novelraw 714. New Requirements
714. New Requirements
Huo Zhen seemed to read his mind, pointing a finger at him: "Don't be unconvinced, kid. Speed itself isn't wrong; it can even be proof of exceptional talent. But the key is, beneath this near-instantaneous speed, do you have enough time to reflect, to refine, and to repeatedly solidify every seemingly simple fundamental step?"
"From your refining process, especially your performance in stabilizing the Creation Rejuvenation Pill after receiving the cauldron, I could see something. Your control is extremely strong, and your soul power has now reached the Heavenly Realm, which is almost rare. Your soul cultivation technique must be quite extraordinary." "Your flames are domineering and unparalleled. Although I don't know how you did it, it must be the fusion of multiple different flames. Now your flames are qualified to be compared with the top five different flames." "I also recognize your cauldron. It's the Black Demon Cauldron, which is famous on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. Ordinary people don't have this privilege." "You, young man, also possess a rare ruthlessness and tenacity. These are assets that far surpass your peers and even many old guys, but..."
Huo Zhen's tone abruptly shifted, becoming serious, each word clear and forceful as it reached Xiao Yan's ears: "It is precisely because of your almost monstrous speed of advancement, and the countless fortuitous encounters you have accumulated, that I see a huge and inevitable crisis hindering your ultimate ascent to the ninth rank—you lack the solid, meticulous accumulation process at each crucial stage, especially the higher ranks. Like building a towering skyscraper, the core framework may be good, but the number of times certain fundamental details have been refined may be far from sufficient!"
He continued his analysis: "I dare say that the number of times you've failed at alchemy is negligible compared to the feats you've accomplished with such smooth progress! Most of your so-called failures were probably minor setbacks within a controllable range, or the kind where you had ample resources to start over immediately, right?"
Xiao Yan subconsciously recalled his alchemy career. From his first attempt at alchemy in Wutan City, every key breakthrough seemed to be accompanied by a fortuitous encounter or immense pressure. He had almost never experienced a complete failure where he could only sigh in despair after exhausting all his resources. Most of the time, he was able to overcome the odds by relying on his powerful soul force, the assistance of his strange fire, or a burst of energy at the crucial moment.
He had to admit it and nodded, a sense of realization and lingering fear rising in his heart.
"Xiao Yan, you need to understand that there are definitely no shortage of eighth-grade alchemists on this continent. Even your Pill Gathering produces new eighth-grade alchemists every thirty years, but the number of ninth-grade alchemists on this continent can be counted on one hand. Why do you think that's the case?"
"Is the difficulty of the ninth rank too high?" Xiao Yan blurted out a pointless question, though he genuinely didn't know the real reason. He had seen countless alchemists in the Pill Tower, but almost all of them were stuck at the eighth rank and couldn't make any progress.
Ultimately, the ninth rank demands the limit.
"This is especially evident in the formulas for ninth-grade pills." Huo Zhen continued, "You've also seen the formulas for those ninth-grade pills. What are your thoughts?"
"My biggest feeling is that its requirements seem to be too strict, as if it doesn't give people any room for error, and not even the slightest change is allowed."
"That's exactly right, and that's the most fundamental difference between a ninth-grade alchemist and an eighth-grade one!" Huo Zhen said with certainty. "From first-grade pills to eighth-grade pills, all the pill formulas are doing one thing: leaving enough room for the alchemist. Even if there are flaws in the refining process, if your soul power is strong enough, your reaction is fast enough, your experience is sufficient, and you know some unique remedial techniques, you can usually still continue to refine the finished product, unless the problem is so big that it can't be concealed at all."
"But ninth-grade pills are completely different! Ninth-grade pills demand the ultimate! Perfection! Absolute flawlessness! This formula doesn't give you any chance to make mistakes!"
"Only by fusing together hundreds of herbs that can serve as the core of a grade seven elixir, and by achieving a perfect and seamless combination, can we possibly refine that precious grade nine elixir."
"This is actually the true secret of a ninth-grade alchemist: the limit!"
As Xiao Yan listened, he suddenly felt the thin veil that had been obscuring his view disappear, but what lay ahead was indeed a vast road with no end in sight.
"And that's your biggest flaw right now. I told you from the beginning that your flame is trash, not because I look down on strange flames, but because it's far too luxurious for you at this stage. The greenhouse it creates for you is too comfortable; using such a flame will actually lead to a distorted understanding of medicinal herbs!"
Huo Zhen's gaze met Xiao Yan's again: "Think carefully, what do you rely on to understand the properties of a medicinal herb? Is it comparing it to the records in the classics? Is it relying on your powerful soul perception? Or is it relying on your strange fire's brute force and rapid purification?"
"No matter what it is, it's wrong. Ranks below the eighth grade are fine, but the ninth grade is absolutely unacceptable!"
"The most important thing is that you're too young, which means you don't have much time to think things through carefully. Other alchemists' understanding of a herb is based on dozens or even hundreds of times of hands-on refining, a profound understanding gained through constant failures and adjustments. Do you have that kind of feel, that kind of instinctive knowledge accumulated bit by bit?" Huo Zhen analyzed very seriously.
"When we were refining herbs together, you must have had some doubts, right? My flame is purely a flame that comes with the cultivation technique; it's not bad, but it's definitely not particularly powerful either. The reason I was able to be so much faster than you is entirely because over the past few hundred years, I've mastered the medicinal properties and pharmacology of every single herb!"
"This kind of understanding is not the superficial knowledge you can gain by just glancing at a few herbal illustrations or introductions. Rather, it's the kind of understanding I've gained by refining each herb at least ten times, truly mastering its essence through countless failures and attempts. So when we both start from the same point refining the same herb, I'll be much faster than you!"
"Then does that mean I can't use this strange fire?" Xiao Yan asked, voicing the biggest question in his mind.
"Use it! Of course you should use it! This is your greatest opportunity and advantage!" Huo Zhen said immediately.
"But my advice to you right now is this: until you truly reach the threshold of the ninth rank, try to use this powerful mixed strange fire as little as possible! Your path has been smooth enough already; it's time to spend time honestly studying the materials themselves. I suggest you use ordinary battle qi flames to refine it!"