The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

Chapter 1551: Chapter 1649: Fiery Words

“Please speak freely,” Fang Lin said.

Lu Wenjin glanced at Fang Lin and gestured towards the pill furnaces beside them: “With Master Fang’s status and reputation, I presume you would not lack top-tier pill furnaces. However, I have always been puzzled about something. For pill refiners, pill furnaces are as crucial as weapons are for martial artists. A martial artist wielding a weapon can bring out their full strength, and a pill refiner with a pill furnace can display their accomplished skills. Does that mean if the pill furnace is good enough, the pill refiner’s own mastery doesn’t have to be exceptional, as it can be compensated for by the quality of the pill furnace? What then is the meaning of us pill refiners spending decades tirelessly studying pill formulas and honing our pill refining skills? Particularly for those pill refiners of humble origins who cannot afford quality pills, how can they compare with those born into privilege?”

Upon uttering these words, Shen Xingzhu’s delicate brows slightly furrowed, clearly finding Lu Wenjin’s question to be somewhat tricky.

Meanwhile, the female disciples of Heavenly Fragrance Valley appeared confused; some seemed to grasp the idea, while others were completely bewildered by Lu Wenjin’s question.

Indeed, if a pill refiner possesses a superior pill furnace, even if their own skills are lacking, it seems not to matter. The pill furnace can bridge all gaps in ability.

Those pill refiners of lowly birth, working hard to refine their alchemy, when facing affluent pill refiners – even if their own level is higher – what chance do they stand if their opponent casually produces a top-tier pill furnace while they can only use the most common and inferior ones? There would be no point in trying to contend with them at all.

Ultimately, Lu Wenjin’s question laid a trap, extending the issue to the matter of a pill refiner’s background.

It could even delve deeper, questioning whether innate talent matters more for a pill refiner, or if their hard work and acquired skills are more crucial.

With a mere mention of a pill furnace, Lu Wenjin covertly brought up a deeper controversy, intentionally making it difficult for Fang Lin.

If Fang Lin were to only superficially address the question posed by Lu Wenjin, then he would not truly qualify as a Master of Pill.

Who exactly is Fang Lin? Upon hearing Lu Wenjin’s question, with a moment’s thought, he had already pondered the issue on a deeper level, also sensing that Lu Wenjin was probably intent on challenging him.

Unfortunately for Lu Wenjin, such a meaningful question might be beyond the capability of others to answer effectively, yet he had asked Fang Lin of all people.

Fang Lin patted the pill furnace he had just used and said with a smile to Lu Wenjin, “The pill furnaces of Heavenly Fragrance Valley are much better than the ones I used at the beginning.”

Once these words were spoken, Lu Wenjin was momentarily stunned, then his eyebrows slightly knitted, wondering what Fang Lin was about to say.

Fang Lin looked at the pill furnace, a hint of reminiscence on his face: “I am from Qian Country; back when I was at Purple Mist Sect, the pill furnaces I used were even worse than these. At most they could produce second-grade pills, and third-grade pills were a stretch, but I still struggled through those days.”

Lu Wenjin sneered lightly: “Master Fang is a prodigy in the Alchemy Tao, and even in Qian Country, you stood out brilliantly.”

The implication was that Fang Lin was an exception and did not represent the majority of pill refiners.

Unconcerned, Fang Lin continued: “You compare the importance of a pill furnace for a pill refiner to that of a weapon for a martial artist. I think you make a sensible point. A martial artist with a weapon can unleash their full potential to defeat stronger opponents.”

After a pause, Fang Lin’s tone shifted: “However, when a martial artist reaches a certain realm, even a blade of grass in their hand can be as a divine weapon. At such a level, they generally no longer care about the weapon they hold. The same applies to pill refiners; once their mastery reaches a certain level, even with the most ordinary pill furnace, they can still produce top-quality pills.”

“So Master Fang believes that a Pill Refiner’s own proficiency is more important than the Pill Furnace?” Lu Wenjin said.

Fang Lin smiled slightly: “Although the Pill Furnace is important, it is ultimately just a tool for Pill Refining. Even those of humble origins who lack a top-tier Pill Furnace, as long as they possess solid mastery of the Alchemy Tao, how could they not surpass those pill refiners with affluent backgrounds? In the end, on the path of Alchemy, one refines pills, but also refines oneself.”

“Master Fang’s profound insight is admirable. However, it seems that the renowned pill refiners of today are mostly from extraordinary backgrounds, of course, Master Fang being an exception,” Lu Wenjin said, meaningfully.

“Your background determines your starting point, and the process determines your altitude. I’ve seen many alchemy geniuses; some born into wealthy families, others from ordinary lowly backgrounds. After all, no one can choose where they come from. What does a lowly birth amount to? Knowing one’s humble origins should only incite one to work harder, and isn’t it thrilling to trample those high-born geniuses underfoot?” Fang Lin said with a smile.

Lu Wenjin looked at Fang Lin dumbfounded, and the surrounding disciples of Heavenly Fragrance Valley were also deeply shocked. Fang Lin’s words were full of heroic spirit, involuntarily inspiring awe.

“What magnificent and stirring words! Master Fang’s speech must have voiced the lofty aspirations of many pill refiners of humble origins. Just the phrase about trampling high-born geniuses underfoot is enough to shake one’s heart,” Shen Xingzhu praised.

Lu Wenjin felt somewhat resentful in her heart, but she no longer had the courage to trouble Fang Lin further.

“What Master Fang said profoundly moved me. Please accept my bow,” Lu Wenjin said, bowing deeply. Her former prejudice against Fang Lin was overcome by his pill refining skills and his recent speech.

“It was nothing more than off-the-cuff blather,” Fang Lin waved his hand dismissively.

Tang Qingling stood by the whole time, staring intently at the five Fanghua Pills inside the Pill Furnace, not uttering a word.

Fang Lin looked at the young lady and felt somewhat bewildered. He remembered his first day in the Pill Saint Palace in his previous life, seeing the pill refiners at work with the same stunned expressions.

He had observed Tang Qingling’s pill refining process all along. In Fang Lin’s view, although the girl was young, her talent in the Alchemy Tao was not bad. At least among her fellow sisters, she stood out.

As the sky gradually darkened, Mei Yingxue and Dugu Nian also arrived at the Apricot Forest Medicine Platform. All the Heavenly Fragrance female disciples were paying their respects to Mei Yingxue and curiously looking at the stranger, Dugu Nian.

Dugu Nian wore a smile and seemed to be in a good mood, presumably having had a gratifying exchange with Mei Yingxue about the Tao of the Zither.

However, seeing Dugu Nian reminded Fang Lin of the two scenes he had witnessed under the Lovesick Tree during the daytime, especially the second scene, which was somewhat unsettling for him.

Outside Heavenly Fragrance Valley, a figure arrived gracefully, a woman, cold as frost, breathtakingly beautiful.

“Heavenly Fragrance Valley, after so many years, I, Lin Qishuang, have returned,” the woman said, lifting her eyes toward the tranquil valley shrouded in the night, her intent to kill unmistakable.

ps: Here’s the second update, continuing to write. I’ve put my pants on now.