Chapter 3: Learning Alchemy
Fa Ma studied the Sun Fire Burning Technique for two days, and with the help of the comprehension function as well as Old Turtle's guidance, he successfully practiced the new technique. Almost immediately, he felt the sunlight being sucked into his Battle Qi, starting to burn his meridians. He endured the burning sensation for an hour before it became unbearable and threatened to damage his meridians severely. At this point, he consumed the second-grade fire-protection pill that Old Turtle had refined for him. The pill provided his meridians with a faint protective layer, and as he operated the technique again, the burning sensation ceased. In fact, he felt that the combination of the fire-protection pill and the burning was helping to strengthen his meridians through a process of damage and repair. This unexpected benefit of the technique made him practice more intensely with joy.
As he finished his practice for the day, it was time to officially practice alchemy. He quickly headed over to the alchemy room in their courtyard, which was surrounded by Red Obsidianite Crystals that could withstand Battle King attacks and faintly gathered the fire energy from heaven and earth. Zhi Gui was waiting for him with his hands behind his back.
"Are you ready, kid?" Zhi Gui asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Come on, old man, I've been waiting eight years for this. Let's start," Fa Ma replied anxiously, his excitement palpable. The alchemy room was filled with various precious medicinal materials, their presence a testament to the wealth and resources at Fa Ma's disposal. Coming from a poor background in his last life, it would be an absolute shame if he didn't sleep on a pile of gold coins in this one with his background.
Zhi Gui handed Fa Ma a prescription for Blood Clotting Powder, a product that alchemist apprentices could make, and told him to study it. Fa Ma had studied countless prescriptions and often read Zhi Gui's notes, so it only took him a few minutes to thoroughly understand it. He asked a few questions to Zhi Gui, who provided detailed answers, ensuring Fa Ma was fully prepared.
As soon as Fa Ma started to refine the elixir, he activated the comprehension mode. In this mode, he could fully concentrate on the task at hand, achieving a miniature "pill and me in one" state. He easily sensed the faint wood attribute in his body and pulled it into the flames. As the flames transformed by the cauldron became more docile, he meticulously placed the materials into the cauldron and began the process of refining the powder. He slowly heated the materials to ensure they wouldn't turn to ashes. However, he heated one of the materials too slowly, causing the other materials to burn before it could come together. Undeterred, he tried again and soon produced a low-quality powder in the cauldron.
Zhi Gui couldn't believe his eyes. How many times was this kid going to surprise him? This talent couldn't be considered monstrous; it was simply demonic.
Months passed as Fa Ma's life settled into a monotonous rhythm. He either refined pills, cultivated, or fought with various mercenaries Old Turtle hired to give him a sense of combat. Once, he fought the young master of the Li family, the head family of the city which even had a low-level Battle Spirit, and defeated him despite the young master being three stars and nine years ahead of him. Zhi Gui couldn't have been prouder, boasting to his close friend Li Chen, the old head of the Li family, about his grandson. Li Chen later sent his granddaughter Li Yue to Zhi Gui's manor under the guise of seeking Fa Ma's guidance. However, Fa Ma dealt with her briskly, not wanting to waste time. Li Chen eventually saw through this and took her back.
Over the course of nine months, Fa Ma refined numerous first-grade pills and established a 90% success rate without using the enlightenment function. His soul power at this point was already comparable to Zhi Gui's, and he had advanced to a seven-star Battle Practitioner. Fa Ma knew he could advance to Battle Master in the next six months, but he felt he needed tempering from actual combat, as the mercenaries Zhi Gui hired never really fought with the intention to kill.
He decided to go to Smolder Iron City, a city on the border of the Tagore Desert that frequently experienced skirmishes with small snake tribes and monsters. As soon as he told Zhi Gui, Zhi Gui quietly sighed and helped him prepare some qi-recovering pills, fire-aura pills (a second-grade pill that makes fighters more sensitive to fire element energy), and healing pills. Old Gui knew that dissuading Fa Ma was pointless as he was as stubborn as a bull when it came to his practice.
As Fa Ma flew away on the navigating hawk, Old Gui talked to Li Chen about his worries. "Brother, will Fa Ma do well in Smolder Iron City? So far, his practice has been smooth, and he hasn't faced any real troubles yet."
"He'll be fine, brother. He has been mature since he was young. Besides, I let Li Zhan follow him. Unless he provokes a Battle Spirit, he'll be fine," Li Chen soothed Old Gui's worries.
Old Gui's fists tightened until he saw Fa Ma disappear into the distance. Helplessly, he turned around with his head down and walked back to the guild, his heart heavy with concern but also with pride for the young prodigy.