Improved Alchemy Method

In the eyes of Song Huai, Jiang Feng had performed far beyond expectations to bring this batch of pills to such a stage.

Even if he were to fall short at this final step, it would be more than enough to prove his talent.

As long as he continued to hone his skills diligently, becoming a true Alchemist was a certainty.

Seeing that the optimal moment for solidifying the pills was slipping away, he prepared to step in and finish the process for Jiang Feng, bringing this alchemy session to a graceful conclusion.

Yet, at that very moment, Jiang Feng made a move that caught him completely off guard.

Before the pills could solidify, he stood up, walked to the furnace, and threw open the lid.

A massive plume of white smoke billowed out, instantly shrouding the entire room in a thick, hazy fog.

"Jiang Feng! What are you doing!" Song Huai's voice cracked with alarm.

Opening the furnace prematurely was no different from ruining the entire batch. Having spent half his life practicing alchemy, he had never seen anyone lift the lid before the pills were formed.

Jiang Feng had no time to explain. He rapidly circulated his Exquisite Breathing Method, channeled the power of his blood-qi into the furnace, and slammed the lid back on as fast as he could.

Almost at the same instant, Song Huai rushed over, grabbed his wrist, and glared at him with rage that seemed ready to erupt:

"You brat! Everything was going so well, why are you acting like a fool at this critical juncture!"

Jiang Feng had known Song Huai for a long time and understood how obsessive the old man was about alchemy. He could tolerate failure, but he could never tolerate anyone treating the craft as a child's game.

Jiang Feng hurriedly explained:

"Teacher, please don't be angry. Listen to me, I am merely conducting an experiment."

"An experiment? You're conducting an experiment on your first time refining pills? Who gave you the nerve!"

Song Huai was so angry he almost laughed. He even suspected that the confidence he had instilled in the boy had made him arrogant and ignorant of the heights of the world.

He hadn't even learned to walk, yet he was already dreaming of flying.

But since things had reached this point, losing his temper would solve nothing. He suppressed his fury and asked through gritted teeth:

"Then tell me, what kind of experiment are you doing?"

Seeing the anger in his eyes begin to subside, Jiang Feng breathed a secret sigh of relief, steadied himself, and said earnestly:

"While observing you refine pills, I discovered something.

The key to solidifying Blood-Qi Pills lies in whether one can lock the medicinal properties at the exact moment the blood-qi within the herbs reaches its peak.

Too early, and the medicinal properties haven't fully fused, resulting in waste; too late, and the properties leak out, leading to low-quality pills or even the risk of the furnace exploding.

However, the changes within each pill vary, so to be safe, one usually stops the furnace as soon as the first pill forms. But by doing this, the total yield is greatly reduced."

Song Huai listened with a furrowed brow, the anger on his face fading away before he even realized it.

He had assumed Jiang Feng didn't understand the principles of refining Blood-Qi Pills and was just messing around, but hearing this, he realized he had underestimated the boy.

Everything Jiang Feng said was logical and struck directly at the pain point of refining Blood-Qi Pills.

He had noticed this issue long ago and had tried to improve it using special herbs, but every attempt had failed, and he had eventually been forced to give up.

However, he had never mentioned any of this to Jiang Feng before.

Song Huai cast a suspicious glance at Jiang Feng, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny:

"Did you figure all this out on your own?"

Jiang Feng nodded, then shook his head, answering honestly:

"Half of it I observed, the other half I guessed."

Song Huai was almost amused by the answer.

Guessed? How could he be so bold as to say he guessed it?

But upon second thought, he didn't say anything more.

To be able to guess to this extent at least showed that the boy had his own line of reasoning, which was far better than those who only knew how to blindly imitate others.

If an Alchemist lacked independent critical thinking, they would never reach the pinnacle of the Dao of Alchemy.

He suppressed his mixed feelings and asked:

"What you said just now counts as a lucky guess, but what was the meaning of your actions just now?"

Seeing that the anger had left Song Huai's face, replaced by a spark of inquisitive curiosity, Jiang Feng smiled and explained earnestly:

"Teacher, I have been pondering one thing.

That is, whether it is possible to prolong the solidification process of the Blood-Qi Pills.

If I can drag it out for just a moment longer, I can preserve as many pills as possible, and the final yield will increase significantly."

At this point, he paused, glanced at Zhang Yong and Zhang Yang, who were eavesdropping nearby, and said sternly:

"You two, get out. I have something to discuss with the teacher in private."

Although Zhang Yong and Zhang Yang didn't fully understand what was being said, they had been listening intently. Being dismissed by Jiang Feng in such a commanding tone left them feeling deeply displeased.

Alchemist Song lets you boss him around, and now you're bossing us around too?

The two looked at Song Huai with resentment, hoping he would reprimand Jiang Feng on the spot.

To their shock, Song Huai lashed out at them, his voice deep and sharp, as if shooing away flies:

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear Jiang Feng? Get out! You two idiots!"

The two dared not harbor any more defiance and scrambled out of the Alchemy Room.

With the room finally quiet, Song Huai nodded, his tone carrying a rare sense of gravity:

"Alright, we're alone now. You can speak."

Jiang Feng nodded and continued calmly:

"Teacher, I thought of a method: using blood-qi as a buffer. I injected it into the furnace just before the solidification moment to wrap around the unformed pills.

This way, the unformed pills have more time to set, and those already formed won't cause accidents due to leaking blood-qi.

The number of finished pills should increase significantly, and the difficulty of solidification will be greatly reduced."

Song Huai did not speak immediately, falling into silence as he muttered to himself:

"Blood-qi and Blood-Qi Pills are essentially the same in origin and do not repel each other, so there shouldn't be any violent reaction. This method actually seems to have some merit."

Even with his half-lifetime of experience, he couldn't outright dismiss Jiang Feng's idea, and he even faintly felt that what the boy said had some validity.

After a moment of contemplation, he looked up, stared intently at Jiang Feng, and asked slowly:

"How can you be sure that your method will work?"

Jiang Feng smiled and pointed to the large furnace, which was still radiating intense heat:

"Teacher, the solidification should be finished by now. Open the lid, and we will know whether it worked or not."

Song Huai thought about it and realized he was right.

The result was right there in the furnace; there was no need for further debate.

He strode to the furnace and, without waiting for Jiang Feng, threw open the lid himself.

A wave of scorching white smoke, carrying a strange and fragrant medicinal scent, rushed toward him.

Just by smelling it, the heavy weight in Song Huai's heart lifted by half. He could conclude that there were definitely Blood-Qi Pills formed inside.

This batch of alchemy was, without a doubt, a success.

The only thing he wasn't sure about yet was exactly how many had been produced.