Chapter 4

Jiuyin Grass, extraction complete.

Dilong Root, extraction complete.

Yanwei Seed, extraction complete.

...

More than thirty types of herbs, Longchen spent several hours to extract them all, sweating profusely.

Refining pills is different from boiling medicine; it requires extracting the essence of each herb, removing impurities, and refining them into powder.

However, the fire in Longchen's hand was too weak, and the powder extracted contained too many impurities, but there was nothing he could do about it.

First, Longchen's cultivation was not sufficient, and he lacked the continuous energy to stimulate the pill fire, so the flame power was not strong.

Second, Longchen currently had no opportunity or ability to tame other flames, so he had to make do with what he had.

Fengfu Pill is a first-grade pill, usually only pill apprentices can refine first-grade pills.

However, to practice the art of pill refining, one needs not only powerful pill fire but also abundant spiritual energy, and most importantly, extremely powerful soul power.

The other two requirements are not too difficult; if conditions permit, one can capture fire-type magical beasts, tame them as pets, and use their fire to cultivate one's own fire seed, which can be very powerful.

More than 99% of pill refiners use beast fire, and only a few with ancient and powerful lineages can control the extremely mysterious and ethereal divine fire.

Divine fire is a flame with a soul, and in Longchen's memory, he seemed to have once mastered an extremely powerful divine fire.

Unfortunately, no matter how powerful it was, he now had to use the miserable weak fire to continue refining pills, as the things in his memory could not be brought out.

After resting for a while, Longchen took a deep breath.

"Whoosh"

A half-foot-long wax-yellow flame leaped from his palm, and a wave of heat surged.

"Not bad, after the extraction, the flame power has slightly increased. Well, something is better than nothing."

He consecutively added the essences of seven herbs into the furnace, and his soul power unfolded. The flame in Longchen's hand suddenly flickered, becoming several times stronger than before.

"Would other pill refiners be scared to death if they saw me using soul power to drive the flame?" Longchen smiled bitterly.

The most precious thing for a pill refiner is soul power, which is mostly innate and passively increases with cultivation.

Soul power is the foundation of pill refining. During the process, a large amount of soul power is needed to control the heat. Any mistake would result in failure, turning the pills into ash, and if the medicine is powerful, it might even cause an explosion.

Typically, pill refiners do not invest soul power at the beginning but only in the middle and late stages when the pill is about to form, carefully controlling the heat output.

After all, that is the critical moment for the pill to form. The temperature of the flame needs to change constantly, fluctuating between high and low, strong and gentle, consuming a lot of soul power.

If the soul power is exhausted at that moment, the entire batch of pills would be scrapped. Yet, Longchen used soul power from the start.

Moreover, the extremely precious soul power was used just to increase the heat, like burning firewood. Any pill refiner would definitely curse, even if they were wasteful, they would not be this wasteful.

But Longchen was not afraid. According to his memory, his current soul power was already on par with an average pill refiner.

The ranks of pill cultivators are: pill apprentice, pill scholar, pill master, pill king, pill emperor, pill patriarch, pill venerable, pill saint, and pill emperor.

In Longchen's memory, he had the memory of a pill emperor, so he was very clear about his own power.

This time, when Longchen woke up, his soul power had mutated and become extremely powerful, giving him the right to do this.

"Buzz"

The pill furnace in front of Longchen trembled slightly and emitted a soft sound.

"Hehe, adding fuel to the fire, the speed has increased a lot."

He hurriedly added three more herbs into the furnace, but sweat was already forming on his forehead.

He quickly took out a two-foot-long grass stalk, one end of which he placed in a jar of Qi-restoring liquid, and the other end he put in his mouth, taking a deep sip.

After the Qi-restoring liquid entered his stomach, his pores rapidly opened, and he began to absorb the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. The nearly depleted spiritual energy was quickly recovering.

This was something Longchen had prepared in advance, a necessary step for refining the Fengfu Pill. Otherwise, with his current spiritual energy, refining pills would be a joke.

With the grass stalk in his mouth, he occasionally took a sip of the Qi-restoring liquid to supply the spiritual energy output.

Compared to Longchen's spiritual energy, his soul power was too abundant. It wasn't until two days later that he felt a bit tired, a sign of significant soul power consumption.

However, by then, all the herbs in the furnace had been added, and only the final steps remained. The medicinal aroma was already spreading everywhere.

Although in Longchen's memory, such a first-grade pill could be refined with eyes closed, this time was different. This was something that could change his fate, so he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Buzz"

Suddenly, the furnace began to vibrate, emitting a buzzing sound, and the aura inside became violent.

Longchen was not the least bit panicked; instead, a smile appeared on his lips. This was a sign of the pill forming, the most critical moment of pill refining.

His soul power was fully activated, with no reserve, and the flame in his hand suddenly surged. An invisible force tightly locked the entire furnace.

This technique was called "Seal Heaven and Lock Earth," a move he had created in his memory to prevent the pill from exploding.

This move was very practical, as it could lock all the medicinal power in the furnace in the shortest time, preventing too much loss.

Typically, pill refiners would use this move in the final step, as the pill would become violent, and they would use gentle means to stabilize it.

Although this method reduced the danger, it also caused a significant loss of medicinal essence, making the pill's effect very average.

"Bang"

With the full suppression of Longchen's soul power, the furnace emitted a muffled sound and then became silent.

Longchen looked at the now calm furnace, panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and feeling dizzy.

After a while, he slightly recovered and, with an excited heart, opened the furnace lid, his hands trembling.

Five round pills appeared before Longchen's eyes, and the rich medicinal aroma filled the entire room.

"Two low-grade pills, three waste pills, sigh, I'll be laughed at if I say this," Longchen's face was filled with excitement, but he sighed.

Longchen was stunned and couldn't help but laugh. He had merged with the memory of a pill emperor, and it seemed the pill emperor was too proud.

He didn't care about being laughed at and quickly examined the five pills in his hand.

The two low-grade pills were smooth and round, emitting a fragrant aroma that invigorated the mind.

Longchen couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. A single finished pill could sell for at least tens of thousands of gold coins in the capital.

The three waste pills in his hand were also much better than the pills his mother had obtained, with at least 30% of the medicinal essence locked inside.

If the medicinal essence accounts for 50% of the pill, it is considered a low-grade pill, which makes up more than 80% of the pill market.

If the medicinal essence accounts for 60%, it is considered a mid-grade pill; 70% is high-grade, 80% is excellent, 90% is supreme, and 100%... hehe.

Longchen didn't think about it now; it was too far-fetched. Some might wonder, what's the difference between 50% and 60% medicinal essence?

Isn't taking two low-grade pills better than one mid-grade pill? If someone asked this, they would be laughed at.

In pills, besides the essence, there are impurities. These impurities are things the body cannot absorb and can counteract the absorption of the essence.

The saying "all medicine is one-third poison" is not just a saying but a truth. When pills are condensed, they inevitably produce pill toxins. If not taken for a long time, they might not cause much harm.

However, as a cultivator, pills are often life-saving, and one might take countless pills in a lifetime. When the pill toxins accumulate to a certain level, they become deadly.

Pill toxins are the hardest to remove, penetrating the flesh, bones, and even the soul. The higher the grade of the pill, the smaller the side effects.

Therefore, the difference in effect between a low-grade pill and a mid-grade pill is more than ten times, and the price difference is more than a hundred times.

Longchen put away the five pills, cleaned up the furnace and everything else, and, unable to hold on any longer, fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept, but he felt a warm hand caressing his cheek and heard some murmurs. However, he was too tired to wake up.

When Longchen woke up again, it was already three days later. With a rumbling stomach, he wolfed down a meal and then began to seclude himself again.

He swallowed a waste pill, using his soul power to guide the pill's energy into the Yongquan point on his foot, where the first star, the Fengfu Star, was to be condensed.

"Bang"

Longchen's right foot trembled, and the ground beneath him cracked, spreading throughout the room.

"Very good, I have found the meridian route and the exact position. Next, I can truly make the breakthrough."

Longchen smiled, holding a low-grade Fengfu Pill in his hand, and threw it into his mouth. A burst of extremely pure energy erupted and, under Longchen's guidance, rushed to the Yongquan point on his foot.

The Yongquan point on his foot moved, like a dry riverbed receiving nourishment. As the medicinal energy flowed in, it was like a dragon wreaking havoc.

"Boom"

A loud explosion echoed, and terrifying energy spread out. Longchen's body moved without wind, and a terrifying aura burst forth, shattering the entire room, with dust and waves of energy rolling out.

As the dust slowly settled, Longchen's handsome face was revealed, his eyes filled with excitement. He could feel a small bean-like object at the bottom of his foot, and endless energy flowed from it into his body, making him want to howl to the sky.

The commotion from Longchen's side immediately caught the attention of the entire mansion, and everyone rushed over.

Seeing his mother, Longchen quickly said, "Mother, today is the day the young master goes to the Imperial Academy. I need to hurry over."

He left a group of stunned people and a pile of rubble, changed into clean clothes, and rushed to the Imperial Academy.