Chapter 966: I Was the First to Arrive

Zhang Xiaokai sat on the stool and stared at the copper elixir furnace.

On the square stove in front of you, the hanging cauldron is divided into three levels: upper and lower.

In the middle is a sea of ​​water made of fire and silver for cooling and insulation.

The upper and lower floors are refining the main elixir and the secondary elixir respectively.

Each furnace of elixir is designed to have two chambers, imitating the human body with one heart and two petals. The advantage is that you can compare the main elixir and the auxiliary elixir. Different temperatures have different effects and properties. Each elixir refining is not only refining the elixir, but also continuing to improve the elixir recipe.

When selling, the main elixir and the secondary elixir are also divided into two categories: excellent and good, and the prices are marked according to the quality.

In Jindan Kingdom, these records will be compiled and sent from the Alchemy Workshop to the Alchemy Department for comprehensive verification and to further improve the existing elixir recipes.

Zhang Xiaokai lowered his gaze and looked at the bottom of the platform.

The magic energy brought by the magic bottle continues to replenish the fire element crystal structure in the stove, allowing the temperature to remain stable.

In the past, fixing the temperature was a troublesome matter. Even firewood and coal with the same weight would cause considerable difficulties due to unpredictable changes in weather and different burning degrees caused by different wood species and ages.

For a long time, alchemy had very high requirements on location, alchemy furnaces, fuel, and people, and the seasons and times when the furnaces could be opened were fixed each year.

Now there is no need to worry about these, as long as you select a specific number of fire element crystal structures, such as one crystal and two crystals, which represent the number of combinations of standard crystal structures. Even people who don’t know anything can prepare corresponding devices according to these requirements.

By the time the sun was about to set, the new batch of [Calming Pills] main and secondary elixirs had been completed, with a yield of over 30%. For a small workshop, this is not bad.

Zhang Xiaokai packed the elixirs, sealed them, and labeled them.

Then he showed his boss the results of the day.

The boss handed him a piece of green money: "This week's salary. Once you have saved enough money, go to school. You are still too young. It is the time when you should go to Forest College to study."

Zhang Xiaokai took it happily: "I understand, boss!"

This is the newly issued currency of the Yao people. It is a round metal coin plated with expensive light gold material. The word "1" is engraved on it, which represents the face value of 100 seashells.

As an alchemy furnace assistant without an alchemist's license or apprenticeship certificate, this weekly salary is reasonable.

Zhang Xiaokai took the money and went to the corner store to buy four hot meat pies and a bottle of sunrise wine. He put it in his backpack and wrapped it with cloth, and then ran all the way to the sand dunes outside the city.

Over the hills, in a dense area of ​​cacti, he saw the person he was looking for.

"Master Alchemist, here I come!"

A stone stove was set up among the cacti. Sitting beside the stove was a girl in green with her face covered.

She has thick, silky white hair hanging down her shoulders, and her eyes are pure and bright silver. Even though her nose and mouth are covered, she can still tell that she is a beauty.

Being beautiful is certainly attractive, but what Zhang Xiaokai cares about more is her alchemy skills.

However, there was one more person beside Alchemist today.

She was a dark-skinned woman, probably in her twenties, with a red birthmark around her eyes.

She stood next to a sand-making furnace, wearing thick gloves, and was using a long iron pipe to bake sand into enamel bottles. This is sand tire enamel, which is also one of Sand City’s unique technologies.

But normally, doing this job requires a lot of strength, and it is usually only done by strong men or extraordinary people. This ugly woman is very strong, and her eyes are focused on her enamel.

Zhang Xiaokai didn't know who this was, but he handed the meat pie and wine to Lianzi first.

"Master, please use it."

Alchemist called to the side: "Shali, it's time to eat."

"Yes, master."

The dark-skinned woman over there carefully put down the stick, closed the lid, extinguished the fire, took off her gloves and came over.

She wiped her rough fingers with a towel, took the cake and started to nibble on it.

master?

Zhang Xiaokai was a little surprised: "Master Alchemist, don't you have no apprentices?"

"Just collected it today."

Alchemist said.

"Congratulations to Master Alchemist for gaining a disciple. She is very talented in alchemy... she is definitely not like me, with mediocre qualifications." Zhang Xiaoxin felt a little sour, but still forced a smile.

"Sha Li doesn't know how to make elixirs. She is an enamel craftsman, and the enamel she makes is very beautiful."

Zhang Xiaokai suspected that he heard wrongly: "She doesn't know how to make elixirs. Could it be that you let her make enamel?"

"Yeah. The container containing the elixir is also very important."

"..."

Alchemist's eyes were serious and determined.

Zhang Xiaokai couldn't help but said: "But isn't the most important thing in alchemy? No matter how beautiful the bottle is, it can't help anyone?"

"You're right. But if the bottle looks good, people will be willing to take a second look at it and carry it with them. It's necessary to look good. I taught her how to make elixirs. In the future, the elixirs and bottles can be promoted together, which will make them more popular."

Just because of this?

Teaching people how to make alchemy for a bottle?

Zhang Xiaokai was spinning for a moment, and he was a little unsteady on his feet.

It was obviously me who came first!

Whether it’s getting to know the alchemy master or asking her for advice on alchemy, I always come first.

But this black-faced woman got in first!

hateful!

Zhang Xiaokai clenched his fists and felt very unwilling: "Master Alchemist, you are willing to accept a layman like her who has no foundation, why don't you accept me as your disciple?"

Shali next to him was just chewing the cake and said nothing.

"Ah? Do you want to be my apprentice?"

Alchemist looked surprised.

Zhang Xiaokai's face twitched.

Any normal person can see it!

I asked for advice on alchemy, sent food and drink, and spoke kindly and respectfully. Of course, I was here to learn the technique. Otherwise, was it because I like to serve others?

Although you are good-looking, I am not the kind of softie who can't walk when I see a beautiful woman!

"I really want to be your disciple. Please accept me too!"

Zhang Xiaokai knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"No problem."

Alchemy agreed readily: "If you want to be my disciple, just tell me. How can I know if you don't tell me? I thought you were just exchanging techniques with me. Shali just wanted to learn some alchemy from me so that he could make better pill bottles."

Zhang Xiaokai felt regretful. It was really empiricism that killed people.

According to the tradition of Jindan Country, alchemy is either practiced through the Danfang or worshipped by an alchemist. No matter which one, a strict apprenticeship process is required.

The master needs to assess the character and ability of the apprentice. Usually, he must first become an alchemy boy in "Xuelu Garden" and then become an alchemy apprentice before he is qualified to become a disciple.

As a result, when it comes to Alchemy Master, it's just a matter of a word from her.

Originally, he should be the senior brother, but now he has become the junior brother.

Alas.

He was angry.

The old apprenticeship system of alchemists has long been out of date!

...

Although there were some minor setbacks, Zhang Xiaokai was able to become a disciple of Alchemy Master as he wished.

The rest are minor details. Learning the alchemy skills is important.

Zhang Xiaokai still remembers that when he was looking for shells of cockroaches in the sand dunes, he saw a girl wearing a helmet wandering alone in the desert, like a ghost.

The area she stepped into was where the Cloud Monks appeared.

Those immortal monks strolled among the sand dunes like clouds. As long as they were not provoked or attacked, they would not hurt others, but just wandered around.

Zhang Xiaokai wanted to remind the other party of the danger.

When he ran over, he saw the girl pounce on a Cloud Monk. Like a bird catching insects or a farmer harvesting wheat, she easily grabbed the Huayun monk, kneaded it, and stuffed it into her helmet.

Then she took off the helmet and began to stuff various medicinal powders into it to press them, heating them with fire in her hands and removing impurities, repeating this step.

As the medicine was being refined, white gas rose from the pot like a stretched and thin monk. Finally, she used beeswax to shape the powder, and it became a crystal bright yellow pill.

Zhang Xiaokai watched the whole process in amazement.

The other party actually used a small crucible to refine the "Qishen Pill" with his bare hands.

He was addicted to refining pills and couldn't help but go over and say: "Can low-temperature quenching also achieve the effect of making pills?"

"Yes."

The other party told him: "Huayun monks are a good medium. They are part of the cloud themselves, which can ensure a certain humidity. With beeswax and oil, they can ensure that the raw materials are not damaged by high temperature. This is a good place for natural alchemy. They will not die."

Zhang Xiaokai confirmed it after chatting with the other party.

This person has a very strong understanding of alchemy. A lot of details and experience are readily available. It must be that she has practiced thousands of times before she can understand the key points.

She calls herself Alchemy, saying that she lives in the mountains and learns alchemy at home.

She looks like a girl, but it is very likely that she has used some kind of magic to stay young forever.

Zhang Xiaokai is determined to worship the other party as his master.

He thought that sincerity can move the stone, and he was ready to move the other party with his persistence and sincerity.

Unexpectedly, the other party was not that type at all. He didn't feel anything at all, and was just flirting with the blind.

After entering the master's door, Zhang Xiaokai did learn several pill recipes. The master not only knows common pills such as "Yangxue San" and "Yangqi Pills", but also high-level pills such as "Powang Pills" and "Yan Shou Pills" that are extremely difficult.

Although the longevity pill cannot really prolong life, it can help people breathe again at critical moments, activate the internal organs in the body, and slow down the process of dying. It is similar to the quick-acting heart-saving pills.

After Zhang Xiaokai finished his work every day, he came to learn the skills and worked as an assistant for the alchemist.

One evening half a month later, the furnace began to shake.

At first, Zhang Xiaokai thought it was the cloud-transforming monks, because these monks would gradually wake up after being caught in the furnace, and then turn into clouds and leave, which would also cause the furnace to vibrate.

However, this time the shaking was very severe, with ding-ding sounds inside. Sister Shali, who was burning enamel bottles next to her, also stopped her work and ran over to see what was going on.

The sound gradually became smaller and turned into a very rhythmic buzzing sound, as if something was rubbing the furnace inside.

Finally, it returned to silence.

The alchemist used a lifting rod to pull open the lid on top.

In the smoke, three pills were spinning and rolling slowly in the crucible.

The alchemist picked it up with a bamboo claw, observed it for a while, then wrapped it in the beeswax next to it and put it in his mouth.

After chewing slowly, she exhaled: "You guys try it too."

Shali grabbed a pill with his bamboo claws without hesitation, put it in his mouth like his master, and immediately showed a look of surprise on his face.

Zhang Xiaokai took the pill and felt a layer of strange power on the surface of his body. His strength, speed and reaction were much faster, and he was as light as a swallow.

"Master, what kind of pill is this? It has a strong effect."

"Let's call it "Da Li Wan". The appearance is not very good. The effect is to maintain the gain for one hour, increase strength by 10 points, increase health by 1000 points, and increase speed by 1 point. The advantage is that there are no major side effects. It can only be used once a day, which will cause body aches and cannot be used in a cumulative manner."

Zhang Xiaokai said happily, the master is indeed not simple, and can see the specific information of life. Only a powerful extraordinary person can do it.

Wait.

Strength +10, life +1000, speed +1?

No side effects yet!

This furnace of elixir is priceless.

Zhang Xiaokai opened his eyes wide: "This, this is an invention that will shock the alchemy world... It has opened up a path for strengthening routes. Master, go to the elixir department to register the elixir recipe quickly, so as not to be stolen by others. This is a recipe for an elixir that will be passed down through the ages!"

"This is not that good. It was invented for everyone to use. It's too troublesome to register..."

She waved her hand, but she didn't seem to be very interested.

"Take it and eat it."

The alchemist sighed: "This is not the elixir I want, it's just a failed one... or I'm too weak and can't control it accurately. If the master knew, I'm afraid he would be very disappointed, alas."

She threw down the medicine jar, returned to the sand dune, and sulked at the moon.

Zhang Xiaokai's hands were shaking a little.

The failed ones are all of this level.

I can't even imagine a successful elixir.

The master is so strong!