After the Speed Clan and the Nine Heart Begonia officially Pill Pavilion, Feng Lingtian's first thought was not to expand production, but to keep it a secret.
Both families are trustworthy. Bai He is an old friend of his mother's, Mother Ye is a grateful clan leader; he trusts their character. But trust is trust, and rules are rules.
The Pill Pavilion will grow larger and larger, and more and more people will join. Relying solely on personal relationships and trust cannot sustain a force for long-term development. The core formula must be firmly kept in our own hands and cannot be leaked.
Verbal promises alone are not enough; he needs to put a "shackle" on the alchemy team—not targeting anyone in particular, but so that the Pill Pavilion can continue to thrive in the long run.
In the days before everyone had arrived, Feng Lingtian locked himself in the alchemy room, constantly pondering how to achieve this "shackle".
He kept looking through the effects of various herbs and discovered that the Soul-Sealing Flower locks the mind and the Oath Heart Lotus a contract. If the two medicinal properties could be properly combined, they would surely be able to form a restriction between the mind and the Martial Soul.
Feng Lingtian didn't procrastinate and immediately got to work. He repeatedly adjusted the proportions, and the waste dregs piled up into a small mountain on the table.
Finally, late at night on the third day, Feng Lingtian looked up from a pile of discarded formula drafts, holding a few small, dark gray pills in his hand. He was overjoyed; this "shackle" had finally been forged!
However, Feng Lingtian did not rush into a decision, but instead chose to experience it for himself.
He first poured himself a glass of warm water, swallowed the pill, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, quietly sensing every change in the medicine's effects as it dissolved in his body.
The medicinal properties of the Soul-Sealing Flower are like a fine net, sliding down the throat and slowly tightening along the meridians, weaving a subtle force field around the heart.
The feeling was neither painful nor itchy, just a slight tightness, as if an invisible thread was gently wrapped around the heart. The medicinal properties of the Oath Heart Lotus were even gentler, carrying a cool sensation that passed through the chest, along the meridians upwards, and gently trembled at the center of the brow, faintly connecting with the Martial Soul.
Feng Lingtian tried to recall the ingredients in the prescription—not that he actually wanted to say it aloud, but he just mentally went through the names. As soon as the thought arose, the force field around his heart tightened slightly. It didn't hurt, but it gave him a clear sense of warning.
He withdrew his thought, and the force field loosened accordingly. He tried several times, and each time it was the same—as long as he didn't have the thought of "leaking secrets," the restriction remained quietly dormant, without affecting any normal thinking or Soul Power circulation.
No side effects were found so far, there were no fluctuations in Soul Power, and it did not affect cultivation, so it was finally confirmed.
Feng Lingtian put the remaining pills into a small white jade bottle, blew out the lamp, and lay down fully clothed to rest for two hours.
On the morning of the fourth day, the eight alchemists selected by the two clans arrived.
Feng Lingtian called them into the alchemy room and, without any further preamble, placed the small white jade bottle directly on the table.
"The pill inside is called the Heart-Sealing Pill. After taking it, a contract will be planted in your mind. If you even have the thought of revealing the pill's formula, you will suffer angina; if you forcefully utter even a single word, your Martial Soul will shatter on the spot, rendering you a cripple."
The eight people listened quietly, without interrupting.
Feng Lingtian looked at them, his tone calm but serious. "I have explained the effects clearly. You can decide for yourselves whether to take it or not. Taking this pill will allow you to the Pill Pavilion's alchemy team and gain access to core pill formulas."
If you don't want to take it, I completely understand and won't force you. But for the Pill Pavilion to continue in the long run, the core pill formulas must be preserved. I'm sorry, those who haven't taken any pills cannot enter the alchemy room.
However, since you were all chosen by both races, and you have strengths in other areas, the Pill Pavilion will also assign you suitable tasks, so that your trip won't be in vain."
The elderly pharmacist with gray hair was the first to step forward. He poured out a pill from his bottle and weighed it in his palm. He smiled faintly, then without hesitation, tossed the pill into his mouth.
"I've lived most of my life, what secrets haven't I kept? Just adding another lock is enough, to prevent me from getting confused in my old age."
The remaining people stepped forward one by one. A young man from the Nine Heart Begonia group was fourth in line. His hand trembled slightly when he picked up the pill, but he still swallowed it.
After taking it, he pondered for a while, but didn't seem to feel anything special. He began to wonder – was this pill really that miraculous?
He couldn't help but try to recall the ingredients in the prescription, but before he could finish his thought, his heart suddenly clenched, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. He clutched his chest and groaned, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.
The old pharmacist beside him glanced at him and said in a calm tone, "Young man, don't joke around with your Martial Soul."
The young man quickly suppressed the inappropriate thoughts in his mind, his face turning pale, and dared not think about it anymore. Seeing this, the rest of the people, no longer willing to risk their lives, swallowed the pills without any hesitation.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all eight Heart-Sealing Pill were swallowed. No one suffered angina, and no one's Martial Soul was shattered—because they had made preparations before coming and genuinely wanted to stay in the Pill Pavilion.
Feng Lingtian nodded without offering any words of thanks. He divided the eight people into two groups: one group was responsible for the mass production of the Meridian-Warming Pill, and the other group was responsible for the Soul-Fortifying Pill.
The fire in the alchemy room was reignited, and the eight alchemists took their positions and began operating according to the procedure instructions.
Some people were grinding the medicinal herbs, some were weighing and mixing them, and some were watching the fire from the stove.
A faint medicinal fragrance permeated the courtyard, mingling with the morning mist, creating a quiet and orderly atmosphere.
But this is just the beginning.
The alchemy room in the Godwind Academy was temporarily converted, with limited space and inconvenient storage of medicinal herbs. For the Pill Pavilion to develop in the long term, it needs a dedicated space.
This venue cannot be located within the academy, nor on the territory of any faction; it belongs to the Pill Pavilion itself.
Feng Lingtian left the alchemy room under the supervision of the old pharmacist and left the academy, spending half a day walking around Godwind City. He inspected three places.
The first location is in the west of the city, facing the street with an eye-catching storefront, but it is surrounded by residential buildings, making it inconvenient for vehicles transporting medicinal herbs to enter and exit.
The second location is in the city center, a good location, but it's next to someone else's granary, making it difficult to prevent rat infestation. If the medicinal herbs are damaged, the entire batch is ruined.
The third location is in the east of the city. It is an abandoned mansion with two courtyards. The front is a street, and the back has a small alley leading directly out of the city. Carts carrying medicinal herbs can park directly at the back door to unload their goods.
Feng Lingtian pushed open the gate of the mansion and walked in. The front yard was spacious, with neatly paved bluestone slabs. There were three wing rooms on each side, which could be converted into warehouses for sorting and storing medicinal herbs.
The main hall has a high ceiling and good lighting, making it suitable for conversion into a pill refining hall. Even with seven or eight furnaces, it wouldn't feel crowded.
The backyard is relatively quiet; the side rooms are suitable for formula research and elixir testing, while the main house can be used as a place for meetings and rest. There is also a row of low houses around the house, which can be converted into dormitories for alchemists with a little renovation.
Feng Lingtian stood in the courtyard for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, looking over every corner.
He mentally reviewed every detail: how to arrange the front yard, how to allocate the back yard, how to place the furnaces in the alchemy hall, which door the medicinal herbs would enter through, and which door the finished products would exit through. The location wasn't too remote, and it wasn't far from the Godwind Academy, making it convenient to travel back and forth. He nodded, having made his decision, and returned to the academy first.
As evening fell, Feng Xiaotian came to find him in the alchemy room. The two stood in the courtyard, watching the shadow of the old locust tree stretch long in the setting sun. Feng Xiaotian handed him a cup of hot tea, which Feng Lingtian took and drank a sip before suddenly speaking.
"Brother, the alchemists are in place, and the security system is in place. I've seen that house; I'll take you there another day. The framework of the Pill Pavilion is truly complete today."
Feng Xiaotian glanced at him, said nothing, and simply patted him on the shoulder.
The lights on the training ground in the distance lit up one by one, the lock on the Heart-Sealing Pill, the fire in the alchemy furnace, and that house in the east of the city— Feng Lingtian had already renamed that house in his mind. He called it the Pill Pavilion.