Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan watched as the fickle girls flocked back around her, finding it somewhat amusing. It wasn’t the first or second day Lin Zhou and his cronies had run amok at the academy. But they were all shrewd; though they caused a ruckus, they never let things escalate into an unmanageable crisis. That was how they had stayed out of trouble so far.

However, judging by their actions today, their audacity had clearly been coddled and was growing. They now even dared to publicly harass women.

"Sister Ning, don’t be mad at Xiao Yu and the others," Huangfu Xinyue said, looking at Ning Xuan with an expectant expression. "They just really admire Senior Brother Lin, so they spoke up for Lin Zhou on his account. In reality, they can’t stand Lin Zhou’s group either. Sister Ning, are you a new student? Which department are you headed to for class? Why don’t we walk you there?"

The girl who had been thin, weak, and pale a few months ago was now full of life and very energetic. This was mainly because her older brother, Huangfu Heiyan, was managing the business Ning Xuan had set up in Extreme Cold City. Huangfu Heiyan would gather the medicinal herbs and ores Ning Xuan needed, and Ning Xuan would find time to go there to perform Alchemy. She would then give the finished products to Huangfu Heiyan to sell. Through this process, Ning Xuan not only solved the problem of material losses from practicing Alchemy by acquiring resources at a low cost but also established her own enterprise.

Because of her connection with Huangfu Heiyan, Ning Xuan was very patient with Huangfu Xinyue. Besides, the younger girl’s eyes were sparkling as she looked at her with adoration, and Ning Xuan didn’t have the heart to turn her down.

She subtly gave Lin Mo a look that said ’don’t follow,’ then smiled gently at Huangfu Xinyue. "I was just about to check out the Artifact Refining Department. If you know the way, please lead on."

"I know the way! Sister Ning, is the Artifact Refining Department your major?" Huangfu Xinyue asked, confused.

"No, it’s an elective. I’m just going to broaden my horizons," Ning Xuan replied.

"If it’s an elective, you can only go to the large public lecture hall. That’s where the Artifact Refining Department holds its open lectures, teaching the basics of Artifact Refining and how to identify common ores and materials. If you want to attend a specific teacher’s smaller class, I can ask around for you." Huangfu Xinyue looked at Ning Xuan excitedly, eager to be of some small help.

Ning Xuan couldn’t resist ruffling the little girl’s hair. "Let’s check out the open lecture first."

Huangfu Xinyue was delighted by Ning Xuan’s affectionate gesture. The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the Artifact Refining Department’s classroom.

Chen Nan had only suffered a minor flesh wound and had just taken the medicine Ning Xuan gave him. Seeing Lin Mo standing forlornly in place, he knew Ning Xuan must have given him an order not to follow. He pitied Lin Mo for a few seconds before hurrying to catch up with the group.

The moment Ning Xuan stepped into the Artifact Refining Department’s public lecture hall, she was captivated by the sight before her.

In the very center of the classroom stood a massive furnace, its fire roaring fiercely and letting out an occasional CRACKLE. The leaping flames danced in the air as if they were alive. Arranged around the furnace were all sorts of ores, each with a unique shape and vibrant color. Some ores had smooth surfaces that glinted with a metallic sheen; others were covered in patterns like mysterious runes; still others emanated a strange glow, clearly marking them as extraordinary items.

At the front of the classroom, a holographic projection screen scrolled through information about various ores: their places of origin, uses, properties, what kinds of products could be refined from them, and so on.

Ning Xuan looked at the ores. Most of them had already been initially processed—their surface impurities removed, cleaned, and cut into suitable sizes. Ning Xuan picked up an ore, carefully observing its texture and consistency, and compared its features with the information she had read.

Ning Xuan had only ever learned about these ores from written materials. Now, seeing them in person, her understanding became much more direct and profound. At the same time, the sight of so many different types of ores piled together was truly stunning. ’Central Star Military Academy really is impressive,’ she thought.

Just then, the classroom door was pushed open, and an old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies walked in. Behind him were two young people, likely his apprentices or assistants.

As soon as the old man entered, the previously boisterous lecture hall immediately fell silent.

Huangfu Xinyue whispered an introduction to Ning Xuan, "This is Mr. Fan. He’s a One-star Refining Master. His lectures are pretty good. No wonder so many people showed up today."

Mr. Fan had a serious expression and a profound gaze. He scanned the classroom, then walked to the furnace in the center and said, "Students, today we will learn the steps required to refine a long saber. We will use the Mystic Iron Long Saber as an example. I want you to follow along as I explain. If anyone succeeds in making one, as is tradition, you may keep your creation. In addition, we will hold a competition and select the top three works. First place may choose any three ores from the classroom to take with them, second place may choose two, and third place may choose one."

The moment Mr. Fan finished speaking, the classroom erupted in excitement. Although most of the ores in the classroom were common, there were still some expensive and precious specimens among them that were worth a great deal.

The students’ enthusiasm for the lesson soared in an instant. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Next, Ning Xuan followed the old master’s steps, immersing herself in her studies. First was designing and planning the long saber’s parameters, such as its shape and dimensions, to determine its overall style and characteristics. Recalling a classic blade design from memory, Ning Xuan designed it in the style of a Tang Blade.

The next step was to select suitable ore. Different ores have different properties, such as hardness, toughness, and thermal conductivity. Since Ning Xuan didn’t know much about the various types of ores and this was her first time refining an artifact, she chose the common Mystic Iron ore. The step after that was to refine the chosen ore by removing impurities to obtain a pure material. This required high-temperature smelting and a special refining process to ensure quality. Following Teacher Fan’s instructions, Ning Xuan wrapped the ore in a tool and tossed it into the furnace, placing it in the hottest area.

Ning Xuan watched the ore glow fiery red as it was calcined, shrinking to about one-third of its original size. She then heated the refined material in the furnace until it was soft and malleable. Next, using tools like hammers and tongs, she repeatedly hammered and forged the material, gradually shaping it into the rough form of a Tang Blade. A sense of accomplishment washed over Ning Xuan as she watched the long saber slowly take shape.

This was followed by fine processing and, finally, quenching. The long saber was submerged in a quenching medium to increase its hardness and strength, thereby enhancing its performance.

Mr. Fan’s explanation was extremely detailed. In many places, he only explained *how* to perform a step; the reasons *why* it was done that way were left for the students to research on their own after class.

Following Teacher Fan’s steps, Ning Xuan successfully refined a Tang Blade.