From a carp to a dragon god

Chapter 287: The Origin of Alchemy and the Elixir of Immortality
The Fox Kingdom, the Great Alchemist's Mansion.

The Great Alchemist's Mansion was a gift from the Emperor of Fox Country, specifically for Yin Chenzi to stay and settle down. He does not usually live here.

Now, it is the time for the Fox Kingdom to enthrone the crown prince. As the oldest elder in the royal family and also the one with the highest cultivation, Yin Chenzi must come back to watch the ceremony.

Yu Shuyang followed Yin Chenzi into the mansion and was taken directly to the alchemy room. There was a huge Bagua alchemy furnace, which was emitting smoke.

"I don't come here often, and this is the only Bagua furnace that can be used. I asked them to clean it out in advance today, and I will open the furnace to refine the golden elixir later.

"Take a look at what's going on first, and then I'll explain the difference between ancient and modern alchemy methods." Yin Chenzi turned around and said to Yu Shuyang.

When it comes to alchemy, no matter how much you talk about the principles, it is useless. It is still a job done by hands. If you really want to teach your apprentice, you have to be like Yin Chenzi is now.

"There are three types of golden elixirs. One is the Nine-Transformation Golden Elixir, which is the most difficult and requires the most time to master. The other is the Golden Sand Elixir, which is transformed from the Jade Bait.

The last type is the Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir, which requires the harmony of yin and yang. It is also necessary to find an auspicious place and an auspicious time to start refining the elixir.

Today I'm refining the first type of elixir. To save time and effort, we won't be refining an edible elixir, but an external one." Yin Chenzi explained clearly first.

Then he ordered the fox demon in the alchemy room to purify the furnace. This Bagua furnace was an ordinary object that was built together with the Great Alchemist's Mansion. It was more decorative than practical.

A group of fox demons with the eighth and ninth level of cultivation, each carrying firewood and water, first washed the bronze Bagua furnace inside and out, and then boiled water while it was being used. Only then was the furnace considered clean.

Half an hour was spent, and Yin Chenzi was not idle either. He took out an illustrated book and said to Yu Shuyang, "This is the pharmacopoeia I compiled, which records various magical medicines.

I have divided the elixirs into four categories according to the current method of alchemy, namely plants and trees, metals and stones, blood and flesh, and spiritual energy. You can slowly familiarize yourself with them.

The current method of refining elixirs is based on the classification of materials. Our Taoist Alliance inherits the tradition of using the method of returning the elixir to its original state, regardless of the ancient or modern methods.

You should familiarize yourself with the illustrated guide first, while I arrange the ingredients for the elixir."

Yu Shuyang picked up the pharmacopoeia, opened it and read it carefully. The content of the pharmacopoeia was very detailed, and it recorded the medicinal properties, picking and planting.

It is also equipped with illustrations, and below are the prescriptions of pills with this as the main medicine. It can be said that after reading this pharmacopoeia, you can at least become a good herbal farmer.

Alchemists are the same as doctors. They must understand the properties of medicines and be able to mix them together. Ordinary elixirs are fine, and they can be made according to standard recipes.

For example, the ancestor of the Chi family, who seeks elixirs to break through the realm, needs to make elixirs based on the method of practice, physical condition, and magic power.

Magic pills and elixirs are not panaceas. Just like seeing a doctor and getting medicine, you have to pay attention to the prescription for each individual and cannot use a standard prescription.

As Yu Shuyang looked at the illustrations, he muttered to himself that this was completely different from the two alchemy inheritances he had received, and was even a bit subversive.

Back then, when he was in Danhuang Cave Heaven, he got a large yellow gourd from a water rat spirit. Inside it were two alchemy inheritances and a matching alchemy furnace treasure ban.

Later, he refined the two forbidden treasures into treasures again, namely: the Hundred Turtle Ink Pool and the Qiankun Mysterious Treasure Gourd. He also used the Hundred Turtle Ink Pool to refine the Xuanming Five Qi Pill.

As Yu Shuyang compared and flipped through the pharmacopoeia atlas, he felt more and more uncomfortable. This pharmacopoeia atlas was compiled by Yin Chenzi, and his idea of refining elixirs seemed to be like treating patients.

Each elixir recipe requires a main ingredient, auxiliary ingredient, and adjuvant, as well as a medicinal guide. The recipe must also be adjusted according to the person taking the elixir.

However, the Moon Snake Water Alchemy and the Moon Toad Qi Alchemy have none of these. They are all about how to refine with water and refine with qi.

Comparing the two is like the difference between pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical treatment. They seem to be the same thing, but in fact they are worlds apart.

After the Taoist boys finished cleaning the alchemy furnace, they began to pour river sand and loess into the Bagua furnace, one layer of fine sand and one layer of loess, and it was considered complete after laying nine layers in a row.

Yin Chenzi came in with four earthenware jars, came to Yu Shuyang, and said, "This is the four yellow sand that has been refined nine times and then flown through the water. Take a look."

Yu Shuyang took one grain each from the earthenware jar and looked at it carefully in his hand. Each one was as big as a rice bead, and the color was four different golden colors. Holding it in his hand gave him a feeling of water and fire.

"The Four Yellows are realgar, orpiment, sulfur, and arsenic. Fly them nine times in water to remove the fire poison, and you will obtain the essence of Wu Earth and the nature of Wu Metal.

The Fang family refines elixirs, and they have a special sulfur school that uses four yellow sands as the elixir base and refines real gold and silver, which is the beginning of the earth elixir.

Only fourth-grade True Immortals can consume this kind of Five-Gold Pill. If an ordinary demon immortal eats one, they will easily shorten their lifespan by hundreds of years, or even die suddenly."

Yin Chenzi and Yu Shuyang explained the elixir, and at the end they did not forget to talk about the risks of the elixir.

Yu Shuyang was startled and asked, "Master Yin, can this pill kill people?"

"That's natural. All medicines are poisonous, let alone pills. It's the same as taking medicine when seeing a doctor.

However, seeing a doctor and taking medicine treats injuries, while taking elixirs treats old age diseases. The fundamental purpose of refining elixirs is to achieve immortality."

Yin Chenzi explained a few words and then took Yu Shuyang to watch him make the elixir.

Yin Chenzi poured all the four yellow sands into the Bagua furnace, sprinkled in several kinds of wood chips and bone chips, and ordered the fox demons to start making fire.

"This method of refining the elixir is the most ancient method. It requires laying water sand and earth sand in the elixir furnace, and then refining it bit by bit using wood fire.

"Today we're refining this furnace of golden elixir, so you can see for yourself the essence of alchemy." Yin Chenzi sat on a cushion, pointing at the Bagua furnace with the golden rod with thunder and fire patterns in his hand.

Yu Shuyang roughly understood Yin Chenzi's intention, and he asked his doubts again, especially the differences between the Moon Snake Water Method and the Moon Toad Qi Method of alchemy and the pharmacopoeia illustrations.

After hearing this, Yin Chenzi couldn't help but look Yu Shuyang up and down and said, "Other people's cultivation is due to lack of skills, but you have opportunities everywhere.

I thought you had never been exposed to alchemy, and I wanted to teach you step by step, but I didn't expect that there was already a separate inheritance.

It seems that today's refining of the golden elixir was in vain. I have to explain these things to you first, otherwise, you will be confused yourself."

After saying this, Yin Chenzi began to take things out of his magic bag. Small gourds and small bottles were placed all over the floor.

"Let me tell you about the origins of alchemy, so that you don't get confused and have obstacles when you learn alchemy later.

You know that spiritual roots and precious medicines are divided into seven grades, from the lowest seventh-grade spiritual plants to the highest first-grade immortality medicine.

Have you ever wondered why the precious spiritual root medicine was finally called the elixir of immortality? "Yin Chenzi took out a purple gold gourd, opened it, and poured out a mulberry fruit.

"This mulberry fruit is the fruit of the first-class spiritual root Fusang tree. Combined with the Nine Yang Divine Water from Tanggu, it can grant immortality.

In ancient times, famous mountains and rivers all had first-class spiritual roots, and the fruits they produced had this effect when eaten, so they were called elixirs of immortality.

However, this kind of immortality is not true immortality, but there is an immortal true nature in the elixir that supports the immortality of the soul.

Over time, they either transform into mindless, unconscious creatures like rocks, or become celestial puppets whose souls decay and sever their desires. You obtained two alchemy techniques, ancient alchemy techniques that emerged after that time. Their purpose was to eliminate the harmful effects of directly consuming the elixir of immortality and to find ways to strengthen the body and soul.

You can tell from the names, the Moon Snake Water Method of Alchemy and the Moon Toad Qi Method of Alchemy, these are both methods of concocting elixirs.

According to current theories, this is all about using the Taiyin Yue method to refine the elixir of immortality. When taking the elixir of immortality, one doesn't consider whether the user will die or not."

After Yin Chenzi finished speaking, he handed the mulberry fruit to Yu Shuyang and said, "You can feel it and see the immortality of the elixir."

Yu Shuyang took it in his hands. The mulberry fruit was the size of a soybean, black with a hint of red. Holding it in his hands was like holding a ball of real fire from the sun.

"Don't use mana. Sangshi will absorb the mana and release a magical rhythm, which will only make it hotter and hotter."

Yu Shuyang was busy withdrawing the magic power from his hands, and slowly the heat of the mulberry fruit disappeared. He looked carefully up and down and felt that it was round and full, and exuded the spirit of the true fire of the sun.

"Master Yin, apart from the spiritual charm of the Great Sun True Fire, I can't see anything else!"

"Calm down. Don't look at it from the perspective of an immortal. Look at it from the perspective of a mortal. Keep a normal mind, okay?" Yin Chenzi reminded.

Yu Shuyang has been practicing for two lifetimes and almost doesn't remember what a mortal's perspective is. However, he can probably guess that he can put away his spiritual response, spiritual consciousness, and mind, and only see with his naked eyes.

Gradually, the mulberry fruit began to glow with golden light, and the whole body seemed to be made of gold and jade. There was a red sun inside, emitting sparkling golden light.

He had an intuition that eating this mulberry fruit would make him immortal. From that moment on, Yu Shuyang felt a surge of hunger in his heart, reaching his crown.

Many mouths appeared all over his body, and the hand holding the mulberry fruit seemed as if it was about to grow a mouth and eat the mulberry fruit into its stomach.

Until Yin Chenzi swung the golden rod with thunder and fire patterns in his hand and hit Yu Shuyang's hand hard, knocking the mulberry fruit he was holding down.

"You've felt that feeling, right? It's the erosion of the elixir of immortality. When a living person takes the elixir of immortality, they gain immortality, and it's the elixir of immortality that resides in their flesh.

This mulberry fruit was passed down through the Qingqiu Fox King's lineage for two epochs, until I mastered the art of refining the golden elixir."

Yin Chenzi put the mulberry fruit back into the purple gold gourd and put it into the magic bag, saying, "Whether you take the elixir directly or refine it, the result is the same. You are both dominated by the immortal gold nature.

Therefore, fewer and fewer people are taking the elixir of immortality. This is directly related to the fact that after ancient times, it has become increasingly difficult to grow first-class spiritual roots, and the elixir of immortality has become increasingly scarce.

Later, in pursuit of immortality, alchemy became popular. In the early days, there were two sources of alchemy: one was to make magic pills, and the other was to make golden pills.

The alchemy method you obtained is the Lianyue School, which is the source of the divine elixir. Judging from the elixir formula and refining techniques, it also integrates the content of the golden elixir source.

Take out one of the Xuanming Five Qi Pills you refined and show it to me."

Yu Shuyang took out the Qiankun Mysterious Gourd, poured out a pill the size of a grain of rice, and handed it to Yin Chenzi.

Yin Chenzi took a look at the pill pattern, put it in his mouth to taste it, and said: "The pill refining technique is not bad. This is the golden pill technique of the Medicine King Temple, mixed with the Taibai Dao's moon refining technique.

I think it's the monks from Wushan who are causing trouble again, probably plotting against the Huaishui Dragon Palace. I heard that old loach won't live long."

Yu Shuyang stared with wide eyes, especially when Yin Chenzi tasted the pill and directly told him the technique and inheritance.

"Master Yin, can you even taste this?"

Yin Chenzi chuckled after hearing this and said, "Guess where the origin of alchemy in the Middle Earth came from?"

Yu Shuyang was stunned by Yin Chenzi's question. He really couldn't answer it, so he just shook his head and said he didn't know.

“Alchemy and cultivation of immortals all originate from the North. Haven’t you heard of immortals coming from the sea?

At the beginning, Dongyi was targeted by the Heavenly Dao and attacked by various forces in Jiuzhou, with the goal of discovering the source of the immortal way and alchemy.

The Qingqiu Fox and the Nine Clans of Dongyi were both born in the Immortal Alliance. They could be said to be the earliest cultivators of immortality in the Middle-earth world, an era earlier than our Taoist Alliance.

I won’t tell you too much. Take a look at these pills on the ground one by one and see with your own eyes the various alchemy techniques.

I am telling you the difference between immortal pills and divine pills, as well as the five types of pill patterns: heaven, earth, man, god, and ghost.

I was originally thinking of explaining these things to you while I was refining the elixir, but now I have to reverse the order." Yin Chenzi said rather unhappily.

Yu Shuyang opened the gourds one by one and poured out a grain of rice, holding it in his hand. He didn't dare to put it directly into his mouth to taste it like Yin Chenzi did, but put it under his nose to smell it.

Some pills are like jade, some are like gold and stone, and some are like mud pills, but most of them have no smell. Unlike mulberry fruits, you don’t have to see them with the naked eye to feel a sense of spiritual charm.

In addition to gourds, there are also various bottles, some made of gold and some made of jade, containing many elixirs, as well as various real waters and spiritual waters.

"Have you found anything?" Yin Chenzi asked Yu Shuyang.

Yu Shuyang shook his head and said, "Master Yin, these hundreds of elixirs all have the same shape and aura, and I can't even name them all.

If I really want to talk about discoveries, it seems that there are no pills made from flesh and blood. Also, there are more than a dozen bottles of spiritual water. Can these be considered pills?"

Yin Chenzi chuckled and said, "How can spiritual water not be a medicine? Even if a mortal takes a drop, it can prolong life and strengthen the body.

I have always told you that the purpose of refining elixirs is to seek immortality, so naturally there is no distinction between pills and elixirs. Just now you also asked if you have seen elixirs made from flesh and blood.

The pill made from flesh and blood is cooked and refined. Firstly, it is not easy to store and its medicinal properties are not as astringent as those of elixirs. Secondly, I am not good at refining pills made from flesh and blood.

Pills are divided into five categories: heaven, earth, man, gods and ghosts. This was formulated together with the immortal pills, mainly when our Taoist alliance came to the Middle-earth world to spread the hundreds of arts of cultivating immortals.

These five types of elixirs have one characteristic in common: they are all in the form of pills, mostly made of herbal medicinal herbs, or spiritual materials such as gold and stone, hence they are also called golden elixirs.

Later, the five categories of golden elixirs became more and more popular. In particular, one could identify elixirs by looking at the elixir patterns and the elixir color. Alchemists from other sources also learned this.

The immortal pills that are often mentioned nowadays mostly refer to the human pills among the five types of golden pills, rather than the immortal pills refined by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in the past.

The magic pill is not one of the five types of golden pills, but a pill made from refining the elixir of immortality. For example, the Xuanming Five Qi Pill that you refined is a magic pill.

Those who refine magic pills do not understand the method of returning the elixir to its original state. In the end, they are still refining the elixir of immortality and are never able to break free from the constraints of the immortal golden nature.

Our Dao League alchemists, when refining golden elixirs, must consider the individual's situation and refine the medicine for them, so that they don't die suddenly after taking the elixir, or are subject to the constraints of heaven."

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(End of this chapter)