"Mmm… so I must ignite the furnace using True flame Qi."
Lian guided his Qi downward. Flames flared beneath the cauldron, and at once the vessel began to tremble. Layers of rust peeled away, flaking off like dead skin.
What was revealed beneath made Lian's breath hitch.
The cauldron was forged from emerald jade, its surface flawless and ancient. Two azure dragons coiled along its sides, their eyes faintly glowing as if awakened by the flame.
"So this is its true form…"
"Now—milkvetch root… wolfberry…"
One by one, the herbs were placed inside.
"Mmm… I should evolve the cauldron using my Spirit Energy to extract the medicinal properties while refin—"
BOOOM!
An explosion rocked the chamber.
Thick black smoke burst from the cauldron as a sharp stench filled the air. Lian rushed forward, plunging his hand inside without hesitation.
When he pulled it back, his palm was coated in black ash.
Everything had burned to nothing.
"Ha…This truly takes skill."
"It hadn't even begun properly, and the spirit herbs are already destroyed."
He exhaled slowly.
"Huu… no point overthinking it."
"I'll try again."
Lian sat down once more and repeated the process.
He failed again.
And again.
And again.
Five failures in total—each one slightly better than the last.
The explosions grew weaker. The smoke thinned. The cauldron's reactions became steadier.
And gradually—
He began to understand the flow.
The balance between flame and Spirit Energy.
The timing of extraction.
The subtle moment when refinement should begin.
A faint smile formed on Lian's lips as his hands moved once more.
"I'm starting to get the hang of it… Though I still haven't managed to refine a pill…"
Lian reached into his bag, pulled out a handful of spirit herbs, and began absorbing them directly.
"Haaaaa—!"
His eyes widened.
"That's it… I'm an idiot!"
"I've been extracting medicinal effects from my dantian this whole time—so why am I not doing the same in the cauldron?!"
He froze, then hastily circulated his Qi.
"Mmm… I can use my Will Qi to observe what's happening inside the cauldron. That way, I can extract the medicinal essence at the exact moment it stabilises."
Lian began once more.
He ignited the furnace.
Placed the herbs inside.
And this time, instead of waiting blindly, he sent his Will Qi into the cauldron.
"I can see it now… the flame is too intense."
He adjusted immediately, enveloping the cauldron with Ice Qi, cooling it just enough to prevent scorching.
"Now—extraction."
A thread of Wind Qi slipped into the cauldron, slicing cleanly through the softened herbs. The medicinal essence separated smoothly, shimmering as it gathered.
"Extraction complete."
"Time for moulding."
The refined essences began to merge.
Lian's breath grew heavy as sweat rolled down his face, but his focus did not waver.
"Hu… hu… hu…"
"This part is really tricky."
"The mould keeps destabilising…"
He adjusted his Qi again and again, but the forming pill trembled violently, refusing to hold its shape.
Lian clenched his teeth.
"Damn it… stay together…"
"Damn—it's about to burn. Think… think… think."
Just then, his Will Qi sensed something shifting within the cauldron. The herbs were no longer clashing—they were swirling, carrying different elemental rhythms.
"…Instead of forcing them… maybe I should guide them."
Slowly, carefully, Lian adjusted his control.
One by one, he began linking herbs with compatible affinities. As each batch fused, its attributes naturally attracted the next. Fire stabilised the wind. Wood softened metal. Cold-tempered the heat.
The chaos settled.
The energies aligned.
And finally—
The pill formed.
A sudden gust of wind burst from the cauldron, carrying the pill outward. It landed neatly in Lian's palm.
"I did it…"
The pill was brown, uneven, barely pill-shaped. Its medicinal scent was faint, almost disappointing.
"My first pill… I actually did it."
Lian smiled, turning it over in his hand.
"…Well, no point hesitating."
He swallowed it.
The pill dissolved instantly, warmth spreading through his body as gentle currents of Qi flowed back into his meridians. His exhaustion faded, replaced by a weak but steady vitality.
After a moment, he exhaled sharply.
"Hm… only about twenty percent of the medicinal effect."
"It can barely be considered a third-rank condensation pill."
"What a waste…"
Yet instead of frustration, a wide grin stretched across his face.
"Still…"
"Let's try again."
Lian sat cross-legged before the cauldron once more and began refining anew.
He spent the next days refining. The more he did it, the more it became an obsession, testing each new batch, a better-quality pill was formed, till he managed to create a flawless rank five condensation pill.
When the perfect pill landed in his hand, he looked at it and sighed.
"Maybe my path has always been Alchemy, it's way easier than cultivating."