Lin Changheng handled every step with meticulous care, neither rushing nor becoming flustered. Like an artist at his easel, he worked with a leisurely grace.
At the medicine-mixing stage, he used his magic power to guide a small jade vial of Fire Crow essence blood into the furnace.
Although the Origin Cauldron in his sea of consciousness gave a faint hum in response, Lin Changheng remained unmoved.
Alchemy was a hen that laid golden eggs without end. Using precious blood materials for alchemy just to absorb them would be putting the cart before the horse—killing the hen to get the eggs!
How could Lin Changheng do such a thing?!
He continued to focus on alchemy.
His theoretical knowledge was already thoroughly mastered, and with Fire Control to aid him, putting it into practice became even easier.
By the time the sun was sinking toward the horizon, Lin Changheng formed the final pill-collecting seal. As he gazed at the round, little-fingertip-sized Fire Pattern Pill resting on the tray, his mind felt clear and still.
Was this the obsession that had haunted his memories for ten years before his awakening, the very thing he had been chasing all that time?
Now he could refine one with the wave of a hand!
So that was all there was to it!
Lin Changheng had spent the entire day refining the pill, from morning until dusk, before he finally succeeded.
It was only a first-rank, low-grade pill.
And only one.
If he wanted to refine several in one batch, he would need to use multiple portions of ingredients, and the time required would increase accordingly! Master Mo, for example, had previously refined a batch of ten pills, but even with his skill, he had worked until deep into the night before finishing.
Refining a first-rank, mid-grade pill would take two to three days.
A first-rank, high-grade pill would take at least five days.
Lin Changheng had once heard Master Mo mention that refining second-rank pills took considerably longer. A single batch could take seven days or half a month, and some even required continuous refining for an entire month.
"Tsk, tsk... If second-rank alchemists weren't mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators who could greatly extend their lifespans, it wouldn't be strange for Qi Refining Realm alchemists to refine pills until they dropped dead."
Muttering to himself, he picked up the tray and went to push open the door.
But just then, a soft knock sounded outside the alchemy room.
"Shopkeeper?"
Lin Changheng was taken aback. Seeing Xu Qianyou poised to knock but hesitating, he couldn't help asking in surprise.
"Guest Elder Mo asked me to bring you to him. He has something to discuss with you, but I knew you were refining pills and didn't want to disrupt your rhythm..."
Xu Qianyou chuckled. "Fortunately, you've just finished and come out. Perfect timing."
"But even if you didn't succeed, it wouldn't matter. You mustn't let it affect your state of mind... Hm?"
After speaking, he habitually tried to offer a word of comfort, but then noticed how well Lin Changheng seemed to be doing. His old eyes swept over the tray, and a perfectly round pill sat on it.
The fragrance of the pill wafted toward him as well.
Shopkeeper Xu's pupils immediately shrank, and his whiskers quivered. "Th-this... You succeeded? You really did?"
"Fortune smiled on me, and I succeeded by luck."
Lin Changheng smiled calmly.
Xu Qianyou hurried past him into the alchemy room. Sure enough, there was no acrid stench of failed pills, only the faint fragrance of a successfully refined one.
"Excellent! Heaven rewards those who persevere. You've finally become an alchemist!"
He gave Lin Changheng a hearty slap on the shoulder, his voice thick with emotion. Then, beaming, he pulled a wooden box from his clothes and carefully placed the pill inside. "Once a pill comes out of the furnace, you have to store it away right away. Otherwise, its medicinal properties will dissipate, and that would be a real shame."
After carefully sealing the box, he placed it back on Lin Changheng's tray and admonished him like a teacher.
"I've failed so many times that I'd actually forgotten about that. Thank you for the reminder, Shopkeeper. I'll keep it in mind."
"No need to thank me. Your becoming an alchemist is a happy occasion for you, for the Xu Family Alchemy Shop, and for our Xu Family. Come, we were going to see Master Mo anyway. Let's tell him the good news!"
"Very well."
Lin Changheng readily agreed.
After he returned the five unused sets of ingredients to storage, Xu Qianyou marveled at Lin Changheng's success rate and sighed once again.
When the shop assistants heard about it, they were all stunned. They gazed at Lin Changheng with envy, admiration... and respect.
When Lin Changheng had still been an alchemy apprentice, they could talk to him normally and call him "Brother Lin" or "Lin."
But now that he had truly become a first-rank alchemist, his status in the clan and the market would undergo a complete transformation. They would have to greet him respectfully and address him as "Alchemist Lin."
As congratulations and flattering remarks reached his ears, Lin Changheng merely shook his head. "Master Mo hasn't confirmed it yet, so you shouldn't call me an alchemist."
"Besides, there's no need for any of you to act this way. We've known each other and worked together for years. Just address me as you always have."
Lin Changheng didn't put on airs or become arrogant, but the Xu Family shop assistants nodded and agreed, praising him for his easygoing nature. Even so, their respect was plain to see.
He sighed inwardly. There was nothing to do but let them be.
The two went upstairs, and Shopkeeper Xu immediately reported the matter to Master Mo.
A deep look of astonishment crossed Master Mo's face. Lin Changheng had studied under him as an apprentice for eleven whole years. He knew him inside and out. Could he really have had a sudden awakening and advanced to alchemist in a single day?
Master Mo didn't question him or show any suspicion. He simply considered the matter before saying:
"Tomorrow morning, refine three batches in front of me as confirmation. If even one batch succeeds, I'll acknowledge you as an alchemist and report it to the clan so your compensation can be raised ahead of schedule. But for you to be relieved of your Land Reclamation duties, given a new position in the clan, and assigned new tasks, you'll still have to refine pills again at the clan's facilities for confirmation. Do you agree?"
"I'll follow your instructions, Master Mo."
Lin Changheng considered the arrangement reasonable and readily agreed.
Only after speaking solemnly did Master Mo allow himself a smile. "I summoned you earlier for something, but with this unexpected development, there's no need to discuss it now. Go back early and rest up. Tomorrow, make sure you're in good shape for refining. I'm looking forward to you handling things on your own. It'll lighten my burden, too. These old bones of mine are really getting tired... Hahaha!"
He finished by giving Lin Changheng an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
For Master Mo, training a new alchemist would also bring considerable rewards.
"I won't disappoint you, Master Mo." Lin Changheng nodded earnestly, his eyes bright.
Early the next morning.
The alchemy room at the Xu Family Alchemy Shop was already bustling, its furnaces blazing.
Master Mo had brought over a stool and sat in a corner with his eyes closed, resting.
He wanted to avoid distracting Lin Changheng by watching him.
"Whoosh!"
The flames in the furnace suddenly surged, followed by a strong smell of scorching.
"You added the ingredients too quickly, and your pill seals fell out of sequence."
A voice from the corner offered its assessment, almost like a reminder.
"Yes!"
Lin Changheng cleaned out the furnace. His expression remained steady as he put away the failed pill and started another batch.
Master Mo said nothing more.
But inwardly, he approved of Lin Changheng's composure.
He began refining the second batch.
This time, Lin Changheng made no deliberate mistakes and proceeded with complete fluency.
"Hum~"
The flames drew in, and he formed the pill seals. A crimson pill adorned with cloud patterns flew out of the furnace and into a small wooden box he had prepared beforehand.
At the same time, a pill fragrance slowly spread through the entire alchemy room.
Master Mo opened his eyes at the scent, then rose with a chuckle and looked at Lin Changheng approvingly.
"Master Mo, I'm glad to say I haven't failed you!"
Holding the wooden box, Lin Changheng stepped forward to present the pill.
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