39: First attempt at alchemy

Having obtained the "Basic Pill Manual" and his Master's Alchemy Insights, Qin Feng felt as if a door to a new world had opened. He temporarily set aside his martial arts cultivation and external distractions, pouring all his energy into studying the Dao of Alchemy.

The "Basic Pill Manual" recorded three most fundamental Pill Formulae:

blood qi pill (Yellow Rank Low Grade): Replenishes blood and qi, tempers the bones and muscles; commonly used in the Martial Artist realm.

Bone Strengthening Bath (Yellow Rank Medium Grade): Not an oral Medicinal Pill, but a medicinal bath formula for tempering bones and muscles. Its effect is stronger than the simplified version Doctor Chu gave him before, and the required Materials are also more precious.

qi condensing pill (yellow rank high grade): Assists Martial Artists in condensing and purifying Internal Energy; has significant effects on cultivation in the Martial Master realm. Its refinement difficulty far exceeds the previous two.

"qi condensing pill... yellow rank high grade!" Looking at this familiar name, Qin Feng's heart stirred, and he took out the bottle of Medicinal Pill gifted by Xia Xue. Pouring one out for careful observation, its color was rounded and its fragrance restrained; it was indeed identical to the qi condensing pill described in the Pill Formula! "The City Lord's Mansion's handiwork is indeed not simple; how generous." He felt a bit more goodwill toward that Young Miss whom he had only met once.

In the following days, Qin Feng continued to help at the medical hall during the day, fulfilling his apprentice duties. However, whenever he had a spare moment, he would repeatedly study the pill manual and the insight manuscript, understanding the principles of medicinal properties—sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy—contemplating the timing of heat transitions between gentle and fierce, and memorizing the Fusion reactions of various Materials in the Pill Furnace. At night, he continued his unwavering cultivation of the Primordial Unity Qi Art to consolidate his Mid-stage Martial Master cultivation.

During this period, the intelligence refreshed by the System also brought a few ripples.

[(Blue) Xiao Chun (Su Yuchun) has reached a favorability of 100 (Deep Affection) toward the Host. The Host can confess at any time to establish a Dao Companion relationship.]

Looking at this blue intelligence, Qin Feng almost choked on his own saliva, feeling speechless: "I'm coughing blood... System, you even do this?" Although blue quality meant there might be significant Opportunities hidden behind it, such as Dual Cultivation Techniques or special bond bonuses, with dangers lurking everywhere and his own strength still insufficient, he really had no mind for romance. "Now is definitely not the time." He forcibly suppressed this information.

[(White) Shadow Scorpion scouted 'Drunken Immortal Tower', 'Wangjiang Tower', and three well-known brothels today, finding no effective clues related to 'Ghost'.]

"Hmph, it's only right you can't find anything. Going to brothels, he probably wanted some pleasure for himself, didn't he?" Qin Feng sneered, but his vigilance toward this professional assassin did not diminish in the slightest.

[(Yellow) The wealthy merchant Huang Family in the north of the city will hold a martial arts tournament to recruit a son-in-law for their only daughter in three days. Requirements: under twenty years old, cultivation at or above Martial Apprentice. The winner must marry into the Huang Family, ensuring a lifetime of wealth and prosperity.]

"What the hell..." Qin Feng shook his head, having zero interest in such matters. He only wanted to increase his strength now; Alchemy and cultivation were the right paths.

To refine pills, one first needs Materials. Most of the Materials for the blood qi pill and Bone Strengthening Bath were in the inventory of Huichun Medical Hall. He estimated their value, planning to reimburse his Master from his "private stash" later. However, a main ingredient for the qi condensing pill, "Dew Condensing Grass," was not in the medical hall's stock and needed to be purchased at a specialized Medicinal Herb Market.

The next day, Qin Feng performed a simple disguise, masked his face, and went to the largest Medicinal Herb Market in Star South City. People came and went, medicinal fragrances mixed together, and all sorts of herbs were a feast for the eyes. He found a large shop with a good reputation and inquired about the price of Dew Condensing Grass.

"Dew Condensing Grass? Customer, this is the main ingredient for refining qi condensing pills; it's very scarce. One stalk costs thirty gold coins." The shopkeeper's quote made Qin Feng click his tongue inwardly. So expensive! No wonder qi condensing pills were so precious.

Thinking that Alchemy would inevitably involve failure, Qin Feng gritted his teeth and directly bought twenty sets of Materials! The Dew Condensing Grass alone cost him six hundred gold coins! Adding the other auxiliary herbs, nearly seven hundred gold coins were gone in an instant! Fortunately, he had accumulated no less than a thousand gold coins in wealth by acting as 'Ghost' and counter-killing the Flower Picking Bandit and his group; otherwise, he couldn't have supported such consumption.

Carrying the heavy medicinal Materials back to the medical hall, Qin Feng found Doctor Chu and explained that he wanted to borrow the small Pill Furnace in his study, which was occasionally used for brewing special ointments, to practice.

Doctor Chu glanced at him without asking much, only nodding: "The Pill Furnace is over there. Be careful yourself. Controlling the fire is the key. Don't let the furnace explode and injure yourself, nor waste the Materials." His words were a tacit permission and an implicit reminder.

"Thank you, Master!" Qin Feng said gratefully. He knew that this Pill Furnace was likely no ordinary item; for his Master to be willing to lend it was already a sign of great trust.

He first chose to refine the most familiar blood qi pill. Although the Pill Formula seemed simple, actual operation was far from as easy as imagined. Controlling the heat, adding herbs in order, grasping the timing of the medicinal liquid's Fusion, and finally condensing the pill and withdrawing the fire... every step required full concentration, placing extremely high demands on the micro-control of Mental Energy and Internal Energy.

The first time, the heat was too fierce, the medicinal liquid charred instantly, and black smoke rose from the Pill Furnace.

The second time, the timing of adding herbs was slightly late, the medicinal properties conflicted, and it turned directly into a puddle of waste liquid.

The third time, his Internal Energy was insufficient during pill condensation, the pill failed to take shape and scattered into medicinal dregs... After failing five times in a row and wasting five sets of Materials, Qin Feng barely managed to successfully condense three dull-colored, irregularly shaped Medicinal Pills on the sixth attempt. Although the quality was poor, he had finally succeeded!

Looking at the three barely-finished blood qi pills in his palm, Qin Feng let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.

The path of Alchemy was difficult and costly, but this wonderful process of personally transforming medicinal herbs into Medicinal Pills, along with the full sense of achievement after success, made him deeply fascinated.

He knew this was just the beginning. Next, there were the even more difficult Bone Strengthening Bath powders, as well as that high mountain—the yellow rank high grade qi condensing pill—waiting for him to climb.