Volume One: Entering the Dao Chapter Forty-Six: First Glimpse of Alchemy

In this way, Ye Junze gazed intently at everything before him. Aside from the black smoke he had noticed, the buildings of the Alchemy Division were hardly any different from those of the Daoist Arts Division—there was no significant disparity between them. What did catch his interest, however, was another scene altogether. As his gaze traveled, he saw that in the distance, the Alchemy Division also boasted a mountain peak identical in size to that of the Daoist Arts Division. The difference lay in its shape: this mountain resembled a colossal alchemical furnace. Confronted with such an unusual sight, Ye Junze couldn't help but wonder whether it was a natural formation or the result of human ingenuity. “How marvelous,” he mused.

Noticing that Ye Junze’s eyes had lingered on the distant mountain for some time, Wang Dongdong couldn’t resist speaking: “What do you think, Junze? Doesn’t that mountain look just like a giant alchemical furnace?”

Ye Junze was drawn back to reality by Wang Dongdong’s voice. He nodded in agreement, replying, “Yes, it really does.”

Wang Dongdong’s face lit up with pride. He declared with satisfaction, “I told you that you’d be astonished when you came here. Looks like I was right!”

Faced with Wang Dongdong’s inexplicable pride, Ye Junze could only respond in silence.

Fortunately, the silence did not last long. Having observed the exterior, Ye Junze now found himself intrigued by the Alchemy Division as a whole. He turned to Wang Dongdong and suggested, “Let’s go inside for a look.”

Naturally, Wang Dongdong had no objections and readily agreed, “Alright, let’s go—follow me.”

With a nod from Ye Junze, the two of them, led by Wang Dongdong, made their way into the heart of the Alchemy Division.

Once inside, Ye Junze felt the atmosphere he had detected outside grow even stronger; the sense of life and human activity became more pronounced. Everywhere he looked, there were rows upon rows of alchemical furnaces.

At several of these furnaces, people sat cross-legged before them, seemingly in the midst of refining elixirs. Ye Junze observed carefully—all of them wore expressions of grave concentration, their eyes fixed intently on the furnaces before them, as though any slip might spell disaster. Seeing such solemnity, Ye Junze instinctively lowered his voice, afraid that he might disturb them by speaking too loudly to Wang Dongdong.

After watching for a while, Ye Junze noticed one of the practitioners suddenly rise to his feet. The man began muttering under his breath—Ye Junze couldn’t make out the words. There was a trace of tension on his face, yet his eyes brimmed with hope, as if he feared failure but yearned for success. With resolve, he slowly lifted the lid of the alchemical furnace.

It was Ye Junze’s first time witnessing someone else’s pill refinement. Fascinated, he watched as the man, startled by the rush of heat from the furnace, instinctively closed his eyes for a moment. Only after adjusting did he open them again. Focusing his gaze, he saw several perfectly formed pills resting serenely within the furnace. The sight brought a palpable sense of relief; the man patted his chest, as if finally at ease. Joy shone unmistakably in his eyes as he swept his arm, collecting the newly refined pills into a small jade bottle. After restoring the furnace to its original state, he departed with evident satisfaction.

Ye Junze, having witnessed it all, nodded in appreciation, as if commending the man’s accomplishment. After all, it was his first time seeing someone else refine pills, and even as an outsider, he could tell that the outcome was excellent.

With the pill refining concluded, the two continued onward. Along the way, Ye Junze saw others who, like the man before, succeeded in their alchemy and were visibly elated. There were also those who failed, their spirits crushed, looking deeply troubled. Black smoke billowed from the furnaces of the unsuccessful, as if compounding the sense of gloom that followed defeat.

The two wandered on, pausing to observe the surroundings. More often than not, Ye Junze was the one silently taking everything in, while Wang Dongdong played the role of guide and commentator. As they watched and listened, Ye Junze gained a thorough understanding of the Alchemy Division. He learned that most students spent the majority of their time refining pills—a fact made clear by the endless rows of furnaces and the constant cycle of success and failure. “But the smell of those failed concoctions is truly unbearable,” Ye Junze thought helplessly.

Time passed, and the enormous Alchemy Division took the better part of the morning to explore. By noon, they had finally seen it all. Coming to a stop after their final round, Wang Dongdong grinned and asked, “Well, Junze, what do you think? Our Alchemy Division is pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

Ye Junze’s eyes showed his admiration as he replied, “Yes, it’s quite remarkable.”

Just then, an ill-timed rumble of an empty stomach broke the air. Ye Junze pressed his hand to his forehead in exasperation; he didn’t need to guess whose stomach it was.

Wang Dongdong, somewhat embarrassed, rubbed his belly and scratched his head, mumbling, “Sorry, Junze. We’ve been out all morning—I’m starving. Why don’t we head back for lunch?”

Ye Junze had no objections and, considerate as ever, replied, “Alright, let’s go back.”

With that, the two of them set off again, making their way toward the dormitory building.