Chapter 4943 — The Dinner Invitation

But if the two refining methods turned out to be fundamentally different, then there would be no point even in trying. Even if he set his disciple Qing Xuanzi to attempt the refinement, the odds of success would likely be far greater than his own, his so-called master's—for in terms of pure alchemical skill, Qing Xuanzi was in truth far stronger than Wei Zhao, lacking only a divine alchemical cauldron like the Shennong Cauldron.

Zhuang Yifan waited at his side, not daring to disturb him. After a moment Wei Zhao suddenly furrowed his brow and gave a low cry of surprise: "Hm? Metal, wood, and earth—three elemental attributes?"

"What is it? Has Master Lin discovered some problem?" Zhuang Yifan's heart skipped a beat and he asked at once.

"It is no great problem, not really…" Wei Zhao shook his head thoughtfully, but did not continue.

Zhuang Yifan assumed that Wei Zhao was not confident of refining the Earth-Solidifying Pill, and at once put on a placating smile to console him. "A pill like the Earth-Solidifying Pill is far too obscure a specialty. It is only natural that even Master Lin might fail in refining it, and if even Master Lin cannot manage it, then anyone else would fare little better."

He was terrified that Wei Zhao might judge the difficulty too great and change his mind on the spot, refusing to refine it for him. That the Earth-Solidifying Pill was exceedingly rare was simple fact; even the Xuan-rank first-grade alchemists of the Xuan-rank sea regions might not be certain of success, for demand for the Earth-Solidifying Pill was so slight that the vast majority of alchemists had never refined one at all, and so no one could guarantee a success rate.

For Zhuang Yifan, success or failure was in truth a secondary matter; what mattered was whether some Xuan-rank first-grade alchemist was willing to help at all. After all, once the furnace was lit and the work begun, even one who had never refined such a pill before had some chance of success—but if no one would lend a hand, then there was not even half a chance.

"Ha ha, with those words from Chairman Zhuang, I am reassured." Wei Zhao gave a noncommittal smile at this. In truth, that earlier cry of surprise had not meant he was unable to refine it; rather, he had discovered in the pill formula a fundamental difference between Xuan-rank pills and Yellow-rank pills.

As everyone knew, Yellow-rank pills imposed no particular requirement on an alchemist's spiritual-root attributes—any alchemist of the corresponding grade could refine them. But Xuan-rank pills were utterly different: not only did they demand greater alchemical skill, but each Xuan-rank pill had its own distinct attribute requirements.

Take this Earth-Solidifying Pill: what its refinement required was not merely the most basic alchemical fire, but also the complementary harmonizing of true qi of the attributes matching its ingredients—metal, wood, and earth, not one of which could be dispensed with. Otherwise, no matter how profound one's alchemical attainment, the final step could never yield a pill.

Wei Zhao nodded inwardly. Compared with Yellow-rank pills, the refining of Xuan-rank pills was plainly far more intricate and abstruse, and because each pill's requirements for spiritual-root attributes differed so greatly, an entirely new and formidable threshold had appeared out of nowhere. He surmised that many Xuan-rank first-grade alchemists could likely refine only a few certain kinds of pills, and were helpless before any whose attributes did not match their own.

In truth, Wei Zhao knew only one side of the matter and not the other. It was true that Xuan-rank pills carried attribute requirements, but this threshold was not absolutely rigid. To become a Xuan-rank alchemist, one had to master a certain advanced technique unique to alchemists—namely, simulating true qi of all the basic elemental attributes at once during the refining process.

Only thus could one satisfy the refining conditions of the vast majority of Xuan-rank pills. Otherwise, if one truly relied solely on one's own spiritual-root attributes, then more than half of all Xuan-rank pills would have been lost to the ages. Take the Earth-Solidifying Pill: it required metal, wood, earth, and fire spiritual-root attributes all at once, and the refiner had to be a Xuan-rank alchemist besides—how many such people could be found in all the world?

Only by mastering the advanced technique of simultaneously simulating true qi of all the basic elemental attributes could one meet the threshold for refining most Xuan-rank pills; otherwise it was sheer nonsense.

This was the compulsory introductory course for Xuan-rank alchemists. Without mastering this advanced technique, one could never hope to become a Xuan-rank alchemist—no depth of seniority, no wealth of experience, would avail. It was a chasm fixed between Yellow-rank and Xuan-rank alchemists, one that many Yellow-rank seventh-grade alchemists could never cross in their whole lives, and could only gaze upon with sighs.

In fact, not only Xuan-rank alchemists—many Yellow-rank alchemists too had mastered a similar technique. Elder Bai had once said that by converting through the proper oral formulas, one could achieve the effect of simulating alchemical fire; an alchemist without water spiritual roots, for instance, could simulate and catalyze water-attribute alchemical fire. But such a technique allowed only a single simulation; to simulate several attributes at once was impossible. The two were as different as heaven and earth.

It was just as a schoolchild can effortlessly master arithmetic yet stands utterly daunted before higher mathematics: the two techniques might seem alike in essence, but in truth a vast and insurmountable threshold lay between them.

And a mere single simulation was plainly insufficient to meet the demands of Xuan-rank pill refinement. Any given Xuan-rank pill called for several attributes at once—how could single simulation possibly cope?

Anyone else wishing to become a Xuan-rank alchemist would have to cultivate this compulsory introductory course to consummate perfection, yet Wei Zhao was an exception.

Before this he had never even heard of it, and so naturally did not possess this advanced technique—but then he had no need of it at all, for he was himself a freak with all eight spiritual-root attributes, and so by nature satisfied the refining conditions of more than nine out of ten Xuan-rank pills. This threshold that left others gazing in awe was to him as good as nonexistent.

Though Zhuang Yifan was a great expert of the late Heaven-Opening stage, he was no alchemist, and so naturally understood none of the intricacies involved. Hearing Wei Zhao speak thus, he breathed a great sigh of relief; whatever the case, it was enough that the man had agreed to help.

"Whether this attempt succeeds or not, this Zhuang thanks Master Lin in advance. I have already ordered a banquet prepared to welcome Master Lin and wash away the dust of his journey. As for the alchemy, there is no hurry—Master Lin may well rest and recover for a time first." Though inwardly frantic with anxiety, Zhuang Yifan dared not show the slightest sign of haste, and instead appeared thoroughly considerate. "Having just come out from the Giant's Path, and then fighting a bout with the likes of Zang Zili, Master Lin must be weary, surely?"

"Ha ha, then I shall put Chairman Zhuang to the trouble. I will come this evening." Wei Zhao smiled faintly, and simply passed over the latter question in silence. Were he to speak the truth, he truly feared it would wound Zhuang Yifan's pride; better to keep a low profile.