At the moment the explosion sounded, a scorching hot blast rushed skyward, causing the entire hall to tremble.
Immediately afterwards, a thick burnt smell assaulted the nostrils.
Ye Qiu was about to step back, but Elder Sheep pressed his shoulder firmly.
“Brother Ye, do not be afraid.”
Elder Sheep smiled and said, “That explosion just now was caused by Elder Monkey.”
“Elder Monkey often blows up the furnace when refining pills.”
“Have you noticed? There are no guards around this palace, precisely because the furnace explodes so frequently that the guards have all been scared away.”
“Even the little demons of the monkey clan usually dare not come near here.”
So that is how it is.
Ye Qiu said, “I heard from Little White Fox that Elder Monkey is the only heaven-grade alchemist in the demon clan. Logically, his alchemy attainment should be very high. Why does he blow up the furnace so often?”
Elder Sheep laughed. “The path of alchemy is even harder than cultivation. To become a high-level alchemist, apart from requirements on the alchemist’s own cultivation and talent, one must collect spiritual herbs, master pill formulas, and be proficient in fire control techniques.”
“In addition, countless trials are needed.”
“The vast majority of cultivators are unwilling to take the alchemist path because it wastes too much time and energy.”
“This is also why alchemists are rare in the cultivation world.”
“Although Elder Monkey is a heaven-grade alchemist, he cannot succeed every time. Succeeding once out of a thousand trials is already quite good, so the furnace explodes frequently.”
At this point, a flattering smile appeared on Elder Sheep’s face.
“Brother Ye, we have known each other for some time now. We hit it off at first sight. Could you do me a small favour?”
Ye Qiu asked, “What does Elder Sheep need?”
Elder Sheep lowered his voice and said, “Brother Ye, when you become a heaven-grade alchemist, could you refine a pill for me?”
“What kind of pill do you want?” Ye Qiu pressed.
Elder Sheep looked somewhat embarrassed. “I am not afraid of your ridicule. I guarded my virginity for a thousand years, but recently broke it. I do not know if it was due to excessive excitement or some other reason, but the duration is rather short.”
“I want a pill that can help me last longer.”
“No problem.” Ye Qiu agreed readily and asked, “How much longer do you need?”
Elder Sheep said, “Not too long. A few days without release would suffice.”
“A few days? Are you sure you are not mistaken?” Ye Qiu said, “Elder Sheep, if I may ask boldly, you say your duration is short now. I would like to know how long you currently last each time.”
Elder Sheep replied, “When in poor condition, I can only last two hours.”
One hour is two modern hours, so two hours means four hours.
Ye Qiu’s mouth twitched. This is called short?
Where does that leave those quick men who last three seconds?
“And when in good condition?” Ye Qiu could not help asking.
Elder Sheep answered, “In good condition, I can barely manage three or four hours.”
Bloody hell, is this still human?
Oh, almost forgot, you are not human to begin with.
“Is this dead sheep misunderstanding the concept of time, or deliberately striking at me?” Ye Qiu suddenly thought. If even a sheep has such strong combat power, what about a nine-tailed heavenly fox…
At this thought, Ye Qiu felt fear. His legs went weak, and he nearly failed to stand steady.
Elder Sheep quickly supported Ye Qiu and asked with concern, “Brother Ye, what is wrong?”
“Nothing.” Ye Qiu took a deep breath, putting on a profound expression, and said, “Elder Sheep, your duration is indeed rather short.”
“Although my cultivation is inferior to yours, I am not boasting. Right now, I can achieve twelve hours of impregnable defence.”
“You are far behind me.”
Joking aside, which man would admit to having a short duration.
Elder Sheep looked full of admiration. “No wonder the Lord favours you. So you are this formidable.”
“Brother Ye, quickly tell me.”
“How do you last so long?”
Ye Qiu looked proud. “Natural talent.”
“Natural talent? Impressive, impressive.” Elder Sheep said, “Brother Ye, about the pill…”
Ye Qiu said, “Rest assured. When I become a heaven-grade alchemist, I will refine a pill for you. I guarantee it will make you experience one day as three autumns.”
Elder Sheep beamed with joy, grasping Ye Qiu’s hand and saying, “Brother Ye, thank you so much. From now on, you are my Old Sheep’s sworn brother.”
To hell with that. I certainly do not want to be sworn brothers with a sheep.
At that moment, the palace doors opened. A thin, small old man with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks walked out.
The old man had dishevelled hair, his face covered in ash, looking very dishevelled. He coughed nonstop.
Ye Qiu said in surprise, “Could this be…”
“Yes, he is Elder Monkey.” Elder Sheep laughed. “Old Monkey, after so many furnace explosions, you still have not been blown to death. I must say, your life is truly tough!”
“Can you not say something nice for once?” Elder Monkey glared at Elder Sheep, then his gaze fell on Ye Qiu. He asked indifferently, “Ye Changsheng?”
“Yes, this is Ye Changsheng.” Elder Sheep said, “The Lord ordered me to bring him here to learn alchemy from you.”
Ye Qiu bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly. “Junior Ye Changsheng pays respects to Elder Monkey.”
“You are the Lord’s friend. No need for formalities.” Elder Monkey said, “Come in!”
With that, he turned and went back into the palace.
Ye Qiu and Elder Sheep followed inside.
Another wave of pungent burnt smell hit them. The originally spacious and exquisite courtyard was littered with fragments from exploded furnaces. Medicinal liquid had splashed everywhere, leaving a complete mess.
Then, they followed a bluestone path to a side hall.
Ye Qiu noticed that the side hall’s main room was cluttered. Tables and chairs were covered in thick dust, clearly untouched by cleaning for a long time.
Elder Monkey passed through the main room and stopped at a room door.
“Ye Changsheng, I will speak plainly. I have no good feelings towards humans.”
Elder Monkey changed tone. “However, I must obey the Lord’s command.”
“How much you can learn here depends entirely on your fortune.”
With that, Elder Monkey formed seals with his hands and pressed a palm on the door.
“Bang!”
The door opened.
Ye Qiu looked up and saw that the room was enormously large, spotless and exceptionally clean.
Rows of wooden shelves stood inside, holding wooden boxes of various sizes. They stretched as far as the eye could see.
Elder Monkey said, “To refine pills, one must first recognise herbs.”
“This room is my herb storage. Each box contains one spiritual herb.”
“Ye Changsheng, the first thing you must do is identify these spiritual herbs, remember their properties, and their uses.”
“When you have memorised them all, come find me.”
Elder Monkey turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and reminded, “I forgot to tell you. There are thirty-four thousand wooden boxes here in total.”
“Each box has a restriction I set. With your cultivation, you cannot open them.”
“Therefore, you can only perceive what spiritual herb is inside by smell.”
“This step is called identifying herbs by fragrance!”
