122: Chapter 122: You Play with Art, I'll Do Production

Jiang Ning's words were too arrogant.

They were so arrogant that the entire auditorium went quiet.

The masters of traditional studies and renowned experts of the Alchemy Path in the audience were so angry that their beards were bristling.

"Absurd! Simply absurd!"

"A yellow-haired girl, speaking such wild words! Does she even understand what art is? What heritage is?"

"This is an open provocation against our Huaxia's thousand-year civilization!"

Sun Siyuan was also so angry that his face turned pale.

He pointed at Jiang Ning, his voice trembling: "You... say that again! By what right do you call our Alchemy Path trash!"

"I didn't say the Alchemy Path was trash." Jiang Ning looked at him, her gaze as calm as if she were looking at an unreasonable child. "What I said was, your small-workshop style, low-efficiency method of production is trash."

"You!" Sun Siyuan was so angry he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You guard that broken furnace of yours, bathing and burning incense, chanting incantations and casting spells, fussing about for three days and three nights, and if you're lucky, you might produce a few peiyuan pills."

In Jiang Ning's tone was the unique, emotionless disdain of a science student. "What do you call this? This is called self-amusement."

"The true Alchemy Path is used to treat illnesses and save lives, to strengthen the country and the people. It should be like the land beneath our feet, like the air we breathe, accessible to everyone."

"And to achieve this, relying on your kind of 'artwork,' you won't accomplish it in ten thousand years."

"Only by relying on this." Jiang Ning reached out and patted the massive stainless steel reaction furnace beside her, feeling as if she were caressing her most beloved masterpiece.

"Only by relying on industrialization, on standardization, on the most powerful productive forces on this land beneath our feet, can we turn peiyuan pills from luxury items played with by a select few into daily necessities that everyone can afford."

"This is the 'Alchemy Path' I want to walk."

Jiang Ning's words made the young students in the audience feel their blood boiling.

Perhaps they had previously felt that immortal cultivation should be like Sun Siyuan—ethereal, fairy-like, and very stylish.

But now, in Jiang Ning's words, they heard something grander and more substantial.

It was a simple yet great ideal: to bring immortals down from their pedestals and let everyone live a good life.

"Well said!"

"Instructor Jiang is right! peiyuan pills should be for people to eat, not for people to look at!"

"Support industrialization! Support assembly lines!"

The students' cheers made Sun Siyuan's expression even uglier.

He knew that in terms of eloquence, he had already lost.

This woman was too good at inciting people.

"Easier said than done!" He snorted coldly, deciding to reclaim the situation through strength. "You say your iron pot is powerful, then let's take it out and compare!"

"Today, right here, in front of the people of the whole country, we will each refine a batch of 'peiyuan pills'!"

"I'd like to see if your pile of scrap metal is better, or if my Medicine King Valley's thousand-year legacy, the 'Nine-Turn Resurrection Furnace,' is superior!"

"If I lose, my Medicine King Valley will, from this day forward, supply all medicinal materials to your Kunlun Academy unconditionally! I, Sun Siyuan, will also take you as my master and work like an ox or a horse for you!"

"But if you lose!" His voice suddenly rose. "You and your so-called 'Shennong Project' must immediately get out of the alchemy world! Kneel and apologize to all the alchemists in the world!"

He was gambling.

Gambling on his own future and that of the entire Medicine King Valley.

He had that confidence.

In the matter of alchemy, he had never lost.

"Fine."

Jiang Ning's response was so simple it surprised him.

She didn't even discuss the terms for a single sentence and just agreed like that.

It felt as if she hadn't taken this bet to heart at all.

"Good!" Seeing her agree, Sun Siyuan was greatly invigorated. "Then let's begin!"

He stopped wasting words, walked to his bronze alchemy furnace, and sat cross-legged.

He first closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, adjusting his essence, energy, and spirit to their optimal state.

Then, he suddenly opened his eyes and slapped the alchemy furnace with one hand!

"Hum—" The alchemy furnace emitted an ancient humming sound.

He formed a hand seal, and a ball of golden "Samadhi True Fire" rose from his palm and drilled into the bottom of the furnace.

Immediately after, he carefully opened a jade box, took out a century-old ginseng glowing with flowing light, and tossed it into the furnace.

Every movement was full of ritual and beauty, drawing gasps from the audience.

"My god! It's 'Samadhi True Fire'! The legendary divine fire of alchemy!"

"That ginseng must be five hundred years old, right? How extravagant!"

Sun Siyuan enjoyed this feeling of being watched.

While controlling the heat, he glanced provocatively at Jiang Ning opposite him from the corner of his eye.

He wanted to see what kind of shocked and inferior expression the other party would show in the face of his fluid and masterful operation.

As a result, he was nearly angered into internal injury again.

Jiang Ning wasn't even looking at him.

She was holding a tablet, discussing something with Lin Yuan beside her.

"...Increase the preheating temperature of the reaction furnace by another five degrees. According to calculations, this can increase the extraction efficiency of the medicinal properties in the first stage by another 0.3 percent."

"Yes, Instructor!"

"Also, for the catalyst ratio, reduce the B-7 element by two milligrams. The simulation just now showed that adding too much will affect the spiritual energy purity of the finished product."

"Understood!"

The two of them were completely immersed in their own world, discussing various parameters and data that Sun Siyuan couldn't even understand.

It felt as if the Alchemy Path master opposite them who was "casting spells" was just an insignificant background prop.

"Absurd!"

Sun Siyuan felt he had received a great insult.

He decided to refine the pills at the fastest speed and then use facts to ruthlessly smash that calm face.

He held nothing back and poured his spiritual energy into the alchemy furnace without reservation!

The flames under the alchemy furnace instantly flared up several times brighter!

Under the effect of high temperature and spiritual energy, the medicinal materials in the furnace rapidly melted, purified, and fused...

A rich medicinal fragrance drifted from the gaps of the alchemy furnace, permeating the entire auditorium.

Those who smelled this medicinal fragrance all felt refreshed and physically comfortable.

"It's about to succeed! It's about to succeed!"

"So fragrant! Worthy of Master Sun!"

Half an hour later.

Sun Siyuan was covered in sweat and his face was pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

He slapped the alchemy furnace suddenly and shouted: "Pills formed! Open!"

"Bang!"

The furnace lid flew into the sky!

Nine pills, the size of dragon eyes, perfectly round, and emitting a pale golden light, flew out of the furnace and hovered in mid-air!

Around each pill, a faint pill halo lingered!

"My god! It's... it's high-grade peiyuan pills! Nine of them! All of them are high-grade!"

Those in the audience who knew their stuff had already exclaimed out loud.

Sun Siyuan looked at his masterpiece, a victorious smile appearing on his face.

In half an hour, he had refined nine high-grade peiyuan pills!

This had already broken his own, and even Medicine King Valley's, highest record in nearly a hundred years!

He was sure to win!

He turned his head and looked triumphantly at the opposite side.

"It's your turn."

He wanted to see what that iron pot could refine.

At this moment, Jiang Ning finally put down the tablet in her hand, unhurriedly.

She walked to the massive reaction furnace and glanced at the indicator light on the dashboard that had turned green.

Then, she reached out and pressed the red "Start" button on the control panel.