Earth fire was purer and hotter than a cultivator's true flame. Its advantage was that it burned steadily for a long time. Beneath Kuixing Market ran an earth-fire spirit vein. The Golden Core cultivators of the Ocean Listening Pavilion had hired a third-tier formation master to set up an array that gathered the earth fire in one place, which they rented out to cultivators for alchemy and artifact refining.
Han Changshuo was taking his examination at the Earth Fire Hall. Judging by the time, it should have ended already.
They hurried to the Earth Fire Hall, but the Ocean Listening Pavilion's disciples stopped them.
"Unauthorized persons may not enter. Only those taking the examination are allowed inside."
"Fellow Daoist, has the examination not ended yet?" Han Changjiong asked politely.
"No. It takes a full day. Come back tomorrow!"
After hearing this, Han Changming and Han Changjiong had no choice but to return to their lodgings and come back the next day.
Earth Fire Hall, a side chamber.
Han Changshuo sat cross-legged on a green meditation cushion. Before him stood a three-foot-tall red alchemy furnace, its base engulfed in scarlet flames.
Dense red runes were carved into the walls. Five lifelike serpent heads were embedded in the stone, each spewing a stream of scarlet fire. The flames converged beneath the red alchemy furnace, radiating terrifying heat.
The alchemy examination provided five sets of materials for refining Qi Accumulation Pills. Qi Accumulation Pills were high-grade first-tier pills, suitable for cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refining and above.
Red Shrimp Island had no earth-fire spirit vein. Before this, whenever Han Changshuo refined pills, he had used a kind of spirit wood called Fire Sun Wood. It burned for a long time, and cultivators just starting out in alchemy or artifact refining all used Fire Sun Wood. Han Changshuo was no exception.
At the Earth Fire Hall, alchemy was done using earth fire, which was far hotter than Fire Sun Wood. Han Changshuo had practiced with it for a while, but he was still not very skilled.
A full batch of Qi Accumulation Pills contained twenty-four pills. Han Changshuo had to turn in sixty Qi Accumulation Pills to pass the examination. In other words, his success rate had to reach fifty percent.
Before this, Han Changshuo's success rate at refining Qi Accumulation Pills had been fifty percent. But he was unfamiliar with using earth fire, and with his first batch, he managed to produce only five pills. That was already quite good.
That left him with four sets of materials, from which he had to refine fifty-five Qi Accumulation Pills.
Han Changshuo looked tense. He was a key focus of the Lineage's cultivation efforts. This time, the clan leader had sent him to join the Ocean Listening Pavilion, and his relatives had high hopes for him. The pressure weighed heavily on him.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the smell of something burnt suddenly drifted from the furnace.
Han Changshuo frowned, quickly extinguished the flames, and lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace to inspect it.
Inside lay several black, round lumps. Clearly, Han Changshuo had underestimated the earth fire's heat. The batch had failed.
Han Changshuo took a deep breath, sat down, and thought back over the refining process.
His technique had been correct. The main reason for the failure was that he had been too nervous and had lost focus.
He sat cross-legged and meditated, giving himself a rest and calming down.
More than half an hour later, Han Changshuo felt that he was in peak condition. He cleaned the furnace and continued refining pills.
This time, Han Changshuo refined eight Qi Accumulation Pills.
He had two sets of materials left. To pass, he needed to refine forty-seven pills. That meant he had to produce a full batch, which was clearly impossible. He had never made a full batch; his best result had been twenty Qi Accumulation Pills.
He thought of his relatives' hopes for him and his parents' expectations. If he failed the examination, he would still be a key focus of the Han Clan's cultivation efforts, but that wasn't the outcome he wanted.
The clan's foundation was too shallow. Even if he could achieve Foundation Establishment, he would not get very far. The Ocean Listening Pavilion was different. It had been passed down for over a thousand years, with deep foundations and experts in abundance.
Han Changshuo wanted to go further on the path to immortality. He was unwilling to follow the path of the older generation.
His heart twisted with pain, a jumble of conflicting emotions. With only two sets of materials, he couldn't possibly refine forty-seven Qi Accumulation Pills.
Han Changshuo suddenly thought of something. He took out two blue porcelain bottles, a look of resolve appearing on his face.
This was the Spirit Water Han Changming had given him. It was said to have come down from the Lu Clan of Black Crow Island, and to improve the results of alchemy.
He knew he couldn't make a full batch, but he might as well try the Spirit Water as a last resort. What if it worked? The Lu Clan was famous for its alchemy throughout the Red Algae Sea. Perhaps this Spirit Water really could improve his success rate.
He pulled out the stopper, and a stream of pure spiritual energy wafted out. He inhaled a little and felt his spirits lift. Nodding with satisfaction, he thought, No wonder this Spirit Water came down from the Lu Clan.
"Forget it. I've refined three batches and gotten only thirteen Qi Accumulation Pills. I won't succeed anyway, so I might as well try this Spirit Water. Maybe it'll work!"
Han Changshuo muttered to himself, then sat cross-legged and meditated.
An hour later, Han Changshuo opened his eyes and began refining pills.
This time, he added half a bottle of the Spirit Water Han Changming had given him.
Rolling flames engulfed the furnace. Before long, a strange fragrance wafted out.
Han Changshuo formed a hand seal, and the flames shrank.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, a rich fragrance wafted from the alchemy furnace. Han Changshuo took out a red token and channeled his magic power into it. The earth fire vanished.
He lifted the lid and walked over to the furnace. One look inside left him dumbfounded.
Twenty-four pills lay inside the alchemy furnace, all exactly the same size.
Han Changshuo swallowed, his face filled with disbelief and his eyes shining with excitement.
"A full batch! It's a full batch! Haha!"
Han Changshuo was extremely excited. He had never made a full batch before, and he regretted not using the Spirit Water sooner. If he had, he might have already made ninety-six Qi Accumulation Pills.
He calmed his racing heart and steadied himself.
It was too soon to celebrate. He still needed twenty-three more Qi Accumulation Pills to complete the task.
After resting for a while, Han Changshuo began refining Qi Accumulation Pills again. He gradually added the materials to the alchemy furnace, along with the remaining half-bottle of Spirit Water.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the side chamber's door opened, and Han Changshuo walked out, his face beaming with joy.
The final batch of Qi Accumulation Pills was full as well. He had completed the task.
He emerged into a long corridor. Several alchemists came out of the Earth Fire Chamber, their faces regretful. It looked like they had failed to complete the task.
Not long after, Han Changshuo appeared in the main hall of the Earth Fire Hall.
A man in a blue robe and a woman in a red dress, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, sat behind a green wooden table. The man was responsible for collecting the pills, while the woman tasted and recorded them.
The alchemists taking the examination handed in their pills one after another. Han Changshuo waited in line and handed his over.
"Han Changshuo, sixty-one Qi Accumulation Pills submitted."
After recording the result, the woman in the red dress randomly selected a pill from the batch Han Changshuo had handed in and swallowed it.
Before long, surprise appeared in her eyes.
"Senior Brother Chen, try one. The Qi Accumulation Pills he submitted are excellent quality."
After hearing this, the man in the blue robe selected a Qi Accumulation Pill and swallowed it. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
"Did you refine these Qi Accumulation Pills?"
The man in the blue robe asked in a stern voice, but he soon realized it was a pointless question.
The Ocean Listening Pavilion sent three disciples to search every cultivator taking the alchemy examination, to prevent anyone from bringing in Qi Accumulation Pills. Spirit Water provided some help with alchemy and was permitted inside the Earth Fire Chamber.
"This junior refined them. Is there a problem, Senior?" Han Changshuo asked nervously.
He had known all along that the Ocean Listening Pavilion's Foundation Establishment cultivators would ask him this.
"The pills you submitted are of two different qualities. What's going on?" the woman in the red dress asked, her expression darkening as she carefully inspected the pills Han Changshuo had handed in.
"This junior wasn't familiar with refining pills using earth fire at first. Later, I added some Spirit Water. Is there a problem with that?"
The man in the blue robe frowned. "What Spirit Water? Take it out and let me see. Even if you added Spirit Water, the quality shouldn't be this good."
Han Changshuo had been prepared for this. He knew the Ocean Listening Pavilion's Foundation Establishment cultivators would question him, so he had diluted the remaining bottle of Spirit Water at a one-to-two ratio.
Han Changshuo took out a blue porcelain bottle and handed it over.
The man in the blue robe examined it carefully, then understood. "This Spirit Water is a little richer in spiritual energy than what's sold on the market. No wonder the pills you refined are better quality."
"Senior, did I pass the examination?" Han Changshuo asked nervously.
"You passed. Spirit Water is allowed in alchemy, and it does provide some help. But if your alchemy skills aren't good enough, no amount of Spirit Water will help. You passed the examination. Tomorrow, go to the Ocean Listening Palace to take a series of tests. If everything goes well, you'll become a disciple of our Ocean Listening Pavilion."
"Yes, this junior takes his leave." Beaming with joy, Han Changshuo hurried away.
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