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Chapter 160 The Tang Prince Displays His Alchemy Skills; The Precious Elixir in the Purple Gold Furnace is Finally Completed [Part Two]

After a moment, Helian Chengyu finally recovered from his daze.

Holding the gold medal certification in my hand, I examined it, gently stroking the floral patterns on it with my fingers.

He looked up at his brother and a thought struck him: "Xianzhi, are you perhaps trying to help me refine a Core Formation Elixir by taking out this token now?"

"Right on my mind."

Tang Hao nodded with a smile: "However, it still depends on your intentions. Is Ninth Brother looking for a court alchemist, or does he plan to entrust the task to [Danxiang Pavilion]?"

As the capital of a country, Shengjing naturally also had the Danxiang Pavilion.

However, the pavilion master sent by [Hundred Flowers Valley], although he was also a second-level alchemist, had little experience in refining core-forming spiritual medicines.

To commission a pill, one must first have it processed by an alchemist within the sect, and then wait a long time before receiving the pill.

Helian Chengyu seems to be in a hurry and probably won't choose this method. It's highly likely that he will choose an alchemist trained by the Helian family themselves.

Everything went exactly as he had expected.

"We found a veteran court alchemist." Helian Chengyu sighed softly. "He has refined many Core Formation elixirs, but he has no experience in refining the [Golden Liquid Jade Rejuvenation Pill] that I need."

Tang Hao thought to himself, "As expected, I had guessed that Ninth Brother was preparing to refine this pill."

Unlike the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is the only one available during Foundation Establishment, the types of Elixir of Core Formation are relatively numerous.

Each of the five elements has its own specific elixir, and there are many other varied elixirs as well.

Among these, the [Golden Elixir Jade Rejuvenation Pill] is naturally the most effective and applicable to any cultivation method. However, the main ingredients are also controlled by the sect, making it truly difficult to gather enough for a whole batch.

As for the others, if they match the attributes of one's own cultivation method, the effect is not too bad, and the cost will be much lower.

Upon hearing this, Tang Hao immediately said bluntly, "If that's the case, then Ninth Brother, why don't you let me refine it?"

"Although I also lack experience, the cultivation technique I practice significantly improves the success rate of pill formation, so I have a good chance of succeeding on the first try," he said confidently.

The "Hun Yuan Ba ​​Jing Zhen Jing" contains a great deal of content on alchemy, and the practice itself is good at harmonizing yin and yang and the five elements, which greatly helps in controlling the properties of medicines and the timing of fire when refining elixirs.

He had thought that Helian Chengyu would hesitate and consider it further.

Unexpectedly, the other party nodded in agreement without hesitation: "Then I'll trouble you, Xianzhi. I'll contact Elder Rui right away and have someone send the elixir over."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out the jade tablet and sent out several messages.

After he finished his work, Tang Hao said with a strange expression, "I thought I would have to ask about my experience in alchemy, but I didn't expect Ninth Brother to agree so easily."

"Hahaha!"

Helian Chengyu burst into hearty laughter, patted Tang Hao on the shoulder, and said, "Brother believes you!"

How can you not believe it?

Tang Hao was nearly a year younger than him and entered the Daoist path almost two years later, yet he only spent a little over half a year to reach a level comparable to Tang Hao's and even became a disciple of a True Monarch.

In such a short time, it would be insufficient even for cultivation, yet Tang Hao achieved extraordinary success in alchemy.

"This is a gold-level alchemist! Even if it's only at the first level, it's still incredibly impressive. My Helian clan has trained so many alchemists since the founding of the nation, yet not a single one has ever received this honor."

His gaze as he looked at his brother was filled with amazement, and he even had a touch of blind faith in his heart.

It didn't take long.

The two brothers were chatting about their recent lives when they heard hurried footsteps.

Before the person had even appeared, an aged voice had already drifted in.

"Ninth Prince, the medicinal herbs used in the [Golden Elixir Jade Rejuvenation Pill] are extremely precious. How can it be entrusted to others for refining so casually? I beg Your Highness to rescind your order!"

Immediately afterward, unable to wait for an audience, he pushed open the door to the tea room.

Xuan Ying, Jiu Nu, and the others, who had already been informed, did not stop the other party.

Tang Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old woman in a white robe rushing in.

The moment the other person appeared, a scrutinizing gaze fell upon him.

"Could this be your newly chosen alchemist?"

After a thorough examination, the old woman sensed the vibrant energy emanating from Tang Hao and the young man's unrestrained demeanor, and her all-white eyebrows immediately furrowed tightly.

She bowed deeply and advised, "Alchemy is no child's play. This person is so young, how much experience can he possibly have? I urge Your Highness to reconsider!"

Upon seeing this, Tang Hao raised an eyebrow slightly but did not speak, indicating that Helian Chengyu should handle it.

"Elder Rui, don't underestimate Tang Hao just because he's young. His mastery of alchemy is extremely profound. I trust him completely with the task of refining pills." Helian Chengyu said gently, without taking offense.

While speaking, she secretly transmitted a message to Tang Hao: "I didn't expect this old lady to come here on her own. She is the one who refines and supplies the pills I need every day. If she offends me with her words, please don't blame her too much."

Knowing his ninth brother's temperament, Tang Hao nodded slightly in agreement.

"Tang Hao?" The old woman's expression shifted, her gaze sweeping over the two of them before she exclaimed in realization, "So it's the heir of the Duke of Rong."

Upon recognizing him, the old woman showed no respect whatsoever; instead, her face revealed displeasure.

"If I remember correctly, the young master has poor talent and has only been on the path of cultivation for a little over half a year. He would have difficulty even guiding Qi into his body, so how could he have any expertise in alchemy?" The old woman directly confronted Tang Hao.

She then launched another attack on Helian Chengyu: "Your Highness, do you not trust me? Using the Crown Prince as a pretext is going a bit too far, isn't it?"

Helian Rui considered herself unmatched in alchemy among the royal family, so she naturally wouldn't easily let go of this rare opportunity to refine the [Golden Elixir Jade Rejuvenation Pill], and her words were unintentionally sharp.

Helian Chengyu looked at Tang Hao and saw him nod slightly, so he said in a deep voice, "The Crown Prince's inferior talent is just a misjudgment. The Golden Elixir Jade Rejuvenation Pill is related to the formation of the core. How could I, Your Highness, joke about such a thing?"

"Misjudgment?"

A look of astonishment flashed across Helian Rui's aged face. Only then did she realize that the white robe Tang Hao was wearing was the standard Daoist robe of an inner disciple of the Qinghua Sect.

Subconsciously, she extended her divine sense and scanned him, but she couldn't see through his cultivation level.

'I am at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, yet I cannot see through the young master's cultivation. Could it be that he, like the Ninth Prince, has already advanced to the late-Foundation Establishment stage?'

Upon thinking this, she broke out in a cold sweat.

The status of an alchemist is indeed not low in the Dongling royal family. If her sudden questioning of the Ninth Prince is true, it can be considered as frank advice, and His Highness will not blame her too much.

But the current situation clearly contradicts what she said, which makes her seem like she is abusing her seniority and is suspected of being disrespectful.

'By the way, his mastery of alchemy!'

Helian Rui's eyes lit up, and she said repeatedly, "I was presumptuous. Your Highness's cultivation surpasses mine, and you are indeed exceptionally talented. However, your alchemy skills are ultimately different..."

Before she could finish speaking, the Ninth Prince picked up a plaque and threw it onto the table in front of her.

There was a "呯啷" sound.

Upon seeing the sign clearly, the sound seemed to strike her heart, causing her to tremble.

The words "First-Tier Alchemist" and "Tang Hao" weren't anything special; the key point was that the sign was actually gold.

"A gold-medal alchemist?" Helian Rui looked at Tang Hao in disbelief, her face turning ashen.

This gold medal certification is indeed Tier 1, but it doesn't necessarily mean the other party is at Tier 2 level. It might just prove Tang Hao's talent in alchemy.

Geniuses never reason with mediocre people.

She has been cultivating for over a hundred years, but her cultivation level is stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

But what about Tang Hao? In just over half a year, he reached a level that she could only dream of.

As for top-grade pills, she hadn't seen a single one after refining pills for so many years, while the other party had easily refined at least three batches.

'Compared in this way, our skill levels may be roughly equal, but his talent is an insurmountable chasm for me. It's understandable that the Ninth Prince chose him.' She could understand, but the resentment in her heart made her breathing become disordered.

Seeing this, Tang Hao flicked his finger, and the [Heart-Cleansing Mantra] was slapped away. After a long while, the old woman's breathing finally calmed down.

Helian Rui sighed and bowed deeply to the two of them: "Thank you, Your Highness. I was too stubborn. Your Highness, I have no objection to entrusting the matter of alchemy to you."

Helian Chengyu nodded in satisfaction and was about to say something when he heard the old woman speak up and make a request.

"I humbly request Your Highness or the Crown Prince to allow me to observe the refining of the Golden Elixir Jade Rejuvenation Pill."

Without hastily agreeing, Helian Chengyu looked at his brother and asked, "What does Xianzhi think?"

"can."

Tang Hao casually agreed and took the storage bag containing the spiritual medicine from the old woman who had regained her smile.

After checking it over, he nodded: "The items are correct. It's getting late today, and I've been traveling for several days. I need to adjust my condition and start refining the pills tomorrow."

"Don't we need to prepare for a couple more days?" Helian Chengyu was taken aback. "Also, doesn't Xianzhi plan to go home and visit first?"

"Need not."

Tang Hao carefully put away all the medicinal herbs and shook his head, saying, "After refining the pills, I have other things to do. It's not too late to go back in a couple of days."

Silent all night.

The next morning, the three of them gathered in a quiet room used for alchemy.

Tang Hao wasn't truly tired after waiting another night.

Instead, they wanted to wait for the advertising space to be restored, and try to keep the rarer ones from this batch of elixirs as samples.

"The [Golden Elixir Jade Restoration Pill] requires more types of medicinal herbs than the [Foundation Building Pill]. Fortunately, after two days, nearly half of the genuine herbs have been replaced, and the rest can be easily purchased at the market."

With a thought running through his mind, he nodded in satisfaction and divided the medicinal herbs in front of him into several portions.

His gaze, however, involuntarily fell upon one of the golden Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms: 'Especially the [Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma], this is a top-tier third-grade item; using it to refine a second-grade Core Formation elixir is truly a waste.'

The "Eight Views of Primordial Chaos True Scripture" records a pill formula used to enhance cultivation in the Core Formation stage. Its main ingredient is the Jade Marrow Golden Fungus.

'Items corresponding to the Core Formation level have a cooldown period of up to one year. With this pill formula, there's no need to worry about slow growth during the cooldown period of the [Cultivation Doubling Technique].'

After the medicinal herbs were sorted, Tang Hao waved his sleeve lightly, and a purple-gold alchemy furnace suddenly landed on the ground.

This furnace is named the [Purple Gold Fiery Cloud Treasure Furnace]. It was not a gift from my master and mistress when I became an apprentice. Rather, like the [Escape Navigation Tool], it was a reward obtained during a ten-pull gacha.

"Speaking of which, my masters and the others probably don't know about my achievements in alchemy."

After obtaining their professional certification, alchemists are required to register themselves with the Hall of Ancestral Affairs. He has never paid attention to this matter, so it is likely that his reputation as a top-notch alchemist has not yet reached the ears of the True Lord.

Thinking this, Tang Hao looked at the alchemy furnace, and an information interface popped up.

"【Purple-Gold Fiery Cloud Treasure Furnace】: Superior-grade Magic Treasure"

"Treasure Characteristics: This treasure gathers auspicious purple-gold clouds as a furnace and uses the fire of the nine heavens as its flame. When using this treasure furnace to refine elixirs and miraculous medicines, the success rate is increased, and the medicinal properties and quality are enhanced."

"Nourishing Elixir: The treasure furnace contains a miniature space that can slowly nourish the elixir. After a long period of nourishment, some of the elixir's toxins can be removed, further enhancing the elixir's medicinal properties and quality."

Note: Elixirs refined in this furnace have the best nurturing effect; those not produced in this furnace will have half the nurturing effect.

He cast the hand seals, activated the alchemy furnace, and threw all the medicinal herbs into it.

This was the first time he had used this precious furnace to refine elixirs.

The divine imprint left during the refining process, the system reward items, and their inherent connection.

The combination of the two gave him a sense of effortless control, as if he could use his own limbs.

'In the past, I've only won items in lotteries; this is my first magical artifact. I never expected it to be so wondrous.'

Tang Hao sighed inwardly, as he experienced the insights into alchemy that arose in his heart when the spiritual herbs were fused together.

Unbeknownst to him, he used the "Eight Primordial Scenery True Scripture" to harmonize Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and his mind and spirit were completely immersed in the process of refining the elixir.

After entering the quiet room and greeting the Ninth Prince and the Heir Apparent of the Duke of Rongguo, Helian Rui remained silent, focusing all her attention on the process of refining the elixir.

At first, she didn't think much of it, except for the purple-gold magic treasure alchemy furnace, which made her envious. Everything else seemed normal.

'The Crown Prince's handling of medicinal herbs is indeed skillful; however, when it comes to the integration of their medicinal properties, he is noticeably less adept.'

That's quite normal; everyone goes through this the first time they try to make a certain kind of elixir.

However, such performance is somewhat mismatched for a genius in alchemy.

She observed herself secretly, comparing herself to the past. The confidence that had been shattered yesterday was gradually recovering, and her thoughts began to wander, no longer as focused as before.

"The adaptation process isn't much faster than mine," Helian Rui said, almost imperceptibly, pursing her lips. "At this rate, this whole batch of pills might be ruined!"

She glanced at the Ninth Prince without making a sound; he was staring intently at the alchemy furnace.

But the old woman knew that the other party was not skilled in alchemy, and that his appearance was simply due to nervousness.

She couldn't help but feel a little smug: 'Such a fine furnace, and you've only managed to refine a batch of useless pills. Your Highness will regret it. If it were me, I might have had a better chance of success.'

'I, this old woman, am at least 20%, no, 30% confident. And the young master? 10%? Heh heh, it's truly rare to see a genius suffer such a setback. Just watch…'

As she pondered this in her mind, Helian Rui's cloudy eyes suddenly widened, and she couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "How is this possible?"

"Silence!"

A stern and cold rebuke entered her mind.

The old woman was startled and turned her head to look, only to see the Ninth Prince staring at her with displeasure.

She quickly pursed her lips and silently turned her attention back to the heir of the Duke of Rongguo.

Tang Hao's alchemy techniques flowed smoothly and effortlessly.

He controlled the rhythm of the medicinal properties' fusion as if it were an instinct, and the changes in the heat were also controlled at will as he made hand seals.

'How could this be? He was so inexperienced just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, everything changed?'

Helian Rui was utterly astonished. This level of familiarity was far beyond what someone who had just begun to understand the pill formula could achieve: 'Could it be that this batch of pills is really going to succeed?'

For a moment, she was overwhelmed with complex emotions and felt tormented.

They eagerly awaited the completion of the elixir, yet secretly prayed for its failure.

And so, the old woman endured more than two hours of torment.

"open!"

Suddenly, Tang Hao let out a soft shout and cast the [Collect Pill Technique].

The lid of the purple-gold treasure furnace opened with a sound, and several pills, enveloped in light, fell into the pill bottle in his hand.

A series of crisp "clinking" sounds rang out.

Tang Hao's hand trembled with magical power, and he deliberately dispersed the hand seal.

Six round pills revealed their true form.

Helian Chengyu ran up excitedly and stared at the pill bottle for a long time.

Then he looked at his brother and asked, "How is it? Did it work? It should be successful, right?"

Signaling him to calm down, Tang Hao used the "Medicine Testing Technique".

(End of this chapter)