Not Enough Medicinal Age? Reinforcement Will Make Up for It!

Insufficient medicinal age? Reinforcement would make up for it! Zhao Hao returned to his cave abode, and the stone door rumbled shut, cutting off all the clamor of the outside world.

That little "wok-tossing and stir-frying" school of alchemy he had shown in the preliminaries was enough to make everyone who noticed him focus their attention on his strange alchemy technique, thereby overlooking the fact that he would cheat in the following matches by using his golden finger to reinforce pills.

The more outrageous and abnormal his own behavior was, the better it could cover up the system he truly relied on. That was exactly the effect he wanted.

However, he knew very well that high-grade Inedia Pills were ultimately only first-tier pills. They could bluff people, but they could not bring him a sea of resources.

He sat back down on the stone bed and took inventory of everything in his storage bag.

These past few days and nights of sleepless alchemy and pill-selling had allowed him to accumulate over ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones again.

This sum of spirit stones was enough that he would not have to worry about spirit stone resources in the short term.

The most urgent matter at present was not to keep refining first-tier pills to exchange for spirit stones, but to improve his alchemy as quickly as possible.

After all, if he could refine higher-quality pills, then after reinforcement by his golden finger, the value produced by a single furnace of pills would rise greatly.

He calmed his mind and began to continue practicing those several first-tier pills that the first-tier greater-achievement alchemist had quickly raised to "minor achievement."

Time slowly flowed by amid this dry, tedious alchemy.

Just as Zhao Hao was refining a furnace of Spirit Recovery Pills, his divine sense exquisitely controlling several kinds of medicinal liquid inside the furnace as they slowly merged, a thought flashed through his mind without the slightest warning.

Since pill proficiency could be reinforced into alchemist rank...

Since waste pills could be sacrificed and reinforced into finished pills...

Then... what about spirit herbs themselves?

"Pfft!"

The moment this thought emerged, it was like wild grass growing madly, instantly occupying all his mind.

His attention wavered, and the spiritual power inside the pill furnace instantly went out of control. The balance between several kinds of medicinal liquid was broken, and they exploded violently.

A thick, burnt smell gushed out from the pill outlet of the furnace.

A furnace of pills worth a decent sum was ruined just like that.

Yet Zhao Hao did not even glance at it. As if possessed, he casually cleaned out the charred dregs burned inside the furnace, his eyes shining with an almost frenzied heat.

From his storage bag, he carefully took out a stalk of Green Spirit Grass.

It was thirteen or fourteen years old, something he used to refine Spirit Recovery Pills, but if its medicinal age were high enough, it was likewise one of the main herbs needed for the second-tier pill "Green Origin Pill."

He dragged this stalk of Green Spirit Grass into the system panel's [Main Item Slot].

Then he took out another Low-grade Spirit Stone and placed it into the [Materials Slot].

[Reinforcement success rate: 100%]

Zhao Hao's heartbeat skipped half a beat in that instant.

Confirm reinforcement!

Light flashed. The stalk of Green Spirit Grass in the Main Item Slot suddenly grew larger by a whole ring, its color becoming even more verdant and dripping with freshness, and even the medicinal fragrance it gave off grew richer by several degrees.

[Item: Green Spirit Grass (twenty-six years)]

It worked!

It really worked!

Zhao Hao's breathing grew heavy. He felt his heart beating like a mad drum inside his chest.

He suppressed the wild joy in his heart and did not stop, continuing to place this twenty-six-year-old stalk of Green Spirit Grass into the reinforcement slot.

This time, he directly placed five Low-grade Spirit Stones into the Materials Slot!

[Reinforcement success rate: 100%]

"Reinforce!"

Light flickered again. The roots and stem of that stalk of Green Spirit Grass became even thicker and sturdier, the veins on its leaves clearly visible, and the vigorous vitality contained within it seemed almost ready to overflow.

[Item: Green Spirit Grass (fifty-two years)]

Zhao Hao's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He seemed to see an inexhaustible, never-ending mountain of gold placed right in front of him.

Without the slightest hesitation, he placed this fifty-two-year-old stalk of Green Spirit Grass into the Main Item Slot one last time!

This time, he threw in twenty-five Low-grade Spirit Stones in one breath!

"Confirm reinforcement!"

Buzz—

A light more dazzling than any before exploded across the panel.

When the light dispersed, a spirit herb whose entire body was jade-green, with even a faint trace of golden edging along the margins of its leaves, lay quietly in the reinforcement slot.

That refreshing medicinal fragrance almost overflowed from the panel, causing this cave abode, thin in spiritual energy, to gain a trace of fresh grassy clarity out of nowhere!

[Item: Green Spirit Grass (one hundred and four years)]

A century-old spirit herb!

A true century-old spirit herb had been born in his hands so easily, just like that!

Zhao Hao took the century-old Green Spirit Grass out of the system space and held it in his palm. The vast, pure wood-attribute spiritual energy made even him, a cultivator with a fire spiritual root, feel refreshed and carefree.

He stared blankly at the spirit grass in his hand, then thought of the other main ingredients needed for the second-tier pill, the Green Origin Pill.

Ice Crystal Fruit, eighty years old.

Dew Condensing Flower, ninety years old.

"I... can refine second-tier pills now?"

He muttered to himself, his voice carrying a tremor even he had not noticed.

He hesitated no longer. He immediately took out the several main ingredients needed to refine the Green Origin Pill and, according to the ages recorded in the pill formula, strengthened them one by one with spirit stones until they reached the corresponding medicinal age.

Once all the materials were ready, he opened the furnace straight away and began refining the first batch of second-tier pills in his life!

His divine sense probed inside, sensing the medicinal liquids—far stronger than first-tier spirit herbs—churning and colliding within the furnace.

The process was far more difficult than he had imagined.

The difficulty of refining second-tier pills was heaven and earth apart from refining first-tier pills.

Just maintaining the balance of dozens of medicinal liquids inside the pill furnace nearly exhausted all his mental focus.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn.

"Pfft!"

With a dull sound, a plume of black smoke sprayed out from inside the pill furnace.

He had failed.

Zhao Hao was not discouraged. In a fluster, he opened the pill furnace and saw six pitch-black pills covered in cracks lying quietly at the bottom.

Waste pills!

Although they were waste pills, they were genuinely waste Green Origin Pills!

This meant that from now on, he would never again need to worry about the age of the spirit herbs required for high-tier pills!

As long as he had enough spirit stones, however many years old he wanted his spirit herbs to be, however many years old they could be!

He immediately looked at the system panel.

[Green Origin Pill (Beginner 0/100)]

A brand-new pill entry had been successfully lit up.

But looking at that unmoving proficiency, Zhao Hao fell into thought.

"A first-tier great success alchemist refining a second-tier pill doesn't even get one guaranteed point of proficiency?"

The corners of his mouth suddenly pulled into an extremely strange arc.

A thought a hundred times crazier than strengthening the age of spirit herbs rose in his mind.

He dragged the entry [Alchemist: First Tier (Great Success 0/800)] into the main strengthening slot!

Then he opened the materials column, selected the newly unlocked [Green Origin Pill (Beginner 0/100)], and placed it inside!

[Strengthening Success Rate: 100%]

The instant he saw that number, Zhao Hao's heart nearly leaped out of his throat!

A surprise!

A heaven-sized surprise!

The proficiency of a second-tier beginner pill, used to strengthen a first-tier great success alchemist level, could actually provide a one-hundred-percent success rate!

This was practically a BUG tailor-made for him!

"Strengthen!"

He pressed confirm without the slightest hesitation!

A dazzling light flashed past. Zhao Hao gave a muffled groan, feeling as though a treasure trove of alchemy had been forcibly branded into his mind with a red-hot iron!

Countless pieces of knowledge regarding first-tier pill-refining techniques, pill formula improvements, and medicinal property analysis surged in madly along with searing pain!

[Alchemist: First Tier (Perfection)]

It worked!

Zhao Hao forcibly endured the stabbing pain coming from his divine soul. After slowing down for a moment, he once again threw a batch of century-old spirit herbs he had just strengthened into the pill furnace and began refining his second batch of Green Origin Pills.

This time, with the foundation of perfection-level first-tier alchemist experience, his control over pill fire and medicinal properties rose by more than just one level!

Although the process was still difficult, compared to the first time, he was clearly much more composed.

The pills formed!

The furnace lid opened. It was still six waste pills.

But this time, the data on the system panel had undergone an earth-shaking change!

[Alchemist: Second Tier (Beginner 0/100)]

[Green Origin Pill (Beginner 1/100)]

"Haha... hahahaha!"

Inside the silent cave residence, Zhao Hao could no longer suppress the wild joy in his heart and burst into hearty, unrestrained laughter.

He had succeeded!

He really had used only the time it took to refine two furnaces of pills to leap from a first-tier alchemist into a true second-tier alchemist!

He looked at the brand-new [Alchemist: Second Tier] entry on the system panel, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

An even bolder, greedier plan frenziedly took root in his heart.

"If... I could get my hands on a third-tier pill formula?"