Every plant, every herb, every blade of grass contains its own story—its own path to power. The master alchemist reads these stories not just with their eyes, but with their spirit, understanding the deeper truths hidden within nature's simplest forms.
—Sage Tang Xue, Mistress of the Eternal Frost
Xiulan slipped through the green-painted door, the sharp scent of dicinal herbs hitting her nose. Rows of wooden benches provided seating like a modern lecture hall, most already filled with other students. A few heads turned at her entrance but quickly returned to their conversations and notes.
At least they're not all staring like before. She spotted an empty seat at the end of the front left row. The wood creaked as she settled onto the bench.
The boy next to her stiffened. "Not the best spot to pick."
"What? Why not?" Xiulan frowned.
Before he could answer, silence swept through the room. Elder Wang i strode in wearing an intricately embroidered green and gold robe. She carried a massive leather-bound to with green and brown binding under one arm.
Interesting. Unlike Elder Chang, she teaches the beginners herself.
The complete stillness of the room was a hint. Either Wang i commanded deep respect, or her students feared her strict nature. The elder's erald eyes surveyed the class as she placed the heavy to on the lectern.
"Welco to this year's beginner alchemy and herbology class. I am Wang i, First Elder of the Herb Hall here at Aeris Treasure Pavilion."
"So of you newcors might wonder why an elder teaches this beginner course." Elder Wang i's erald eyes swept across the room. "The foundation shapes everything that follows."
Xiulan leaned forward.
"Teaching beginners brings fresh perspectives. While I've mastered much in my years, your questions might spark new insights. The quiet student beside you could be a hidden genius."
The words resonated with Xiulan .
"This philosophy has led to nurous breakthroughs in the Aeris Herb Hall. Many originated from questions asked in this very classroom." Elder Wang raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
The sound echoed through the room. Hidden drawers clicked open in front of each student. Xiulan pulled hers wide, revealing a thick to and several unfurled scrolls.
Another class synopsis. But as she examined the neatly organized materials and clear formatting, Xiulan felt herself reconsidering. This might not be so bad after all.
Xiulan listened intently as Elder Wang i explained the basics of spiritual herb cultivation and dicinal refinent. The information matched what she'd already studied, but she didn't want to miss anything new.
"The foundation of alchemy lies in understanding how spiritual energy flows through every object and being," Elder Wang i said. "Each herb requires specific conditions to thrive."
A small clay pot appeared on the demonstration table. "Today, you'll each begin to grow dicinal herbs for a basic healing pill. This exercise will test your comprehension of herbology fundantals."
Elder Wang i called students forward one by one to collect their materials. Xiulan watched the line crawl forward from her position at the far left of the front row. Of course I'd end up last.
The wait stretched as each student received their pot and seed packet. Finally, Xiulan stood to collect hers.
"Excellent, that completes everyone." Elder Wang i placed a hand on Xiulan's shoulder as soon as she started to head back to her seat. "Actually, since you're already up here, I need a volunteer for a demonstration."
Xiulan glanced at the student who sat beside her. He shrugged with a knowing look that scread 'I tried.' So that's why he warned about this seat.
"I'd be honored to assist, Elder Wang." Xiulan bowed respectfully.
Elder Wang i swept her hand across the demonstration table. Three bronze pill furnaces materialized, along with an array of ingredients, tools, and asurent devices. The polished tal surfaces glead under the room's spirit lights.
"What kind of introduction would this be if I didn't show you the height I expect you to reach here?" Elder Wang i adjusted the furnace positions. "By the end of this course, you'll understand the fundantals needed to create everything needed up to qi refining pills."
The elder's erald eyes fixed on Xiulan. "Tell , do you have experience crafting qi refining pills?"
"No, Elder Wang." Xiulan straightened her posture. "I've only made basic elent pills and healing pills—nothing beyond the most fundantal level."
Xiulan kept her face neutral, carefully omitting any ntion of the ridian opening pill. That secret needed to stay buried.
"Which elent pills have you crafted?" Elder Wang i adjusted a asuring tool on the demonstration table.
"I've made all five elental variants—earth, fire, water, wood, and tal. So independently, others under Senior Sister Ming's guidance."
Elder Wang i's erald eyes sparkled. "Impressive. Most students arrive with no pill-crafting experience, save those specializing in alchemy."
Xiulan bowed slightly at the praise, uncertain how to respond. The corner of her mouth twitched as she maintained her composed expression.
"Today we'll create a pure qi refining pill." Elder Wang i arranged five small bronze pots in a circle. "This requires perfect harmony between all five elents. Any imbalance will bias the final product."
Five elents. Xiulan's thoughts jumped to Master Qingfeng's manual and the Tree Sigh thod epigraph she still hadn't decoded.
"Watch closely." Elder Wang i laid out the ingredients. "Each elent must be prepared separately before combination begins."
The familiar herbs lined up neatly: earth-heart root for grounding, winter tears for water essence, crimson leaves for fire qi, spring bamboo for wood energy, and silver dust for tal attunent. Xiulan picked up the preparation knife as Elder Wang i explained each step.
The earth-heart root yielded beneath the sharp blade, each slice precise and uniform. The familiar motions brought comfort—she'd done this before.
The mortar and pestle sat ready as she ground ingredients with infused sand. Each component required specific preparation techniques she'd already developed.
Elder Wang i inspected her work. "Very good. Your technique shows experience."
"Now for the crucial part." Elder Wang i gestured to the five spiritual pots arranged in a circle. "Each elent must be contained and subdued properly. Watch the qi infusion carefully—volatile reactions occur when multiple elents combine."
The elder traced a pattern in the air. "We follow the generation cycle: Water feeds Wood, Wood fuels Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth produces tal, and tal collects Water. This order maintains harmony."
The main pill furnace blazed with spiritual energy as Elder Wang i extended both hands. "Observe the qi control needed. Maintain steady pressure while feeding energy to the furnace. Once it reaches the critical point, the reaction becos self-sustaining."
"However." Elder Wang i's erald eyes narrowed. "Instability before that point wastes everything. You'll end up with nothing but a worthless pill."
Xiulan watched Elder Wang's movents with rapt attention. The qi flowed visibly through the classroom—no, not visibly. She felt it pulse and swirl, touching every student's spiritual sense. The display showcased perfect control while making the intricate process clear to observe.
How did she project the qi sensation so everyone could feel it? Xiulan studied each motion intently. The qi patterns wove together in complex formations, requiring far more precise control than the basic elental pills. The furnace itself contained dozens of additional qi channels compared to the simple ones she'd used before.
Steam hissed from the furnace as Elder Wang completed the process. She held a small mold beneath the spout, catching the luminous liquid as it poured out. After infusing the mold with another pulse of qi, she opened it to reveal the finished product.
"A qi refining pill," Elder Wang announced. "Essential for those in the qi refining stage during ditation. It prevents elental overload, maintaining harmony even for those who specialize in specific elents."
Xiulan absorbed each detail as Elder Wang dismissed her back to her seat. She collected her herb pot and returned to the front row.
"Thanks for trying to warn earlier," Xiulan whispered to the boy beside her.
"No problem." He smiled. "I'm Tao Jun."
Xiulan smiled. "Lin Xiulan."
"Enough chatter." Elder Wang's voice cut through the classroom. "Before dismissal, we'll test your herb identification knowledge. Open your tos and identify every reagent pictured. The highest score earns an upgraded pill furnace."
Xiulan straightened. A test already? But...
A smile tugged at her lips. Countless hours spent gathering herbs in Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles flooded back. The virtual ingredients matched almost perfectly with what she'd studied since arriving.
Blue spirit light flashed. Glowing numbers materialized above each student's head, hovering like spectral scoreboards. Xiulan's showed a pristine zero.
Elder Wang raised her hand. The tos on every desk flipped open to their first pages, spiritual energy crackling through the paper.
"You'll each recite ingredient nas in isolation. A barrier will prevent you from hearing your neighbors." Elder Wang swept her erald gaze across the room. "Close your book when finished to dispel the barrier. Begin."
The sounds of the classroom vanished. She stared at the first illustration, surrounded by absolute silence.
Xiulan nodded at the simple task, though Elder Wang's advanced spiritual techniques sparked curiosity. The magic differed drastically from anything she'd encountered in Blackre—even Master Qingfeng hadn't demonstrated such complex applications.
Well, he hadn't exactly been teaching classes.
The first herb illustration caught her eye. Heaven grass. Easy.
A soft ding echoed through her barrier. The glowing number above her desk changed to one. Perfect.
Students around the room bent over their books with intense focus. Across the classroom, a girl with auburn hair sped through the pages—her counter already showed twelve correct answers.
Xiulan grinned and turned back to her to. Finally, a proper challenge. This was a fun competition she could accept as fun.
She flipped through the pages with ease. Each herb sparked instant recognition. Ding. Ding. Ding. The counter above her desk climbed steadily higher.
Earth-Heart root. Storm grass. Thunder root. Blood lotus. The nas flowed effortlessly from her lips.
Near the end, a few specins gave her pause. Complex variations of common ingredients used in advanced crafting. mories surfaced—rare components she'd collected for legendary quests in Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles .
The last page revealed an enormous tree illustration. Xiulan leaned closer, studying the intricate details. Twisted vines wrapped around its base in a familiar pattern. Sothing tugged at her mory.
Where have I— The realization hit like lightning.
The Phoenix tree.
She'd seen its remnants in the ga—just the bottom stump, cleaved in two, roots withered and dead.
She opened her mouth to identify it, then froze. Master Qingfeng's warning echoed in her mind. This specin hadn't appeared in any of her recent studies. It was buried under the imperial palace.
Explaining such knowledge could raise questions.
"Unknown specin," Xiulan stated firmly and closed the to.
Ding. The barrier dissolved as her final score materialized: 128.
The remaining students closed their books one by one. So rushed through the final pages, while others ticulously checked each answer. After ten minutes, Elder Wang raised her hand.
"That's enough for today. We'll have plenty of ti to study these specins in detail later."
Several students exhaled in relief. The barrier spell dissolved around the last few still working.
"Would the winner please co forward to claim her prize?"
A soft green glow caught Xiulan's attention. Her to pulsed with spiritual energy. What? She glanced at the number floating above her desk—128.
Her eyes darted around the classroom. Most scores hovered between twenty and forty, with a handful reaching near one hundred.
The auburn-haired girl stood up with a confident smirk, striding down the center aisle. The number 127 floated above her head like a crown.
Oh no. Xiulan slumped lower in her seat, trying to beco invisible behind her glowing to. Not again. Why does this keep happening?
Elder Wang's erald eyes fixed on the approaching student. "Su Yin, what are you doing?"
Su Yin stopped mid-stride. "Elder? Is sothing wrong?"
"You are not the winner." Elder Wang pointed directly at Xiulan.
Bah. Xiulan pushed up from her seat with reluctance.
Su Yin's shocked expression morphed into an icy glare.
Xiulan trudged to the front of the classroom. What a waste. She could have bought an advanced furnace with her spirit stones if needed—maintaining a low profile would have been nicer.
"I am impressed at Elder Qingfeng's thorough teaching of his young disciple," Elder Wang said.
Xiulan bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder. My master proves generous and wise in his teachings." She accepted the pill furnace, stealing a quick glance at Su Yin, who slumped in her seat with a pronounced pout.
Xiulan retreated to her seat. Politics exhausted her—especially the petty classroom variety. Twice in one day.
At least tomorrow would be personal lessons with Ming.
Tao Jun leaned closer to Xiulan's desk. "That was incredible. I never thought anyone would beat Su Yin."
"Thanks." Xiulan traced the intricate patterns on her new pill furnace.
"She's Elder Wang's great-granddaughter, you know." Tao Jun scratched his neck. "No one's beaten her at herb identification in the junior classes."
Xiulan's fingers froze on the bronze surface. Perfect. Just perfect. Was it really just random or did she have so type of label on her head? Was attracting trouble a talent? She'd joked about that, but it didn't feel like a joke.
Elder Wang cleared her throat. "For next class, study the properties of earth-aligned herbs, pages one through twelve. We'll begin crafting basic qi pills, one elent per week." She tapped her lectern. "Dismissed."
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