Chapter 106: Going To The Lecture Assembly

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Going To The Lecture Assembly

Along the way, MuMu’s eyes were practically glued to everything around him. His round eyes widened with every new discovery, and he kept looking from one thing to another as though the entire world were a giant treasure he had never seen before.

"Wow! Is that the sun?" he asked excitedly, tilting his head all the way back to look at the bright golden sphere high in the sky. "It’s so high up, and it’s so bright!"

Before Sui Sui could even answer, MuMu had already turned his attention toward the crowd of disciples passing by.

"So many people!"

A moment later, he pointed toward something else.

"Sui Sui, look! What are those?"

Sui Sui could only laugh helplessly.

He patiently answered each of MuMu’s questions as they continued walking, explaining the things they passed along the way. MuMu’s curiosity seemed endless, and every answer only led to another question. Because of that, their journey took considerably longer than usual.

By the time they finally reached the assembly area, the monthly lecture was already about to begin. Most of the disciples had already taken their seats, leaving only a handful of empty spots.

Sui Sui looked around, wondering where he could sit, when he suddenly noticed a familiar figure waving at him from the distance.

It was Senior Brother Ji Ling.

Ji Ling pointed toward the empty seat beside him, clearly gesturing for Sui Sui to come over.

Unfortunately, his gesture was rather conspicuous.

Several disciples nearby immediately followed his gaze and turned to look at Sui Sui.

With his unusual appearance, Sui Sui already stood out quite easily. Unlike when he traveled outside the sect, he had no reason to disguise himself while inside the Wenjian Sect, so his striking appearance naturally attracted quite a few curious glances.

Now that Ji Ling had openly waved him over, even more people began looking in his direction.

Sui Sui could only pretend not to notice and quietly make his way toward the seat Ji Ling had saved for him.

Sui Sui was actually surprised to see Ji Ling here. After all, these monthly lectures were usually attended mostly by Qi Refining and Foundation Building disciples.

"What took you so long, Junior Brother? You were almost late. Good thing I saved you a seat," Ji Ling said.

Sui Sui explained what had happened before introducing MuMu. "Well, this is MuMu, my spirit beast. It’s his first time in the sect, and he was so curious about everything that it took us quite a while to get here."

"Oh, it’s good that Junior Brother has a spirit beast now. He can play with my Zizi."

The moment Ji Ling finished speaking, a small bird flew over and landed on his head. Its body was covered in soft white feathers, while its wings were adorned with a beautiful array of rainbow-colored feathers.

"Wow, Senior Brother actually has a Seven-Color Plume Bird Beast! I heard they’re a distant branch of the Phoenix Clan from the Beast Realm, with an affinity for fire, right?" Sui Sui asked curiously.

"Yes. This is my Zizi. She’s still just a child," Ji Ling said, gently stroking the little bird’s head. "How about you, Junior Brother? What kind of spirit beast is your little MuMu? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this species before."

Sui Sui froze for a moment.

He really didn’t know.

He had completely forgotten to ask MuMu what kind of beast he actually was.

After a brief pause, he could only answer honestly, "He’s a low-grade spirit beast of unknown origin."

The moment he said that, MuMu immediately shot him an indignant look, his expression seemed to say, How dare you belittle this mighty one? Hmph!

Sui Sui could only helplessly reach down and pat his head a few more times to appease the offended little beast.

Not long after, the atmosphere around the assembly area suddenly quieted and the person everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived.

A man walked toward the front of the platform, looking no older than his early thirties. He wore dark green robes embroidered with delicate golden patterns, the rich colors giving him an air of understated elegance. His features were refined and handsome, but what stood out most were his sharp phoenix eyes.

There was something distant about his gaze, making him seem difficult to approach. He carried himself with a natural aloofness that immediately set him apart from the surrounding disciples.

Even without anyone introducing him, Sui Sui could tell that this was not an ordinary cultivator.

Ji Ling leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"That’s Elder Shan Li. He’s one of the top alchemists in the sect and has already reached the Void Refinement Realm despite his young age."

Sui Sui’s eyes widened slightly. "Already at Void Refinement?"

Ji Ling nodded. "I heard he has quite a bad temper and doesn’t like interacting with people. He spends most of his time in seclusion and rarely gives lectures like this. I honestly didn’t expect the sect to actually invite him this time."

He glanced toward the front with a hint of excitement in his eyes "That’s actually why I came today. I specifically wanted to listen to Elder Shan Li’s discussion. My master has always said that he’s an exceptionally formidable alchemist."

Sui Sui quietly looked toward the man standing at the front.

Shan Li.

The name didn’t ring any bells.

Even after searching through his memories of the original novel, Sui Sui couldn’t remember ever seeing this person mentioned.

Apparently, Elder Shan Li had been completely irrelevant to the original plot.

Still, that didn’t stop Sui Sui from being impressed.

Wow.

Someone who looked this young had already reached the Void Refinement Realm and was one of the sect’s top alchemists, although he was probably hundred of years old in reality, but the fact that he still looks young meant that his power at that age had already reached so high.

That was seriously impressive.

Elder Shan Li’s gaze swept across the assembled disciples before he finally spoke.

"I suppose everyone here is either an alchemist or aspiring to become one?" His voice was calm and carried clearly across the assembly area. No one dared answer aloud. The disciples simply nodded in agreement, their attention fixed on the elder at the front.

"Since that is the case, take out your cauldrons. Today, we will be practicing control over Soul Force." The moment those words fell, the disciples exchanged surprised looks.

This was unusual.

The monthly lectures were usually exactly that—lectures. The elders would explain cultivation principles or share their experience, while the disciples listened and took notes. Hands-on practice was extremely rare.

Fortunately, most of them had brought their own cauldrons, so they quickly took them out and placed them in front of themselves.

Sui Sui also let MuMu sit beside him before taking out his own cauldron.

"Stay here and don’t wander off," he quietly reminded the little beast. MuMu nodded obediently.

Once everyone had prepared themselves, Elder Shan Li continued.

"To become a great alchemist, knowing how to refine pills is not enough. Anyone can learn the basic steps with enough time and practice. What separates an ordinary alchemist from a truly accomplished one is the quality of the pills they produce."

His gaze swept across the disciples.

"If you refine a pill, your goal should not simply be to produce something that works. You should strive for the highest possible grade and quality. And to achieve that, you must first learn how to properly purify your ingredients."

With a wave of his hand, a bundle of herbs appeared before him.

"Today, we will begin with this herb—Ironroot Grass."

Several disciples immediately recognized it.

"Ironroot Grass is a low-level herb, but unlike most herbs of the same grade, it naturally contains a particularly high concentration of toxins. That makes it an excellent material for practicing purification." Elder Shan Li paused, allowing everyone to focus on the herb in his hands.

"Your task is simple. Purify the Ironroot Grass until the remaining toxins are reduced to ten percent or lower."

The moment his words reached the disciples’ ears, the entire assembly area erupted into an uproar.

"Ten percent?"

"Isn’t that too difficult?"

"It’s Ironroot Grass, its natural toxins are extremely difficult to remove!"

Even some Golden Core cultivators exchanged uneasy looks. Although Ironroot Grass was technically only a low-level herb, its unusually high toxin content made it notoriously difficult to purify. Reaching ten percent purity was already a demanding task, and even experienced cultivators like them might struggle a bit to achieve it consistently.

Elder Shan Li did not offer any further explanation or encouragement, he simply looked at the disciples calmly.

He had not said there would be any punishment for failing.

But no one needed him to, for alchemists, pride was sometimes a stronger motivator than punishment. No one wanted to be the person who could not even meet the standard set by an elder during a practical lesson, especially in refining pills.

The disciples could only steady their minds, prepare their cauldrons, and waited for Elder Shan Li’s instructions.

A moment later, several senior disciples began distributing the herbs to everyone.

"Each of you will receive three sets of Ironroot Grass. Within those three attempts, you must successfully purify at least one batch until the remaining toxins are reduced to ten percent or lower. Understood?" Elder Shan Li asked.

The disciples’ expressions immediately became even more strained. Only a few of the higher-level disciples remained relatively composed, clearly confident in their ability to complete the task.

Seeing Sui Sui’s calm but slightly uncertain expression, Ji Ling leaned closer and quietly comforted him.

"Don’t worry too much, Junior Brother. Just purify it as you normally would. There’s no harm if you can’t get it below ten percent. You’re only just starting out, after all."

Sui Sui nodded. He wasn’t actually that nervous.

Just as Ji Ling had said, he was only a beginner. There was no reason for him to feel embarrassed if he failed to meet the ten-percent requirement. He also had confidence in his own abilities. If Ironroot Grass was really more difficult to purify than ordinary herbs, then all he had to do was give it his best effort.

If he succeeded, great.

If he failed, it didn’t matter.

He could always learn from the attempt and try again next time.

With that thought, Sui Sui calmly looked at the Ironroot Grass in front of him, his expression gradually becoming focused.