Lü Chicheng raised the several medicinal herbs in his hand and said, "Why do we call it a spiritual herb? And how do we determine that it is indeed a spiritual herb? What sets it apart from ordinary herbs?"
Lü Chicheng scanned the numerous young students in the hall and continued, "According to the 'Discourse on Spiritual Herbs,' spiritual herbs are plants or fruits that grow by absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. They possess specific medicinal properties and can achieve certain effects. Any plant or fruit that, when consumed, can produce beneficial effects and aid in the body can be called a spiritual herb."
"Not understanding, right?"
They were all a group of seven or eight-year-old children. It would be a miracle if they did understand.
Hua Sichong also found it all quite perplexing.
Lü Chicheng grinned, although his expression appeared stiff.
"For now, you don't need to fully grasp these concepts! What you need to know is the names of the spiritual herbs, their appearances, their unique characteristics, and their effects. Then, diligently memorize the shapes of hundreds of common spiritual herbs in the 'Foundations of Pharmaceutical Studies' and familiarize yourselves with the methods of excavation and collection."
Lü Chicheng raised his voice, trying to reach all the young students present.
With that, Lü Chicheng raised one of the spiritual herbs in his hand.
"This spiritual herb is called 'Blue Crane's Grace.' It's a very common spiritual herb."
As soon as he finished speaking, he casually tossed the herb, landing precisely in front of a little girl dressed in purple with a phoenix hairpin.
"Within ten breaths, carefully observe the shape of this 'Blue Crane's Grace.' If you can accurately describe its features, you will earn ten 'study credits.'"
Lü Chicheng presented a tempting offer.
Indeed, the little girl's eyes lit up with eagerness, her voice trembled with excitement.
"Instructor, is it... Is it really ten... study credits?"
It was a godsend, and the little girl couldn't believe it, wanting to confirm once again.
"Nine breaths left."
Lü Chicheng remained expressionless.
Time was not to be wasted.
The little girl hastily picked up the spiritual herb in front of her and observed it nervously yet excitedly. The rosy flush on her cheeks revealed her excitement, the kind that couldn't be restrained.
Her nostrils even had tiny beads of sweat due to nervousness.
Ten breaths passed in the blink of an eye.
"Please share what you have observed, young student, and let's see if you can earn these ten study credits from me."
Lü Chicheng decisively interrupted the little girl's continued observation.
The little girl stood up and respectfully bowed to Lü Chicheng. With her youthful voice, she confidently answered, "Reporting to Instructor Lü, Xiaomin observed that this spiritual herb is approximately one foot three inches tall, with a straight and robust stem. Its root system is still partially covered in soil and appears moist, indicating it was recently collected."
"The leaves of the spiritual herb are heart-shaped, with a green-brown color. The leaf surface has clear textures, mingling shades of blue and purple. It has ten blossoms and three fruits. The flowers are pale red with a delicate fragrance, while the fruits are not yet fully mature. Overall, they have a bluish-green color with a uniform hue, faintly exuding a refreshing fruity scent. This spiritual herb is called Blue Crane's Grace, and its fruit is called Blue Orchid Fruit. That concludes my answer!"
The little girl enthusiastically described her observations and understanding of the spiritual herb, then widened her eyes, eagerly gazing at Lü Chicheng.
The spiritual herb was handed back to Lü Chicheng.
"You have observed attentively and provided a good description, but you mentioned the age of the herb. Do you know the growth period of this Blue Crane's Grace?"
Lü Chicheng threw the question back at the little girl.
Disappointment appeared on the little girl's face as she pursed her lips, finally shaking her head. "Xiaomin doesn't know."
Her words carried a sense of disappointment and unwillingness.
"This is a ten-year-old spiritual herb."
Lü Chicheng revealed the answer to the young students.
"Now, how can we determine its growth period? There are many criteria to consider, such as the color intensity of the leaves, the fragrance emitted by the fruit, and the thickness and height of the stem. The possibilities are numerous."
Lü Chicheng answered his own question, and the young students below listened earnestly, with some even taking notes.
Seeing this scene, Hua Sichong's expression became distant, and memories of his own student days flashed through his mind.
It seemed as if it was all far away, yet now it felt so close.
"Identifying spiritual herbs is a process that requires long-term practice, years of accumulation, and experience. For you, it is still a distant goal."
"What you need to do now is to first understand them, then become familiar with them, and finally gain knowledge about them. When the day comes that you effortlessly take out a spiritual herb and can casually state its characteristics, medicinal properties, and age, then congratulations, you will have attained the qualification of a novice pharmacist."
"All of this will be very helpful for your future as pharmacists and alchemists."
After Lü Chicheng concluded, he praised the little girl, saying, "Congratulations, you have earned ten 'study credits'!"
In front of thousands of students, Lü Chicheng took out his own badge, approached the little girl, and compared the two badges. Without knowing the specifics of the process, he completed the transfer of credits.
The girl who received the credit reward was extremely happy. With a rosy face, she bowed to Lü Chicheng and excitedly said, "Thank you, mentor!"
In the following time, Lü Chicheng employed the same method, casually throwing the spiritual herbs to a student, asking them to identify them on the spot and provide immediate answers, and then he summarized the findings.
Throughout the lesson, he used "study credits" as rewards, stimulating the enthusiasm of the young students.
As expected, the atmosphere in the classroom became lively. The students understood the value of study credits, and each one desired to obtain them. However, only a few were fortunate enough, while the demand exceeded the supply.
Lü Chicheng achieved his goal: igniting the interest and active participation of the students.
Some succeeded, some didn't, some were joyful, and some were disappointed.
Once the explanations for these few spiritual herbs were completed, Lü Chicheng passed them on to the other students, allowing each of them to observe and then state their observations: a detailed description of the features and age of the herbs.
This could be considered as their homework after class! Hua Sichong felt a bit peculiar in his heart.
At this moment, Mentor Lü Chicheng, with nothing else to do, had already crossed his legs and sat on the bright orange cushion, motionless like a stone Buddha, even amidst the commotion in the classroom.
Hua Sichong realized that education for children was similar on Earth and the Nine Continents. It all started with the most fundamental concepts, using the most intuitive pictures and objects to arouse the children's interest and then guiding them.
Spiritual herbs should belong to the realm of plants. In Hua Sichong's distant memory, he probably encountered the subject of plants during his junior high school years.
No wonder the "Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing" coursebook distributed to junior-level students was directly discarded by Lü Chicheng. It made sense.
Seventh and eighth-grade children are at an age where they are full of energy and may not understand theoretical concepts easily. Even if forcefully taught, the effectiveness would be limited.
In that case, it is better to spark their interest and guide them while subtly introducing the theory, allowing the young students to absorb the knowledge gradually through their interests.
As the dismissal bell rang, the morning session came to an end. Lü Chicheng collected the spiritual herbs, stood up, and left promptly, in a straightforward manner.
Although it was just a basic pharmaceutical manufacturing class, Hua Sichong benefited greatly from it. He gained an understanding of the role of spiritual herbs and learned about the special status of alchemists and pharmacists in the entire Nine Continents.
It can be said that pharmaceutical manufacturing is a lifelong profession that accompanies martial practitioners and is indispensable to them.
A martial practitioner's life is a life of struggle—fighting against humans and monsters. How can one avoid getting injured?
Who said that pharmaceutical manufacturing has no future?
Those who say such things are short-sighted and narrow-minded.
As the mentor departed, the students also left the classroom one after another. In the blink of an eye, thousands of seven and eight-year-old children cleared out, leaving the classroom empty and quiet.
Hua Jingren and a few young members of the Hua family walked up to Hua Sichong and asked, "Uncle Sichong, shall we accompany you back to the dormitory?"
"Uncle Sichong, did you hurt your leg?"
The other younger members showed warm concern for Hua Sichong.
"Is this retaliation from the Ling family?"
"The Ling family's descendants were all sent to the mines. Who else would it be?"
"I heard that a few people went out for training and didn't participate in the fight, so they didn't receive any punishment. I heard their cultivation level is much higher than Uncle Sichong's."
"Do you think they will bully us kids?"
"Anyone who bullies kids would be laughed at to death."
"Uncle Sichong must be seriously injured. Look, he's sweating on his forehead."
...
Hua Sichong hurriedly ran out of the classroom.
Even the strongest person can feel overwhelmed when surrounded by a group of chattering children.
After a morning of rest, the pain in his legs had eased, although there was still some discomfort when walking.
Having not trained like this for a long time and suddenly increasing the intensity, the strain on his muscles was evident.
It seemed that he wouldn't be able to attend the martial arts class in the afternoon.
Fortunately, studying in the academy was relatively free. There was no attendance system, and whether one studied diligently or slacked off depended entirely on oneself. Once they turned sixteen, they would have completed the nine-year compulsory education.
As for becoming a dragon or an insect, it had nothing to do with the academy.
Hua Sichong hadn't eaten breakfast and couldn't afford to delay lunch any further. When he arrived at the academy's cafeteria, most of the students had already left, and a few were scattered, eating while reading books.
Hua Sichong quickly grabbed his meal and returned to the dormitory.
Meals also cost "credit," although not much. But with three meals a day, the small amounts added up, and over the course of a year, it became a staggering number.
Hua Sichong noticed that he had lost another ten "credits," and it pained him greatly. His total "credit" was now just a little over two hundred.
Hua Sicong was applying something to his body in the room when he saw Hua Sichong enter. He immediately asked, "Where did you go in the morning? You didn't even attend class."
"What's the difference between listening and not listening?"
"True. I didn't pay attention either. I started practicing 'Guidance Technique' not long after. The two of us are the same, not planning to take the Phoenix Academy entrance exam."
The courses they had missed were not just one or two. At this point, trying to make up for them was futile. They had long adopted the attitude of being fearless like a dead pig in boiling water.
"Are you going to the martial arts class in the afternoon?"
Hua Sichong asked.
"This is a martial arts class. How can I not go? You're not thinking of skipping it, are you?"
Hua Sicong was somewhat surprised.
In the basic courses, it seemed that martial arts was the only shared interest between the two.
"My body hasn't fully recovered..."
Hua Sichong patted his still slightly sore legs.
Hua Sicong cursed, "Serves you right, this is the consequence of showing off!"
"Since we have some free time in the afternoon, I want to go to the library and take a look."
Hua Sichong didn't mind, as they had been like this for years and had grown accustomed to it.
"Read a book? Am I hearing things right? Is this something you, Hua Sichong, said? Do you even know which way the library door opens?"
Hua Sicong exclaimed in surprise, wearing a face of disbelief.
Hua Sichong thought for a moment and shook his head.
He really didn't know. In nearly seven years of enrollment, it seemed like he had never entered the library.
Hua Sicong placed an object in his hand and smiled, saying, "Let's just honestly improve our martial arts skills a tiny bit. After graduation, if we can avoid being scolded by our parents when we return to the family, that would be considered a great success."
Hua Sichong looked at the object, a jade bottle, and shook it. Inside, there was some liquid.