Rin Tianhai's heart surged with excitement.
Foundation Establishment Pills were impossibly scarce. Every pill the family obtained had been accumulated over decades of effort, and thus, there were only two Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Rin Family. Many elders lingered at Great Perfection of Qi Refining, unable to advance.
If clan could refine Minor Foundation Building Pills, then those elders would finally have a chance to step into Foundation Establishment.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was rare because its main ingredient, White Jade Grass, was nearly difficult to cultivate or transplant.
The Minor Foundation Building Pill, however, relied on Hidden Spirit Grass, though precious, but not nearly as rare.
Packing away the jade tube, Rin Tianhai could not calm his heart.
The value of the Minor Foundation Building Pill Formula alone was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Pill.
With this, the Rin Family's burden could be eased, and those at the peak of Qi Refining might finally escape their shackles.
Having stayed in Lubeck Town for over five months, Rin Tianhai's cultivation advanced from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the Sixth, thanks to consuming six Qi Condensation Pills. He still had fourteen left.
In such a thin Spiritual Energy environment, breaking through in just half a year was only possible because of the elixirs.
Though Rin Tianhai possessed a fair amount of Spiritual Medicine and elixirs, they were not inexhaustible. Still, there was no need to be overly frugal; his plan was to consume two Qi Condensation Pills each month to steadily progress, while spending the remaining time refining elixirs.
With twelve pills left, they would last just over a year at that pace. Even if had more, he wouldn't increase his consumption. Overconsumption of the elixir is dangerous. Exceeding a safe limit would cause pill poison and dull one's sensitivity to spiritual qi.
The success rate and yield of Fasting Pills had become quite stable. Now, he thought to challenge himself with refining a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Medicine, the Qi Condensation Pill.
He had forty sets of materials for it. Even with inevitable failures, attempting forty batches should yield a reasonable amount. If the harvest was substantial, he could either sell them or store them for future use, ensuring his cultivation path remained smooth.
But before moving on to the costly Qi Condensation Pills, he decided to warm up with the Fasting Pills.
After regulating his breathing for a quarter of an hour to reach peak condition, Rin Tianhai summoned his Pill Furnace and Elemental Fire Bottle, layering multiple Law Decrees upon them with practiced ease. Then, he began refining.
Half a month later, the last ten sets of Fasting Pill materials were refined, yielding fifty-two pills. This was four more than the last attempt, despite using the same number of materials. His success rate was clearly improving, which greatly pleased him.
In total, he now had one hundred and forty-six Fasting Pills in hand, worth about one hundred and thirty merit points. A small fortune.
With that, it was time to attempt the Qi Condensation Pills.
He studied the alchemy experiences left behind by his grandfather Rin Shigong, as well as the jade tube containing True Lord Nin Yuhua's insights. Though Rin Shigong's skills were far below True Lord Nin Yuhua's, his notes contained generations of the Rin family's accumulated knowledge. They were still invaluable.
After half a day of careful study, Rin Tianhai laid out ten sets of Qi Condensation Pill materials upon the stone table. Regulating his breath once more, he commenced his first attempt.
Exercising extreme caution, he cycled his cultivation through a Grand Circulation, casting orderly Law Decrees upon the Four Symbols Furnace. One by one, he added the herbs, controlling the flame with precision.
A few hours later—
"Solidify!"
Puff!
A strange sound rang out, and the furnace trembled.
Opening it, Rin Tianhai saw only three fragmented, half-formed pills.
The first batch had failed.
But he had expected this. He calmly collected the fragments and examined them closely, then compared his attempt against True Lord Nin Yuhua's notes. The problem became clear: during decomposition, his flame control had been slightly off, leaving impurities that prevented solidification.
The Qi Condensation Pill required over a dozen herbs, each with different natures. Some demanded fierce heat, others gentle warmth. If the balance was off, the result was either under-refinement or contamination from impurities.
Alchemy was an art of subtle adjustments. The strength of the flame and the timing of opening the furnace were never fixed; even master alchemists had to rely on judgment, adjusting on the fly. And even they failed often enough.
Failure on the first attempt was inevitable. No one in the cultivation world had ever succeeded at alchemy on their very first try.
Undeterred, Rin Tianhai prepared another batch. This time, he was painstakingly careful, pouring his Divine Sense into every herb, extracting every trace of essence.
Hours later—
"Solidify!"
A rich fragrance filled the chamber.
Two pill pellets floated within the furnace.
Excitedly, Rin Tianhai retrieved one and compared it with a Qi Condensation Pill given to him by his grandfather. The appearance was nearly identical—smooth, ink-green, patterned with alternating shades of green.
But something was off.
On closer inspection, he realized that his pill lacked the faint circulation of Spiritual Energy on its surface. He had infused too much Spiritual Energy, disrupting the pill's delicate balance.
Still, progress has been made.
Over the next twenty days, Rin Tianhai refined batch after batch, analyzing every failure, comparing, correcting, and trying again.
On his eighth attempt—success.
At last, a genuine Qi Condensation Pill lay in his hand, its color, scent, and Spiritual Power perfectly aligned with the standard.
Rin Tianhai breathed a long sigh of relief. The resources he had spent were enormous, nearly unbearable if not for this breakthrough.
Now, with a successful refinement achieved, all that remained was practice, to raise his success rate and increase the yield.
With that thought, he threw himself into a frenzy of alchemy and cultivation.