vncnus 706. Genuine Grade 9
706. Genuine Grade 9
"Kid, how is it?" Huo Zhen held up the freshly made, still slightly warm, eighth-grade, six-colored pill in front of Xiao Yan and asked.
He didn't ask the others, because among the Yan Clan disciples present, none had truly mastered the art of alchemy and could grasp the essence of his techniques. Only alchemists who had reached a certain level could truly appreciate the profound skill required to refine this pill to such an extent under such tight time constraints and when he wasn't at his peak.
"Your skills are superb, senior. I admire you greatly."
Xiao Yan gazed at the pill, his eyes filled with genuine admiration. He could see clearly that although Huo Zhen was not in good condition, he was still a grandmaster who had studied alchemy for many years. Being able to witness him refine pills was a reward in itself.
"However, three days is still too rushed. The quality of the pills could obviously be higher."
"Sigh..." Faced with Xiao Yan's incisive question, Huo Zhen's face showed no sign of being offended or resentful. Instead, a trace of indescribable weariness flashed across his bloodshot eyes.
"Time waits for no one, there's no way to take it slow."
"You wait here, kid. Don't think you're done for. You'll be needed a lot later! Don't even think about sneaking away."
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Huo Zhen swallowed the freshly refined Grade 8 pill in one gulp, then closed his eyes and began to refine it. His battle qi and soul power surged around him, clearly indicating that he was doing his best to refine the medicinal power and restore himself.
This action was unexpected by everyone. No one expected that the medicine he was so eager to make would ultimately be for his own consumption.
Huo Zhen's work stopped, and a brief silence fell over the area. The Yan Clan naturally wanted to take Huo Zhi away, but Xiao Yan firmly disagreed.
Huo Zhi's energy expenditure was too great, and ordinary methods might not be able to completely heal her. Only by slowly transferring power using the Red Lotus Karmic Fire could she be completely healed.
Therefore, they naturally refused to release the person, and the two sides were about to clash again.
"Enough! All of you, step back!"
Yan Chao's voice rang out, forcefully suppressing the actions of the Yan Clan youths, and he commanded forcefully, "All of you, go back! You must not disturb Elder Huo Zhen's recovery, nor hinder Xiao Yan's treatment of Huo Zhi. This is an order!"
Clearly, although Yan Chao's strength was not top-tier, his prestige among the Yan clan was quite extraordinary. The young people had no choice but to obey and left the courtyard in a huff.
After seeing off these clansmen, Yan Chao showed a hint of apology on his face: "Young friend Xiao Yan, please don't blame me. These are special times, and young people tend to be a bit rash in their actions."
Xiao Yan returned an understanding smile. He didn't really take these people's actions to heart. After all, compared to many Dou Di descendants he had met, these young people's reactions were quite normal.
"Elder Yan Chao, I would like to ask Senior Huo Zhen what level he is at in alchemy? Just now, I saw him demonstrate his alchemy skills, which are unfathomable."
The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the skill. From the simple alchemy process just now, Xiao Yan had already realized that Huo Zhen, this alchemist, was no ordinary person. He had seen many alchemy masters, but in terms of alchemy, there seemed to be none who could completely surpass Huo Zhen.
"Elder Huo Zhen became a ninth-grade alchemist three hundred years ago, and is now the chief alchemist of our clan." Huo Zhen's tone was full of sincere respect when he said this.
"It really is a ninth-grade pill..." This coincided with Xiao Yan's guess. After all, his alchemy skills were so superb that he could refine an eighth-grade pill in three days. During this time, his methods were extremely risky, yet he never made a mistake. This was something that ordinary people could not do.
After a brief exchange, the scene fell silent once more. Huo Zhen was focusing all his efforts on refining the pills to recover, while Xiao Yan's clone was continuously channeling gentle Red Lotus Karmic Fire power into Huo Zhi. The process was gentle and slow, like a spring rain nourishing the earth silently. On the girl's fair, jade-like face, which was devoid of color, the tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax somewhat.
Xiao Yan's main body wasn't idle either. He found a quiet corner and sat down cross-legged, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but his mind was already working at high speed, deeply reviewing every detail he had captured when he was refining the medicine with Fire True.
Every top alchemist's growth experience, mentorship, and personal insights are unique, which means that even when refining the same elixir, the specific methods will have their own distinct differences and characteristics. These differences often embody each alchemist's unique understanding. Generally, this information is extremely private and will never be revealed to anyone outside of their disciples and followers.
Having just witnessed Huo Zhen's entire pill refining process, Xiao Yan had gleaned some insights from it. He repeatedly analyzed the process in his mind, pondering a key question: among these unique techniques, what secrets and skills could he learn and integrate into his own system?
Of course, there is also a major question: how exactly did Huo Zhen manage to refine things faster than himself without any other fire?
Half a day passed quietly, and Xiao Yan's thoughts were awakened by Huo Zhen's voice refining the medicinal power of the pill.
"Hey kid, wake up!"
Xiao Yan looked up and saw that he had indeed absorbed all the pills. His somewhat chaotic Dou Qi and soul power had returned to normal, and the bloodlust in his eyes had lessened. Clearly, Huo Zhen was well aware of his excessive exertion; the pills were meant to help him return to his perfect state. The task ahead would definitely not be easy!
"Next, I need to refine another elixir, and you'll be essential for that!"
"I've never liked rambling. If you're willing to help me out, and you want to marry Huo Zhi in the future, as long as she's willing, I'll take care of any rules or hurdles that might stand in your way! How about it?"
"Huh?" Upon hearing the blunt declaration, Xiao Yan was completely stunned and didn't know how to react.
"What, you don't like it?"
"Senior is too kind..." Xiao Yan gave an awkward and helpless wry smile, and could only change the subject: "Senior Huo Zhen, helping is no problem, but I have some questions about ninth-grade alchemists, and I hope you can answer them for me."
"Sure! Of course!" Huo Zhen stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "You really know your stuff, kid. All these youngsters in the clan are so arrogant. Your personality is just like my old man's."
He patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder: "After this is done, I will definitely teach you everything I know!"
"May I ask what kind of elixir you wish to refine, senior?"
"A ninth-grade elixir—the Creation Rejuvenation Pill!"