Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Two days later, the two arrived at Crimson Flame Mountain, at the Song Family. Here, the rules were straightforward; if you wanted to rent a Fire Chamber, they would explain everything clearly. It was one spirit stone per day, starting from when you entered the Fire Chamber. When you came out of the Fire Chamber, you settled your bill and left—no credit was allowed, and there was no deception.
Although Dongfang Yunqing was not skilled in Alchemy, he had heard of these rules. He took two closed Formation Flags for the Fire Chamber and led Xunuo to the designated Fire Chamber. He inserted the two Formation Flags into the ground outside the Fire Chamber.
Immediately, a Restriction rose at the entrance of the Fire Chamber, isolating it from the outside. The Fire Chamber was about seven or eight feet wide, with a stone platform in the center that was half a person high and one person long, upon which sat a Bronze Alchemical Cauldron. On either side of the stone platform were round stools. On the wall opposite the entrance hung instructions for using and controlling Earth Fire; aside from that, everything was clean and tidy.
Xunuo carefully read the instructions and then attempted to activate the Earth Fire. He casually adjusted the size of the flames beneath the Alchemical Cauldron. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing this, Dongfang Yunqing immediately handed three portions of medicinal materials to Xunuo. He sat down on one of the stone stools and resigned himself to silence.
At this point, Xunuo had no other thoughts. After preheating the Alchemical Cauldron, he began to add the medicinal materials one by one to extract their properties. This process was familiar to Xunuo. Although he had not made any progress with his Elixir Formula during this time, his mastery of Huayang Classic had advanced rapidly to the seventh layer, significantly enhancing his Divine Sense. Therefore, managing over twenty types of herbs with his Divine Sense was not difficult for him.
Moreover, Xunuo was now only using Mind Power without expending any magical energy, which spared him from the burden of multitasking. After a while, all sorts of herbs were refined, and they began to enter the fusion stage to eliminate impurities and retain essence. This fusion process was similar to how Xunuo had previously produced Reattachment Ointment and Revival Powder; it posed no significant challenge for him.
However, he gradually began to feel strain during the next step. The fusion of elixirs differed from that of powders or ointments in terms of how tightly they combined. Additionally, forming an elixir involved more than just creating a hard shell on the outside; it required an instantaneous integration of both inner and outer components into a single entity. This demanded continuous stirring and blending through Mind Power.
At this moment, controlling the heat became crucial; it relied entirely on experience. A larger flame would speed up fusion and shorten Alchemy time but would also place higher demands on Divine Sense.
As it was Xunuo's first time performing Alchemy, he did not dare take such a risky approach. Since Earth Fire did not consume magical energy, he prioritized success rate over speed by keeping the flames gentle as he slowly fused them together.
By the third day, Xunuo felt his Mind Power depleting. At this point, all various medicinal properties within the elixir had fused to their limits; at least Xunuo could no longer separate any of them. However, as this pill approached completion, its consistency thickened almost into a solid mass. Yet Mind Power still needed to keep stirring it continuously while also managing the heat carefully. In that final moment, he increased the flame intensity to hasten its transformation into an elixir.
Gradually, Xunuo felt his mind becoming somewhat hazy. As he attempted to produce the elixir, a loud explosion echoed, and the concoction burned and shattered. Xunuo slapped the Alchemical Cauldron, causing the charred remnants to fall onto Dongfang Yunqing.
Dongfang Yunqing winced in pain but forced a smile. "Xue Dao You, take a moment to rest before continuing. To reach this point on your first attempt at Alchemy is already quite impressive."
Xunuo, visibly exhausted, nodded and closed his eyes to meditate. Despite the failure of his first attempt at Alchemy, he felt no disappointment. As Dongfang Yunqing had said, reaching this stage exceeded Xunuo's expectations. The failure to produce the elixir was primarily due to his insufficient Mind Power. By the end, he lacked the strength to accurately control the timing of the elixir's creation.
After some thought, Xunuo realized that he had spent too much time on Alchemy. His Mind Power had not been able to sustain him through to the final step. If he had increased the heat during the earlier fusion stage, distributing his Mind Power more evenly might have improved his chances of success.
Mind Power was different from magical energy; once consumed, it dissipated and required re-cultivation or replenishment through spirit stones or elixirs. Divine Sense only became fatigued without losing its essence. After meditating for half a day, Xunuo felt his Divine Sense restored and picked up an herb to continue his Alchemy.
This time, Xunuo followed his plan and increased the heat during the fusion process. With the intensified heat, the speed of fusion and refinement increased accordingly. However, this also made controlling his Divine Sense much more challenging, causing Xunuo to become flustered. Soon enough, he realized that this attempt would also end in failure.
Xunuo understood that while the fusion process seemed simple and low-risk, it was a crucial step. If done correctly with proper heat control and even distribution of Mind Power, he would have enough energy left to produce the elixir. Otherwise, all efforts would be in vain. Thus, Xunuo decided to abandon this batch entirely and focused on carefully analyzing and experimenting with how to control the heat effectively to conserve Mind Power and find the optimal approach.
A day later, Xunuo slapped the Alchemical Cauldron again, and a thick paste shot out from it, which he collected in a Porcelain Bottle. Afterward, he closed his eyes and fell silent into meditation.
Dongfang Yunqing watched Xunuo with confusion as sweat dripped from his forehead. It was impossible to continue refining an elixir once it was halfway done; it would be considered wasted. While Dongfang Yunqing could accept a failed elixir at completion, abandoning it midway was hard for him to swallow.
Seeing Xunuo so composed without offering any explanation made Dongfang Yunqing want to bite him in frustration. However, knowing he still needed this unreliable person, he suppressed his anger and decided to wait until Xunuo emerged from meditation before questioning him.
Xunuo remained in meditation for quite some time, forcing Dongfang Yunqing to exercise patience. Waiting for someone else to finish their meditation was truly a test of endurance. After an unknown period, Dongfang Yunqing suddenly noticed movement from Xunuo. Just as he was about to explode with questions, he saw Xunuo toss another herb into the Alchemical Cauldron. Dongfang Yunqing quickly swallowed his words and watched with mixed feelings as Xunuo continued adding herbs into the cauldron.
Now Dongfang Yunqing had no idea what to do but wait for Xunuo to finish refining this batch of elixirs while maintaining silence and composure so as not to disturb him in any way. However, after watching for a moment, Dongfang Yunqing began to feel less anxious. Although he was an outsider when it came to Alchemy, he still possessed keen observational skills.
Xunuo's face was now devoid of the tension and doubt he had felt during the previous two sessions of Alchemy. Instead, he radiated a calm and serene demeanor, even exuding a sense of ease as if everything was within his grasp. He appeared as tranquil as a still pond, composed and unruffled. This expression from Xunuo instilled great confidence in Dongfang Yunqing, allowing him to patiently wait.
Three full days passed, and the rich aroma of herbs in the Fire Chamber enveloped Dongfang Yunqing, intoxicating him. Beads of sweat formed on Xunuo's forehead.
At that moment, the Earth Fire beneath the Alchemical Cauldron had completely enveloped it. It was evident that the Unity Pill was on the verge of completion. This stage not only tested the Alchemist's Mind Power but also their nerve strength. Pills were categorized into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. All previous steps determined whether a pill could be formed, and this final step would not only decide if it would succeed but also its grade. Only by timing the release perfectly could one produce a high-grade pill; any slight miscalculation could lower its quality or even ruin it entirely.
Suddenly, Xunuo called out sharply, "Open."
Dongfang Yunqing's eyes sparkled as he watched the lid of the Alchemical Cauldron lift. A shimmering purple pill flew toward Xunuo. Xunuo's eyes widened as he gazed at the pill before him. Moments later, he broke into a joyful smile. Looking up at Dongfang Yunqing across from him, he saw him with arms raised eagerly toward Xunuo, his eyes filled with impatience.
Xunuo said, "I am glad not to have failed my mission." With a flick of his finger, the Unity Pill soared toward Dongfang Yunqing.
Dongfang Yunqing caught it mid-air. The freshly forged Unity Pill was scalding hot and immediately let out a hissing sound as it released a puff of blue smoke in his hand. The pain made Dongfang Yunqing shudder, distorting his facial features. Yet he did not release his grip on the Unity Pill. Bringing it closer to his eyes, he opened his palm to reveal a blister where the skin had burned.
Ignoring the pain, Dongfang Yunqing focused intently on the Unity Pill. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this pill was of above-average quality. Overjoyed, he hurriedly thanked Xunuo, who had already entered a meditative state to rest.
After a moment, Xunuo opened his eyes and smiled, saying, "I cannot claim high standards for my first Alchemy attempt; I hope my friend from the East is satisfied."
Dongfang Yunqing was already so elated that he had forgotten himself in gratitude, continuously expressing thanks upon hearing Xunuo's words.
Comment 0 Comment Count