Chapter 141: Alchemy Competition

Upon hearing Han Li's words, Steward Lu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but quickly returned to normal.

"Steward Lu, rest assured. All expenses for the competition will be borne by me," Han Li added.

"Since you, Senior, have said so, our Thousand Herbs Hall naturally will not dampen your spirits. Please," Steward Lu said, no longer hesitating.

With that, he took the lead, stepped out of the room, and led Han Li downstairs. They exited through the back hall on the first floor and followed a covered corridor toward the rear courtyard.

Deep in the rear courtyard stood a circular archway, separating the front courtyard from the back.

Before even reaching the archway, Han Li sensed a transparent light barrier floating in the void within the gate, from which emanated clear spatial fluctuations, as if it were a teleportation formation.

Approaching the archway, Steward Lu stopped and turned to Han Li, saying, "Senior, please wait here a moment. I will go and inform them first."

With that, he flipped his hand and produced a purple token, waving it in the air toward the archway. Instantly, a bright light shone within the gate.

He took a large stride and stepped into the gate, whereupon his figure vanished.

After Han Li had observed the surroundings for a moment, light flared again within the gate, and Steward Lu's voice came through:

"Senior, please come in."

Hearing this, Han Li stepped into the gate.

As soon as he entered, he felt a wave of heat around him and smelled a rich, mixed aroma of medicinal herbs.

After looking around, he found that they seemed to be in a hall resembling an underground palace, with several wide passages leading in all directions.

On the walls on either side of the passages were bronze doors about ten feet high, with faint firelight flickering from within.

Before Han Li could fully take in his surroundings, Steward Lu led him into one of the passages and into a spacious guest room.

Inside the guest room sat a medium-built, red-haired old man in a purple-black short jacket, holding a tea bowl in one hand and using the lid to skim the tea leaves.

A quick glance told Han Li that this man had a deep aura and was unmistakably a Great Ascension Stage cultivator.

Seeing the two enter, the red-haired old man set down his tea bowl and slowly stood up.

Steward Lu introduced him to Han Li:

"Senior, this is Master Zhu of our Thousand Herbs Hall, a Human-Grade Class-A alchemy master. He has agreed to conduct this test for you."

"Then I thank Master Zhu," Han Li said, bowing to him.

Knowing that Han Li's cultivation aura was not inferior to his own, the red-haired old man did not dare to be negligent and returned a slight bow, saying:

"Since you, Fellow Daoist, wish to test your alchemy level, let us each refine a Huayang Pill for restoring mana. By comparing the quality of the pills, we can determine your level."

"Huayang Pill? I do not yet know the formula for this pill. Might your hall be willing to sell it?" Han Li asked with a slight frown.

"Oh?"

The red-haired old man was somewhat surprised, as if he hadn't expected Han Li not to know even this pill, and he couldn't help but think less of him.

"There's no need to buy it. Although the Huayang Pill is of a high grade among Human-Grade pills, its formula is widely circulated in the nearby seas and can be obtained in many places. It's not worth much, so I'll give it to you, Fellow Daoist."

With that, the red-haired old man flicked his wrist, and a white jade slip floated lightly over to Han Li.

Han Li took it and swept it with his divine sense, then sighed inwardly.

The formula was free, but the medicinal herbs required in it were all expensive, and he would have to pay for two sets—a considerable expense.

Then the red-haired old man began to explain some precautions for refining the Huayang Pill in a somewhat indifferent tone.

Han Li listened carefully, nodding slightly, and committed everything to memory while mentally deducing the steps for adding herbs and controlling the fire based on his past experience.

After half a quarter of an hour, the two took the prepared storage pouches containing the herbs needed for the Huayang Pill from Steward Lu and each entered a separate alchemy room.

With a clang, the heavy bronze door closed.

Han Li surveyed the room and found that the alchemy chamber here was indeed somewhat different from those he had seen in the Spirit Realm.

The room was almost bare, with only a man-high purple bronze cauldron in the center. There was no fire pit on the floor, and no fire-attracting runes on the cauldron's body.

The surrounding walls and floor were inscribed with complex runes, which seemed to be a restriction that could gather and seal the spiritual energy within the room.

After a brief look, he composed himself and prepared to begin alchemy.

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers with a crack, and a silver-white flame flew like a bird into the cauldron.

With a whoosh,

a blazing silver flame rose within the cauldron.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, once the temperature inside the cauldron was high enough, Han Li began adding herbs one by one.

As herb after herb flew into the cauldron, a strange medicinal fragrance began to permeate the entire alchemy room.

After about an hour, a soft puff came from within the cauldron, and Han Li saw a wisp of pale purple mist rising from the gap at the top of the cauldron, gathering above it without dispersing—a peculiar sight.

According to what the red-haired old man had said earlier, it was time to add the Huayun Grass.

But when Han Li held the pale white herb in his hand, he hesitated.

From the Mortal Realm to the Spirit Realm, he had refined countless pills. The combination of medicinal herbs could be summarized by the principle of 'monarch, minister, assistant, and guide,' where the monarch is the main ingredient, the minister is the auxiliary, the assistant is the secondary auxiliary, and the guide harmonizes the effects.

The Huayun Grass was not unique to the Immortal Realm; he had used it in the Spirit Realm. He knew its nature was mild and it was often used as a guide to harmonize the effects of other herbs, and it was no different in the Huayang Pill.

At that moment, the purple mist had just risen from the cauldron, indicating that the properties of the previous herbs were only beginning to release and had not yet reached the point where harmonization was needed. Adding the Huayun Grass now was definitely not the optimal time, hence his hesitation.

But soon, he made a decision and stuck to his own judgment.

After another half hour, when the purple mist in the cauldron had thickened from light to dense, Han Li immediately lifted the lid and added the Huayun Grass.

As a rich medicinal fragrance assailed his nostrils, a hint of delight appeared in Han Li's eyes.

Just then, light suddenly flared on the surrounding walls, and the array patterns inscribed on them began to operate on their own.

A small vortex formed in the entire alchemy room, drawing the spiritual energy that had dissipated from the pill back toward the cauldron.

...

Two hours later, the red-haired old man had already left his alchemy room and was standing with Steward Lu, waiting outside Han Li's room.

After about another quarter of an hour, Han Li's bronze door slowly opened, and he walked out holding a white porcelain bottle.

Seeing this, Steward Lu smiled and said:

"It seems you, Senior, have also succeeded in refining. Congratulations!"

"I don't yet know the grade. Please, Steward Lu and Master Zhu, appraise it for me," Han Li said, handing over the bottle.

Steward Lu took it, pulled out the stopper, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out.

The red-haired old man's expression changed slightly upon smelling it, and he couldn't help but move closer to Steward Lu to examine the pill Han Li had refined.

At that moment, in Steward Lu's left and right hands lay three Huayang Pills each, refined by the two of them. They looked similar in appearance, except that Han Li's pills seemed slightly smaller.

Han Li turned his gaze to the red-haired old man, about to ask a question, when he saw him sigh silently and turn to leave directly.

Steward Lu did not stop him. Only after his figure disappeared at the end of the passage did he speak to Han Li with a slightly odd expression:

"Senior, please don't mind. Master Zhu is... a bit discouraged."

Han Li understood his meaning and smiled, waving his hand, saying, "Then please, Steward Lu, give your appraisal."

"If what you said earlier is true, that you have never dealt with high-grade pills of the Immortal Realm before, then you are truly a talent in the alchemy path. Your control over the fire is extremely precise, allowing you to remove all impurities from these three Huayang Pills without harming the medicinal power at all... This is a cut above the quality of the pills Master Zhu refined," Steward Lu said, speaking fluently, as he seemed to have considerable knowledge of pills despite not being an alchemist himself.

"Then, based on this, what level would I be among Immortal Realm alchemists?" Han Li asked with a slight smile.

"Although you only refined the Huayang Pill, given its quality, you are undoubtedly a Human-Grade Class-A alchemist," Steward Lu said solemnly.

Han Li nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

In truth, refining a pill of this grade had not fully utilized his abilities, but the complexity and difficulty of this pill were no less than those of the top-grade pills in the Spirit Realm.

If calculated this way, his once-proud alchemy skill would probably only be equivalent to an Earth-Grade Class-C alchemist in the Immortal Realm.

"In fact, with your current alchemy skill, you may well become an Earth-Grade alchemist in the future," Steward Lu said, a little flatteringly, seeing that Han Li did not show much excitement.

"Heh, I'll take your kind words, Fellow Daoist Lu," Han Li replied, but inwardly he had made a decision.

In the future, he was determined to become a Heaven-Grade alchemist, so that once he found a suitable Dao Pill formula, he could refine the mysterious crystalline grains produced by the small bottle into Dao Pills.

After all, the law materials that were extremely rare for others were much easier for him to obtain.

"Does Senior plan to stay long in Black Wind City, or is this just a temporary stop?" Steward Lu asked after some hesitation.

Han Li frowned slightly at this.

Seeing this, Steward Lu quickly explained:

"Senior, please don't misunderstand. I only wished to invite you to join our Thousand Herbs Hall as an honored alchemist. I believe that with your alchemy skill, you will soon become a high-ranking honored alchemist second only to Master Hao, and then..."

Han Li waved his hand to interrupt him, saying, "I am only staying here temporarily and will not be here long. I appreciate your kindness, but I must decline."

Seeing that Han Li's expression did not seem feigned, Steward Lu could only sigh a few times in regret and let the matter drop.

Afterwards, Han Li bought some Wangyuan Pills and settled the expenses for the Huayang Pill materials. He did not stay long and took his leave.

Naturally, he also took away all six Huayang Pills—the three he had refined and the three from the red-haired old man.