Ye Tian said, "Sect Master Tang has sharp eyes. This ginseng is about seven hundred years old and has excellent medicinal properties, containing thirteen extraordinary medicinal essences."
Tang Xuan Si's eyes lit up. "Mr. Ye, are you an expert in identifying spiritual herbs?"
Ye Tian smiled. "I wouldn't dare call myself an expert, but I know a little."
Zhang Long Sheng added, "Mr. Ye is being modest. When it comes to identifying spiritual herbs, if he claims to be second, no one would dare claim to be first."
Tang Xuan Si said, "That's wonderful. Mr. Ye, I don't know much about medicine, but I've collected many medicinal ingredients over the years. Would you mind visiting and taking a look for me?"
Ye Tian replied, "It would be my honor to see Sect Master Tang's collection."
Immediately, Tang Xuan Si invited Ye Tian and Zhang Long Sheng to another building. As the door opened, Ye Tian was greeted by the aroma of herbs. The room was filled with various medicinal plants, both cultivated and stored, including ambergris.
Tang Xuan Si walked directly to a wooden shelf and carefully opened a jade box he took from it. Inside the box lay a snow lotus seed.
He smiled. "Mr. Ye, I acquired this three years ago from a master in Tibet. He claimed it was a thousand-year-old snow lotus seed. Please examine it."
Ye Tian picked up the lotus pod and observed it, then sniffed it. "This is a mutated lotus seed. It has some medicinal properties, but it's likely not a thousand-year-old snow lotus. The seeds of a thousand-year-old snow lotus are as clear as jade, containing unique snowflake-like crystals and emitting a distinct fragrance."
Tang Xuan Si frowned. "But I ate one of these seeds, and I felt its medicinal effect was very good, refreshing my mind and spirit."
Ye Tian asked, "Sect Master Tang, can you be sure that the seed you ate was the same as these?"
Tang Xuan Si was taken aback. He recalled that the Tibetan master had casually picked a seed for him to consume.
Being no ordinary person, he immediately understood the issue. He asked, "Mr. Ye, do these lotus seeds have any value?"
Ye Tian replied, "They certainly have value, but it's quite limited. These lotus seeds alone are worth perhaps a million or so."
Upon hearing the value of a million, Tang Xuan Si couldn't help but give a wry smile. "I paid one hundred and eighty million for this lotus pod!"
Zhang Long Sheng commented, "If Sect Master Tang had known Mr. Ye back then, he wouldn't have been deceived by that so-called Tibetan master."
Tang Xuan Si then moved to a chest. Opening it, he revealed over a dozen pieces of ambergris of various sizes. He asked, "Mr. Ye, these ambergris pieces are said to contain ancient spiritual herbs. Please take a look."
Ye Tian picked up a piece of ambergris and scanned it with his divine sense, immediately knowing that the herbs within had lost their medicinal properties. He said, "The herbs inside are no longer effective. However, you can still sell them, as not everyone can judge the value of ambergris."
He examined the other pieces of ambergris and found that out of the dozen or so pieces, only one contained valuable herbs; the rest were spoiled.
When he informed Tang Xuan Si of the situation, the latter sighed, "I spent twenty-five billion on these ambergris pieces!"
Zhang Long Sheng then asked, "Mr. Ye, Sect Master Tang has collected so many medicinal ingredients. Surely there must be something of value among them?"
Ye Tian's gaze swept across the room and landed on a string of snake bones. The bones had a peculiar appearance. He stepped forward to examine them for a moment and said, "These are the bones of a joint-mending snake. Ground into powder, these bones can strengthen bone structure and are effective for martial artists."
Tang Xuan Si nodded. "These are indeed the bones of a joint-mending snake. I acquired them over ten years ago. Mr. Ye, I heard from Brother Zhang that you are also skilled in the art of alchemy?"
Ye Tian replied, "I wouldn't say skilled, but I know a little."
Tang Xuan Si's eyes gleamed. "To be honest, Mr. Ye, I collected so many medicinal ingredients for the purpose of refining pills. Unfortunately, I haven't had a true alchemist to teach me, so I've had to learn and explore on my own."
Ye Tian asked, "Is that so? Sect Master Tang, are you already capable of refining pills?"
Tang Xuan Si looked embarrassed. "I have succeeded in refining them once or twice, but the quality of the pills was too poor to be consumed."
Ye Tian smiled. "Alchemy is quite difficult. Simply achieving a successful refinement is already no small feat."
Tang Xuan Si chuckled. "Mr. Ye, my alchemy chamber is just ahead. I would be grateful for your guidance."
Ye Tian replied, "I wouldn't presume to guide, but we can learn from each other."
The group arrived at the alchemy chamber, where Ye Tian noticed a considerable amount of medicinal ingredients stored. It was evident that the Tang Sect was a wealthy and influential family, as ordinary people would find it difficult even to catch a glimpse of such resources.
Tang Xuan Si said, "I have a pill formula here. Please have a look, Mr. Ye."
Ye Tian took the formula and glanced at it. He noticed that two of the medicinal properties in the formula were conflicting. After a moment of thought, he remarked, "This formula has some issues. Where did you obtain it, Sect Master Tang?"
Tang Xuan Si replied, "I spent three hundred million to buy it from an old Taoist priest. He claimed this formula had been successfully refined before."
Ye Tian asked, "Have you tried refining it, Sect Master Tang?"
Tang Xuan Si sighed. "I've attempted it no less than five times, and each attempt has failed."
Ye Tian nodded. "I'll modify the formula, and then we can try it."
Tang Xuan Si was overjoyed. "Excellent!"
He immediately retrieved the medicinal ingredients for refining. Ye Tian slightly adjusted the formula, removing one ingredient and replacing it with another.
Following that, he began the process of cleaning and warming the cauldron.
The actions of an expert were evident to all. As Ye Tian worked, Tang Xuan Si's eyes began to shine.