Next, Xu Yang took out a large quantity of natural treasures—some medicinal herbs, others crafting materials. He planned to try his hand at alchemy and artifact refinement. With the Alchemy and Artifact Records in hand and so many materials at his disposal, he couldn't very well ignore such convenient conditions. He naturally had to practice. If he could master these crafts, they would greatly benefit his future cultivation. Besides, it never hurt to have more skills!
With that thought, Xu Yang formed a hand seal and opened the lid of the Pure Yang Heart Cauldron. Following the instructions in the Alchemy and Artifact Records, he began refining Bigu Pills. Bigu Pills were low-grade pills that were easy to make, and the herbs they required were common, making them perfect for a beginner like Xu Yang to practice with.
Xu Yang placed the herbs for the Bigu Pills into the cauldron one by one, closed the lid, and carefully began refining them. First, he used Pure Yang True Fire to refine each herb and remove its impurities, reducing them to a mass of essence. Then, he mixed the essences in the proper order and proportions, before finally condensing them into pills.
Xu Yang carefully controlled the Pure Yang True Fire, lest the flames grow too strong and burn the herbs to ash. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Spirit Refining Art, giving him spiritual sense far beyond that of cultivators at the same stage. Only then did he complete this step without incident.
Next, Xu Yang carefully mixed the medicinal essences. Just as he was on the verge of success, his spiritual sense shuddered and wavered slightly. The Pure Yang True Fire immediately slipped out of control, burning all the herbs inside the cauldron to nothing. His attempt at alchemy failed outright.