"I see you are using the 3-leaved Glorious Vine roots for their properties of healing, but might I suggest using the 2-leaved Glorious Vine roots so that the intense Wood energy in it doesn't affect the Heavenly Fire Basil seeds," Alex said.
"I did think of that," Lady Zhan said. "But when I tried it, the energy in the 2-Leaved Glorious Vine roots is too weak to be of any effect. Unfortunately, I need every bit of strong energy I can."
"Hmm…" Alex gave it some thought. "Then it might be better to take out the 3-leaved Glorious Vine roots entirely."
"Take it out?" the girl said with a frown on her face. "But then we'll have to replace it with something that is similar to it and doesn't affect the Heavenly Fire Basil's seeds."
"I've been practicing with Wood ingredients for the past 2 years now, so I know enough about it right now to suggest you two ingredients," Alex said. "We can either use the Jade Gale Orchid's flower petals, or we can use the Emerald Spider Lily's stamens."
"Both have incredible healing energy, but they are mild enough that it won't affect the Basil seeds," Alex said.
"Jade Gale Orchid's flower petals?" Lady Zhan thought for a bit and brought out a flower petal from her storage bag and looked at it. She recalled everything she knew about that flower and nodded.
"You're right. They are quite similar," she said. "I'll have to check if it's energy is mild enough to work or not later one."
"Check the Emerald Spider Lily's stamen too," Alex said.
"I don't have them on me, so I'll have to go find the later on," she said.
"Here," Alex brought out a small wooden box. "I have some that I can give you. I've already come to the conclusion that I won't be needing this for a while, so you can use it."
"Ah, you don't have to give me anything, your majesty. I can go get it from the shops around here," she said quickly.
"I know you can," Alex said. "But that will cost you some precious time, and I have no use for it, just take it."
Lady Zhan nodded in the end and accepted it. She stored away both the ingredients and went back to talking about the pill recipe with Alex.
After talking to Lady Zhan, Alex had come to understand a few things about her.
First, it wasn't a fluke that she was a Level 9 alchemy master at all. Her knowledge of alchemy and her drive to learn more was perhaps the best of anyone else he had seen.
She was maybe even more driven in learning about alchemy, not for the sake of herself, but just to learn about it than even the likes of the Dragon Emperor himself.
She perhaps loved Alchemy more than Alex too.
She had been practicing alchemy since she was a child and had the best of the best tutors brought to her when she was in her family. Ever since childhood, her thirst to learn about alchemy had blossomed and now it had fruit into the alchemist she currently was.
When she started talking about alchemy, it became hard to steer away the conversation in another direction. He barely managed to learn that she and the Crown Prince fell in love with each other when they had to work together to make some sort of pills in the past and ended up deciding to get engaged.
As for their marriage, they hadn't decided on it just yet. It was more so the Crown Prince who had yet to make a proper decision due to how busy his current life was.
Her age wasn't something Alex had managed to discern just yet either, but by the way she was talking and with her cultivation base being in the Saint Transformation realm, she was certainly 3 or 4 millennia old.
After talking to her about alchemy for a while, 6 hours had passed in an instant, surprising Alex.
"Thank you so much for all of your help, your majesty," the woman said before standing up to leave. "I will test out everything you suggested. Would you mind if we meet a week or so later to judge my progress and see if I need something else?"
"Of course," Alex said. "I will be at the Enlightenment domain for quite some time now, but you can contact me when I'm back."
"Thank you," the girl said before walking away.
Alex sat there and looked at the garden for a few minutes before he decided to leave as well.
The king walked out of the palace just as Alex was returning. "Have you enjoyed your time with lady Zhan, your majesty?" the king asked.
"Yes," Alex said. "It seems she was making a new pill and it was fun to talk about."
"I'm gald," the King said. "Have you planned on what you will be doing next? If not, I can take you to the Azure Lake to show you around."
"Ah, that is not needed," Alex said. "I will be going to the Enlightenment domain next. I can visit the lake at some other time."
"I see," the king said. He looked outside to judge the time and said. "Its already past 1 in the afternoon, so you might want to hurry up, your majesty."
"Hmm? Why is that?" Alex asked.
"The teleportation formation to the secret realm activates twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The one in the morning was at 9, and the next one will be at 3 in the after noon."
"If you wish to enter, then you will have to be there beforehand," the king said.
"Ah, I see. I wasn't aware of such schedule," Alex said.
The king nodded. "To be honest, you actually have to register to enter at least a day in advance, but they will make exceptions for you. Will you be entering all alone or will your elders be going as well?" he asked.
"There's is no problem if my elders enter, is there?" Alex asked.
"No, no problem," the King said. "Let us go and register the three of you."
Alex nodded and left the palace after a few minutes.
Elder Liang and Elder Yao were quite excited about the prospect of finding answers to mysteries that they had peered through for a long time but had never gained any substantial information back.
They excitedly left the palace in a carriage along with many other individuals that were there just to guard them on their way.
After riding the carriage for what felt like 15 minutes, they finally arrived at the location of the secret realm, which was surprisingly two large formation platform with a lot of soldiers surrounding it.
At the center of the two platform was a small building with a long line of individuals waiting to get registered to entered the secret realm.
Alex sensed the space aura around him and quickly recognized that the secret realm was inside of that building.
A man from their group left and went toward the building.
"Let us wait here, your majesty," the king said. "The time to enter will come soon enough."
