Chapter 143: Chapter 115 Perfection_2
It wasn’t Chen Ku managing the fire. If Chen Ku took over after a while, he probably wouldn’t be able to maintain such a steady flame. Switching people back and forth would cause fluctuations in the fire’s intensity, and there was a high probability that this batch of pills would be ruined.
Elder Shang, after all, is not someone immersed in the Dao of alchemy. It’s understandable that he wants to nurture disciples, but excessive coddling can lead to failure. By taking over the fire control for his apprentice like this, it’s impossible to train a true Alchemist, Nong Baosen mused, shaking his head.
He decided that after this was over, he would have to give Shang Yunfang some serious advice. This was no way to indulge a disciple.
Huo Xiaoxia also found it somewhat unbelievable.
However, what the two of them didn’t know was that Shang Yunfang, standing before the furnace at this very moment, was actually very surprised.
Looking at the steady flame he had fanned, it was truly unbelievable. Am I this steady with my hands and heat control? When did I achieve a breakthrough? he wondered.
Generally speaking, the wind from a single wave of a fan by an Apprentice in the Strength Training Realm could already surpass most bellows. The higher one’s Cultivation, the greater the power of their fanning, making it even more difficult to control the flame’s temperature.
Even when Shang Yunfang had performed alchemy in the past, he often had difficulty controlling the heat.
Furthermore, his old injuries had yet to heal.
Could it be that my injury somehow cleared a blockage, imperceptibly advancing my skill in controlling the Pill Fire? Shang Yunfang speculated.
His heart began to fill with happiness and excitement. If this were true, it would mean he could teach his disciples so much more.
"Master, I’ve finished eating. It’s my turn now," Chen Ku’s voice came from behind. He had already cleaned up his meal box.
Shang Yunfang turned to look. Glancing at the extremely stable flames in the furnace, he couldn’t help worrying that Chen Ku would disrupt the heat control. "You wait—" he began.
He initially wanted Chen Ku to wait, but on second thought, decided it would be better to let Chen Ku experience it himself.
He handed over the fan, saying, "The fire in the furnace is very steady now, perfectly meeting the standard for Literature Fire—not too strong, not too weak. As you fan, feel this temperature and ensure it neither rises nor falls."
The fire beneath the furnace was, in fact, being invisibly controlled by Chen Ku himself; how could he not be aware of it?
But he put on an obedient smile and said, "Hmm."
He took the fan, took his master’s place, and began slowly and leisurely fanning the furnace.
「At the moment Chen Ku and Shang Yunfang switched positions.」
"Just watch. Once they switch, the heat control will instantly change," Nong Baosen said to his disciple, Huo Xiaoxia, from outside the Pill Room window. Seeing Chen Ku take the fan and begin his leisurely fanning, he sneered even more. Such frivolous fanning! This boy clearly isn’t taking alchemy seriously at all.
In his mind, he had already analyzed Chen Ku’s character. He probably thinks that because his Talent and Root Bone in martial arts put him far ahead, making him the foremost disciple of his generation in the Medicine King Hall, he doesn’t want to be distracted by other pursuits. Presumably, Elder Shang forced him to participate in alchemy, and he’s only here to go through the motions.
However, just as he was about to avert his gaze emotionlessly, Huo Xiaoxia suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Master, the fire in the furnace hasn’t fluctuated? It’s been maintained!"
Her surprised exclamation was a bit louder.
Inside the Pill-Refining Room, Chen Ku’s ears twitched. His excellent hearing, enhanced by various transformations, allowed him to pick up the sound despite the room’s excellent soundproofing.
Hmm? There are people outside, he thought. His mind quickly processed: It must be the Pill Master that Master mentioned, here to observe my alchemy.
Meanwhile, as Chen Ku was pondering this, Shang Yunfang, standing beside him, was already incredibly excited. He saw that under Chen Ku’s fanning, the heat control showed no signs of disturbance.
Outside, Nong Baosen looked in again, a different expression now on his face. A coincidence?
But as time ticked by, the fire before Chen Ku continued to burn steadily in the state of Literature Fire for a full hour, as calm as a placid lake, without the slightest ripple.
Nong Baosen’s eyes gradually widened. He understood. This... so it was actually... His heart began to race as he realized he had made a grave mistake.
When he first arrived and saw the two switch places, he had subconsciously assumed that the extremely stable fire in the furnace was controlled by Shang Yunfang. But now, seeing Chen Ku maintain it flawlessly for an hour, he knew better. Shang Yunfang’s skill in alchemy, specifically his heat control, was definitely not this good.
This unwavering heat control, maintained for an hour, was already comparable to his own when refining the Seven-Blood Pill.
So, the truth was... the stable fire he initially attributed to Shang Yunfang had, in fact, been established by Chen Ku from the very beginning. Shang Yunfang had merely taken over for the brief duration of a tea break.
Inside, Shang Yunfang also gradually began to understand.
He watched Chen Ku, his eyes shining with ecstatic delight.
The credit actually belonged to Chen Ku.
Far from being discouraged that it wasn’t his own alchemy skills that had broken through, he was, on the contrary, even more overjoyed.
And he faintly perceived a truly formidable aspect of Chen Ku.
This means that the first time, this child was completely new to alchemy and clueless about it, which is why he struggled so much with the heat control. But after making that mistake just once, he was able to completely correct himself the second time! This ability to learn from mistakes and rapidly adjust... he’s a genius, a true genius! Shang Yunfang understood. He then recalled the bloodline Talent Chen Ku had revealed a few days prior, his ability to withstand flames.