Chapter 34: Minor Success in Alchemy

Weighing the gains and losses, he then reflected on the insights he gained while refining this batch of Fasting Pills.

Unconsciously, he had picked up various alchemical techniques, subtly influencing him day by day. It had left his mind somewhat adrift, and now, with the completion of the refinement, his shortcomings quietly surfaced.

Take, for instance, the four basic methods of refining—Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. They seemed simple on the surface, but when it came to processing herbs with different medicinal properties, the possible variations were beyond counting.

When combining various herbs in the same cauldron and tempering them with earth-fire, their differing potencies and natures would naturally interact—sometimes harmoniously, sometimes in conflict. It was impossible for all to coexist perfectly.

Contemplating this, Qin Chuan grew silent. The Fasting Pill required three primary herbs and eight auxiliaries—a total of eleven ingredients. How many interactions and contradictions lay hidden among them?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered his first morning lesson during spirit-calling, when he read an obscure herbal treatise. The author of that book claimed that, upon consuming a single herb, he could instantly perceive all its medicinal qualities—a truly astonishing ability.

Qin Chuan gazed at the herbs in his hand, and the stone chamber fell into a dreadful silence.

He picked up a stalk of Starfall Grass and placed it in his mouth to chew. Plaything watched with keen interest, for once uncharacteristically quiet.

Starfall Grass was a common herb; Qin Chuan had memorized its properties thoroughly. He chewed seven or eight stalks in succession before stopping.

When he opened his eyes again, it was as if he could see Starfall Grass sprouting, flourishing, and withering within his mind’s eye.

After channeling spiritual energy to purge the herbal force from his mouth, he continued with Seadust Grass. He repeated the process for all eleven ingredients. By the time he finished, dusk had fallen. Plaything’s earlier enthusiasm had faded, and he now lay asleep on Qin Chuan’s shoulder.

“Plaything!”

Qin Chuan roused him and, without waiting for him to wake fully, urged, “Didn’t you mention a method for processing herbs—the Jade Boar’s Hand? Teach it to me, now!”

...

The technique sounded simple, but mastering it was anything but. By dawn, Qin Chuan had barely grasped its rudiments.

He swallowed a Fasting Pill to soothe the slightly chaotic energy within him. Once his focus had gathered and his strength was centered, he began his second attempt at alchemy.

Strictly speaking, he had enough herbs for four or five batches of pills. But identifying the medicinal properties had cost him much, leaving just enough for a single batch.

Drawing from yesterday’s experience, Qin Chuan didn’t start the fire at once. Instead, he first processed each herb, proceeding step by step, with calm assurance.

He began with Seadust Grass. Yesterday, he had simply shredded it with a whirlwind and squeezed out the juice. Today was different.

Qin Chuan spread his right hand. As spiritual energy coursed through, his normally pale-yellow skin turned as white as fish-belly jade. The calluses built up over years softened, spreading like ink on fresh rice paper, delicate as jade grain.

His entire right hand resembled a piece of carved jade. From his palm emerged fine white threads, reminiscent of wild boar bristles.

These threads grew slowly—unlike the violent shredding of a whirlwind, they were gentle and controlled.

The tips of the threads carefully pierced the jade stem of Seadust Grass. The white threads gradually took on a pale blue hue, spreading to the ends.

Under Qin Chuan’s meticulous control, the Seadust Grass did not crumble into dust as before, but slowly dissolved, leaving behind only a little milky-white juice.

He processed all eleven herbs with the Jade Boar’s Hand, pairing the three main ingredients each with one, three, and four auxiliary herbs. After recovering a bit of spiritual energy, he finally lit the furnace.

This time, the order of adding the main herbs was different. Yesterday, it had been Seadust Grass, Little Family Grass, then Starfall Grass. Today, it was Seadust Grass, Starfall Grass, then Little Family Grass.

When Qin Chuan processed the herbs with the Jade Boar’s Hand, Plaything showed no reaction. But as soon as the order changed, his expression grew serious. He regarded Qin Chuan with newfound gravity.

This batch of Fasting Pills took nearly twice as long as the last.

Alas, the earth-fire in this sector was unstable, likely due to the accumulation of pill fragments in the furnace. Each time the earth-fire burst beneath the cauldron, Qin Chuan’s heart skipped a beat.

Finally, the white smoke from the cauldron’s vent dissipated and the spiritual energy feeding the fire ebbed away. As the red-blue furnace wall cooled and darkened, Qin Chuan mustered his strength and slowly lifted the lid.

He waved away the thick herbal vapor, sighing inwardly. Normally, so much fragrance at this stage meant failure. Too many pill fragments had scattered the medicinal essence.

But when he looked closer, he found far more pills than before. Five, ten...twenty, thirty...

Fifty-three in all!

Qin Chuan drew a deep breath, scarcely daring to exhale. After counting again to be sure, relief broke across his pale face.

With this batch alone, discounting the spiritual stones used to recover energy, he stood to net about five stones.

If he made no mistakes, he could refine two batches a day, earning about ten stones daily.

On average, with a seventy to eighty percent success rate, he could expect seven or eight stones per day.

But if calculated that way, his time for cultivation would be limited. Attempting a third batch would likely exhaust his mind and damage his prospects for future advancement.

Alchemy sounded simple, but the mental toll was immense.

As for Qin Chuan now, after refining a batch yesterday and practicing a minor alchemical spell before refining another today, his results were outstanding—but his condition was poor.

His eyes were rimmed with red, and everything—from furnace to candlestick—appeared blurred and indistinct. He glanced down at his fingers; the herbal juices had stained his nails and cuticles a deep blue-black.

Fortunately, his Fasting Pills were superior to the ordinary, and a faint warmth suffused his organs.

He retrieved a gourd from his pouch, washed himself with spring water, and cleaned up the waste scattered around the furnace, revealing the dark stone floor. Then he sat cross-legged on his mat, took his last two spiritual stones in hand, and began silent meditation.

Yesterday he’d had five stones; two were consumed in refining, and today he’d used only one. The remaining two, he decided, would go toward cultivation. He could always sell some Fasting Pills for more stones and herbs.

Having resolved this, he intoned the second inner formula from the Manual of the Mustard Seed Immortal Finger.

After two cycles of spiritual energy, he drew out all the power from the stones; a gentle squeeze reduced them to powder.

Yet his internal energy vortex showed little increase. He was surprised, then frustrated.

He was amazed that just two cycles could drain two stones completely. But what troubled him was that his energy vortex, though denser, did not grow larger.

The dust in his lower dantian was almost entirely cleared, yet—

Ah...

Wait! Just as discouragement set in, a word flashed through his mind—bottleneck! Then he realized: this was similar but not quite the same.

He asked Plaything but received no satisfactory answer. He could only set the question aside for now. If worst came to worst, he would smash through with sheer spiritual stones—make his own clear sky by force.

With that, he rose, pushed open the stone door, and headed out of the chamber toward the valley’s exit.

He was unfamiliar with the area, but after asking around, he confirmed the route.

The mountains flanking Yellow Springs Valley were steep and desolate. One look and Qin Chuan knew he had left the valley and entered Azure Summit—easily distinguished by the scenery along the Floral Path.

Here, waterfalls cascaded in thousands, beads and jade forming curtains. Birds filled the cliffs, rainbows cut the sky. The scent of pine layered upon itself, verdant drops fell from ancient trees, and clouds wore cloaks of snow. Such beauty could not be surpassed.

The Floral Path wound upward into the clouds, like a colorful ribbon around Azure Summit.

He wondered what it would feel like to stand atop and gaze down, but that would have to wait for another day.

A muddy side trail branched off the Floral Path, soon merging into a broad main road paved with slabs the size of doors. As he walked, the number of people around him steadily increased.

Crossing a stone bridge and brushing aside dewdrop-laden lotus leaves, he entered a bustling street.

Despite his haste, it had taken only a quarter-hour from Yellow Springs Valley—shorter than the walk across the valley’s main plaza. No wonder the name Azure Summit always came first to mind.

Azure Summit lay just above Yellow Springs Valley; the two were practically one. Many new disciples even mistook them as a single place.

Perhaps it was the bleakness of the valley, or some other reason, but its plaza market was far less lively.

Instead, the Yuanfeng Market at Azure Summit thrived on the pill trade, drawing ever more people. Over time, even talismans and magical items were sold here.

Yuanfeng Market had become the sect’s largest bazaar, with daily transactions beyond reckoning. The sect encouraged this, exerting subtle control so the market flourished.

“I’ll sell these Fasting Pills first. Fortunately, the quantity isn’t large—shouldn’t draw unwanted attention.”

With this thought, Qin Chuan scanned the shopfronts on either side. He hadn’t bothered to conceal himself with a hat or cloak; this was no den of thieves—there was no need.

“Hmm!” Qin Chuan exclaimed in surprise.

He suddenly caught a familiar scent—one he’d encountered recently. After a moment’s thought, he realized: wasn’t this the smell of earth-fire?

The scent emanated from someone passing by his side.