361-365

Chapter 361: Then You Should Just Take The Examination!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Under Apothecary Mu's lead, it didn't take long for them to arrive at a room.

"Please report that Apothecary Mu Yang requests for an audience!"

Apothecary Mu clasped his fist toward the apprentice guarding by the door.

"Yes!"

Knowing the other party's identity, the apprentice immediately went in to report his presence. A moment later, however, he returned with an apologetic look on his face. "Teacher is currently discussing some important matters with an esteemed guest, so he isn't free at the moment. Apothecary Mu, you should return tomorrow!"

"This matter is urgent. I really can't wait until tomorrow..."

Apothecary Mu shook his head. "I hope that you can relay another message for me. Just say that I have something urgent that I require Apothecary Hong's help on!"

Since Liu laoshi had made this request, the grade-4 pill formula must be extremely important to him. Otherwise, he could have chosen to purchase a pill instead. No matter the cost, Apothecary Mu was determined to help Zhang Xuan on this matter.

"This... I'll try asking again!" The apprentice nodded and walked in.

"Aren't you all apothecaries? Why..."

Seeing the sight before him, Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

Hong Yun and Mu Yangfeng were both apothecaries. One of them was a 3-star primary while the other one was a 2-star pinnacle. There wasn't a huge difference between them, so why was it so troublesome to meet the other party?

"The guild leader is already old, so he doesn't interfere in the affairs of the guild. At the moment, most affairs of the guild are handled by Apothecary Hong, and all of the apothecaries answer to him. Thus, his standing is much higher than mine. Because of this, it took me a great deal of effort before I managed to get you the permission to enter the library!" Apothecary Mu explained.

After hearing the other party's explanation, Zhang Xuan finally understood the situation.

Apothecary Hong Yun had always been an arrogant person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reprimanded the other apothecaries despite not having met Zhang Xuan and verifying the results of the test back in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Having surpassed the boundary which had trapped many other apothecaries had inflated his ego, and now, it was difficult for any apothecary to even meet him, much less ask him for requests.

"Liu laoshi, when we enter the room later on, I'll have to trouble you not to say anything. Outsiders aren't allowed to access pill formulae easily, and I'm afraid that if you say that you're the one who wanted it, not only will you be rejected, it might even cause a whole string of trouble!"

Apothecary Mu instructed.

"Un!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Pill formulae were the treasures of the apothecaries, and they would never show it to outsiders easily. It was indeed a little inappropriate for a physician like him to ask for a pill formula from them.

After waiting for around two incenses' time at the door, just when they were about to reach the limit of their patience, the apprentice walked out.

"Apothecary Mu, please enter! However, our teacher only has a tea's time. After that, he still has other matters to attend to. Thus, if there are any important matter to speak of, please do it fast..."

"Alright!"

Apothecary Mu nodded.

The duo entered the room and saw Apothecary Hong Yun sitting on the center seat. Beside him was a young man who was leisurely sipping his tea.

It was none other than the 1-star master teacher who, due to his fancy for Mo Yu, kept trying to prove his superiority before Zhang Xuan back in the Master Teacher Pavilion, the son of Pavilion Master Jiang, Jiang Chen!

"Apothecary Mu, what urgent matter do you have to ask of me?"

Lifting up his teacup, he prodded at the tea leaves floating at the surface before turning to look at Apothecary Mu with a leisurely attitude.

"I have something that I need to trouble Apothecary Hong on!"

Apothecary Mu replied respectfully.

"I wish to ask for Apothecary Hong to request for a grade-4 pill formula for me. I will bear the fees for the transaction!"

"Grade-4 pill formula?"

Apothecary Hong Yun frowned. "You're just a 2-star apothecary. Why would you need that for?"

Clasping his fist, Apothecary Mu replied, "I have others uses for it. However, Apothecary Hong, rest assure, I won't do anything that flouts the rules of the guild!"

Apothecaries were allowed to request for pill formulae, but they were forbidden from selling it or using it to conduct scams or any other immoral actions.

"Other uses for it? Hmph!"

Apothecary Hong Yun stood up, and with his hands behind his back, he walked up to Apothecary Mu and glared at him imposingly. "As an apothecary, attempting something beyond one's capability will not only not bring one glory, it'll even embarrass one! Your pill forging skill isn't bad, but grade-2 pinnacle pills are already your limit. Come back to request for a grade-4 pill formula after you can successfully forge a grade-3 pill!"

In his view, the reason why this fellow was asking for a grade-4 pill was because he wanted to try forging it to impress everyone.

However, despite being unable to forge even a grade-3 pill, he was actually attempting to forge a grade-4 pill. That was nothing more than a waste of precious medicinal herbs!

"I..." Not expecting the other party to react so vehemently, Apothecary Mu's face flushed.

"Alright, you should leave now!" With a dark complexion, Apothecary Hong tilted his head upward with a proud expression.

"I beseech you to help me request for it. The process isn't too bothersome so it shouldn't pose much of a problem. It's just a small favor..." Apothecary Mu tried once more.

Regardless, they were both apothecaries of the same guild, and their ranks weren't too far apart from one another either. A grade-4 pill formula might be valuable, but Apothecary Mu had already promised to bear the price of it. Thus, it shouldn't be a big deal to apply for it.

To be rejected on the spot and told such words placed Apothecary Mu in a very embarrassing position.

"Aren't my words clear enough? Given your current pill forging skills, you don't have the qualification to see a grade-4 pill formula!"

Apothecary Hong Yun flung his sleeves and said, "I still have things to attend to. Apothecary Mu, you should leave!"

Then, ignoring Mu Yangfeng, Hong Yun turned to Jiang Chen and clasped his fist with a smile. "Young Master Jiang, I'll be depending on you for Zhang shi's side! Back then, I had benefited greatly from his guidance. You must introduce me to him!"

"Don't worry, this is only a small matter. Senior Uncle Zhang is the senior of my father. After he's done with his 2-star master teacher examination, it won't be a problem for me to meet him. I promise to help you on this matter!" Jiang Chen replied impassively.

The reason why he felt hostile toward Zhang Xuan before was due to Mo Yu. However, after realizing that he wasn't interested in her and witnessing his grand feats, not only did the hostility he felt disappear, he even started to regard the other party as his idol.

"Then, I'll thank Young Master Jiang in advance then..."

Hearing the other party agree to the matter, Apothecary Hong Yun's eyes glowed in excitement, and he hurriedly nodded.

Even though his encounter with Zhang shi in Tianxuan Kingdom was very brief, the other party's guidance had opened up new doors for him in the art of pill forging.

It was precisely because of that that he was able to reach 3-star. If he could listen to another lesson from the other party, his pill forging skill might reach even higher realms.

"Un!" Jiang Chen nodded.

Nodding with a delighted expression on his face, Apothecary Hong Yun suddenly realized that Mu Yangfeng and Zhang Xuan had yet to leave, and his face darkened once more. "Why are you still here? Are my words not clear enough?"

"Apothecary Hong, I really have an urgent need for the grade-4 pill formula. I beseech you to help..."

Mu Yangfeng pleaded earnestly.

"Atrocious!"

Apothecary Hong Yun's eyebrows shot up, and an imposing aura immediately burst from him. With an inviolable disposition, he bellowed, "Apothecary Mu, take note of your identity! Only 3-star apothecaries have the rights to request for grade-4 pill formulae. I am a busy person and I don't have the time to play along with you! Why? Are you going to drag me there?"

"If you really want a grade-4 pill formula, you can apply it yourself after you become a 3-star apothecary! If you continue acting unruly here, don't blame me for charging you for insubordination!"

Every single occupation was governed by a strict hierarchy. Insubordination was a serious offense, and once reported to the headquarter, the headquarter would issue a severe punishment to send a loud warning to the others against it.

Upon seeing the other party's attitude, Apothecary Mu's body trembled and his face steeled. Just as he was about to speak, a slightly questioning voice sounded.

"Grade-4 pill formula... can be requested as long as one is a 3-star apothecary, right?"

The one who spoke was Guild Leader Liu behind him.

"That's right!" Apothecary Mu nodded.

"Then... Why don't you just take the 3-star apothecary examination?" Guild Leader Liu asked doubtfully.

Upon hearing those words, a bizarre expression appeared on the face of the infuriated Apothecary Mu. Then, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "To become a 3-star apothecary, one has to be capable of forging a grade-3 pill. I'm... still far from reaching that level!"

Even though he had been stuck at 2-star pinnacle for many years, he was still a far way off from forging a grade-3 pill. In fact, given the limitations of his talents, he might not be able to do so in his entire life.

This was a fact that everyone knew of. Thus, upon hearing Guild Leader Liu's words, he didn't know how he should reply.

"Ignorant!"

"If grade-3 pills could be forged that easily, there wouldn't be just two 3-star apothecaries in the entire guild!"

Upon hearing the 'apprentice' behind Mu Yangfeng spouting such ignorant words, Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen flung their sleeves in disdain.

What the heck was that!

Why don't you just take the 3-star apothecary examination... Do you think that it is that easy to become a 3-star apothecary?

Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you wanted to?

There were a total of five 2-star pinnacle apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom Apothecary Guild, but despite many years had passed, the only one who managed to achieve a breakthrough was him. This clearly reflected the difficulty of the task.

If Apothecary Mu was capable of forging a grade-3 pill, he would have taken the examination long ago. There was no need for him to wait until now!

That fellow was truly incomparably ignorant!

"It is just a grade-3 pill; it is actually quite easy. As long as you follow my instructions closely during the forging, you'll surely succeed!" Ignoring the disdainful duo by the side, Zhang Xuan spoke nonchalantly.

He was counting on Apothecary Hong Yun to send in the request, but since the latter wasn't willing, he didn't want to stoop down to begging him either.

Since all 3-star apothecaries could request for pill formulas, then... why couldn't he make one himself!

It isn't a big deal anyway!

"Easy?"

"How arrogant!"

Upon hearing the 'apprentice' bragging, Apothecary Hong Yun's complexion turned dark and he nearly erupted.

Where did this fellow pop up from?

Easy...

Do you know what a grade-3 pill is? How dare you spout such arrogant words here!

"This..."

Apothecary Mu hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Alright!"

He didn't know why Liu laoshi would say such words, but as the guild leader of the Physician Guild, he didn't think that the other party was a braggart. Since he had said such words, he must have a way to do so.

"Let's not waste time and just forge here then!"

Seeing the other party agree to it, Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.

Back then, Zhang Xuan had guided Mo Yu to forge a grade-2 pill at the Beast Hall. Honestly speaking, guiding a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill wasn't too much of a problem for him.

If he knew that it was that easy to become a 3-star apothecary, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble to look for Apothecary Hong Yun.

"Alright!"

Knowing that it was impossible to back down now, Mu Yangfeng did not hesitate anymore. With a flick of his wrist, a giant cauldron appeared in the room.

"Fine... I would like to see what kind of pill you can forge!"

Not expecting the 'apprentice' to be so arrogant as to have Mu Yangfeng forge a grade-3 pill on the spot, Apothecary Hong Yun felt so angered that he started laughing instead.

He had seen braggarts, but he hadn't seen one who was capable of bragging to such an extent!

Guide him to forge pills... A grade-3 at that... Who do you think you are?

Pavilion Master Jiang of the Master Teacher Pavilion?

The pill forging genius Zhang shi?

What a joke! You're just a mere apprentice! Despite your insignificant position, you sure have a big mouth!

By the side, Jiang Chen frowned as well.

As a master teacher, he knew how difficult pill forging was. Guiding a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill was as difficult as ascending the heavens... Surely I must be dreaming?

Are you sure there isn't something wrong with your head?

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Chapter 362: Who Are You?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Liu laoshi, what pill are we going to forge?"

Knowing that there was no backing out now, Mu Yangfeng put down his cauldron, lit the fire, and turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

There were countless grade-3 pills, and they had to decide on one to forge.

Since the other party dared to spout such words, he must be extremely familiar with a certain type of pill.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have possibly bragged that a pill would be formed as long as he followed his instructions strictly.

"What pill?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He had never considered this problem. Thus, after hesitating for a moment, he looked at Apothecary Mu and asked, "Right, what kind of pill must you forge before you can be qualify as a 3-star apothecary?"

Since the 3-star apothecary examination required one to forge a grade-3 pill, there might be some guidelines on the pill. If so, it would be better to follow by the rules.

"Any grade-3 pill will work, but most 3-star apothecaries choose to forge the grade-3 [White Sun Pill]. This is also the pill that Apothecary Hong forged for the examination back then."

Upon hearing the other party asking such fundamental questions, Apothecary Mu rolled his eyes. At the same time, an ominous feeling sprouted in his heart.

"Alright, let's forge this White Sun Pill then... Oh, can you lend me your pill formula so that I can take a look?"

Zhang Xuan scratched his head apologetically. "I've never seen this pill before, so I'm not too clear what kind of medicinal herbs are required for it... I have to look through it before I can guide you..."

"..."

Mu Yangfeng staggered, and he nearly burst into tears.

Brother, I trusted you so much that I have already taken out the cauldron and lit the fire...

Yet, you're telling me that... you've never seen the pill formula before...

Why are you treating me like this...

"..."

Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen were also speechless as well.

They thought that the other party might truly be some incredible fellow that would amaze all of them, but it turned out that he was just an oaf!

To say that he would guide someone on his pill forging despite having never seen the pill formula before...

Will you die if you don't brag?

The other party had truly impressed them with this.

"This is the pill formula..."

Apothecary Mu passed the pill formula over resentfully.

As the conventional pill used by most apothecaries for the 3-star examination, the pill formula for the White Sun Pill was no secret. Almost all 2-star apothecaries were aware of it, and it wasn't a big deal to show it to him.

"Alright!" Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan touched it, and its contents immediately appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path.

At the same time, many books regarding the forging of White Sun Pill appeared in his mind.

He had collected almost all of the books in the library of the Apothecary Guild. Even though there were no pill formulae there—pill formulae were invaluable treasures after all—detailed on those books were the reflections of the elders in forging specific pills.

"Compile!"

Muttering softly, an entirely new book appeared before him.

"Alright, let's begin the forging!"

Browsing through the book, Zhang Xuan turned to look at Apothecary Mu with a grave expression. "Follow my instructions strictly. You mustn't make the slightest error!"

"Alright!"

Even though he felt dismal, Mu Yangfeng had already put the word out. Left with no choice, he could only nod helplessly.

As a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, he would often spend his time attempting to forge the White Sun Pill.

As such, he had quite a few sets of spare medicinal herbs in his storage ring, thus sparing them the trouble of obtaining them.

Soon, the ignition of the flame, the warming of the cauldron, and the preparation of the medicinal herbs were done.

Just by looking at the other party's smooth movements in the preparation, Zhang Xuan was already impressed.

As expected of a 2-star pinnacle apothecary. His movements were much more skilled than any other apothecaries he had seen before, be it Mo Yu or Guild Leader Ouyang.

Zhang Xuan walked up to the cauldron and touched it before retreating back.

"The temperature is around there. Should I add the medicinal herbs in now?"

The flame licked at the sides of the cauldron, and soon, the cauldron was already fiery-hot, and the air in the surroundings distorted under the immense heat.

"Wait a moment!" Zhang Xuan waved casually. "Continue warming the cauldron!"

"Alright!" Since Apothecary Mu had already decided to follow the other party's instructions, he didn't hesitate at all. Under the drive of his zhenqi, the flames under the cauldron continued to blaze furiously.

"The cauldron is already red..."

Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen glanced at one another in bewilderment.

Did this fellow really know anything about pill forging?

Forging a pill was very different from forging an equipment, where the higher the temperature, the better it was. Harnessing the wood attribute, medicinal herbs tended to lose their medicinal properties easily when exposed to excessive heat, thus rendering them useless.

The cauldron was already burning a shade of bright red, and it looked as though it would burst apart soon. Putting aside forging pills, the medicinal herbs would probably burn to crisp if they were thrown in under such a state.

What in the world was he up to?

"Place the White Wood Grass in!"

Just as they were completely baffled over this matter, the young man's voice finally sounded.

"He's throwing in the main ingredient of the White Sun Pill directly?"

Apothecary Hong Yun's body swayed.

White Wood Grass was the main ingredient of the White Sun Pill. It was highly flammable, and upon contact with flames, it would be immediately set ablaze.

Conventions dictated that it should be placed in the middle of the forging to prevent it from being burned into cinders by the blazing cauldron, as well as to allow it to better fuse with the other medicinal herbs.

The cauldron was already on the verge of bursting from the intense heat and black smoke was puffing out of it... To throw the White Wood Grass in under such conditions...

The heck!

Without a doubt, the medicinal herbs would be burned to ashes as soon as it entered the cauldron…

"Preposterous! He is truly fooling around! This fellow knows nothing about pill forging. I truly wonder where Apothecary Mu found him!"

Harrumphing coldly, Apothecary Hong Yun's face steeled.

There was no doubt about it—this pill forging would surely end in failure!

Anyone who had the slightest knowledge of pill forging would know not to raise the temperature of the cauldron excessively. That ignorant fellow bragged that he would instruct Apothecary Mu to successfully forge a grade-3 pill, and yet, he made such an elementary mistake...

Where did this cretin come from?

Apothecary Mu must truly be blind to trust a person like him!

An Elder Council should be assembled after this farce to teach these two a lesson! Otherwise, not only would precious medicinal herbs be wasted, the reputation of the the guild would also go down the drain!

Ignoring Apothecary Hong Yun, whose face was darkening by the moment, Zhang Xuan continued instructing Mu Yangfeng. "Twelve breaths later, put in the Two-eyed Beard..."

He issued a series of instructions.

This sequence was completely different from the conventional forging methods detailed in the books for the White Sun Pill, and it even seemed to contradict with the fundamental concepts of pill forging. Even so, since he had already given his word, Apothecary Mu followed the other party's instructions strictly even though he was doubtful of the result. Gritting his teeth, he continued throwing different medicinal herbs into the cauldron while controlling the temperature of the flame carefully, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

"Hm? Something is wrong..."

As more and more medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron, doubts started sprouting in Apothecary Mu's mind.

He had forged the White Sun Pill many times in the past, and usually, after placing a few medicinal herbs in, the cauldron would begin to rock violently, as if it would explode at any moment. But this time, despite having thrown in so many medicinal herbs in, there wasn't any sign of movement at all.

Could it be that all of the medicinal properties had been balanced out?

If that was the case, the other party's instructions must be correct, and this meant that there was a high probability that the pill forging would be successful.

"Wait, that doesn't seem like it..."

Then, he shook his head.

While it was possible for the reason behind the cauldron being calm to be due to the medicinal properties being balanced out perfectly, there was also another possibility... All of the medicinal herbs inside had already been reduced to cinders by the searing heat. If the medicinal properties of the herbs had already been eroded, then naturally, they couldn't possibly react explosively with one another.

Thinking about it, the latter seemed much more probable. After all, even 4-star apothecaries were incapable of balancing out medicinal properties perfectly...

"Forget it, I'll just finish the pill forging first..."

Even though Apothecary Mu didn't think that the pill forging would succeed, he still followed Liu laoshi's instructions strictly and threw in medicinal herbs one after another.

Soon, he threw in the very last medicinal herb.

"Open the cauldron!"

Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Open the cauldron?"

Mu Yangfeng was taken aback.

Normally, after throwing all of the medicinal herbs in, the mixture had to be left to simmer for a moment so that the herbs could be fused together perfectly for the formation of the pills.

To open the cauldron right after throwing all of the medicinal herbs in... Wasn't this being too hasty?

"Quick!"

Zhang Xuan didn't expect the other party to hesitate. Anxious, he urged him once more.

Based on the book in the Library of Heaven's Path, the cauldron had to be opened right after all of the medicinal herbs were thrown in for the pill forging to be perfect. The other party's slight moment of hesitation had caused many mistakes to appear in the book already. At this point, even if a pill were to be formed, its effectiveness would be lowered by several grades.

On the other hand, upon seeing this sight, Apothecary Hong Yun harrumphed coldly and shook his head.

"Do you think that the pills will be formed?" Jiang Chen couldn't help but ask.

The pill that Apothecary Hong Yun had forged for his 3-star apothecary examination was also the White Sun Pill, and his feat of achieving Formation for it had caused a huge uproar in the city back then.

"Do I think that the pills will be formed?" Apothecary Hong Yun harrumphed disdainfully. "While they are lucky that the cauldron didn't explode, all of the medicinal herbs inside it are surely ashes by now given the overwhelming heat in the cauldron just now. To expect a pill to be formed under such circumstances... That's no different from dreaming!"

"Burned to cinders?" Jiang Chen asked doubtfully.

"If you don't believe me, watch on. If pills can be formed after all that have happened, I'll cut off my head..."

Apothecary Hong Yun gestured confidently.

If a pill could be formed with that nonsensical pill forging sequence... wouldn't 3-star apothecaries like himself would be truly worthless?

He wasn't the only one to think so. Even Mu Yangfeng himself didn't think well of this pill forging. After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his jaws and opened the cauldron.

Hu!

Filled with despair, he prepared himself to see an entire floor of black sludge from the herbs when a gush of pill fragrance wafted from the cauldron.

"This..."

Mu Yangfeng was taken aback. Rushing forward, he stretched his hand into the cauldron and grabbed onto something. Taking a closer look, it was a round and glistening pill. The fragrance it emanated assaulted his nose.

"This is... a White Sun Pill... reaching the level of P-P-Perfection?"

Mu Yangfeng widened his eyes, flabbergasted.

Pills formed had different tiers. Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill...

Based on his judgement, given the forging method previously, the pill forging should have ended in utter failure, and the only thing that should appear from the cauldron was black sludge. Never in his dreams did he expect that a pill would be formed... And at the level of Perfection at that!

How... How is this possible?

"What?"

"Perfection?"

On the other hand, Apothecary Hong Yun looked as though he was on the verge of fainting. His body shuddered violently, and he nearly bit his own tongue off.

He had just said that if the other party managed to form a pill, he would cut his head off...

In the end, not only did the other party manage to form a pill, it even reached the level of Perfection...

The heck!

How did this happen?

That young man had started guiding Apothecary Mu on the process right after browsing through the pill formula of the White Sun Pill for the first time...

The other party even went against conventions and warmed the cauldron until it's blazing hot before throwing the medicinal herbs in. Yet, not only were the medicinal herbs not burned to cinders, it even reached the level of Perfection...

This sight overturned everything he knew of pill forging. The laws that he thought were absolute in pill forging for several decades suddenly felt like a huge lie, and just the thought of it left him completely frenzied.

"This... this... What's going on?"

Shuddering, Apothecary Mu turned to look at Zhang Xuan, curious to know what had just happened.

How did he succeed in the pill forging… just like that?

When did a grade-3 pill become so easy to forge?

Seeing the other party's doubtful gaze, Zhang Xuan smiled casually.

"Even though the White Wood Grass is highly flammable, that doesn't mean that it can't come into contact with flames. On the contrary, strong heat brings out its medicinal properties better! Therefore, the first herb that one should place in is this. This way, the medicinal properties of the other herbs can be fused perfectly with it layer after layer, thus bringing out the full effectiveness of the medicinal herbs!"

"On top of that, the opening and closing of the cauldron during the intervals where one places the medicinal herbs in will cause the medicinal energy to escape. Thus, if you put the White Wood Grass from the very start, it'll absorb all of the medicinal properties, fuse them together, and coagulate into a pill..."

"Continuing on, Two-eyed Beard grows in the marshlands. Even though it contains yang attribute energy, there are also traces of water attribute energy within it. Only under extreme heat can the water attribute energy be forced out..."

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan started strolling about the room as he explained the various sequences one after another.

"This... this..."

Initially, they were skeptical at the other party's words. However, after hearing his explanations one after another, Apothecary Hong Yun and the others couldn't help but tremble vigorously. Eventually, their face stiffened completely.

Instead of touching on the pill forging techniques, his explanations came from the perspective of maximizing the effectiveness of the medicinal properties of each herb. How one should heat the medicinal herbs and mediate between the various herbs to fully bring out the properties of the medicinal herbs...

It sounded like nothing much, but to analyze a complex a grade-3 pill formula so thoroughly was an extremely fearsome feat!

Firstly, one had to possess an utmost understanding of every single medicinal herb contained in the pill formula. On top of that, one still had to deduce the individual reactions based on their properties precisely to select the most correct method to fuse them together. Not to mention, these deductions were highly prone to errors. As experienced apothecaries, they clearly understood the difficulty in doing so, and as such, the other party's feat had truly left all of them astounded!

"With just his grasp over medicinal properties, he was able to ensure that the medicinal herbs could fuse together perfectly such that no problems would crop up... Y-you aren't an apprentice... Who are you?"

Apothecary Hong Yun stared at Zhang Xuan in fright.

Just by his knowledge of the respective medicinal properties of the herbs, the young man before him was able to ensure that a grade-3 pill was being crafted flawlessly. Even the guild leader was incapable of such a feat!

Who in the world was this fellow? How could he possess such immense understanding of medicinal herbs?

"He's the new guild leader of the Physician Guild who solved nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma..."

Apothecary Mu replied.

"Liu Cheng!"

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Chapter 363: Price

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Liu Cheng... Guild Leader Liu?"

Apothecary Hong and Jiang Cheng trembled vigorously upon hearing that name.

Even though this Guild Leader Liu had become a celebrity in the capital recently—his name was even placed alongside the supreme genius, Zhang Xuan—the duo had never seen his true appearance before.

The duo had thought that he was an apprentice given that he was following behind Apothecary Mu, and his young age did little to change that perception. Never in their dreams could they have imagined that the young man would actually have such an astounding background.

As the guild leader of the Physician Guild, his standing was in no way inferior to their guild leader!

Even Apothecary Hong, as a 3-star apothecary, was beneath him in terms of standing.

Just that... Wasn't the other party supposed to be proficient in the Way of Medicine? Why was he able to guide a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill?

"Be it the Way of Medicine or pill forging, one must possess absolute grasp over the medicinal properties of the respective herbs to decide on the most ideal formula to create the most effective medicine! I might not be an apothecary, and I'm incapable of forging pills as well, but my grasp over medicinal herbs allows me to deduce the changes occurring within a cauldron precisely. With this, I'm confident in guiding an apothecary to forge even a grade-4 pill, needless to say, a grade-3 pill!"

Knowing the various thoughts running through other party's mind, Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

"One could achieve this much just by knowing the properties of medicinal herbs?"

Apothecary Hong Yun felt as though he was losing his sanity.

Even the temperature at which a medicinal herb was simmered could affect the medicinal properties it released. The slightest mistake could easily result in the greatest difference, determining a failure from a success.

Despite his lack of understanding in pill forging, he was able to guide someone in forging a grade-3 pill solely based on his grasp of the properties of medicinal herbs... Could such an existence still be considered a human?

All along, the elites of Tianwu Royal City didn't think that highly of the famous Guild Leader Liu, believing that he might have prepared the answers to the nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma beforehand, thus allowing him to solve them in a single go. But now, they realized that... there wasn't any need for the other party to do so. His capability was the real deal!

Putting everything aside, just his understanding of the properties of medicinal herbs would surely be unmatched by anyone in Tianwu Royal City!

Even their guild leader couldn't match up to him!

"The study of medicinal herbs is profound and deep... how can it be summarized with just a few words? In truth, be it the prescription of a physician or the pill formula of an apothecary, they are both centered around the concept of complementing medicinal herbs in the most perfect manner to draw out their medicinal properties effectively. The two paths would naturally converge together upon reaching a certain level of understanding toward medicinal herb!"

As Zhang Xuan spoke casually, his sleeves swayed under the slight breeze. At this moment, his figure looked as though an unparalleled expert of the world.

Even though his words were logical, making it impossible for anyone to refute it, but in truth, such things only existed in theory.

In other words, it was impossible for an ordinary human to be capable of such calculations. Even if one's understanding of medicinal herbs reached the level of a 7-star physician, it would still be impossible for one to guide another to successfully forge a pill just based on that.

To make an analogy, it was just like how even though scientists knew that one could travel back into time just by exceeding the speed of light, it was impossible in practice, and to date, no one had been able to succeed.

In the end, theories were just theories; they were a long way off from accurately depicting reality. The quality of the cauldron, the heat from the cauldron, the cultivation of the apothecary, the atmosphere, the maturity of the medicinal herbs... All of these were factors that would affect the ultimate product. A difference in one or two of these factors may not amount to anything much, but when all of these differences were stacked over one another, it would result in a huge divergence.

Zhang Xuan had only managed to do so with the help of the Library of Heaven's Path.

"I've been enlightened..."

Knowing how difficult the feat was, Apothecary Hong was impressed.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "So, is Apothecary Mu considered a 3-star apothecary now? Does he have the qualification to request for a pill formula from the Wall of Pill Formulae?"

"The reason why Apothecary Mu is able to forge a grade-3 pill is due to your guidance, but with this experience, it shouldn't be difficult for him to succeed in the future. As such, he is qualified to request for a pill formula at the Wall of Pill Formulae!"

After hesitating for a moment, Apothecary Hong replied.

While Apothecary Mu had only succeeded this time due to the other party's guidance, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to replicate this success individually as long as he worked on it diligently.

In other words, it was just a matter of time before Apothecary Mu became a true 3-star apothecary.

Thus, in non-strict terms, it shouldn't be considered as a violation of the rules for him to request for a pill formula anymore.

"If I knew it was this easy, I wouldn't have wasted so much of my time asking for your help..."

Hearing the affirmation, Zhang Xuan shook his head and remarked.

He ended up waiting so long outside, only to be refused in the end. If he knew that it was just the matter of forging a single pill, he would have just done so from the start... What a huge waste of time!

"..."

Zhang Xuan was just complaining casually, but when Apothecary Mu heard those words, the edge of his mouth twitched.

Guild Leader Liu was disregarding Apothecary Hong's pride before them, and this was no different from a public humiliation.

He secretly sneaked a peek toward Apothecary Hong and saw the other party's entire body trembling violently. It seemed as though he was just a single push away from spewing blood.

At this moment, Apothecary Hong was truly on the verge of a breakdown.

Guild Leader Liu, you are doing it intentionally, aren't you?

You intentionally hid your identity from us just so that we could make a fool out of ourselves...

The heck!

If I knew that you had such capability, I wouldn't have dared to boast before you! Now, not only did I fail to pull my weight, I even became a fool instead!

More importantly, I have insulted a genius because of this! How could I ask anything of you in the future like this?

"Let's go!"

Ignoring the dismayed Apothecary Hong Yun, the duo walked out of the room. Under Apothecary Mu's lead, they soon arrived at a tightly sealed room.

It was similar to the room where the Wall of Dilemma was affixed in the Physician Guild. There was nothing else other than a gigantic wall in the room.

Apothecary Hong and Jiang Chen tagged along as well, curious to see what pill formula was Apothecary Mu going to request for.

"What I need is the pill formula for the grade-4 Frigid Yin Pill!"

Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to Apothecary Mu.

"Un!"

Apothecary Mu nodded. Upon placing the apothecary emblem representing his identity into the aperture on the wall, the wall immediately burst into life. With swift movements, he wrote three words on the Wall of Pill Formulae—Frigid Yin Pill!

The procedures to using the Wall of Pill Formulae wasn't too complex. One just had to activate the wall and write down the name of the pill. As long as the pill wasn't too far beyond one's capability, the headquarter would usually agree to the request.

Since there were 3-star apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom Apothecary Guild, it shouldn't be a problem to request for a grade-4 pill formula, although it would be impossible for them to ask for a grade-5 one!

The same rules applied for other Apothecary Guilds as well.

Weng...

A moment later, the wall trembled and a line of words appeared...

Payment: Three spirit stones or a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass!

"This is... the price for the pill formula?" Staring intently at the words that appeared on the wall, Jiang Chen asked.

"Un, it is a convention to pay a price when requesting for a pill formula from the headquarter. Otherwise, the Wall of Pill Formulae could be abused, and the headquarter might find itself constantly in a hectic state!"

Apothecary Hong replied. Then, with slight doubt in his tone, he said, "However... usually, a grade-4 pill formula should only cost one spirit stone. For this one to cost three spirit stones or a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass, that's way too overpriced!"

"What's a Transmogrification Bamboo Grass?"

"It's an extremely precious and rare medicinal herb. Even at Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom, it's one of the hardest herbs to obtain, needless to say, here!

Apothecary Hong Yun shook his head in pity, "This is way too expensive, it's impossible for Apothecary Mu to afford it!"

...

Just as Apothecary Hong had guessed, upon seeing those words, Apothecary Mu's complexion immediately turned extremely awful.

Initially, he had thought that if the price wasn't too high, he could help to foot the bill. But three spirit stones... This was simply too expensive! Even as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, it was beyond his means.

As for the Transmogrification Bamboo Grass, he had only heard of its existence from the books...

"Guild Leader Liu, I'm sorry..."

Apothecary Mu turned to Zhang Xuan and apologized.

The reason why the other party was at the Apothecary Guild was to help raise his daughter's cultivation. He thought that he could at least be of some help to the other party, especially given his identity. Yet, in the end, he found himself unable to contribute anything at all.

"This is the price for the pill formula? How do I pay the spirit stones through this wall?"

Upon realizing what was going on, Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

Given how it was possible to communicate via the Wall of Pill Formulae, the pill formula could also be written and, thus, sent to them through the wall. However, spirit stones and Transmogrification Bamboo Grass were tangible objects. How could they send it over through the wall?

"Simple. As long as you promise to make the payment, someone will be dispatched here, arriving within half a month, to claim it. As long as the payment is confirmed, the other side will send the pill formula over!" Apothecary Mu replied.

"Half a month?" Zhang Xuan was speechless.

If that was the case, what was the difference between this and buying a grade-4 pill straight?

It was only because buying a pill would require a minimum of half a month that he chose to request for a pill formula instead. Despite all the trouble he went through, he simply went in a circle and ended up returning back at the starting point.

"It's also possible for the pill formula to be sent over on the spot. One just has to leave his emblem here as a guarantee. However, this would mean that one was putting his position as an apothecary on the line to guarantee the payment. After the pill formula is sent over, someone will come over to claim the items within half a month..."

After a moment of hesitation, Apothecary Mu continued, "I don't mind leaving my emblem here as a guarantee, just that... I really don't have the means to pay for it. Once the other party comes and demands payment..."

If he could produce three spirit stones, it wouldn't be a problem for him to put his emblem on the line. However... he had nothing in his hands now. Once the other party comes to claim the payment and he fails to hand it over, he would be in deep trouble.

His career as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary would come to an end, and all of the hard work he had poured in in the past few decades would be wasted.

"It's just a grade-4 pill formula... How can it be so expensive!"

Upon understanding the entire matter, Zhang Xuan was dismal.

He was still wondering how he could procure spirit stones for his own use when the other party demanded three at once... Putting aside the fact that he didn't have any spirit stones now, even if he had any, he still needed them for his own cultivation. To exchange it for a pill formula... You must be jesting!

"Is there any other way?"

Zhang Xuan asked Apothecary Mu.

"Other than physical objects, one could pay using knowledge and information as well. As long as the other party deems what one offers to be valuable, it can be accepted as the payment as well!"

At this moment, Apothecary Mu shook his head with a bitter smile. "However... the person on the other side of the Wall of Pill Formulae is at least a 4-star apothecary, a figure we can't possibly match up with. The knowledge and secrets we know of are probably worthless to them!"

As a 4-star apothecary, the other party's understanding of pill forging had already reached an unfathomable level. As a mere 2-star pinnacle apothecary, how could Apothecary Mu possibly offer any knowledge of interest to the other party?

"Knowledge can be used as payment as well?"

Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck for a short moment before a gleam flashed in his eyes. "Is that really true?"

"Un!"

Apothecary Mu and the others were stunned to see Zhang Xuan's bizarre reaction.

Could he, as a physician, really produce information of interest to a 4-star apothecary?

"Alright, allow me!"

Ignoring the shock the others were experiencing, Zhang Xuan mused for a moment before lifting up a brush to write a line of words on the Wall of Pill Formulae.

"..."

Upon seeing the contents of his words, Apothecary Hong Yun staggered. He nearly spewed blood and fainted.

Apothecary Mu was the same as well. Tears streamed down his face.

This Wall of Pill Formulae was activated using his emblem, so his name was on it. Guild Leader Liu, the words that you wrote...

You are truly escorting me straight to my doom.

Wuwu, what did I do wrong to make you hate me so much...

.

.

.

Chapter 364: Price, Three Spirit Stones (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

An austere person, Qi Shengyu was a 4-star intermediate apothecary of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

He had always been in charge of overseeing the Wall of Pill Formulae.

The Wall of Pill Formulae was connected to many Tier 1 Kingdoms, and it was used as a platform to resolve the problems those guilds faced. Usually, there was nothing much for him to do, however today, upon reaching his position, he realized that it was activated.

"It's from Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom?"

Qi Shengyu could see the location and the identity of the person who activated the wall on the other side.

"Mu Yangfeng?"

Casually flipping open the list of apothecaries, Qi Shengyu browsed through the names and frowned. "A 2-star pinnacle apothecary? He must have just succeeded the 3-star apothecary examination and has yet to change his emblem! Even so, to activate the Wall of Pill Formulae and request for a grade-4 pill formula right after clearing his examination, isn't he being too impatient?"

At which, his face turned grim.

Apothecaries who possessed an earnest desire to learn were welcomed by Qi Shengyu. However, one should at least reach 3-star pinnacle before requesting for a grade-4 pill formula to study. Clearly, the other party was being overambitious.

Despite having barely reached a rank of 3-star—not to mention, you haven't even changed your emblem yet—to request for a grade-4 pill formula, are you taking this as a joke?

"Furthermore, he even asked for the formula of the grade-4 intermediate Frigid Yin Pill!"

After seeing the pill formula that the other party wanted, his rage crescendoed.

Apothecaries who had just cleared the 3-star examination would still be having difficulties forging a grade-3 primary pill, and yet, the other party was actually asking for a grade-4 intermediate pill formula...

Were all the apothecaries so overambitious nowadays?

"Hmph!"

Harrumphing coldly, he wrote out the price for the exchange.

You want a grade-4 pill formula? Fine, I'll give it to you. However, you'll have to be able to pay the price for it first. If you can't, you better pull down your head and study humbly.

Thus, he intentionally inflated the price by three times so as to deter the other party.

As expected, as soon as he wrote those words, the Wall of Pill Formulae fell silent.

"Looks like the best way to deal with such ignorant fellows is to scare them off..."

Qi Shengyu muttered silently to himself as he poured himself a cup of tea and sipped on it.

He thought the other party would back down upon facing this obstacle, but contrary to his expectations, the Wall of Pill Formulae suddenly shone once more, and a line of words slowly floated into appearance.

"I don't have the spirit stones you're asking for, but I can answer any issues you are facing in your pill forging. If you have any queries, feel free to ask!"

Pu!

He spurted out his tea.

With widened eyes, Qi Shengyu coughed non-stop.

Feel free to ask?

Answer my question?

In that instant, ten thousand divine beasts stampeded across Qi Shengyu's head.

The heck!

I am a 4-star intermediate apothecary! Even if I really had a query, I would consult a 5-star apothecary rather than a 3-star primary apothecary like you. To utter such arrogant words, aren't you afraid of suffering a retribution from the heaven?

He thought that he could scare the other party off by inflating the price by three times, but what he received instead was the other party's conceited response. Rage immediately flurried through his body.

"Apothecary Qi? What's wrong?"

Seething with rage, he was just about to teach this disrespectful fellow a lesson when, 'jiya', the door to the room suddenly opened, and an elder walked in.

The head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Apothecary Guild, Su Xing!

He was the only 4-star pinnacle apothecary within the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

"Nothing much, just that I'm facing an arrogant fellow from Tianwu Kingdom!" Suppressing his anger, Qi Shengyu harrumphed.

"An arrogant fellow?"

Guild Leader Su was stunned for an instant. Given their prestige as the headquarter of the Apothecary Guild for the Tier 1 Kingdoms, very rarely did members from lower branches dare to anger them. Qi Shengyu quickly recounted the matter to him, and he widened his eyes in shock at the entire matter. His gaze subconsciously turned to the Wall of Pill Formulae with a look of incredulity.

Your head!

A 3-star apothecary who had only achieved his breakthrough recently was actually telling a 4-star intermediate apothecary to shoot his question, as though a teacher?

This was no longer arrogance—more like having a screw loose!

After all, no rational person would dare to spout such words to a high-ranked apothecary!

It was no wonder why Qi Shengyu had flown into a rage. Even Su Xing himself felt dizzy-headed just by listening to the recount of the incident. That Apothecary Mu's head must have surely suffered a stroke for him to dare to utter such nonsense!

"Show me his background..."

As the headquarter of all Apothecary Guilds in the lands of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they had the information of all apothecaries within the area.

Soon, a file was delivered over by an apprentice, and grabbing it, they began browsing through it and… that fellow didn't seem to possess any exceptional aptitude. To put it in short, he was nothing but average.

It had been an entire seventeen years since the other party had reached 2-star pinnacle. How could he act so arrogantly when he had only just achieved a breakthrough?

Was his head crushed by a door or did some savage beast accidentally kick it?

Su Xing blinked his eyes, stupefied.

"Guild leader, what should we do?"

Qi Shengyu harrumphed. "Should we indict this fellow of insubordination and strip him of his license?"

There was a common trait shared by many of the occupations in the continent—strict hierarchy. Lower ranked members were expected to treat those of higher ranked members with a high degree of respect. And this was an official rule.

Given how arrogant this fellow had spoken, they could easily charge him with insubordination and strip him of his apothecary license.

"Calm down, there's no need to rush it. We should at least test him with a question first. It won't be too late to charge him after he fails to answer it correctly!" After a moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Su replied.

One thing the world didn't lack was eccentric individuals, and they couldn't possibly strip him of his apothecary license just because he had spoken arrogantly.

Perhaps, he might really have to strength to back his words up.

"Alright!"

Qi Shengyu nodded. "It just happens that I have a question that I wanted to consult guild leader but haven't gotten the chance to yet. I'll pose the question to him and I hope that guild leader can help me vet his answer! If he were to answer it erroneously, I'll make sure to knock deeply into his dense head that the prestige of a high-ranked apothecary is not to be challenged!"

"Un!" Guild Leader Su Xing nodded.

Upon seeing the other party's agreement, Qi Shengyu picked up a brush and started writing on the wall.

"For the forging of the[Constellation Sea Pill], Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Sun Flower, and Three-leafed Green have to be fused together. Why would there be a loss in the medicinal properties of the medicinal herbs despite procedures being followed strictly?"

Seeing the question Qi Shengyu jotted down, Su Xing nodded his head.

This question was indeed rather difficult. Many 4-star apothecaries faced similar problems while trying to forge the Constellation Sea Pill.

Back then, he was no exception as well.

A lot of research and experiments had to be done before he managed to arrive at the correct answer.

However, to actually pose a question which he himself didn't have the answer to, Qi Shengyu must be truly infuriated.

"Even some 5-star apothecaries would find it hard to answer this question. It's only due to my good fortunes that I chanced by the answer in an ancient manual. Given such, how could a person who had barely reached 3-star possibly answer it..."

Harboring such thoughts, Su Xing turned to look at the Wall of Pill Formulae, curious to see what the arrogant fellow on the other side would reply with.

...

Meanwhile, on the other end of the wall.

Apothecary Mu wasn't the only one who had flown into a frenzy. Even Jiang Chen and Apothecary Hong Yun's eyebrows were twitching furiously.

This was no longer just a simple case of wreaking havoc; this a challenge to the other party's authority, a clear case of insubordination!

If the other party decided to indict Mu Yangfeng of this crime, they could easily strip his qualification as an apothecary straight!

"The elder on the other end of the wall must be infuriated!"

With twitching lips, Apothecary Hong Yun sent a look of sympathy to Mu Yangfeng.

The countdown to the end of his career had already started… Tick tick tick...

Weng!

Shaking his head, the wall suddenly flashed and a line of words appeared.

"Constellation Sea Pill?"

"Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Sun Flower, and Three-leafed Green?"

Seeing the content of the question, Apothecary Hong Yun was completely bewildered.

He didn't even know what the Constellation Sea Pill was, so how could he possibly know the reason behind the loss of the medicinal properties of these three herbs?

He immediately sneaked a peek at Mu Yangfeng and saw a constipated look on the other party's face.

Then, he turned his gaze to the culprit of this entire mess, Liu Cheng.

That fellow seemed to be confused as well, seemingly uncomprehending of the question. Just as Apothecary Hong Yun was wondering how Liu Cheng was going to resolve this mess, the other party suddenly stood up and touched the Wall of Pill Formulae...

Then, picking up a brush, he began writing once more.

...

"Dry the Purple Pearl Grass under extreme heat for three days, remove the roots of the Tenth Sun Flower, and choose a Three-leafed Green with a maturity of five years and below!"

Words soon appeared on the Wall of Pill Formulae, and upon reading its content, Qi Shengyu abruptly stood up, and his nose flared in anger.

"Nonsense, what utter nonsense!"

"The Purple Pearl Grass possesses yin attribute and it thrives in dark places. Once exposed to extreme heat, its medicinal property would dissipate swiftly. It wouldn't even survive for a day, lest three!"

"As for the Evening Sun Flower, it is known to bloom only under the evening sun. Only with the setting of the celestial flame would the earthen flames be reignited, and through its roots, the Evening Sun Flower absorbs the earthen flames to nourish itself and develop its medicinal properties. If the roots, where the bulk of its medicinal property is harnessed in, were to be removed, how much of medicinal property could it possibly retain?"

"As for the Three-leafed Green, under normal circumstances, its maturity would require at least ten years. At just five, it would be no different from other ordinary grasses, devoid of any medicinal property..."

"If I were to do as he says, the loss of medicinal properties is just a small matter—I fear that there might even be none at all!"

The more Qi Shengyu spoke, the faster his words got. Cracking sounds originating from his clenching of fists echoed loudly in the room.

There were no 4-star apothecaries who had the experience of forging Constellation Sea Pill who didn't know the medicinal properties of these three main ingredients.

The advice the other party offered were a complete joke, utter rubbish!

"Guild leader, there's no need to consider it anymore. There's clearly something very wrong with this fellow's head. I'll apply for the stripping of his apothecary license right now..."

Harrumphing coldly, Qi Shengyu turned to look at Guild Leader Su to seek his judgement on this matter. But to his surprise, he only saw the latter, who he had known to be able to keep his composure under all circumstances, staring at the wall with widened eyes, completely dumbstruck.

"Guild leader..."

He couldn't help but shake the other party to wake him from his daze.

"Ah?"

Only then did Su Xing finally recover from his shock and, with quivering lips, he replied, "This... His method is correct!"

"Correct?"

It was Qi Shengyu's turn to be dumbstruck this time around.

Are you for real?

"Due to its yin attribute, cold energy easily accumulates in the Purple Pearl Grass, and during the forging of the Constellation Sea Pill, this cold energy would hinder the fusing of the medicinal herbs, thus inducing the dissipation of medicinal properties. As such, it has to be exposed to extreme heat to remove the cold energy!"

"As for the Evening Sun Flower, it serves primarily as a mediating factor. While its roots do possess incredible medicinal properties, it is, in fact, excessive. It only neutralizes the medicinal properties of the Purple Pearl Grass. The same goes for the Three-leafed Green as well..."

"This is what I read on an ancient manual. Even 5-star apothecaries would find themselves stumped by this question... How did he know this?"

Qi Shengyu was dumbfounded. "Guild leader, you mean that... the solution he proposed is correct?"

"That's right. Not only is it correct, it is perfect. I have tried it out myself and there's no problem with it!"

Su Xing nodded.

"This... How is this possible?"

Qi Shengyu felt as though he was going insane.

He thought that the other party was just an arrogant fellow who had just passed the 3-star apothecary examination. He couldn't have expected that the other party would be able to solve such a difficult question which even he was stumped by...

Are you for real?

Am I the 4-star intermediate apothecary, or is he?

.

.

.

Chapter 365: Price, Three Spirit Stones (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Guild Leader Liu, is it really alright... for you write these words?"

In the Apothecary Guild, Mu Yangfeng even felt like dying now.

He should have stopped the other party from writing anything!

It was one thing for you to know what the Constellation Sea Pill was, but you should at least check on it! To write the answer right after touching the wall, aren't you being too casual?

Even though Apothecary Mu didn't know the reason behind the loss of medicinal property in the Purple Pearl Grass, Evening Flower Sun, and Three-leafed Green, as a 2-star pinnacle apothecary, he still knew a little about them.

Exposing a cold attribute medicinal herb to the extreme heat, removing the roots of the Evening Sun Flower, to demand for the maturity of the Three-leafed Green to be as low as possible... What the heck are you writing?

Anyone who knew the least bit about pill forging would know that this was utter bullshit. It deviated completely from the core principles of pill forging. Was Guild Leader Liu really trying to do him in?

Without a doubt, the 4-star apothecary on the other end would surely be stomping his feet in anger. If the other party could, he might have rushed over to kill him this instant.

Initially, he was extremely grateful to the other party for guiding him to forge a grade-3 pill. He felt as though the other party had brought him to the peak of life, but at this moment, he realized that he was just imagining things.

The other party was bringing him to the very top of the mountain before pushing him down into the valley!

Otherwise, have you ever seen a low-ranked apothecary speaking to a high-ranked apothecary like that?

Just as his lips twitched furiously and he felt that he was doomed, the wall before him lit up once more.

"I'm done for..."

Certain that what that would be written on the wall would be his punishment, his heart turned cold. Unwilling to face reality, he immediately turned his head away to avoid seeing the content of the message.

But to his astonishment, he heard Apothecary Hong Yun breathing heavily, as though he was suffering a heart attack out of shock.

"Apothecary Mu, lo… look…"

With a shaking finger, he pointed at the wall.

Doubtful, Apothecary Mu turned to take a look, and with a glance, he felt as though his heart was about to burst apart. He suddenly froze on the spot.

It took a long while before he managed to utter a word.

"This... What is going on?"

Bright and forceful words appeared on the wall — Correct, this can strike off the payment required for the Frigid Yin Pill formula.

Correct?

Apothecary Mu rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he wasn't seeing things. He found the sight before him impossible to comprehend.

The few casual words that Guild Leader Liu wrote with a confused look on his face was the correct answer? Am I dreaming?

"It's good that it's correct. With this, my career should be fine..."

Relief gushed through his body. Since it was correct, it was unlikely that the other party would strip him of his apothecary license for insubordination. At the very least, his career was safe now.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he was just about to say something when the wall in front glowed once more and a line of words appeared.

"Grade-4 pinnacle [Energy Aperture Pill]; it is common for the cauldron to explode during the forging process. How can this problem is solved?"

"Grade-4 pinnacle pill?"

"Energy Aperture Pill? I've heard of this pill before. It is a grade-4 pinnacle pill, and even 5-star apothecaries would find it hard to forge. After consumption, it will open up a person's energy apertures, thus boosting their cultivation. As such, it is an extremely valuable and sought after pill... The other party is posing a question on it?"

The entire room fell silent.

Was the 4-star apothecary on the other side insane?

Despite Guild Leader Liu's lack of respect, not only did the other party not pursue the matter, the other party even continued asking questions. Could it be that... this Guild Leader Liu was really that incredible as to be able to even guide a 4-star apothecary on his pill forging?

"This..."

Staring at the young man not too far away with a bizarre look, Apothecary Mu was just about to step forward and discuss with him on how to solve this problem when the other party picked up a brush and started writing once more.

Taking a look at the words the other party wrote, Mu Yangfeng, who had just barely heaved a sigh of relief at having preserved with career, saw his vision go dark. His heart nearly leapt out of his mouth.

Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen fared no better than him. They felt their knees caving in, and they swayed weakly on the spot.

Brother... You are about to bash through the heavens.

On the wall, four words shone brightly——

Price, three spirit stones!

…

"This fellow... Does he really think that we're trying to learn from him?"

On the other end of the wall, upon seeing the words Zhang Xuan wrote, Qi Shengyu nearly erupted.

Right after recovering from the shock from the other party's answer, he felt that there was a need to continue testing the other party to see whether he possessed true capability or merely lucked out in his guesses.

Thus...

Guild Leader Su raised the current question to see what the other party would answer. However, the other party simply replied with four words...

Price... Price your head!

I am testing you, a 3-star apothecary, in my capacity as a 4-star apothecary of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Apothecary Guild. And yet, you demand payment?

The heck!

This is a test! A test! Don't you get it?

Do you really think that we don't know the answer and that we are consulting you on it?

"Agree to his request!"

After hesitating for a moment, Su Xing nodded.

"Agree?"

This time, Qi Shengyu was stunned.

"Actually... I don't know the answer to this question as well. I'm just curious to see what kind of answer he would give!" Su Xing replied.

"You... don't know?" Qi Shengyu fell to the ground.

You are the most capable apothecary in the entire guild, reaching a rank of 4-star pinnacle. What do you mean by you don't know the answer...

Aren't we supposed to be testing him?

Why did it become a consulting session instead?

Besides, if you don't know the answer as well, how can we determine the authenticity of his answer?

Even though Qi Shengyu was shocked, under the persistence of the guild leader, he still wrote 'Agreed'.

After which, the other party replied with two words 'pill formula'.

After hesitating for a moment, Qi Shengyu wrote the pill formula for 'Energy Aperture Pill' on the wall.

Weng!

Soon, words appeared on the wall once more.

"The medicinal herbs required for the Energy Aperture Pill are volatile, and they react violently with one another. Thus, one has to first soak the medicinal herbs in flowing water to remove its volatility before adding in a stalk of Quxi Grass..."

"I'll try it out..."

The solution recorded on the wall was quite simple. After taking a look, Guild Leader Su immediately tested it out. Not too long later, he came to a stop. Catching the scent of the fragrance from the cauldron, he was dumbstruck.

It's correct!

To think that the method the other party provided was actually correct!

To think that a question which even a 4-star pinnacle apothecary like him couldn't solve was answered by a fellow who had just become a 3-star apothecary so easily. On top of that, the answer was flawless...

What in the world was going on?

"The person on the side probably isn't Mu Yangfeng. Apothecary Qi, go and check who he is..."

After a moment of silence, he suddenly came to a realization.

If Apothecary Mu was that capable, he would have become a famous figure long ago. How could he possibly remain unknown for so long?

"Alright, I'll head to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom now..."

Upon coming to the same conclusion, Qi Shengyu hurriedly nodded his head.

Tianwu Kingdom was a territory of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. As such, he had to head to the latter first.

"Un. However, hold it for a moment first. Let's first sound the bell and summon all of the apothecaries in the alliance to the guild now!" Guild Leader Su instructed.

"Yes!" Qi Shengyu nodded, turned around, and left.

...

"Alright, done!"

After collecting the Frigid Yin Pill formula in the library, Zhang Xuan chuckled.

With this formula, he would be able to forge the Frigid Yin Pill to awaken Zhao Ya's unique constitution.

Not only did he not spend any money on the pill formula, someone would even be sending spirit stones to him. In a sense, he had profited from this deal.

"Right, when will the other party send the spirit stones over?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This... Such a thing has never happened, so I'm not too sure either... However, based on my estimations, it should take around half a month!"

Mu Yangfeng contemplated for a moment before answering.

At the start, he was shocked, but eventually, everything faded and only numbness remained.

When requesting for a pill formula from the headquarters, everyone had to pay a heavy price. Yet, not only did this fellow manage to get his pill formula, he even earned some spirit stones from the headquarters...

If not for personally witnessing this sight, he wouldn't believe it even if someone were to coerce him at knife-point. At this moment, his head still felt light, as though he was in a dream.

"Half a month? That's still alright..."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

It was quite good for him that he would be getting three spirit stones in half a month's time.

"Guild Leader Liu, what do we do now?" Mu Yangfeng asked.

"Since the pill formula is here, naturally, we have to forge it. Help me gather these medicinal herbs..."

Zhang Xuan said.

"Even though the Frigid Yin Pill is a grade-4 pill, based on what I've seen just now, the medicinal herbs required aren't too rare. We should be able to find all of them in our Apothecary Guild. However... even if we manage to gather all of the medicinal herbs, without a grade-4 apothecary here, we can't forge it!"

Mu Yangfeng looked at Guild Leader Liu doubtfully.

Apothecary Hong Yun was also perplexed.

The most proficient apothecary in the entire Tianwu Kingdom's Apothecary Guild was the guild leader at 3-star primary. No one else here was capable of forging a grade-4 pill!

Even if they managed to get the pill formula and gather the medicinal herbs, they were unable to do anything at all!

"Who says that it is impossible to forge a grade-4 pill without a 4-star apothecary?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. Then, he turned to Apothecary Mu and said, "Aren't you here? You can just forge it for me..."

"Me?"

Shocked, Mu Yangfeng nearly fainted on the spot.

He was well aware of his pill forging skills. He was only at the level of an ordinary 2-star pinnacle, and the only reason why he successfully forged a grade-3 pill was because of the other party's guidance...

Grade-4?

He didn't even dare to harbor such thoughts!

"Don't worry. Let's just gather the medicinal herbs for now, I'll instruct you on it later on!"

Knowing what the other party was worrying about, Zhang Xuan consoled him.

"You'll instruct me?" After hesitating for a moment, Mu Yangfeng looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Can I really succeed?"

If it was anyone else, Apothecary Mu would have surely thought that he was bragging. However, he had seen too much miracles from this youngster from the moment he met him until now. Perhaps, the other party might really be able to guide him to successfully forge a grade-4 pill.

"Don't worry. Even if we don't succeed, we'll just fail. At the very worst, the cauldron will only explode..."

Zhang Xuan answered casually.

"The cauldron will only explode?" Mu Yangfeng's lips twitched and he nearly fainted. "Do you know how strong the explosion will be... if the cauldron explodes while forging a grade-4 pill?"

Even though it was only a level between grade-3 and grade-4, there was a qualitative difference between the two. It was just like how a Phantom equipment and Spirit equipment were two completely different concepts.

Even a Zhizun realm expert could be blown to smithereens if unprepared against a grade-4 pill explosion... Needless to say, Zongshi realm cultivators like them!

To think that you said it will only explode...

If it truly exploded, the entire Apothecary Guild would disappear from the face of this world.

"It will blow the entire Apothecary Guild up?" After hearing Apothecary Mu's explanation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He thought that, at the very worst, an explosion similar to that when Mo Yu forged the pill in the Beast Hall would occur. He didn't think that the explosive power of a grade-4 pill would be so great.

"Un. On top of that, the medicinal herbs of a grade-4 pill are also extremely valuable. Even though our guild has them all, the total cost of them all adds up to a huge fortune! A single set would cost... around three spirit stones! In terms of gold coins, it is impossible to buy it without a hundred million..."

Apothecary Mu continued.

"Three spirit stones? Costs more than a hundred million gold coins?"

Before Apothecary Mu could finish his words, the young man before him trembled. Then, he quickly turned to the Wall of Pill Formulae with crimson eyes, picked up the brush, and started writing, "Is the apothecary on the other side still there? Do you have any other questions? Three spirit stones for one, the more the better. I can answer all of your queries now..."

"..."

Mu Yangfeng.

"..." Jiang Cheng and Apothecary Hong Yun.

On the other side.

"..." Guild Leader Su Xing.F