Alchemy and rewards
As is common knowledge in the Cultivation World, the value of basic Pill formulas circulating among the masses is often far less than the skill required to refine them.
The Pill Formula themselves, especially the common Pill Formula, are nothing more than open secrets, written summaries of our predecessors.
A Tier One Lower-grade Pill Formula like "Essence Replenishing Pill" might cost less than the main spiritual herbs needed to refine a batch of Pill.
Many shops selling alchemy materials often offer "buy spirit medicine, get the Pill Formula" to attract customers, Pill Formula almost an extra bonus.
The real challenge lies in the process of transforming cold words into a potent Spirit Pills.
His meticulous control over the heat and the ever-changing conditions during alchemy, his profound understanding of the properties, interactions, and timing of fusion of each medicinal herb, and the almost instinctive intuition accumulated through countless failures.
"Let me see just how powerful this Yellow-tier Alchemy Talent really is."
Su Bai repeatedly pondered the contents of the Jade Slip, confirming that every step was imprinted in his mind. Only then did he slowly close his eyes, adjust his breathing, and calm his mind as still as an ancient well.
"[The Candle Heart Reflecting Fire], don't disappoint me."
He extended his right hand, palm up, and with a slight thought, tried to mobilize his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense according to the most basic "Fire Condensation Art" attached to the end of the Pill Formula formula.
Buzz...
Almost the instant his thought arose, a warm resonance came from his dantian.
Puff!
A ball of pure, bright orange-red flame, about the size of a fist, appeared out of thin air in Su Bai's palm.
The flames burned silently, and even more strangely, Su Bai could clearly "feel" the flickering of every wisp of flame inside the fire and the subtle temperature gradients, as if the flames were an extension of his tactile organs.
Alchemy Fire!
This is precisely the "Alchemy Fire" that distinguishes it from ordinary fire and even common Law Technique flames.
Its most distinctive feature is that it can achieve rapid, precise, and uniform temperature changes through the Alchemist's subtle control of Spiritual Power.
Furthermore, it has an excellent catalytic effect on the active ingredients in spirit medicine, while minimizing unnecessary loss of medicinal properties at high temperatures.
Condensing a stable and high-quality Higher Vehicle Alchemy Fire is the first step to becoming a qualified Alchemist, and it is a threshold that many aspiring Cultivator need to spend years or even decades of hard work to cross.
Su Bai, now possessing the Talent of [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire], completed this first step with the ease and naturalness of breathing, on his first attempt.
"It's not difficult." Su Bai felt slightly relieved and satisfied with the initial power of [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire]. He didn't delay any longer and used his mind to control the newly formed Alchemy Fire, slowly moving it to the bottom of the Red Copper Pill Furnace and injecting it into the core of the Fire-Control Magic Array.
Call--!
The moment the Alchemy Fire came into contact with the Magic Array, it seemed to have found the most suitable vessel. The fire suddenly surged, then quickly stabilized, transforming into a layer of evenly burning orange-red flames that enveloped the entire bottom of the Pill Furnace.
Heat began to be continuously conducted to the furnace wall, and the copper furnace body quickly turned a dark red luster, emitting a comfortable heat wave.
Su Bai could clearly perceive the curve of the temperature rise inside the furnace, as well as the tiny temperature differences in various parts of the furnace wall, and could even "hear" the faint humming sound of the air inside the furnace being heated.
This depth of perception far surpasses the Initial experience of ordinary Alchemist.
Once the Pill Furnace was fully preheated and the temperature inside reached the first point described in the Pill Formula, Su Bai opened his eyes, his gaze calm.
With a flick of his left hand, the first batch of processed medicinal herbs placed on the Stone Platform beside him flew into the air and were thrown into the medicine inlet on the top of the furnace.
As the medicinal herbs were placed into the furnace and came into contact with the high temperature, Su Bai focused his mind intently, his right hand pressing down to control the Alchemy Fire.
According to the Pill Formula, at this point, it is necessary to "simmer over a low flame to extract its essence and remove its harshness."
With a slight thought, the temperature of the Alchemy Fire at the bottom of the furnace immediately dropped in a gradual and precise manner, maintaining a delicate range that allowed the medicinal herbs to soften and release their medicinal liquid without causing them to burn or evaporate their active ingredients.
With the [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire] Talent, Su Bai's perception and control of flame temperature reached an astonishing level of precision.
He could almost "see" the leaves of the three Dew-Gathering Grass plants inside the furnace gradually curling and softening under the gentle heat, and strands of emerald green, vibrant medicinal liquid being slowly forced out, gathering into a small pool of clear liquid at the bottom of the furnace.
The fibrous structure of the grass itself turns to ash at just the right temperature and is quietly expelled by the pre-set Turbidity-Scattering Array inside the furnace.
"The heat... could perhaps be a little more precise, to allow the medicinal liquid to extract more completely and leave less impurities."
Su Bai understood immediately and made extremely subtle adjustments to the distribution of the flames while maintaining the overall temperature.
Sure enough, the color of the pool of emerald green liquid seemed to have become even purer.
Alchemy is an extremely demanding and time-consuming delicate craft.
The process of liquefying this first batch of medicinal herbs alone took nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Su Bai sat cross-legged like a bell, his mind and spirit closely connected with the Alchemy Fire and the Pill Furnace, showing no impatience whatsoever.
This process, which requires extreme patience, actually presents a unique challenge and enjoyment for a Sword Cultivator with such a resolute will.
The first batch of medicinal liquid was successfully liquefied, and Su Bai breathed a slight sigh of relief. Then, following the order of the Pill Formula, he added the second batch of medicinal materials (two sections of "Old Mountain Ginseng Rootlets," which needed to be rapidly refined over medium heat to stimulate their fundamental Origin Qi)...
The third batch (five "Red Pulp Fruit," which need to be cracked open with high heat first, then the sap melted with low heat)...
Although there were some twists and turns in the process, with the extraordinary control over the flames brought by [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire] and the support of Su Bai's own powerful Spiritual Power and Divine Sense Foundation Establishment Realm, the liquefaction of the first six batches of medicinal herbs was completed without any major incidents.
The medicinal liquid gathered at the bottom of the furnace had already taken shape, its colors vibrant, its Spiritual Qi swirling, and it exuded a unique blend of medicinal fragrances.
The last ingredient, and a crucial one at that, is "Three-Part Golden Thread Vine).
This ingredient is slightly dry and pungent, so it needs to be added when the medicinal liquid is almost ready. The heat should be varied at a specific rhythm to quickly activate its medicinal properties and integrate it into the main body, while preventing its dryness and pungent nature from disrupting the overall balance.
This is precisely one of the common points of failure marked on the Pill Formula.
Su Bai held his breath and threw a small section of pale golden vine into the furnace.
Following the instructions in the Pill Formula, he first slightly increased the flame temperature...
Just as the golden vine began to soften and the golden liquid was about to be released, Su Bai's judgment on the overall temperature requirements for the integration of the new medicinal properties showed an extremely slight lag.
The originally balanced energy field inside the furnace was slightly disturbed by the newly added medicinal liquid with its pungent properties.
It was that momentary delay!
Buzz!
The already viscous and colorful medicinal liquid inside the furnace suddenly churned violently, as if a pebble had been thrown into the water!
The different medicinal solutions failed to mix perfectly and instead clashed with each other due to the unbalanced temperature!
"Not good!" A warning thought had just formed in Su Bai's mind, and he hadn't even had time to adjust.
Pfft--!
A muffled thud came from inside the furnace. Immediately afterwards, a plume of black smoke, a mixture of burnt bits and the pungent smell of medicinal liquid, burst out from the pressure relief vent on top of the furnace.
The medicinal liquid that was once radiant at the bottom of the furnace has now turned into a pool of dark, bubbly residue that exudes the smell of failure.
The first attempt ended in failure.
Su Bai remained expressionless, waving his hand to cast a Dust-Clearing Technique, clearing away the slag inside the furnace. He then manipulated the Alchemy Fire to carefully burn away the remaining scorch marks on the furnace walls.
He was not discouraged at all; instead, his gaze became even more focused.
Failure was expected; in fact, it could be said that reaching this point on the first try is far beyond the average person.
More importantly, that momentary mistake gave him a profound and personal understanding of the timing of integrating the medicinal properties of "Golden Thread Vine" and the subtle balance of energy in the overall medicinal liquid.
"One more time."
After resting for a while and waiting for the Pill Furnace temperature to recover, Su Bai began the second refining process.
With the experience gained the first time, and especially with his increasingly adept control over [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire], Su Bai completed the liquidification process of the first six batches of medicinal materials more smoothly.
The purity and Spiritual Qi integration of the medicinal liquid were visibly improved compared to the first time.
He could even spare some of his attention to guide the different medicinal liquids to slowly rotate and initially converge inside the furnace, laying a better foundation for the final fusion.
The crucial "Three-Part Golden Thread Vine" has arrived again.
Su Bai was completely focused, his fingertips circulating Spiritual Power as he manipulated the temperature curve of the Alchemy Fire.
This time, he did not rigidly follow the general description of "first raise the temperature and then lower it suddenly" in the Pill Formula. Instead, based on the insights gained from his previous failure and the keen perception of the energy state of the medicinal liquid given by [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire], he controlled the heat more delicately and flexibly.
As soon as the Golden Thread Vine entered the furnace and its fiery properties began to be released, Su Bai manipulated the Alchemy Fire, keeping it within a very small range. Within three breaths, he completed three swift and precise cycles of high and low heat!
The first slight increase catalyzes the softening of its outer shell.
This was followed by a very slight drop, which buffered the Initial burst of its strong and astringent medicinal properties.
Then came another steady rise, guiding the buffered, pure medicinal properties to gently but firmly "knock" into the energy structure of the main medicinal liquid.
Buzz...
A deep, resonant sound came from inside the furnace.
The golden liquid flowed smoothly into the main body of the colorful liquid, without causing any conflict. Instead, it acted as a finishing touch, making the luster of the entire liquid cluster brighter and more stable, and the aroma it emitted became more mellow and rich.
"Success!" Su Bai was slightly pleased, but he didn't dare to relax his hands at all.
The most difficult fusion stage has been passed; the next step is the final "condensation of the core" process.
He manipulated the Alchemy Fire, slowly and evenly raising the temperature inside the furnace.
As the temperature rose, the viscous liquid, about the size of a washbasin, at the bottom of the furnace began to churn violently, its volume shrinking at a visible rate, and its color gradually changing from a mottled pattern to the pale yellow characteristic of the Essence Replenishing Pill, while its texture becoming increasingly viscous.
When the liquid was concentrated to about the size of a fist, with a pure color and a texture close to gelatin, Su Bai knew the time had come.
A glint flashed in his eyes, and he barked, "Take shape!"
Vast Spiritual Power and exquisite Divine Sense surged into the Pill Furnace simultaneously, like the most skillful craftsman guiding and shaping it!
Under the combined influence of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense, the gelatinous liquid instantly differentiated into hundreds of tiny clumps, which then rapidly solidified, contracted, and rounded under the combined effects of high temperature and pressure...
Laugh--!
Almost the instant the pill embryo took shape, Su Bai's mind raced, controlling the temperature of the Alchemy Fire at the bottom of the furnace. The temperature dropped rapidly in a smooth and swift curve, from the high temperature required for pill condensation to the lowest point within a few breaths, barely enough to keep the pill from disintegrating, before it was completely extinguished.
Alchemy Furnace, the buzzing caused by the high temperature quickly subsided and returned to calm.
Only the furnace walls remained scorching hot, radiating residual heat.
Su Bai did not open the furnace immediately.
He waited quietly for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, allowing the temperature inside the furnace to naturally drop to room temperature, and letting the newly formed pills complete their final stabilization and nourishment in the residual heat.
Finally, he took a deep breath and gently tapped the stove lid.
The furnace lid slid open, and a delicate medicinal fragrance, far richer than ever before, mixed with the unique warmth of the new pill, wafted out.
At the bottom of the furnace, more than ninety pills, each about the size of a soybean, were uniformly pale yellow and faintly glowed with spiritual light, lying there quietly.
As the last wisp of heat began to circulate slightly inside the furnace.
Su Bai used his Spiritual Power to pick up one and examined it carefully.
The pills are perfectly round, with a pure color, no impurities, no cracks, and a subtle yet lasting medicinal fragrance.
Judging from his novice perspective, this was definitely a batch of successful Essence Replenishing Pill, at least meeting the "qualified" standard!
It's done.
A slight smile finally appeared on Su Bai's lips.
He counted the number. "Ninety-two."
Theoretically, a perfect refinement of one batch of Essence Replenishing Pill materials should yield one hundred pills.
His first batch of pills yielded 92 successful pills, a success rate of 92%!
Although eight pills were lost, for a complete novice who was trying alchemy for the second time and relied entirely on his own exploration, this was a terrifying achievement that would make any Alchemist who knew the inside story drop their jaws in astonishment!
"Besides the core factor of the [Candle Heart Reflecting Fire] Talent, which grants extraordinary control over fire and medicinal properties."
"My Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation provides me with a vast and stable Spiritual Power support that far surpasses that of Qi Refining Stage Cultivator, allowing me to maintain the Alchemy Fire and control the condensation of the core more sustainably and with greater precision."
"My profound Divine Sense has allowed me to reach an extremely high level in my perception of the situation inside the furnace and in my micro-manipulation of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense."
"These external conditions, combined with Yellow Tier Talent, are what created this seemingly unbelievable speed of entry into the beginner level."
"Of course, the Essence Replenishing Pill is, after all, the lowest-grade Cultivation Spirit Pill, and its refining difficulty is inherently limited."
"It's understandable that they could pick it up so quickly."
The path of Dao of Alchemy becomes increasingly difficult as one progresses.
It took him about an hour and a half to refine this batch of Essence Replenishing Pill.
Even disregarding the time and effort he invested, let's consider only the materials and output.
One batch of materials costs five Spirit Stone and produces ninety-two Essence Replenishing Pill, with a market price of approximately nine and two Spirit Stone.
He made a net profit of about 4.2 Spirit Stone from this batch.
"If we refine for six hours a day, we can refine four batches, yielding a daily profit of approximately seventeen Spirit Stone."
Su Bai quickly calculated in his mind, "That's about five hundred Spirit Stone a month."
This reward is meager for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, even less than completing a simple "Small Fish" level task from the Azure Fish Hall.
But for Su Bai, who was focused on honing his skills and establishing a false identity, this was more than enough.
What he needed was not to get rich quick through alchemy, but to master a solid skill and have a legitimate source of Spirit Stone to support his infiltration in Heavenly Star City.
"At my current rate of progress, refining all one hundred portions of Essence Replenishing Pill materials will not only be enough to elevate my Essence Replenishing Pill refining skills to near their current limit."
"It will greatly solidify my fundamental alchemy skills, such as fire control and pill condensation."
"At that time, we can try to tackle more complex Tier 1 Middle-grade or even Upper Grade Pill."
Just as Su Bai was planning his next alchemy and cultivation session, he suddenly felt a clear warm fluctuation emanating from the fish-shaped jade pendant from the Azure Fish Hall that he wore close to his chest.
Su Bai took out the Azure Fish Talisman, which showed that the mission was completed, 35,000 Spirit Stone were transferred, and the balance was 35,000.
However, the Azure Fish Hall, upon learning of the target's death, immediately sent Su Bai a reward.
Su Bai received 70%, which is 35,000 Spirit Stone. This shows that the employer must have paid a full 50,000 Spirit Stone to assassinate the target.
That's quite a high price to pay.
"Killing is much more profitable than alchemy... it's more lucrative and the money comes in faster! Alchemy requires you to stand like a fool in Alchemy Furnace..."
"I wonder when the next Assassin mission will be assigned..."