Chapter 100: Igniting the Alchemical Furnace

Yuan Tingyu spoke as he took out two gold bars and handed them to Zhang Xiaochu. Each gold bar weighed a pound and could be exchanged for a thousand silver dollars—truly a generous gift.

“Master Yuan, you are too kind. I feel deeply remorseful for not being able to assist you, and I cannot accept such a lavish gift. I shall take my leave and descend the mountain now.”

Yuan Tingyu smiled faintly and pressed the two gold bars into Zhang Xiaochu’s hands. “Zhengyi Sect and our Maoshan Sect share the same origin. If you treat this as mere ceremony, then it would be a form of estrangement. Please accept it.”

Though Yuan's gesture seemed to express gratitude, it was in fact an insult to the Zhengyi Sect. When founding a sect, who would be so careless as to value two thousand silver dollars? Yet Zhang Xiaochu was currently so destitute that he had lost even his own mountain base.

Both men were true immortals who had survived the heavenly tribulation; pushing each other back and forth would be unbecoming. Zhang Xiaochu had no choice but to accept the gift.

“In that case, I will accept your generous gift, Master Yuan. However, I am truly powerless regarding the matter of alchemy. I bid you farewell.” After speaking, Zhang Xiaochu bowed respectfully to Yuan Tingyu once more before turning to leave.

Once Zhang Xiaochu had departed, Yuan Tingyu began gathering medicinal ingredients in preparation for refining pills.

Zhou Yi, lingering on Maoshan, was uncertain how much longer he would be delayed. His mind was preoccupied with the flying corpse on Phoenix Mountain. Unable to leave himself, he entrusted Baozi and Mu Chen to investigate the mountain.

“The flying corpse’s left arm can ward off heavenly thunder; it must be connected to that thunder shock. It’s already been half a month. If we delay further, something untoward might occur. You and Baozi should go together,” Zhou Yi instructed Mu Chen.

Mu Chen understood how crucial that flying corpse was to Zhou Yi and nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Yi Ge. Dealing with a flying corpse is well within my capability.”

“Oh, by the way, there’s a blood spring in the mass grave. Do you know anything about it?” Zhou Yi suddenly asked, recalling that place.

Mu Chen frowned, pondering for a moment. “There are few records about the blood spring. I don’t quite know either. When you have time, ask the master. We’ll be off for now.”

Zhou Yi nodded. “Phoenix Mountain should have a group of Miao people. I don’t know if they have left yet. If not, be cautious.”

With that cautionary note, the two departed Maoshan.

Yuan Tingyu frequently refined external healing pills, so he was exceedingly familiar with the alchemical process.

The ingredients for the Pill of Heaven Mending were extremely rare. Yuan Tingyu searched the entire Maoshan medicinal repository before finally assembling a complete set. Refining pills was inherently risky, and even more so when going against heaven to refine the Pill of Heaven Mending. He was therefore extraordinarily meticulous, unwilling to make the slightest mistake.

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After incense was burned and they bathed, Yuan Tingyu and Zhou Yi entered the pill room.

Washing and incense burning were the most important preliminary rites in Taoist external pill refinement, symbolizing defiance of heaven and seeking the protection of the Three Pure Ones. Whether it worked or not was unknown, but it brought peace of mind.

The medicinal materials were prepared and placed inside a willow basket.

Yuan Tingyu first added a small amount of cinnabar to the alchemical furnace, then lit the fire to heat the furnace. Once hot, he reached into his pocket and took out a jade vial, from which he poured a red animal pill into the furnace.

This inner pill came from a fully matured venomous snake that often descended the mountain to harm lives. Yuan Tingyu had killed it on impulse and extracted the inner pill, never expecting it to be useful today.

The venomous snake belonged to the fire element of the Five Phases, making its inner pill an ideal alchemical embryo for the Pill of Heaven Mending. However, the snake’s toxic essence was entirely concentrated in this pill; if the toxins were not purified, the pill would become poison.

In the basket was also a millennium-old ginseng that had grown to resemble a child, its eyes, mouth, and nose already becoming distinct. Had it remained undiscovered for several more years, it would have transformed into ginseng essence.

Zhou Yi picked up the ginseng to examine it, then nodded before returning it to the basket.

He then picked up a short piece of medicinal wood, about an inch long. Zhou Yi did not recognize it; it was rough and uneven, rather unsightly, resembling a piece of decayed wood, yet surprisingly heavy.

“This is a millennium-old agarwood. It greatly nourishes qi and blood, belongs to the wood element, and is essential for refining the Pill of Heaven Mending,” Yuan Tingyu explained, noticing Zhou Yi’s furrowed brow as he stroked his beard.

Zhou Yi nodded in understanding and placed the agarwood back into the basket.

Observing that the wood beneath the alchemical furnace was almost burned out, Yuan Tingyu added another chunk of pine wood as thick as a forearm.

Looking into the basket again, Zhou Yi saw two pieces of roasted licorice and a withered Tibetan heavenly lotus. Though rare, Zhou Yi recognized these ingredients. Yet the basket also contained a green, rope-like object that he could not identify.

Upon handling it, Zhou Yi realized it was not a rope but a large animal tendon. After medicinal processing, it had lost its original toughness and was as hard as an iron bar.

“This is a triple-yin water-defying tendon, killed in the Kunlun Mountains and brought back casually. The triple-yin water-defying creature has two horns on its head and was on the verge of transforming into a dragon. Had it not attacked me first, I wouldn’t have been forced to kill it,” Yuan Tingyu said.

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“But this pill is the Pill of Heaven Mending. The triple-yin water-defying creature belongs to the yin and water elements. Doesn’t that contradict the medicinal principles?” Zhou Yi frowned and asked.

Yuan Tingyu lifted the furnace lid, then tossed the Tibetan heavenly lotus and the agarwood into the fire, smiling as he spoke. “Pill refinement requires balance among the Five Phases. Yin and yang, the Five Elements, both oppose and give rise to each other. If you only pursue yang attributes, the medicinal force will explode the furnace.”

Seeing Zhou Yi was somewhat versed in the Five Phases but still unclear, he continued, “The art of pill refining demands elemental balance. The venomous snake’s inner pill belongs to fire and serves as the alchemical embryo for the Pill of Heaven Mending. Though not the finest, it is still high-grade.

“The triple-yin water-defying tendon in your hand is water element, the millennium agarwood is wood element, the millennium ginseng is earth element, and I am of sword-edge metal nature. Therefore, I only added the Tibetan heavenly lotus and roasted licorice to supplement the lacking elements.”

Zhou Yi knew this was Yuan Tingyu enlightening him. He focused intently, afraid to miss a word.

“Stop dazing and add the fire,” Yuan Tingyu said, stroking his beard with a smile.

Only then did Zhou Yi realize the pine wood was nearly burned out, so he added another piece.

Alchemical refinement was extremely taxing on one’s spirit. The fire beneath the furnace could not be extinguished, as doing so was taboo. Different medicinal materials had varying properties and toxicity. The timing for adding each ingredient had to be precisely controlled: adding them too early would cause their medicinal power to dissipate uselessly; too late, and the pill would retain toxic residues, becoming poisonous.

Hence, refining pills normally required two people: one to tend the fire and add fuel, the other to carefully time the addition of ingredients.

While explaining yin-yang and the Five Phases to Zhou Yi, Yuan Tingyu skillfully managed the timing of the ingredients, causing time to pass swiftly.

As night fell, Lady Fuge placed a meal outside the pill room and then turned to leave. Zhou Yi looked after her retreating figure, momentarily deceived into thinking she was Wu Qian.

Does she think of me now? What would she feel if she saw me like this?