The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

"You want to learn alchemy?"

Xue Zhiwei looked at Zhou Heng and couldn't help but say, "With your talent in martial arts, there's no need to waste your time on alchemy..."

As soon as she said those words, Xue Zhiwei regretted it.

Xue Zhiwei, why don't you ever learn from your mistakes?

You advised Zhou Heng against cultivating immortal techniques before, and what happened?

Instead of wasting time, they made great strides on their path to becoming celestial officials.

Now, the cultivation levels of other people's celestial officials are all higher than mine.

Why would you advise such a genius to do anything?

Let him play if he wants to.

To put it bluntly, even if Zhou Heng's cultivation level can never be improved in the future, his current level is something that many people can never reach in their entire lives.

No, it's something most people will never achieve in their lifetime.

Martial arts level three.

All the warriors in the Guardian Division fight every day, all for that one sliver of opportunity.

Even so, the number of people who can actually break through to the upper three ranks is very small.

Even among those commanders, who dares to say that they will definitely have a chance to break through to the second rank in this lifetime?

Ninety-nine percent of them will definitely waste their lives in the third rank realm.

Zhou Heng, at less than twenty years old, had already walked a path that others would take a lifetime to complete.

If he wants to learn alchemy, then let him learn it.

So what if I don't learn anything worthwhile?

"I only have a rudimentary understanding of alchemy."

Xue Zhiwei pondered for a moment and said, "I can teach you some basics. If you really want to learn alchemy, I can ask my grandfather to teach you."

"You go first. If I don't have the talent for alchemy, then there's no need to trouble the Southern Medicine King."

Zhou Heng said.

Xue Zhiwei did not press the matter and explained the basics of alchemy she had learned.

In Xue Zhiwei's view, Zhou Heng's interest was just a passing fancy.

When Zhou Heng realized that alchemy wasn't fun, he naturally gave up on it.

After all, given Zhou Heng's status, it's impossible for him to stay in a boring alchemy room to refine pills.

There are so many things in Shu Prefecture that are waiting for him to handle.

For several days in a row.

Xue Zhiwei would set aside two hours each day to explain alchemy to Zhou Heng.

Xue Zhiwei said that he only knew the basics of alchemy.

Actually, she was just being modest.

She was a genius alchemist who began learning alchemy at the age of four, and by the age of seven, her talent had already astonished Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine.

In the words of Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, if Xue Zhiwei focuses on alchemy, he will have a chance to surpass him before the age of thirty.

However, Xue Zhiwei did not want to be a simple alchemist, but instead devoted some of her energy to cultivating as a celestial official.

Nevertheless, Xue Zhiwei's alchemy skills are unmatched among the younger generation of the Lin family.

When she taught Zhou Heng alchemy, it was like a top student teaching a struggling student.

What she thought was self-evident, Zhou Heng would often ask repeatedly.

After a few days, Xue Zhiwei was almost certain that Zhou Heng had absolutely no talent in alchemy.

That's normal.

How can one person be a genius in every aspect?

If Zhou Heng possesses such high cultivation talent, and his alchemy talent is also so outstanding, then how can anyone else survive?

"The timing and properties of the fire in alchemy will become clear with more practice."

After finishing his class that day, Xue Zhiwei casually remarked, "When most people first start learning alchemy, they do find it difficult to grasp the technique."

Now that you have mastered the basics, you can start practicing. After a few more tries, you will naturally understand the heat and the properties of the medicine.

This is a recipe for a Nourishing Essence Pill. You can try to see if you can refine it.

It's okay if it doesn't succeed; failure is quite normal in alchemy.

Xue Zhiwei handed a prescription to Zhou Heng.

"I also failed several times when I first started refining pills."

Xue Zhiwei added a sentence.

She succeeded on her first attempt at alchemy after only three tries. She estimated that, given Zhou Heng's demonstrated talent in alchemy, he probably wouldn't succeed without dozens of attempts.

Zhou Heng took the pill formula and was looking at it when he heard Xue Zhiwei continue, "My maternal grandfather has already arrived in Longcheng. He is setting up the pill-making room, and in a few days he will be able to start refining the Heaven-Reaching Pill."

Xue Zhiwei paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "My grandfather wants me to be his assistant—"

Although the Demon King Pingtian and Lord Qingyang are dead, there are still a lot of things to deal with in Shuzhou.

Zhou Heng was a hands-off manager, and Chen Zhaowu was a brainless idiot.

Nowadays, she and Lü Zi'an are handling most of the affairs in Shu Prefecture.

In Chengdu and Longcheng, Lü Zian's affairs were basically handled by Xue Zhiwei.

If she were to go and refine pills, Dragon City would probably be thrown into chaos.

"I'll go and assist him."

Zhou Heng pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.

The thought of him dealing with all the mess in Longcheng gave him a headache.

He would rather slay demons and monsters than sit in a jail cell reviewing case files.

"you--"

Xue Zhiwei looked troubled.

There are some things she's too embarrassed to say directly.

Her grandfather didn't hire just anyone as an assistant to do odd jobs.

The reason for seeking her out is that she is the number one alchemist under Lin Hanyuan of the Lin family.

Lin Hanyuan was getting old, and he was worried that something might go wrong when he was refining pills. If Xue Zhiwei was his assistant, she could help him fix it in time.

If necessary, Xue Zhiwei can even take over his task of refining pills.

And Zhou Heng...

To put it bluntly, Zhou Heng hasn't even stepped into the door of alchemy yet.

Someone like Zhou Heng wouldn't even be good enough to be a fire-starting boy...

"Do you think my alchemy skills aren't good enough to serve as an assistant to the Southern Medicine King?"

Zhou Heng glanced at Xue Zhiwei and already knew what she was thinking. He smiled and said calmly.

What skill level is required to assist the King of Southern Medicine?

Xue Zhiwei hesitated for a moment. She knew that the Tongtian Pill was of great importance and could not be taken lightly. So she said seriously, "My grandfather is getting old and is worried that he will not be able to continue the pill refining process. Therefore, this assistant needs to be able to take over his task of refining pills."

"The pills are classified into nine grades, and the Heaven-Reaching Pill is a third-grade divine pill. To help my grandfather refine pills, one must at least be a third-grade alchemist..."

The classification of alchemists is similar to that of cultivators, ranging from the ninth rank to the first rank.

However, unlike cultivators, alchemists have a much simpler way of advancing in their cultivation level.

While first-grade cultivators have become extinct, there are still some first-grade alchemists in the world.

Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, is a first-grade alchemist.

Although Xue Zhiwei did not travel the world as an alchemist, her alchemy skills were close to the second rank.

That's why Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, wanted Xue Zhiwei to be his assistant.

Although there are more high-level alchemists than high-level martial artists, they are not easy to find.

There are only a handful of first- and second-grade alchemists in the world.

What are the standards for a third-grade alchemist?

Zhou Heng pondered for a moment and asked.

"You need to have successfully refined a third-grade elixir first."

Xue Zhiwei said.

"Understood. Do you have the recipe for a grade three elixir?"

Zhou Heng asked.

"What do you intend to do? Garrison Commander, alchemy may be a minor art, but it is no child's play."

Xue Zhiwei's expression changed slightly, and she said seriously, "Refining a third-grade pill requires many precious medicinal herbs, and the furnace can explode if you are not careful during the refining process..."

"You've already said these common-sense things, I remember."

Zhou Heng said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't act rashly."

I just wanted to see what a grade three elixir was.

"Until the Southern Medicine King's alchemy room is completed, if I fail to meet his standards, you will become his assistant, and I will handle the affairs of Dragon City myself."

After Zhou Heng finished speaking, he took the third-grade pill formula from Xue Zhiwei and then kicked her out of the room.

Standing outside the door, Xue Zhiwei was both amused and exasperated.

After a long while, she stamped her foot, turned around, and left.

She still has a lot of official business to handle.

…………

inside the room.

Zhou Heng didn't look at the prescription, but instead looked at the virtual panel in front of him.

The prescription was only a few lines long, and he memorized it after just one glance.

"After killing the Heavenly Demon King and the Lord of Qingyang Mountain, the danger countdown hadn't been used yet, but now it's come in handy."

Zhou Heng thought to himself.

The rewards for surviving the defeat of the Heavenly Demon King and the Lord of Qingyang Mountain are twofold: one is one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Divine Techniques, the Golden Light Across the Earth.

The other reward is five hundred years of cultivation.

A crisis has brought two rewards, which is unprecedented.

However, the crisis in the Ten Thousand Mountains that day was unprecedented.

After all, he was facing a third-rank demon king at the time.

Even though he had already broken through to the third rank, if he hadn't run fast, he would have been in mortal danger if he had fallen into the siege of the demon court's army.

The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish... no, it's the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Therefore, it is not surprising that there are two awards.

The Golden Light Across the Ground is a technique that allows one to transform into a beam of golden light and escape across the ground.

In the description of this immortal technique, it is called the Heavenly and Earthly Divine Travel Technique, which can travel tens of thousands of miles in an instant.

Traveling tens of thousands of miles in an instant is a bit of an exaggeration, but with Zhou Heng's current cultivation level, he can still travel a hundred miles in an instant if he uses the Golden Light of Leaping Earth.

As for five hundred years of cultivation, that goes without saying.

This is one of Zhou Heng's favorite rewards.

"Five hundred years should be enough to cultivate alchemy to the third rank, right?"

Zhou Heng thought to himself.

With a slight thought, he devoted his five hundred years of cultivation to alchemy.

In an instant, countless memories flooded my mind.

Having grown accustomed to the accumulation of cultivation points over a thousand years, Zhou Heng was now able to remain unfazed by the memories of five hundred years of cultivation.

The swelling sensation in my mind was just a slight discomfort.

In his memory, Zhou Heng studied the art of alchemy day and night.

Moreover, he sought out all sorts of rare and precious materials to try his hand at alchemy.

The first time, the oven exploded.

The second time, the oven exploded.

The third time, the oven exploded...

……

The alchemy furnace exploded countless times, and countless precious spiritual herbs were consumed.

Even Zhou Heng himself was seriously injured and on the verge of death several times by the explosions.

But he possesses the most unwavering patience.

If once doesn't work, then try twice.

If it doesn't work twice, then try ten times.

If ten times isn't enough, then try a hundred or a thousand times!

After countless attempts, Zhou Heng finally got it.

After gaining insight, his alchemy practice became effortless and natural.

Things that I couldn't understand before, I now understand completely.

His success rate in refining elixirs was also increasing.

Thus, he devoted himself to arduous cultivation for another hundred years.

From then on, his success rate in refining elixirs was almost 100%.

Then, he accumulated his knowledge and skills and began to refine second-grade pills.

Several years later, his success rate in refining second-grade pills reached 100%.

Then he began to refine grade three pills.

Year after year, day after day.

He didn't know how many rare and precious materials he had used, but finally, in the fourth hundred years of practicing alchemy, he successfully refined his first grade three pill.

It took another hundred years for Zhou Heng to increase the success rate of refining grade three pills to 100%.

On occasions, he could even perform exceptionally well and refine second-grade pills.

He can now be considered a second-grade alchemist.

Zhou Heng opened his eyes, a hint of vicissitude flashing in his pupils.

In the blink of an eye, he had already experienced five hundred years of cultivation.

In reality, let alone the difficulty of five hundred years, even the precious medicines needed for alchemy would be nowhere to be found.

Even Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, wouldn't be that extravagant when practicing alchemy.

"Lin Hanyuan became a first-grade alchemist in less than a hundred years, while my alchemy aptitude is quite ordinary."

Zhou Heng muttered to himself.

"However, I earned these five hundred years of cultivation through my own hard work. I deserve this skill."

In any case, he is now a second-grade alchemist.

And he deserves it!

"Although I failed to become a first-grade alchemist, my current alchemy skills should be more than enough to assist Lin Hanyuan."

Zhou Heng thought to himself, "This Heaven-Reaching Pill is too precious; I must watch it be refined with my own eyes."

Thinking of this, Zhou Heng stood up and walked outside.

He had Xue Zhiwei bring Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, to Longcheng so that Lin Hanyuan could refine the Tongtian Pill right under his nose.

…………

In the backyard of the Longcheng County Government Office.

A special area was set aside here for Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, to set up his alchemy room.

Lin Hanyuan, the white-haired and white-bearded King of Southern Medicine, was personally directing the craftsmen on the priceless Demon Saint Bone.

And that equally valuable thousand-year-old Mystic Pearl Grass was now in his arms.

With the demon-slaying captains of the Imperial Guard protecting the county government, there was no need to worry about demons or monsters attacking.

Since Zhou Heng was promoted to the third rank, the chaos in Shu Prefecture has gradually subsided.

It can't be said that there are no more people with ulterior motives, but at least no one dares to cause trouble openly anymore.

A martial artist of the upper three ranks still wields considerable power.

As long as Zhou Heng is alive, unless the Demon Court launches a large-scale invasion, Shu Prefecture will not descend into chaos again.

"If the Heavenly Pill is successfully refined, I wonder if this peace will be broken."

Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, thought to himself.

suddenly.

He saw Zhou Heng walking slowly towards him, and quickly jogged over to him.

"Lord Zhou, you could have simply sent someone to call me if you had any orders. Why bother coming all the way here yourself?"

Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, said with a smile.

Despite being the King of Southern Medicine, he couldn't maintain his composure in front of a third-rank martial arts master.

Moreover, Zhou Heng was the savior of the Lin family.

"I heard from Captain Xue that you, Elder Lin, need an assistant for alchemy. However, Captain Xue is very busy with official duties, so how about I do it? What do you think, Elder Lin?"

Zhou Heng got straight to the point.

"Lord Zhou, you'll be my assistant?"

Lin Hanyuan, the King of Southern Medicine, paused for a moment and hesitated before saying, "This is certainly good. With you, sir, in charge, I'm sure no one will dare to cause trouble."

only--"

He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I need another assistant, an assistant who understands alchemy, and Zhiwei is the most suitable one."