Han Yan secretly made up her mind that if the three tasks proposed by Yan Zishu were utterly impossible, she would resort to any means necessary, even risking her life, being unscrupulous, and defying the entire world, to find a way to make the old man submit.
Seeing the determined look in Han Yanâs eyes, Huayue, Jiang Yuzhe, and the others all took a deep breath and adjusted their state to the best condition. For Zirong, they too could resort to any means.
"You really intend to help my Yan Family with three tasks?" Yan Zishu had initially thought Han Yan would give up upon realizing the difficulty he posed, yet he didnât expect her to be so resolute.
"Indeed." Han Yan nodded and said.
"Alright then, I have here a Pill Furnace, itâs an ancestral heirloom of my Yan Family. If you can help me repair it, the first task is considered complete." Yan Zishu thought and said.
He vaguely realized that Han Yan wasnât merely a disciple or servant of Doctor Sun, her status was above that. The Sun Family was also a renowned family of medicine in Anyun, known as Divine Doctors, and anyone who could make Doctor Sun willingly rank below them must be quite extraordinary. Though, as the current family head of the Divine Doctors Yan Family, he was accustomed to dealing with royals or esteemed figures, and wasnât intimidated by Han Yan. Still, he wouldnât propose anything too excessive, and merely requesting the repair of the Pill Furnace was reasonable.
Repair the Pill Furnace? The expressions of Huayue and the others became strange. They had adjusted their states, ready to act at Han Yanâs command at any cost. But upon hearing this request, their tense demeanor relaxed, even finding it somewhat amusing.
As Yan Zishu finished speaking, he took out a quaint Pill Furnace. The furnace gleamed with flowing gold, and although it was old and damaged, it still emanated a lively presence.
However, the smile on the older menâs faces became even more peculiar. They discerned that Han Yan was not someone trivial and guessed Yan Zishuâs intentions. Yet, this seemingly reasonable request was, in fact, not as simple as it appeared. While others might not know the furnaceâs origin, they did. If it were something else, perhaps Han Yan could truly accomplish it, but repairing this Pill Furnace was practically a foolâs errand.
"What... what is this?" Doctor Sunâs expression changed slightly, hesitating as he asked.
"This is the Eight-Door Purple Cloud Furnace, an exceptional Pill Furnace crafted over ten years by a genius alchemist, Pang Ziyun, for our Yan Family. Oh, when it comes to Pang Ziyun, you might not be too familiar, but you should know of Pang Dezong, the new dean of the Anyun Sword Hero Academy, the chief alchemy master, and the chief alchemist for the Anyun Royal Family. Pang Ziyun was Pang Dezongâs esteemed ancestor!" Yan Zishu said proudly.
"Indeed, itâs the Eight-Door Purple Cloud Furnace!" Doctor Sun gasped.
Being a renowned Divine Doctor in Anyun, he certainly knew of Pang Dezongâs reputation and Pang Ziyunâs name as well. Although Pang Ziyun wasnât as famous as Pang Dezong, his mastery of alchemy far surpassed this successor. Pang Ziyunâs life was dedicated to alchemy, indifferent to fame, hence his quiet reputation.
In fact, the alchemy technique inherited by Pang Dezongâs lineage wasnât initially profound or mystical; it was under Pang Ziyunâs innovation that it flourished. Pang Dezongâs widespread fame in Anyun, and even his notable reputation in Shangyue, was due to Pang Ziyunâs passed-down alchemy technique.
This Eight-Door Purple Cloud Furnace took Pang Ziyun ten years to create. Just observing its intricate rune array reveals how much effort he invested, making it a daunting task to repair.
Amidst his astonishment, Doctor Sun didnât notice the peculiar smiles on the faces of Huayue and the others.
Han Yanâs mouth showed an imperceptible smile.
The first true contact she had with alchemy was with Pang Dezongâs Cangxuan Cloud Silk, which was now hers. After entering Longyan Academy, she officially began her alchemy cultivation, and Cangxuan Cloud Silk was something she studied most.
Han Yan initially planned to create similar Protective Divine Artifacts for Huayue and the others, but later discovered the materials were too challenging to gather and too time-consuming, forcing her to abandon the idea. However, through repeated examination, she became intimately familiar with the refining method of Cangxuan Cloud Silk.
If she was correct, the refining method for this Eight-Door Purple Cloud Furnace was nine-tenths similar to that of Cangxuan Cloud Silk. Though the remaining tenth was even more intricate and mystical, with rarer and more complex materials. With her current alchemy skills, replication was difficult, but repairing it wasnât beyond her ability.
"This is the first task, isnât it? Alright." Han Yan directly took the Pill Furnace, almost snatching it.
"What are you doing?" Yan Zishu jumped in surprise, staring at Han Yan.
"Isnât it repairing the Pill Furnace?" Han Yan looked at him oddly, wondering if the old man was senile, forgetting what he just said.
While speaking, Han Yan retrieved the Alchemy Furnace from the Star Disk Space.
"Youâre repairing it yourself?" Yan Zishu asked in surprise.
He had thought she took the furnace so urgently to find someone else to help, but it turned out she was planning to do it herself.
This was needless to say. If she wasnât repairing it herself, why would she take out the Alchemy Furnace? With time pressing, Han Yan couldnât be bothered to waste words with him and swiftly ignited the furnace, casting several hand formations to augment the fire.
"Girl, Iâll remind you once more, this furnace is the masterpiece of Pang Ziyun, a genius in alchemy. He can even be considered one of the founding ancestors of Pang Dezongâs lineage. Even if Pang Dezong himself were to try, repairing this Pill Furnace wouldnât be easy." Yan Zishu said, fearing Han Yanâs arrogance might completely ruin the Yan Familyâs heirloom.
"Do you know how much this Eight-Door Purple Gold Furnace is worth? If you damage it, can you afford to pay?" Another old man echoed.
"Donât worry, it wonât break. Even if it does, itâs my problem, not yours to worry about." Han Yan said irritably.
Yan Zishu was forgivable since his ancestors lost to Doctor Sunâs ancestors, and it was understandable. But with these people having no relation whatsoever, they were currying favor with Yan Zishu through their sarcastic and sneering remarks, getting on Han Yanâs nerves.
"Hmph, Iâm reminding you out of goodwill, yet you donât appreciate it. Iâll see how you explain if you break the Yan Familyâs heirloom!" The old man retorted angrily after Han Yanâs blunt reply.
Han Yan had no interest in dealing with such self-important elders, straightforwardly ignoring their words and continued casting hand formations.
"Hmph, so arrogant and self-centered at such a young age, ignoring the wisdom of elders. Has no one taught you that arrogance leads to downfall? Donât think that learning some mediocre alchemy makes you invincible. Do you believe your alchemy can rival Pang Dezongâs? Do you know how many alchemy masters Master Yan sought over the years to repair this Eight-Door Purple Cloud Furnace to no avail? How can a junior like you be so... so..." The old man continued his incessant tirade. However, while he lectured, his rant trailed off.
One after another, hand formations flew from Han Yanâs hand, as smooth as flowing water. Light talismans flickered, akin to a group of butterflies glowing with mesmerizing radiance, dancing like the spirit of light between Han Yanâs fingers.
Her hand formations were extraordinarily exquisite, providing an aesthetic enjoyment, and her incredibly beautiful face paired with her serene posture subtly revealed a sense of sanctity.
The furnace flames swayed with the light talismans, melting over ten pieces of Meteorite Gold gradually into a unified, glimmering mass that merged into the Pill Furnace. A faint purple glow emerged from the furnace like thin mist.
Beside her, Yan Zishu and the other old men watched in wide-eyed amazement.