Chapter 305: Retreat a Bit, I Need to Refine Pills

"Yes, you can use your own," Yunhe said.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately nodded with satisfaction.

This cauldron was too small and weak, and the earth fire too inferior and low-grade. He wasn't accustomed to using them. After tidying these items to one side, the small alchemy room seemed to have a corner of its space occupied again.

Xu Xiaoshou recalled the size of his own small bathtub. Although his bathtub was somewhat smaller compared to Elder Sang's, when it came to facing these ordinary-sized ones...

He looked at Yunhe and said, "Step back a bit."

"Huh?" Yunhe didn't understand why. *Step back? He was planning to be a diligent assistant, handing Xu Xiaoshou herbs one by one!*

"Yes, step back. I'm going to start alchemy."

Yunhe: "..." *You're just doing alchemy, but you're quite pompous!*

He reluctantly retreated a few steps, a hint of dissatisfaction on his face. Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then said, "Retreat to the doorway."

"Cursed, Passive Value, 1."

Yunhe's expression grew somewhat angry. *How about I retreat outside for you and close the door on my way out? Can you take your exam and get your certificate all by yourself, without supervision, young master?*

"Slandered, Passive Value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..." *This old man's internal monologue is truly abundant. That old geezer's scheming, I wonder what he's thinking. I'm doing this for your own good!*

Without further explanation, seeing Yunhe retreat to one side, he pulled out the bathtub from his ring, a tub large enough to hold several people.

The bathtub hit the ground with a thud, and Yunhe's eyes immediately bulged.

"This is... a cauldron?"

Xu Xiaoshou smiled, "Could it possibly be a bathtub?"

Yunhe: "..." *I'd say that's precisely a bathtub!*

"Doubted, Passive Value, 1."

He was utterly bewildered. Such a large bath... cauldron. To be honest, it was the first time he had ever seen anything like it. But there were many eccentric alchemists, each with their own style, so he didn't dwell on it. Perhaps this bathtub was a high-grade spiritual artifact that could even increase the success rate of alchemy?

A quick sweep with his spiritual sense revealed nothing about the cauldron other than its extreme sturdiness. As for its grade... Grade eight.

His mouth twitched. Grade eight was not low; it was of the Innate level. But how much could a Grade Eight cauldron increase the success rate for someone with such a significant background?

Xu Xiaoshou watched his expression change like shifting clouds and surging waves, and couldn't help but find it amusing. He flicked his finger, and a compressed fire seed shot to the bottom of the small bathtub. The intense heat instantly made the tub glow warm red.

Yunhe was somewhat startled. Although he hadn't seen anything with his naked eye, how could he not recognize that familiar scorching aura? Another sweep with his spiritual sense revealed the rapidly spinning compressed fire seed.

"Invisible flames?" His lips parted slightly, unable to conceal his surprise. To be honest, Xu Xiaoshou's preliminary preparations truly made him view the young man in a new light. He had seen many alchemists with distinct styles, but this was the first time he'd encountered someone so unique!

Xu Xiaoshou looked at him, extending his hand to ask for the medicinal ingredients. "For a Grade Ten pill, I'll choose the Crimson Gold Pill. I'm more confident with that."

Although he had mastered the Ash-Illumination Condensing Pill Art, it wasn't his self-created "Stewing Soup Alchemy Art," so his familiarity with it wasn't very high. This technique wasn't heavily reliant on heat control; it leaned more towards a spiritual skill. Fortunately, after persistent effort, he had finally learned it. As for refining the Crimson Gold Pill... he was pretty much guaranteed success!

Yunhe didn't think much of it; this choice was almost every alchemist's first preference. He pulled out the spiritual herbs from his ring and was about to hand them over.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly stopped him: "Wait! You can just stay there, no need to come closer. My alchemy is a bit... peculiar."

Xu Xiaoshou had a pretty good idea of what his alchemy process entailed. If this person were Elder Sang, he'd be eager for him to come closer and help manage any unexpected issues. But Yunhe was at the Unfettered Realm cultivation level. *Hmm, better for him to stay further away. That way, if something unexpected happens, I only need to protect myself.*

Yunhe, however, didn't know Xu Xiaoshou was thinking of him, and his face darkened again. But recalling that some alchemists indeed had a fastidiousness about alchemy, even forbidding others from watching their process, he tolerated it. *Still, this was a privilege for high-grade alchemists! It's just a Grade Ten assessment, why put on such airs!*

"Complained About, Passive Value, 1."

Yunhe held the tray with the spiritual herbs and levitated it across. Xu Xiaoshou chuckled as he took it. With a wave of his hand, he poured all the spiritual herbs into the cauldron, then sent the tray back.

The old man's face immediately turned purple. "This is alchemy! What are you doing? A hodgepodge?" He felt his heart twitching. *The ingredients for the Crimson Gold Pill were indeed relatively inexpensive, but they weren't meant for making a random stew! Others refine pills step by step, extracting liquid from one herb at a time. But you... so you came to the Pill Tower for the alchemist assessment just to waste these ingredients?*

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent; more words would be useless. His Ash-Illumination Alchemy Art followed a much wilder path than others. Not understanding it was normal; understanding it would mean he had some insight.

After an exclamation, Yunhe quieted down. Regardless of Xu Xiaoshou's intentions, the alchemist assessment had already begun, and his yelling was already inappropriate. With a "whatever, just let it be" mindset, he calmed down and soon noticed something was amiss. It seemed this young man wasn't actually wasting the spiritual herbs. Was he truly performing alchemy?

Dozens of portions of medicinal ingredients were separated; some were enveloped in spiritual energy and remained untouched for now. As for the rest, were seven or eight herbs being refined simultaneously?

Yunhe almost cried out in surprise again. *What kind of joke was this? He wouldn't even dare to practice alchemy like that himself!*

However, as time passed, the surprise and doubt on his face transformed into sheer astonishment. The young man's alchemy technique was extremely crude, or rather, he had no technique at all. But in stark contrast, his heat control was simply masterly! Where to increase the temperature, where to lower the control, when to use intense burning, when to use gentle heat... Everything was meticulously arranged! Yet amidst this precision, a strange, faint aroma emerged.

*Look at the gentle heat, the intense flames... How could a proper alchemist assessment end up feeling like stir-frying a dish?*

"This..."

"Is it just my imagination?" Yunhe rubbed his eyes, somewhat disbelieving. But the medicinal fragrance slowly drifting from the furnace truly seemed to carry a hint of food. Even if it were all vegetables, it still made his throat stir.

"Gulp."

The old man glanced at the very solemn and dignified Xu Xiaoshou, frowning. Such overbearing invisible flames, such a grand method of liquid extraction, such a massive cauldron... it reminded him of a certain legend of the Pill Tower.

However, there were also significant differences!

He continued watching. The young man's hands were constantly waving, but even after watching for a long time, he still couldn't discern any discernible technique. It was as if he was just flailing wildly!