ATPnovel Chapter 41 Refining the Pill
Chapter 41 Refining the Pill
A master of Daoist alchemy once said, "If you cannot cultivate your vital essence, you can talk about anything else in vain."
This is because although the elixir is simple, it encompasses all the key elements of alchemy: selecting ingredients, controlling the fire, adding medicine, condensing the elixir, and opening the furnace—each step must be taken seriously.
Zhang Lin opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
He took out high-quality charcoal from his storage bag and placed it at the bottom of the furnace.
The charcoal is the color of black jade, with a dense texture. It is a top-grade product of Xuanluzhai. It costs ten spirit stones per box, is durable and smokeless, and has a stable fire.
With his right hand forming a hand seal, a tiny flame shot from his fingertip and landed on the charcoal.
With a soft "poof," the charcoal ignited, the flames a pale blue-green, steady and gentle, neither too strong nor too weak.
Zhang Lin used his internal energy to control the fire, slowly raising the furnace temperature.
On the body of the hundred-refined bronze furnace, the texture of the hundred-refined bronze seems to come alive, slowly flowing as the temperature rises.
The reddish-gold furnace body gleamed with a faint, ethereal light, evenly distributing heat to every corner of the furnace cavity.
This is the wonder of a top-grade magic weapon, the alchemy furnace.
In ordinary alchemy furnaces, the temperature distribution is uneven; often the furnace core has already boiled while the furnace walls are still warm.
Those who refine elixirs must constantly stir the medicinal liquid with their true qi; the slightest carelessness will cause the medicinal properties to become unbalanced, ruining the elixir and injuring the person.
The hundred-refined bronze furnace conducts heat extremely evenly, and the temperature in every part of the furnace cavity is exactly the same.
Zhang Lin sensed that the furnace temperature had reached the required level. With a flick of his right hand, the twenty-year-old spirit orchid on the table flew up and fell into the furnace.
When the orchid grass is heated, its leaves quickly curl up, the juice evaporates, and it turns into a ball of emerald green liquid that slowly tumbles in the furnace.
He dared not be distracted, his eyes fixed on the medicinal liquid in the furnace. He controlled the fire with his right hand and made a hand seal with his left, using his inner energy to guide the flow of the medicinal liquid so that it was heated evenly.
Fifteen minutes later, the essence of the orchid was fully released, and the liquid changed from emerald green to light blue, becoming clear and transparent without any impurities.
Zhang Lin nodded secretly.
The properties of the pill, refined through a hundred processes, were already evident at this moment.
When refining the Qi-Nourishing Pill in an ordinary alchemy furnace, the utilization rate of the essence of the Spirit Orchid Grass is only about 50%, with most of the medicinal power being lost during the heating process.
This hundred-times-refined bronze furnace perfectly preserves the medicinal power of the Linglan herb, with an essence utilization rate of at least 90%.
With a flick of his right hand, he sent the Qi-gathering grass into the furnace.
The herb "Juqicao" is highly toxic; it explodes when heated, splattering medicinal liquid everywhere.
Zhang Lin was prepared. He made a hand seal with his left hand, and a barrier of true energy enveloped the exploded medicinal liquid, slowly pressing it back into the furnace.
This step is the most challenging in terms of fire control.
If the heat is too high, the medicinal properties of the herbs will be completely destroyed; if the heat is too low, the medicinal liquid will not be fully extracted, resulting in insufficient medicinal power.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and the Qi-gathering grass transformed into a milky white liquid, which slowly merged with the pale blue liquid of the Spirit Orchid Grass.
When the two liquids met, a hissing sound came from the furnace, the liquid churned and sparkled.
Finally, there is the dew-covered flower.
Dewdrop flowers are cold in nature and melt when heated, making them the easiest to handle.
Zhang Lin threw it into the furnace, and in less than a quarter of an hour, it turned into a transparent liquid, crystal clear, like morning dew.
The three clumps of medicinal liquid converged in the furnace, their blue, white, and transparent colors intertwining as they slowly rotated and gradually merged into one.
Zhang Lin took a deep breath and added the last ingredient, Trifoliate Orange.
Next comes the most crucial step: condensing the elixir.
He made hand seals and gently poured his true energy into the furnace, guiding the medicinal liquid to flow slowly, compress, and condense within the furnace cavity.
Guided by true qi, the medicinal liquid gradually changed from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, and then gradually solidified into a solid state.
The furnace shone brightly, and the aroma of medicine filled the air.
The medicinal fragrance was clear and sweet, and smelling it made one feel refreshed and invigorated. The true energy in one's dantian stirred slightly, as if it were being stimulated by the fragrance.
Zhang Lin was overjoyed.
The aroma of the medicine is so strong; this batch of pills is complete.
He slowly withdrew his inner energy, and the flames in the furnace gradually died down.
Once the furnace temperature dropped to room temperature, he reached out and lifted the furnace lid.
Twelve pills lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace, each about the size of a thumb, pure white, with a faint glow flowing across their surface.
Its fragrance is rich and refreshing, making it a top-grade Qi-nourishing pill.
Zhang Lin picked one up and brought it close to his eyes for a closer look.
The pills were round and smooth, with a pure color and no impurities.
I held it to my nose and smelled it. The aroma of the medicine was clear and refreshing, without any burnt smell or dregs.
He then placed the pill on the tip of his tongue and gently licked it.
The medicine was mild, melting in the mouth and flowing down the throat into the abdomen. The true qi in the dantian trembled slightly, as if nourished by the medicine.
"Good pill."
Zhang Lin nodded in satisfaction.
The quality of this batch of Qi-Nourishing Pills is comparable to the Qi-Nourishing Pills he strengthened with the system.
Its medicinal effects are so strong that one pill is equivalent to three ordinary first-grade Peiyuan pills.
This is thanks to the hundred-times-refined bronze furnace.
Without this top-grade magic weapon alchemy furnace, based on his alchemy experience, it would have been a stroke of luck if he could refine ordinary-grade pills in his first batch; there would have been absolutely no chance of directly refining a first-grade superior pill.
And this is not the limit; he has a system to further enhance it.
[Nourishing Essence Pill, Grade 1, Superior. Effects: Greatly increases cultivation speed during the Qi Refining stage for three days; can be enhanced. Consumes: 10 spirit stones.]
[Enhanced Effect: Supreme-grade Nourishing Essence Pill. Doubles efficacy, halves erysipelas; eight pills can be taken consecutively over a month without accumulating erysipelas.]
Ten spirit stones.
Zhang Lin pondered for a moment, then took out ten spirit stones and enhanced one of them.
The spiritual light flowed into the pill, and fine golden lines appeared on the surface of the emerald green pill, like the veins of a leaf. The fragrance of the pill became more subtle, and it was almost impossible to smell.
[Premium Qi Cultivation Pill. Efficacy: Doubles the cultivation speed in the later stages of Qi Refining within three days. Mild in effect, leaves no residual toxins, and can be taken continuously.]
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhang Lin's eyes.
One top-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill is equivalent to two superior-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills, and most importantly, the toxicity of the pill is reduced by half.
The cost of strengthening it is only ten spirit stones.
He has enough spirit stones on hand to support his long-term use.
He put away the alchemy furnace, sat cross-legged, took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill, and put it in his mouth.
As the pill entered the abdomen, its medicinal power dissipated, and a warm spiritual energy rose from the abdomen, flowing to the limbs and bones, and converging into the dantian.
Within his dantian, the true qi mist surged, and the five drops of liquid true qi at the core trembled slightly, slowly growing stronger under the nourishment of the medicinal power.
Zhang Lin closed his eyes and focused his energy, fully activating the "Shangqing Yinqi Jue" (a technique for guiding qi to the upper reaches of the body).
The true energy flows slowly along the meridians. With each complete cycle, the medicinal power is refined to a certain extent, and the true energy in the dantian grows stronger.
Over the next two days, Zhang Lin went out and bought a batch of spiritual herbs, and also refined two batches of Qi-Nourishing Pills and Qi-Returning Pills.
The formula for the Qi-Returning Pill differs from that of the Yuan-Nourishing Pill. Its main ingredient is the Qi-Returning Fruit, supplemented with spiritual spring water and three-leaf green.
The refining methods are also slightly different; the Qi-restoring pill requires a higher temperature and the time for pill condensation is shorter.
The first batch produced eight pills, all of the highest grade.
The second batch produced nine pills, all of the highest grade.
Zhang Lin tried one, and its effects were astonishing. One Qi-restoring pill could restore 30% of one's true qi within ten breaths.
In the midst of a battle, this is a lifesaver.
He also enhanced two bottles of Qi-restoring pills, each consuming ten spirit stones, turning them into top-grade Qi-restoring pills.
[Premium Qi-Restoring Pill. Effects: Restores 50% of true qi within five breaths. Mild effect, no side effects.]
Five breaths restored 50%.
Zhang Lin put the pill into his storage bag with satisfaction.
Three days of alchemy, three batches of Qi-Nourishing Pills, two batches of Qi-Returning Pills, all without failure, achieving a 100% success rate.
This is considered a miracle in the world of alchemy.
Even for inner disciples of the Danxia Sect, when they first started learning alchemy, being able to complete one out of ten batches was already considered a gift.
It is unheard of for someone to succeed perfectly on their first attempt.