Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

"What kind of Pill does your shop have the most materials for now? It requires Pills at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment level or higher."

The profit from low-tier Elixirs is too low and not suitable.

Zhu Hanshan thought for a moment and said:

"There is one Pill called the Red Flame Void Breaking Pill, with about twenty portions.

However, the material cost is the same as the Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pill, but the purchase price is fifty Spirit Stones cheaper than the Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pill, and the other materials don’t meet senior’s requirements.

If senior can refine the Red Flame Void Breaking Pill, in about half a year, we can provide another batch of materials, around fifty portions."

The Red Flame Void Breaking Pill is a substitute for the Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pill. Its efficacy is slightly inferior, but the difficulty of refining is not low, so most Alchemists are unwilling to refine it.

He sensed that the other party urgently needed Spirit Stones and might be willing to accept this hard job.

Ji An quickly calculated in his mind and nodded:

"It’s possible, but I don’t have the Pill Formula."

The Pill Formula not only records various materials but also details the refining process.

"We have it. If senior purchases it, it would only cost thirty Middle-grade Spirit Stones."

The Pill Formula is priceless, meaning in the eyes of some cultivators it’s worthless, but for those who need it, it’s worth a fortune.

"You really know how to do business, it’s expensive! If I refine the Red Flame Void Breaking Pill, I’m helping you clean up your inventory.

Be straightforward, what’s the lowest price?"

The Pill Formula for the Late-stage Foundation Establishment Pills is quite widespread and isn’t worth that price.

Zhu Hanshan scratched his head and tentatively said:

"Twenty-five blocks?"

He watched the other’s expression and chuckled, "Twenty Middle-grade Spirit Stones, that’s the industry’s bottom line."

Ji An nodded slightly; this price surely had some wiggle room, but not much.

"Give me both the Pill Formula and materials."

"Please wait a moment, senior."

Zhu Hanshan got up, fetched the items, and said:

"Twenty-two portions of materials, plus the Pill Formula, total two hundred forty Middle-grade Spirit Stones."

Ji An carefully reviewed the Pill Formula and inspected the materials, then promptly paid the Spirit Stones.

"Recently, I have time. If there are any valuable materials, you can leave them for me."

He placed two more Middle-grade Spirit Stones on the table and stood up to leave.

Now that I need something from the other party, it’s only right to give some benefits.

...

In the Grotto Mansion, Ji An finished his cultivation, and sparkling light flashed in his eyes.

Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you retreat. Unless special circumstances arise, he would cultivate for four double hours every day to enhance his Magical Power and nurture his Immortal Vein.

He brewed a pot of Yun Ding Silver Needle Tea, drank it all, and then closed his eyes to recover his Divine Sense.

When his Divine Sense was about seventy or eighty percent recovered, he pressed the Pill Formula Jade Slip against his forehead to start memorizing the alchemy steps.

Right now, he’s an old hand. When it comes to alchemy skills, he’s not inferior to those cultivators who have been practicing alchemy for years.

Because of his strong Spiritual Strength, he can perform many intricate operations, fully compensating for the disadvantage of few years in alchemy.

After memorizing the alchemy steps, Ji An laid out all the herbs, categorizing them, and then took out the Fire Crane Dan Yang Furnace, which was the size of a big pot.

He intended to refine all the Spirit Medicines into Divine Essence, which would help him quickly grasp the proper extraction temperature.

He cast the Dharma Prohibition, and the Pill Furnace became the size of a bucket, which was its normal size.

All Spiritual Artifacts have Ruyi Dharma Prohibitions, and when he becomes wealthier, he plans to get a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact Pill Furnace, and maybe even a Magical Treasure Pill Furnace in the future.

The Fire Crane Dan Yang Furnace has quite a nice shape, which he really liked, so if he refines another Pill Furnace in the future, it’ll be in this style.

Ji An cast the Three Yang Pill Fire Technique, activating the jade-green Pill Fire to warm the Pill Furnace.

The Magical Power he used now passed through the Wood Element Divine Mansion, hence its jade-green appearance.

Most of these herbs are fire-element Spiritual Medicines, with a small part being of the wood element. When refining Divine Essence, nourishing with Wood-Element spiritual Pill Fire enhances the medicine’s properties.

These small details are something every Alchemist must master,

The basic steps of alchemy are largely similar, with the first step being refining the Divine Essence from herbs.

This step is not difficult for Alchemists, as long as the Pill’s level doesn’t exceed the cultivator’s too much.

High-tier herbs need better furnace temperatures to refine Divine Essence, and the interiors of Pill Furnaces have Magic Arrays to increase temperature, but if the Alchemist’s cultivation is not high, it’s impossible to activate a higher-tier Pill Furnace.

With the red flames’ roasting, fine-scaled dark-golden patterns beneath the Pill Furnace flashed with light, as if lava were flowing within them.

The wings of the golden-patterned Fire Crane carvings inside the furnace glowed, and the Li Fire Prayers engraved within the furnace flowed like water.

The Fire Essence held in the Fire Crane’s beak shone brightly like the sun.

Ji An used the Object Control Technique to lift the dragon-patterned lid and put in Fire Leaf Grass.

Why do Alchemists emphasize experience? Because refining different Pills requires familiarity with how to refine Divine Essence from various materials.

Some Spirit Medicines are used in multiple Pills, but with differing requirements, the control of furnace temperature and technique for refining Divine Essence vary.

In the Pill Formula, these details are vaguely explained, as each Alchemist’s situation differs and cannot be completely quantified.

Ji An once considered setting up a Pill production line through industrial production, but realized it was impossible.

Low-tier Elixirs are okay due to abundant materials and few variables. Semi-automated production lines are possible, but starting from Foundation Establishment level Pills, this method isn’t applicable.

After putting down the lid, he channeled his internal Magical Power through the Fire Element Divine Mansion, altering its nature, and the jade-green Pill Fire gradually turned red.

This seamless switching technique, which some Alchemists train for decades to master, came naturally to Ji An, taking him only three years to fully grasp.

His skill was so proficient it could make many Alchemists feel ashamed.

The dragon-mouth cap emitted black smoke, and a burnt smell pervaded the air, a result of the furnace being too hot.

Some Spirit Medicines are extremely sensitive to temperature changes and require early adjustments to weaken the Pill Fire, highlighting the necessity of experience.

Ji An’s expression remained calm. Refining this kind of Spirit Medicine’s Divine Essence for the first time and ’burning it’ was normal.

Some Spirit Medicines have explosive properties, and mishandling could lead to the furnace exploding, which he found amusing.

It reminded him of his childhood in a previous life, setting off firecrackers, igniting a large one, and covering it with a broken iron bowl. With a "bang," the bowl flew high; that was quite a feeling.

He stopped activating the Pill Fire, cleaned out the burnt residue from the furnace bottom, used the Small Cloud Rain Technique to cool and wash the Pill Furnace, and then reviewed what went wrong in the operations.

When focused, time seemed to accelerate, and before he knew it, three double hours had passed.

Ji An finished refining all the Fire Leaf Grass, producing two piles of differently colored Divine Essence.

One pile was dark red with dim Spirit Light and was from the initial refining; the other was bright red with vibrant Spirit Light, the result of improved proficiency.

A strong Spirit Soul brings many advantages, beneficial to all cultivators.

Ji An stretched, "I’ve finally mastered the technique for refining Fire Leaf Grass, finished!"

At that moment, as his focus waned, he felt the weariness of his Spirit Soul surge like a tide, immediately inundating his Sea of Consciousness.

Now was the time for a pot of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea.

He lit the Wind Furnace, boiled water, and brewed Spirit Tea. Amid rising steam, a faint fragrance spread.

Inhaling the tea’s aroma brought a refreshing coolness to his Sea of Consciousness.

Drinking tea, he drifted into sleep.

...

In the following days, Ji An hardly stepped outside. Besides cultivation and tending to the Spirit Field in the Gourd World, he busied himself with refining Spirit Medicine Divine Essence.

That day, he finally completed all the Spirit Medicine refining work.

The resulting Divine Essence was divided into two parts, one slightly inferior in quality, the other of excellent quality.

The amount originally for twenty-two furnaces of Pills now only had enough for fourteen, quite a loss.

The slightly inferior Divine Essence accounted for about sixty percent, and using it could not produce high-quality Pills.

Even excluding the Pill Formula, this alchemy endeavor couldn’t break even.

After resting briefly, Ji An rolled up his sleeves, ready for the actual alchemy process.

He once more pressed the Jade Slip to his forehead, checking for memory errors.

Confirming nothing was amiss, Ji An skillfully cast the Three Yang Pill Fire Technique, the jade-green flames preheating the Pill Furnace.

With extreme concentration, he added the Divine Essence in order.

Moments later, Ji An saw the medicinal liquid inside the furnace ignite.

"Boom!"

The dragon-engraved cap of the Pill Furnace was blown sky-high, his debut ending with an explosive furnace spectacle.