Chapter 159 - The Last Apprentice (1/2)

Ye Chen heard his name being called and jolted upright in reflex.

The group of registered apprentices laughed.

Ye Chen was confused. What were these people laughing about?

Master Apothecary Xuanyi waved his hand and smiled. “You don’t have to stand, just sit down and talk. It’s fine with me.”

Ye Chen now understood. Master Apothecary Xuanyi was quite a laid-back person. He did not require his apprentices to get up when answering him. Hence, Ye Chen sat back down and said, “It’s not appropriate to control the flame by suppressing it using Fire-type Celestial Chi. In my humble opinion, apart from suppressing it, it’s more important to guide it as things are often better when we allow them to flow as compared to blocking them. Although suppressing flames can enhance our Fire-type Celestial Chi cultivation base, we’ll only be able to control the flame at our will when we truly become one with the flame.”

Ye Chen’s words stunned the group of registered apprentices. They had never thought of that before. At present, they could not understand the concept of controlling something at their will.

Something sparked in Master Apothecary Xuanyi’s mind. What Ye Chen had said made his mind very unsettled. He lowered his chin and smiled. “To control something at will… Fascinating conclusion. Alchemists below the Advanced Apothecary level usually suppress flames using Celestial Chi. Only after reaching the Master Apothecary level would one be able to guide flames, which was exactly what you had just said. All of you are still at the foundation-building stage and it’s incredibly difficult to reach that level. So, I advise that you don’t rush it. The fact that you can comprehend this concept shows that you have great talent but best not to waste it. Only by putting in enough effort can you achieve great things. Alchemy is vast and complicated. Even a tiny error may lead to a large discrepancy, so you must always be pious and cautious to reach greater heights. Don’t rest on your laurels just because of a moment of laziness.”

Master Apothecary Xuanyi was addressing Ye Chen’s lack of punctuality earlier. Ye Chen’s cheeks turned red as he replied, “I’ll remember it by heart, Master.”

Ye Chen’s words earlier had impressed Master Apothecary Xuanyi and many apprentices were discussing it fervently. Until now, they still had not understood how to control something at their will and surprisingly, Master Apothecary Xuanyi said that one could only comprehend that concept after reaching the Master Apothecary level. They wondered could this new kid on the block be a powerhouse who had not yet revealed his true strength?

There was an awful look on Xuan Yu’s face. Master Apothecary Xuanyi’s praise for Ye Chen had put him in a panicky mode. Ever since Xuan Yu was promoted into an intermediate apothecary, he had always been the center of attention among the many registered apprentices. Ye Chen’s emergence had undoubtedly produced some sense of crisis in him.

Of course, it was impossible to judge Ye Chen’s talents by hearing just a few words from him. Many registered apprentices had malicious assumptions that Ye Chen was only good at talking.

Master Apothecary Xuanyi nodded in approval. He then continued to explain alchemy, knowingly deepening the lecture content in the process.

The crowd of apprentices glanced at each other with puzzled looks. Xuan Yu and the others could only understand about fifty to sixty percent of the content explained by Master Apothecary Xuanyi. Meanwhile, ordinary apprentices could only understand about twenty to thirty percent of the lecture. While listening, Ye Chen linked the lecture to the contents of The Supreme Way of Alchemy as well as the notes in his armguard space. At that instant, he had discovered an endless enjoyment in learning.

Master Apothecary Xuanyi was very selfless when it came to imparting knowledge. He would teach the apprentices everything that he knew but as for how much the apprentices could absorb, it depended on their respective talents and efforts.

‘I’ve really learned a lot by coming here!’

‘If I go back and apply this knowledge, the success rate of my alchemy would increase. I have confidence that by then, I could even refine and produce some higher quality pills.’

It turned out that there were many theories in alchemy. Before this, Ye Chen only knew about the process of alchemy. He had no idea about the exact changes happening in every step of the alchemy process as well as how to rectify his mistakes and so on.

Now, Ye Chen had a deeper sense of reverence toward the profoundly knowledgeable Master Apothecary Xuanyi. Only at this moment did Ye Chen start regarding Master Apothecary Xuanyi as a genuine teacher who wanted to share knowledge and help dispel confusion.

Very soon, one morning had passed.

“Since Ye Chen has just arrived, let me repeat my tutelage’s house rules. The Xuanyi Tutelage freely accepts apprentices, old and new alike, to come and go freely. But as long as you’re my apprentice, you must help each other and treat each other kindly. I will not tolerate any forms of bullying and if you do, you’ll be evicted from the tutelage. When facing foreign enemies, all of you should work together as one. When you’re outside the tutelage, don’t cause anyone trouble. You must behave in a low-key manner and not offend anyone with your words or actions. Other than that, I don’t really have any other requirements. Just remember, members of the Xuanyi Tutelage cannot bully and harm people but if somebody bullies us, you can always direct the matter to me. If I find that they’re at fault, I will, of course, help you obtain justice,” Master Apothecary Xuanyi said meaningfully.

Master Apothecary Xuanyi had a high status in the Xiwu Empire and his apprentices rarely caused any trouble outside the tutelage. So, any instance of that could be regarded as an anomaly. Ye Chen could see that Master Apothecary Xuanyi’s tutelage had very few restrictions set, which mirrored his kind and laid-back personality.

“We’ll remember it by heart,” the crowd of apprentices replied and Ye Chen followed suit.

“You may go back now. Ye Chen, you stay. I still have something to say to you.” Master Apothecary Xuanyi waved his hands.

The crowd of apprentices exited the hall in a beeline. Xuan Yu glanced back at Ye Chen, who remained sitting still. Xuan Yu’s face was a little somber. However, he had no choice but to walk out of the lecture hall.

“Senior Brother Xuan, do you know where Ye Chen comes from?” a registered apprentice about twenty-three or four years old looked at Xuan Yu and asked.

“I heard he’s from the Ye Castle of Donglin,” Xuan Yu answered in a deep voice.