Fresh medicinal materials carried on one’s person would surely be confiscated by the school’s teachers. However, after being refined, the substances belong to the category of finished medicinal products.
All students, including teachers, need to use Earth fire to refine fresh medicinal materials after collecting them.
Thus, no one would suspect Chu Feng as he carried the refined finished medicinal products.
Moreover, he is famously known as a poor student within the academy, which serves as the best protection.
Who would imagine that a poor student could possess an Abnormal Fire?
The process of refining Enchanting Grass is very lengthy, primarily because Chu Feng’s current Abnormal Fire is still weak. Furthermore, because the fragrance of the Enchanting Grass must not be inhaled, one has to hold their breath for about a minute and then move away to freshen the air.
Under multiple constraints, the time consumption is extremely long.
It took almost six two-hour periods, and with the effort of "tremendous strength," Chu Feng finally refined all eleven strands of Enchanting Grass.
There were two remaining immature strands, which Chu Feng left to continue growing.
Perhaps they might be useful in the future.
This is also the rule of gathering medicinal herbs. Just like fishing, small fish must be let go to prevent extinction.
By leaving the two immature strands of Enchanting Grass, they can branch out and produce more Enchanting Grass.
After a brief rest and as the sun began to set and darkness approached, Chu Feng started to look for a way out.
"Right, I almost forgot about the bet with Qiao Sheng! I need to get two herbs that are very old!"
Chu Feng felt that the area below the cliff, seldom visited by people, would surely have satisfactory medicinal herbs.
Upon a detailed search, sure enough, there were gains.
In front, close to the cliff wall, grew several medicinal herbs taller than a human. Their leaves spread out like cartwheels, wrapping directly around the branches.
Although taller than a person, they had no forks — each a single commanding stalk.
This was the Seven Stars Grass, a fine medicine for curing snake, ant, and insect poisons.
Chu Feng went over and carefully discerned their age.
If these medicinal herbs were around ten or twenty years old, they would be quite easy to identify. Basically, one leaf indicated one year.
But when their age exceeds thirty years, it truly tests a Pharmacist’s power.
Firstly, their branches would basically not change much.
They remain as tall and as thick as always. Only the color of the bark might change slightly.
Because their growing environment is dark and moist, just like human skin, it maintains moisture perpetually. If you want to see it crack like other trees or change color drastically, don’t even think about it.
Secondly, old leaves will fall, but new leaves will grow the following year in a continuous alternation.
This makes it even more difficult to determine their age.
Other lower-grade students who come here would most likely make a mistake nine out of ten times.
Who is Chu Feng? He’s the Alchemy Venerate! After careful identification, he quickly selected the oldest Seven Stars Grass.
"Heh heh, with this, the person to kneel on the field and call themselves a fool won’t be me!"
Qiao Sheng, Ouyang Xiu dare to compete with him, he could finish them off with a flick of his finger.
Even if they are young masters from medicinal material families, so what?
They still have to kneel.
When Chu Feng was hailed as a master in the Alchemy Dao, Qiao Sheng and Ouyang Xiu weren’t even born yet.
At the exit of Medicine Mountain, the dean personally supervised, while several teachers from the academy checked and recorded every student who came out after gathering herbs.
No one was foolish enough not to wait until dusk to come out.
With more time available, the wider the area of the mountain could be searched. Just after I entered, I gathered a two-hundred-year-old Medicinal Herb, which I thought was quite good.
But as I continued searching, I eventually found a three-hundred-year-old Medicinal Herb, which increased the chances of winning first place.
Although I didn’t know what reward the academy would give, according to the usual rules, the student who ranked first in the herbal gathering competition would receive an Elixir personally refined by the dean.
Mostly, these were Elixirs that enhanced cultivation.
As dusk approached, the best-performing students began to come out from Medicine Mountain. Many had a substantial harvest.
However, today’s competition was based on the age of the herbs, not the quantity.
Even if you gathered a hundred two-hundred-year-old Medicinal Herbs, it would still not compare to someone who gathered just one three-hundred-year-old Medicinal Herb.
Qiao Sheng and his classmates from class one all wore confident smiles, looking down on everyone else with pride.
Especially Qiao Sheng, who undeniably held the title of top student among the lower grades. An extremely proud individual, he only had two Medicinal Herbs in his basket.
The stunningly beautiful Lin Yuxin also came out carrying her medicine basket.
Her face bore an excited smile, indicating she too had a significant bounty.
Liu Ping, who had led a hunt against Chu Feng, walked out head held high like a proud rooster, surrounded by a posse of followers, appearing quite imposing.
He had taken down Chu Feng and vented his anger, feeling immensely relieved.
However, he occasionally walked with a limp and his face showed signs of pain. It seems Chu Feng’s flying kick had really given him a hard time. The swelling on his face had subsided though.
"Qiao Sheng gathered two herbs, one Five Hundred-year-old White Crane Herb and one Eight Hundred-year-old Bitter Flower Vine!"
Educational Director Niu Baotian announced Qiao Sheng’s bounty loudly, causing a wave of gasps and screams.
Those students who had previously been smug immediately felt deflated upon hearing Qiao Sheng’s achievements.
No wonder, coming from a family known for herbal medicine, he was incredible.
Ordinary students would be overjoyed to gather Medicinal Herbs aged three or four hundred years and would boast about it everywhere.
The worst of the two herbs he gathered was five hundred years old, leaving everyone else looking up to him.
"Qiao Sheng you’re so impressive! Us others can’t even catch up to you by flattering!"
"Yes, Qiao Sheng is really incredible! To gather an Eight Hundred-year-old Medicinal Herb, it’s not just luck, but sheer strength!"
Students gushed flatteringly one after another.
"Haha, not at all, I just read a few more books and followed my family elders to gather herbs a few times!"
Qiao Sheng, self-assured and looking down at all, spoke modestly, but his face showed not a trace of modesty.
Seeing his own class’s top-performing student achieving such impressive results, teacher Ouyang Xiu from class one was also beaming with joy and smiling brightly.
"Hehe, Teacher Xie Bing, how are the students in your class performing? Lin Yuxin is the top student in your class, right? Don’t hide it, let her bring out the Medicinal Herbs she gathered for evaluation!"
Ouyang Xiu was incredibly smug.
Qiao Sheng, with the demeanor of a superior individual, appeared very composed, lightly smiling and his gaze also landing on Lin Yuxin’s stunningly beautiful face.
Like a king eyeing the prey he is interested in.
Everything was under his control.
He waited for Lin Yuxin to be surpassed, to develop admiration for him, and then to throw herself into his arms willingly.