I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

When the apprentices went to the pharmacy the next time, Xu Zhou finally got up and went with them.

The others were quite amazed, after all, the pharmacy had been open for three months, and it was only now that Junior Brother Xu had finally set off.

Upon arriving at the pharmacy, Xu Zhou finally met his senior brother, who was known for his strictness.

The senior apprentice on duty was named Ke Yanfeng, and he appeared to be a cold-faced young man. When he saw these apprentices arrive, his gaze swept over them casually without lingering at all.

The other apprentices treated him with utmost respect, speaking cautiously for fear of displeasing him.

As Xu Zhou approached, Senior Brother Ke suddenly turned serious and stopped him, asking, "Who are you? What are you doing at the pharmacy?"

Xu Zhou replied, "I am also an apprentice in the school. I am here to learn how to identify medicinal herbs."

"Are you an apprentice too?"

Ke Yanfeng frowned slightly: "Why have you never been here before?"

Xu Zhou said, "I hadn't learned anything before and wasn't confident, so I didn't dare to try it rashly, lest I ruin the medicinal materials."

Ke Yanfeng didn't say anything more, but coldly gestured for him to go inside: "Concentrate in a while. If you make a mistake, go back and come back in a month."

Xu Zhou nodded calmly in agreement.

The others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a hint of schadenfreude.

They had suffered enough in the past three months and already disliked Xu Zhou hiding in the library, thinking he was a coward who would rather not come to the pharmacy than be scolded. Naturally, they wanted to see him make a fool of himself this time.

The group entered the pharmacy and sat down at several small tables.

The senior apprentice walked over the several huge medicine cabinets in the pharmacy, selected several different medicinal herbs, placed them on several wooden trays, and then distributed them to everyone.

He then gave a brief explanation, asking everyone to identify the names or general properties of the medicinal herbs in the wooden tray. He particularly emphasized that the identification method must be accurate; otherwise, they would be asked to leave the pharmacy and have to come back another time.

The others were already used to it, but Xu Zhou knew that it was specifically said to him.

He looked at the wooden plate in front of him, which contained three green spiritual herbs that looked very similar.

He glanced at the wooden trays in front of the others; they had seven or eight kinds of medicinal herbs, and the variety was obviously more complex than his own.

Clearly, the herb before them was a test.

If I can't even pass this test, then there's no point in learning about other advanced medicinal herbs.

Xu Zhou looked at the herbs in front of him with a serious expression in his eyes.

The three herbs look extremely similar, and it is not easy to distinguish them.

Xu Zhou glanced at them briefly, then got up and borrowed tweezers from the pharmacy. He held the herbs up to his eyes and examined them carefully for a moment, then smelled them and pondered their origins.

Two of these three herbs are recorded in the "Classic of Herbs," which is the herbal classic that Xu Zhou spent the most time studying, and he is quite confident in its accuracy.

But the third plant made him hesitate.

It seems to originate from the same source as the "Spiritual Herbs Classic", but it may also come from the "Collection of Immortal Fruits".

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard Senior Brother Ke's icy voice beside him: "What? What did you figure out?"

Xu Zhou didn't dare to be negligent and answered seriously, "I can roughly recognize the name, but I'm still a little unsure."

"Tell me," Senior Brother Ke said, his face expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.

The others also looked over, wanting to see Xu Zhou make a fool of himself.

Facing the herbs, Xu Zhou slowly said, "The first herb should be the Green-Veined Grass, which is the easiest to identify. Its unique patterns on the edges of its leaves are very obvious, making it instantly recognizable."

"The second herb has simple surface patterns, making its origin unclear. However, upon closer inspection, its aroma is slightly astringent, suggesting it possesses calming and detoxifying properties. Considering its size and color, it should be bitter green grass."

Senior Brother Ke nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Xu Zhou looked at the third herb, still uncertain, and could only say, "This one is a bit difficult to identify. Its leaf patterns resemble scales, and its fragrance is unpleasant but not unpleasant, so it should be a herb with trace amounts of poison. The herb that fits the description should be the leaves of the Jade Dragon Flower, or perhaps the leaves of the Snake Marrow Fruit... This disciple is dull-witted and can only guess this far. Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Senior Brother Ke did not answer, but pondered for a moment.

After a long pause, he said coldly, "It's a leaf from a Jade Dragon Flower. The biggest difference between it and the leaf from a Snake Marrow Fruit is that the former has a pungent medicinal fragrance, while the latter has a fishy odor. The difference between the two is huge, and you can tell just by smelling them."

"But if you haven't seen either of them before and can identify their general medicinal properties, then you've passed the test."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhou felt a sense of relief, knowing that he had passed this hurdle.

He had barely uttered half a word of thanks when Senior Brother Ke interrupted him, saying, "Your ability to distinguish is still too slow. In the future, when you're refining medicine, you won't be able to distinguish things so carefully. You need to learn and practice more."

Xu Zhou nodded in agreement: "Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Senior Brother Ke took back the three spiritual herbs and then replaced them with several other medicinal herbs.

Xu Zhou looked down and saw that the medicinal herbs this time were five completely different types, all of which looked ordinary and even had a very bland aroma, making the difficulty level rise by more than one level.

In comparison, the medicinal herbs in front of the others, though somewhat strange, were at least easy to identify.

It seems that Senior Brother Ke has confirmed his true skill level and given him a boost.

Identifying these medicinal herbs is extremely time-consuming, but Xu Zhou is eager to try. After studying for half a year, he is finally starting to put his knowledge into practice and is eager to hone his identification skills.

Without a single complaint, he immediately threw himself into the identification work.

However, they were not able to completely identify it in the end.

After all, it takes time and effort to transform what you learn from books into practical experience.

However, Xu Zhou still recognized the names of two of the medicinal herbs, and could roughly deduce the medicinal properties of the remaining three.

Before leaving, the senior disciple on duty announced the answers to the questions about the medicinal herbs in front of everyone and explained in detail the correct identification methods. After listening, Xu Zhou recalled the records in the classic texts, and upon comparing the two, he suddenly had a great understanding.

"This trip to the pharmacy was quite fruitful!"

On their way back, the others gathered around. Xiao Bing, the more outgoing one, whispered to Xu Zhou with a smile, "It's so peaceful today, even Senior Brother didn't swear."

Xu Zhou asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"

Xiao Bing smiled mysteriously: "You'll understand later."

The others chimed in with a few words, then sighed, "When we first came here, we were also trying to identify those few plants of the Azure-Veined Grass. We were dizzy from looking at them and still couldn't recognize them, and we even got a severe scolding from our senior brother."

"My senior brother said at the time that this was the most basic content. If you can't even understand this, you should go back and study the book properly. That was his exact words."

Xu Zhou smiled slightly: "My senior brothers are naturally much more capable than me. I just had an advantage and spent three more months studying the classics, which allowed me to identify those herbs without any major problems. If my senior brothers were in my position, I'm sure they would have done better than me."

The others burst into laughter. Xiao Bing said, "Junior Brother Xu knows how to talk. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just remember to come to me."

After that, Xu Zhou and the others would come to the pharmacy again every seven days.

Although he only identifies a few medicinal herbs each time, the herbs that Brother Ke chooses are all unusual and representative. Often, recognizing one herb allows him to apply that knowledge to other similar herbs.

It must be said that Senior Brother Ke truly lives up to his reputation as a disciple of Baicaotang who is specifically in charge of the pharmacy. His understanding and knowledge of medicinal herbs is probably rare even in the entire hall.

The only thing that draws criticism is his terrible temper.

Xu Zhou gradually realized that Senior Brother Ke was extremely strict, even harsh, when it came to medicinal herbs. No matter who it was, he would scold them mercilessly if they made a mistake.

It wasn't just the apprentices; occasionally, other disciples from the hall would come to collect medicine, and if they weren't treated well, they would be scolded by him.

Xu Zhou made several mistakes later, and Senior Brother Ke gave him a belated scolding.

Fortunately, Senior Brother Ke was only addressing the issue, not the person. After scolding him, he still taught what needed to be taught, and his previous emotions did not affect his attitude afterwards.

After that scathing rebuke, Xu Zhou's relationship with the other apprentices actually improved considerably, a case of fortune and misfortune being intertwined.

Xu Zhou gradually became familiar with the herb identification schedule. With Senior Brother Ke's guidance, his understanding of medicinal herbs improved rapidly. However, there are many spiritual herbs in the cultivation world, and some herbs are not always available even in pharmacies. There are still many herbs waiting to be learned.

In the blink of an eye, another six months have passed.

Xu Zhou has been working at Baicaotang for a full year.

On this day, Baicaotang suddenly gave their apprentices a day off.

The other apprentices were overjoyed when they heard the news.

These apprentices usually stayed secluded in the hall, eating, drinking, and cultivating all their lives there. They were not allowed to leave unless they had a valid reason. These young men were also restless and had long been eager to get out of there. Now that the hall had made an exception for them, they shouted and ran off in a flash.

Xu Zhou was speechless upon seeing the empty library.

The others all had their own relatives and teachers, and they would go back to visit them during the holidays, but he had nowhere to go.

Xu Zhou stood for a while before sighing and sitting down, thinking it was a pity to waste this day of holiday.

He was about to continue his studies when someone came and said that someone was looking for him outside the hall.

Xu Zhou went there in confusion, wondering who would come to see him at this time.

Upon reaching the front hall of Baicaotang, he saw a figure standing in front of the door. The figure strode over and said, "Junior Brother Xu! Long time no see."

Xu Zhou was slightly taken aback. After looking him over carefully, he finally recognized the person in front of him: "Senior Brother Li!"