Chapter 9

When the flames were poured into the alchemy furnace, the spiritual medicines inside immediately dried out. The spiritual energy had not even had time to spread before it withered, causing the attempt to fail from the start. However, Shen Xiang did not become discouraged. At this point, he knew that his flames were too powerful and needed to be controlled to be smaller.

Shen Xiang picked up the spiritual medicines. This time, he controlled his flames carefully, gently roasting the medicines inside the alchemy furnace, but he still failed.

After failing three times, he gained some experience. He realized that the problem was due to the temperature of the flames.

On the fourth attempt, Shen Xiang achieved considerable success, managing to enter the later stages of alchemy.

The alchemy furnace was specially designed, allowing the infusion of mental energy to see inside. At this moment, Shen Xiang could see the various spiritual medicines emitting different colored spiritual energies. He also controlled these energies, making them swirl and condense into a vortex. The medicines had already dried out and were slowly turning to ash.

At this point, Shen Xiang used his mental energy to control the spiritual energies emitted by the medicines and the "medicine powder" produced by burning the medicines, mixing them together...

Shen Xiang was at the Fifth Level of the Mortal Martial Realm, and his mental energy was quite good. However, he felt that he was reaching his limit because he had to divide the "medicine spiritual energy" into five vortices and blend them with the "medicine powder," allowing him to produce five pills at once.

Five vortices formed, and Shen Xiang frowned, his head covered in sweat. At this moment, he not only had to consume true qi to release flames but also use a large amount of mental energy to control the flames and condense the pills.

"Must succeed!" Shen Xiang shouted in his heart. The five "medicine spiritual energy" vortices rapidly rotated and blended with five evenly distributed "medicine powder" clumps. Now, he only needed to add an appropriate amount of water to make the "medicine powder" and "medicine spiritual energy" coalesce into pills, which would mean success.

After Shen Xiang added water nurtured by true qi, five pills appeared inside the alchemy furnace, still moist and enveloped in dense spiritual energy.

"Pills completed!" Shen Xiang shouted in his heart. The five spiritual pills inside the alchemy furnace were instantly enveloped in a white mist, which was the steam from drying out the moisture in the pills.

Shen Xiang was drenched in sweat, looking very tired. After all, he had continuously released flames and mental energy, almost depleting his true qi.

"Finally succeeded, it took a whole day. Alchemy indeed requires a lot of time!" Shen Xiang sighed slightly.

Shen Xiang opened the alchemy furnace and watched as the mist on the five Body Tempering Pills dissipated, revealing five snow-white pills. He couldn't help but grin. He had also taken Body Tempering Pills before, but he felt that none of them were as good as the ones he had refined.

If the old alchemists knew that he had successfully refined Body Tempering Pills in just one day, they would be envious to the point of death. Many people took at least three to five years to successfully refine pills, and even the most talented needed a year or two, refining one pill at a time.

But Shen Xiang successfully refined five pills on his first try. If the old alchemists knew this, they would be shocked to death.

Not to mention the old alchemists, even Su Meiyao and Bai Youyou were greatly surprised by Shen Xiang's alchemy talent. They looked at the pills on their delicate hands, their faces full of disbelief.

"Hehe, Sister Meiyao, you said it would take me a year or two, but I succeeded in just one day. You should reward me," Shen Xiang said proudly.

Su Meiyao was also very happy and asked in a sweet voice, "How should we two ladies reward you, Master Shen?"

Shen Xiang crossed his arms and said with a mischievous smile, "Kiss my cheek."

"Dream on!" Bai Youyou said coldly and returned to the ring.

But Su Meiyao approached with a seductive smile, her tender lips touching Shen Xiang's cheek. She said with a giggle, "My dear little brother, you must continue to work hard and never be arrogant."

Shen Xiang had only been joking, but he didn't expect this seductive beauty to really kiss his cheek. Seeing Shen Xiang's dazed expression, Su Meiyao covered her mouth and giggled, then returned to the ring.

Shen Xiang took a deep breath, savoring the lingering fragrance, feeling an indescribable comfort. He murmured, "Indeed a fairy, I feel much more energetic!"

He touched the invisible ring on his hand, as if caressing a lover's face. To help the two fairy-like beauties in the ring recover their strength, he was full of enthusiasm.

One Body Tempering Pill was worth 700 large spirit stones. Shen Xiang now had five, which could be sold for 3,500 large spirit stones. He had made a huge profit, and he still had one set of materials left to refine. If successful, that would be another 3,500 large spirit stones.

When Shen Xiang read the book, it said that one set of materials could produce five Body Tempering Pills in one furnace. So, he aimed for five pills from the start. However, he didn't know that producing five pills in one furnace required the materials to be used to their maximum, and only alchemists with extremely high insight could grasp the moment of condensing the pills, which was the most crucial.

Controlling mental energy and temperature had to be subtly adjusted according to the changes inside the alchemy furnace, or it would fail.

Body Tempering Pills were very helpful for tempering the body, but only for those below the Third Level of the Mortal Martial Realm. Shen Xiang was at the Fifth Level, so the pills didn't help him much, but they could quickly restore his true qi.

Shen Xiang took one pill, and his true qi immediately recovered by a large amount. He then wrapped the other four and decided to give them to Shen Tianhu to try.

"Taste good, but I just spent 700 large spirit stones!" Shen Xiang felt a bit pained and ran to his father's study.

It was already late at night, but Shen Tianhu was still awake, thinking about martial arts in his study, which was his habit.

"Xiang, what's so urgent at this hour?" Shen Tianhu wrinkled his nose at the sweat on Shen Xiang's body.

Shen Xiang grinned, "I said I would give you the first pills I refined!"

"What!" Shen Tianhu stood up abruptly, his eyes wide open, disbelieving. He thought it would take Shen Xiang at least ten to eight years to refine pills, but it only took one day!

Shen Xiang took out the four snow-white Body Tempering Pills and handed them to Shen Tianhu. Shen Tianhu's mouth dropped open, disbelieving, as he looked at the four snow-white pills.

"They're still warm!" Shen Tianhu was stunned, his mind blank, unable to believe that his son had grasped the basics of alchemy in just one day, a once-in-a-thousand-years genius.

Such a rare talent was highly sought after by many forces but also envied by many. Some wanted to recruit him, while others wanted to assassinate him.

Shen Tianhu took a deep breath, calming his excitement, and said, "The quality is much better than the Spirit Pill Pavilion's, at least 800 large spirit stones per pill! I'll take these four Body Tempering Pills and exchange them for spirit stones, then help you buy some young spiritual medicines."

It had only been a few days since Shen Xiang could ripen spiritual medicines and refine spiritual pills, but Shen Tianhu knew his son would surely become a master alchemist in the future.

"You can't rush things now. Start by refining low-grade mortal pills, and when you feel ready, move on to higher grades."

Shen Xiang nodded and returned to rest, waiting to recover his mental energy before refining the last set of materials.

The next day, Shen Xiang woke up early, excited to refine Body Tempering Pills again. With the experience from his first success, he now found it much easier to reach the final stage of condensing the pills.

Inside the alchemy furnace, five clumps of "medicine powder" and spiritual energy had already formed. Shen Xiang felt very relaxed, unlike the previous time when he felt his mental energy and true qi being drained.

"Success!" Shen Xiang sighed in relief, opened the lid of the alchemy furnace, and took out the Body Tempering Pills that were still emitting spiritual energy.

This furnace only took two hours!

In the following days, Shen Xiang spent his time ripening spiritual medicines and refining spiritual pills. He not only refined Body Tempering Pills but also practical low-grade mortal pills like Qi Recovery Pills, Golden Wound Pills, Detoxification Pills, and Qi Condensation Pills.

Although he failed at the beginning of each attempt, he became familiar with the properties of the spiritual medicines and learned to control the temperature, discovering some tricks.

Su Meiyao's alchemy skills were very high. If it were before, Shen Xiang wouldn't have believed that this seductive beauty knew alchemy. In his impression, alchemists were always old men with white hair.

Such days made Shen Xiang's life very fulfilling. This did not affect his cultivation; he usually practiced the "Dragon Saliva Art" to condense the green dew that could ripen spiritual medicines while cultivating at night.

Another month passed, and Shen Xiang had become proficient in refining low-grade mortal pills.