Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior

Su Mu didn’t mind much. He wouldn’t stay in the Cyan Fish Gang for long; once his injuries healed, he would leave, well determined to take advantage of the gang’s resources and then depart.

The occasional disdainful glance had no effect on him, so his expression remained calm as he subtly observed Shangguan Miao beside him.

"Shangguan Miao... From the Hongmen Martial Arts Hall, father of Shangguan Qing?"

Su Mu had long been able to remember everything at a glance. When Shangguan Miao introduced himself, Su Mu was reminded of something, and now a slight recollection brought it to mind.

Back when he was invited to accompany the disciples of the Hongmen Martial Arts Hall to hunt Demon Beasts on Qi Peak Mountain, two Protectors from the Black Mountain Army tried to kidnap Shangguan Qing in order to force Shangguan Miao to serve the Black Mountain Army.

After that incident, Su Mu had intended to visit this Alchemist, but due to various circumstances, he never did, and now they coincidentally met thousands of miles away in Donglai County.

Thus, this could be considered a chance meeting of acquaintances from afar, although the acquaintance didn’t recognize him. Shangguan Miao didn’t know that he was Su Mu.

"Shangguan Miao, Shangguan Qing... and that Shangguan Ke have similar eyebrows, all three share the surname Shangguan, most likely they are from the same family."

Su Mu quickly figured it all out. Shangguan Miao and his daughter were perhaps initially brought out from the Land of Cyan Clouds by Shangguan Ke, and now they followed Shangguan Ke in Donglai County for the small competition. Everything made sense.

The earlier anxiety when Shangguan Miao inquired about the evaluation resurfaced, and Su Mu immediately understood that Shangguan Miao’s current Alchemy Skill was similar to his own, both being Seventh Grade Alchemists.

Compared to Su Mu’s calm, Shangguan Miao stood there as if sitting on pins and needles, feeling quite uncomfortable under the constant cold stares.

Meanwhile, Sun Li’s face suddenly turned solemn; he tightly clenched his fists in response to the cold stares, initially intending to speak in retaliation but was ultimately stopped by Shangguan Miao.

Sun Li glared fiercely at Shangguan Miao, who seemed like an old good-natured man, but he didn’t continue speaking; nonetheless, the furrowed brows indicated internal unrest.

Within the Alchemy Hall, disciples opened their furnaces to refine pills, with only one or two glances from the shadows still observing the situation here.

About an hour later, the drowsy Master Zhou Cang finally arrived late. Unlike previous days, his expression appeared gloomy, and a sense of aging and dreariness emanated from him.

"It’s been a while since I visited the Alchemy Hall; today I lost track of time... You three, come with me, there’s a lot of pills to be refined today."

"Master Zhou!"

The three responded, Su Mu’s eyes gleamed with intrigue, Shangguan Miao appeared quite respectful, while Sun Li was respectful but slightly furrowed her brows.

Although Cao Yu had informed them that they’d be following Master Zhou Cang for alchemy in the future, he only mentioned Master Zhou’s esteemed status, not that he was nearing the end of his days.

The three reacted differently, following Master Zhou into a dedicated Alchemy Room.

Master Zhou took the three to a side hall in the Alchemy Hall, where various alchemical equipment was arranged, with nine pill furnaces of varying sizes, some with four legs, but most were three-legged pill furnaces like Su Mu’s own Three Flood Dragon Pill Furnace.

"Alchemy, though categorized among the various arts of cultivation, is also a path to the heavens..."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu’s eyes flashed slightly; these words he had heard from Baili Ye, the Alchemist of the Wang Family in Qifeng Town.

"Perhaps these words originate from some part of ’The Pill Scripture’..."

Su Mu didn’t ponder further, as the words weren’t particularly profound.

"The so-called alchemy is merely the process of blending various naturally nurtured herbs into pills, combining their medicinal properties to draw out their utmost potency. A true Alchemy Master can transform decay into marvelous creations, even causing herbs to exhibit effects beyond their original limits."

"There are no shortcuts along this path; only through gradual progress, continuous observation, learning, and refining can one improve. You are undoubtedly fortunate, entering the Alchemy Hall now grants you access to the resources of the Cyan Fish Gang, sparing you the worries of gathering herbs for a batch of pills."

"You three currently have some issues in your alchemy practices; first, Sun Li, you have a precise grasp of the fire’s timing, which is commendable, but your handling of the herbs falls short."

"Sun Li, on the other hand, excels in herb processing among the three of you, but lacks precision in controlling the fire."

"Shangguan Miao, your refined Qi and Blood Pills are average, lacking major issues, but not outstanding either. Among the three of you, you are the oldest, thus should diligently make up for your shortcomings in the future."

"Now, you three start refining Qi and Blood Pills; I will point out the issues during this process."

Master Zhou keenly highlighted the shortcomings in each of the three’s alchemical methods, then gestured for them to begin refining on their own.

Su Mu nodded quietly; Master Zhou, worthy as a former Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall of the Cyan Fish Gang, pinpointed his problems with accuracy. Su Mu was considered a maverick, self-taught in alchemy, dealing with herbs based on the basic pharmacology of ordinary Alchemy Skill.

In other words, Su Mu lacked systematic knowledge of Alchemy Skill.

Among the three, Shangguan Miao’s eyes shone brightly upon receiving the evaluation, feeling an increased respect for Master Zhou, whom he had only met once, knowing this must be an exceptional Alchemist, perhaps the most outstanding one he had seen in his life.

To him, this was a significant opportunity; if he missed it, he feared it would never come again, so he must seize it.

Upon hearing Master Zhou’s feedback, though Sun Li nodded, she also glanced at Su Mu, her eyes showing three parts hostility and dissatisfaction; controlling the fire was one of the most difficult aspects of alchemy, a core skill indeed.