With the first three attempts being utter failures, Han Yu was a lot more careful now. He wasn't discouraged either, already having expected such results. Instead, he was trying to grasp his mistakes and overcome them.
Fourth attempt.
This time, Han Yu nailed the heating phase. Each herb sizzled in turn, the scent gradually deepening into something medicinal and slightly sweet. He even remembered to swirl the internal Qi in rhythm, keeping the essence stable.
He reached halfway through the process and began the condensation stage, where impurities were drawn to the cauldron's rim and needed to be skimmed away using gentle bursts of spiritual flame which were provided by the talisman but controlled by one's spirit sense.
But halfway through skimming…
He sneezed.
The flame twitched.
The impurities that were about to be pushed aside instead surged back into the concoction, polluting it with an ugly brown tinge. A soft splutch noise confirmed the failure.
