"Haha, Master Gu Ni is too kind. Last time, Liu Xi learned a lot from you, Master Gu Ni. I've been trying to understand it these past few days. I just had a little insight and came to find you."
Liu Xi laughed and said politely.
"Haha, young friend Liu Xi, you know how to talk. What could this old man possibly have for you to comprehend? It was your insights into alchemy that gave this old man a glimpse of an opportunity for a breakthrough!"
"Tell me, what good things did you bring back for the old man this time?!"
Alchemist Gu Ni was very happy. To hear such a genius alchemist as Liu Xi praise an old man like him was an honor.
"Hey, Master Gu Ni, you flatter Liu Xi too much. What good stuff could Liu Xi, a mere first-grade alchemist, possibly have? Just some newly refined first-grade pills. If Master Gu Ni sees anything he likes, feel free to take it!"
Liu Xi placed his long, strong hand on the table next to him, and a dozen or so neatly arranged bottles of pills were displayed.
"Explosive Qi Pill, Fire Condensation Pill, Qi Recovery Pill, Rejuvenation Pill, Injury Recovery Pill, Power Accumulation Pill..."
Alchemist Gu Ni read out the names of the pills on each of the pill bottles one by one.
These are all common first-grade pills; Liu Xi brought some over last time.
"Oh, Qi-Nourishing Pill, Illusion Pill, Beast-Drunken Pill, young friend Liu Xi, you've successfully refined all these first-grade pills!"
Alchemist Gu Ni's eyes suddenly lit up as he focused on the several first-grade pills at the back.
Some of those first-grade pills were ones that Liu Xi hadn't brought with him last time, and some were even the Drunken Beast Pills, which were recipes collected by the alchemist Gu Ni himself.
Eagerly, he took the bottle of the Drunken Beast Pill and began to examine the quality of the pill inside.
"Huh, a pill pattern! A perfect pill!"
Alchemist Gu Ni let out another incredulous exclamation.
It's important to understand that becoming familiar with a prescription takes time.
It's not enough to just know the ingredients and preparation process of the prescription.
From understanding the prescription to successfully refining the medicine, it is a new process of getting familiar with it.
The refining process for each type of elixir is not exactly the same.
The same medicinal materials may be processed in completely different ways in two prescriptions.
If the ingredients are mixed up, the elixir will immediately fail to be refined.
Successfully refining it is a long process.
Even a renowned alchemist like Gu Ni wouldn't dare say that he could become so familiar with a brand-new first-grade medicine formula that he could easily refine it in just ten days.
Not to mention, it can be refined to its peak perfection, possessing the level of pill patterns.
If Liu Xi's previous perfect pills were due to practice making perfect, then...
Now, Liu Xi used the first-grade medicinal formula that he had just given him to refine a perfect pill.
That's an unparalleled prodigy!
"Young friend Liu Xi, this...this..."
"It really is the Drunken Beast Pill that you've been refining these past few days!"
The alchemist, Gu Ni, asked incredulously.
Although the prescription for the Drunken Beast Pill was given to Liu Xi ten days ago.
The Drunken Beast Pill was something he figured out by chance.
But now he couldn't help but wonder if Liu Xi had come into contact with this kind of elixir before.
After all, there are so many alchemists in the world.
Many of the prescriptions for top-grade elixirs are only basic ones.
It's quite possible that two alchemists might happen to come up with similar prescriptions.
"If Master Gu Ni doesn't believe me, he can check the other pills."
Liu Xi smiled faintly, offering no further explanation on the matter.
Master Gu Ni didn't stand on ceremony and picked up several first-grade pills that Liu Xi hadn't brought with him last time, examining them one by one.
"Perfect, perfect, everything is perfect!"
"Not a single one is below perfect quality!"
"The Qi Cultivation Pill, a top-grade first-rank pill, is perfect!"
"hiss--"
Alchemist Gu Ni was utterly astonished.
Mass production of top-grade pills is not scary.
What's frightening is that they are mass-producing top-quality, perfect-grade pills.
It was as if it were done casually and effortlessly.
That must require an incredibly high and strong talent for alchemy.
Ya Fei sat to the side, her pretty face numb with shock.
She wasn't an alchemist, but she knew that alchemists had the success rate of alchemy and the quality of the pills they could make.
Only alchemists with an extremely high success rate in refining medicine have the energy and qualifications to pursue the quality of elixirs.
Unless an alchemist has dedicated decades to mastering a particular type of elixir, it is impossible for them to readily produce a elixir of perfect quality.
All of these top-grade pills are of perfect quality!
There is only one possibility: Liu Xi's talent for alchemy is simply too strong!
"Young friend Liu Xi, may I, this old man, personally observe you refining a first-grade pill?"
Even the alchemist Gu Ni's voice became slightly stammering.
This request is rather abrupt.
However, he really wanted to know how Liu Xi had managed to do it.
"Young friend Liu Xi..."
Alchemist Gu Ni is planning to use half of his life's collection in exchange for a chance to observe Liu Xi refining a first-grade elixir.
At this moment, Liu Xi was slightly surprised and spoke up.
"This… Master Gu Ni, Liu Xi is only a first-grade alchemist, while you…"
It wasn't that Liu Xi wanted to refuse, but the difference in rank was too great. As a low-rank alchemist, it would be like showing off his skills in front of an alchemist of higher rank.
However, upon hearing this, Alchemist Gu Ni became anxious.
"Young friend Liu Xi, you're too kind to this old man. I've been stuck at the level of a second-grade alchemist my whole life. Now that I'm one grade higher than you, I've only lived a few decades longer."
"I heard from Ya Fei that you said, 'There is no order of learning, and those who are accomplished are teachers! The stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade!' I have studied alchemy for half my life, and I still cannot produce perfect first-grade pills as easily as my friend Liu Xi!"
"In this respect, you are better than me; you are my teacher!"
"It was presumptuous of me to ask to observe you refine pills, but I've been stuck at the second-grade alchemist level for a long time. My only wish in this life is to make a breakthrough in the art of alchemy!"
"If I could observe young friend Liu Xi refine a perfect first-grade pill, I would be willing to give up half of my life savings. If I could make even the slightest breakthrough in my alchemy skills, I would be willing to treat young friend Liu Xi with the respect due to a disciple!"
As he spoke, Gu Ni, the alchemist, actually intended to stand up and perform the disciple's salute to Liu Xi, a disciple of the alchemist lineage.
"No!"
Liu Xi hurriedly got up to stop the old man.
Young man, so be it.
He didn't react when the down-on-his-luck middle-aged man knelt down to him.
But making an old man kneel before him would really shorten one's lifespan.
"Master Gu Ni, no! It's just observing the alchemy process once, Liu Xi has agreed!"
Liu Xi did not keep his alchemy process a secret.
His alchemy skills were originally passed down from his master, Xuanhao.
The alchemy techniques that Xuanhao passed on to him were only suitable for ordinary people.
The reason it works so well is simply because, during the refining process, the willow mat incorporated some of the author's own insights and techniques.
In general, any techniques he might have learned and improved upon were all developed by Liu Xi himself.
There are no taboos or rules that cannot be easily passed on.