19: Peak of the fourth rank

Physique: None.

Copying Time: Twenty minutes.

Copy?

Apparently, after Xiao Lei's cultivation increased, the time it took him to copy Otto was greatly reduced, as Xiao Lei possessed the Calamity Poison Body.

At the same time, the impact during copying also lessened. Of course, Alchemy is a delicate art; even a slight problem can cause a failure.

Sure enough, during the third attempt at refining a Medicinal Pill, the Materials were burned again halfway through.

Looking at the Medicine Cauldron before him, Otto sighed deeply.

“Alas! Forget it, it seems we are not fated to be Master and disciple. Let's drop the matter of taking you on as a disciple!”

“Oh~ Hiss!”

“Little fellow, you wait here for a bit. I'm going to relieve myself, and then I'll come back personally to give you your alchemist badge and alchemist robe!”

At the same time, the copying time before Xiao Lei's eyes also ran out.

Copy successful.

Please choose the option to copy.

“Copy Alchemy!”

Of all that Otto possessed, only these two things caught Xiao Lei's eye. Alchemists are not proficient in combat; Xiao Lei had scanned Otto's Dou Techniques and found them not very appealing. As for Soul Strength, the System would forcibly grant Xiao Lei the Soul Strength Realm when copying Alchemy.

Copy successful. The Host has become a Rank 4 High-Tier Alchemist, and at the same time, Soul Strength has risen to the level of a Rank 4 Alchemist.

Extremely smoothly, Xiao Lei thus became a Rank 4 Alchemist.

A vast amount of information flooded Xiao Lei's mind. All of this was Otto's accumulated knowledge from decades of studying Alchemy, including the Body Tempering Pill Otto had refined earlier.

At the same time, because the System would give Xiao Lei any content related to Alchemy, Xiao Lei also acquired much knowledge on the periphery of Alchemy.

For example, knowledge of different fires, the refinement of Demonic Beast fire... From the knowledge obtained from Otto, Xiao Lei learned a method to acquire Demonic Beast fire, though the difficulty was somewhat high.

“Blood Fire: Using the flesh and blood of a fire-attribute Demonic Beast as a sacrifice, and the Bloodline of at least a Rank 6 Demonic Beast as an lead, to condense Blood Fire...”

No wonder Otto was shocked when he saw Xiao Yan's Demonic Beast fire in the original work. If one were to obtain Demonic Beast fire according to this standard, it would indeed require great Luck or great strength.

“Little fellow, the Medicinal Pill that Otto, this old fellow, refines is called the Body Tempering Pill. It is the Medicinal Pill this old fellow is most skilled at, usually having a ninety percent success rate. It's just that today, for some unknown reason, there were problems three times, which even surprised me immensely...”

“Given this, perhaps it really is that you two are not suitable to become Master and disciple...”

Frank said earnestly, but he didn't realize that Xiao Lei's gaze had already swept over his head.

Target: The famous Alchemist of Blackrock City.

Cultivation: Six-Star Dou Ling.

Cultivation Technique: Flame Chasing Art, Profound Rank Intermediate.

Dou Technique: ...

...Alchemy: Rank 4 High-Tier.

Physique: None.

Copying Time: Ten minutes.

Copy?

As Xiao Lei possessed Rank 4 High-Tier Alchemy, the copying time for Frank, who was similar to Otto, was further reduced.

“Copy.”

Transmitting this thought to the System in his mind, Xiao Lei turned to chat with Frank.

“Then I wonder what Medicinal Pill Senior is most skilled at?”

“Naturally, it is the marrow cleansing pill. I obtained the Pill Formula for the marrow cleansing pill from my Master. This pill, like the Body Tempering Pill, also has a certain effect of enhancing innate talent and is very popular among the disciples of some large Families. Therefore, after I reached Rank 4, I refined this Medicinal Pill many times.”

“However, the more I refined it, the more I felt that the Pill Formula passed down from my Master had flaws, with many complicated techniques during refinement, thus increasing the difficulty of refinement.”

“For several years thereafter, I delved into research and finally optimized the Pill Formula, and the marrow cleansing pill also became the Medicinal Pill I was most skilled at...”

Frank spoke voluminously, recounting his most exciting achievements in his life to Xiao Lei... The discomfort of the System copying had no effect amidst Frank's passionate narration, even though it was only a ten-minute discomfort... Xiao Lei listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

There are too many people in this world who would rather pay attention to the trivial matters of celebrities than listen to the surging emotions of those beside them... Ten minutes passed quickly... Please select the copy option.

“Alchemy!”

Xiao Lei calmly transmitted the thought. From the first time he acquired Gu Ni's Alchemy, he was curious whether the copying of Alchemy was like cultivation, overwriting it, or...

A familiar sensation. Knowledge related to Alchemy rapidly went through Xiao Lei's mind. He felt as if he had refined the various Medicinal Pills recorded within countless times.

The impact of the massive information left Xiao Lei somewhat dazed, and the headache and dizziness lasted for a long time before subsiding.

Frank noticed Xiao Lei's abnormality and was about to ask, but Xiao Lei waved his hand, indicating he was fine.

“Previously, the Alchemy of Otto and Gu Ni differed too greatly, so their Fusion had no impact. But now, with Frank's similar Alchemy, it has given me such a great harvest.”

Copy successful. The Host possesses Peak Rank 4 Alchemy.

Xiao Lei rubbed his temples, and the discomfort in his brain finally subsided slightly.

The Alchemy of Otto and Frank had rapidly fused in his mind, allowing him to gain many insights that neither Otto nor Frank possessed, instantly pushing his Alchemy to Peak Rank 4. It could be said that the refinement of Rank 4 Medicinal Pills would no longer be able to stump him.

After all, this was the System-recognized Peak Rank 4!

“In this way, the value of copying Alchemy is extremely great!”

There are not many Alchemists of the highest grade in this era. The Alchemists who can refine Rank 9 Profound Rank Medicinal Pills are few and far between. If Xiao Lei's copying of Alchemy was an overwriting type, then at most he would only be able to refine Rank 9 Profound Rank Medicinal Pills, just like these people.

But now it was different. Xiao Lei had the potential to gather all the Alchemy in the world, achieve a great Breakthrough, and attain a Rank 9 Golden Core or even higher!

Of course, these were still very far from Xiao Lei.

For Xiao Lei at present, the significance was equally great.

“If I simultaneously copied the Alchemy of Fa Ma and Gu He, what Realm could I reach?”

Just thinking about it made him a little excited!

Frank, seeing Xiao Lei suddenly smile foolishly... “This... has this little fellow been stimulated by something?”

Fortunately, Otto had already returned, looking refreshed. He hadn't felt so unhindered in a long time.

“Little fellow, come with me to receive your alchemist badge and robe!”

Seeing Otto's refreshed appearance, Xiao Lei was also very surprised. What about the promised discomfort? This didn't look right.

Xiao Lei remembered Xiao Zhan's expression during the coming-of-age ceremony, looking like he had eaten... enduring cold sweat streaming down his face...

“This alchemist robe is made of special Materials, and its defensive and other properties are even stronger than the armor equipped by the Empire's soldiers. It is one of the benefits of joining the Alchemist Guild.”

“In addition, you can also collect various resources you need through the Guild, simply by providing the corresponding compensation.”

...Listening to Otto explain the various uses of an Alchemist's identity, Xiao Lei couldn't help but sigh at the somewhat distorted noble status of Alchemists on the Fighting Qi Continent.

“Since that's the case, I trouble the Guild to help me acquire some poison-attribute Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques!”

Xiao Lei was not at all evasive. He was now a Six-Star Dou Ling and didn't need to hide.

“Poison-attribute Cultivation Technique?”

“Oh! No problem, I will do my best to search through Guild channels.”

“Furthermore, I would like to invite you, Xiao Lei, to be an Honorary Elder of the Guild. What do you think?”

Xiao Lei did not answer, merely putting on a thoughtful expression.

“Oh, an Honorary Elder does not need to hold a position within the Guild. It is more for publicity, after all, a Rank 2 Alchemist as young as you, Xiao Lei, is rare even in the Empire's history!”

“Haha, well said, Great Master Otto. It's just that I still have many matters to attend to. I will leave Blackrock City in seven days, and at that time, I will naturally give Great Master an answer.”

Xiao Lei quickly left the Alchemist Guild, and after Xiao Lei left, Otto immediately conveyed his attitude:

Collect poison-attribute Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques to the greatest extent within seven days!