Mastering elixir refinement is not easy; without guidance, the difficulty of alchemy significantly increases.

Jia Ren sat cross-legged before a half-zhang tall, bronze-colored Pill Furnace, periodically adding a slender piece of Sunfire Wood to its interior to control the heat and temperature.

He activated the Spirit Eye Technique, observing the changes inside the Alchemy Furnace.

Inside the Alchemy Furnace, the medicinal ingredients converged but never fused, let alone condensed into an elixir.

The medicinal ingredients gradually dried out, turning into dregs.

Failed again.

Smelling the scorched scent emanating from the Pill Furnace, he opened it to find no desired elixirs, only a large amount of charred, charcoal-like substance.

Alchemy? This is clearly just producing charcoal dregs.

This was not the first time Jia Ren had failed. Ever since he started attempting the Blood Ignition Pill, he had already failed fifteen batches to date.

After each failure, he would summarize the experience, striving for success the next time.

Why hasn't an elixir formed?

Jia Ren picked up the Jade Slip that recorded the Forbidden Pill, pondering it carefully.

The Jade Slip for the Blood Ignition Pill detailed the alchemy recipe and corresponding refinement techniques. However, it provided no information on controlling the heat and temperature; this had to be learned solely by accumulating experience.

Theoretically, refining ungraded Miscellaneous Pills should not be highly difficult.

Jia Ren wanted to use the Blood Ignition Pill to get started in alchemy, accumulate experience, and use that as a springboard to produce the Profound Water Pill.

It was similar to practicing the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique: once he reached the Grandmaster Level, he would possess both experience and a solid foundation. Then, starting to learn other talisman crafting techniques, both entry and learning would become much easier.

Otherwise, with not even a hint of alchemy experience, directly attempting a First Order, Superior Grade elixir, he feared that out of hundreds of attempts, not even one furnace would yield success.

It was purely burning money.

Unlike talisman crafting, where he was guided by Elder Wu, alchemy relied solely on pondering over alchemy recipes.

Why is there no sign of elixir condensation?

The dosages and methods for the medicinal ingredients are correct; I've strictly followed the steps.

Jia Ren was not discouraged. He re-examined the Jade Slip, considering whether the problem might be insufficient temperature.

He cleared the ash from the furnace, ignited the Sunfire Wood at the bottom, and heated the Alchemy Furnace.

Refining low-level elixirs took less time and had fewer requirements; they could even be made without Earth Fire.

Ordinary flames could not provide a long and stable heat source. Since refining graded elixirs took a long time, Sunfire Wood couldn't provide a consistently stable supply of heat. Any slight mistake could lead to alchemy failure.

Using Earth Fire for alchemy was relatively stable—a practice based on experience accumulated by countless alchemists over many years.

Jia Ren had already prepared and sorted his medicinal ingredients. He precisely measured out the corresponding dosages and added them according to the recipe's proportions.

As the flames heated the Pill Furnace and the temperature was sufficient, he placed the medicinal ingredients into the furnace sequentially.

What followed was the crucial process of fire control. Alchemists all had their own corresponding Fire Control Method Gates; Jia Ren, this kind of half-baked alchemist, didn't possess such a Method Gate. He could only rely on experience, adding or reducing the Sunfire Wood supply to control the flame's temperature.

This was also why alchemy was so prone to failure.

A few moments later, the scorched smell returned.

Failed again...

Without a Fire Control Method Gate, mastering the heat was very difficult.

He then attempted refinement several more times, constantly altering the temperature, from high to low.

The results, without exception, showed no sign of elixir condensation.

Alchemy was inherently difficult; its entry barrier was even higher than that of talisman crafting.

Whether a Sect or a family, cultivating a qualified Alchemist required consuming a vast amount of Spiritual Medicine.

The success rate in alchemy was built upon countless failed attempts and wasted Spiritual Medicine. The level one could achieve also depended on their talent for alchemy.

Good talent meant an easier start and a higher potential ceiling.

Poor talent meant losses would outweigh profits. In the long run, even a family could not bear such costs.

In the Great Wilderness Market, there were not many Loose Cultivators skilled in alchemy; those who were usually specialized in specific elixirs.

Without the backing of a family or Sect, every attempt by a Loose Cultivator to create a new type of elixir meant needing a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine for practice, easily leading to expenses exceeding income.

Jia Ren was not worried about the slow improvement of his Alchemy Skills. Once he truly got started with alchemy, his Proficiency Level would skyrocket. In no time, he could reach a level that others might not achieve in decades, or even centuries.

The successive failures in alchemy were a significant blow, but Jia Ren didn't dwell on them. Instead, he began reading the Hundred Poisons Scripture.

The Hundred Poisons Scripture was also related to medicinal substances; perhaps he could gain some insights from it by way of analogy.

He examined the poison formulas and their pharmacological interactions.

The primary and auxiliary ingredients of the Bewildering Five-Colored Smoke were combined to maximize its effects.

Although Elder Hundred Poisons's character was poor, his teachings were unreserved, explaining many concepts of poison crafting in considerable detail.

Each reading brought considerable gains.

He benefited greatly from understanding the interactions of medicinal properties.

Alchemy and poison, in some aspects, share the same fundamental principles.

Both are concerned with the intricate combination of medicinal properties.

Understanding the core of the Burning Spirit Pill—that is, the interaction of its medicinal properties and the hierarchy of its ingredients—should reduce the difficulty of getting started.

Medicinal properties...

Without having studied a vast number of books on medicinal herbs, how could one possibly understand the properties of Spiritual Medicine?

For instance, Jia Ren only knew that Wolfsbane Herb was the main ingredient for Bewildering Five-Colored Smoke. He was in the dark about its other effects and principles of combination.

To be precise, he was currently engaged in rote learning.

He had not deeply studied or understood alchemy, hoping instead to use the shortcut offered by the Proficiency Panel to boost his Proficiency Level as quickly as possible.

This won't do!

In the future, if I want to make bait for Evolving Spirit Insects, I must be well-versed in and understand medicinal properties.

Learning without true understanding, just mechanically doing, one cannot become an innovator.

Studying medicinal herbs...

Information in this knowledge category was severely monopolized. The miscellaneous records on Spiritual Medicine sold in the Market only detailed how to identify them, offering little insight into their medicinal properties.

The best approach was still to learn from professionals.

Finding an Alchemist was difficult, but physicians and apothecaries should be much easier to find.

This reminded Jia Ren of the physician who had once wanted to buy the Hundred Poisons Scripture. Could he exchange the Hundred Poisons Scripture for the knowledge of Spiritual Medicine he desired?

At this thought, a smile appeared on his face.

Physicians were mostly well-known figures, so finding one wouldn't be difficult.

Jia Ren headed to the West Street Medical Hall and quickly found the physician.

"Are you here for treatment or consultation?" Old Doctor Liu asked, sizing up Jia Ren to see if he showed any signs of illness.

"I wish to understand the properties of medicines and grasp pharmacological principles," Jia Ren stated.

"I wonder if Elder Liu would be willing to help."

"I have no intention of taking on disciples," Old Doctor Liu replied.

Teach a disciple, and the master starves—that was an unchanging truth.

One's character is evident at three, and their future set by seven. The younger one is, the more malleable.

The most important criterion for accepting a disciple was youth; older candidates were generally not considered.

"Elder Liu, I'm not seeking to become a disciple, but to make an exchange."

Jia Ren raised his hand and presented the Hundred Poisons Scripture. Elder Liu looked surprised for a moment, then smiled.

"So it was you who bought the Hundred Poisons Scripture."

"If you wish to exchange this item, teaching you about medicinal properties and pharmacological principles wouldn't be difficult."

The Hundred Poisons Scripture was quite valuable; using it for an exchange was certainly feasible.

To be precise, Jia Ren had even gotten the better end of the deal.

Jia Ren didn't care much about that. What mattered was whether it was worth it or not.

Exchanging the Hundred Poisons Scripture for knowledge of Spiritual Medicine would make it easier to refine the Profound Water Pill and create the future insect-luring bait.

This would lay the foundation for his alchemy.

Medicinal ingredients were the bedrock of alchemy, and this was what Jia Ren currently lacked most.

Without a foundation, how could a skyscraper rise from the ground?

He received a text titled "Thousand Herb Solutions."

Having acquired the desired item, Jia Ren returned to his dwelling.

Following that, he devoted all his energy and time to the Thousand Herb Solutions, learning and understanding the properties of various Spiritual Medicines.

Thanks to a cultivator's ability to remember everything they see, his learning progress was rapid; he managed to read through it completely in seven days.

Now that he understood medicinal properties and pharmacological principles, he re-examined the Burning Spirit Pill.

He observed the combination of ingredients, confirmed the hierarchy of primary and auxiliary components, and tried to understand the original Alchemist's thought process.

Understanding the creator's mindset and alchemical reasoning was the quickest way to master the basics.

Won't the combination of these medicinal properties result in a clash?

Jia Ren looked at the method of combining ingredients for the Burning Spirit Pill, carefully feeling and scrutinizing it.

The more closely he looked, the deeper his frown became.

The recipe's formula and auxiliary ingredients were fine, but there seemed to be a problem with the method of combination.

Alchemy was a meticulous craft; the slightest error could lead to failure.

Although the Burning Spirit Pill was a Forbidden Pill of low quality, and its requirements were minimal, this didn't mean such issues had no impact.

Based on his understanding of medicinal properties and pharmacology, Jia Ren tried changing the order in which the ingredients were added.

A moment later, a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air.

This is the first time this has happened—is the elixir refinement going to succeed?

BOOM!

The smell of something scorched wafted out.

The elixir refinement had failed. Opening the lid of the furnace, he could see a Burning Spirit Pill that had already formed.

This time, the issue wasn't the combination of medicinal properties but the control of the alchemical fire.

The problem of pill condensation was finally solved. This bolstered Jia Ren's confidence in his deductions, and he continued to experiment.

After failing three more times in a row, perseverance paid off.

The fourth furnace finally emitted a medicinal fragrance, albeit mixed with a faint burnt smell.

Opening the Pill Furnace, he found one rather impure Burning Spirit Pill and two dreg pills.

The quality of the elixir was very poor, containing an excessive amount of pill toxins. Consuming such an elixir was tantamount to suicide.

The Burning Spirit Pill finally appeared on the Proficiency Panel, signifying his official entry into alchemy.

There's a problem with the refinement method for the Burning Spirit Pill!

Someone deliberately altered the order. Following this erroneous method, one could strive for a lifetime and never succeed.

Jia Ren felt a wave of disgust. This was undoubtedly the intentional work of the cultivator who had recorded the alchemy recipe.

No wonder the Forbidden Pills leaked by the Chang Le Gang didn't include the Blood Ignition Pill. The Jade Slip they had obtained for its alchemy was inherently flawed.

The Cultivation World is indeed fraught with danger everywhere; even Jade Slips recording alchemy techniques can be faulty.

Jia Ren couldn't help but think of the Mysterious Water Pill Recipe he had obtained. After carefully scrutinizing its pharmacology for a moment, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Jade Cauldron Sect Female Cultivator was an honest person and had not played any tricks with the alchemy recipe.

Continue with alchemy!

For the subsequent period, Jia Ren focused mainly on refining the Blood Ignition Pill, and his Proficiency Level rose rapidly.

In a short time, he had already advanced to the Master Level.

Upon revisiting the Mysterious Water Pill Recipe, he had new insights.

I've used up all the medicinal ingredients again; time to restock.

Jia Ren went to the Market stalls as usual, purchasing the necessary medicinal ingredients. He also looked for other poisons he hadn't yet attempted to concoct.

Before long, Jia Ren saw a familiar figure at a nearby stall.

It was Elder Talisman Master Mo, whom the Talisman Cultivators' Association had specifically used a Heart-Questioning Charm to trouble.

"Why have Evil Warding Talismans been out of stock lately? Yet they still want us to mass-produce talismans with no change in price. It's truly infuriating!"

"The Talisman Cultivators' Association's Evil Warding Talismans are to be supplied to the Five Elements Sect."

"The Five Elements Sect? How could they be short of Evil Warding Talismans?"

"They aren't planning to continue pioneering in the Great Wilderness, are they?"

"Be careful what you say; words can bring disaster."

The two Talisman Masters whispered a few more words, then switched to communicating via voice transmission.

The Five Elements Sect has a large demand for Evil Warding Talismans?

Could it be that something unexpected has happened in the Great Wilderness?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.