Zhou Feng knew Wang ng’s ambitions lay elsewhere, so he had to guide him patiently. ’I’ll wait for him to slowly understand the benefits of being a Pill Cultivator. Once he gets a taste of the rewards, there’s no way he won’t be hooked!’
"Ahem, kid, I know you have so talent and have probably been taught by an expert, but you’re still a million miles away from being a Pill Cultivator. I’m strict about the work, not the person. When I’m teaching, I have a nasty temper, so you better be prepared. I won’t go as far as hitting you, but cussing you out will be a daily occurrence!"
Zhou Feng said this because what he couldn’t tolerate most was stupidity. Those guys at the Main Hall were always trying to shove people on him, and those idiots could drive him to his grave from sheer frustration.
Wang ng smiled. "Old Zhou, I have a good temper. Don’t worry, I won’t get mad no matter how dumb you are."
Zhou Feng was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "You little brat. You win this round!"
And just like that, the two cheerfully reached an "equal trade."
Morning was the best ti for cultivation, so they scheduled their lessons for the afternoon, each for one ancient hour.
First, Wang ng taught Zhou Feng. Then, Wang ng played a teaching ga of chess with him, which thoroughly humbled Elder Zhou. He had always thought their skill levels were about the sa, or that Wang ng was just slightly better at most. He never imagined the gap would be so huge.
So, Zhou Feng decided to get his revenge during the upcoming Alchemy lesson, or at least regain a little bit of face.
"Ahem, kid, Pill Cultivation is a profound field of study, and the most difficult of the Talisman Cultivator arts. No matter what you cultivate, the foundation is the most important thing. The first step in Pill Cultivation isn’t refining, it’s identifying!"
Evidently, Zhou Feng was well-prepared. He brought out a huge pile of Magical Bamboo Slips.
"These record the basic ingredients for Pill Cultivation. The first step is to recognize them. Take a look. When you’ve morized them all, we’ll move on to the next step!"
Zhou Feng humd a little tune as he went out. ’Damn it all, he didn’t leave a shred of dignity. Tens of thousands of dicinal ingredients... let’s see you study until the world goes dark. I’ll teach you for real when you’re prostrating yourself in admiration before .’
’This is how you assert your authority!’
Zhou Feng leisurely soaked up the sun, humming a tone-deaf tune, feeling wonderful.
Before even one ancient hour had passed, the door opened with a CREAK. Wang ng walked out and stretched his back.
"Old Zhou, I’ve finished reading. What’s next?"
Wang ng said this even though he found it truly draining to morize everything, despite being able to recognize most of the items.
Zhou Feng stood up. "You brat, do you know what the most important thing for a Pill Cultivator is?"
"What?"
"Patience!" Zhou Feng said earnestly. "Of all Cultivators, Pill Cultivators need the most patience. You have to be calm and steady, and your foundation must be solid. Using just one wrong ingredient can waste all your effort, or even harm yourself and others!"
Wang ng nodded. "Makes sense. So what’s next?"
’...Is this kid completely ignoring ?’
"You don’t just have to know them, you have to morize them, be able to distinguish them, including their dicinal properties, uses, and so on and so forth!"
"Yeah, I’ve morized them," Wang ng said.
Zhou Feng thought, ’This kid’s ssing with , is he?’ He imdiately took a strange Immortal Grass from his Qiankun Bag. "Do you recognize this?"
"...It looks a bit like Deford Vein Grass, but this one is a little strange. It should have a Five Elents Attribute." Wang ng took it and sniffed. "Mmm, it contains the Gold attribute of the Five Elents."
Zhou Feng was dumbfounded. ’...That actually worked?’
"What is this Miracle Vein Grass used for?"
"The common kind isn’t very useful, mainly for making a Beast Refining Pill, I think. This one contains Gold, so it would be pretty good for a Spirit Beast whose primary attribute is Gold. Overall, its rarity outweighs its usefulness."
Zhou Feng gave Wang ng a flat look. "Hmph. I guess you pass. Your mory seems pretty good. But don’t get cocky. This was all simple morization. The next part is a little more difficult."
With a flash of light, another set of Magical Bamboo Slips appeared in neat piles.
"These cover so basic pharmacology, so beginner techniques, and thods for cultivating your Pill Fla. Take a look and pick one that suits you."
Zhou Feng strolled out the door with his hands behind his back, pulling it shut. On his way out, he grabbed a bottle of wine, walked to a tree, and stood with his back to the room.
Elder Zhou suddenly shot up and clenched his fists fiercely. "I’ve hit the jackpot! I’ve found a real treasure! For soone with this much talent not to beco a Pill Cultivator... it’s an absolute, unforgivable cri!"
People with photographic mories existed, but soone who could apply that knowledge flexibly and had true discernnt was one in a million. Back then, it took him six days to morize all that material. His master had been astounded, calling him a genius from the heavens, and imdiately took him in as a Closed-door Disciple, even having him join the Zhou Family. Thinking back, it felt like only yesterday to Zhou Feng.
And now, he had found soone who did it in a single day. ’I have to find a way to bring him to see Master. With Master’s insight, he’ll surely discover even more of his potential.’
’But... this kid is so stubborn. He insists on being a Sword Cultivator. Sword Cultivators are a bunch of idiots, flying around on pieces of scrap iron. Aren’t they afraid of falling to their deaths? It’s nowhere near as comfortable as being a Pill Cultivator.’
It was a spur-of-the-mont impulse, but he never expected to actually discover a diamond in the rough.
Wang ng was actually quite taken aback by Zhou Feng’s intensity. He himself had no standard for what made a good Pill Cultivator, nor did he particularly care. What he had now was ti and energy. He’d take it slow. He refused to believe that re Alchemy could stump him.
Wang ng studied the bamboo slips with great focus. Outside, Zhou Feng was just short of bursting into song. Although he didn’t usually indulge in alcohol, his great mood made him want to celebrate.
Little did he know that Wang ng was only learning Alchemy to refine a Wood Burning Pill to deal with the Five Elents bottleneck at the Fifteenth Layer.
This Five Elents bottleneck was sothing only people who possessed all Five Elents would encounter. In a way, the heavens were indeed fair; when they granted a benefit, they also added a difficulty.
But as he read on, Wang ng actually beca interested. It made sense why so many people were obsessed with the Alchemy Dao. The Alchemy Dao was not only essential for cultivation, but it could also cure diseases, save lives, extend one’s lifespan, and preserve one’s youth. Of course, it was true that it was very difficult for Pill Cultivators to ascend. Legend had it that if one could refine a Golden Core and consu it, they could ascend, but no one knew if it was true.
In all the mories from his previous life, he had only heard of it but never actually seen it.
Switching professions is like crossing a mountain, but once Wang ng truly set his mind to understanding Alchemy, he fell right into it. He spent the next half a month palling around with Zhou Feng, who couldn’t have been more satisfied.
A Pill Cultivator must be focused, with no distractions. This Wang ng was simply a treasure fallen from the sky. The more Zhou Feng looked at him, the more he liked him. From ti to ti, Wang ng would even ask questions, and they were always incredibly insightful. To have such a disciple was a blessing of three lifetis for a master.
...But there were also tis of agony for Zhou Feng. Every day during the chess lesson, Elder Zhou grew more and more discouraged. He used to go around bragging about his Pill and Chess Dual Expertise. Even though that crone Luu Yun always put him down, he still felt his chess skills were quite good. But now, his confidence was in a freefall. He was even starting to consider giving up chess. However, to ensure Wang ng fell into his "trap," Elder Zhou endured the repeated blows to his self-esteem.
Playing chess was also a way for Wang ng to take a breather from Alchemy and clear his head.
Wang ng never did things by halves, especially when it was sothing that had to be done.
"Old Zhou," Wang ng asked casually during a al, "how co no one’s been bringing you gifts lately? Did you get run out of the Main Hall and end up here?"
The single sentence nearly made Zhou Feng choke. This little brat’s ability to piss people off was as formidable as his talent. However, Elder Zhou was gradually getting a handle on Wang ng’s personality. On the surface, the boy seed indifferent to everything, but deep down, he was a competitive guy overflowing with a sense of loyalty.
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