Chapter 20 - First Alchemy

  At this time, Long Xuan had no idea that he was being mocked, and the mockery was aimed at his most cherished fantasies.

  Seeing that the little medicine boy was so stubborn, he stopped trying to persuade him.

  "You can exchange my Resilient Roach Gu, but my Resilient Roach Gu is no longer worth 10,000 spirit stones."

  "How about this? Give me 10 of each waste pill as compensation for the price difference."

  The little medicine boy nodded eagerly. Not to mention giving him a few insignificant waste pills, he would rush to agree even if asked to pay another 100,000 spirit stones.

  "It seems you really don't have the ability to turn waste pills into treasures; otherwise, you would have taken all of my waste pills instead of just 10 of each," the little medicine boy smiled, picking up some of the waste pills and throwing them into a green, three-legged alchemy furnace from his storage bag. He then handed the furnace to Long Xuan.

  Long Xuan glanced at him and took out a small bottle of Resilient Roach Gu from his insect breeding bag, tossing it to the little medicine boy.

  The little medicine boy happily accepted the vial, verifying its authenticity with a blood test on the spot, and swiftly began to pack up his stall.

  To him, the waste pills were now treasures, and only a fool would sell them.

  At this moment, the scarred strong man who had been arguing with the little medicine boy stood dumbfounded. He hadn't expected anyone to desire these waste pills. The world was vast, and its wonders endless.

  Just as Long Xuan was about to leave, the strong man hurriedly intercepted him and said, "Young friend, please wait. I too wish to trade for Resilient Roach Gu. I am willing to trade with spiritual herbs."

  "These were all gathered by me in the mountains. You may choose whatever you wish."

  With a flattering smile, he tossed a storage bag to Long Xuan, fearing he might flee.

  Observing his demeanor, Long Xuan deduced this man had a strong fondness for Resilient Roach Gu.

  Knowing the cost of Resilient Roach Gu was minimal, and with plenty still in his insect breeding bag, he casually took the storage bag from the burly man and inspected its contents. To his luck, it contained all three spiritual herbs he sought, in abundant supply. It was truly a stroke of luck.

  Showing his satisfaction, Long Xuan emptied the spiritual herbs into his own storage bag, leaving none behind. He then tossed the now-empty bag back to the man along with a small bottle of Resilient Roach Gu.

  ...

  By the time Long Xuan returned from the market, it was already late into the night. Many had sought to trade for Resilient Roach Gu with him, and bargaining with impoverished casual cultivators had taken time.

  Nevertheless, the harvest was rewarding. Having exhausted his treasury in crafting the Eye of Heaven earlier, this time, selling a batch of Resilient Roach Gu had replenished his coffers significantly.

  He foresaw the Ice God Flame project ahead would be resource-intensive. Should he endeavor to refine it, the required materials would likely cost a fortune. Thus, he resolved to save spirit stones diligently and make preparations beforehand.

  Although night had fallen, the materials for the Hundred Flowers Pill were now gathered. With everything set, he could finally attempt refining the pill for the first time.

  Eager and filled with anticipation, Long Xuan couldn't fathom falling asleep without first refining the pill.

  Decisively, he retrieved the alchemy furnace and set it upon the ground, commencing his inaugural pill-refining endeavor.

  Having observed the old man, while he may not excel in other forms of alchemy, he had thoroughly mastered the Hundred Flowers Pill.

  Requiring a full hundred spiritual flowers as ingredients, this pill's quality was naturally superior. Its medicinal potency would assuredly be first-rate.

  Following the technique he had pilfered from the old man, he activated both fire and wood attributes—wood beneath and fire above—conjuring a wisp of flame within his palm.

  To become an alchemist, one must meet three criteria: possess fire and wood attributes, boast a robust innate soul, and wield precise control over spiritual fire.

  These stringent requisites deterred most from crossing into alchemical realms, admitting only the most exceptional candidates.

  Such exacting standards rendered alchemists a rare breed in this world, elevating their status to lofty heights.

  Of course, Long Xuan surpassed these stipulations by far, his aptitude for alchemy tantamount to genius.

  When one door closed, another often opened.

  Indeed, while Long Xuan's soul was insufficient for bearing an alchemy furnace, he could nonetheless rest it gently upon the ground.

  Thereafter, he guided the flame from his palm into the furnace, employing his soul power to lower it gently onto the furnace's base, where it began to warm.

  The first stage of alchemy mandated high temperatures for purging impurities from spiritual herbs, distilling their essence and discarding dross.

  Given most substances within spiritual herbs were superfluous, an alchemist required mastery over flame, able to sear away impurities yet retain only the essence of medicinal fluids. This proved exceedingly challenging.

  Too low a temperature liquefied impurities, blending them with the essence. Too high scorched both, rendering their separation nigh impossible.

  Moreover, varying spiritual herbs demanded distinct temperatures, even those ostensibly identical. Thus, precise temperature modulation at differing junctures was imperative—a formidable feat few mastered.

  This initial hurdle baffled most alchemists, resulting in numerous failures.

  Even the experienced Long Lao often incinerated spiritual herbs in the attempt, squandering precious resources.

  Consequently, Long Xuan appreciated this hurdle's severity, pledging utmost vigilance and concentration, leaving no room for oversight.

  Having steadied his resolve, he noticed the furnace had warmed sufficiently. Thus, he plucked a spiritual herb and cast it within.

  Yet, as he prepared to intensify the heat, an astonishing development ensued.

  The furnace indicated a purification progress—currently at 0%.

  Long Xuan inhaled deeply, scarcely believing his eyes.

  He recollected a similar occurrence during his initial Gu refinement.

  Evidently, his golden finger didn't merely discern life from death but extended to ongoing activities as well.

  Thus, refining a Gu, medicinal herb, or indeed an elixir exhibited proportional progress.

  Such revelation expanded the finger's upper limit, eliciting Long Xuan's profound excitement.

  Henceforth, refining the arduous purification phase appeared simple.

  Clear progression attested to correct operation, necessitating steady maintenance.

  Abrupt regression or vanishing progress signified errors, mandating prompt temperature adjustment.

  With error notifications, purifying spiritual herbs now seemed effortless for Long Xuan.

  Subsequent developments transpired without mishap.

  Where others perceived difficulty, Long Xuan discerned simplicity.

  A novice refining his inaugural spiritual herb, he not only avoided errors but succeeded effortlessly. Incredible, wouldn't you agree?

  Were other alchemy apprentices privy to this, they'd surely marvel.

  Gazing at the elixir essence now bottled, Long Xuan felt as if in a reverie.

  Was it truly this straightforward?