Chapter 91

After waking up and cultivating this morning, Luo Chen thought of a problem.

Or rather, it wasn't a problem; it was something he had considered long ago.

That was, did all the alchemy in the Alchemy Hall in the future have to be done by him personally?

If he really did that, wouldn't he be exhausted to death!

His previous solution was to hand over some things to others to do.

For example, things like tending the fire.

So when he fired up the furnace for alchemy yesterday, he operated it like that.

But the actual situation was a bit too miserable to look at.

Even though that group of cultivators had been urgently trained by him, they were still unable to competently handle the work.

This led to Luo Chen having to run frantically between the three alchemy rooms, occasionally stepping in to help.

Grain-Bigu Pills were just unranked medicine, but Myriad Wonder Pills were first-tier pills, which required higher standards for various details!

In order to prevent himself from being exhausted, Luo Chen thought carefully in the morning and planned to make some changes.

That was to subdivide the job types!

"Divide the work?"

Hearing this, the team of thirty people was a bit chaotic.

They didn't understand this meaning; shouldn't alchemy be done in one go? Could alchemy be divided?

Luo Chen glanced at them; the one speaking was a man named Luo Erduo, whose age seemed even older than his own.

A clansman!

Unfortunately, he wasn't very friendly to him.

Behind the other party was the Tiger Descending the Mountain, Luo Wudi.

During the Haoyue Hall meeting, it was very obvious that Luo Wudi stood on Mi Shuhua's side.

Now that Mi Shuhua supported him, it didn't mean Mi Shuhua's vassals supported him too.

His expression was cold, "Yes, we must divide the work. I know that among you, some came with the intention of learning alchemy. Then do you know what processes one must go through to cultivate an orthodox alchemist in a sect?"

This question left everyone in the dark.

Just as Luo Chen was preparing to bluff, a soft voice came out.

"Identifying medicine, mastering fire, reading hundreds of classics, studying pill formulas, mastering techniques, and then slowly starting from low-grade pills until one can refine mid-grade or higher, only then can one touch other pills."

Luo Chen frowned slightly and looked over, only to find the owner of the voice had a pale face, but under his gaze, her expression remained calm.

It was Mi Li!

Mi Junping's daughter, Mi Shuhua's granddaughter.

Forget it, this one couldn't be provoked, couldn't be provoked!

He didn't know what her status in the family was.

But since she had been sent to the Alchemy Hall, the face that should be given still had to be given.

He cleared his throat, "Yes, Miss Mi is very correct."

With his hands behind his back, Luo Chen paced in front of the crowd.

"Large sects all have to be like this, let alone you bunch who have no alchemy experience."

"Therefore, dividing the work to cooperate in alchemy and focusing on one thing is the thing you currently need most and can only do."

After such a speech, no one raised any objections.

After all, Luo Chen was the Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall!

Luo Chen didn't say a word and directly divided the thirty-person team into six teams of five people each.

One team was responsible for processing several types of auxiliary materials, one team was responsible for processing other auxiliary materials, and two more teams were responsible for processing one type of main material each.

The remaining two teams were all responsible for familiarizing themselves with fire control; when the time came, the ten of them would take turns working in the three alchemy rooms.

Perhaps he could consider finding a time to appoint a fire-tending squad leader?

"You must familiarize yourselves with the raw materials for Grain-Bigu Pills and Myriad Wonder Pills as soon as possible. Then, follow the methods I have given you to carry out special processing."

"Additionally, I don't want you to rashly understand the situation of other teams before you are familiar with the field you are responsible for; that will make your progress slow."

"Perhaps you will think I am preventing you from going further, but if you really do that, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

After speaking, he beckoned to the outside.

Gu Caiyi brought a group of people and sent over all the various medicinal materials he wanted.

"This is the most common ginseng, artificially planted, ten years old. It contains very little spiritual energy, but it is an important auxiliary material for many low-grade pills."

"Therefore, there are many ways to process it. I will teach you two methods first; you few, follow me into the pharmacy!"

Five people followed Luo Chen into the room excitedly.

The remaining people stood outside, whispering to each other for a while.

In the crowd, Mi Li's willow-leaf eyebrows frowned slightly, her pale little face carrying a bit of confusion.

The orthodox process was indeed what the Hall Master said.

However, was it necessary to divide it so finely?

Was it necessary?

Luo Chen said, of course it was necessary!

If I didn't divide it so finely, you would all learn it once, and you would almost learn all the pre-steps of alchemy.

If you also got the medicinal material ratios for each furnace of pills and learned the corresponding alchemy techniques.

In this way, after failing a few dozen or a hundred times, you might just succeed.

By then, what would I, the Poshan Gang's number one alchemist, be needed for?

Luo Chen was artificially creating knowledge barriers.

Even if someone deliberately gathered this group of people together in the future and collected various knowledge, they would inevitably have to spend some effort.

Even if they understood it, Luo Chen also planned to do some tricks on the alchemy details later.

In short, he didn't want to teach the apprentice and starve the master.

It took Luo Chen five days to teach these people to learn the corresponding techniques separately.

It didn't sound like much, but some people were already anxious.

Mi Shuhua specially asked Elder Sikong Shoujia to ask him when he would start refining Myriad Wonder Pills.

After all, with so many cultivators consuming resources in the Alchemy Hall, the gang also had to pay spirit stones!

After deeply understanding the situation of the Poshan Gang, Luo Chen knew that the logistics halls, unlike the combat halls, mostly paid fixed salaries, and usually had no bonuses.

The combat halls were different; their income depended entirely on their harvest.

When there were heavy casualties or huge harvests, there were often high rewards.

Therefore, the cultivators who could fight were mostly in the three combat halls and Wang Yuan's Jiao Hall.

Regarding Elder Sikong Shoujia's probing, Luo Chen only said, "No rush, no rush!"

He was naturally not in a rush; only after cultivating this batch of people's skills to proficiency would his subsequent alchemy work become even more relaxed.

Five days later.

Mi Shuhua came to the Alchemy Hall in person.

Luo Chen didn't delay any longer and immediately ordered his subordinates to start alchemy.

The three alchemy rooms emitted heat again, and the Dan-Yan-Shu-Yu building operated once more.

Watching Luo Chen wander between the three alchemy rooms, instructing cultivators while adding medicinal materials, Mi Shuhua's anxiety finally relaxed by a point.

"Grandfather."

"Mm."

Mi Shuhua didn't turn his head and asked indifferently: "Have you learned anything under Hall Master Luo Chen these past few days?"

Mi Li said softly: "His techniques for processing medicinal materials for two types of pills are extremely proficient, far surpassing the alchemists found by the family in the past."

Mi Shuhua shook his head, "Those alchemists could only refine low-grade pills, naturally not as good as Luo Chen."

Mi Li thought for a moment, "The Hall Master's control of the heat is also very experienced."

"That's not what I'm asking!"

"Others, he didn't say, and he doesn't allow us medicine apprentices to watch."

"Medicine apprentices?" Mi Shuhua was a bit curious about this term.

Mi Li answered immediately, "Currently, inside the Alchemy Hall, it is divided into two job types: medicine apprentices and fire workers. The specific work can be known by the name."

After hearing this, Mi Shuhua's eyebrows couldn't help but frown.

After thinking for a while, he raised his eyebrows.

"You go in and watch!"

Mi Li raised her head, a bit hesitant.

But under Mi Shuhua's firm gaze, she finally stepped into the alchemy room where Luo Chen was busy.

Inside the alchemy room.

Luo Chen noticed the person who entered immediately.

He looked over directly, his gaze cold, not saying a word.

The woman froze in place.

The fire worker tending the fire also held his breath.

For a time, there was no movement in the alchemy room except for the crackling of the burning green steel wood and the bubbling sound in the alchemy furnace.

Outside the alchemy room, Mi Shuhua naturally watched here at all times.

He first raised his eyebrows, then frowned, and finally took a deep breath.

A sound transmission was sent inside.

"Little Mi Li is the person with the most alchemy talent in my family; you should let her watch for a while."

"This is my means of making a living!"

"She..."

"No, unless... add one bottle of Qi-Nurturing Pills every month!"

Can one learn techniques by watching someone refine pills?

The answer to this question depends on the person.

Those with outstanding talent might be able to draw inferences from one instance and even gain insights from just a small technique or a single output of spiritual power.

But for the vast majority of people who have no alchemy talent, even if they watch ten or a hundred times, it is very difficult to grasp anything.

Especially those whose alchemy foundation is not solid enough.

Luo Chen's current proficiency in refining Myriad Wonder Pills has already reached the Perfect level, and the pills refined are at least mid-grade.

In other words, his alchemy attainments in refining Myriad Wonder Pills can already be considered to have reached the master level.

His techniques are already completely different from the beginner stage.

Mi Li is now focusing all her attention on observing those techniques of his; even if she can learn some things, they are things for refining mid-grade Myriad Wonder Pills.

Then the question arises: can she directly refine mid-grade pills after learning these things?

The answer is no.

Because she still has to start from low-grade Myriad Wonder Pills.

And the various techniques for refining low-grade Myriad Wonder Pills had already been simplified by Luo Chen as his proficiency continued to level up.

Lacking those relatively basic techniques, it is impossible for Mi Li to refine mid-grade, or even low-grade, Myriad Wonder Pills in her lifetime.

It is precisely because of this that Luo Chen actually doesn't worry about his means of making a living being stolen.

But with this reputation, he certainly couldn't let it go.

One bottle of Qi-Nurturing Pills every month—he had sheared this wool again!

Being a ranked pill, the refining time for Myriad Wonder Pills far exceeds that of Grain-Bigu Powder.

It took a full morning for the refining work in the three alchemy rooms to end.

Under Mi Shuhua's gaze, Luo Chen dismissed everyone and began the individual pill collection work.

In the alchemy room, Luo Chen's expression was solemn as he unleashed the Attraction Art and opened the furnace lid.

Low-grade purple cloud copper furnace, ten pills formed, seven mid-grade, three low-grade.

Luo Chen was very satisfied; this was the result of his deliberate control.

If he were to do it himself, it would be normal for all of them to be mid-grade.

"Although I dismissed the others, Mi Shuhua's spiritual sense is probably secretly watching here."

"But I don't need to deliberately perform."

"Whatever happens, happens!"

He walked out the door and opened the copper furnace in another alchemy room.

A burnt smell instantly spread out.

Luo Chen shook his head, feeling no annoyance.

Even if his proficiency had reached the Perfect level, he couldn't guarantee one hundred percent success.

Currently, his success rate was about forty percent.

This was already very high.

According to the experience of Grain-Bigu Powder, the success rate of each stage was roughly fixed.

Beginner ten percent, proficient twenty percent, skilled thirty percent, Perfect level was around forty.

Once he reached the master level, he could stabilize at around a fifty percent success rate.

As for a one hundred percent success rate?

Luo Chen basically never thought about it; there has always been a saying in the cultivation world that the higher the grade of the pill, the lower the success rate.

Even that legendary Alchemy Saint of the Central Plains could easily refine superior and top-grade low-grade pills, but he would occasionally fail when it came to third-tier and fourth-tier pills.

In Luo Chen's view, as long as the success rate was over fifty percent, relying on the high profit of the pills, the returns would be terrifying!

Mi Shuhua outside subconsciously frowned when he noticed one furnace failed.

That meant the raw materials worth five spirit stones had gone down the drain.

However, when Luo Chen opened the lid of the mid-grade alchemy tripod and the fragrance overflowed, his eyebrows completely relaxed.

Carrying a large wooden tray, Luo Chen walked out of the alchemy room.

"The luck was not bad this time; thirty pills formed, most are mid-grade, a few are low-grade."

"I have not failed the trust!"

He handed the wooden tray to Mi Li on the side casually, clapped his hands, and looked indifferent.

The woman, who had always had a pale complexion, now had a flush on her face.

It was excitement!

Three alchemy rooms, four batches of raw materials, three batches succeeded!

The pill formation rate even guaranteed more than half mid-grade.

What did this represent?

It represented that Luo Chen was already a genuine first-tier alchemist, and an elite among them, worthy of being called an elite!

If Luo Chen could guarantee every pill was mid-grade and produce one or two superior-grade ones, he could be called an alchemy master in this pill.

Of course, there had never been such a detailed division in the cultivation world.

A so-called alchemy master was at least someone who could refine third-tier pills.

No one would use achievements in a single pill to measure their level.

Mi Shuhua saw his granddaughter's excited appearance and knew that Luo Chen's alchemy techniques had already convinced her.

And for himself, he was calculating the profit inside.

How many spirit stones could thirty Myriad Wonder Pills sell for!

"Luo Chen, you did very well!"

Luo Chen curled his lips and waved his hand, "Today is a good start, but it doesn't mean every time in the future will be this lucky."

"Hehe, I trust you the most."

"By the way, I don't have enough manpower; transfer a few more mid-stage cultivators to me," Luo Chen said.

"Still not enough?" Mi Shuhua was surprised.

Luo Chen pointed to the pills in the tray, "After the pills are formed, there is a period of medicinal property precipitation; that period is quite important, and it's possible that the medicinal power of the pills will be lost due to the external environment. We need a group of people to look after them at all times."

Mi Li also echoed on the side, "It is like this, Grandfather. Similar details were mentioned in the Qingyuan Pill Solution."

Mi Shuhua suddenly realized, "I do remember that many pills are not stored well, and as time passes, they will even drop in grade."

After this was explained, Mi Shuhua was not stingy.

He immediately instructed Gu Caiyi to go to the Medicine Hall and transfer a few more cultivators over.

"Alright, disperse!"

Luo Chen yawned, "Busy all morning, I'm going to take a nap. Send lunch to my door later."

Seeing his lazy appearance, Mi Shuhua couldn't help but say, "Not continuing to refine?"

Luo Chen stared back at him, "Gang Master, I am a human, not a puppet. I will get tired; I don't even have spiritual sense now, and I have to watch three alchemy rooms at the same time. Do you think I can hold on?"

"Besides, if I don't rest, don't they need to rest?"

Following Luo Chen's finger, Mi Shuhua noticed that the group of cultivators responsible for watching the fire also had signs of fatigue on their faces at this moment.

Even a few older female cultivators had flushed faces and sweat flowing down.

"Besides, the alchemy furnaces can't hold on either," Luo Chen curled his lips, "Two low-grade magic tools and one mid-grade alchemy tripod cannot support constant alchemy. Unless you get me a magic treasure alchemy furnace or a top-grade alchemy furnace."

Mi Shuhua smiled bitterly, "Then you all go and rest!"

What a joke, a magic treasure alchemy furnace?

He didn't even have a natal magic treasure himself.

Among the few top-grade magic tools he was most comfortable with, one purple river Daoist robe was destroyed by Qin Liangchen on the discussion stage.

When he came out to get lunch, Luo Chen learned that Mi Shuhua had already left Xieyue Valley.

It's good that he left; with him here, everything he did felt restricted.

Luo Chen glanced at lunch and couldn't help but grin.

"Hey, the food is not bad; it's all spiritual rice and spiritual vegetables, and this meat is all first-tier monster meat."

The treatment provided to him by the Poshan Gang was absolutely top-tier!

Even better than the other hall masters.

After all, Luo Chen would be the cash cow of the Poshan Gang in the future, so he naturally had to be well-provided for.

He poured all the food into a large bowl, and a plate of rice with toppings was ready!

Luo Chen took the green gourd from his storage bag and hung it on his waist.

Then, while eating, he wandered around the Alchemy Hall to see what else his little territory was missing.

After watching for a while, he had a count in his heart, and then, while shoveling rice, he leisurely walked out of the Alchemy Hall.

Along the gravel road paved with mine slag in the past, he slowly arrived at Xieyue Valley.

Several huge stone houses were built side by side under the valley's cliff.

These were the office premises of the Medicine Hall.

At noon, there were relatively fewer people, but one could still see some cultivators busy turning over medicinal herbs, letting them get sufficient drying.

When he found Murong Qinglian, she was writing and drawing something.

"Sister-in-law, busy?"

Murong Qinglian looked up at him, her anger rising.

"You still have the nerve to come over."

"What's wrong?" Luo Chen stopped his chopsticks, looking puzzled.

Murong Qinglian said helplessly: "Look, in the past few days, your Alchemy Hall has picked away so many people from the Medicine Hall. Now we don't have enough manpower."

Was there such a thing?

Luo Chen hadn't expected this.

But looking at Murong Qinglian's appearance, she wasn't really angry with him.

"I'm busy selecting suitable cultivators from the outer gang members; these are their backgrounds and origins, and I have to choose those who are relatively clean."

Murong Qinglian pointed to the pile of bamboo slips and books on the table.

Understood, it's just a resume!

"Although the Medicine Hall's affairs are trivial, they are safe. Therefore, there are still many cultivators in the gang who want to come here to work."

Murong Qinglian explained.

As she spoke, she inadvertently glanced at Luo Chen's large bowl of "rice with toppings."

"Whoa, your food treatment is really good; I don't know if I didn't know, but I thought you were eating spirit stones!"

"That's right, I am the cash cow of the Poshan Gang; if they don't give me top-tier treatment, who would they give it to!"

Luo Chen put one hand on his waist, looking triumphant.

It must be said that when he first decided to join the Poshan Gang and become the Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall.

At first, he felt a bit stifled, but after truly enjoying various treatments, he felt that this decision was the most correct!

No worries about food and drink, and bodyguards for commuting.

There was no need to purchase raw materials or process them himself.

Once he cultivated those medicine apprentices and fire workers, his alchemy would become even simpler.

Moreover, the salary of four bottles of Qi-Nurturing Pills every month now was simply too fragrant.

"However, it's still not enough!"

The greedy Luo Chen would not be satisfied just like this.

The Poshan Gang had a large family and a big business, and Mi Shuhua, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was even more wealthy and imposing.

He still had to find a way to shear more wool!

"How should I shear it?"

The giant rat Luo Chen's eyeballs rolled around.