The rain that pierced through the forest and wings turned into a gentle drizzle upon reaching the ground.
Xu Mu passed by Xi Du, his voice calm and confident.
The latter's smile froze on his face. He then turned his head with a hint of surprise, exchanging a glance with Nan Feng.
Could Xu Mu really be an alchemist if he was so confident?
"Impossible."
Fang Jia shook his head. He had already witnessed too many extraordinary abilities in Xu Mu: swordsmanship, physique, precognition—all top-tier.
For a youth not yet twenty to have cultivated to such a degree was already unfathomable. How could he possibly be a fourth-grade alchemist as well?
"My alchemy furnace is a bit old. Please don't mind it."
The leader who had been speaking, seeing Xu Mu approaching him, nervously retrieved a furnace, half as tall as a person, from his spatial storage bag. It was covered in rust, clearly having been unused for a long time.
Xu Mu reached out and touched the furnace, then nodded.
"The medicinal ingredients."
The man was taken aback. "What kind of elixir are you refining? What ingredients do you need?"
Xu Mu pondered for a moment, then replied,
"All of them."
"Whatever medicinal ingredients you have, I'll take them."
"This… alright," the man said. Hearing this, he poured out all the spiritual herbs stored in his spatial storage bag as if spilling beans from a tube. Some were tied with ropes, others in boxes, but none were particularly valuable.
"Nightshade, sandalwood, thunder god vine… this aroma, it's white snow lotus."
Xu Mu gazed at the dazzling array of medicinal ingredients before him. Many were ones he had never seen in person, relying solely on the appearances and scents he had learned from his studies to identify them.
However, this act left everyone stunned.
The third-grade alchemist was utterly bewildered. He asked cautiously,
"You… what are you doing?"
Xu Mu didn't look at him, merely continuing to identify the herbs based on the knowledge he had learned from books, one by one.
He replied in passing,
"Identifying medicinal ingredients."
"Before refining, I need to know what these are."
The third-grade alchemist was speechless. He then asked with disbelief,
"You… you've never refined an elixir before?"
Xu Mu finished identifying the remaining ingredients in his hand, recalling their uses and medicinal properties for harmonization, and then looked up.
"No, I haven't. This will be my first time."
"A joke!" Xi Du couldn't help but exclaim.
He hasn't, but he's going to try? So it was just a trial run?
"Do you know what you're saying?"
Nan Feng's tone also began to turn unfriendly.
Was Xu Mu toying with them by attempting alchemy for the first time?
"Alchemy. What, you don't understand those two words?"
Xu Mu had fully embraced the role of the Alliance Leader. Thus, facing everyone's doubts, he replied indifferently, with considerable authority.
Nan Feng stared at Xu Mu's slightly graying eyes. Recalling all that Xu Mu had done, his imposing demeanor involuntarily weakened.
Feeling as if he were covered in thorns, he turned his head and said,
"I understand."
"It's just that, Alliance Leader Xu, alchemy is very difficult."
"We acknowledge your talent, but to attempt to refine a fourth-grade elixir on your first try, isn't that treating it too casually?"
The third-grade alchemist nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I've been stuck as a third-grade alchemist for five years, making no progress. In a fit of rage, I abandoned medicine for martial arts, which is why this alchemy furnace has been gathering dust for so many years."
Xu Mu's palm held the 'Li' trigram of the先天八卦 (Xiantian Bagua - Primordial Bagua). He then pointed his palm at the furnace and suddenly breathed out a ball of fire.
"Who said I was refining a fourth-grade elixir?"
"Does it mean that only a fourth-grade elixir can heal injuries?"
Xi Du scoffed upon hearing this.
"Alliance Leader Xu, isn't that common knowledge?"
Xu Mu shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"Let's start with you."
Xu Mu pointed at the third-grade alchemist and said,
"You were struck by a bronze scarlet crow's feather arrow in your Shaohai and Erbai acupoints on your arm. There is yin-attribute fire poison within, and as you circulated your energy, the poison has clearly spread throughout more than half your body."
"There are many ways to remove the poison. You can use the gentle nature of the Heavenly Snow Lotus, or the potent nature of the Sun Mushroom and the Thunder God Vine. Both are nemeses of yin fire poison."
Xi Du's face showed a more pronounced sneer upon hearing this.
"Alliance Leader Xu, although I don't understand medicine, it seems that what you're saying are merely basic medicinal principles, aren't they?"
Xu Mu nodded.
"So what if they are?"
Xi Du shook his head and replied, "It's nothing."
"I just want to remind Alliance Leader Xu that the path of medicine cannot be mastered by simply understanding the principles of mutual generation and restraint. This young brother here should know that better than I do."
The third-grade alchemist, hearing Xi Du mention him, also nodded.
"Yes, refining elixirs is very difficult. Knowing the medicinal principles is just the starting point."
"In addition, one must consider the dosage, and understand how different medicinal ingredients will change after going through various refining processes. These changes are almost uncontrollable due to too many external factors."
"These include, but are not limited to, the heat, the refining environment, the abundance of spatial energy, the furnace you are using, and even your state of mind and emotions."
Xu Mu listened to their lengthy explanations, his hands still busy.
He continuously threw spiritual herbs into the furnace.
Throughout this process, he relied almost entirely on visual cues to determine the dosage.
"I understand what you mean."
"But who says these dosages are uncontrollable?"
The third-grade alchemist, thinking Xu Mu was being presumptuous, felt a surge of anger, as if his good intentions had been thrown to the dogs.
"Does Alliance Leader Xu know all the variations of medicinal principles and foresee all possible scenarios?"
Xu Mu considered the question in his mind. The number of steps required for calculation seemed significantly less complex than that of the Xiantian Bagua. Thus, he nodded.
"I wouldn't dare say all."
"But with the dozens of ingredients you've laid out, I can control them."
The third-grade alchemist's expression changed again. Just as he was about to say something, he saw fire spewing from Xu Mu's palm.
*Hum!*
Xu Mu covered the furnace, his palm holding the 'Li' trigram. He lowered his body, directing the flames to the center beneath the furnace. Squinting, he visualized the changes happening to the medicinal ingredients within the alchemy furnace.
It was a mechanical, purely analytical thought process:
"I first placed a Snow Lotus weighing seven hundred and seventy grams. Its contact area with the furnace bottom is about sixteen square centimeters. The fire in my hand, after spraying one meter, reaches the furnace and then heats it to two thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven degrees..."
"As the Snow Lotus melts, the other medicinal ingredients will be subjected to varying degrees of heat. To expel the yin fire poison, I need to control the spiritual energy entering it, causing forty-two percent of the Snow Lotus's roots to evaporate, while the petals dissolve by five percent. The other medicinal ingredients will each require..."
Xu Mu squinted, constantly calculating in his mind the slightest movement of the medicinal ingredients in the furnace. Simultaneously, the angle, distance, and temperature of the flames he sprayed varied.
The medicinal ingredients within the furnace were also being enveloped and fused by varying amounts of spiritual energy.
Xu Mu's hands and eyes worked in tandem. Soon, large drops of sweat formed on his forehead. This task severely depleted his spiritual consciousness, no less than calculating the Bronze Scarlet Crow's attack routes!
After a short while, white mist began to rise from the furnace.
Xi Du and the others, standing in the light drizzle, watched Xu Mu's shifting figure as if they were looking at an idiot.
They had never seen anyone refine elixirs with such a peculiar posture.
Moreover, Xu Mu was actually focusing on refining an elixir?
"It's your first time refining an elixir, in the rain, and most importantly, you haven't put any water in your alchemy furnace."
Xi Du pointed at Xu Mu and laughed.
"If you can actually refine an elixir, I'll eat shit!"
Hearing this, Xu Mu's mental calculations ceased, as he knew it was time for the elixir to be extracted.
"Why do you all assume I'm refining an elixir?"
Xi Du frowned and asked,
"If it's not an elixir from an alchemy furnace, what else could you be making with so many medicinal ingredients? Are you cooking?"
Xu Mu shook his head, lifting the lid of the furnace.
Instantly, a fragrance that penetrated to the very bone spread through everyone's bodies, making them feel incredibly comfortable.
"It's not cooking. It's a medicinal broth."
Xu Mu picked up a twig, scooped out a dollop of thick medicinal broth, and held it before the third-grade alchemist's head, saying,
"Taste it."
"Be careful, it might be poisonous," Xi Du said with a cold smile.
"Forgive me for saying so, but the few ingredients you added just now are pharmacologically incompatible and will be toxic."
Even though the dark medicinal broth seemed fragrant, the third-grade alchemist dared not try it. He repeatedly waved his hands and retreated several steps.
Xu Mu heard him and calmly replied,
"Poison without considering dosage is just talk."
"And the medicinal incompatibility you mentioned, that would be the Sun Mushroom and White Snow Lotus, and the Thunder God Vine and Crimson Blood Grass, right?"
The third-grade alchemist was surprised that Xu Mu knew these things and asked,
"You know they conflict, yet you added them together?"
Xu Mu nodded.
"Of course."
"As long as the heat and spiritual energy are controlled properly, their medicinal effects, to the extent of... forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I explained."
"In short, I used a special method to control the proportions and convert the toxic parts."
"You only need to know that this medicinal broth can expel the yin fire poison from your body."
Hearing this, the third-grade alchemist shook his head, his expression one of seeing a ghost as he retreated several steps.
"I don't believe you. No matter how you explain, I won't believe it. It's impossible for anyone to achieve that level, not even my teacher's teacher!"
Seeing his extreme fear, Xu Mu no longer insisted.
He moved the wooden stick holding the dark medicinal broth to the side.
"Those of you who are poisoned by yin fire, or whose spiritual energy is in turmoil, can come and have a taste. The medicine will cure your ailments."
Staring at the dark medicinal broth on the stick, countless people recoiled in fear.
Even Changsun Wuji quickly avoided it, not daring to meet Xu Mu's gaze.
Faced with this situation, Xu Mu felt somewhat helpless. Why didn't these people believe him?
"Alas, if that's the case, there's nothing I can do to help you."
Xu Mu felt a pang of regret. No one ate it, and so many medicinal ingredients were wasted. What a pity.
But just then, Yin Zhongxiu, who had been silent, spoke.
"I'll eat it."
He walked out with a grave expression and took the heavily laden wooden stick from Xu Mu.
"Are you sure?"
Yan Yu asked incredulously. He also held little hope for Xu Mu.
Yin Zhongxiu looked at the dark medicinal broth before him and sensed the yin fire poison within his body that he could not expel. His eyes trembled slightly, and then he took a bite.
*Slurp!*
"Hmm… quite fragrant."
Yin Zhongxiu's complexion gradually improved, his expression no longer one of resignation.
Although the medicinal broth's appearance was unappealing, its taste was excellent, even more delicious than many delicacies he had eaten. It melted in his mouth, sweet and tasty.
Thus, Yin Zhongxiu quickly devoured the entire broth, as he was truly hungry.
"Prepare for the funeral," Xi Du said, seeing Yin Zhongxiu eat so heartily. He had felt a bit of craving at first, but then shook his head.
To think that a fool would actually eat it. Wasn't that equivalent to suicide?
"No!"
But very soon, Fang Jia exclaimed in surprise.
Because he saw that from Yin Zhongxiu's body, wisps of flame were slowly flowing out.
They emerged from the depths of his skin, then converged on the surface. Frightened, Yin Zhongxiu quickly brushed them away onto the ground.
*Sizzle!*
Fire met rainwater, producing a cloud of white mist.
"You scared me to death."
Yin Zhongxiu looked at the ground with a terrified expression. The next second, his entire body froze.
Fire flowed out from his body?
Fang Jia was silent, Yan Yu's pupils constricted, and Xi Du's mouth hung open.
All the power users present were instantly struck with shock. The third-grade alchemist even began to stutter.
"Th-this… this… this… is yin fire poison?"
"He ate a mouthful of your medicinal broth, and it forced the yin fire poison out of his body?!"
Hearing this, Xu Mu pondered for a moment and said,
"I have not seen what yin fire poison looks like."
"And if he doesn't have any other fire poison in his body."
"Then this should be yin fire poison."
...