Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 460 - 460: Danzhu's Specialized Lecture

Back in the Divine Convenience Store, Xingxing's lecture continued for a few hours. Lin Mo found his chance to slip away from Venom Master Xun and Wu Meiyu's grips by saying he had some matters to attend to at the other specialized lecture hall.
As for Xingxing's threatening gaze that followed him, he did his best to ignore it by holding his breath and dashing out of the pearlescent hall. The moment he was out, he let out a long breath of relief. Navigating that minefield was more mentally taxing than his tribulation.
He shook his head and made his way to the opposite hall, the one belonging to Danzhu.
The atmosphere here was a world away from Xingxing's serene sanctum. The air was hot, thick with the smell of exotic herbs and simmering metals. Instead of quiet contemplation, the hall was filled with the low murmur of intense discussion and the occasional, sharp hiss of an alchemical reaction.
Danzhu stood before a massive, rune-etched cauldron, not as a poetic teacher, but as a gruff, demanding workshop foreman.
"Fools!" he barked, pointing at a projection showing a flawed molecular bond. "Any idiot can follow a recipe. An alchemist understands the principles! Do not simply mix ingredients. Infuse your intent to draw out your desired outcome!"
The High Priest of the Poison Demon Cult, a peak Nascent Soul expert who commanded terror in his own right, was scribbling notes like a first-year apprentice, his old, wrinkled face a mask of rapt concentration.
Lin Mo found an empty spot at the back, content to observe. This was more his speed. Practical, tangible and directly applicable.
"Take the [Aether-Bane Polish]," Danzhu continued, gesturing to a diagram showing the alchemical formula. "The formula calls for spiritual iron and [Flowing Quicksilver]. But why? The iron is the 'body', the stable vessel. The quicksilver is the 'blood', the conductive medium. The Aether absorbed is the 'soul', the active principle. Understand this trinity, and you can create endless variations of any recipe."
He slammed a hand on a table, startling several attendees. "What if you do not have spiritual iron? Will you simply give up? No! You will find a substitute with a similar 'body'! Meteorite ore, perhaps, but its nature is more fiery, so you must lower the refinement temperature by a third. Earth-core adamant? Its nature is heavy, so you must increase the conductive agent, the quicksilver, by a tenth. Alchemy is a science of equivalency and adaptation! It is the ultimate convenience!"
The High Priest raised a hesitant hand, a rare sight. "Sage Danzhu, my cult's [Myriad Poison Scripture] speaks of a 'sympathetic resonance' between toxins. Could a similar principle be applied here, to 'persuade' a less-than-ideal 'body' to accept the 'soul' of the Aether?"
Danzhu glanced at him, a flicker of professional respect in his eyes. "A sharp question. Yes. A catalytic poison, refined to a state of near-purity, could act as a 'primer', making a stubborn material more receptive. But the control required is immense. A single misstep, and you will create not a polish but a highly volatile explosive. A fascinating, if inconvenient, research path. Do not attempt it in my lecture hall. Failure may accompany your journey but… if you keep blowing your cauldrons up, consider changing profession."
Lin Mo watched, a slow grin spreading across his face. This was the true treasure of the Divine Lecture. He was teaching them how to fish, and even how to invent new kinds of fishing rods.
He was teaching them to think like innovators, to see the world as a collection of principles to be understood and manipulated.
This, Lin Mo realized, was the final piece of the puzzle. Xingxing taught them to refine themselves, to perfect their inner world. Danzhu was teaching them to refine the world around them, to understand and master the external.
One provided the perfect artist, the other provided the ultimate toolkit. Together, they were giving the First Heaven what it needed to survive, thrive and evolve.
The lecture continued, with Danzhu deconstructing the principles behind the [Chitin-Breaker Enzyme] and explaining its function as a targeted catalyst that destabilizes specific molecular bonds. He gave them more than a recipe. There's also the chemical engineering theory behind it, opening the door for them to create their own enzymes for other types of foes.
The well of knowledge that they thought had already dried up had started to overflow, making even those who consider themselves grandmasters of alchemy become like a child in front of the divine being before them.
After a while, his lesson switched from the topic of Harnessing the Foreign Energies to simply imparting more knowledge about how to improve their refinement methods.
Some asked how to improve the purity of their refined pills. Some asked how to draw out the maximum potency of spiritual herbs and other ingredients. And lastly, those who wanted to improve their spiritual flame, regardless of method, natural or otherwise, were given a profound piece of advice.
He listed spiritual flames that could be found in the First Heaven and how to refine them. He also listed some formulas on how to cultivate and refine a Pill Master or an Alchemist's inherent spiritual flame.
"Your flame is a reflection of your will," Danzhu stated, his voice now less that of a foreman and more of a stern master. "A weak will results in an unstable, inefficient flame.
You want a hotter, purer flame? Do not seek a rare fire-seed or a powerful artifact. First, look inward. Refine your own intent. A lesson, I believe, my colleague has already imparted to you all. Our paths, while different, are ultimately intertwined. The external is a reflection of the internal."
He pointed a gnarled finger at a young, ambitious alchemist who had asked the question. "You. Your spirit flame is vibrant, but it is... impatient. You seek results too quickly, and your refinements suffer for it. Meditate on the nature of patience. Understand that some reactions cannot be rushed. Your flame will mature when you do."
The young alchemist's face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and sudden, dawning enlightenment.
Lin Mo smiled. Although he couldn't understand most of the content of his lesson, he was still enlightened about the profession. As for a spiritual flame? Everyone has a chance to awaken theirs. However, that's only a chance. And succeeding in doing so doesn't easily qualify one to be an alchemist or pill master. One's aptitude is also a factor.
As Lin Mo thought it was time for the lecture to end, he suddenly heard Danzhu's voice echoing in his head, "Young man, you've been a fine… catalyst for this little project of ours. But I hear you've run into a problem with another one of your toys. The one that goes 'bang'."
Lin Mo froze, realizing the Sage of Alchemy was addressing him directly through a private transmission.
What did he mean by that? He returned that prototype since he had already finished testing it. Besides, because of using divine energy to form a bullet that shattered a heaven-grade artifact, it was already full of cracks.
He was only waiting for Lihua to return it to him after adjusting it according to the data he gathered. As for its ability to shatter higher-grade artifacts, it was impossible without a source of divine energy.
"The Starshot Revolver," Danzhu's mental voice continued, gruff and to the point. "Chuang has been tearing his hair out on how to improve and stabilize it so you wouldn't recklessly use it like you did before. You're in luck, I lent him a hand. It should be returned to you soon."