I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 320Book 2: : Craftsmanship Reform, Big Brother Takes the Lead
Vol 2 Chapter 320: Craftsmanship Reform, Big Brother Takes the Lead
Elder Xiong looked at the transparent glass cup in Zheng Fa’s hand. The ice crystals sparkling on the cup's surface made it hard for him to look directly at it.
But Zheng Fa’s expression was even harder to face.
“This is water-method alchemy?”
Zhao Jingfan leaned over, curiously peeking at the glass cup.
Zheng Fa glanced at the solution in the cup, his tone cautious. “I don’t know much about water-method alchemy. I’m just doing purification.”
Whether it was the previous experimental process,
Or the final test of medicinal properties,
All pointed to one core difficulty in refining the pill — the lack of purity in the final product.
To purify it, there are only a few known methods in chemistry. Reviewing the previous experiment logs, Zheng Fa’s first thought was extraction.
Based on current observations, Zheng Fa had a hypothesis:
Under certain conditions, Frostleaf could form a kind of solvent.
This solvent could dissolve the active ingredients in the Five-Element Orchid and separate them from other impurities.
Then, using some secret techniques to change environmental parameters, the solvent could be turned into crystals or powder again, resulting in an intermediate product that retained medicinal effects.
Right now, in this beaker was a solution of Frostleaf that had dissolved the powder of Five-Element Orchid.
He was now observing under which conditions the Five-Element Orchid powder dissolved most thoroughly.
Zhao Jingfan glanced back at Elder Xiong, as if seeking confirmation. Elder Xiong inwardly disliked his lack of tact — if he knew the answer, would he be in this awkward spot?
He stepped forward, sniffed the Frostleaf solution in the glass cup, looking somewhat unsure, but still nodded slightly: “It’s kind of similar. I’ve sparred with a pill master who specialized in water-method alchemy before…”
“I haven’t seen their secret technique, but I’ve seen similar spiritual water.”
That made sense. Some solutions could be preserved long-term, even sold as a kind of raw material to other pill masters.
“Whether it works or not still depends on the final pills.”
As he spoke, Elder Xiong gnawed at his thumb, his expression slightly eager — clearly, he wanted to try it out for himself.
Zheng Fa had come to understand Elder Xiong’s personality over the past days.
This man was clearly obsessed with alchemy. He’d been working in the Jiushan Realm for months, motivated partly by the carrot of the Soul Formation technique, but also showing genuine diligence that Zheng Fa had noted.
Now, sensing this thing might be connected to the legendary water-method alchemy, it was like a drunkard seeing the finest wine — he was itching with curiosity, and that was understandable. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then spoke:
“Elder Xiong, I trust your skills, but our experiment has its own protocol.”
“I’m afraid…”
“Whatever you say, I’ll do!”
Elder Xiong thumped his chest, pledging obedience.
“It’s not me you’re supposed to listen to…”
“……”
“It’s them.”
Zheng Fa pointed to several Foundation Establishment disciples in the room, including four that Elder Xiong found very familiar — the same four he hadn’t gotten along with previously. R̃ä𝐍ỒΒÊṣ
Elder Xiong fell silent.
Zheng Fa wasn’t trying to humiliate him or give the disciples a chance to show off. It was simply that everyone had their specialty. He didn’t know alchemy well himself. Although he’d outlined a general framework, the specific procedures had to be executed by these trained disciples.
To instruct Elder Xiong in pill refining, naturally it had to be them.
“I…”
Seeing Elder Xiong hesitate, Zheng Fa understood that whether it was about pride as a Nascent Soul pill master or past awkwardness, the Great Elder of the Qingmu Sect just couldn’t get past it.
He didn’t wait for Elder Xiong’s reply, but nodded toward the disciples.
In the pill furnace, the spiritual flame reignited. Zheng Fa poured the Frostleaf solution with dissolved Five-Element Orchid powder into the pill cauldron.
A new round of experiments began.
Elder Xiong watched silently from the side, carefully observing every move the disciples made. This time, he truly saw their faces clearly — including those four who, truth be told, were quite familiar.
Each person in the pill chamber had different thoughts, but most of the attention remained on the pill furnace.
The spiritual flame went out, and the pill furnace cooled.
Through the transparent glass in the belly of the furnace, everyone could see several pills had formed.
These spirit pills looked quite different from the previous ones.
Before, the pills were murky blue-black.
Now, the spirit pills were a pure, vibrant blue, even shimmering with watery light.
The room filled with a faint pill fragrance.
The scent was light and warm, like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, quiet and serene by a lakeside.
There was promise!
Even though they hadn’t been tested by Madam Xuanhua yet, everyone had a strange sense of certainty in their hearts.
Elder Xiong even closed his eyes and took in the fragrance deeply, calling out in bliss, “Top-grade!”
Zhao Jingfan said excitedly, “They came out top-grade? Just a few days ago we were making trash pills!”
Elder Xiong’s face froze. The joy drained from his expression like a dream shattered by a stab to the chest.
Zhao Jingfan’s words were sharp as blades…
Weren’t those trash pills made by him?
Zheng Fa looked at the spirit pills in the furnace. He didn’t grow smug from Elder Xiong’s praise. Instead, he took out a jade bottle and waved his hand, collecting the pills and instructing a disciple to send them to Madam Xuanhua for testing.
Everyone in the room waited for the results. Meanwhile, Zheng Fa flipped through the records of the recent experiment.
A head poked out from behind his shoulder, peering at the notes with curiosity…
Zhao Jingfan covered his forehead behind him.
Weren’t you the one who dismissed those notes before?
Zheng Fa turned to look at Elder Xiong. Elder Xiong looked a bit embarrassed, but still asked:
“How did you all… move this fast?”
Though Madam Xuanhua’s verdict wasn’t in yet, Elder Xiong, as an expert, already had his own judgment. He now put aside his pride and sought guidance from Zheng Fa.
“With these.”
Zheng Fa’s tone didn’t change much. To be fair, he believed the spirit pills owed 70–80% of their success to Elder Xiong.
Without his initial detailed formula and hundreds of experimental data points, how would Zheng Fa’s team have had any leads?
Moreover, there was some luck involved this time.
Not to mention, water-method alchemy probably wasn’t that simple either.
Solutions weren’t limited to extraction and distillation for purification. In chemical terms, reactions could also occur in liquid states…
In Zheng Fa’s view, pill refinement was a unique trait of this world. To develop it, they had to incorporate traditional alchemy practitioners.
Their greatest strength now was summary and reform.
He handed the experiment records to Elder Xiong, who seemed stunned at his generosity. But he didn’t say anything — just lowered his head to read.
The more he read, the deeper his frown became, as if he couldn’t understand something.
“Raw materials, environment…”
He muttered, pondering those terms, then suddenly asked:
“What about the secret techniques?”
“Where’s the place for secret alchemy methods?”
“Then… where does the pill refinement I studied go?”
His face even showed a trace of fear.
Zheng Fa looked at Elder Xiong, who stared back at him, seemingly begging for an answer.
“There are no secret techniques.”
“…Huh?”
“Alchemy might have confidential techniques, but it shouldn’t have methods whose principles are unknown.”
Elder Xiong stood before Zheng Fa, looking at this leader of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
All this time, Zheng Fa had seemed mild-mannered, even overly agreeable.
But now, this one sentence revealed the hidden sharpness in his heart —
He didn’t fight others for power, but he aimed to overthrow the entire alchemy system with a brand new, terrifying ideology.
Traditional Xuanyi Realm alchemy relied heavily on subtle, often inexplicable techniques.
They valued what spell to use in the first step…
And what spell to use in the second…
Spiritual medicine combined with secret methods — that was the essence of alchemy.
But Zheng Fa was after something else entirely —
He focused on the environment. The experiment report talked about parameters.
One or several spiritual herbs, under specific environmental conditions, would produce certain reactions.
His old alchemy system focused on “what is.”
Zheng Fa aimed for “why it is.”
Secret methods were just one way to control the environment.
He could even imagine that, as long as environmental measurements became more precise, Zheng Fa could analyze any kind of spirit pill.
Without a secret method, he could create one.
With a secret method, he could refine it with experimental data.
Would this entire system work…?
Elder Xiong looked toward the door.
For the first time in his life, he wished his nose wasn’t so sensitive.
…
“Sect Master! Madam Xuanhua said the medicinal effect is extremely potent!” A disciple shouted even before stepping in, as if announcing a great success. “The Golden Core Project team has already begun validating the Yin Five Element part of the Jiushan Golden Core Method!”
They did it!
Even though everyone had a gut feeling, joy still filled the pill room.
Except Elder Xiong.
He watched the Jiushan disciples cheer, then looked again at the experiment report in Zheng Fa’s hand.
His shoulders slowly slumped.
And in his heart, the alchemy he had studied and devoted his life to also crumbled.
Though it was only the beginning, he could already see Zheng Fa sharpening the blade, ready to shatter the thousands of years of alchemy he knew, severing the future path of traditional pill masters.
“Elder Xiong…”
“Mm.”
Hearing Zheng Fa’s voice, Elder Xiong replied in a bit of a daze.
“Can you help us?”
“Huh?”
Elder Xiong’s eyes shifted slightly, and only then did he realize Zheng Fa was standing in front of him, smiling and pointing at the pill furnace:
“In my opinion, this spirit pill still has room for improvement…”
“Elder Xiong, you’re a Nascent Soul pill master after all. In both cultivation and technique, you’re far above my Jiushan disciples.”
“…With your help, I believe this spirit pill’s quality could reach even greater heights.”
Elder Xiong blinked, instantly understanding Zheng Fa’s implication:
Don’t panic. You’re still very valuable. Want to learn?
The knot in his chest suddenly loosened.
So I’m the blade, huh?
Well, then… it’s all good!
…
While Zheng Fa and his team were still conducting experiments on Engineering Island, all the mundane affairs of the Jiushan Realm had fallen onto Senior Sister Zhang.
The most critical task at present was establishing the technical alliance—
Or rather, forming the major guilds.
The most important among them were the Alchemist Guild, Talisman Master Guild, Artificer Guild, and Formation Master Guild.
These were the four most essential and flourishing crafts in the world of cultivation.
On University Island, meetings were held one by one to prepare for the founding of the four major guilds.
There was no need to even mention the Talisman Master Guild. Jiushan Sect’s dominance in talisman techniques was overwhelming. Even among the Six Sects, it could easily hold its own.
The Jiushan disciples led the discussions, while the weaker sects cheered along.
As for formation masters… this craft was too high-level. The Hundred Immortals Alliance didn’t have many formation cultivators, and those who did exist hadn’t even shown up.
Trying to form a guild would only bring embarrassment, so they simply skipped it.
The Artificer Guild, lacking the participation of the Zhongxuan Sect, was basically propped up by Madam Xuanhua. There were a few Foundation Establishment and Golden Core sects involved, but they weren’t particularly strong or rebellious. Thus, the charter passed smoothly.
Only the Alchemist Guild had a major player — the Qingmu Sect.
Before the preparatory meeting even started, a dozen or so sect leaders and elders from alchemy sects suddenly crowded into the guest quarters where the Qingmu Sect was staying.
Sect Master Song of Qingmu looked surprised at the group of people before him. “What’s all this about?”
The group took out a soundproofing artifact to block external detection.
Sect Master Song twitched at the corners of his mouth. These people clearly didn’t know any better — what in the Jiushan Realm could really be hidden from Zheng Fa?
Still, he had a good idea of what they were here for.
“Sect Master Song, what’s your take on the Alchemist Guild?”
Someone whispered.
“The meeting hasn’t started yet. I don’t know any details — what opinion could I have?”
“Oh, come on! The rules for the Talisman Master Guild and the Artificer Guild are practically identical!”
Someone protested anxiously.
Sect Master Song glanced at him, then looked around at the others. His understanding deepened: “So you all have concerns?”
“Concerns… of course we do…”
Someone muttered hesitantly.
“Jiushan Sect is the current leader of the Hundred Immortals Alliance — that we acknowledge. But some things… they’ve gone too far.”
“Gone too far how?”
“First, they’re talking about writing textbooks. Isn’t that just… trying to take our secret techniques to train their Jiushan disciples?”
“…That’s a good point.”
“And another thing! Why is the patent duration only fifty years? After fifty years, all our secret techniques would be made public?”
Sect Master Song nodded again.
“Then there’s the journal, the centralized procurement…”
“If you ask me…”
“If this continues, in less than a hundred years, all our alchemy legacies will belong to that Zheng guy from Jiushan Sect!”
After hearing them out, Sect Master Song nodded repeatedly.
He seemed quite supportive.
And honestly, they weren’t wrong. The guilds might look harmless on the surface, but the sect leaders of the Hundred Immortals Alliance weren’t fools…
In the past, they controlled the inheritance of alchemists, along with the quantity, price, and quality of pills on the market.
Now, a guild had emerged.
Once the guild had its own textbooks, training system, even customers and herb supply chain…
What need was there for these sects to even exist?
Or rather, the guild would inevitably become the largest alchemy sect — directly managed by Jiushan Sect.
Sect Master Song had realized this long ago…
He had only agreed to support it because Qingmu Sect was in a poor state, and the guild’s benefits were heavily tilted toward them.
But these other sect leaders didn’t feel the same way.
They saw the essence of the guilds, knew they wouldn’t benefit, and naturally resisted.
Hence, they sought him out.
“What do you all want me to do?”
“Qingmu Sect is the alchemy leader in the alliance. If you go along with these rules, how will your sect master face the ancestors in the future?”
“……”
“Sect Master Song, we don’t want to rebel against Jiushan Sect, but… we need a path to survival, don’t we?”
“What kind of path?”
“We can join the guild. Even centralized purchasing and standardized pricing — we’ll follow the alliance leader’s commands.”
“But this patent duration and the textbook-journal stuff… we just can’t accept it.”
After hearing this, Sect Master Song’s expression didn’t change. He simply replied:
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“To be honest, Qingmu Sect also has some concerns about these guild rules…”
“I’ll bring them up at the preparatory meeting.”
The crowd was overjoyed and respectfully cupped their hands toward him. Someone even praised, “Sect Master Song, you’ve got backbone!”
For a moment, Sect Master Song felt like he truly had the weight of the alchemy sects behind him — like a big brother leading the charge.
As he watched them leave with smiles on their faces,
His gaze turned cold.
These people definitely didn’t dare betray the Hundred Immortals Alliance — those who dared, like the Zhongxuan Sect, had refused to even show up at the Jiushan Realm. Word was they were trying to rope in smaller sects to raise a rebel flag.
But they also weren’t willing to fall in line.
Unlike the sects in the Talisman Master Guild — who, though surely displeased, didn’t dare voice it.
Coming to him…
Was clearly about using numbers to exert pressure.
And hoping that Qingmu Sect would take the heat when the sky fell.
The worst part was… what they said made sense.
…
The next day, on University Island, Senior Sister Zhang faced the sect leaders of all the major alchemy sects.
This group seemed a bit off. Their eyes carried unspoken messages.
To be fair, the biggest success of the technical alliance so far was the Alchemist Guild.
Without the Zhongxuan Sect, artificers mostly relied on Madam Xuanhua.
Jiushan Sect was too dominant in talismans.
But in alchemy, Jiushan Sect had been weak, and Qingmu Sect strong. The Alchemist Guild filled one of Jiushan Sect’s largest gaps.
She glanced at Sect Master Song and saw he looked troubled, lost in thought.
Zheng-shidi had only confided in her his true reason for building the guild system:
On the surface, it was to promote various cultivation crafts — win-win cooperation, economic growth.
But on a deeper level, it was about integrating the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Not just techniques — people.
According to Zheng-shidi, alchemists who joined the guild would learn skills from it, take jobs through it, and receive payment from it.
From then on, they’d become true professional alchemists — what Zheng-shidi called “division of labor.”
Over time, alchemists wouldn’t need to occupy spiritual veins or manage herb gardens.
They’d just refine pills and earn more with better technique.
Their skills would grow faster.
And more importantly… they’d never be able to leave the alliance’s system again.
The Alchemist Guild might look like a sect, but it could never survive independently. It depended heavily on the alliance for resources and clients.
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but wonder — where had Zheng-shidi learned all this?
…
Once everyone had arrived, Senior Sister Zhang distributed a draft of the “Alchemist Guild Regulations”, saying: “These rules were drafted by Jiushan Sect.”
“If any of you have thoughts, feel free to speak up.”
“Jiushan Sect will consider them appropriately.”
The sect leaders browsed the draft. Seeing it matched their expectations, their expressions varied, but they all glanced toward Sect Master Song seated up front.
He too flipped through the draft, reading it in detail.
Senior Sister Zhang asked again, “No one has any comments?”
All eyes focused on Sect Master Song’s back.
He gently set down the draft and cleared his throat. “Qingmu Sect has a few comments.”
Here it comes!
Big Brother is about to speak for us!
Sect Master Song stood tall, spine straight, as if made of iron.
“Oh?” Senior Sister Zhang sounded slightly surprised. “Go ahead.”
“I believe there’s one rule missing from this document…”
Missing?
Wasn’t the problem that there were too many?
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. Something didn’t feel right, but they couldn’t pinpoint what.
“I heard from our Qingmu Sect’s Great Elder that after working with Jiushan Sect, he gained a whole new perspective on alchemy… He’s modified many secret techniques, and our alchemical skills have improved greatly!”
“……”
“All of Qingmu Sect wishes to offer up all of our secret techniques to collaborate with Jiushan Sect on reform! To contribute to the Alchemist Guild and the Hundred Immortals Alliance!”
The sect leaders stared open-mouthed at Sect Master Song, who spoke with righteous conviction.
Big Brother… if you’re gonna make a suggestion like that, maybe get down on your knees first?
