Chapter 49 Refining the Medicine Embryo

In the Danwu Academy, every alchemy instructor had their own alchemy room, and Feng Ruoqing was no exception.

Feng Ruoqing's alchemy room was exquisitely arranged, with various medicinal materials categorized and neatly organized.

At the center of the room stood a red cauldron. With Ye Yuan's discerning eye, he could tell at a glance that it was a top-grade second-tier cauldron. Among the alchemists of the Danwu Academy, there was probably none better, but such a cauldron was worthless in his eyes.

Ye Yuan curled his lips and found a place to sit down.

This scene happened to catch Feng Ruoqing's eye, and she immediately felt indignant.

"You seem to look down on my Red Lotus Cauldron?" Feng Ruoqing frowned.

"Ah? This cauldron? Not bad, not bad, haha." It was clearly a perfunctory response without sincerity.

"Have you seen a better second-tier cauldron?"

"Me? Haha, I'm a student who isn't even a novice alchemist. Where would I have seen such an advanced cauldron? It's called the Red Lotus Cauldron? Good name, good name!"

Ye Yuan hadn't expected that his subconscious disdain for the cauldron would provoke a series of questions from Feng Ruoqing, so he could only keep brushing her off.

But he really did look down on such a cauldron. In his past life, he wouldn't even bother using it as a kettle to boil water.

If anyone had previously criticized her cauldron, Feng Ruoqing would have immediately turned hostile, but Ye Yuan gave her an unusual feeling.

The glimpse of Ye Yuan's knowledge shown in the pharmacology class had already surpassed the level of Danwu Academy students.

Even the top of the Dan Ranking probably wouldn't know to use the Yin-Yang Separation Technique to refine second-tier Qi-Returning Pills.

The pill formula could be said to have been stumbled upon by chance, but the Yin-Yang Separation Technique was not something ordinary people could know.

Even Feng Ruoqing had only seen this refining technique in a very obscure ancient text.

At that time, she had treasured it like a gem and practiced the technique frantically for a period, but eventually had to give up.

This refining technique was too difficult!

It was precisely because of this that Feng Ruoqing was very interested in Ye Yuan and asked him to be her assistant.

Unexpectedly, the guy didn't appreciate it and dodged her several times, which made the proud Feng Ruoqing somewhat exasperated, leading to today's move.

Moreover, although Ye Yuan was perfunctory with her and had belittled her several times, for some reason, Feng Ruoqing always felt that his disdain was a natural expression from within, not an act of profundity.

Just now, Feng Ruoqing had always been confident in her Red Lotus Cauldron. Almost every alchemist who came to her alchemy room was stunned by this cauldron, but Ye Yuan just curled his lips, looking very dismissive.

Feng Ruoqing did not see even a hint of surprise in Ye Yuan's eyes.

Could it be... that Ye Yuan really knew the Yin-Yang Separation Technique?

Feng Ruoqing was startled by her own thought. How could that be possible?

Feng Ruoqing had practiced the Yin-Yang Separation Technique and knew how difficult it was. Ye Yuan was only fifteen; how could he possibly master this refining technique?

"I asked you to be my assistant, not to act like a lord. What are you sitting there for? Why aren't you coming over to prepare the medicine?" Feng Ruoqing said coldly.

"Oh, oh, coming, coming."

Ye Yuan scurried over to the workbench, which was covered with various medicinal materials. He glanced at them and asked curiously, "Aren't you going to refine second-tier Qi-Returning Pills? Why are all the materials first-tier?"

A blush crept onto Feng Ruoqing's face, and then she said angrily, "I told you to prepare the medicine, so just prepare it. Why so many questions?"

Seeing this, Ye Yuan understood immediately. So this woman's Yin-Yang Separation Technique was not up to par, and she was using first-tier pills to practice.

But this Yin-Yang Separation Technique couldn't be mastered in a day or two. If she practiced with first-tier pills, how long would he have to accompany her?

His own time was precious; he couldn't afford to spend it on this woman's alchemy!

Ye Yuan sighed and had no choice but to turn around and prepare the ingredients.

Feng Ruoqing turned and went into the meditation room to settle her mind, adjusting her state of mind.

Alchemy was a very complex discipline; it allowed no distraction during the process and had to be completed in one go.

Even the slightest disturbance could affect the quality of the pill, or even turn it into waste.

Therefore, before starting alchemy, the vast majority of alchemists would sit in meditation, adjusting their mindset to a state as calm as an ancient well, before daring to begin.

But just as Feng Ruoqing had adjusted herself and was not yet fully in meditation, the door to the meditation room was knocked.

This time, Feng Ruoqing was truly furious. Being her assistant was a coveted position that every man in the academy fought for, yet Ye Yuan had dodged her repeatedly, and now that he was finally an assistant, instead of working properly, he dared to cause trouble!

If he didn't have a good enough reason, she would beat him crippled, tie him up, and put him on public display for three days!

The door opened with a 'click,' revealing Feng Ruoqing's furious face.

"Heh, I didn't expect Teacher Feng to open the door so hastily; you startled me," Ye Yuan said, looking startled.

Feng Ruoqing ignored Ye Yuan, raised her right palm, with strands of Yuan power flowing between her fingers, as if ready to strike at any moment.

"What were you doing while I told you to prepare the ingredients? Didn't you know I was in meditation? If you don't have a good enough reason, you'll have to take this palm strike!" Feng Ruoqing said angrily.

"Don't! Teacher Feng, if you'd told me earlier that you had violent tendencies, I would have copied the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' a hundred times rather than be your assistant! The ingredients are already prepared, and I've even refined two batches of pill bases before coming to call you. I didn't expect your meditation to take so long!" Ye Yuan jumped far away and shouted.

"What? You've already refined the pill bases?"

Feng Ruoqing's mind couldn't process this. She had entered the meditation room only about half a quarter of an hour ago. Not only had Ye Yuan prepared all those medicinal ingredients, but he had also refined the pill bases?

How was that possible?

"Yeah, is that reason good enough? I don't want to get smacked to death," Ye Yuan said gloomily.

Feng Ruoqing lowered her palm and snorted coldly, "Hmph, if I find out you're lying, it won't be just a palm strike."

With that, Feng Ruoqing walked to the workbench and was instantly stunned.

In the jade vessel lay two batches of pill bases, their color very pure, clearly refined to perfection, with all useless dregs completely removed.

Feng Ruoqing looked at Ye Yuan, opened her mouth, but said nothing.

"Teacher Feng, what do you want to say? You're not going to smack me to death, are you? At worst, next time I'll call you later. How long do you usually need for meditation?" Ye Yuan said innocently.

Feng Ruoqing: "..."

After a long while, Feng Ruoqing took a deep breath and asked Ye Yuan, "Did you refine these pill bases?"

Ye Yuan looked around and asked curiously, "Is there anyone else here?"

"But... how did you do it so fast?"

An ordinary alchemy apprentice would take half an hour just to prepare the ingredients, and with refining the pill bases, at least an hour!

Preparing ingredients wasn't simply mixing herbs together; it required precise weighing and measuring, with no room for error.

Thus, alchemists' assistants would be very careful when preparing ingredients, spending a lot of time.

Even Feng Ruoqing herself would take over half an hour to refine a first-grade pill base.

But Ye Yuan had done it in just half a quarter of an hour—this was truly astonishing!

"Isn't it just refining a first-grade pill base? Such a simple thing, why waste so much time?" Ye Yuan said irresponsibly.