Chen gazed ahead with excitement.

“Though one can only refine pills at the Treasure Body Realm, I can start learning pharmaceutical techniques now. If the Saint White Space recognizes them, there’ll be so much more I can do.”

The Wind Spirit Bird flew over three thousand kilometers before finally descending atop a mountain covered in fields of medicinal herbs.

Below Spirit Herb Mountain stood a marketplace, selling not only pills and herbs but also hosting all manner of paid lectures and small venues dedicated to alchemy and pharmaceutical arts.

The marketplace, in the early morning, was somewhat sparse, but several smaller venues were bustling with crowds.

As Xu Chen wandered through the market, looking left and right, he felt as if he had stepped into the education and training street of his previous life.

“Zero to Alchemist in 365 lessons, only three thousand spirit coins.”

“Become an alchemist in 100 crash courses, get thirty pill recipes, guaranteed mastery, just two thousand spirit coins.”

“Top Alchemy Grandmaster Phantom Tutorial, one hundred thousand spirit coins, comes with thirty pill recipes.”

Xu Chen inspected the various signboards, and finally, in a rather secluded corner, he found what he was looking for.

“Pharmaceutical Mastery, fifty crash lessons, only eight hundred spirit coins.”

Compared to other venues with their grand entrances, this shop seemed quite shabby, with no one inside.

Just as Xu Chen was about to step inside, a voice sounded from behind.

“Junior, if you want to learn pharmaceutical techniques, go straight to the sect’s scripture hall.”

“Pharmaceutical Fundamentals Volumes 1 through 12, you can master them yourself without wasting spirit coins.”

Xu Chen turned to see the shopkeeper from the opposite store calling out to him.

“Once you finish learning pharmaceutical techniques and advance to the Treasure Body Realm, you can come to me for alchemy classes,” the shopkeeper said warmly.

Xu Chen was someone who heeded advice, so he withdrew his foot and turned to salute the shopkeeper.

As he was about to leave for the sect’s scripture hall, the shopkeeper spoke again.

“Junior, at the entrance to the marketplace there’s a spirit herb shop called All Medicine Pavilion. You can buy several medicinal recipes and their corresponding herbs there, just as practice.”

“Thank you, shopkeeper.”

In the scripture hall, Xu Chen found the Pharmaceutical Fundamentals in the alchemy section—twelve volumes in all, available for rent at two spirit coins per day, or the whole set for a hundred spirit coins.

After purchasing all twelve volumes, Xu Chen headed to the section on Blood Qi Foundation Techniques to review the methods he had selected.

“As long as I acquire the Six Saint Ape Forms, the rest will be easy.”

Returning home, Xu Chen began studying the twelve volumes of Pharmaceutical Fundamentals.

Over the following months, he trained during the day and studied the pharmaceutical texts at night, then entered the Saint White Space for challenges deep into the night.

Unknowingly, three months passed. On this day, Xu Chen created his first batch of medicine.

“It’s not easy, no wonder they say alchemists are all paupers.”

Looking down at his freshly prepared Hemostatic Powder, Xu Chen felt the hardship keenly.

Pharmaceutical techniques required memorizing the names, shapes, and properties of tens of thousands of herbs just to get started, and each herb demanded unique handling—sun-dried, shade-stored, or sliced.

In these three months alone, Xu Chen spent over two thousand spirit coins just on buying herbs and pharmaceutical equipment.

“When I finally succeed, my nickname will be the Liver King.”

With his first batch of Hemostatic Powder, Xu Chen started on the second.

This powder sold at the pill shop at five portions per spirit coin. Determined not to waste anything, he made as many portions as possible.

That night, after finishing five batches, Xu Chen entered the Saint White Space with excitement.

At this moment, three wooden doors stood tall in the space, and seeing this, Xu Chen was ecstatic.

“I knew it! My guess was right!”

Unable to wait, Xu Chen pushed open the door marked Pharmaceutical Techniques.

Inside, he felt as if he had stepped into the Spirit Herb Hall, with a dedicated pharmaceutical station at its center.

“Make ten batches of Hemostatic Powder with a quality score above eighty. If you succeed, you’ll gain insight into crafting perfect Hemostatic Powder. Fail three times, and you’ll face triple lightning punishment.”

“Damn, it’s not the same as defeating a clone, but it’s still the same routine.”

Xu Chen talked to himself as he selected herbs and began preparing Hemostatic Powder, processing each with meticulous methods, then carefully heating and grinding.

Finally, the first batch was complete, and a number floated above it.

“Sixty-four—is that its quality score?”

Xu Chen continued, and after twenty batches, his highest score was sixty-nine.

At that moment, a voice sounded overhead, with faint thunder rumbling.

“Punishment for failure begins!”

A thunderbolt as thick as a barrel struck Xu Chen, and before he could react, he was reduced to ashes.

His consciousness coalesced again in the Saint White Space, and he pushed open the pharmaceutical door once more.

No sooner had he entered than another bolt of lightning struck him into dust.

His consciousness revived again, entering yet again.

Only after three bolts of lightning had struck did Xu Chen manage to enter the pharmaceutical door successfully.

“Damn, if not for spending so much time on the Six Saint Ape Forms, I wouldn’t have survived.”

“Even pharmaceutical techniques are this hard—do I really have no chance?”

Xu Chen sat before the pharmaceutical station, a bit dejected, but soon his fighting spirit returned.

“Keep going—one day, I’ll make it!”

At dawn, Xu Chen woke up numb all over, ate, and began his daily cultivation.

“Brother Xu, you seem off in your practice today,” Niu Dali remarked, puzzled.

“Yesterday, I had some trouble circulating blood qi. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

“Let’s keep sparring—it won’t affect anything.”

After several months of training, Niu Dali’s strength had reached the level of ten tigers, and Xu Chen now found their matches increasingly challenging.

After a full day of cultivation, the two sat by the riverbank.

“Brother Niu, are you planning to practice a second Blood Qi Foundation Technique?” Xu Chen asked.

“I am. I’m fifteen this year. According to the development of our Golden Armored Thunder Ox tribe, I still have ten years to train.”

“My second technique will be our tribe’s Thunder Body Foundation Method.”

“If I can master it to the Insight level within six years, I’ll take up a third technique.”

“If I master all three to the Insight level, I’ll possess the strength of one dragon and nine tigers.”

“Then I’ll be eligible to join our clan’s Thunder Mountain Army.”

Niu Dali grew excited talking about this.

“What about you, Brother Xu?”