Name: Zhao Dingtian (Zhao Sheng)
Lifespan: 33/286
Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 3
Occupation: Second-tier Rune Master, First-tier Alchemist
Physique: Rooted in Water, Metal, and Fire; Half-Spirit Race
Talents: Bullet Time, Danger Sense, Absolute Rationality
[Skill]
Cultivation Techniques: Profound Origin Heavy Water Technique (Mastered), Stacking Talisman Technique (Mastered), Fire Control Technique (Mastered), Blood Soul Scripture (Incomplete, Proficient)
Spells: Refraction, God-Slaying Sword, Water and Thunder Spell, Thousand Waterfalls and Flowing Clouds...
Talisman making: ...176 types including the Spirit Gathering Talisman, Water Dragon Talisman, Life-Giving Hundred Thoughts Talisman, Hundred Curtains of Ice Cloud, and Illusionary Escape Talisman.
Alchemy: Fish Marrow Pill, Water Spirit Pill, Jade Yellow Pill, Condensing Essence Pill... Condensing Spirit Pill, Water-Repelling Pill, a total of twenty-five kinds.
...
Inside the Jia Ding fire chamber, the air was dry and hot, with waves of heat rolling in, and the indoor temperature was extremely high.
With complete concentration, Zhao Sheng precisely controlled the blue earth fire spewed from the eight clam-like mouths, causing it to thin out and become as thick as a finger. The Nine Dragon Cauldron also slowly rose up, its size shrinking from the size of a water vat to the size of a wine jar, and slowly rotated under the scorching earth fire.
As time passed, Zhao Sheng carefully added various spiritual herbs, including tree root-like dead wood, processed green jade powder, and transparent slurry.
The step of refining medicinal properties is the one in alchemy where it is most easy to lose control, because the alchemical reaction is the most intense and cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness.
This is his fourth attempt to refine the second-tier spiritual pill, the Cold Dove Marrow Spiritual Pill. He failed the first three times, but this time it seems there is hope for success.
Half an hour later, a faint medicinal fragrance emanated from the Nine Dragon Cauldron, which invigorated everyone who smelled it.
But Zhao Sheng knew that it was still a long way off before the main ingredient was added.
At the very least, the main ingredient and the elixir must be successfully fused together to reach the stage of elixir condensation; only then is there any hope of success.
Second-tier elixirs are more difficult to refine than first-tier elixirs, on average more than ten times more difficult, with the exception of a few special elixirs.
Even a genius like Zhao Sheng, with his exceptional comprehension and talent, failed repeatedly when refining second-tier spirit pills.
Of course, this may be because he explored and experimented on his own.
Refining second-tier spirit pills is difficult, but is it more difficult than Foundation Establishment?
With this in mind, Zhao Sheng rallied his spirits, and the Nine Dragon Cauldron, under his divine control, shone with a dazzling light.
Gradually, the subterranean fire began to grow thicker, eventually reaching the thickness of a bowl, engulfing the entire Nine Dragon Cauldron in flames.
At first glance, the Nine Dragon Cauldron looked like a fireball, and the aroma of the medicine became even stronger as it was roasted by the flames.
Nearly an hour later, a rich medicinal fragrance gathered at the top of the stone chamber, lingering for a long time, and finally formed a small cloud of grayish-white cinnabar.
Seeing this, Zhao Sheng's eyes flashed with divine light. With a wave of his right hand, a fist-sized, blue, gelatinous, cold pigeon brain marrow dehydrated and flew out, landing in the Nine Dragon Cauldron.
boom!
The Nine Dragons Cauldron trembled, and large plumes of blue smoke billowed from the edge of the lid, making the medicinal fragrance in the stone chamber even stronger, but a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged into the sweltering air.
Zhao Sheng unleashed his full divine sense, his hands forming incantations that left numerous afterimages. A series of brilliant spiritual lights flashed and disappeared into the Nine Dragons Cauldron, controlling the elixir to complete its final transformation.
Even a fool would know at this point that the alchemy process had reached its most crucial stage.
"Get it to solidify!"
A moment later, Zhao Sheng suddenly roared, his eyes flashing with divine light, and his hands moved so fast they became a blur.
Bang bang bang!
Amidst a series of cracking sounds and the smell of burning, Zhao Sheng suddenly broke into a joyful smile.
Snap!
A pale blue elixir suddenly jumped out of the cauldron. Under the control of his divine sense, it spun and flew to Zhao Sheng's front, landing with a ding into a pre-prepared elixir bottle.
The second-tier Cold Dove Marrow Elixir is complete!
With a thought, Zhao Sheng immediately shut down all eight fire-breathing vents, and the ground fire dissipated.
He reached out and summoned the Nine Dragon Cauldron from the alchemy platform to his face.
Zhao Sheng looked down into the cauldron and saw a patch of charred black dregs at the bottom. Inside the dregs were two pieces of charred pills that were a mixture of black and blue. They were obviously unusable pills that had failed to condense!
Sigh, it was just a little short in the end!
Zhao Sheng shook his head, secretly thinking it was a pity.
After thinking for a moment, he took the two discarded pills out of the cauldron and put them in a jade box.
Even if it's a discarded pill, it still has great research value, and Zhao Sheng couldn't bear to throw it away for nothing.
After doing all this, Zhao Sheng sat down on the futon to meditate, slowly recovering his mind while secretly summarizing his alchemy experience.
Half an hour later, he opened his eyes and began refining pills again.
The same steps, the same raw material powder, the same fire control technique, but unfortunately, the problem arose in the second step, and the alchemical process failed.
The reason for the failure was that the elixir was not processed properly and still contained some impurities.
This time, Zhao Sheng remained expressionless. After adjusting his mind and spiritual energy, he silently began the sixth furnace.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Sheng walked out of the passage at the foot of Sunset Peak with a calm expression. If someone with keen observation saw him like this, they would surely have noticed a hint of joy and heartache beneath his seemingly calm expression.
The joy stemmed from the fact that the success rate of the second-tier Cold Dove Marrow Spirit Pill had exceeded 40%, with an average of more than three pills produced per pill.
As for heartache.
He burned all the nearly fifty portions of medicinal herbs he had prepared for alchemy, costing more than ten thousand spirit stones.
In the end, they received a mere twenty-five Dove Marrow Pills, worth about three thousand spirit stones.
At this moment, the burly man in armor guarding the passage saw Zhao Sheng emerge from it. His expression froze for a moment, but then quickly turned excited.
"Congratulations on your further progress in alchemy, senior!" the burly man said, mustering his courage.
Zhao Sheng stopped and flicked a spirit stone with his finger, which landed precisely in the big man's hand.
"San Chong, it's a bit of a waste for the alchemist to send you here to guard the gate! Why don't you come and come with me?"
Two years is neither a short nor a long time.
This was enough for Zhao Sheng to realize the extraordinary nature of the armored giant.
The armored giant's real name is Li Sanchong. Despite his huge size, fierce appearance, and not-so-bright mind, he has an astonishing eye for detail and can be considered a master of micro-expressions.
Zhao Sheng even knew that this person's martial arts were divine, and he should also be at the half-step divine realm, which was not much different from his third incarnation.
Such an outstanding martial arts grandmaster, even if he is not a cultivator, should not have been reduced to guarding the gate.
Zhao Sheng valued talent, which is why he offered to recruit the other party.
Li Sanchong clasped his hands in a fist and said earnestly, "I am very grateful for your high regard, senior. However, I am able to go with you because I was raised by my master since I was a child. Wherever he goes, I will go. Whatever he tells me to do, I will do. I will listen to my master."
Seeing the other person's serious expression, Zhao Sheng shook his head and gave up the idea of recruiting him.
Li Sanchong's master was a relative of a second-level alchemist in the Alchemist Guild.
In other words, Li Sanchong was likely sent here specifically for a purpose, and his motives were probably not simple; he must have been entrusted with some important mission.
...