This young man was able to come here for certification, he must have some confidence.
It's clear that his alchemy talent is not bad.
If he is brought under the wing of Holy Medical Valley and cultivated well, in the future, it's not impossible for him to step into the realm of Medicine King and become a top figure capable of refining fifth grade pills.
As it turned out, this Elder was a member of Holy Medical Valley who was traveling outside because of some connection with Huating, he agreed to Huating's request to come to this small place in the Northern Region to serve as a resident Elder.
In recent years, as the spiritual energy has been gradually reviving, Holy Medical Valley has been searching everywhere for individuals with medicinal talent to take into their doors for proper cultivation—the disciples of the Medicine Sect almost always end up under Holy Medical Valley, forming the main force of the Valley.
The rest are the servant cultivators brought in by these traveling Elders, or the disciples with alchemy talent from other Sects.
Indeed, this Elder had another purpose for his travels.
That was to seek out disciples with alchemy talent and bring them under his wing for specialized training.
This wasn't a decision made by Holy Medical Valley alone, but by the four major Sects.
For, the Sect Leader of Immortal Sect had once left behind a divination.
Although it is an era of the revival of spiritual energy, it has also ushered in the Age of Dharma Decline for the Mortal Realm.
This Age of Dharma Decline was caused by the human race themselves, not by natural disasters.
If they were well-prepared before the storm, it was not impossible to transform the Age of Dharma Decline into yet another golden age of cultivation—after the revival of spiritual energy, the spiritual energy in the Mortal Realm was denser than before.
If this generation manages to survive, the number of individuals achieving Ascension will certainly be several times that of previous generations.
He reminded the four major Sects to be prepared for battle before he went wandering the lands.
This is also the fundamental reason why Elders from various Sects travel to scout for disciples to nurture.
If the Age of Dharma Decline could not be withstood, then he would perish along with his Dao, putting forth his last breath to protect this world.
Because the Mortal Realm is his home where he has established his existence, protecting its well-being is the reason he embarked on the path of cultivation.
After a moment of contemplation, the Elder slowly came back to reality and looked towards the sky outside.
Half an hour had already passed, and he didn't know how the young man was progressing.
Sleepiness creeping in, the Elder leisurely closed his eyes for a brief rest.
Inside the pill room, Jiang Tang had already placed the herbs needed for the second-turn Rejuvenation Pill into the Pill Furnace and started the refining process with the Xuanming Spiritual Fire.
Quietly estimating the time needed for the Rejuvenation Pill to form, Jiang Tang hurriedly prepared ink, spread out the rice paper, and picked up a thick brush to start copying down some commonly used first grade pill prescriptions.
He wrote quickly without any omissions, but...
Looking at the characters on the rice paper that looked even uglier than a dog's gnawing, Jiang Tang put down the brush and silently covered his face.
He really wasn't cut out to be a calligrapher.
This brush, he couldn't use it at all.
However, now wasn't the time to consider practicing his handwriting.
Jiang Tang glanced back at the Pill Furnace, adjusted the flame a bit, and it wasn't until a faint scent of the medicine wafted through the air that he breathed a sigh of relief.
Also, he was still capable of multitasking.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and the pills were fully formed. The rich scent of the medicine drifted through the cracks of the door and woke up the Elder who was napping.
This is...
The Elder flared his nostrils and after a careful discernment, his eyes suddenly widened.
It was a second-turn Rejuvenation Pill!
This was one of the most difficult to refine among the second grade pills.
Ordinary disciples who came for assessment would bring what they were best at—this young man started by refining the hardest pills, which showed that he was not a common fish in the pond.
The Elder became secretly excited.
However, this time, he was overthinking it.
Because...
Jiang Tang could only refine this one type of Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill.
As the fragrance of the medicine began to subside, the wooden door creaked open.
Jiang Tang opened the door and brought out a tray with paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.
"Elders, I have successfully refined the Second-turn Rejuvenation Pills, and here are ten alchemy prescriptions." Jiang Tang placed the tray with paper, ink, brush, and inkstone on the desk, along with a bottle of freshly baked Second-turn Rejuvenation Pills and pushed them forward.
The elder hurriedly poured out the pills and examined them carefully by the light of the lamp.
When he saw the two clear lines, he was immediately astonished.
Is this... is this truly the work of a beginner in pill refining?
For an old hand like him, wanting to perfect the most difficult Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill, it might not possible to achieve such crystal clear perfection.
What the elder didn't know was that talent is important, but external assistance is just as crucial.
Jiang Tang possessed an exotic fire, and using that to refine pills could make the finished product purer and improve its quality significantly.
He picked up the alchemy prescription to take a look, and his smile instantly froze.
This...
"What excellent calligraphy! If it weren't for my extensive knowledge and experience, I would have almost failed to recognize it." The elder coughed, spouting nonsense with a serious face while heaping praise on Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang responded with an embarrassed smile.
He hadn't missed the twitch in the elder's eye.
It was clear he had nearly failed to decipher his scribbled talisman.
And yet, calligraphy...
After his compliments, the elder did not forget the main business and asked Huating to fetch a medallion, engraved Jiang Tang's name on it with mana, and handed it over.
"This is the medallion of a second-grade alchemist. Congratulations on passing the examination and advancing!" Seeing him express his thanks, the elder took the opportunity to draw closer and asked with a smile, "Are you perhaps a servant disciple from the Immortal Sect?"
Jiang Tang nodded: "Indeed."
"You have excellent talent for pill refining. Would you be willing to accompany me to the Holy Medical Valley and become an Inner Sect Disciple? I can guarantee you, once you're in the Holy Medical Valley, the resources at your disposal will be of the highest quality." The elder continued to smile amiably at Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang: "..." So that was why he felt something was off about the elder—it turned out he was there to poach him.
Although he was somewhat tempted, the Immortal Sect was the former owner's second home, and he could not simply go against the former owner's wishes.
Besides, refining medicine was merely his side job—his plan was to make a fortune by farming and selling Spirit Grass.
Thinking of this, Jiang Tang quickly asked, "Elder, and you, young master, may I know if your medical institution would purchase the pills I have refined?"
"Certainly, we will purchase them. Huating, quickly fetch some silver notes," the elder said, patting Huating's shoulder.
Huating: "..." It's only when you're recruiting disciples that your true intentions are revealed, Elder.
He silently went to the accountant to withdraw a thick stack of silver notes, counted them carefully, came over, and handed the total amount to Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang took them, glanced briefly at the substantial amount on the silver notes, and silently stored them away in his Qiankun Bag.
He suddenly understood why people admired alchemists so much.
Because in this profession, one could make a fortune.
Casually refining a bottle of Second-turn Rejuvenation Pills could sell for so much silver.
Not to mention those that elevate a whole grade, becoming increasingly rare and precious, with efficacies that soar to new heights—Third-turn, Fourth-turn, and even Fifth Grade Pills.
"Young friend, about the earlier proposition I made, what are your thoughts?" The elder circled back to the original topic.
"Thank you for your generous offer, but since I am a disciple of the Immortal Sect, I shall not join any other sect." Jiang Tang bowed, replying respectfully yet firmly.