Chapter 504: Alchemy with Bare Hands

Ren Dong's move caught Ye Yuan and the other two off guard.

"What are you doing?" Ye Yuan asked in surprise.

"I am willing to take you as my master. Please teach me how to refine super-grade pills!" Ren Dong said stubbornly.

Ren Dong's action made Ye Yuan look at him in a new light.

He did not think less of Ren Dong because of this; instead, he felt that such a person deserved the title of alchemist.

Ye Yuan could sense Ren Dong's intense thirst for knowledge, a kind of extreme longing that Ye Yuan himself had once experienced.

Alchemist was a highly respected profession, but many people lost their original aspirations as they grew, indulging in worldly splendor and unable to extricate themselves.

Such people, even if talented, had extremely limited achievements.

"What if I just happened to refine a super-grade pill yesterday?" Ye Yuan said.

Of course, Ye Yuan would not take him as a disciple so easily.

Ye Yuan had always preferred quality over quantity when it came to taking disciples. Even in his previous life, though he had no disciples, his attendants were carefully selected.

Xiao Ruyan was top-notch in both talent and character, which was why Ye Yuan agreed.

Ren Dong had not made a good first impression on Ye Yuan, so Ye Yuan naturally would not relent so easily.

"I went to the Alchemist Guild early this morning and watched the recording of your refining process from yesterday. It was simply miraculous! Although we are both quasi-pill kings, your alchemy skills are miles ahead of mine!" Ren Dong said.

Ordinary people naturally could not see the alchemy process recorded by the Alchemist Guild, but Ren Dong's identity was extraordinary, so it was not difficult for him to access it.

"Master, this guy might have ulterior motives. Don't fall for his tricks!" Xiao Ruyan chimed in to undermine him.

"Are you really his disciple?" Ren Dong suddenly asked.

"What else did you think? I am Master's senior disciple!" Xiao Ruyan said proudly.

Xiao Ruyan now followed Ye Yuan in alchemy and became more and more convinced of his abilities.

In recent days, although Xiao Ruyan had not broken through in realm, her alchemy skills had made a qualitative leap, and her foundation was much more solid than before.

So now she admitted to being Ye Yuan's disciple without any pressure, and instead felt very proud.

She had made the right choice in taking him as her master!

Ren Dong was silent for a moment, then suddenly kowtowed to Ye Yuan and said, "Master Ye Yuan, please take me as your disciple no matter what!"

Ren Dong read something from Xiao Ruyan's expression, which strengthened his determination to become a disciple.

Ye Yuan smiled faintly and said, "I have no method to refine super-grade pills, so... you don't need to take me as your master."

Ren Dong became anxious upon hearing this and quickly said, "Master, are you still angry about yesterday? I apologize, is that not enough?"

Ye Yuan waved his hand and said, "You're overthinking it. I really don't have a method for refining super-grade pills. No alchemist has such a method!"

"But I saw Master's alchemy skills; they are amazing! There are many parts I simply don't understand!" Ren Dong said.

Ye Yuan looked at Ren Dong and suddenly asked, "You have a peak pill emperor at home. Why abandon the root and chase the branches by taking me as your master?"

Ren Dong sighed and said, "Although I haven't fully learned my grandfather's alchemy skills, I have grasped five or six tenths of the essence. The rest is just a matter of time and experience accumulation. Following this step by step, I believe I can one day reach the peak pill emperor realm."

Ren Dong paused and suddenly became a little excited: "But I know that my grandfather's alchemy skills have reached their limit, and he cannot ascend to the Divine Realm! If I follow his old path, I can never surpass him. It wasn't until I saw the recording of your alchemy that I realized how vast the gap between us is!"

Ye Yuan nodded slightly. This kid had quite high aspirations!

But if one couldn't even ascend to the Divine Realm, how could they talk about reaching the pinnacle of the Dao of Alchemy?

Ye Yuan looked at Ren Dong, who was full of anticipation, and suddenly smiled, "You really want to take me as your master?"

Ren Dong was overjoyed: "Master is willing to accept me?"

"Heh, it's not impossible for you to become my disciple, but... you must pass my test."

"No matter what test, Ren Dong will surely accomplish it!" Ren Dong was quite confident in himself.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Don't you want to know why I can refine super-grade pills?"

Ren Dong nodded vigorously but showed a troubled expression.

If Ye Yuan's test was to refine a super-grade pill, he couldn't do it.

"Heh, don't worry. I'm not asking you to refine a quasi-fourth-grade super-grade pill. You know the Lesser Formless Art, right?" Ye Yuan asked.

Ren Dong was taken aback. The Lesser Formless Art was the most basic refining technique; even a mere pill apprentice would know it.

Ren Dong was a high-level quasi-pill king; how could he not know the Lesser Formless Art?

Ye Yuan smiled and suddenly took out a first-grade medicinal herb, his fingers moving like shadows!

At this movement, Ren Dong's expression changed dramatically!

"Alchemy with bare hands! This... is the Lesser Formless Art? No, his finger techniques and hand seals are indeed the Lesser Formless Art, but... how can it be done to such an extent?" Ren Dong muttered to himself.

The medicinal herb danced in Ye Yuan's hand, as if it had come to life.

And it was Ye Yuan who gave it life!

Twenty breaths later, a small pill appeared in Ye Yuan's hand.

"Sup... super-grade! Refining a super-grade pill with bare hands using the Lesser Formless Art! Although it's only a first-grade pill, but... how is this possible?"

Ren Dong was completely bewildered, his words incoherent, but the shock in his heart was written all over his face.

As everyone knew, alchemists relied on cauldrons and flames to refine pills.

Alchemy with bare hands meant completely abandoning these two, using primal energy as a guide to refine finished pills with bare hands.

The difficulty of this was unimaginable to ordinary people!

Although Ren Dong was a quasi-pill king, he simply could not refine a first-grade pill with bare hands!

"I don't require you to refine with bare hands. You only need to use the Lesser Formless Art to refine a first-grade super-grade pill, and I will take you as my disciple."

Ye Yuan's voice jolted Ren Dong awake. He came to his senses and said in surprise, "Refining a first-grade super-grade pill with the Lesser Formless Art? How is that possible?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ren Dong wanted to slap himself.

Hadn't Ye Yuan just refined a super-grade pill? How could it be impossible?

Moreover, Ye Yuan had done it with bare-handed alchemy.

Although it was a first-grade pill, the difficulty made Ren Dong feel despair just thinking about it.

"Whether it's possible or not is your business. This is my entry test. If you can't do it, don't bring this up again." Ye Yuan said indifferently.

With Ren Dong's level, he could naturally refine a super-grade pill when refining first-grade pills.

But asking him to refine a first-grade pill with the Lesser Formless Art—he could never produce a super-grade pill.

The Lesser Formless Art was the most basic refining technique, extremely simple. No one had ever been able to refine a super-grade pill with such a simple technique!

This test was too difficult!

Ren Dong's expression shifted, and finally he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I will definitely do it!"