Can't Afford an Alchemical Furnace

After obtaining Little Bean's fragmented alchemy experience, steeped in the shadow of failure, Li Chengjie stood where he was, closed his eyes slightly, and quickly digested the chaotic new information in his mind.

The few crude hand seals of the Basic Fire Control Art, several examples of incorrect Spiritual Energy Output, the moments when basic medicinal ingredients like Azure Mist Grass and Dew Condensing Flower were scorched or lost their medicinal power due to unstable Heat Control, and the frustration of repeatedly failing at the final Core Condensation stage because his divine sense could not precisely control the fusion of the medicinal liquid...

Though these experiences were poor, they were incomparably real. Like rough yet crucial diagrams, they laid bare every detour and trap faced by a Qi Refining Level 2 youth at the beginning of the alchemical path.

Combined with Old Man Li's more than a century of cultivation of the Mysterious Flame Art, which had given him a subtler grasp and understanding of Fire-attribute Spiritual Power, Li Chengjie suddenly felt that these failed experiences perhaps... were not entirely worthless.

At the very least, he knew many ways he must not proceed.

More importantly, he now theoretically did "know" how to refine Qi Condensation Pills—though this knowledge had been built upon countless failures, an almost instinctive understanding of the wrong paths.

Hope was like a tender sprout struggling out from between cracks in stone. Frail though it was, it carried tenacious vitality.

Li Chengjie opened his eyes and looked at Chen Xing and Little Bean ahead, who were preparing to knock on Zhang Gui's courtyard gate. In an instant, he made his decision.

No alchemical furnace? No starting capital to buy medicinal ingredients?

No problem. A ready-made opportunity stood right before him!

Li Chengjie took a deep breath, suppressing the faint unease caused by using up his precious Replication Point and his once-a-year opportunity. He straightened his clothes, forced an expression of humility and urgency onto his face, then strode out from the shadows at the mouth of the alley and headed toward Chen Xing and his disciple.

"Senior, please wait!" Li Chengjie stopped several steps away from Chen Xing and bowed.

Chen Xing's hand, which had been about to knock, froze in midair. He turned around with a frown.

Little Bean beside him also looked over curiously. When he saw Li Chengjie, there was a trace of appraisal in his eyes, the sort shared between peers.

"You are?" Chen Xing swept his gaze over Li Chengjie, lingering for a moment on his coarse cloth clothes, washed white from wear, and his somewhat youthful yet calm-eyed face. His tone carried a hint of displeasure at being interrupted.

The aura of Qi Refining Level 5 faintly radiated from Chen Xing, carrying the dry heat of someone who dealt with furnace fire all year round.

"This junior is Li Chengjie, a Rogue Cultivator in this Marketplace." Maintaining a respectful posture, Li Chengjie spoke slightly quickly, sounding deeply earnest. "I happened to overhear Senior discussing alchemy with this junior brother. I rashly stepped forward because I wish to recommend myself!"

"Recommend yourself?"

Chen Xing sneered, his ridicule undisguised. "Boy, do you even know what alchemy is? You?"

Chen Xing's gaze scraped over Li Chengjie like a blade. Clearly, he did not believe that a ragged Rogue Cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation could have anything to do with the lofty path of alchemy.

"This junior knows the alchemical path is difficult and would not dare claim mastery." Li Chengjie lifted his head and looked directly at Chen Xing, trying to make his gaze appear sincere and resolute. "But this junior does have a slight talent for alchemy. In particular, when refining Qi Condensation Pills, I have privately succeeded by chance a few times.

"I heard that Senior is an expert of the alchemical path, and I have long admired you. I beg Senior to give this junior an opportunity and permit me to become an apprentice in your Pill Hut, handling odd jobs and learning a thing or two!

"This junior is willing to make a contract and serve with all his heart. I ask only that Senior point me out of the maze!"

Those words were half true and half false.

The truth was that he really did "know" how to do it, at least in theory. The lie was that he had never actually refined a pill himself.

"You can refine Qi Condensation Pills?" The mockery on Chen Xing's face deepened. Even Little Bean beside him widened his eyes, looking utterly disbelieving.

Though Qi Condensation Pills were the most basic among first-rank Low-grade pills, they were not something any Rogue Cultivator could refine after merely taking a few looks.

"What utter nonsense!" Chen Xing flicked his sleeve. "You are so young, yet you lie without even drafting a script! Do you know that refining Qi Condensation Pills requires proficiency in the Basic Fire Control Art, a basic understanding of the properties of medicinal ingredients, and enough divine sense to sustain the Core Condensation process? You are only at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation. How strong could your divine sense possibly be? And you dare boast that you have succeeded several times?"

Faced with Chen Xing's doubts, Li Chengjie's thoughts raced. He knew that empty words could not convince anyone.

Li Chengjie had to show some "real skill," even if it was only theoretical.

He took a deep breath. Drawing on the experience he had just replicated from Little Bean, mixed with countless insights born from failure, as well as Old Man Li's deep understanding of Fire-attribute Spiritual Power from a century of cultivating the Mysterious Flame Art, he said:

"This junior knows Senior does not believe me. But this junior truly knows a little. For instance, when processing Azure Mist Grass, one must slowly roast it over a gentle fire to remove its raw grassy scent, but the heat must not be too high. Otherwise, the mild Wood Attribute Spiritual Energy contained within will dissipate, leaving the finished pill lacking in medicinal power and possibly even increasing its pill toxicity."

Li Chengjie paused. He saw a flash of surprise in Chen Xing's eyes, only for it to be replaced by deeper suspicion, so he continued, "For another example, when refining the juice of Dew Condensing Flowers, the Heat Control must abruptly turn fierce to force out its essence in an instant, then mix it with the prepared Azure Mist Grass powder. The timing of this transition is of vital importance. Too early, and the medicinal power has yet to fuse; too late, and the essence has already been lost..."

"Also, the 'Flame Gathering Seal' in the Basic Fire Control Art is not fixed and unchanging. One must make minute adjustments to the strength and frequency of Spiritual Energy Output according to the reaction of the medicinal liquid inside the alchemical furnace. Especially at the final Core Condensation stage, one's divine sense must be as fine as strands of silk, guiding the medicinal liquid to rotate and condense. The slightest error will result in a furnace full of Waste Pills."

Li Chengjie calmly laid out the "correct" details—or rather, the points requiring attention—that he had deduced from Little Bean's failed experiences, combining them with his own understanding of Fire-attribute Spiritual Power. What he said was not some profound secret, but precisely the key points beginners most easily overlooked and thus failed because of.

The mockery on Chen Xing's face gradually faded, replaced by uncertainty and surprise.

What Li Chengjie had said was not especially exquisite, but they were indeed practical issues encountered when refining Qi Condensation Pills. Some of those details were difficult to state so accurately through hearsay alone without personal practice or instruction from an expert.

Could this boy really have stumbled upon success like a blind cat catching a dead mouse?

But how was that possible?

Without a master or resources, how could a Rogue Cultivator cross the towering threshold of alchemy?

Chen Xing narrowed his eyes and stared at Li Chengjie as if trying to see through him inside and out.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xing suddenly spoke and asked several more specific, even somewhat tricky questions.

"Hmph. You do sound somewhat convincing. Then answer me this: if, when the furnace fire is first lit, you sense that the bottom of the alchemical furnace is heating unevenly—the left side slightly hot and the right side cool—how would you handle it?"

This question concerned familiarity with the alchemical furnace and the fine control of the Flame Control Art. Little Bean's experience had not explicitly covered it, but Li Chengjie could infer the answer from his deeper foundation in the Mysterious Flame Art.

After a brief thought, Li Chengjie replied, "This indicates either a flaw in the furnace wall or unstable earth fire. At the beginning, one should not forcefully correct it. One should use divine sense to guide the fire slightly toward the cooler side while slowly rotating the alchemical furnace. If conditions allow, one may also use one's own Spiritual Power to guide it slightly, striving for even heating. If one forcefully increases the fire, the medicinal ingredients already placed inside may heat unevenly and be ruined in advance."

Without indicating approval or disapproval, Chen Xing continued, "Before a Qi Condensation Pill forms, the medicinal liquid turns from green to jade-green and produces three faint Spirit Energy Fluctuations. When the third fluctuation reaches its peak, one must swiftly withdraw the fire and condense the pill. But if, after the second fluctuation, the medicinal liquid has already begun to darken, what is the cause? And how should it be remedied?"

This question went even deeper, directly concerning pill quality and salvaging a batch before failure. Little Bean's memories seemed to contain a similar failure, but at the time, he had been completely at a loss.

Li Chengjie reverse-deduced from the failed experience and answered cautiously, "If the color darkens too early, it is most likely because the heat was slightly excessive when refining the Dew Condensing Flowers, or because the flowers themselves were too young and lacked sufficient essence. At that point... if one proceeds according to the usual sequence, the chance of Pill Formation is slim. One might try... withdrawing the fire a thread earlier before the third fluctuation arrives, sacrificing part of the medicinal power in exchange for forming a pill. But pills refined that way would likely only be inferior products, perhaps even defective ones."

After hearing this, Chen Xing fell silent.

With his hands behind his back, he paced two steps on the spot. When he looked at Li Chengjie again, his expression had changed completely.

Surprise, doubt, and even a trace of indescribable scrutiny.

Though the boy's answer was not perfect and even took some shortcuts, his train of thought was remarkably clear and seasoned. Especially with the second question, his ability to predict failure and decisively "cut losses" was not something a novice could possess! He seemed more like an experienced old master who had spent years clawing his way through the alchemical path!

But his age, his Cultivation level, his clothes... none of it made sense!

Could he be... a descendant from some alchemist family who had fallen on hard times? Or had he truly encountered some unknown stroke of fortune?

Chen Xing was tempted.

If the boy really had some talent, taking in a cheap apprentice would not only provide someone to handle miscellaneous work, but someone who could observe his methods. Perhaps he really could be cultivated into a useful helper in the future. Even if he could not be trained successfully, an apprentice bound by contract was still free labor.

But the premise was that everything he said was true! Chen Xing had to verify it with his own eyes!

Chen Xing stopped walking and looked sharply at Li Chengjie. "Boy, you say you can refine Qi Condensation Pills, but words alone prove nothing. My Pill Hut is in the southern part of the Marketplace. If you truly have the courage, come back with me now and refine a furnace of Qi Condensation Pills before my eyes!"

He paused, his tone carrying unquestionable pressure. "I can provide one set of materials. But if you fail to refine them, or produce a furnace full of dregs..." Chen Xing sneered. "Then do not blame this old man for being impolite! You must sign a document. If you fail, you will sell yourself to my Pill Hut as a servant and labor for ten years to repay the cost of the materials! Do you dare?"

Selling himself as a servant for ten years!

The price could not be called anything less than heavy!

Li Chengjie's heart clenched sharply as immense pressure bore down on him. He only had theory and had never practiced! What was his chance of success?

Even he did not know!

Little Bean's success rate of less than ten percent hung above his head like a basin of cold water.

Failure would mean utter ruin.

But if he gave up, he would still have nothing. He would remain with three Spirit Stones, struggling at the bottom, waiting for a future so faint that he did not even know when he could gather enough Replication Points.

He would gamble!

Li Chengjie suddenly raised his head. A flash of resolve passed through his eyes as he met Chen Xing's scrutinizing gaze and declared firmly:

"This junior is willing to try!" Mainly because Li Chengjie was simply too poor. He had no alchemical furnace and no medicinal ingredients. With an opportunity to test and verify what he had obtained through replication, why would he refuse?

Chen Xing's Pill Hut was located in a relatively quiet area in the southern part of Qingshi Market. It was even more shabby than Zhang Gui's "Pill Hut" courtyard, merely an ordinary stone house with a small yard.

Firewood and unprocessed low-level medicinal ingredients were piled haphazardly in the yard. The air was filled with the faint mixed scent of various herbs and smoke.

Upon entering the stone house that served as the pill room, a wave of heat washed over them.

At the center of the room stood a dark red alchemical furnace half a man's height tall. Simple Spirit Gathering patterns were carved into its body, and it looked quite old. Its base connected to a small array that drew earth fire. Several wooden racks stood scattered nearby, holding processed medicinal ingredients and assorted bottles and jars.

The conditions were indeed harsh, but the basic equipment was all present.

Chen Xing pointed at the dark red alchemical furnace and said to Li Chengjie, "There it is. I will activate the Earth Fire Array for you and stabilize it at the most basic fire level. The rest will depend entirely on you."

He then took out a set of materials for refining Qi Condensation Pills from the rack—a bundle of verdant Azure Mist Grass, several Dew Condensing Flowers still beaded with dew, and a small pinch of Stone Marrow Powder to serve as an auxiliary ingredient and binding agent.

"There is only one set of materials." Chen Xing placed them on a low table beside the alchemical furnace, his tone cold. "Success or failure will be decided in this single attempt. It is not too late to regret this now."

Little Bean stood at the doorway, watching Li Chengjie nervously. His small hand unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes.

Li Chengjie walked to the alchemical furnace and reached out, gently touching its slightly warm wall.

A strange feeling welled up in his heart. The fragments of Little Bean's memories, filled with failure and frantic confusion, slowly overlapped with the real alchemical furnace and ingredients before him.

Was he nervous?

Of course he was nervous.

But more than that, he felt a settled focus.

He recalled the countless times Little Bean had failed due to unstable fire control, and recalled Old Man Li's century of experience cultivating the Mysterious Flame Art, his exquisite mastery over Spiritual Power.

He took a deep breath. The air mixed with the scent of herbs and smoke rushed into his Lungs and Viscera, yet strangely calmed his restless heart.

He looked at Chen Xing, his gaze steady. "This junior is ready."

With that, he hesitated no longer. First, he bowed slightly to the alchemical furnace—basic respect an alchemist owed to the furnace, learned from Little Bean's memories. Then he walked to the Earth Fire Array's control center and, following Chen Xing's instructions, injected a thread of Spiritual Power to activate the array.

"Buzz..."

With a low hum, the formation patterns beneath the alchemical furnace lit with a faint glow. A steady, gentle heat began to rise from below, warming the furnace.

Li Chengjie closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and adjusted himself to his optimal state.

When he opened his eyes again, all Distractions had faded from them, leaving only absolute focus on the alchemical furnace and medicinal ingredients before him.

He first picked up the bundle of Azure Mist Grass. Spiritual Power flickered from his fingertips as he carefully removed the tiny dead leaves, rootlets, and other impurities mixed within, following the method in his memories.

His movements were not quick, and even somewhat awkward, but he strove for precision with every step, as if he had rehearsed it countless times in his mind.

After processing the Azure Mist Grass, he placed it into the slightly heated alchemical furnace and swiftly formed the opening hand seal of the Basic Fire Control Art.

"Gather flame, roast with a gentle fire."

He muttered the steps under his breath. His divine sense was like invisible feelers, closely watching the changes in the Azure Mist Grass inside the furnace. Spiritual Power passed through his hand seals, entering the Earth Fire Array in fine strands and controlling the Heat Control.

Inside the furnace, the Azure Mist Grass gradually curled beneath the gentle roasting, releasing a faint scent of fresh grass as its moisture and bitterness were slowly driven away.

Chen Xing watched coldly from the side. When he saw Li Chengjie's opening stance, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes again.

Though the Spiritual Power Fluctuation showed that Li Chengjie truly was only at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, that composure and grasp of the initial Heat Control faintly carried the air of experience. He did not seem like a novice at all!

Time passed bit by bit.

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Li Chengjie's forehead.

Maintaining the hand seals and continuous Spiritual Energy Output of the Basic Fire Control Art, as well as using his divine sense, was far more strenuous than he had imagined.

His divine sense in particular had to remain entirely focused to perceive the slightest changes in the ingredients within the furnace.

Finally, the Azure Mist Grass had finished roasting and taken on a dry, dark green color.

Li Chengjie did not dare relax. He immediately took it out, placed it in a specially prepared jade mortar nearby, and carefully ground it with a Jade Pestle into an even powder.

Next came the Dew Condensing Flowers.

For this step, the transition in Heat Control had to be decisive!

Li Chengjie placed several Dew Condensing Flowers into the alchemical furnace, and his hand seals abruptly changed!

"Turn! Refine the essence with fierce fire!"

The Earth Fire Array flashed faintly, and the temperature inside the furnace instantly rose! The Dew Condensing Flowers rapidly melted under the fierce heat, turning into a pool of viscous jade-green liquid that gave off a rich fragrance.

Now!

Li Chengjie's divine sense locked tightly onto that pool of liquid. At the instant its essence was fully forced out, he immediately added the prepared Azure Mist Grass powder. At the same time, his hand seals changed again, shifting the Heat Control to medium heat and urging the two to mix quickly and evenly.

This step was Little Bean's worst disaster zone!

Either the mixture was uneven, or the timing of the Heat Control transition was wrong, causing the medicinal powers to clash.

Li Chengjie held his breath. His divine sense spread like a net, blanketing the medicinal liquid as it churned and fused inside the furnace. His Spiritual Energy Output remained stable and precise. Thanks to his accomplished realm in the Mysterious Flame Art, his control of Fire-attribute Spiritual Power was far beyond Little Bean's.

The medicinal liquid fused smoothly, its color shifting from jade-green to dark green without violent fluctuations or signs of scorching.

Chen Xing's gaze became increasingly grave. This boy had actually reached this stage!

And he looked far steadier than Little Bean had been back then!

Finally, it was time to add the Stone Marrow Powder and enter the most crucial Core Condensation stage.

Li Chengjie sprinkled a small pinch of Stone Marrow Powder into the medicinal liquid. It immediately became thicker, and its color deepened further.

Li Chengjie's hand seals changed once more. The fire was slowly drawn in, becoming gentler and more concentrated.

Li Chengjie's divine sense focused to the utmost, like the finest carving blade, trying to guide the viscous medicinal liquid to shrink inward and rotate.

Sweat had already soaked his back, and his face was somewhat pale from the double consumption of divine sense and Spiritual Power.

He could "see" the medicinal liquid in the furnace slowly beginning to condense under his guidance. Its color gradually changed from dark green to ink-green, and it began to release the faint Spirit Energy Fluctuation unique to the moment before Pill Formation!

Once... twice...

When the third Spirit Energy Fluctuation faintly emerged and reached a certain peak—

A sharp light flashed through Li Chengjie's eyes as both of his hand seals abruptly closed!

"Condense!"

The Earth Fire Array instantly dimmed, and the furnace fire stopped at once.

A faint white vapor carrying the fragrance of medicine curled out from the vent of the alchemical furnace.

The pill room fell silent.

Only Li Chengjie's somewhat heavy breathing remained.

Had he succeeded? Or failed?

Chen Xing and Little Bean both stared fixedly at the dark red alchemical furnace.

Li Chengjie took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and exhaustion in his heart. He stepped forward and carefully opened the furnace lid, which was still hot to the touch.

An even richer medicinal fragrance rushed toward him.

At the bottom of the furnace lay six ink-green pills the size of longans. Their surfaces were somewhat rough, and their shades varied. Two appeared relatively round, while the other four were irregularly shaped, some even bearing fine cracks.

There was no flowing radiance, no exotic fragrance assailing the nose.

These were clearly not high-grade pills. They could not even be considered qualified Low-grade Qi Condensation Pills. At most, they were... defective or inferior pills.

But they had truly condensed into Pill Shape! They had not turned into charcoal or scattered medicinal dregs!

Li Chengjie had succeeded!

With only theoretical experience and a single chance to practice, he had successfully refined Qi Condensation Pills!

Though their quality was low, this was undeniably Pill Formation!

As Li Chengjie looked at the six poorly presented pills at the bottom of the furnace, indescribable wild joy and tremendous accomplishment instantly washed away all his exhaustion and tension!

Li Chengjie had done it!

Chen Xing lunged forward in one stride and lowered his head to look into the furnace. When he clearly saw those six inferior yet indisputable Qi Condensation Pills, the expression on his face froze completely.

Shock, disbelief, and a trace of barely concealed... burning desire!

He abruptly raised his head and stared with blazing eyes at Li Chengjie, whose face was exhausted but whose gaze shone brightly, as if looking at a rare treasure.

"You..." Chen Xing's voice was somewhat hoarse with excitement. "You boy, you really refined them?!"

Though they were inferior-grade, with a single batch of materials and his first time working before him, he had successfully condensed six pills! That success rate, that talent... it was simply unheard of!

He was more than ten times better than Chen Xing had been back then, and more than ten times better than his worthless disciple, Little Bean!

This kid was a genius! An undiscovered alchemy genius!

Chen Xing's heart began pounding. He had struck treasure! This time, he had truly struck treasure!

He grabbed Li Chengjie by the arm, and an unprecedentedly warm smile instantly spread across his face. All his previous coldness, doubts, and deliberate difficulties vanished without a trace:

"Good! Good! Good! Li Chengjie, right? From today onward, you are an apprentice of Chen's Pill Workshop."