Chapter 77: Refining Pills

## Chapter 77: Refining the Elixir

Within the inner hall of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, Xu Fu was already meticulously preparing the ingredients for refining the elixir.

One after another, he carefully laid out spirit grasses, over thirty varieties in total, many of which Ye Chen had never even encountered before. Ye Chen couldn't help but inwardly sigh. Merely gazing upon these multitude of spirit grasses, he could envision the intricate and painstaking process of refining an elixir. Compared to this, the refinement of Jade Spirit Liquid truly paled in comparison, a mere firefly beside the blazing sun.

"The most crucial element in elixir refinement is soul force, followed closely by control over the flame," Xu Fu explained, while simultaneously arranging the spirit grasses and imparting common knowledge about the art of alchemy to Ye Chen.

"You possess innate advantages for elixir refinement, for your soul force is a level higher than your cultivation base."

"Furthermore, your True Fire naturally possesses intelligence and is connected to your very being, allowing for exceptionally fine control over the flame. This is paramount for refining elixirs."

As he spoke, Xu Fu cast a meaningful glance at Ye Chen. "Therefore, you are very well suited to becoming an Alchemist."

"An Alchemist? Me?" Ye Chen was taken aback.

"Your innate conditions are superior; not becoming an Alchemist would truly be a disservice to the heavens' favor," Xu Fu declared, taking out more than ten additional spirit grasses. "With your aptitude, perhaps there's a genuine possibility you could surpass that old fellow, Dan Chen."

"Dan Chen?" Ye Chen exclaimed in surprise.

As someone specializing in intelligence gathering, how could he not know the name of Dan Chen? He was the most renowned Alchemist in Great Chu, belonging to no single faction, yet an existence that no force dared to provoke. He never imagined that Xu Fu would suggest he might one day surpass Dan Chen – a notion he hadn't even dared to entertain.

"How about it, young man? Are you interested in becoming an Alchemist?" Xu Fu inquired with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Interested, of course interested!" Ye Chen blurted out without a second thought.

The profession of an Alchemist was simply too noble. In this vast expanse of Great Chu, they were few in number and revered by various forces as if they were ancestors. Should he become an Alchemist, his future path would undoubtedly be exceptionally bright.

Having received the desired answer, Xu Fu moved to the side of the refining furnace.

"I shall teach you to refine your first elixir. Watch closely, I shall only demonstrate once," Xu Fu instructed, already drawing forth the Earth Fire beneath the furnace.

*Boom!*

Suddenly, within the refining furnace, a vibrant purple flame ignited and surged, even illuminating the patterns of the Four Divine Beasts engraved upon the furnace itself. Then, with a sweep of his robe, Xu Fu tossed in several varieties of spirit grasses, without regard for any specific order. He then skillfully controlled the Earth Fire to extract their essences, and in the process, more spirit grasses were introduced.

Standing to the side, Ye Chen observed silently, every movement of Xu Fu's etched firmly into his heart.

This was a lengthy process.

Unbeknownst to Ye Chen, a rich, aromatic fragrance gradually filled the inner hall of the Spirit Pill Pavilion.

"Elixirs out!" With a single word from Xu Fu, he struck the refining furnace, and a purple spirit elixir flew out, which he swiftly snatched into his hand.

Upon seeing this, Ye Chen eagerly stepped forward, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at the elixir in Xu Fu's hand.

"Take a look!" Xu Fu extended the spirit elixir to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen reached out and took it. The elixir, freshly refined, still held a warmth. It was crystal clear, with a lingering purple mist. A wave of rich medicinal fragrance wafted towards him, and a single whiff brought a sense of profound relaxation and joy. Beyond this, a faint pattern was discernible upon the surface of the elixir.

"This is the Return Profound Pill. When your True Qi or spiritual energy is depleted, it can quickly replenish your body's consumption," Xu Fu explained, having already found a comfortable spot to sit. "Such an elixir is among the lowest grade of spirit elixirs. You should see that single pattern on its surface – that is the mark of the elixir's grade."

"Spirit elixirs are also categorized by grade?" Ye Chen looked towards Xu Fu.

"Of course," Xu Fu replied. "The spirit elixir in your hand has one pattern, representing a one-stripe spirit elixir. If it had two patterns, it would be a two-stripe spirit elixir, and so on. The more patterns, the higher the grade of the elixir."

"Elder, what is the highest grade of spirit elixir you've refined?" Ye Chen inquired with curiosity.

"The highest grade of spirit elixir I've refined on my own is a four-stripe spirit elixir," Xu Fu stated, stroking his beard, without any pretense of concealment. "I once collaborated with that old fellow, Dan Chen, and together we refined a five-stripe spirit elixir."

"What grade was that Heaven Seclusion Pill from that day?" Perhaps Ye Chen's desire to know was too strong, so he didn't overthink it and directly asked the question.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fu's brows furrowed, and he cast a deeply meaningful look at Ye Chen. "You actually know about the Heaven Seclusion Pill?"

Ye Chen coughed dryly and touched the tip of his nose. "A few days ago, I went to the Netherworld Black Market with Bear Two for a look around. I only heard people speaking about it."

Xu Fu subtly withdrew his gaze. Regarding Ye Chen's question, he still provided an answer. "The Heaven Seclusion Pill is the highest grade spirit elixir I know of. If categorized by grade, it is a six-stripe spirit elixir."

"Is the Heaven Seclusion Pill very difficult to refine?" Ye Chen asked, looking at Xu Fu with doubt. "Even Senior Dan Chen couldn't refine it?"

"Are you jesting?" Xu Fu glared at Ye Chen with annoyance. "Every type of spirit elixir has a corresponding elixir formula. Without the Heaven Seclusion Pill's formula, even Old Man Dan Chen wouldn't know how to refine it. Even with the formula, I estimate it would be impossible to find all the spirit grasses required for its refinement."

"Then, did Old Man Zhang know which faction took that Empty Nether..."

"Where are you getting all this nonsense from?" Xu Fu kicked Ye Chen back to the front of the refining furnace. "Is that something you should be concerned with?"

As he spoke, Xu Fu casually tossed an ancient scroll to Ye Chen, scolding him in a displeased tone. "This is the formula for the Return Profound Pill. Comprehend it well, and when you've mastered it, refine elixirs properly for this old man. Don't be lazy!"

*Uh!*

Ye Chen touched his nose and gently opened the Return Profound Pill formula.

He didn't know until he looked, but this single glance sent a shock through him!

After a quick perusal, he realized that this process of refining elixirs was far more complex than refining Jade Spirit Liquid. It demanded extremely high control over the flame; even a single minor error in any step could lead to the failure of the refinement.

"And this is only a one-stripe spirit elixir!" Ye Chen smacked his tongue in astonishment.

However, for the sake of becoming an Alchemist, this level of difficulty would not deter him. While comprehending the elixir formula, his mind also replayed Xu Fu's earlier refining process. By combining these two, he managed to grasp a sliver of understanding.

Not far away, Xu Fu leisurely reclined on a chair, still in a state of feigned sleep, occasionally narrowing his eyes slightly to glance at Ye Chen.

It wasn't until night fell that Ye Chen finally put down the elixir formula.

He, too, fell into a state resembling feigned sleep, the scene of Xu Fu refining the Return Profound Pill replaying endlessly in his mind.

He didn't know when, but he slowly opened his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he then willed his True Fire into the refining furnace. Subsequently, he successively threw several kinds of spirit grasses into the furnace.

Having had prior experience refining Jade Spirit Liquid, his control over the flame was quite proficient.

Soon, the essences of the various medicinal grasses he had introduced were extracted. Then, more medicinal grasses were added.

However, he had still underestimated the complexity of elixir refinement. In his first attempt, being flustered and disorganized was inevitable, and his control over the flame lost its precision.

His first attempt at refining the elixir failed.

Ye Chen paused, secretly identifying the source of the error. He then directed his True Fire back into the refining furnace and began his second attempt at refining the elixir.

What followed was a series of setbacks.

One failure after another, the ground was littered with the charred residues of spirit grasses.

Xu Fu had prepared over a hundred portions of the Return Profound Pill's spirit grass for him, the purpose being to allow Ye Chen to learn from his failures and thereby grasp the true essence of elixir refinement.

As dawn approached, Ye Chen still hadn't successfully refined the Return Profound Pill. Instead, his face was pale. Elixir refinement consumed soul force, and a night of continuous refinement had burdened his soul force beyond its limit, his mind buzzing incessantly.

Finally, he swayed and half-knelt on the ground, violently gasping for air.

"Being too eager for quick results will instead lead to mistakes," Xu Fu's voice transmitted from his feigned sleep.

"I underestimated elixir refinement too much," Ye Chen said helplessly, shaking his head.

"Elixir refinement, like cultivating the Dao, requires a clear heart and mind," Xu Fu said, glancing at Ye Chen and sternly reprimanding him. "Your heart is fundamentally not calm; your mind is filled with distracting thoughts. This is a great taboo for an Alchemist."

"I… I understand," Ye Chen listened attentively to Xu Fu's teachings.

He truly couldn't calm down. The many events of the past had made him too eager to become strong. He was accustomed to the boiling blood of great battles, yet unable to adapt to the calm and peaceful nature of elixir refinement.

"Eat this, and continue refining," Xu Fu sent an elixir flying over to him. "If you can't even refine the Return Profound Pill, then I'll truly have to question your ability to be an Alchemist."

Ye Chen had already caught the elixir and then stuffed it into his mouth.

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