Next Time, I'll Come at Night

At the end of the month, the Alchemy Hall.

Great Sword Sect truly had a pent-up drive to rise; not only had they established every hall, but they had also poured considerable effort into this Pill Hall.

Five alchemy furnaces of varying grades sat in the Pill Hall, available for rent by the sect's alchemists, and among them was even a top-grade magical artifact furnace—though it lacked earthfire, it still had the right feel.

"A top-grade magical artifact alchemy furnace, truly extravagant."

The inlaid Spirit Stones alone numbered a full one hundred and eight, nearly making Lin Chang'an drool as he stared at the furnace before him with red-eyed envy.

"One day, you'll return to my side."

Good heavens, he had already claimed this top-grade magical artifact furnace as his own.

"After a month of preparation, I've finally finished refining the pills by month's end."

Lin Chang'an stood before the furnace, his expression solemn as he closed his eyes for a moment, letting the alchemy techniques, experiences, and insights from all these years surge through his mind.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open like cold lightning, and he held his breath in concentration.

With a Sword Finger gesture, a storage pouch floated open, and a finely sealed brocade box slowly lifted its lid. One by one, black, foul-smelling pellets emerged and drifted into the furnace, the motion fluid and seamless.

His mana, like fine threads, flowed through his palm as he controlled the output, causing the flames within the furnace to shift and dance.

Lin Chang'an's qi pulse was steady; with practiced, unhurried movements, he guided the mana, and a wisp of flame rose within the furnace.

"This pill can't be rushed. First, I need to refine out the impurities, then fully dissolve the medicinal power..."

Lin Chang'an stared solemnly at the furnace, his hand pressed against its wall. Through his mana, he not only controlled the heat but also secretly siphoned the spiritual energy from those one hundred and eight Spirit Stones.

Under the high temperature, the egg-sized pellets inside the furnace steadily shrank, black, foul impurities being expelled, while a stream of odor drifted outside.

"Cough, cough—what heartless bastard is making pills in there? Why does it stink so much?"

"Ugh! Senior Brother, I'm about to throw up. Who the hell is brewing poison in here?"

"Damn it, ugh! This stench—who'd be stupid enough to eat these pills..."

"Are they using shit to make pills?!"

The Pill Hall was already sparsely populated, but when this thick, rancid stench spread, even the sturdy mid Qi Refining cultivators turned green-faced, eyes wide.

"It's that brat Lin Chang'an. Damn it, he's up to no good."

"Don't! Don't act rashly—this is Elder Lu's charge. Let's just bear it. I heard this little bastard only gets six hours of use at the end of each month. From now on, we'll just avoid him when he's here. Let him have his fun today."

"Damn it, this smell is wrong!" One cultivator, already pale from the stench, suddenly flushed red in the face, visible to the naked eye.

"This is!" Almost everyone who came to the Pill Hall was well-versed in alchemy, and they instantly sensed the medicinal effect in the air. Faces turning crimson, they cursed under their breath and stormed off, shaking their sleeves.

"Pah! This kid has no shame!"

The noise outside wasn't quiet, but inside the Pill Room, Lin Chang'an's lips curled into a fiery, excited smile.

This public furnace was really the best. Even though he only got six hours a month, it didn't matter—this top-grade furnace had plenty of Spirit Stones, and he didn't have to pay for them.

As for the furnace's Spirit Stones draining fast, what did that have to do with him? How long did he even use it each month?

Still, he was careful to control how much he siphoned—after all, he understood the principle of steady, long-term gains.

"Pill complete!"

One by one, gleaming vermilion pellets floated out, refined by true fire from the size of eggs down to pigeon eggs—a testament to the alchemist's hard work.

Lin Chang'an sniffed them and broke into a satisfied smile. "A little honey coating for a perfect appearance. As for the quality..."

He narrowed his eyes, his hand brushing over the pills. The vermilion pellets shimmered with faint, milky-white Spiritual Light.

Each pill absorbed the white light, and the finer impurities within were continuously stripped away, even as the medicinal power was activated and fused further.

"Only this befits my identity as a genius alchemist." Lin Chang'an nodded with a pleased grin.

What had been ordinary-quality pills now, after the milky-white Spiritual Light faded and a honey coating was applied, emitted a faint fragrance and had risen to top-grade quality.

"But next—"

Lin Chang'an's expression shifted. A fist-sized, hard, foul-smelling pellet appeared in his palm. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he said resentfully, "Careless. Next time, I'll remember to bring some spices."

Crunch, crunch—

With his face twisted in discomfort, Lin Chang'an wolfed down the black, hard pellet in two or three bites. The next moment, his face flushed, and his mana churned violently within him.

But then, a milky-white Spiritual Light surged from his sea of consciousness, flowing through his entire body, calming and purifying everything. His mana became even more refined, and even the pill poison from earlier was cleansed, leaving only pure, gentle medicinal power.

What he had eaten was the impure pill poison refined from the furnace—what most alchemists would burn away with alchemical fire. He had carefully preserved it, because there was still medicinal power inside, even if his current methods couldn't extract it.

Alchemy was essentially about removing impurities from the medicinal paste, leaving only the essence. Those impurities were called pill poison.

"Sigh, if only this Mysterious Treasure could directly boost my mana."

Lin Chang'an said this with a hint of sourness. His alchemy talent was actually mediocre; it was all thanks to this treasure's ability that he had earned the title of genius alchemist.

This ability worked not only on pills but even on his own body, purifying his mana and cleansing all impurities within.

"Alchemist Lin!"

As he stepped out of the Pill Room, Lin Chang'an came face to face with Elder Yao, the mid Qi Refining cultivator from Great Sword Sect in charge of guarding the Pill Hall.

At this moment, Elder Yao looked at him like a wronged wife, his eyes bloodshot—the sight startled him.

"Elder Yao, I didn't go over the six-hour limit, did I?"

Lin Chang'an was a bit baffled, but facing those eyes, he still spoke cautiously, also because he couldn't beat the old geezer right now.

"Alchemist Lin, next time you refine this kind of pill, could you please come at night? I'll wait outside."

The sudden blast of foul wind had nearly choked Elder Yao, making him gasp for air. Now Lin Chang'an seemed to notice that Elder Yao's wrinkled face was flushed red, clearly affected by the medicinal effect.

Lin Chang'an awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Elder Yao, the moment I saw you, I felt a real sense of kinship. This pill is a gift for you. Next time, I'll come at night."

As Lin Chang'an left, Elder Yao looked down at the high-quality Bigu Pill in his palm and fell silent.

But after the figure disappeared, a cold, sinister smile crept across Elder Yao's kindly face. "Little piggy, this old man is waiting for you to fatten up."