CHAPTER 87: VERDANT EMBER GARDENS

The Kingdom of Jinwu’s strength not only relies on its unique cultivation technique, but also the growing power of the Alchemist Association.

In fact, it was the only association, who was fully independent from the kingdom.

After all, the kingdom was able to benefit greatly from them, having discounts for their subjects, especially those knights, on the alchemist association’s pills.

They worked together to survive for a millenium, even having many rivals in every direction.

In fact, a historian would acknowledge that the Kingdom of Jinwu was the oldest kingdom in the Mortal World.

The Alchemy Association of Jinwu’s headquarters was located at the eastern ridge of the Radiant Flame City, overlooking the River of Dawn.

The River of Dawn was a spiritual waterway said to carry faint solar qi at sunrise.

Hence, most of the pill formula the Alchemy Association developed over the years mostly related to solar qi.

Ranging from cultivation to martial arts to medicine and many other aspects, they enriched their alchemy knowledge to the point they were acknowledged from the alchemy association in the Spirit Ascension Domain.

The association was situated midway between the Spirit Academies District and Artisan Guild Complex, forming a triad of learning, craft, and cultivation.

In fact, most of the talents the Alchemy Association cultivated came from the Spirit Academies District.

However, it was known that the Spirit Academies District was only accessible for nobles.

Of course, there were bright commoners, who were accepted and became a student in one of the spirit academies, but they were still subjects for discrimination from the nobles.

Only the Alchemy Association and Artisan Guild Complex could slightly intervene, on the condition that one of the commoners showed promising prospects of their respective discipline.

The Association resembled a cruciform complex centered around a solar furnace plaza, radiating like a stylized sun symbol when seen from above. The design honors the Golden Crow’s three-legged form, with three grand wings symbolizing: Pill Refinement, Research and Formulation, and Trade & Licensing.

Meanwhile, the central courtyard was open to the sky, encircled by eight golden-pillared arcades representing the Eight Pillars of Refinement — Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth, Wind, Yin, and Yang.

On the heart of the association, there was a massive domed chamber housing the Imperial Sun Cauldron, a relic alchemical cauldron forged from sunsteel and divine crystal.

It was the Golden Crown Divine Beast himself who offered a valuable part of his body to create the Imperial Sun Cauldron.

Only the Master Alchemist, which was the President of the Alchemy Association, was granted to use it as his cauldron.

The dome roof was embedded with reflective gold-glass scales, concentrating sunlight into beams that fuel the cauldron’s array.

Beneath it lies the Pillar of Purity, a formation node that stabilizes fire qi and prevents explosions during high-rank refinements.

The massive dome was called the Solar Furnace Dome.

On the Verdant Ember Gardens, there were apprentices tending the gardens.

Every apprentice had to tend the gardens before they could earn a seat at the pill furnaces.

The Verdant Ember Gardens was also a miniature glass dome containing varying conditions: mist chambers for yin herbs, flame groves for yang herbs, and even lunar dew pools for balance-based recipes.

Hence, to prevent the apprentices from getting harmed of the environment inside the miniature glass dome, they wore protective suits, which was crafted by the Artisan Guild Complex.

The medicinal herbs were also cultivated microclimates regulated by spirit formations, so they had to be careful when entering and leaving the miniature glass dome.

Near the lunar dew pools, there were apprentices quietly tending the medicinal herbs.

When they were finished, they walked together to leave the Verdant Ember Gardens.

They were all girls, and everyone was young from their appearances.

The tallest among them, whose breast was quite developed, asked the smallest beside her, "Cai Hui. Why are you still tending the garden with us? You are already an alchemist. You have your own pill furnace room.

Furthermore, the President is your master. If he comes to know about your appearance here, he might get angry."

Cai Hui smiled bitterly, "But, only in this garden does that make me closer to the medicinal herbs."

She swept her gaze around and saw many medicinal herbs that quietly grew by themselves while being cared for by the apprentices from time to time to look after their growth.

She continued, "Watching them from the beginning of their creation. From being a seedling to a mature, ready to be used as a pill ingredient, makes me comprehend them more."

All the girls paused their footsteps, causing Cai Hui to pause her movements.

She slowly turned around and asked while scratching her cheeks, "What?"

Hao Wen, who was the tallest, was about to say something when a girl with curly round hair said, "Wow! So, that’s what it means to comprehend the Dao of Alchemy."

The remaining girls nodded.

Cai Hui smiled shyly and nodded.

"I guess so. Master even said that when we pursue alchemy, simply because we have gained knowledge about all the properties of the medicinal herbs and the process of pill-making doesn’t mean we must not forget to return to what started it all."

"What does it mean?"

"It simply means, we must return to what made us interested in alchemy. Using the medicinal herbs as a pill ingredient, the creation of pills, its benefits... Do you think they all began when the medicinal herbs were born?

It’s like a fire... we must not forget how we encountered fire before it was used for everything. If we do not understand fire, how will we truly understand the creation that solely relies on it?

And how will we proceed?"

All the girls were stunned by what she said.

They were silent for a minute...

Not until a clap was heard echoing behind Cai Hui.

All the girls landed their gaze and were astounded by the presence of the President of the Association.

Without hesitation, they bowed deeply and simultaneously greeted him.

"We greet the Master Alchemist!"

The President merely smiled at them before focusing on Cai Hui, who had just turned around and faced him...