In the secret room of the attic, Rin Tianhai sat upright on a meditation cushion.
After several days of cultivation, the spiritual power in his Qi Sea Dantian had only increased slightly; relying solely on meditation here would yield minimal results.
Before coming, he had exchanged some spiritual medicines from the Family Merits Hall, and together with the Qi Condensation Pills given by his grandfather and father, he had as many as ten, a considerable number.
Rin Tianhai planned to take one Qi Condensation Pill each month, almost lasting a full year. The rest of the time would be devoted to pill concoction and meditation.
Having decided, he brought out several sets of fasting pill materials, along with the Elemental Fire Bottle and the Four Symbols Furnace.
The Earth Fire inside the Elemental Fire Bottle had been collected by his grandfather with the help of Elder Wu. According to his grandfather, the bottle was a First Order Medium Grade spiritual tool, specifically designed to contain various flames or treasured spiritual objects.
Without Earth Fire, pill concoction in Lubeck Town would have been impossible. It had taken great effort to acquire it. Clearly, his grandfather had planned everything thoroughly, while Rin Tianhai himself had been careless. Tianhai gave himself a silent admonance for his negligence.
His storage bag contained no shortage of fasting pill materials, totaling thirty sets.
During these six months of period, his proficiency with fasting pills concotation came a long way. Ten sets of materials usually yielded about thirty-five fasting pills, qualifying him as a competent First Order Lower Grade Alchemist, with a success rate of around thirty percent and an average of more than three pills per batch.
Everything was ready.
After adjusting his breathing, he cast a series of spells onto the Elemental Fire Bottle.
At once, the bottle expanded to the size of a bucket, and a stream of crimson flames surged out, instantly raising the temperature of the secret room.
He placed the Four Symbols Furnace atop the bottle, heating it for a quarter of an hour as the temperature within slowly rose.
Every quarter of an hour, he tossed a herb into the furnace before sealing the lid.
The spiritual medicines gradually melted into spiritual liquid, a faint medicinal fragrance spreading through the entire chamber.
With practiced ease, he decomposed, purified, separated, infused spirit, and condensed the mixture into elixirs.
Two hours and half later, the fragrance grew stronger, merely smelling it could ease hunger.
Opening the furnace, he saw three fasting pills floating within. He carefully placed them into delicate jade bottles.
Only jade bottles could properly store elixirs; their density and trace spiritual energy prevented leakage. Ordinary bottles would cause the energy to dissipate within days, reducing pills to useless waste.
Before coming to Lubeck Town, he had prepared hundreds of these jade bottles for storage. Every alchemist did the same, with high-grade elixirs often sealed one pill per bottle.
Having finished one batch with five pills, he continued with the remaining materials.
Fourteen hours later, he had completed a full three sets in total. With breaks of an hour's meditation between each attempt, he achieved a fifty percent success rate: three pills in the first batch, four in the second and third. He was satisfied.
At the Fourth Level of Qi Practice, three batches would have completely drained his spiritual power. But now, at the Fifth Level, only half was consumed, leaving ample reserves. His success rate and yield had both improved noticeably, proof of the importance of cultivation in mastering the Four Arts.
Instead of continuing with fasting pills, he opened his diary and studied the method for concocting Qi Condensation Pills.
By then, night had fallen. A bright moon hung above Lubeck Town, quiet save for the occasional cry of a child.
He set aside the diary and resumed cultivation.
A month passed in this manner.
Rin Tianhai's alchemy skills improved slightly. His success rate with First Order Inferior Fasting Pills stabilized above forty percent, with yields averaging no fewer than four per batch, and peaking at five.
Tallying his month's work: ten sets of materials produced forty-five fasting pills. Exchanged, these would be worth forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Deducting the thirty stones for materials, he profited ten. Adding fifteen stones from clan task monthly reward, his total profit reached twenty-five, all without neglecting cultivation.
For most Rin Family members at the Fifth Level of Qi Practice, it would take two months of clan-assigned tasks to earn that much.
Rin Tianhai marveled at the wealth of alchemists. Even with mere First Order Inferior elixirs, the profits were considerable.
Cultivators consumed vast resources, and alchemists held the means to supply them. By selling pills, they not only secured Spirit Stones but also forged networks of debts and favors. To offend an alchemist was dangerous, for they could call upon many indebted cultivators for support. Hence, High Order Alchemists commanded immense respect.
Satisfied, Rin Tianhai stored his pills and cultivated.
He had discovered that cultivating after exhausting himself through alchemy yielded twice the results. His Qi Sea Dantian grew at much more visible pace, while his Divine Sense, tempered by the strain of alchemy, steadily expanded.
The Four Arts of Cultivation were said to fortify Divine Sense over time, and he now understood why. His Divine Sense already reached several hundred meters, sharp enough to perceive even the subtle life force of grass and trees.
At this rate, his Divine Sense strength at the Fifth Level was no less than an ordinary Sixth Level cultivator's.
Divine Sense was invaluable, it enhanced combat, artifact control, spellcasting, concealment, and all Four Arts. Yet techniques to train it were rare, especially in remote region like Riyag. Only in the greater region like Tanshul, could such manuals be found in number.
That night, having replenished his power and restored his Divine Sense, Rin Tianhai looked into his Dantian with satisfaction. His cultivation had grown.
Seven months had passed since reaching the Fifth Level of Qi Practice, and the Sixth was still some distance away. Deciding to rest, he left the chamber and walked toward the adjacent room, vanishing into the night.