My Master Knows It All

59: Chapter 55 Peak Master You’re Really Fast_1 59: Chapter 55 Peak Master You’re Really Fast_1 Cao Zhen passed through the front courtyard and entered the Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace, where he saw a Scout Strongman created by Puppet Peak approaching him.

It is said that the higher-ranked peaks all have various strongmen made by Puppet Peak.

There are Mountain-moving Strongmen used for carrying heavy objects and mining, Serving Strongmen for attendance, and even Treasure-hunting Small-sized Scout Strongmen.

This Serving Strongman was made from Mysterious Iron, the least valuable material in the Immortal Cultivation world, standing at a height of two and a half meters, resembling a giant, yet it moved without making any sound.

“Please follow me,” the voice of the Serving Strongman was very hoarse, and its fluency was stuttering, not to the extent of being a stammer, but it was quite close to it.

Cao Zhen followed the Serving Strongman to his assigned Cave Mansion, which included a stone table, several meditation cushions, and an empty bookshelf that was free of any dust.

After the Serving Strongman left, Cao Zhen came to the stone table and saw a thin booklet and a silver token the size of a palm beside it, carved with the words “Hidden Dragon”.

When Cao Zhen turned to the first page of the booklet, it was a map of Hidden Dragon Observatory and Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace.

The Hidden Dragon Observatory was in the central position of the Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace’s map, occupying only one-tenth of the area of the Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace.

Inside the Hidden Dragon Observatory, there were Discourse Hall, Secrets of Divine Skills Pavilion, Heavenly Talents and Earthly Treasures Garden, Immortal Soldier Workshop, Earthly Immortal Institute, Five-Element Pill Ground, Place of Contemplation, Duelling Platform.

Such a configuration was basically the same as the one outside in the Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace, leading one to presume that the only difference was probably a higher quality inside.

Cao Zhen turned to the second page of the booklet, which introduced the regulations of the Hidden Dragon Observatory.

The main ones were that private fighting was prohibited, and one could not take Pill materials or Treasure materials out of the Hidden Dragon Observatory.

Of course, if you refined the Pill materials into Pills or Treasure materials into Treasures, you could take them away after paying a certain fee.

For example, if you refined ten Pills, handing over two of them would suffice, or providing materials of equivalent value to two Pills was also acceptable.

The Treasures followed a similar method and could be taken away as well.

After reading the booklet carefully, Cao Zhen noticed it did not specify any rules about how many batches of Pills one could refine while residing in the Hidden Dragon Observatory, seeming to imply that if one liked Alchemy, they could potentially continue to engage in Alchemy until their time at the Observatory expired.

For instance, some could stay in the Hidden Dragon Observatory for three months, others for half a year, and even some for a year.

Cao Zhen quickly realized why the Hidden Dragon Observatory had not made any specific rules on this aspect, mainly because everyone entering the Hidden Dragon Observatory was surely there to learn and practice Divine Skills and Dao, or to consult with the Earth Immortals there about their own Cultivation issues.

A normal person, who would manage to enter the Hidden Dragon Observatory once, would foolishly spend all their time doing Alchemy?

Where couldn’t one perform Alchemy?

Of course…

some might lack Spiritual Medicine outside, so they might refine one or two furnaces of the Pills they need inside the Hidden Dragon Observatory.

Deciding upon this, Cao Zhen resolved to spend two-thirds of his half-year stay in the Five-Element Pill Ground, and the remaining third of his time exploring the Immortal Soldier Workshop.

According to the introduction in the manual, the Immortal Soldier Workshop stored many Treasures left behind by Sect predecessors who had either died in battle or of old age.

If one was destined for a particular piece, they could take that Treasure away.

Besides the ready-made Treasures, the Immortal Soldier Workshop also possessed special Earth Fire and various materials necessary for crafting Treasures.

If one did not encounter a fated Treasure, they could also craft a Treasure themselves.

Upon reaching the Five-Element Pill Ground, everything looked quite primitive.

There were no houses to shelter from the wind and rain, just an open field with several simple pits emanating Flames with different attributes continuously spouting forth.

Around the edges of the field stood over a hundred Pill Furnaces, each seemingly weighing thousands of pounds and tall enough for two people.

Not far from the Pill Furnace, there were rows of cabinets, on the lids of which the names of different Spiritual Medicines were carved.

Cao Zhen walked back and forth in front of the cabinets for several laps, unable to suppress his exclamation.

It was no wonder that the requirements for entering the Hidden Dragon Observatory were so high; several of these Spiritual Medicines were so expensive that even selling Four Treasures Peak would not cover the cost of one herb.

Last time, he had concocted a minor Dragon Tiger Pill; this time, with sufficient materials at hand, he could make a true Dragon Tiger Pill.

“Are you new here?” a voice inquired, interrupting Cao Zhen’s observation.

“Didn’t finish reading the manual, did you?

Otherwise, how could you be so ignorant of the rules?”

The speaker was a middle-aged man in a red robe, with an average build and ordinary appearance.

The most distinctive feature was the goatee on his chin.

The four characters “Hidden Dragon Executor” on his chest revealed his identity.

As Cao Zhen turned to see the newcomer, a flicker of astonishment passed across the middle-aged man’s face.

Peak Master’s attire?

Is he actually a Peak Master?

The middle-aged man immediately concealed his surprise and quickly adjusted his attitude.

According to the information from the Hidden Dragon Observatory’s message crane, the only newcomer to enter recently was the Peak Master of Four Treasures Peak, ranked one hundredth.

Since he was the one hundredth-ranked Peak Master, I, Gai Su’e, still had some confidence to maintain.

With that thought, Gai Su’e resumed his slightly reprimanding demeanor and said, “Once you’ve entered the Hidden Dragon Observatory, how could you not take the time to read the manual properly?

Indeed, you can use any material here for Alchemy, but you must pass an assessment to see what level of materials you can use according to your Alchemy abilities.”

“Are you in charge of the assessment?” Cao Zhen was not concerned about the man’s attitude, desiring only to start Alchemy sooner, to consume pills sooner, and to improve his Cultivation Base more quickly.

Gai Su’e, having realized Cao Zhen’s background, was full of indignation.

A Peak Master ranked at one hundred, what could he know about Alchemy?

He probably thought the Spiritual Medicines of the Hidden Dragon Observatory were free and wanted to practice here, right?

Did he really think passing the Alchemy assessment here was that easy?

It didn’t matter if you were a Pill Master or even an Alchemy Master; success wasn’t guaranteed here.

“Indeed, I am the one!” Gai Su’e replied gruffly, pointing toward a Pill Furnace on the edge, “Know how to concoct Energy-Refining Pills?

You have one day to make a batch.

If you can’t produce more than thirty-two pills, or if the quality can’t reach the Best Quality, then you’ve failed the assessment, and you shouldn’t come here again.”

Cao Zhen curiously approached the Pill Furnace and saw indeed there were materials laid out, which left him dumbfounded.

“This…

this is the amount of materials needed to make thirty-two Energy-Refining Pills?” Cao Zhen doubted his own eyes—did he mistake the amount for three portions?

“What else?” Gai Su’e replied even more impatiently, “If you think it’s impossible, don’t waste the materials here.

Assessment materials are still materials!”

Cao Zhen was about to comment on the excess of materials, but then reconsidered, seeing the man’s rude demeanor.

There was no need to warm his face with the man’s cold backside.

After all, he had just asked if these were the materials to use, and the man had confirmed it.

If he ended up making more pills than required, and the man tried to deny it, he would have the retort ready.

Seeing that Cao Zhen didn’t respond and actually began preparing for Alchemy, Gai Su’e nonchalantly pulled out a recliner from his Hundred Treasure Bag and lay down to watch, cursing in his heart again.

This fool couldn’t really think that making thirty-two pills was easy, could he?

The favors of the Hidden Dragon Observatory weren’t so easily exploited!

Even for myself, there’s no guarantee to produce thirty-two Best Quality Energy-Refining Pills every time within one day.

While Energy-Refining Pills were the most basic pills, one day was simply too short, and the materials were just enough to make exactly thirty-two pills.

To achieve Best Quality for all without fail, one had to be a Grandmaster of the Alchemy Dao or higher.

Of course, the most critical issue was still the time constraint of one day.

If given more than three days, Gai Su’e was confident he could produce thirty-two Best Quality Energy-Refining Pills every time, and maybe even one or two of the utmost quality if luck was on his side.

“Done…” Cao Zhen’s words interrupted Gai Su’e’s internal rant, startling him.

So soon?

Gai Su’e turned his head sharply toward Cao Zhen, immediately feeling insulted!

Had it only been enough time for a few yawns, and the man claimed to be finished?

Was he making a fool of me?

Alright!

You think you can mock me because you’re a Peak Master?

Then don’t blame me for not giving you the face a Peak Master deserves…

Just as Gai Su’e reached this thought, he saw the door of the Pill Furnace in front of Cao Zhen opening.

A Pill Decoction Method he had never seen before was making the Energy-Refining Pills, each emitting a Seven-Colored Radiance, line up and fly out of the furnace.