Senior Sister, Please Help Me Practice

Chapter 22: Astonishing Skills

"Iceheart Pill?"

The young man stared at the pill in Chu Ming's hand with wide eyes, still wearing a worried expression, but his words were filled with excitement.

"Do you want to sell it? Then I'll buy it!"

"..."

Speaking with an extremely mournful tone while expressing such excitement, this strange contradiction made Chu Ming feel a bit uneasy. He licked his dry lips and asked in confusion.

"Is this how you always talk?"

"Young friend, you don't know..."

The young man sighed again.

"My name is Xu Shuai, and I cultivate the 'Sorrow' path."

"Sorrow path?"

Seeing Chu Ming's expression resembling a black question mark.jpg, Xu Shuai looked full of sorrow.

"It's one of the seven emotions, sorrow. Those who cultivate this path cannot have the corresponding emotion, which is 'joy,' otherwise they will go astray."

"When I was breaking through the Foundation Building stage, I got too excited in my heart and accidentally deviated from my cultivation because of a smile!"

"..."

Chu Ming remained silent for a long time after hearing this, not knowing what to comment on for a while.

Sorrow path?

Can this kind of emotion also be a cultivation path?

Then isn't depression the perfect talent for this cultivation method?

The world is truly vast and full of wonders...

"That brother..."

"Just call me Ah Shuai."

Xu Shuai sighed lightly and took out a bamboo scroll tied with a red ribbon from his pocket, handing it to Chu Ming.

"Young friend, since you are interested in the Iceheart Flower, you must be a pill cultivator with the Wood Spirit Root. I have a spell that can only be practiced with the Wood Spirit Root. How about exchanging it for the Iceheart Pill?"

"A spell?"

Chu Ming was slightly stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hand with a bitter smile.

"This is such a precious item, I am unworthy of it."

Don't joke around.

Even if the Iceheart Pill is precious, can it compare to a spell?

It's like exchanging a paperclip for a car key, it's absurd!

"Young friend, the prerequisite for cultivating the path of the seven emotions is to have the Innate attribute-less Spirit Root."

Xu Shuai picked up Chu Ming's right hand and placed the bamboo scroll in his palm, then said softly.

"Therefore, this spell is something I cannot practice. I don't feel like I'm losing anything by exchanging it for the Iceheart Pill."

"Moreover, I believe that building connections is the most important thing on the path of cultivation. Young friend, you seem to be an extraordinary person. The value of making friends with you far exceeds that of this spell."

"..."

Xu Shuai's gaze was intense. At this moment, he seemed like a completely different person, his temperament changed drastically, and his expression was full of confidence and arrogance.

However, this appearance didn't last long. He lowered his head again, hunched his back, and wiped away his tears with a tissue, pleading.

"I'll tell you the truth, I'm just out of spirit stones, but I urgently need the Iceheart Pill. Otherwise, I wouldn't have exchanged this spell!"

You should have said that earlier!

Chu Ming couldn't help but feel speechless. He didn't make a big fuss and quickly glanced at the spell. After confirming that there was no problem, he handed the three-lined Iceheart Pill to Xu Shuai.

"Thank you, young friend! May I ask for your name?"

"Chu Ming."

Chu Ming quickly put away the spell, coughed a few times to suppress his excitement from taking advantage, and then quickly bowed to bid farewell.

"Now that Brother Xu is fine, I will take my leave. Goodbye!"

...

Saying goodbye to Xu Shuai, Chu Ming entered the Sacred Alchemy Hall. Only then did he realize that the magnificent building he saw at the entrance was just the tip of the iceberg.

The interior of the hall was adorned with various landscape paintings and portraits on the deep gray brick walls. Soft grass mats lined the corridor all the way to the end of the line of sight, which suddenly became bright.

"..."

After a brief silence, the noisy voices gradually filled Chu Ming's ears. Looking around, Chu Ming had a curious look on his face, like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden.

In front of him was a huge square inside the hall, filled with neatly arranged alchemy furnaces. Many disciples of the Heavenly Evolution Sect were sitting in front of them, diligently refining pills.

Surrounding the square were layers of stands, where people sat together in groups, enthusiastically discussing and evaluating the square.

Is this the place for the promotion assessment of alchemists?

Why does it feel different from what I imagined...

Chu Ming's cheek twitched slightly. After inquiring around, he finally found the location for the Fourth Grade Alchemist assessment, in the northwest part of the square.

Compared to the crowded central area, there were very few people refining pills here, and they were mostly middle-aged and elderly people with white hair and bald heads.

However, there were many people on the surrounding stands, as if they were waiting for something. As soon as Chu Ming arrived, the puzzled gazes instantly converged on him.

What's going on?

Interrogation?

Being stared at by so many people, even if Chu Ming had a thick skin, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy in his heart. He quickly turned to the attendant of the Sacred Alchemy Hall and politely asked,

"Excuse me, is the Fourth Grade Alchemist assessment held here?"

"?"

After hearing Chu Ming's inexperienced voice, the attendant, who had been registering and recording on the desk, suddenly looked up and looked at his youthful face with surprise.

"You're taking the Fourth Grade Alchemist assessment?"

"Yes."

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chu Ming clearly felt that the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and burning gazes kept scanning him.

Of course, the attendant in front of him was also among them.

He carefully examined Chu Ming from top to bottom, left and right, then frowned slightly, and his low voice carried a hint of reprimand.

"The assessment is not child's play. If you actively disrupt the order, you will be penalized."

"I really came for the assessment."

Chu Ming sighed lightly. He knew that something like this would happen, so he quickly took out his Third Grade Alchemist token and the letter from his master.

"These are my assessment procedures. Would you like to take a look?"

"..."

After receiving them, the attendant glanced at the envelope and found that it was signed by Wu Zuirao of Floating Jade Peak. His expression became extremely astonished, and then gradually turned serious.

"Alright, I permit you to take the assessment."

After that, the attendant recorded Chu Ming's name in the registration book and led him to a cauldron, giving him three Qi Condensation materials.

"Refine a two-line Qi Condensation pill. The assessment is considered successful if you can convert it into powder without losing its medicinal effect. There is no time limit."

After the attendant explained the assessment requirements, Chu Ming took a deep breath to calm his restless mind, carefully inspected the cauldron, and used his divine sense to sense the materials.

With good materials, it should work!

A glimmer of light flashed in Chu Ming's eyes. With increased confidence, he immediately started to work, handling the materials, igniting the wood spirit, filling them in batches, and manipulating his spiritual consciousness...

His movements were smooth and extremely skilled. This serious appearance made everyone on the stands hold their breath and put away their playful attitudes.

However, in just the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Chu Ming suddenly opened his eyes wide and quickly reached into the cauldron amidst the exclamations from the stands.

What is he doing?

Putting his hand in during the pill refining process?

In an instant, a rich spiritual energy surged.

"Done!"

After extinguishing the green flame in the cauldron, Chu Ming let out a sigh of relief and slowly spread out his right palm.

At this moment, a round and pale white pill lay quietly in his hand, with three pill patterns on its surface emitting astonishing spiritual fluctuations.

(End of this chapter)