Lin Changheng carried out every step carefully and precisely, neither hurried nor impatient, like a painter at work, with a certain leisurely grace.
During the Ingredient Blending step, he used his magical power to guide a small jade vial of Fire Crow Essence Blood into the furnace.
Although the Origin Cauldron hummed in response within his sea of consciousness, Lin Changheng remained unmoved.
Alchemy was a hen that laid an endless stream of golden eggs. Taking the blood essence meant for alchemy and absorbing it would be abandoning the root to chase the branches, killing the hen for its eggs!
How could Lin Changheng possibly do that?!
He continued to devote himself to refining the pill.
With Fire Control supporting his already thoroughly mastered theoretical knowledge, putting it into practice went all the more smoothly.
Only when the setting sun was about to sink did Lin Changheng execute the final Pill Collection Hand Seal. Looking at the round pill in the tray, no larger than the tip of his little finger and marked with fiery patterns, his mind felt clear and still.
Was this what I had always pursued before my awakening, the obsession that haunted those ten years of memories like a nightmare?
Now I could refine it as easily as reaching out my hand!
So that was all there was to it!
Lin Changheng had refined from morning until dusk before finally completing the pill.
This was only a Low-Grade First-Tier pill.
And only a single one.
To refine several pills in one batch, he would have to add several portions of ingredients, and the time required would increase accordingly! Master Mo, for instance, had previously refined a batch of ten, but even with his practiced techniques, he had only finished late at night.
Refining a first-tier, mid-grade pill would take two to three days.
A Superior-Grade First-Tier pill would take five days or more to refine.
Lin Changheng had once heard Master Mo mention that second-tier pills took vastly longer to refine. A single batch would take ten days to half a month, and some even required an entire month of uninterrupted refinement.
"Tsk, tsk... if most Second-Tier Pill Masters weren't Foundation Establishment cultivators with greatly extended lifespans, it wouldn't be surprising for a Qi Refining Pill Master to refine pills until he passed away right where he sat."
Muttering to himself, he picked up the tray and was about to push the door open.
Just then, a gentle knock came from outside the Pill Room.
"Shopkeeper?"
Lin Changheng paused. Seeing Xu Qianyou looking as though he had been hesitating over whether to knock, he asked in surprise.
"Guest Official Mo asked you to come over. He has something to tell you, but since you were refining a pill, I was afraid of disrupting your rhythm..."
Xu Qianyou chuckled. "And now you've finished and come out. Perfect timing."
"But even if you didn't succeed, it's all right. Your mindset... hmm?"
Having finished speaking, he instinctively tried to offer a word of comfort, only to notice that Lin Changheng seemed to be in excellent spirits. His aged eyes swept across the tray, and there, unmistakably, sat a perfectly round pill.
The fragrance of a pill wafted over as well.
Shopkeeper Xu's pupils immediately contracted, his beard trembling slightly. "You, you, you... you succeeded? You really succeeded?"
"Inspiration struck, and I was lucky enough to succeed."
Lin Changheng smiled openly.
Xu Qianyou hurried past him into the Pill Room. Sure enough, there was no scorched smell of failed refinement, only the faint medicinal fragrance of a completed pill.
"Excellent! Heaven doesn't let earnest effort go unrewarded. You've finally become a Pill Master!"
He gave Lin Changheng's shoulder a firm pat, deeply moved. Then, beaming with delight, Xu Qianyou took a wooden box from his robes and carefully placed the pill inside. "Once a pill leaves the furnace, you must put it away as soon as possible. It would be a shame to let its medicinal potency dissipate."
He carefully sealed the box and placed it back on Lin Changheng's tray, offering the reminder like a teacher instructing a pupil.
"I've failed so many times that I really did forget about that. Thank you for the reminder, Shopkeeper. I'll take the lesson to heart."
"It's nothing, nothing at all. Your becoming a Pill Master is a joyous occasion for you, for the Xu Family Alchemy Shop, and for our Xu Family. Come, let's go see Master Mo together and report the good news!"
"All right."
Lin Changheng readily agreed.
After returning the other five unused portions of ingredients to storage, Xu Qianyou marveled at Lin Changheng's success rate and sighed in admiration once more.
When the shop assistants heard his words of admiration, every one of them wore an expression of incredulous shock. Their gazes toward Lin Changheng were filled with envy, admiration... and respect.
While Lin Changheng was still a Pill-Refining Apprentice, they could speak to him normally, calling him "Brother Lin" or "Big Brother Lin."
But now that he had truly become a ranked Pill Master, his standing within the clan and the market town would undergo a heaven-and-earth transformation. On seeing him, they would have to bow respectfully and address him as "Pill Master Lin."
As congratulations and compliments reached his ears, Lin Changheng merely shook his head. "Master Mo hasn't confirmed it yet. You mustn't call me a Pill Master."
"Besides, there's no need for this, everyone. We've known each other and worked together for years. Just address me as you always have."
Lin Changheng put on no airs and did not become puffed up with pride. The Xu Family Attendants nodded in agreement and praised him for being open-minded and approachable, yet the respect in their expressions remained plain to see.
He sighed inwardly and could only let them be.
The two went upstairs, and Shopkeeper Xu immediately reported the matter to Master Mo.
Profound astonishment flashed across Master Mo's face as well. Lin Changheng had apprenticed under him for eleven years—a full eleven years. He could be said to know the young man inside and out. Could he really have attained enlightenment overnight and risen to become a Pill Master?
He voiced no doubts and showed no suspicion. Master Mo merely considered his words before saying:
"Tomorrow morning, refine three more batches in front of me as confirmation. As long as one batch succeeds, I can acknowledge your status as a Pill Master and report it to the clan, upgrading your benefits ahead of time. But before you can be exempted from your 'land reclamation' duties, granted a new status within the clan, and assigned new tasks, you will still have to refine pills again before the clan for confirmation. Do you agree?"
"I'll follow your instructions, Master Mo."
Lin Changheng felt the arrangements were reasonable and immediately agreed.
Only after finishing his solemn instructions did Master Mo smile. "With this unexpected turn of events, there's no longer any need to discuss what I originally summoned you for. Go home early today and replenish your strength. Refine well tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you stand on your own and lighten my burden. These old bones of mine really are getting tired... haha!"
With that, he firmly patted Lin Changheng's shoulder in encouragement.
For Master Mo, training a new Pill Master would also earn him considerable rewards.
"I won't let you down, Master Mo." Lin Changheng nodded earnestly, his eyes bright.
Early the next morning.
The Pill Room at the Xu Family Alchemy Shop was already bustling, the heat rising within.
Master Mo brought over a stool and sat in the corner, resting with his eyes closed.
That way, his scrutiny would not needlessly affect Lin Changheng.
"Whoosh!"
The flames inside the furnace suddenly surged, followed by a strong scorched smell.
"You performed the Ingredient Blending too hastily, and your Pill Formula Hand Seals lost their order."
A comment suddenly came from the corner, sounding almost like a reminder.
"Yes!"
Lin Changheng cleaned out the furnace with a steady expression, put away the failed pill, and began another batch.
Master Mo said nothing more.
Inwardly, however, he approved of Lin Changheng's composure.
The second batch began.
This time, Lin Changheng made no deliberate mistakes, and the process went exceptionally smoothly.
"Hum..."
The flames subsided. He executed the Pill Formula Hand Seals, and a completed pill bearing crimson cloud patterns flew from the furnace, guided into the small wooden box prepared beforehand.
At the same time, its fragrance slowly spread, filling the entire Pill Room.
Smelling the fragrance, Master Mo opened his eyes and rose with a chuckle, looking at Lin Changheng in approval.
"Master Mo, fortunately, I haven't failed your expectations!"
Holding the wooden box, Lin Changheng stepped forward to present the pill.