He was going to take advantage of the chaos, snatch chestnuts from the fire, and strike straight at the heart of the enemy.
On the rooftop, the furious members of the Wang Family darted about, while a shadow silently slipped through the narrow alley below.
"Hmm?"
On the roof, Zhou Ying’s eyes flickered with suspicion, letting out a quiet sound of surprise; he had just sensed someone watching him, but when he swept the area with his spiritual power, he found nothing.
"No one in Shifeng Town can escape my spiritual power surveillance; I must simply be distracted, misperceiving things."
Zhou Ying didn’t dwell on it—he was quite confident in his own strength, sure that no one in Shifeng Town could be his match. Without pausing, he and the others used their Body Technique to pursue out of the city. Only after the shadows flashed by for more than ten breaths did a figure gradually emerge from the ground.
"So it’s that person... Daoist cultivators’ spiritual power surveillance is indeed tricky to deal with."
Leaving the dark alley, Su Mu immediately followed the trail of wildfire and arrived at the Wang Family estate. At this moment, everyone from the Wang Family was busy fighting the flames—no one noticed an uninvited guest slipping in quietly.
"Over there."
On the tiles above, Su Mu’s nose twitched slightly. His sharp senses quickly picked up the faint aroma of medicinal herbs drifting out from the Wang Family Inner Mansion; following the scent, Su Mu soon approached a quaint and ancient-looking garden.
Even though the Prince’s Mansion was ablaze at this moment, in the shadows of the garden, Wang Family’s hidden guards were still on watch—but Su Mu paid them no heed.
After a few breaths.
Several people vanished from this world without a trace, the blaze behind painting Su Mu’s leisurely steps as he walked into Danxiang Garden.
Fragrance lingered above the garden, coiling into a mist. Su Mu pushed open the tightly closed door of the alchemy room.
"Creak!"
As the door opened, a thick wave of medicinal scent rushed forth, mixed with an impatient, angry shout.
"Where is the century-old Blood Leaf Fruit? Have you got it yet?!"
Su Mu paused, raising his eyes to see a waist-high, three-legged Flower Bird Pill Furnace standing at the center. Three Flood Dragons coiled around its body, their heads raised in fury, spitting scorching tongues of flame. Scarlet fire flowed along the inscriptions, swirling and gathering into pure cyan fire vortices at the furnace’s heart, creating intense high temperatures.
Looking closely, Su Mu’s pupils narrowed—the Three Flood Dragon Pill Furnace before him bore three half Artifact Patterns, marking it as a grade-entering, half-step Sixth Grade Pill Furnace. The copper medicine cauldron he’d spent hundreds of silver to purchase in Qingyun City paled in comparison, worlds apart.
Before the furnace, a white-haired elder stood with his back to the door, fully focused as he channeled his internal Power into a bellows-like mechanism; the flow of Power was unceasing, feeding the roaring flames.
The elder was so immersed in his alchemy that he failed entirely to notice Su Mu entering behind him—not the medicine boy, nor any member of the Wang Family.
"You can’t even handle this trivial task! Useless!" The elder, not getting a response from Su Mu, snapped furiously. "You take over the Fire Control; I personally will fetch the elixir materials."
Su Mu’s eyes reflected the blazing furnace; a look of surprise flashed across his face, then transformed into fervor. Instantly, he responded calmly and naturally:
"Yes."
Sitting cross-legged, Su Mu took over the Fire Control Device. Within him, the Gangjin Pill’s workings slowed, and after being deliberately gutted countless times, a sliver of Gang Force surged from Su Mu’s palm and infused into the medicine furnace.
"Eh?!"
The white-haired elder, Baili Ye, his brow knitted as if he’d swallowed gunpowder, showed a surprised expression. It was a critical junction for this batch of elixir; he’d heard the commotion outside but refused to abandon the alchemy at this point.
He knew the Prince’s Mansion was in chaos due to the fire, and the medicine boy’s identity probably made it too difficult to fetch materials. Baili Ye had no choice but to let the boy take over Fire Control temporarily, while he went himself to the storeroom for elixir materials.
Baili Ye, one of the Wang Family’s three alchemists, was a pill master hired at a lavish wage; the other two alchemists of the Wang Family were his disciples.
Long ago, the Wang Family’s old ancestor had done Baili Ye a great favor. The two were old friends. Now, Baili Ye was supplied with elixir materials by the Wang Family, and in return, he refined elixirs for them and taught a batch of medicine boys every few years.
This batch of medicine boys had been with Baili Ye about two years. Baili Ye had only hoped the medicine boy could maintain about half of the fire’s intensity—he didn’t expect much in a pinch. But the medicine boy’s performance was truly remarkable, mastering the heat with astonishing finesse.
One bit more, and it would blaze; one bit less, and it would weaken.
Even Baili Ye himself couldn’t criticize this level of Fire Control. If he were handling it personally, it might be no better. Shocked, Baili Ye examined Su Mu.
The more he looked, the more startled he became—this boy was utterly unfamiliar. Baili Ye figured the Wang Family must have just sent him a new batch of medicine boys.
"What’s your name?"
"Wang Lu."
"You’re more gifted than those other two fools. From now on, stick by my side." Baili Ye nodded approvingly, then added before leaving, "Before I get back, reduce the fire by three parts."
Su Mu obeyed; as the Gang Force in his palm decreased by three parts, a hint of scarlet emerged in the pure cyan fire, and the flame steadily weakened by just the prescribed amount. Baili Ye’s eyes flickered with admiration, and he strode away, satisfied.
Soon, Baili Ye returned with the elixir materials.
"Boy, keep controlling the fire; next, watch carefully how I refine this batch."
Returning, Baili Ye smiled broadly at Su Mu, growing more and more satisfied with the newcomer. "Alchemy conforms to the principles of Heaven and mankind. Take this situation, for example: the harmonization of medicinal properties relies on ’Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Messenger.’ In general, the main herb—the Monarch—enters the furnace first, followed by supporting herbs as Ministers, step by step. With such coordination, the properties won’t clash..."
The elder lectured joyfully on the path of alchemy. Su Mu, at the Fire Control beside the medicine furnace, grew ever more fervent and focused, listening with rapt attention. Seeing Su Mu’s expression, Baili Ye was all the more delighted.
"But things are out of balance now. The primary elixir material—the century-old Blood Leaf Fruit—is lacking. We must introduce another harmonizer."
"Another kind?"
"Exactly. Besides Monarch-Minister harmonization, alchemy contains the principle of the Five Elements Mutual Generation. The Blood Leaf Fruit’s properties are fierce like fire..."
"Wood engenders fire; to compensate, we can add a mild, wood-attribute herb that won’t disrupt the properties too much. The Three Springs Leaf is gentle and gradually dissipates under high heat—a small addition is perfect right now..."
"Though alchemy is counted among the myriad arts of cultivation, it is a path to transcendence. Progress must be step by step. The blending of these two herbs—Blood Leaf Fruit and Three Springs Leaf—cannot be mastered without years of reflection; there’s no shortcut in the alchemist’s craft..."
Baili Ye’s heart was aglow, his endless words pouring into Su Mu’s ear like sweet rain after a long drought. Su Mu’s Alchemy Skill and Medical Skill were already at perfection; he only lacked the inheritance of true alchemy technique.
Now, Baili Ye’s eager explanations came like timely rain, and every word fell like thunder, opening the door to entry-level Alchemy Skill for Su Mu.
With a Dragon-and-Phoenix Level Enlightenment as high as one hundred and forty-seven points, the elder’s every word shimmered as strands of Spiritual Light in Su Mu’s mind, growing ever brighter, converging into deeper comprehension.
Suddenly, the enlightenment panel appeared quietly before Su Mu’s eyes, with the perfected Alchemy Skill and Medical Skill glowing hotly.
"Crack!"
A crisp fragmenting sound echoed in Su Mu’s mind; on the enlightenment panel, two perfected Skill fonts revealed the first cracks, shining with light, one after the next.
Su Mu trembled all over, an intense premonition rising in his heart—when this batch of elixir was refined, his breakthrough to entry-level Alchemy Skill would arrive!
...