Upon walking into the Alchemist Association, he was met with smooth, gleaming white floors, walls adorned with openwork carvings, and a grand, imposing staircase. It was countless times more upscale than the previous trading market.
As soon as Ye Xuan entered, several receptionists at the Alchemist Association's front desk noticed him. They glanced at his age, then at his clothes, and the hopeful looks on their faces immediately soured into disappointment laced with disdain.
Apart from Alchemists, more than ninety percent of visitors to the Alchemist Association were Martial Artists looking to purchase Pills and materials. As receptionists, they worked on commission. Landing a high-spending client meant a significant bonus, but helping someone who was just browsing could easily waste half the day for nothing.
Given Ye Xuan's age and plain clothes, all the receptionists mentally wrote him off in an instant. 'He's definitely just another little brat who came to the Alchemist Association to gawk.'
For a moment, no one bothered to step forward and greet him.
Of course, Ye Xuan was oblivious to the receptionists' inner thoughts. He walked straight to the service counter; he needed to complete the paperwork to rent an alchemy room.
"It'd be one thing if the little punk just looked around, but he's actually coming over. Lu Yue, you take this customer," said the receptionist at the front of the line, frowning at a younger girl behind her.
"Sister Chen, I don't think that's right..." The girl, Lu Yue, was quite pretty, around seventeen or eighteen years old. She spoke timidly, not because she looked down on Ye Xuan, but because they were supposed to serve customers in order. Cutting in line so brazenly could easily lead to conflict with the other receptionists.
"There's nothing wrong with it. You're new and don't understand how things work yet. Getting more experience with customers will be good for you," the receptionist called Sister Chen said with feigned magnanimity.
"That's right. Sister Chen is giving you such a great opportunity. What are you waiting for?"
"Sister Chen is so kind, willing to give up a customer like that."
The other receptionists chimed in, though they were sneering inwardly. 'Such talk could only fool a rookie like Lu Yue.'
Ye Xuan overheard their exchange and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. 'Even receptionists are this snobbish these days? They look down on me?' He gave a placid smile. 'If this were the body's original consciousness, his pride might have gotten the better of him, and he'd have stormed over to cause a scene. But now? Why would I lower myself to argue with a few petty girls?'
Finally, spurred on by the others, Lu Yue approached Ye Xuan. "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Arrange an alchemy room for me," Ye Xuan stated plainly.
An alchemy room?
The receptionists who had been dismissive of Ye Xuan now turned to look, their eyes glinting. 'Could this boy actually be an alchemy apprentice?' At the Alchemist Association, landing a wealthy client was one thing, but befriending an Alchemist was a true shortcut to success. If you had connections to an Alchemist, no one in the association would dare cross you.
"Sir, are you looking to concoct a potion? Our Alchemist Association has fifteen basic alchemy rooms for public rental. They cost fifty Profound Coins per hour, and as it happens, the last one is still available. Allow me to show you the way."
At this moment, Sister Chen, the one who had feigned generosity earlier, stepped forward. She shoved Lu Yue aside and flashed Ye Xuan what she considered a charming smile before whispering to the younger girl, "Lu Yue, there's nothing for you to do here. You can leave now."
"That won't be necessary. Just have her take me," Ye Xuan said, stopping Lu Yue, who was already retreating quietly.
"What are you waiting for? Here are fifty Profound Coins. Take me there now." Sister Chen looked like she was about to speak again, but Ye Xuan didn't even spare her a glance. He placed fifty Profound Coins on the counter and frowned at Lu Yue.
Lu Yue quickly registered his information and led Ye Xuan toward the last available alchemy room.
"Hmph! What a poser. He's just a kid who probably heard about some alchemy recipes somewhere and thinks he can try his luck as an apprentice. If he actually manages to concoct a potion, then I'll be the president of the Alchemist Association!" Sister Chen's expression was ugly as she watched Ye Xuan walk away, and she let out a cold, disdainful snort.
Seeing the well-equipped basic alchemy room, Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. 'Fifty Profound Coins an hour isn't cheap, but this is definitely worth it.'
"Unless it's important, don't disturb me."
After closing the door to the alchemy room, Ye Xuan walked over to the alchemy bench and laid out all the ingredients he had purchased.
Three stalks of Demon Flame Flower, two taels of Thousand Leaves, two Muscle Fruits, one Blood Abyss Essence, and finally, one Blood Orchid Gall.
Grinding the Blood Abyss Essence into powder on a stone mill, peeling and juicing the Muscle Fruits, extracting the pistils from the Demon Flame Flowers... The preparatory work was completed swiftly in Ye Xuan's hands. In a matter of moments, he had perfectly pre-processed all the ingredients. The entire process was as smooth and fluid as running water, possessing an elegant, captivating beauty.
If any Alchemy Master were to witness Ye Xuan's actions, they would be utterly astonished, their jaws hitting the floor.
While pre-processing ingredients isn't complex, it is the ultimate test of an Alchemist's fundamentals. An ordinary Alchemist grinding Blood Abyss Essence would produce a red powder of uneven consistency, requiring careful sifting before use. Yet, however Ye Xuan did it, the particles he produced were as fine and uniform as sand—a work of art.
The same was true for peeling the Muscle Fruits. An ordinary Alchemist would inevitably lose some of the pulp in the process, but the Muscle Fruits Ye Xuan peeled were perfectly round and plump, their flesh translucent and glistening, without a single bit of waste. His skill was simply godlike.
The process of harvesting the Demon Flame Flower pistils was even more incredible. A typical Alchemist would need to use magnified instruments to tweeze them out carefully. Ye Xuan, however, simply gave a light flick of his right hand, and the pistils detached and fell into the container of their own accord, as naturally as a ripe fruit falling from the vine or a leaf drifting from a branch.
With the preparations complete, Ye Xuan began concocting the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid.
First, he simmered the Muscle Fruit juice over a low flame. Just as the green liquid began to bubble and approach a boil, Ye Xuan added the powdered Blood Abyss Essence. With a POOF, a large cloud of smoke billowed up. The two ingredients, one green and one red, mixed and rapidly transformed into a purple liquid. At first, the liquid was flocculent, but as it was gently heated, it gradually became translucent, and streaks of purple crystals began to form within it.
Ye Xuan silently calculated the time. After a short while, he quickly shook the Demon Flame Flower pistils into the mixture, followed by the two taels of powdered Thousand Leaves.
GURGLE GURGLE!
The potion began to react violently.
SIZZLE…
At the same time, wisps of faint red smoke continuously rose from the reaction, filling the entire room with an exceptionally pleasant, fresh fragrance.
The purple crystals, Thousand Leaves, and Demon Flame Flower pistils reacted and merged, resembling brilliant stars twinkling in a violet nebula. A cool, fluorescent light emanated from the flask, creating a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Mentally calculating the extent and timing of the reactions, after about fifteen minutes, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes.
PFT!
Ye Xuan squeezed the Blood Orchid Gall, creating a small fissure. Under the pressure, the liquid inside shot out in a perfect jet, landing unerringly in the flask.
The sudden addition triggered a drastic reaction. The solution in the flask began to boil violently, the bubbling growing in intensity before gradually subsiding into calmness.
A few minutes later, a flask of liquid shimmering with a mystical purple light sat before Ye Xuan. It emanated an intoxicatingly fresh fragrance; just a single whiff was enough to make every cell in his body tingle with anticipation.
Gazing at the purple liquid, Ye Xuan let out a soft sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow.
The Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid was a success!
If other Alchemy Masters had witnessed Ye Xuan's process, they would have been prostrating themselves in shock, utterly dumbfounded. An Alchemist must use their Profound Sense to perceive the reactions when creating potions or Pills, and they must infuse the process with their Profound Qi. Yet, the current Ye Xuan had only opened a single Profound Vein and possessed not a single shred of Profound Qi. His entire process involved no Profound Qi whatsoever. He relied purely on his vast experience and his flawless, hair-splitting timing. If word of such an alchemy technique got out, no one would believe it.
Moreover, the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid was a grade-one potion, and Ye Xuan was merely a Martial Artist who had only opened a single Profound Vein.
To concoct a grade-one potion with the status of a mere Martial Artist—across the entire Celestial Profound Continent, Ye Xuan was likely the only one capable of such a feat.
'Since the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid is ready, I might as well take it right here.'
There was still half an hour left on the rental for the alchemy room. Not one to be wasteful, Ye Xuan stripped off his clothes, sat cross-legged on the floor, and downed the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid in a single gulp.
He let out a sharp grunt.
The moment the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid entered his stomach, it began to spread from his core throughout his entire body. Within a few breaths, every part of him was saturated with the potion's potent effects. An intense pain erupted from every single cell, forcing a muffled grunt from his lips.
Under the potion's effects, Ye Xuan's entire body was instantly slick with sweat.
The searing pain felt like being sliced by a thousand knives. The potent medicine stimulated every cell in his body. His face contorted, his skin burned as if on fire, and a foul-smelling, black sludge began to ooze from his pores. Before long, a thick layer of grime caked his entire body.
The energy of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid continued to rage through Ye Xuan's frail body like a flash flood. Overwhelmed, his cells began to rapidly transform, constantly breaking down and reforming. The excruciating pain made him twitch uncontrollably, and beads of sweat, large as peas, covered his flushed face.
An ordinary person would have fainted long ago from the agony of their cells being torn apart. Even powerful Martial Artists couldn't remain conscious through such immense suffering. Yet, throughout the entire ordeal, Ye Xuan remained silent. The excruciating pain might as well have not existed; his expression was as calm and untroubled as a summer sky.