Gu Master Era: My Toad Swallowed the School Beauty at the Beginning

Wang Xiao set up the alchemy furnace and fumbled around, saying, "I'll refine a furnace of pills to test my skills. Zhong Pangzi, you'll be my assistant!"

Zhong Li: "What the... You're using me as a laborer? Let's get one thing straight, I need extra money!"

"Extra your sister! Tell me, what's the first step in refining pills?"

"Start the fire!"

Wang Xiao immediately did as he was told, grabbing a few handfuls of charcoal from the box and piling them under the alchemy furnace.

Zhong Li said with a pained expression, "That's enough, that's enough. You're a newbie, refining entry-level pills. Two or three pieces of charcoal are enough. This is specially made spirit wood charcoal. One piece costs one spirit stone. Putting too much is a waste."

Wang Xiao nodded, took out the extra charcoal from under the alchemy furnace, and then started to light it.

This spirit wood charcoal ignited instantly upon contact with fire, and the firepower was sufficient. One piece could burn for two or three hours.

After Wang Xiao lit the charcoal, he took a pill formula that Zhong Li had brought over from the side. This was an entry-level pill called "Body Strengthening Pill." The pill wasn't very useful, and the refining difficulty wasn't high either, because the refining materials were cheap. Alchemy apprentices usually used this kind of pill to practice.

He compared it with the pill formula, took out the required medicinal materials for refining pills, and placed them on the shelf next to the alchemy furnace. Then he handed the pill formula to Zhong Li: "You read it for me!"

Zhong Li was baffled: "What do you need me to read it for?"

"You read, and I'll refine the pill according to the steps recorded in the pill formula!"

Zhong Li rolled his eyes: "Please, if you want to refine pills, you should at least memorize the pill formula first. Who refines pills while reading the formula? If you can refine pills like this, I'll eat the alchemy furnace!"

"Enough nonsense, read! You just wait to eat the alchemy furnace!"

Zhong Li was amused: "Okay! I want to see how you'll make me eat the alchemy furnace!"

Then, he began to read according to the pill formula.

"Body Strengthening Pill: Take seven stalks of Bone Strengthening Grass, three stalks of Blood Supplementing Grass, one stalk of Qi Boosting Grass, and soak them in spring water for later use..."

Wang Xiao quickly poured the spring water into the container, and took the herbs that Zhong Li read out, and put them in to soak.

Zhong Li: "Heat the alchemy furnace until it emits green smoke, take three taels of 'Dan Stone' and put it into the furnace..."

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li: "After the 'Dan Stone' is refined into Dan liquid, add nine qian of Ice Stone to lower the temperature of the Dan liquid..."

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li: "Take out the prepared Bone Strengthening Grass, Blood Supplementing Grass, and Qi Boosting Grass, and put them into the Dan liquid in order..."

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li: "After the Bone Strengthening Grass, Blood Supplementing Grass, and Qi Boosting Grass are refined into juice, add nine qian of Ice Stone to lower the temperature of the alchemy furnace..."

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li: "Take one portion of the pill condensing agent, put it into the alchemy furnace, and rotate the alchemy furnace to fully stir it evenly..."

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li: "Close the alchemy furnace, halve the fire temperature under the furnace, rotate the alchemy furnace, sense the state of the medicine in the furnace, wait for its medicinal juice to solidify, shape it with spiritual power to make it into a pill shape, let the alchemy furnace stand for a quarter of an hour, so that the pill absorbs enough pill energy, then the pill is refined, open the furnace to take the pill at the right time! Done!"

Wang Xiao did as he was told!

Zhong Li asked with a smile, "How is it?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "It's done!"

Zhong Li didn't believe it: "You're just bragging! This Body Strengthening Pill looks simple, but even with alchemy talent, it's hard to refine without dozens or hundreds of practices. Especially the last few steps, after sealing the alchemy furnace, all operations depend on feeling! My master who taught me alchemy said at the time that this is called 'Dan Sense'. People without Dan Sense refine pills like blind people touching an elephant, and they will never be able to refine pills. During this period, if there is a slight error, a furnace of pills will be wasted..."

Wang Xiao said very seriously: "I have a lot of Dan Sense! I feel that the pills in the furnace have already been refined!"

Zhong Li chuckled: "Are you kidding me?"

Wang Xiao educated him with an experienced air: "Young man, don't be impatient. Didn't the pill formula say that after standing for a quarter of an hour, let the pill absorb enough pill energy, then you can open the furnace to take the pill. Success or failure will be revealed!"

Zhong Li gritted his teeth: "Okay! Wait a quarter of an hour, and when the alchemy furnace is opened, I'll see what you have to say!"

A quarter of an hour later!

Zhong Li said: "A quarter of an hour is up!"

Wang Xiao sat still: "Wait a little longer!"

"Didn't you say a quarter of an hour?"

"The pill formula is dead, but people are alive! The heat of each furnace of pills is different, the age and weight of the medicinal materials are different, and the time for absorbing pill energy is naturally different. A quarter of an hour is just the standard. Sometimes you have to open the furnace a little earlier, sometimes you have to open the furnace a little later. Now the pill hasn't absorbed enough pill energy, of course you have to wait!"

Zhong Li snorted: "How do you know that the pill energy hasn't been absorbed enough?"

Wang Xiao: "This is the 'Dan Sense' you said. Knowing is knowing, I can't explain it!"

Zhong Li: "Whatever you say, how much longer do we have to wait now?"

Wang Xiao moved his nose and said, "It's okay now. I smell the pill energy starting to overflow, which means the pill has absorbed enough pill energy and can be opened!"

Zhong Li took a deep breath, but didn't smell any pill energy at all.

Wang Xiao had already stepped forward to open the alchemy furnace.

Suddenly, a burst of pill fragrance permeated out.

Wang Xiao slapped the alchemy furnace hard, and a series of pills were blown out. Wang Xiao casually took a box next to him to catch them, and the pills fell into the box one by one.

Zhong Li snatched the box, picked up a scalding hot pill and threw it into his mouth.

After a while, he said in disbelief: "It's... it's really refined!"

Wang Xiao patted him: "Hey, what did you say before refining the pill? If I refine the pill, you'll eat the..."

Zhong Li hugged Wang Xiao's thigh: "Hero, please accept my knee..."

Wang Xiao kicked him away: "Stop it! Quickly eat the alchemy furnace, and after you eat it, don't forget to compensate me with one that's the same!"

Zhong Li grabbed the Body Strengthening Pill's pill formula and ate it with lightning speed: "I, Zhong Li, always do what I say. I said I'd eat the pill formula, so I ate the pill formula!"

"That's not right, you said you'd eat the alchemy furnace!"

"Brother Xiao, you must have misheard! I said the pill formula!"

Wang Xiao rolled his eyes at him, not bothering to argue with him: "You have to compensate me for eating my pill formula! Compensate me with ten other pill formulas!"

Zhong Li smiled: "No problem, I can compensate you with a hundred! Brother Xiao, I suddenly thought of a way to make money. I'll provide the materials, and you'll refine the pills. I'll take the refined pills to sell, and we'll split the profits fifty-fifty!"

Wang Xiao shook his head: "Don't think I don't know anything! Other alchemists and shops split the profits seventy-thirty, with the alchemist taking seventy percent!"

"Big brother, that's the split taken by third-grade and above alchemists!"

"Heh! Third-grade alchemists, are they very powerful? I'm not one now, but do you think I can't become a third-grade alchemist!"

Zhong Li was silent.

He was frightened by Wang Xiao's alchemy talent.

All indications showed that Wang Xiao was touching the alchemy furnace for the first time, his alchemy techniques were also very unfamiliar, and his way of refining pills was even more incredible, actually having someone else read the pill formula to refine pills!

In this way, he actually refined the pill in one go!

This made Zhong Li start to doubt life!

Could it be that there really are such monstrous geniuses in the world?

After Zhong Li's shock, he quickly came back to his senses. As someone who aspired to become a great businessman, he deeply knew the role of a genius alchemist. The benefits that could be obtained from having a good relationship with such an alchemist were unimaginable.

After only hesitating for a moment, he showed a flattering smile: "Brother Xiao, let's do as you said, we'll split the profits seventy-thirty, you take the bigger share! Let's work together, dominate the alchemy world, what do you think?"

Wang Xiao smiled, noncommittally!

His journey was not in the alchemy world, but on the path of the Gu Master.

He would never forget that in the Gu Master world, strength was paramount. Without strength, everything was illusory!

Even if you are the number one alchemist in the world, what if you can't beat others and they want to kill you?

Alchemy was just an auxiliary tool for him to become the strongest in the Gu Master world. If refining pills delayed his cultivation, it would be putting the cart before the horse!

However, he did not reject Zhong Li's cooperation proposal. He needed a business partner to help him purchase alchemy materials, sell pills, and find and purchase various needed resources. This could save him a lot of time to use for cultivation!

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