Alchemy

The recipe recorded by Zhao Zhengyuan describes a pill called the First Origin Pill, which greatly boosts the cultivation of Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

Of course, that's referring to the effects of the original recipe.

Now that one of the main ingredients, the Cloud Ascending Fruit, has been replaced with the common Ten Fragrance Fruit, it's hard to say if the pill will even have its original efficacy, even if it can be successfully refined.

Chen Lin first processed the raw materials simply, dividing them into ten portions according to the recipe's measurements.

Then he picked up the simple alchemy furnace.

Calling it an alchemy furnace was a stretch; it was essentially a uniquely shaped iron pot, and not a magic tool, offering no boost to the success rate of alchemy.

Using such an apparatus meant one could only refine the lowest-tier pills, and the success rate was said to be abysmal.

However, genuinely graded alchemy furnaces were high-end goods. Not only was it uncertain if he could even find one, but if one were available, he couldn't afford it.

Just ten portions of refining materials had already consumed a significant chunk of the Spirit Stones he'd risked his life to obtain.

He set the alchemy furnace on flat ground, then took out the specialized fuel for alchemy and placed it inside before lighting it.

Higher-tier pills required special heat sources like an alchemist's Samadhi True Fire, or Earth Fire, or Spirit Fire.

If this recipe hadn't been modified, the characteristics of the Cloud Ascending Fruit would have meant it couldn't be refined with ordinary fuel. However, after being replaced with the Ten Fragrance Fruit, that problem no longer existed.

Under the bellows of the hand-cranked fan, the fuel burned hotter and hotter, soon emitting a red glow.

Chen Lin took a breath.

He lit half a Calming Incense stick, saved from when he was refining Soul Capturing Talismans, and began adding the materials into the alchemy furnace in sequence.

Logically, a beginner like him should have refined all the materials into semi-finished products one by one before finally merging them.

Such a crude method was typically used by seasoned alchemists when refining pills they were already very familiar with.

But his situation was different.

He only cared that the refining method was reasonable.

The alchemy furnace was slowly stirred.

Rotating.

The flames flickered, growing stronger and weaker with the speed of the fan's rotation.

It took a full half-hour, and after adding fuel several times, the materials in the pot finally began to melt, slowly turning into a paste.

Chen Lin wasn't sure if this was the correct outcome, but since it was similar to what was described in the recipe, he proceeded to the next step: adding the main ingredient, the Ten Fragrance Fruit.

"Bang!"

As soon as the Ten Fragrance Fruit was added, it exploded like throwing an open flame into dynamite, blasting the entire iron pot away and splattering the medicinal paste everywhere.

Chen Lin retreated a good distance, frantically wiping the dregs of the medicine from his face.

Ignoring the large blister forming on his face from the burn, he quickly extinguished the fire, then went to the table to check the remaining materials.

Seeing that none of the materials were damaged, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I didn't expect refining pills to be so dangerous. No wonder there are so few alchemists."

He muttered.

Chen Lin began cleaning up the mess, then set up the alchemy furnace again.

He then went outside and checked each room. Seeing that no one was present, he returned to his room to continue refining pills.

Other beginners might have spent this time researching the cause of the problem, but he only wanted to quickly rack up the attempts.

However, he had learned his lesson this time.

He put on several layers of clothing and wrapped his head and hands tightly to prevent further burns.

The steps were the same.

When it came time to add the Ten Fragrance Fruit again, it exploded with a bang.

Chen Lin, who was prepared this time, was not injured. After a brief cleanup, he began the third refinement.

Time passed slowly.

Finally, it was time for the tenth refinement.

Since it didn't require much Magical Power, apart from the messy explosions, Chen Lin wasn't overly tired.

Cultivators, even those at the lowest level, possessed a physical and mental fortitude that ordinary people couldn't compare to.

Looking at the last portion of materials left on the table, Chen Lin took a deep breath and approached the iron pot.

After several attempts, he had become quite skilled.

However, alchemy wasn't like talisman crafting; no matter how skilled one was, the heat control had to be just right.

After another half-hour, the auxiliary materials began to melt.

Chen Lin picked up the Ten Fragrance Fruit and vigorously fanned the fan, increasing the flame's temperature.

All nine previous attempts had stalled at this very stage. To be honest, he felt a little apprehensive.

Although countless trials had already confirmed his innate talent, this was the first time he was using it for alchemy.

After waiting for a while, the medicinal liquid in the pot began to bubble.

Chen Lin, while taking precautions, quickly threw the Ten Fragrance Fruit into the pot.

"Bang!"

A loud noise.

The scene from before repeated, and the medicinal liquid in the pot instantly exploded.

Just as Chen Lin's expression changed drastically, thinking his innate ability had failed, a familiar energy fluctuation suddenly appeared.

An invisible hand gently swept up all the splashing medicinal liquid, gathering it together, and then returning it to the iron pot.

Next, the medicinal liquid began to solidify at a visible speed, finally forming ten milky white pills, the size of quail eggs.

Chen Lin was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

He quickly took out the pills, extinguished the flame, and eagerly began to examine them.

Ten pills, each emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance, were flawless and round. They were clearly extraordinary at first glance.

After admiring them with joy for a while, he took out a porcelain bottle and carefully put the pills inside.

Then he stood up and went to the window, opening it to look outside. He was relieved when he confirmed that no one had returned yet.

Returning to the iron pot alchemy furnace, Chen Lin couldn't resist taking out the pills again. The more he looked, the happier he became.

In his eyes, these ten round pills were more lovable than ten stunning beauties!

His innate ability was as domineering as ever.

Although it only succeeded once in ten times, the result was perfect when it did succeed. This pill formula could theoretically produce a maximum of ten pills per batch, and he had refined ten.

Even an alchemy grandmaster probably couldn't achieve this success rate.

Of course, an alchemy grandmaster wouldn't fail nine out of ten times.

After tidying up the mess, Chen Lin hurriedly left the room.

He returned a while later, carrying a cage containing a small white rabbit.

Although the pills were refined according to the formula given by Zhao Zhengyuan, he was completely ignorant of alchemy and couldn't discern if the pills were genuine or poisonous. Therefore, he needed to test them.

He took out a First Origin Pill and put it into the little rabbit's mouth, then quietly observed.

Soon.

The rabbit began to act wildly, constantly crashing against the cage.

The rabbit's body also started to swell, like an inflated balloon, growing larger and larger, as if it might explode at any moment.

Seeing this, Chen Lin's expression turned somewhat grim.

However, as time passed, the expected scene did not occur. The rabbit's body slowly began to return to its original size, and it stopped acting wildly. Instead, its fur became much shinier.

Chen Lin pondered for a moment, gaining some understanding.

The situation just now was likely not due to a problem with the pills, but because the rabbit couldn't withstand the potent energy within the pills. After all, it was just an ordinary rabbit, not a Demon Beast.

With this thought, Chen Lin's expression softened, and he continued to observe the rabbit's changes.

He waited until the next morning. Seeing that the rabbit was not only alive but also more energetic than ever, he finally felt at ease.

Impatiently, he hung a "Do Not Disturb While in Seclusion" sign outside the door, sat on a meditation cushion, assumed a cultivation posture, and began to calm his mind.

Half an hour later.

Chen Lin suddenly opened his eyes, took out the small bottle containing the First Origin Pills from his embrace, poured out a pill, and swallowed it in one gulp.

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, it exploded into a ball of energy, which then spread to his limbs and bones.

He felt a slight stinging sensation in his meridians.

This situation did not alarm him; instead, it delighted him. This energy could be guided by his cultivation technique, indicating that the pill was genuine. Furthermore, the more potent the pill's effect, the better.

This gave him hope of breaking through.

The original owner's cultivation had long reached the peak of Qi Refining Level 2, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through to Qi Refining Level 3. He had taken some cheap medicine before, but it had no effect.

This time, the opportunity had likely arrived.

After his initial surprise, Chen Lin immediately focused his mind, channeling the medicinal power to circulate according to his cultivation technique with all his might.