51: Earth Spirit Cauldron

Elder Mo Xuan was originally sitting in the quiet room on the top floor of the Alchemy Pavilion, holding an ancient Medicine Ceremony in his hand and studying it carefully.

Suddenly, his brow twitched. His senses had captured a familiar fluctuation of Dou Qi: Four-Star Dou Shi!

"Hm?"

He put down the Medicine Ceremony, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which quickly turned into a playful amusement.

"This little monkey is progressing quite fast."

He muttered softly, tapping the desktop lightly with his finger.

"However, I can't let him get too smug."

Elder Mo Xuan's lips curled up slightly, and his figure flickered, instantly vanishing from the spot.

A Dou Wang Expert!

In the long corridor of the Alchemy Department, Jiang Donghua was walking leisurely, the surrounding students stepping aside, their eyes filled with reverence.

Suddenly, he paused, raising his head as if sensing something.

"Yo, isn't this my dear Disciple?"

A slightly teasing voice came from the front.

Jiang Donghua looked up and saw a Gray-Robed Elder standing before him, hands clasped behind his back, smiling as he watched him.

It was none other than Elder Mo Xuan!

"Master."

Jiang Donghua called out happily.

He truly hadn't expected to pick up such a convenient master!

Elder Mo Xuan scrutinized him from head to toe, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

"You are..."

He pinched his nose and took half a step back, looking utterly disgusted.

"Did you crawl out of a dumpster?"

Jiang Donghua.

"..."

The surrounding students.

"..."

A dignified Dou Wang Expert and Fifth-Grade Alchemist, and his first words were to complain that his Disciple was dirty?!

Jiang Donghua's mouth twitched, and he said helplessly.

"I was in seclusion for half a year and didn't have time to change my clothes."

Elder Mo Xuan snorted.

"Half a year in seclusion, and all you learned was how to be a slob?"

He circled Jiang Donghua once, then suddenly reached out and slapped him on the shoulder.

*Slap!*

An invisible force instantly swept over Jiang Donghua's entire body, shaking off all the dust and grime. Even his messy hair was combed neatly.

"Now that's more like it."

Elder Mo Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Jiang Donghua looked down at his refreshed robes and said helplessly.

"Master, you came all this way just to dust me off?"

Elder Mo Xuan glared at him.

"What? Are you complaining that your master is meddling?"

Jiang Donghua shrugged.

"I wouldn't dare."

Elder Mo Xuan snorted coldly, then suddenly changed the subject.

"I heard you instantly defeated that kid from the Liu family just now?"

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow.

"News travels that fast?"

Elder Mo Xuan sneered.

"The entire Alchemy Department is practically boiling over, how could I not know?"

He paused, narrowing his eyes.

"Four-Star Dou Shi... not bad."

Jiang Donghua smiled faintly.

"It's alright, just so-so."

Elder Mo Xuan suddenly raised his hand and slapped him on the back of the head!

*Smack!*

"Ow!"

Jiang Donghua clutched his head, looking completely bewildered.

"Master, what was that for?!"

Elder Mo Xuan bristled and glared.

"Just so-so? Jumping from Two-Star Dou Zhe to Four-Star Dou Shi in half a year, and you call that just so-so?!"

He pointed at Jiang Donghua's nose and scolded him.

"Do you think you're hot stuff, kid? Your tail is practically wagging up to the heavens, isn't it?"

Jiang Donghua.

"..."

The surrounding students.

"..."

Why was the dynamic between these master and Disciple so different from what they had imagined?!

The more Elder Mo Xuan spoke, the angrier he became.

"Let me tell you, those so-called geniuses in the Outer Academy aren't fit to carry your shoes at your age!"

Jiang Donghua blinked.

"So Master, are you praising me?"

Elder Mo Xuan choked, then exploded in fury.

"Praise your head! I'm telling you not to get carried away!"

Elder Mo Xuan bristled and glared, his finger nearly poking Jiang Donghua's forehead.

"This old man took you as his Disciple to learn alchemy! Not to become a reckless brute who only knows how to swing his fists all day!"

Jiang Donghua pouted, muttering softly.

"But didn't you say yourself that an Alchemist without strength can't even protect his Medicine Cauldron?"

"Still talking back?!"

Elder Mo Xuan's eyebrows shot up, and he raised his hand as if to strike.

Jiang Donghua immediately shrank his neck, pretending to guard his head.

"Master, please calm your anger! This Disciple knows his mistake!"

Elder Mo Xuan snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and reluctantly suppressed his temper.

"Jumping from Two-Star Dou Zhe to Four-Star Dou Shi in half a year, you certainly have some skill."

He narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"However, alchemy is your true path!"

"It seems your Dou Qi cultivation was strong this past half-year, but for that first-grade elixir, the bone-mending pill, I'm afraid you still don't know how to start or where to even begin."

"For the next six months, you will stay in the Alchemy Department and study diligently with this old man."

Jiang Donghua scratched his head, laughing inwardly.

The bone-mending pill?

He could refine this stuff with his eyes closed, and even upgrade it to an enhanced version!

After all, he had already mastered the elixir's formula through the afk, and one could even say that some of the refining techniques were pioneered by him!

However, if he said that out loud, Elder Mo Xuan would probably slap his head right into his stomach.

Thus, he nodded with feigned humility.

"Master's lesson is correct. This Disciple will certainly study hard."

Elder Mo Xuan glanced at him suspiciously, feeling that the kid was holding something back.

"Hmph, cut the act!"

He snorted coldly, then suddenly his lips curled into a sly smile.

"But, if you can actually refine a bone-mending pill before the end of today, this old man wouldn't mind giving you something good."

Jiang Donghua's eyes lit up.

"What good thing?"

Elder Mo Xuan slowly pulled out a Medicine Cauldron from his storage ring, its body earthy yellow and inscribed with ancient runes.

The earth spirit cauldron!

A Tier 4 Medicine Cauldron. When refining elixirs, it could automatically harmonize medicinal properties, increase the success rate, and even enhance control over earth-attribute Dou Qi!

This was a treasure every Alchemist dreamed of!

Jiang Donghua's eyes went wide.

"Master, are you serious?!"

Elder Mo Xuan proudly shook the Medicine Cauldron.

"What? Tempted?"

Jiang Donghua rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

"Then don't go back on your word!"

Elder Mo Xuan let out a scoff.

"Go back on my word? If you can truly refine it, this cauldron is yours!"

He paused, then added.

"However, if you fail to refine it!"

"What then?"

"For the next six months, you will test my elixirs every day!"

Jiang Donghua.

"..."

Test elixirs?!

Elder Mo Xuan's elixir testing was notoriously brutal.

At best, it caused severe vomiting and diarrhea; at worst, the victim grew hair all over their body!

The surrounding students heard this and immediately cast sympathetic glances.

"Senior Brother Jiang, maybe you should forget it?"

Someone advised quietly.

"That's right, the bone-mending pill is a first-grade elixir. Even for a typical First-Grade Alchemist, the success rate isn't high!"

Jiang Donghua, however, grinned, a hint of slyness flashing in his eyes.

"Master, it's a deal!"

Elder Mo Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? So confident?"

Jiang Donghua didn't answer; he simply held out his hand.

"Can I borrow a Medicine Cauldron?"

Elder Mo Xuan snorted and casually tossed him an ordinary Medicine Cauldron.

"Use this one! We can talk about the earth spirit cauldron once you succeed!"

Jiang Donghua took the Medicine Cauldron, wasted no words, sat cross-legged immediately, and flipped his palm.

*Hiss!*

A wisp of deep cyan flame suddenly rose up!

"This is...?!"

Elder Mo Xuan's pupils constricted slightly.

His flame control technique was far too proficient!

Jiang Donghua ignored the shock of the crowd, grabbed the medicinal ingredients, flicked his finger, and the flames instantly enveloped the materials.

Alchemy, begin!