Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Purchasing Supplies, First Steps into the Alchemy Dao

“Yes, Master!”

Lin Chen felt a touch of joy in his heart and hurriedly cupped his hands in salute.

The art of alchemy held significant meaning for him.

After all, the entire martial path of Great Xia was awaiting Qi Blood Pills and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills!

Han Jihai noticed Lin Chen’s genuine interest in the Dao of Alchemy and said with a smile:

“I will go prepare first. Come find me in the Alchemy Room in two hours…”

Lin Chen nodded upon hearing this and quickly returned to his room.

First, he practiced the Breathing Technique for two hours.

Lin Chen’s Qi and Blood Value officially reached 32 points, bringing him a step closer to becoming a Warrior.

“I must make some preparations since I will return to Blue Star at dawn tomorrow…”

He checked his remaining Spirit Stones and found more than seventy left.

Additionally, he had seventy Sect Contribution points.

“Xinyu’s words earlier woke me up. I have to head to the Sect Hall and see if I can purchase something to test for Spirit Roots…”

Saying this, Lin Chen left Pill Peak and headed again toward Sword Peak.

…

Moments later, at the Changchun Sect Hall.

Lin Chen bowed to the Inner Affairs Elder and cupped his hands in salute:

“Greetings, Elder Liu!”

Elder Liu seemed in good spirits and said with a smile:

“Lin Chen, you rascal… Are you here at the Sect Hall to exchange for some cultivation resources?”

As he spoke, he handed over a booklet for Lin Chen to choose from.

Lin Chen searched through it for a while and finally found what he was looking for – the Spirit Testing Stone.

The Spirit Testing Stone is just a trifling item among cultivators, about the size of a fist, completely transparent, capable of sensing whether the user has a Spirit Root.

One Spirit Testing Stone can be used a hundred times, valued at merely one Sect Contribution point.

Lin Chen kept this in mind and first pointed at the Strength-Enhancing Talisman, saying:

“Elder Liu, could I please have a bottle of Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill?”

Elder Liu took out a bottle of Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills from his Storage Bag and deducted fifty Sect Contribution points from Lin Chen.

“Lin Chen, as good as this Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill is, the more you take, the less effective it becomes… About two to three bottles should suffice for you,” Elder Liu reminded.

Lin Chen nodded in gratitude and then casually pointed at the Spirit Testing Stone, saying:

“This Spirit Testing Stone… is it the same stone that the sect used to test Spirit Roots?”

Elder Liu laughed heartily upon hearing this:

“More or less! It’s just that the sect’s Spirit Testing Stone is much larger, durable for tens of thousands of uses… while a regular Spirit Testing Stone can only be used a hundred times!”

“What? Are you interested in this Spirit Testing Stone?”

This didn’t surprise Elder Liu, as many novices in the cultivation path would purchase a few Spirit Testing Stones.

Firstly, it could be used to test Spirit Roots for friends and family, and secondly, it’s also useful for testing potential when encountering promising seedlings.

So Elder Liu said:

“These Spirit Testing Stones aren’t worth much; there are heaps on Yanyun Mountain, a few hundred miles away. I mined quite a few over the years… I’ll just give you a few as a gift!”

With that, Elder Liu handed over five Spirit Testing Stones.

Lin Chen did not decline and respectfully said:

“Thank you, Elder!”

Elder Liu had high expectations for Lin Chen, therefore he pointed out:

“Recently, that kid Li Zhenqian was here exchanging for several bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills, probably wanting to speed up his cultivation.”

“Counting the days, there are just over six months left until the Sect’s triennial Inner Sect Grand Competition.”

“If you can win the championship in the competition, there’s a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward!”

Elder Liu looked at Lin Chen with deep meaning in his eyes.

He knew that this year’s top new disciple might just emerge between Lin Chen and Li Zhenqian.

“Foundation Establishment Pill, huh…”

Lin Chen pondered a bit.

The Foundation Establishment Pill is precious, significantly increasing the chances of breaking through from the Qi Refining Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Moreover, taking several would ensure a more stable foundation when eventually breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

“Thank you for your guidance, Elder Liu…” Lin Chen cupped his hands in salute.

…

After returning to Pill Peak, Lin Chen followed Han Jihai to the Alchemy Room.

There are four Alchemy Rooms on Pill Peak, with each being allocated to a disciple, apart from Lin Chen. However, the other two senior brothers are often away, leaving those rooms vacant for a long time.

Upon entering the Alchemy Room, Lin Chen noticed a strong medicinal aroma.

Spiritual Medicine doesn’t always give off a refreshing scent; on the contrary, some herbs even have a bitter smell.

Han Jihai pointed to a Pill Furnace over two feet high and said:

“Chen’Er, I will be starting the alchemy shortly; you should observe from the side… After I finish, feel free to ask any questions you might have.”

“Yes, Master!” Lin Chen stood aside and observed carefully.

He saw Han Jihai slowly extend his right palm, and the Fire Spiritual Qi in the air began to gather.

The next moment, with a swoosh, an orange flame appeared in Han Jihai’s hand.

“Chen’Er, I possess Dual Spirit Roots of Wood and Fire… Therefore, I don’t need Earth Fire to perform alchemy.”

“Though slightly different from you, the steps of alchemy are mostly similar.”

Han Jihai explained as he started the alchemy process.

He flicked his finger, and several herbs wrapped in True Essence flew into the Pill Furnace.

“For an Alchemist, the most important aspect is the control over medicinal properties and the heating process.”

“Refining a pill usually requires more than three types of herbs, which are the main ingredient, auxiliary herbs, and the catalyst.”

“Among them, only the main ingredient is irreplaceable; the auxiliary herbs and the catalyst can be substituted, provided their properties are considered.”

“Herbal properties are of different kinds, for instance, Qi Blood Pill has body-forging properties; Qi Nourishing Pill has the effect of strengthening and replenishing essence…”

“Moreover, properties are also categorized as neutral, cold, or hot…”

Han Jihai explained many alchemical basics to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen had an excellent memory and, after hearing it once, he remembered everything.

Han Jihai waved his hand, sending the flame to the bottom of the Pill Furnace.

“As for controlling the heat… by stimulating the flame with Wood Element True Essence, the temperature can be increased.”

After saying this, Han Jihai released another wisp of Wood Element True Essence, merging it into the flame.

As expected, with the flame flickering, the temperature in the Alchemy Room started to rise continuously.

Seeing this, Lin Chen seemed to have a realization; no wonder Wood Spirit Root is better suited for alchemy—it has a natural advantage in controlling flame temperatures!

…

The entire alchemy process lasted nearly half a time slot.

After Han Jihai withdrew the Fire Divine Technique, he flicked a finger to open the lid of the Pill Furnace.

Eight to nine smooth pills appeared in the air, instantly filling the room with medicinal fragrance.

Han Jihai placed the freshly made Qi Blood Pills into a bottle and handed it to Lin Chen.

“Using one’s own True Essence to stimulate flames results in significant True Essence depletion, making it challenging for cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage to independently complete a pill refining session.”

“Therefore, Earth Fire is needed…”

“Even for Foundation Establishment cultivators, they often don’t continuously use Fire Techniques for alchemy but opt to use Beast Fire to reduce the depletion of True Essence…”

With that said, Han Jihai patted the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist.

A palm-sized crimson mouse crawled out.

“This beast is called an Extreme Flame Rat, and the flame it spews is known as the Extreme Flame Beast Fire, ranked eighty-seventh on the Beast Fire List.”

“Using the Extreme Flame Rat for alchemy can significantly conserve alchemical energy… Experienced alchemists even train several Beast Fire Spirit Beasts!”

Han Jihai held the Extreme Flame Rat in his palm and fed it a few Spirit Beast Pills.

After consuming the Spirit Beast Pills, the Extreme Flame Rat obediently settled under the Pill Furnace.

Seeing the Extreme Flame Rat, Lin Chen felt a jolt in his heart.

This mouse actually possesses a cultivation level at the Foundation Establishment Stage!

Noticing Lin Chen’s gaze fixed on the Extreme Flame Rat, Han Jihai said:

“Haha, I have asked your two senior brothers to find a Fire Spirit Beast for you… Within half a month at most, they will return!”

“When they find a young Spirit Beast, take good care of it and raise it diligently…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep