Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 145 - 144: Pill Refining (Congratulations to the Silver League Master Yusheng Jiangxiang Luan!)_1

Chapter 145: Chapter 144: Pill Refining (Congratulations to the Silver League Master Yusheng Jiangxiang Luan!)_1

Inside the Dongfu.

The array patterns of the Flame Control Array lit up one by one, extracting spiritual energy from the Spirit Stones and forming a cyan-blue, second-tier flame beneath the Purple Jade Furnace.

Heatwaves surged around, and the temperature kept rising.

Feeling the compliance and stability of this flame, Fang Xi nodded in satisfaction.

The array he designed was quite successful, and except for consuming Spirit Stones, it had no other flaws.

Fang Xi took a deep breath, first took out some other herbs, and made a batch of ’Qi Restoring Pills’.

In the inheritance of Alchemy Skill, this has an academic term, called ’Warm Furnace’!

A Pill Furnace that hasn’t been used for a long time often performs poorly when making the first batch of pills, which can slightly affect the success of subsequent pills.

Therefore, before concocting important pills, alchemists often make a batch of other kinds of pills first.

His expression solemn, Fang Xi set aside the freshly made Qi Restoring Pills and took out sixteen jade boxes from his Storage Bag.

Upon opening them, various materials appeared, among which a grey-white Demon Pill was particularly eye-catching.

"Let’s begin!"

Fang Xi murmured softly, first taking out the white as jade ’Dragon-transforming Ginseng’ and cutting off a piece with a jade knife.

To make Foundation Establishment Pills, actually, a whole root of ’Dragon-transforming Ginseng’ is not needed for one batch of ingredients, a cut portion is enough.

But since the ’Dragon-transforming Ginseng’ quickly loses its medicinal effect once damaged, it is often sold whole.

"These Demon Pills are actually from early Foundation Establishment stage monster beasts, I don’t expect more than two pills per batch to succeed, so naturally, I’ll use the minimum configuration... Little by little, accumulating experience..."

Fang Xi released his Divine Consciousness into the Purple Jade Furnace.

The next moment, he put the cut Dragon-transforming Ginseng into the furnace, using the flames to envelop and refine it into a transparent medicinal liquid.

He then proceeded with the other auxiliary materials...

Throughout this process, Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness meticulously observed every change inside the furnace.

He hadn’t prepared to succeed with the first batch anyway, so his mindset was very relaxed, treating it entirely as an experiment.

When the grey-white Demon Pill entered the furnace, Fang Xi’s expression immediately became more solemn than ever before.

Roar roar!

When the Demon Pill encountered the flames, it immediately erupted with a force of resistance, with faint monster beast roars within.

"Using a Beast Inner Dan to make pills, indeed, it’s not as gentle as Spirit Medicine..."

Fang Xi immediately dripped in Jade Spirit Liquid to harmonize the medicinal properties and stabilize the various materials.

However, the next moment!

Boom!

The Purple Jade Furnace trembled, the medicinal liquid inside and the Beast Inner Dan clashed violently, turning to ash!

Fang Xi’s first attempt at making pills failed even before the medicinal liquid could form into pills!

"Hmm... the impact of the Beast Inner Dan is too strong; the timing for introducing the Jade Spirit Liquid was a bit late..."

His face neither sad nor happy, he took no mind of wasting an extremely precious Beast Inner Dan, recalling his experience.

After resting for one night and mentally simulating the process numerous times, Fang Xi started making pills again!

Bang!

This time, he barely managed to merge the Jade Spirit Liquid with the Demon Pill, integrating it with the medicinal liquid, but he failed at the final step...

...

Three months later.

"The sixth furnace!"

Fang Xi’s expression was indifferent, his eyes sharp as he effortlessly added ingredient after ingredient into the Pill Furnace.

Then, a purple crystal-like Beast Inner Dan and the Jade Spirit Liquid!

"I almost reached pill condensation with the fifth furnace, it’s just that I ran out of Magic Power at the critical moment..."

This time, Fang Xi was fully prepared. He perfectly stimulated the demon power within the Beast Inner Dan, merged it with the original medicinal liquid, forming a semi-transparent liquid with a shade of purple in the green.

The furnace flames roared, continuously nurturing this medicinal liquid...

After seven days and nights, Fang Xi stuffed a Qi Restoring Pill into his mouth to recover some Magic Power before calmly casting a Magic Spell:

"Condense!"

Inside the furnace, the green-purple medicinal liquid began to concentrate, its color shifting among a spectrum of seven hues...

Fang Xi’s forehead was covered in sweat as he struggled to stabilize the internal conflicts of various Spiritual Powers within the pill.

Three days later.

"Open the furnace!"

He channeled Magic Power, sending spell after spell into the Purple Jade Furnace.

The Purple Jade Furnace roared, and a light blue pill flew out, landing in Fang Xi’s hand.

But before a smile could spread across his face, the color of the Foundation Establishment Pill quickly darkened, it exploded... turning into a clump of ash.

"I need to refine my technique for collecting the pills... I was a bit hasty before."

...

Another three months passed.

As the number of furnace openings increased, the time Fang Xi spent making Foundation Establishment Pills also grew longer.

This was a good sign.

Previously, he would fail at the start, but now, he had managed to persist until the final step of collecting the pills.

"The eighth furnace!"

Fang Xi methodically overcame the myriad of challenges, reaching the final pill collection step.

This time, he improved his previous pill collection Magic Spell, sending a seal into the furnace.

The Purple Jade Furnace roared to life, opening as the room filled with the scent of medicine.

A blue pill fell into Fang Xi’s hand, the very Foundation Establishment Pill!

But on its surface, there was a single gray pill pattern!

"An inferior Foundation Establishment Pill?!"

Fang Xi frowned: "It seems my earlier technique still has imperfections..."

This inferior Foundation Establishment Pill could also help a cultivator’s Foundation Establishment transformation, but it was overbearing with pill toxicity and its effectiveness was slightly less than a genuine pill, about sixty to seventy percent.

"But it’s enough, it’s sufficient..."

"As long as the Foundation Establishment Pill supports the meridians, ensuring that failure doesn’t result in death, it’s enough to cover the basics..."

Fang Xi carefully stored away the inferior Foundation Establishment Pill and went to sleep soundly.

During this period, his pressure was quite significant, especially during the last few batches of pill concoctions.

Although he kept reminding himself that failure would merely mean repeating the process of gathering materials, the Monster Kings of Great Liang are not endless.

Fortunately, the pressure has now been swept away!

Overjoyed, Fang Xi went out to play for several months, and then came back, feeling refreshed in body and mind, and continued pill concoction!

In the ninth batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, Fang Xi followed his heart, letting his imagination run wild... he put several of his previous conjectures to the test, only to have the furnace explode midway through the alchemy process.

He laughed it off and continued to clean the furnace, concocting the last Beast Inner Dan.

This time, it was as if divine assistance was on his side; in his final attempt, he managed to concoct a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill!

...

Lying on the bed in his Dongfu, Fang Xi idly tossed two jade bottles in his hand.

"Ten Beast Inner Dans, in the hands of those alchemy masters, could at least produce ten genuine Foundation Establishment Pills..."

This does not mean that the masters would succeed in every alchemy attempt, but some could produce two pills from one batch!

With Fang Xi, ten had turned into two, and one of them was of inferior quality. The loss was steep!

But Fang Xi felt it was still a good deal.

At least, he had quietly obtained two Foundation Establishment Pills.

And... he had also learned the craft of concocting Foundation Establishment Pills!

With this skill, he dared to impersonate a second-tier alchemy master!

Although, Fang Xi had no plans to do so.

He toyed with the jade bottle that contained the Foundation Establishment Pills, and started pondering the matter of Foundation Establishment.

"Consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill to transform is best done over a second-tier Spiritual Vein for an added bonus..."

"This identity of ’Fang Xi’ allows me to break through Foundation Establishment legitimately... I’m only fifty-eight years old. I could claim that the sixty-year limit for Foundation Establishment is approaching, hence my decision to risk it all in a desperate attempt!"

While the success rate of Immortal Cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment on their own is extremely low and the death rate is high, there are indeed a few lucky ones!

"Or perhaps... I could claim I was fortunate enough to come across a Base-building Spiritual Object?"

"After all, once I’ve gone through Foundation Establishment, the Spiritual Object will be consumed. Who could verify it then?"

...

Baize Immortal City is the holy land for Individual Cultivators to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Every so often, news of successful Foundation Establishment by Individual Cultivators emerges.

Its reputation is somewhat reliable.

Since Fang Xi went to great lengths to plan for Foundation Establishment Pills, he naturally wanted to ensure the best conditions in other aspects as well.

When it comes to renting a Dongfu with a second-tier Spiritual Vein, nowhere in Yue Country is safer than Baize Immortal City.

What’s more... Fang Xi also considered issues after Foundation Establishment.

"After my Foundation Establishment, even though my Spiritual Root is superior, I’ll need a second-tier Spiritual Vein, as well as Foundation Establishment cultivation methods and certain resources for good Cultivation... It’s best to have the backing of a major power."

"Baize Immortal City looks pretty good... If I undergo Foundation Establishment here and come from a clear background, surely I’ll be recruited and could possibly join smoothly?"

As for the Core Formation Sect of the three countries? That was not within Fang Xi’s consideration.

Not to mention whether the entry examination would be especially strict, just the fact that Fang Xi wasn’t a disciple nurtured from childhood by a Sect meant that unless there were special circumstances, he would always be excluded from the core circle.

After all, loyalty counts for much in a Sect!

...

With these thoughts in mind, Fang Xi cleaned up his Dongfu and returned to Baize Immortal City.

Smoke Willow Lane, number eighty-seven.

He had long leased it for ten years, and it was still within the term.

Looking at his small courtyard, he even felt a touch of fondness.

"Sir, you’re back! Something big has happened here recently!"

Fairy Teng Luo in a green dress, her eyes suddenly brightened upon seeing Fang Xi: "Your Cultivation... Great Perfection?"

"By some stroke of luck, I’ve managed to advance to the tenth layer of Qi Refining!"

Fang Xi gave a modest smile, as it was no longer necessary to hide his apparent Cultivation since he was preparing for Foundation Establishment. He then inquired, "What happened?"

"Ah... Jin Ling’s man reached the end of his lifespan, rented a second-tier Dongfu in the Inner City to try for Foundation Establishment, but failed and died..."

Fairy Teng Luo spared no detail, her tone respectful.

After all, Fang Xi was now a Great Perfection expert.

"Ah... that’s really unexpected."

Immediately, Fang Xi went to Su Lie’s home to express condolences, gift in hand.

"Mr. Fang..."

Jin Ling was dressed in a simple white gown, her expression cold.

"Jin Sir, please accept my condolences..."

Fang Xi offered polite words of comfort.

"You know Su’s temperament... he would surely take a chance before exhausting his lifespan," said Jin Ling indifferently: "Before he entered seclusion, he lamented that his greatest regret was not taking that risk before sixty, leading to a loss in vitality and reducing the chances of success... He didn’t consider me at all, how heartless he was!"

Fang Xi was at a loss for words.

...

The next day, he went to the Inner City, found the steward in charge of renting, and expressed his wish to rent a second-tier Dongfu.

"Easily done..."

The steward, who was dressed in a green satin shirt and went by the surname Han, smiled and introduced, "May I know what the Dongfu is for, Sir? If it’s for a Cultivation breakthrough, we have the best ’A-grade’ Dongfu available, with the spiritual energy reaching second-tier top quality!"

"Naturally, it’s for a Cultivation breakthrough!" Fang Xi stated firmly.

Seeing Fang Xi’s full Qi Refining Cultivation, Steward Han’s demeanor turned slightly more solemn: "May I ask your venerable age?"

"Fifty-eight..." Fang Xi replied with a world-weary look on his face.

"Ah, an ’A-grade’ Dongfu for one year is one hundred Spirit Stones..."

Without further ado, Steward Han quickly facilitated the procedure.

As Fang Xi left, Steward Han watched his back, a trace of pity in his expression.

Having worked here, he had seen many Individual Cultivators try their last gamble before the sixty-year deadline.

Most failed, and the unlucky ones even lost their lives.

"Foundation Establishment, huh..."

A tinge of melancholy and self-mockery crept onto Steward Han’s face: "The true chosen ones are those who reach Qi Refining Great Perfection before thirty, and then use a Foundation Establishment Pill to breakthrough... How could we oldies compare..."