Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Strict Teachers Produce Outstanding Disciples

Li Jizhou arrived at the backyard, Yang Yan stood with her hands tied, a hint of confidence on her face.

“Pill Master Li.” Her voice carried a trace of anticipation, like a student eagerly waiting for a teacher to review an assignment she believed she had completed perfectly.

“Hmm.” Li Jizhou nodded slightly and took the lead into the backyard pill room.

“Let me see…”

Before Li Jizhou finished speaking, Yang Yan had already slowly stretched out her hand, and a wisp of pale blue flame rose faintly.

“Not bad! You’re almost reaching middle-grade pill fire, sufficient for crafting beginner pills.” Li Jizhou nodded approvingly.

He was quite satisfied with this result, proving her mastery of the fire attribute cultivation technique was decent.

Moreover, in these three months, she never came to Li Jizhou for guidance due to confusion but relied on the insights Li Jizhou provided her for condensed pill fire to comprehend on her own.

This also proved that her understanding was not too bad.

This made Li Jizhou’s subsequent teachings much easier.

“All thanks to Pill Master Li’s bestowed insights on condensing pill fire; otherwise, I wouldn’t have achieved this.” Hearing Li Jizhou’s affirmation, Yang Yan let out a long breath.

The scene at Piaoxiang Tower that day was still vivid in her memory.

Li Jizhou didn’t even bother to hold back, openly stating that if she was dull-witted and lacked character, he would not be blamed for failing to teach her.

Seeing Yang Yan’s somewhat complacent appearance, Li Jizhou frowned slightly.

In his past life, he had also taken on apprentices, more than one, and among them were those with extraordinary talents. However, in the end, those who were easily arrogant and complacent turned out to achieve less compared to the stable and solid ones in the path of alchemy, what is needed is steadiness!

Steady heart, steady body, steady pill fire!

Thinking of this, he immediately lowered his face, sternly saying:

“Achievement? Is a mere pill fire an achievement to you?

If such thoughts persist, you might as well have your clan replace someone else early.”

“…” The smile on Yang Yan’s face instantly froze, her eyes slightly narrowed.

In her life, it was the first time she had been reprimanded like this.

However, for the future of the family, she took a deep breath, lightly biting her lower lip: “Pill Master Li, I was wrong.”

To thoroughly suppress her complacency, Li Jizhou didn’t relent: “What was wrong?”

“…” Yang Yan held her breath.

After a while, she slowly said, “I shouldn’t be arrogant and complacent!”

“Hmph! If it happens again, take back the spirit stones and inform your clan elder to seek another expert!”

“It won’t happen again!” Yang Yan gritted her silver teeth.

“From today, I will start teaching you alchemy, but remember, I can only spare two hours daily; you must exert ten times the effort, or else, your clan elder might as well buy an alchemy heritage on his own to study.”

“I understand!” The sudden drop just now had made Yang Yan a bit lost in composure, but now hearing Li Jizhou’s words, she regained her reasoning.

It seemed that Li Jizhou intended to teach her promptly; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so strict.

Especially compared to the pill master invited to the Yang family a few years ago, who praised constantly, Li Jizhou’s performance was clearly more reliable.

This was good for her, and for the Yang family!

“Go ahead and refine a batch of pills; let me see your skills.” Seeing the other party calming down, Li Jizhou’s tone was peaceful once more.

“Yes.” Yang Yan dared not delay, immediately starting the furnace to practice refining as she had previously learned.

She was crafting the most basic Grain Avoidance Pill, mainly for entry-level cultivators at the Qi Sensing Stage and Qi Cultivation First Level, one pill lasting seven days without eating.

The materials were simple, and the profit was pitifully small.

Li Jizhou closely sensed every movement of hers and her control over the pill fire.

In less than half an hour, a gentle sound came from the pill furnace, signaling the end of alchemy.

Having observed the entire process, Li Jizhou gently laughed, shaking his head.

It was quite apparent that the previous pill master hadn’t sincerely taught her alchemy.

Her control over the pill fire and divine soul sensing… were in utter chaos.

This was understandable; that pill master, having fallen to becoming a guest elder for a small family like the Yang family, must not have been very proficient in alchemy; perhaps he couldn’t even support himself through alchemy.

In that case, how could he dare to teach a talented disciple?

Seeing Li Jizhou lightly laugh and shake his head, Yang Yan’s face darkened slightly, her hands unsteady as she prepared to open the pill furnace.

“No need to open it; with your skill, even for this beginner Grain Avoidance Pill, the success rate can’t exceed thirty percent, middle-grade quality is a luxury.” Li Jizhou waved his hand impatiently, unwilling to waste time, and took out his own pill furnace.

Then he took the same materials from Yang Yan as before.

“Carefully sense my control over the strength of the pill fire, especially the movement of my divine soul inside the pill furnace,”

As soon as he finished speaking, a wisp of azure flame leaped from under Li Jizhou’s hand.

Seeing the azure flame, Yang Yan’s eyes slightly narrowed.

The azure flame was practically considered a middle-grade pill fire!

One level higher than her pale blue flame.

The most crucial part was, with Li Jizhou currently storing his magical power in circulation, demonstrating himself at the Qi Cultivation Third Level, and he was also a supplementary cultivator of the fire attribute cultivation technique.

Meanwhile, Yang Yan herself was at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Level and primarily cultivated a middle-grade fire attribute cultivation technique.

The magical power of the main cultivation technique was condensed in the dantian, making execution most adept, whereas the supplementary cultivation’s magical power couldn’t enter the core area of the dantian, only able to adhere around the dantian, making it inherently challenging to control.

At that instant, Yang Yan looked at Li Jizhou with even more admiration, daring not to be the least bit careless, hastily doing exactly as Li Jizhou instructed.

Half an hour later, the alchemy was completed.

“Did you see clearly?”

“Yes.”

“Open it and take a look.”

Yang Yan carefully opened Li Jizhou’s pill furnace.

Twenty perfectly round and translucent Grain Avoidance Pills lay quietly inside the pill furnace.

These Grain Avoidance Pills, with one batch of materials able to yield twenty pills.

And Li Jizhou casually achieved a ten-fold success rate.

Moreover, Yang Yan took out each pill to examine closely,

all had first-grade cloud patterns, among which three had third-grade cloud patterns.

For beginner Grain Avoidance Pills, a first-grade cloud pattern was already top-grade quality, and a third-grade cloud pattern represented premium quality.

“Vividly recall every detail I just performed; tomorrow I expect you to replicate it entirely! Or there will be consequences!” After saying that, Li Jizhou collected his pill furnace and headed outside.

Watching Li Jizhou’s back fade in the backyard, Yang Yan suddenly snapped out of her shock.

“A tenfold success rate, all above top-grade, a batch with three premium! We made the right choice!”

Her gaze grew more determined!

Immediately, she reviewed her memory of just now, picked up her pill furnace, and began to replicate.

Opening the pill furnace, the scene inside was clear at a glance.

A total of five pills, among which three were dull in color, entirely black, evidently inferior pills,

The other two were slightly better but still dull, at most lower grade.

Especially compared to Li Jizhou’s batch, they couldn’t be shown to others.

“Li Jizhou, you are indeed outstanding; you truly have reason to look down on me, the eldest daughter of the Yang family!”

Sighing inwardly, Yang Yan fully immersed herself in the memory from before.

And when she, like Li Jizhou, released her divine soul with full force to sense the situation inside the pill furnace, the disguise skill became unstable.

After several attempts, she suddenly thought of something, an inexplicable smile arose in her eyes, and she simply withdrew the disguise skill, revealing her true appearance.

That naturally beautiful face, with willow brows and apricot eyes, radiant even without makeup, reappeared.

An entire night passed quietly in her continuous attempts to replicate.

Seizing the time before dawn, Yang Yan rose and returned to her room, retrieving another set of clothes from her storage bag.

A dress of willow-leaf green, paired with the cascading hair of black silk, her refined and ethereal demeanor became instantly apparent.

Then, she sat composedly in the pill room, waiting quietly for Li Jizhou’s arrival…

Thanks: @Laughter aloud, @Reader20230309123355113, @Defying the Heavens Nine Demons, @Northward Journey Kisses Returned South, @Azure Thunder Voice and Silent Gale five fellow practitioners for the rewards.

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Thanks to the fellow practitioners who have been following and commenting.

Here I recite a passage of the “Blessing Scripture” for all practitioners, wishing you and your family health and prosperity and great fortune.

Salutation!

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