Chapter 780: Familiar Scent

Jiang Luofu quickly snapped out of it, a blush spreading across her face. *When had she become so sentimental?* She quickly composed herself and hurried after him, worried that Zu An might encounter danger inside.

Zu An followed Shen Xuzi further inside. Although Shen Xuzi was in a wheelchair, it moved automatically, gliding inwards without needing to be pushed. Shen Xuzi had been feeling a bit smug, expecting Zu An to exclaim in surprise, but to his disappointment, Zu An's expression remained unchanged. He secretly felt a little embarrassed. Someone who could conceive of a steam engine was surely an expert among experts; how could such a small thing impress him? Little did he know, Zu An had seen countless electric wheelchairs before his transmigration and was long accustomed to them.

Still feeling a bit miffed, Shen Xuzi decided to regain some face. He subtly activated mechanisms he usually hesitated to use. As they passed each door, it would open automatically to welcome them, with no need for him to push or for any servants inside. Shen Xuzi looked at Zu An, chin slightly raised, thinking, *This time, surely I'll impress you.* Maintaining these mechanisms required him to expend over a dozen Earth-grade elemental stones. *Sigh, he'd be "eating dirt" again this month.* To his surprise, Zu An remained expressionless, as if he hadn't even noticed.

Shen Xuzi was utterly shocked. With his discerning eye, he knew Zu An wasn't merely pretending; he genuinely didn't consider it a big deal. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zu, what do you think of my automatic doors?" Zu An looked hesitant, then after a moment, replied, "They're alright."

Shen Xuzi was displeased. *Was this man born with all knowledge?* he wondered. He couldn't resist saying, "From Mr. Zu's tone, it seems you're somewhat dissatisfied. Please, feel free to point out any shortcomings so I can improve them." He intended to test Zu An again. Hadn't Jiang Luofu mentioned that Zu An's knowledge came from an ancient book? He certainly didn't want to be fooled; his fellow disciples would laugh him to scorn.

Hearing this, Zu An said, "I just noticed that you have to press something before entering each door. Actually, you could make them proximity-sensitive. That way, they would open automatically just by someone approaching."

"Proximity-sensitive switch?" Shen Xuzi was taken aback. "What is that?"

"It's probably a device that detects infrared light," Zu An answered casually, his eyes curiously surveying his surroundings. He was more concerned about what kind of alchemy furnace he would get.

"Infrared light?" Shen Xuzi found these terms completely new, yet listening to them, he could vaguely grasp their meaning. When researching alchemy, he occasionally had similar fleeting ideas, but they'd only been momentary flashes. Now that Zu An brought them up, he gradually recalled them and realized Zu An was not speaking nonsense.

At this point, all his doubts vanished, replaced by a fervent glint in his eyes. He quickly followed Zu An, saying, "Mr. Zu is truly a divine being! A single conversation with you today is worth a decade of my arduous cultivation!" Zu An looked bewildered. *In his previous life, he'd seen those automatic doors in shopping malls countless times. Was this really necessary?*

Jiang Luofu, following behind, was almost numb with surprise. After witnessing the reactions of the other disciples, this scene could barely stir her emotions anymore.

"You're too kind, Fourth Senior Brother," Zu An chuckled. "About the alchemy furnace..."

"Look at my memory!" Shen Xuzi slapped his forehead. "Mr. Zu, please follow me." He then opened a large door. "Inside are all the top-grade alchemy furnaces I've collected and refined over the years. Take whichever one catches your eye, consider it my welcoming gift to you."

As soon as the door opened, Zu An was greeted by an invigorating medicinal aroma. It wasn't from ongoing alchemy, but rather the lingering essence of past elixirs refined within the furnaces, clearly indicating that these were no ordinary artifacts. Zu An's gaze swept around, noting various exquisite cabinets placed throughout the room, each with a different design. In the very center, unique alchemy furnaces stood proudly. Each furnace had a distinct appearance and style, yet they shared one common trait: a subtle, iridescent glow shimmered over each, indicating that they all possessed some form of sentience or spiritual energy.

Shen Xuzi stroked his beard, saying with a hint of pride, "These are the alchemy furnaces I've refined or acquired over the years. Every single one can be considered top-grade." This time, Zu An praised him genuinely: "Fourth Senior Brother truly lives up to his reputation as the world's greatest alchemist, to possess so many top-tier furnaces!"

Shen Xuzi had heard such compliments countless times before, always without a ripple of emotion. But hearing this particular remark from Zu An today filled him with a profound spiritual satisfaction; it felt as though every pore on his body was cheering. *It wasn't easy; he finally received this fellow's acknowledgment.* Shen Xuzi suddenly felt like shedding tears. In that instant, it was as if he was transported back to his rookie days, when he was praised by his teacher for the very first time.

Thinking of this, he became even more animated and eagerly began to introduce them as if presenting treasures: "Mr. Zu, each of these alchemy furnaces has a unique function. Let me give you a brief overview, so you can see which one you prefer." Zu An's eyes lit up. "Excellent, thank you for your trouble." He was still a novice in alchemy, so it was best to first hear the expert's opinion.

Shen Xuzi took a round alchemy furnace from a nearby cabinet. Even from a distance, Zu An felt a refreshing and delightful aura from it and couldn't help but ask, "This furnace seems to have a feeling of balance and tranquility." Shen Xuzi chuckled. "Mr. Zu indeed has excellent discernment! This furnace is called 'The Benevolent Furnace'."

"'The Benevolent Furnace'?" Not just Zu An, even Jiang Luofu was surprised. *How could an alchemy furnace have such a strange name?*

Shen Xuzi explained, "As the name suggests, this furnace increases the success rate of healing and nourishing elixirs by fifty percent. However, it will absolutely fail if used to refine dangerous elixirs meant to harm others. Wouldn't you say this furnace is benevolent?"

"Indeed, benevolent," Zu An said with a wry smile, secretly adding in his mind, *But my little sister-in-law is even more benevolent.*

"So, Mr. Zu, would you like this alchemy furnace?" Shen Xuzi asked. Zu An hesitated, then finally shook his head. "I'll look at the others first before deciding." While this furnace's effect was good, its use was too limited. He couldn't guarantee he wouldn't need to refine offensive elixirs, and this furnace would ensure his failure.

Shen Xuzi smiled. Young people were full of drive and indeed didn't prefer such docile furnaces. So, he took out another furnace, sharply angled, with two pointed ears on its body. "This one is called 'The Demonic Furnace'. Its properties are the exact opposite of 'The Benevolent Furnace'. It will absolutely fail to refine healing or nourishing elixirs, but it increases the success rate of offensive elixirs by fifty percent."

Zu An was speechless. These two furnaces were practically archenemies! *But if I had both, wouldn't I be able to increase the success rate of all elixirs by fifty percent?*

As if sensing his thought, Shen Xuzi sighed. "Unfortunately, these two furnaces are incompatible, like fire and water. If you refine with one, you cannot use the other afterward. That's why I haven't used them for all these years."

Zu An's expression was strange. "These alchemy furnaces are truly... temperamental."

Shen Xuzi picked up another furnace. "Let's look at another one. This furnace is called 'The Ruthless Furnace'. Unlike the previous two, it embodies the principle that 'Heaven and Earth are impartial; they treat all things as straw dogs'. Whether you're refining elixirs to heal and save lives or elixirs to attack and harm, it treats them all the same, increasing the success rate by twenty percent."

Zu An frowned. "The increase in success rate is still a bit low, isn't it?" The previous two boosted their respective areas by a full fifty percent.

Shen Xuzi said, "Ultimately, there are trade-offs. There's no perfect solution in this world. And twenty percent isn't low; I've used this furnace for a long time, and the accumulated improvement it provides is quite considerable."

Zu An hesitated. Shen Xuzi's professional expertise was beyond doubt, so if even he used this furnace long-term, it likely meant choosing it wouldn't be wrong. Just as he was about to agree, Mi Li's voice suddenly echoed in his ear: "Don't be so quick to decide. I seem to sense a familiar aura. Look around carefully."