Chapter 527 The Ultimate of Alchemy
“Oh?” Roland looked over. “Why?”
“It’s like this, Your Majesty… you don’t know much about alchemy, so you are very likely to be deceived.” Lightning quickly blocked Riley. He was quite proud himself, and he was slightly less respectful in front of Tyferko, not to mention the Fourth Prince, who was once considered unlearned. If he angered the other party, everyone would suffer. “The art of alchemy is ever-changing. Each formula represents a new achievement. However, not all achievements are as dazzling as snow powder. It may not be directly converted into gold royals, but it is the foundation for the birth of another outstanding product.”
“That’s right,” Riley interjected, dissatisfied. “Take potent snow powder as an example. The ice nitrate in it is transformed from feces, which is an alchemical reaction in itself. But in addition to making ice, it can also be mixed with other alchemical products to create snow powder—these uses require long-term exploration and deliberation. Even the most experienced alchemy master would not dare to assert that a certain reaction result is meaningless, Your Majesty. Their value cannot be simply measured by gold royals.” He frowned and glared at Roland’s chief. “If anyone dares to guarantee you that, then he must be a liar!”
“What do you think?” Roland asked, tilting his head.
The chief alchemist didn’t seem flustered. He first stroked his beard, and then, when no one spoke, he patted his chest and said, “Your Majesty, they would say that because their understanding of alchemy is still at the superficial level. I can prove to you that their formulas are nothing new, and the usefulness of the results has all been determined.”
As soon as these words came out, the alchemists gasped.
Lightning was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses. Did this person know what he was talking about? Know every alchemy formula like the back of his hand? What a joke! The Royal Capital Alchemists’ Association has discovered more than a dozen new formulas in the past two years. It takes a few days just to look at them, and the other party dares to say that there is nothing new? While surprised, a burst of gloating welled up in his heart. This Kaimo. Stroll was completely crazy. As long as he cited a formula that he couldn’t say, it would be tantamount to deceiving His Majesty!
The most taciturn Chief Archille couldn’t help it either. He said coldly, “How do you want to prove it?”
“It’s very simple,” Kaimo walked up to the three of them with confidence. “You put out the raw materials, and I’ll tell you the alchemy result, how about that?”
Riley laughed angrily. “Very good, the association has all kinds of materials. Verification can be carried out at any time. If you say something wrong, don’t think you can still hide it from His Majesty like you did in Border Town!”
“What if I’m right about everything?”
“That’s impossible!” Archille shook his head repeatedly. “Alchemy formulas may indeed be repeated, but it is absolutely impossible to exhaust them all—you underestimate alchemy too much!”
The other party showed a strange expression, like a sigh, or like pity. “It’s not that I underestimate alchemy, but that it is inherently wrong.”
Lightning felt his forehead twitching. “What did you say?”
“Let me ask a question first, what is alchemy in your eyes?” Kaimo was unmoved. “Chaos, complexity, ever-changing, difficult to figure out? No… you know nothing about alchemy, or the essence of all things.”
“What nonsense!” Riley shouted loudly. “Do you want to say that this school of sages is simple, orderly, and straightforward? If it were really like this, how could it have evolved so many colorful substances and made every stone in this world different?”
To Lightning’s horror, the other party actually chuckled. “Ah, that’s right… it is simple, orderly, and straightforward.”
“You—”
“As for why this world is so colorful, that is beyond the scope of alchemy,” Kaimo said peacefully. “In other words, that is a higher realm, and I have only just seen the threshold.”
“Enough,” Lightning grabbed Riley, whose beard was almost standing on end. “Take your disciples to prepare the alchemy materials first. Any absurd remarks will collapse in the face of facts.”
Otherwise, if he continued to speak, he might curse at Kaimo, and also curse at His Majesty Roland, who recruited him as chief.
This person is indeed a madman. Alchemy is simple and orderly? Lightning thought bitterly in his heart. He would definitely make the other party taste a profound lesson.
……
A long table in the center of the refining hall was cleared, with several small bottles and three pieces of white paper on it. The names of the raw materials were written on the paper.
After some discussion, the three chiefs decided to each choose a formula and let Kaimo. Stroll to prove his statement. In order to leave His Majesty with the impression that he was not deliberately making things difficult, and to avoid Kaimo from quibbling, the three also wrote out the names of the raw materials. As for whether the other party recognized them, that was none of their business.
When everything was ready, Lightning looked at His Majesty Roland’s chief alchemist and said in a deep voice: “Please begin.”
The latter walked confidently to the first piece of white paper at the table.
“Calcining saltpeter and green vitriol?” He glanced at the contents of the paper, looking slightly surprised. “You have also discovered the twin-stone acid production method. The products are various solids and acids, the latter of which can corrode metals.” As he answered, he also picked up a pen and wrote a long string of symbols on the paper.
The face of Archille, who had set the question, suddenly became very ugly. “Cor…rect.”
The surrounding alchemists started whispering to each other. Probably no one expected that the formula chosen by the first chief would be answered in less than a breath.
“Quiet!” Lightning shouted. “There are still two questions!”
“He just happened to get it right,” Riley stomped his feet. “The second formula won’t be so lucky. By the way, what are those things he wrote on the paper?”
He shook his head, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. The development of the matter quickly deviated from their expectations. Kaimo didn’t even stay at the table for too long before he said the result, and also pointed out the trap set by Riley. “Green vitriol acid and copper flakes? If the acid content is too low, this reaction cannot be carried out. If the concentration is high, heating can turn the liquid blue, and bubbles will emerge at the same time.”
The difficult problem set by Lightning did not cause him any trouble either. “Take out Nether Stone? No other conditions?” Kaimo grabbed the bottle, shook it, and looked at the white solid submerged in water. “This thing is quite rare. It is easy to spontaneously ignite in the air without fire, producing white smoke, and finally leaving a white solid. Am I right?”
“Uh…” Lightning was completely shocked. This thing was a peculiar item exchanged when communicating with the alchemists of Wolfheart Kingdom. Very few people have seen it, let alone know its characteristics!
“You can also ask questions,” Kaimo turned around and looked at the surrounding alchemists. “I will prove to you that what I said is not false.”
The crowd suddenly boiled.
“What about mixing and burning ocher and charcoal?”
“If the temperature is high enough, you can get iron, which is essentially a special iron ore.”
“Why are the colors of the glass obtained from melting sand different? Didn’t you say that alchemy doesn’t change?”
“Because the impurities inside are different, crystal glass requires the purest sand.”
“Master Kaimo, I have a question!”
“Me too!”
Lightning was surprised to find that the atmosphere in the hall was changing rapidly. The alchemists had changed from asking questions to asking for advice, and even their titles had become respectful. He realized that Kaimo was becoming the chief recognized by everyone.
“Shut up, all of you!” Riley suddenly shouted, “These are just formulas that the Alchemists’ Association has already figured out. If you really know all the formulas like the back of your hand, then list a formula that no one has ever seen before—such as the ultimate pursuit of alchemy!”
This… is impossible, right? Lightning swallowed. He believed that all the alchemists present had the same thought—after all, this pursuit only originated from a legend.
But he couldn’t believe that the other party actually raised the corners of his mouth.
Facing the unified gaze of the Alchemists’ Association members, Kaimo. Stroll smiled and said, “Are you talking about turning stone into gold? Of course, I will demonstrate it next.”