ATPnovel Chapter 74 Foundation Building in 3 Steps
Chapter 74 Foundation Building in 3 Steps
After traveling for half a month, he finally returned to Qingyun Mountain.
Lanruo Temple still stands atop the mountain, its green bricks and gray tiles nestled among the evergreen pines and cypresses.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the temple rooftops, gilding everything with a warm golden hue.
Standing at the mountain gate, Zhou Ning looked at the familiar temple and felt a long-lost sense of peace welling up in his heart.
"Master, your disciple has returned."
He entered the main hall.
Yan Chixia was meditating when he heard footsteps and opened his eyes.
"You're back?"
Zhou Ning nodded and took out the dragon's saliva grass, thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom, earth core fire lotus, and cold pool water from his bag, placing them one by one on the incense table.
"Master, I have found all the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill."
Yan Chixia stood up, walked to the incense table, and carefully examined the four kinds of spiritual herbs.
"The ambergris is of sufficient age. The thousand-year-old lingzhi is of superior quality. The earth's core fire lotus is in full bloom. The water of the cold pool is pure and flawless."
He nodded.
"Excellent, all top-quality."
He turned around, looked at Zhou Ning, and said with satisfaction, "You've had a long journey."
Zhou Ning shook his head:
"This disciple has not worked hard. I am able to collect these materials thanks to Master's guidance."
Yan Chixia waved his hand:
Stop flattering me. We have the materials; now it's time to refine the pills.
He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning:
"This is the 'Method for Refining Foundation Building Pills.' Take it and study it. In three days, I will teach you how to refine pills."
Zhou Ning accepted the jade slip and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."
He left the main hall and returned to his residence.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he probed the jade slip with his divine sense and studied it carefully.
The refining of the Foundation Building Pill involves three steps.
Purification, fusion, and condensation.
Purification is the process of removing impurities from a medicinal herb, leaving only its essence.
Fusion is the process of mixing the essence of four medicinal herbs in a certain proportion.
Ningdan refers to the process of condensing mixed medicinal liquids into a pill.
Each step requires extremely precise control and extensive experience.
The slightest mistake could undo all the previous efforts, turning the elixir to ashes.
Zhou Ning was so engrossed in watching that he didn't realize it, and it was already broad daylight.
He rubbed his sore eyes and got up to stretch his muscles.
"Alchemy is much more difficult than drawing talismans."
But he did not back down.
To break through the Foundation Establishment stage, one must learn no matter how difficult it is.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Ning studied the jade slip containing the "Method of Refining Foundation Building Pills" dozens of times, memorizing every step and every detail.
He even simulated the alchemy process countless times in his mind, from purification to fusion to condensation, repeatedly deducing each step.
But a simulation is still just a simulation.
True alchemy requires hands-on practice and precise control over feel, heat, and timing.
If one is not careful, a batch of precious medicinal herbs will turn to ashes.
"Are you ready?"
Yan Chixia stood at the door of the alchemy room, looking at him expressionlessly.
Zhou Ning took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "This disciple is ready."
The alchemy room is located on the back mountain of Lanruo Temple; it is a small stone chamber.
In the center of the stone chamber stands an ancient alchemy furnace, bronze in color and covered with intricate runes.
Below the alchemy furnace, there is a fire port that can be used to adjust the heat.
Yan Chixia walked to the alchemy furnace, reached out and touched the furnace wall, and said calmly:
"This alchemy furnace is the one I used in my early years. Although it's not a divine artifact, it's sufficient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills."
He took out a fiery red crystal from his sleeve and placed it into the fire pit beneath the alchemy furnace.
"This is a fire crystal, which can generate stable high temperatures. When refining pills, the intensity of the heat is crucial. If it's too high, the medicinal herbs will burn; if it's too low, the essence within the herbs cannot be extracted."
Zhou Ning nodded and took out the dragon's saliva grass, thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom, earth core fire lotus and cold pool water from his bag and placed them one by one on the table next to the alchemy furnace.
The four medicinal herbs each exude their own unique aura.
The fragrance of ambergris is delicate and elegant, the aroma of thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum is rich and strong, the fire lotus in the earth's core is warm as fire, and the water in the cold pool is icy cold.
"The first step is purification."
Yan Chixia said, "Let's start with the dragon's saliva grass."
Zhou Ning picked up the dragon's saliva grass and, following the method in the jade slip, condensed his true essence in his palm and carefully wrapped the spiritual grass.
Then, he put the dragon's saliva grass into the alchemy furnace, covered the furnace, and lit the earth fire crystal.
Flames ignited, and the temperature of the alchemy furnace began to rise.
Zhou Ning probed the alchemy furnace with his divine sense, sensing the changes in the dragon's saliva grass.
As the grass leaves withered under the high temperature, their essence began to seep out, turning into a drop of crystal-clear liquid.
"Control the heat; it can't be too fast, nor too slow," Yan Chixia instructed from the side.
Zhou Ning gritted his teeth and carefully adjusted the firepower.
The flames fluctuated in size, and the temperature inside the furnace changed accordingly.
The drop of liquid spun slowly in the alchemy furnace, gradually becoming pure.
After an incense stick's time, the essence of the ambergris was finally purified.
Zhou Ning opened the furnace lid, took out the drop of liquid, and put it into a jade bottle.
"good."
Yan Chixia nodded.
"continue."
Next up is the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum.
Reishi mushroom is more difficult to purify than ambergris.
Its medicinal properties are complex, containing multiple components, and require extraction in stages.
Following the method in the jade slip, Zhou Ning first sliced the Ganoderma lucidum into thin slices, placed them in the alchemy furnace, and slowly roasted them over a low flame.
The Ganoderma lucidum slices gradually change color under high temperature and emit a rich medicinal aroma.
Zhou Ning probed the alchemy furnace with his divine sense, carefully sensing the changes in each piece of Ganoderma lucidum.
"Take it a little easier," Yan Chixia said.
Zhou Ning turned down the heat, and the temperature inside the alchemy furnace slowly decreased.
Impurities in the Ganoderma lucidum slices began to leach out, turning into black smoke that drifted out from the vent of the alchemy furnace.
After another incense stick's time, the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum was finally purified.
Zhou Ning opened the furnace lid, took out a ball of golden liquid, and put it into another jade bottle.
"The Fire Lotus from the Earth's Core and the Water from the Frozen Pool need to be purified simultaneously."
Yan Chixia said, "These two herbs have conflicting properties, so a balance must be maintained during purification."
Zhou Ning took a deep breath and simultaneously placed the Earth Core Fire Lotus and the water from the Cold Pool into the alchemy furnace.
Flames ignited, and the temperature inside the alchemy furnace rose rapidly.
The Earth Core Fire Lotus melted rapidly under high temperatures, turning into a ball of fiery red liquid.
Meanwhile, the water in the cold pool began to boil, releasing white steam.
The two forces collided in the alchemy furnace, producing a hissing sound.
Zhou Ning split his divine sense into two streams, simultaneously sensing the changes in the two medicines.
He carefully adjusted the firepower to maintain a balance between the two.
The fire is too big; the water in the cold pool will evaporate completely.
The fire was too small; the Earth Core Fire Lotus could not be completely melted.
Zhou Ning's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his hands trembled slightly.
But he didn't give up; he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Finally, the Fire Lotus from the Earth's Core and the water from the icy pool were purified simultaneously.
A fiery red liquid and an icy blue liquid swirled slowly in the alchemy furnace, without interfering with each other.
Zhou Ning opened the furnace lid, took out the two clumps of liquid, and put them into two jade bottles.
"Purification complete."
Yan Chixia said, "Next is the fusion."
Fusion is the process of mixing the essence of four medicinal herbs in a certain proportion.
Ambergris, thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, earth core fire lotus, and water from the cold pool—each has different medicinal properties. They must be mixed with extreme care, otherwise, they may cause a conflict and lead to an explosion.
Zhou Ning poured the four liquids into the alchemy furnace in sequence, covered the furnace, and ignited the earth fire crystal.
Flames ignited, and the temperature inside the alchemy furnace began to rise.
The four liquids gradually merged at high temperature, and the color changed from transparent to milky white, and then from milky white to light gold.
Zhou Ning probed the alchemy furnace with his divine sense, sensing the changes in the medicinal liquid.
He carefully adjusted the firepower, controlling the speed of the fusion.
"Slow down."
Yan Chixia said, "It's too fast, the furnace will explode."
Zhou Ning slowed down, allowing the medicinal liquid to slowly mix.
One stick of incense, two sticks of incense, three sticks of incense...
Finally, the medicinal liquids were fully combined, turning into a ball of golden liquid that slowly spun in the alchemy furnace.
"The final step: condensing the elixir."
Yan Chixia said, "This is the most crucial step. When condensing the pill, the medicinal liquid needs to be solidified to form the pill. The heat must be intense, but the time must be short. If you are not careful, the pill will be ruined."