Refining a Second Grade Pill

It was worthy of an eighth-rank alchemist. Yao Lao did not even need a medicine cauldron; he directly used Strange Fire to temper the medicinal herbs in midair, wrapping all the herbs in Soul Strength.

An hour later, Xiao Yan stared at the green medicinal liquid in his hand in disbelief. This thing could really help him return to the Dou Zhe level within a year?

"This is how to use the medicinal liquid. Go back and use it first. The sooner you use it, the sooner you'll break through to Dou Zhe!" Yao Lao lightly tapped Xiao Yan's forehead, transmitting the method of using the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid into his mind.

"Yes, Teacher!" After receiving confirmation, Xiao Yan excitedly ran home, intending to use the medicinal liquid right away and slap those people who had looked down on him for the past three years across the face. He would tell them that Xiao Yan, the former genius of the Xiao Family, had returned!!

Meanwhile, at the Back Mountain.

"How was it? Are you confident you can refine it?" After Xiao Yan left, Yao Lao looked at Yun Shu, who was still resting with his eyes closed. Ever since watching him refine the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, Yun Shu had entered this state.

He knew that Yun Shu was simulating the process in his mind. But simulation alone was useless. Alchemists were forged through refining pills, built atop piles of medicinal herbs.

"I can give it a try!" Having cultivated a Soul Cultivation Method, Yun Shu's Soul Strength had barely reached the level required to refine Second Grade Pills at the young age of fifteen and a half. Even a genius like Xiao Yan could not compare.

So Yun Shu felt there should not be much of a problem.

But the real situation could only be known once he tried it himself.

"Then let's begin!" Yao Lao waved a hand and floated behind Yun Shu.

With a wave of his hand, Yun Shu summoned a black medicine cauldron before them.

"Hm? This medicine cauldron of yours..." Yao Lao said in surprise when he saw the cauldron Yun Shu had brought out.

"Teacher, is there something strange about this medicine cauldron?" Yun Shu knew about the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking, but it had barely been explained in the original work, and only Yao Lao understood it clearly. When Yao Lao noticed something unusual, Yun Shu could not help feeling hopeful. It would be great if this were a good cauldron.

After all, a good medicine cauldron was enormously helpful to an alchemist. It could directly raise the success rate of pill refinement. Otherwise, Yao Lao would not have treasured his Black Demon Cauldron so dearly.

"I'm not sure either. In the world of alchemy, there is a ranking called the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. The cauldrons listed there are all exceptionally perfect and outstanding medicine cauldrons. You should know that a good medicine cauldron can directly increase an alchemist's success rate when refining pills. That alone shows how important a good cauldron is. Unfortunately, I do not know much about the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking either..."

"Though your medicine cauldron is not as good as your teacher's Black Demon Cauldron, it should also be a cauldron from the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. Where did it come from?" Yao Lao asked curiously.

"Like my Alchemy Art, I picked it up," Yun Shu said calmly.

"You really are a lucky little fellow! All right, there's no problem with the cauldron. The reason you were able to reach the threshold of a Second-Rank Alchemist so quickly was likely because of this cauldron as well. You can begin refining!"

"Got it." Yun Shu let out a breath and turned serious.

He took out another set of medicinal herbs for refining Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid from his Ring of Holding, then activated the medicine cauldron.

Yao Lao frowned at the crimson flames inside the cauldron, but he said nothing. After all, he knew Yun Shu's cultivation method had been picked up as well.

Once Yun Shu controlled the temperature of the flames within the cauldron to the same level Yao Lao had used when refining the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, he picked up a stalk of the Purple Leaf Orchid Grass he had prepared in advance and tossed it into the medicine cauldron.

"Mm, not bad! Your timing in controlling the heat is excellent. Now you just need to stabilize the flame temperature..." Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction as he watched Yun Shu refine the medicine.

He had merely watched Yao Lao refine the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid once, yet he had remembered the heat control used in the process. Although Yun Shu was already a first-rank alchemist, this was his first attempt at refining a Second Grade Pill.

After slowly roasting the first Purple Leaf Orchid Grass into a small clump of green liquid, Yun Shu picked up another stalk and tossed it into the medicine cauldron.

This was one of the most difficult parts of alchemy. Yun Shu had to keep the flames around the already refined green liquid from becoming too hot and drying it out, while also controlling the newly added Purple Leaf Orchid Grass on the other side and repeating the previous process.

If he used his Fallen Heart Flame, all it would take was a thought...

"Don't get distracted. The flame temperature around the medicinal liquid is getting a little too high!" Yao Lao's voice rang out behind him. Yun Shu hurriedly came to his senses and adjusted the temperature of the flames on the other side.

Boom!!

Just as Yun Shu split off some Soul Power to adjust the temperature on the other side, the flames in the original area suddenly surged up, roasting the herb he had thrown in into a lump of blackened charcoal...

Yun Shu was startled by the situation, and the temperature of the flames around the medicinal liquid also shot up, instantly drying out the liquid he had already refined...

"Failed!" Yun Shu sighed. Second Grade Pills really were not so easy to refine.

"It's fine, it's only your first time! Don't get distracted when refining medicine, and don't think about anything else!"

Yao Lao was actually quite satisfied with Yun Shu's Alchemy Art. After all, he had completed about thirty percent of the process on his first attempt, and he had only failed because he got distracted. If he could properly control his focus, he might be able to keep the number of failures below a hundred.

"Continue."

Hearing Yao Lao's words, Yun Shu took out more medicinal herbs from his Ring of Holding. He had accumulated a great many herbs over the past half year, enough for him to squander for quite some time.

He reignited the Dou Qi flames in the medicine cauldron and skillfully tossed the medicinal herbs inside...

Finally, after nearly thirty failures, Yun Shu refined his first batch of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid!

"Not bad. The quality is not much to speak of, but at least it can be used by those at the Dou Qi stage! Xiao Yan's bottle is enough to last him two months. You can choose to keep this bottle or sell it. Aren't you on rather good terms with the person in charge of the Mittel Auction House? Taking it there for auction would be a fine choice too. Add a little to your wife fund!" Yao Lao said with a grin.

"All right! I'll sell it, then. It'll make a nice surprise for Ya Fei!" Yun Shu said as he put away the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, which had cost him medicinal herbs worth hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins to produce.

"Wait, why are you following me?" Yun Shu got up and left the Back Mountain, only to find Yao Lao's Ring of Holding shoot onto his hand with a whoosh.

"What else was I supposed to do? Xiao Yan needs two months to absorb the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. During that time, I'll guide you in alchemy!"

"No! The place I'm going involves my privacy. If you follow me, won't you see everything?" Yun Shu panicked. He had planned to go back and get intimate with Ya Fei. With this old fellow tagging along, how was he supposed to make a move?

"Don't worry! I just won't look!" After Yao Lao said that, he fell completely silent. No matter how Yun Shu called for him, he did not respond, and the ring could not be pulled off no matter how hard he tugged...