Chapter 1683 Potion God Barbarian
Over a decade had passed, and the Male and Female Shaman Clan had long since shifted their attention away from Sun Hao.
Sun Hao quietly applied for the advancement exam in basic theory. With his prodigious memory and years of diligent study, there was no doubt he would have achieved a perfect score had he not intentionally answered one question incorrectly.
In the end, Sun Hao passed the first hurdle in Potioncraft—fundamental theory—with an outstanding score of 99 out of 100.
Frankly, the Male Witch overseeing Sun Hao’s evaluation was quite astonished by such a result. Typically, junior disciples of the Shaman Clan need only answer sixty percent correctly to pass the basic theory exam; surpassing eighty percent is considered excellence. Yet this Barbarian had scored ninety-nine percent, which was truly unbelievable.
However, pondering the Barbarian’s relentless decade-long study of basic theory, the Male Witch couldn’t help but sigh.
Such an achievement was undeniably built upon sweat and toil.
Yet, the Male Witch didn’t see the necessity of such thoroughness. Most Potioncraft techniques relied on unique formulas and explicit instructions, and practical application in concocting potions naturally reinforced foundational principles. There seemed little need to master every detail.
Much of it was unlikely to ever be useful.
Next came the practical exercises in potion preparation.
Sun Hao expended some Contribution Points to acquire several entry-level potion formulas. He then spent Spirit Stones to purchase Spiritual Medicines, thus embarking on his true journey in Potioncraft.
Once Sun Hao truly began practicing Potioncraft, he realized that, strictly speaking, Potioncraft was an unfinished branch of Alchemy. Yet, through ingenious methods, it achieved remarkable effects similar to Pill Refining.
Sun Hao was a true master of Alchemy, capable of refining Tier Six Spirit Pills.
In Alchemy, one foundational stage is Herb Refining (Material Preparation), involving harmonizing the medicinal properties of various Spiritual Medicines in preparation for the subsequent refinement and Pill Coalescence.
Potioncraft omits the Pill Coalescence step and emphasizes Material Preparation. Through precise adjustments, it activates and refines various medicinal properties to produce potions of differing effects.
The essence of Potioncraft lay precisely in Material Preparation.
Sun Hao had initially believed his Material Preparation skills were top-notch, assuming mastery of Potioncraft would come effortlessly.
Yet, once the true practice began, he discovered reality wasn't as simple as he imagined.
Material Preparation in Potioncraft differed significantly from its counterpart in Pill Refining. It demanded far stricter requirements—regarding precision, ingredient sequencing, liquid concentration, temperature control, and so on.
Moreover, since the final step of Pill Coalescence was absent, Potioncraft introduced a crucially important form of Material Preparation: the preparation of base elixirs.
Sun Hao had initially assumed all potions used water as the solvent. But upon immersing himself in Potioncraft, he realized the types of base solutions used to dissolve ingredients were manifold. Even water varied as ice water, lukewarm water, hot water, boiling water, and others.
Beyond water, many potions required specially prepared base elixirs just to begin concocting; the intricacies were profound.
This constituted yet another foundational discipline.
Sun Hao had a principle: whenever it was foundational, he had to master it thoroughly.
Fashioning several oversized jars and vessels that suited his large hands, Sun Hao commenced practicing the preparation of various base elixirs. He didn’t rush into concocting even the simplest potions, instead persistently creating different dissolving solutions and meticulously memorizing each one's specific applications.
This most rudimentary practice—preparing base elixirs—wasn’t even part of the Potioncraft advancement assessment. Other Potioncraft learners typically dabbled briefly before moving on to the next stage of study.
Sun Hao, however, was different. Perhaps influenced by his Barbarian Tribe lineage, he possessed a single-minded stubbornness. Of course, his rigorous practice in base elixir preparation also had another vital purpose: familiarizing himself thoroughly with the manipulation of those oversized jars and vessels.
He began practicing a diverse array of fundamental techniques, meticulously and continuously.
Externally observed by Potioncraft Instructors, Sun Hao became an eccentric case once more—a truly barbaric method, a genuinely uncouth approach.
They’d never seen anything like it. Sun Hao spent a full five years practicing the most basic method of creating base elixirs. Beyond anything else, such monotonous practice alone would drive most practitioners to madness.
Who could possibly endure such tediousness and monotony?
For Sun Hao, the practice wasn’t tedious at all. Through the process, foreign objects within his body continuously absorbed the world’s spiritual energy. This energy was then converted into Water Attribute True Essence via the Five Elements Wheel Spirit Art, endlessly infused into the seven white rabbits.
The seven white rabbits grew increasingly plump and spirited, signifying rapid progress in his Lunar Rabbit Cold Jade Energy skills.
Furthermore, Sun Hao relished practicing these techniques because he discovered they significantly boosted his Pill Refining prowess.
He had always considered his Alchemy skill highly proficient, believing each step of Pill Refining had reached near-perfection.
Only after coming to the Witch Clan and encountering this entirely new branch of Pill Refining did Sun Hao suddenly realize there was still vast room for improvement in his skill.
Had he not encountered Potioncraft, he would never have imagined that Material Preparation—just one step—held so many intricacies. Indeed, this single step had even developed into a distinct branch of Pill Refining.
Undoubtedly, rigorous training in Potioncraft would grant his Alchemy an immense leap forward.
While practicing Potioncraft, Sun Hao also earnestly analyzed its similarities and differences with Pill Refining.
Overall, he deemed Pill Refining superior in level. Its most defining trait was the formation of solid Spirit Pills through compressing medicinal liquids, thus storing vastly more energy than liquid potions.
Of course, Sun Hao also acknowledged that the relative strength between Pill Refining and Potioncraft couldn’t be simply generalized; it depended on the actual Spiritual Medicines used.
Potioncraft possessed unique advantages in certain aspects. Most notably, some Spiritual Medicines completely unsuitable for brewing into pills, or extremely difficult to use traditionally, could be far more effectively utilized through Potioncraft. This was especially true for medicines naturally in liquid form; their efficacy in potions could surpass that in refined Spirit Pills.
One could say that learning and practicing Potioncraft, in a way, promised broader application than his Water-Infused Alchemy.
After an exceedingly long period of rigorous practice, when he could wield the oversized jars and vessels like fluttering butterflies, Sun Hao finally completed his foundational training. By this point, twenty years had slipped by since he first touched Potioncraft.
Witch, Male Witch, and Potion Apprentice onlookers—who once found it entertaining to watch—had largely forgotten there was once a giant Barbarian learning Potioncraft alongside them.
It was within this context that Sun Hao embarked upon his true journey into Potioncraft.
For Sun Hao, Material Preparation was no longer particularly difficult. His foundation in Alchemy meant that, after grasping the core principles of Potioncraft, concocting subsequent potions was straightforward.
With relentless momentum and seeming ease, Sun Hao charged through successive levels. Starting from Tier One potions, he surged all the way to Tier Three Potioncraft in a single day.
Immediately after, he exchanged considerable Contribution Points for a large number of potion formulas and Spiritual Medicines, launching into a frenzy of concoction.
Initially, the Potioncraft Instructor paid little significant attention.
Even when Sun Hao submitted the required amount of Tier Three potions, the instructor merely showed mild surprise. And when Sun Hao exchanged vast amounts for formulas and ingredients, the reaction was essentially: "Tsk, this Barbarian has too many Contribution Points to burn."
But when Sun Hao approached to contribute points and exchange resources after a month of intense concoction, the managing Instructor’s eyes nearly popped out in disbelief.
His immediate thought was, "Something’s wrong! Did this Barbarian buy potions just to put on a show?"
However, the Instructor soon discovered he was profoundly mistaken.
Not only were the potions freshly brewed, but their sheer volume made it impossible they had been purchased. Indubitably, these were the Barbarian’s own creations.
Thus, the question arose!
This Barbarian—practically forgotten, having seemingly wasted over twenty years on Potioncraft—had everyone almost forgetting his existence. Yet, without a sound, he had become a Potion Master capable of concocting Tier Six potions?
Was such an absurdity even possible!
Consider this: those so-called genius prodigies who started learning Potioncraft around the same time as the Barbarian were, at best, still struggling around Tier Four. Tier Six remained a distant goal.
This Barbarian was simply too miraculous.