Pushing aside the remnants of the fourth failed attempt, Gù Tiānháo meticulously cleaned the iron cauldron once more, his movements precise despite the bone-deep weariness settling over him. Four failures had consumed nearly half of his precious Blood Ginseng and taken a significant toll on his Qi reserves and mental energy. He knew pushing further in his current state would be counterproductive. With disciplined resolve, he sealed the remaining ingredients carefully and sat down to meditate, focusing not on alchemy, but purely on circulating the Nine Cycles technique to replenish his depleted Qi and soothe his strained mind.
Later that evening, a soft knock came at the door. Tiānháo opened his eyes, his senses confirming it was Lin Xiao Yue. He rose and opened the door slightly. She stood there holding a small tray with a bowl of simple congee and some steamed vegetables. She offered him a hesitant smile, noticing his pale face and the faint, lingering smell of burnt herbs in the air.
"Young Master, I thought you might be hungry," she said softly, avoiding looking directly into the room. "I hope… I hope your meditation is going well? It smells a little… intense.
" She clearly suspected something more than simple meditation was occurring, but politely refrained from prying.
Tiānháo accepted the tray with a nod of thanks. He saw the genuine concern in her eyes, unmixed with calculation or expectation. "Progress is… challenging," he admitted, a rare moment of vulnerability, though his tone remained level. "But necessary. "Lin Xiao Yue seemed to understand his unspoken frustration. "Difficult tasks often require patience, Young Master," she offered gently. "Sometimes, a night of rest can bring clarity. I am sure that whatever challenge you face, someone as capable as you will overcome it tomorrow. Please, eat and rest well. " Her simple faith, devoid of any understanding of the complexities he faced, was strangely motivating. He gave another slight nod, and she retreated, leaving him alone once more. He ate the plain food, finding it surprisingly restorative, before settling back into meditation for the night, focusing on recovery. The next morning, Tiānháo awoke feeling refreshed, his Qi fully restored, his mind clear and focused. He spent an hour reviewing the failures of the previous day, solidifying the lessons learned: absolute temperature stability, split-second timing during fusion, and stable, finessed Qi control during condensation, avoiding brute force. He felt ready. He approached the cauldron and began his fifth attempt.
He executed the initial stages flawlessly, his control more refined than ever before. Heating, ingredient addition, essence extraction, fusion catalysis – all proceeded without a hitch. He reached the condensation stage, the shimmering medicinal liquid swirling beautifully. He carefully guided the essence particles, the nascent pill forming smoothly. It looked promising, more stable than his previous attempts. But just as it neared completion, a tiny, almost imperceptible fluctuation in his Qi output – perhaps a subconscious residue of yesterday's failures – caused a ripple of instability. The nearly formed pill flickered… and dissolved. Attempt 5: Failure. Cause: Lingering instability in Qi control at the final moment of condensation.
Tiānháo closed his eyes for a long moment, suppressing a surge of intense frustration. Five failures. Only five portions of ingredients remained. He took several deep breaths, forcing calmness upon himself. He hadn't made a new mistake, but failed to completely overcome an old one. The required stability was absolute. He spent the next hour meditating, analyzing that final flicker of instability, reinforcing his mental control and Qi pathways. Then, with unwavering determination, he prepared for the sixth attempt.
He began again, his movements economical, his focus absolute. Heat rose steadily. Iron Bone Root Powder dissolved. Spirit Calming Flower added. The sixth segment of Blood Ginseng introduced, its energy gently coaxed out and merged under perfect temperature control. Seven Star Grass added at the precise peak of the third pulse, catalyzing a flawless, vibrant fusion. The cauldron filled with a shimmering, ruby-red liquid, radiating potent medicinal energy. Condensation began.
This time, Tiānháo's Qi control was like tempered steel – flexible yet unyielding. He guided the vortex gently, coaxing the particles together, his mental focus absolute, blocking out everything but the process unfolding within the cauldron. The nascent pill formed, larger and more stable than before. As it reached the critical final stage, he felt the familiar tremor of instability begin – the potent energies resisting final cohesion. Instead of forcing it or faltering, he applied the lessons learned through five failures. He didn't increase pressure; instead, he subtly adjusted the flow of his Qi, creating micro-stabilizing currents, gently nudging the resisting energies into alignment, guiding rather than commanding. It required immense concentration and finesse.
The tremor subsided. The nascent pill pulsed, then solidified, coalescing into a perfect, round sphere about the size of a longan fruit. It glowed with a soft, internal ruby light, and a rich, invigorating medicinal fragrance instantly filled the room, far purer than any scent from the failed attempts. A faint pattern, like miniature meridians, seemed visible just beneath its smooth surface.
Success! He carefully cut off his Qi supply, letting the cauldron cool slightly before eagerly lifting the lid. There, nestled at the bottom, lay a single, perfect Meridian Opening Pill, radiating gentle warmth and potent energy. A wave of profound relief and accomplishment washed over Gù Tiānháo. After countless hours, immense mental strain, and the loss of five precious portions of Blood Ginseng, he had finally taken his first successful step onto the path of alchemy. This single pill held the key to his next major breakthrough.