53: Chapter 53 Miscellaneous Disciple

Chen Jiancang's lips curved upwards, his brows carrying a hint of confident ease, and he said in a light tone, "Senior Sister Qing He, this task is not difficult for me. Refining fifty Qi Gathering Pills a month is well within my capability. Please inform Steward Nethercloud for me that I will definitely complete the task on time."

The task Chen Youyun gave him was quite considerate. If it were other Alchemists, they would refine two batches of pills a day, with at least 2 pills formed per batch, resulting in a minimum monthly task of 100 pills. However, Chen Jiancang's task volume was halved.

Chen Jiancang guessed that it was likely because he had just become an Alchemist, and Chen Youyun wanted to give him more time to study and improve.

Qing He's eyes were filled with admiration and envy: "Junior Brother Jiancang, you are truly gifted in Alchemy. It's truly enviable. I just don't know when I will be able to advance to Alchemist."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiancang's face showed a gentle smile, and he said with sincere tone, "Senior Sister Qing He, you must not belittle yourself. The path of Alchemy inherently emphasizes gradual progress and accumulating experience before achieving breakthroughs. Everyone has witnessed your efforts on the path of Alchemy, and you diligently study on a daily basis. As long as you persevere, advancing to Alchemist will be a natural progression."

Qing He sighed softly, her eyes holding a hint of disappointment, but more so, anticipation for the future: "I hope so. Junior Brother Jiancang, you are now an Alchemist. In the future, you must share more of your experience with your Senior Sister and not hide anything."

Chen Jiancang quickly waved his hand and said solemnly, "Senior Sister, what are you saying? Among fellow disciples, mutual exchange and common progress are only right and proper. I was merely lucky and happened to have a deeper understanding of refining Qi Gathering Pills, thus achieving mastery through fortunate coincidence. If Senior Sister has any questions or difficulties regarding the refining of Qi Gathering Pills, feel free to come. Your Junior Brother will definitely share everything with Senior Sister without reservation."

The two chatted for a few more sentences before Qing He left with the task scroll.

Chen Jiancang arrived at the entrance of Alchemy Room A4, took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered. This was the first time he had entered his own exclusive Alchemy room.

The Alchemy room door opened slowly with a 'creak', and a faint fragrance of herbs wafted in.

The interior was arranged quite neatly and cleanly, without the slightest sense of clutter.

The floor was paved with smooth and flat blue stone slabs, reflecting a faint luster.

Near the walls, tall wooden shelves were neatly arranged in a row, filled with various medicine bottles and porcelain jars.

These containers varied in shape, some as tall as half a person, others as small as a fist. The bottles and jars either had yellowed labels or were engraved with ancient runes, detailing the names and properties of the medicinal materials stored inside.

On the east wall hung several old but well-preserved Alchemy diagrams. The yellowed paper exuded a sense of history accumulated over time.

The diagrams depicted various stages of the Alchemy process and key scenes with delicate and vivid strokes, as well as methods for collecting and processing medicinal materials.

In the center of the room, a large, dark brown beast hide was spread out, thick and soft in texture, surrounded by several simple futons.

In the southwest corner of the room, there was a small bookshelf, empty and without any books.

By the west wall, a wide stone table was placed. The stone was warm and smooth, with traces of grinding medicinal materials still visible on the surface.

Various tools required for refining pills were neatly placed on the table, including small and exquisite jade mortars and pestles, silver scales of different shapes, and dozens of transparent glass cups of varying sizes.

Chen Jiancang looked around the unfamiliar Alchemy room, a sense of belonging welling up in his heart. The environment here was immeasurably better than the Alchemy room at home.

"Dong dong dong~"

Just then, there was a knock on the Alchemy room door.

Chen Jiancang paused slightly and called out, "Please come in."

The Alchemy room door was carefully pushed open, and a child who looked about six or seven years old peeked his head in.

The child had a round face, two buns in his hair, and bright eyes with a hint of timidity. He clenched the corner of his clothes tightly with both hands and cautiously surveyed the room with his eyes before slowly shuffling in.

Behind him followed another girl about the same age, timid and silent. Both of them were thin and wore ill-fitting Dan Hall servant clothes. They were likely the servants newly assigned to Chen Jiancang by the Dan Hall.

"Greetings, Alchemist!" The two children bowed together, their childish voices carrying a trace of nervousness.

Chen Jiancang's face showed a gentle smile. He walked forward two steps and said softly, "Get up, both of you. There's no need to be so formal. From today onwards, you will work with me in this Alchemy room. Please introduce yourselves first."

"Alchemist, my name is Ye Yichen. I am from Wu Kingdom and have Five Elements Spiritual Roots."

"Alchemist, my name is Su Niannian. I am also from Wu Kingdom and also have Five Elements Spiritual Roots."

Wu Kingdom was a Mortal kingdom near the Qingya Mountain Range, considered to be under the jurisdiction of the Chen Family.

Chen Jiancang's gaze swept over the two children, thinking to himself that these two children were likely seedlings with Spiritual Roots screened out by the Chen Family from among Mortals.

Although they had mixed Five Elements Spiritual Roots, they at least had a chance at immortal cultivation, which was why they were arranged to work as servants in the Dan Hall. If they had the Opportunity in the future, they might even embark on the path of Alchemy.

"I will teach you some simple tasks. Can you read?" Chen Jiancang asked.

The two children looked at each other. Finally, Ye Yichen stepped forward and said softly, "Adult, I have studied for a few years and can read some characters."

Chen Jiancang showed a look of relief and said, "Very good. Your task from now on will be to help me organize the medicine bottles and porcelain jars in the Alchemy room. In addition, the task of collecting spiritual herbs from the storage room will also be entrusted to you."

Ye Yichen's eyes lit up, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. He nodded heavily and said loudly, "Adult, don't worry, I will do it well!"

Then, Chen Jiancang looked at Su Niannian. The little girl seemed to have suffered from long-term malnutrition, her hair was a little dry, yellowed, and split.

Under Chen Jiancang's gaze, Su Niannian was so nervous she was trembling slightly.

Chen Jiancang smiled and said, "As for Su Niannian, you will be responsible for cleaning this Alchemy room first. The floor, wooden shelves, and stone table must all be cleaned thoroughly, without a speck of dust. Also, the herbal fragrance in the room must be maintained. If the scent of the medicinal materials dissipates, find some fragrant herbs on the shelves to replace them."

Jiancang also patiently explained some precautions and the rules of the Alchemy room.

Finally, Jiancang smiled and asked, "After all, you have Spiritual Roots. Have you started cultivating immortal Cultivation Techniques?"

Upon hearing this, the two children's faces flashed with a hint of sadness. Ye Yichen lowered his head and said softly, "Adult, we are only Dan Hall servants and do not yet have the qualifications to cultivate immortal Cultivation Techniques."

Su Niannian also shook her head lightly.

In this cultivation world, Cultivation Techniques are very important for people with Spiritual Roots. Without Cultivation Techniques, even with Spiritual Roots, it is difficult to embark on the path of immortal cultivation.

Since the Chen Family was able to screen them for Spiritual Roots, they would naturally bestow Cultivation Techniques upon them. The fact that they hadn't taught them yet was likely intended to give Chen Jiancang an Opportunity to show kindness.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have a basic immortal Cultivation Technique here, and I will bestow it upon you. Although it is not top-tier, for you who are just entering immortal cultivation, it is enough to lay a solid Foundation."

Upon hearing this, the two children's eyes instantly brightened, their faces filled with surprise and excitement.

With a 'thump', they both knelt down.

"Thank you, Alchemist, for your grace!" Their voices trembled slightly with excitement.

Chen Jiancang quickly helped them up and said gently, "Get up. From now on, you will work in this Alchemy room. As long as you are diligent and hardworking, I will teach you everything I know. However, cultivating techniques is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires perseverance, and you must not give up halfway."

Subsequently, Chen Jiancang took out an ancient Cultivation Technique manual from his storage bag and handed it to Ye Yichen.

"This Cultivation Technique is called 'Evergreen Art'. It mainly uses Wood-attribute spiritual energy and focuses on stabilizing the Foundation. You should study it carefully first, then give it to Su Niannian after you have learned it. If you have anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime." Chen Jiancang patiently explained.

Ye Yichen and Su Niannian nodded vigorously, eagerly flipping open the manual, their eyes shining with the light of seeking knowledge.

Chen Jiancang looked at their serious expressions, his heart filled with anticipation, as if he saw himself when he first entered cultivation. At that time, he had just transmigrated, and his yearning for cultivation was so similar to theirs at this moment.

"From today onwards, after you finish your servant duties each day, set aside one hour to cultivate the technique. I will regularly check your progress. If you are lazy, don't blame me for being strict." Chen Jiancang said with a serious expression.

"Yes, Adult! We will definitely cultivate diligently and live up to your expectations!" The two children answered in unison, their voices firm and strong.