[A/N: Do you think the pace is good, or is it too slow? I don't know if it's because I'm the author, but it feels like there's something missing. I don't know if it's the pace or what... If it's good, let me know, and I'll keep it that way.]
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Xiang Yun and Xiao Ning'er had talked for a while before she returned to class. Meanwhile, Xiang Yun stayed behind in the library. His mind was absorbing the Basic Path of Alchemy like a dry sponge soaking up water.
The Basic Path of Alchemy didn't just cover the first steps and soul force control—it also listed over three hundred thousand common herbs that needed to be memorized.
"Three hundred thousand herbs? Who in their right mind took the time to test all of them?" He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Of course, he knew this book was compiled after years and years of research. It wasn't done by a single person.
If it were the Xiang Yun from his past life, he wouldn't have been able to memorize even a hundred, let alone three hundred thousand herbs. Fortunately, his memory in this world was exceptional, and within a few hours, he had already memorized over ten thousand medicinal herbs.
In his previous life, he could barely name ten plants from his backyard, but now? Now his mind felt like a living archive, absorbing every detail with terrifying ease.
Unlike Inscription Patterns, which required dozens or thousands of specific strokes, blood, and special materials remembered down to the last detail, alchemy was much more "simple," relying mainly on knowledge of herbs and precise control over one's soul force.
Xiang Yun knew that both alchemy and inscription mastery would be just as important—if not more—than his actual cultivation level in the future.
If well-learned, these two professions would open up countless opportunities for massive trade and strong relationships, both now and later. That's why he decided that, aside from his morning cultivation, he would spend most of his days mastering both.
Xiang Yun leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting toward the library ceiling. If I master this… and inscriptions too… I won't necessarily fall behind Nie Li in the future. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the page of the book.
No—I need to act quickly. Based on what I know so far, especially considering Xiao Ning'er's illness, Nie Li is still far from waking up—at least two months away. I'll become an alchemist master and reach Silver Rank as a spiritualist before then.
With that decision, Xiang Yun began gathering the books scattered around him. Soon after, he left the library and headed toward the Alchemist Guild building. He wasn't going to register as an alchemist like Nie Li had, but he did want to buy a pill cauldron and some herbs.
Besides that, Yang Xin was there. And if possible, he wanted her by his side. She had far too much potential to be so overlooked by Nie Li in the novel. Not to mention, she was a beautiful, mature MILF.
Xiang Yun smiled at the thought, already imagining those massive breasts he'd only ever read about in the novel. But with his current knowledge, it'd probably be difficult to find her there.
He didn't walk long—just about two hundred meters—before arriving at a massive structure.
The Alchemist Association was a colossal building. Even just the courtyard pavilion took up an enormous space. Out front, numerous alchemists in differently colored robes were coming and going.
Even though the Alchemist Association had declined a bit, one could still see how glorious it once was, just from the magnificence of the structure. Sadly, as time passed, people began to focus solely on their personal strength, causing the alchemy profession to gradually decline.
Xiang Yun entered the building and approached a counter. Behind it sat a pretty young woman with red hair. When she saw him coming, she stood up immediately with a smile and said, "Hello, my name is Xiao Lan. It's an honor to serve you."
"I'm here to buy some medicinal herbs and also a pill cauldron. May I ask if that's possible?" Xiang Yun asked, smiling gently at the girl, who blushed a little.
However, Xiao Lan's expression quickly turned blank. She had worked there for over two years, and yet she had never heard such a request. This was the Alchemist Association, not a tool shop.
She was momentarily confused before saying, "Customer, I'm sorry—I'm not sure about that. Please wait a moment, I'll ask someone else for you."
"That's fine." Xiang Yun nodded. If he were at home, he could just take a Bronze-ranked cauldron or two, but since he was away and didn't want to waste time, he decided to spend some money to save time.
After a while, he noticed Xiao Lan returning with a middle-aged man, who looked to be around thirty, walking toward him.
"You're the one looking to buy the materials?" the middle-aged man asked, looking at Xiang Yun with clear curiosity. It wasn't unusual, but someone this young was rarely interested in raw materials—most would only ask about ready-made pills.
"That's right," Xiang Yun nodded, unsure why the question was necessary. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Oh no, of course not." The man smiled. "Sorry for the delay. These days, not many people come here to buy materials directly, so our Xiao Lan didn't know how to handle it."
Xiao Lan blushed in embarrassment and bowed in apology to Xiang Yun.
Xiang Yun smiled and waved it off, saying there was no problem.
The man nodded in satisfaction and gestured deeper into the Association. "Come with me. I'll take you to the section where you can choose your cauldron and also the herbs you need."
"Ah, yes, you've come to the right place. In this part of the city, there aren't many shops that sell alchemical furnaces, but this is the best place to meet your needs. I hope we have what you're looking for. Please, follow me," the man said with a laugh.
Xiang Yun raised an eyebrow but followed him. "May I ask—are you gathering materials yourself, or did your master send you?" the man asked, walking one step ahead of Xiang Yun, hands behind his back as if making casual conversation.
Xiang Yun glanced at him briefly, certain they'd never met, and replied with little emotion, "Yes. My master is in closed-door cultivation, so he asked me to fetch some materials. He should be done in about three months."
The man nodded, but his mind was racing. From the moment he saw this youth, he knew he wasn't ordinary.
His appearance, clothing, even his mannerisms didn't resemble any common teenager. Besides, an alchemy furnace was expensive—this kid was probably from a powerful or wealthy family.
Naturally, he wanted to gather information and maybe build a good relationship with someone influential.
"I see. And could you tell me your esteemed master's name? Perhaps I know him…" he asked, turning down a hallway to the right.
Ah, so that's what this is about… Xiang Yun smiled, amusement flickering across his lips.
"I doubt it. My master has been in seclusion for years doing research and focusing on cultivation. He doesn't keep up with this generation's affairs. Maybe if it's your great-grandfather, he might've heard of him," Xiang Yun said with a fake sigh.
The man nodded, believing that at least two of his guesses were correct, and finally stopped pressing the matter.
They passed several private rooms and entered one of the many chambers on the north side. The room wasn't that large—about fifteen meters deep, eight meters wide, and five meters high.
Xiang Yun immediately noticed hundreds of alchemy furnaces on the shelves, each varying greatly in size, design, and color. Some were taller than him, others were no bigger than a small bucket.
"This shelf holds some of the best furnaces we have—Bronze Rank," the man said, then walked to the other side of the room. "If none of these satisfy you, here are the Silver and Gold Rank furnaces." He pointed to another shelf, where the cauldrons were clearly of higher quality.
"The internal molds are all basically the same. Don't worry about their ability to withstand high temperatures—they're all inscribed with the best fire and durability inscriptions. The mold materials are specially reinforced, so there's no risk of explosion."
Xiang Yun examined a few of them and, as expected, the materials were indeed high quality. However, the same couldn't be said for the formations.
Fortunately, he knew some better fire type inscriptions, so he could always replace the existing inscriptions later, as long as he found the right materials. But just for starting out in alchemy, these cauldrons were already quite good.
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[A/N: I publish the chapter and review it once it's ready. If there's something wrong, I'll fix it little by little. So don't mind if there's a strange error, but you can comment to let me know! Thanks!]