The Female CEO's Personal Bodyguard

Chapter 963: Chapter 963: You don’t need to spend time practicing?

”No problem, just follow the strictest standards!”

Carson Flores asked Killian Jaramillo for guidance, solely on the basic techniques of alchemy, as a mutual exchange between friends, not involving the sect’s secret techniques, let alone Carson being the Cave Master’s Direct Disciple, so there was nothing to avoid.

”The most fundamental and crucial aspects for an alchemist are, first, identifying various herbs and understanding their medicinal properties, second, learning how to process and extract these herbs, and third, mastering the basic techniques of alchemy, memorizing a large number of elixir formulas. Only after mastering these three aspects, one is truly qualified to start the alchemy process,” he explained.

Carson nodded. ”I had been reading and studying mostly, familiarizing myself with various herbs and their processing and extraction methods, and I memorized many elixir formulas. I’ve also learned the basic techniques, but only in theory, I haven’t practiced them yet.”

Curious, Killian asked, ”Why not try it yourself?”

Carson replied, ”Learning the basics is like a child learning to use chopsticks. If you start with the correct posture, it benefits you for life. But if you start with the wrong one, even if you want to correct it later, you will ultimately retain some bad habits. So, I think mastering the basics should be done in the most accurate way, not by blindly fumbling on my own.”

Killian smiled. ”Then let me test you.”

Carson nodded. ”Ask away.”

Killian chuckled, ”Black Wintersweet.”

Carson replied, ”Black Wintersweet, the leaves are oval, each split into four sections, it grows in one year, blooms the next, and bears fruit in the third year. The fruits resemble blueberries. Black Wintersweet is an excellent medicinal blending agent, used in many elixir formulas like Azure Water Pill, Cold Jade Pill, White Brightness Pill...”

Killian looked somewhat surprised and continued to inquire, ”Seven Cold Grass?”

Carson thought for a moment, organized his memories, and then fluently replied, ”Seven Cold Grass grows in extremely cold regions...”

Listening to Carson elaborate not just on the appearance and growing habits of Seven Cold Grass but also on its medicinal values and even citing multiple elixir formulas using it, Killian was impressed.

Killian asked about several more herbs and Carson was able to answer almost immediately after a slight pause.

Amazed, Killian stared at Carson, ”How long have you been reading?”

Carson replied, ”Three months.”

Killian’s expression became even more astonished. To achieve such mastery in just three months!

”Do you have a photographic memory?”

Carson chuckled, ”Not exactly, I just use some special memory techniques. If you’re interested, I can teach you.”

What Carson referred to was the Memory Palace Technique he had learned in the human world. Now, as his strength had greatly increased, so had his Divine Sense, enabling him to easily construct a vast Memory Palace in his mind to effortlessly retain the information he wished to keep.

Excitedly, Killian asked, ”Really? Can you teach me?”

Considering the vast number of herbs and elixir formulas, which coexisted and interrelated, resulting in an abundance of information - having a method to clearly remember them in the mind was indeed beneficial.

”It’s not complicated, just requires more practice and soon, you will be a memory master,” he assured.

Killian looked at Carson with admiration, ”You always manage to surprise me!”

Carson smiled, ”I’m just standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Killian didn’t rush Carson to teach her yet, instead she smiled, ”Okay, since memorizing these herbs and elixir formulas isn’t a problem for you, let’s start practicing them.”

Killian summoned a Pill Furnace with a gesture, ”The key to alchemy lies in precise control, controlling the quantity of the herbs, the temperature of the herbs, and the duration of the heating. I will now teach you the eight basic techniques of alchemy, which include the techniques of extraction.”

After a pause, Killian smiled, ”Just don’t learn too fast, otherwise, I’ll feel quite defeated.”

Carson chuckled, ”I’ll try not to.”

”Just kidding!”

With a charming smile, Killian then moved in front of the Pill Furnace and began to demonstrate to Carson.

Carson had already read about the Basic Eight Methods in theory, but having someone demonstrate and guide through the process and simply reading about it were completely different experiences.

On his own, he might have doubts, Is this the right way?

But with guidance, he would have moments of realization, So that’s how it’s done!

”These are the Basic Eight Methods, each technique has its own training and assessment methods. From now on, you’ll practice these basics until you can perform them to an exceptionally high standard, then you can begin real alchemy,” Killian outlined.

Carson readily agreed, ”Okay!”

Returning to his cliffside cabin, Carson began intensive training.

Ten days later, Carson sought out Killian again.

”Could you check my technique, see if it’s okay?”

Killian looked at him skeptically, Just ten days, so soon?

Impossible, right?

Although the Basic Eight Methods were indeed not complicated, they were not simple for a newcomer who had never done alchemy before.

Mastering might not be complex, but becoming proficient was hard.

It’s like a chef learning to chop vegetables; learning to chop is easy, but to chop with extreme proficiency, with a flow like the passing clouds, and to consistently maintain uniform size and thickness, that’s not achieved in a day.

Mastering the Basic Eight Methods in ten days?

Is that even possible?

Practicing doesn’t take time?