Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 80 Zhou Bingyun (Revised)
Inside the cave.

"boom!"

As a thick plume of smoke rose, Lin Chang'an used his manipulation technique to open the alchemy furnace. Unexpectedly, the furnace, which was filled with pungent smoke, transformed into a fire dragon the instant it was opened.

A flash of azure light appeared, and the protective aura formed a magical shield. Although he was not burned by the flames, Lin Chang'an shook his head.

This batch is ruined again!

"I really underestimated the art of alchemy. The spiritual herbs and plants I learned about when I was in the hunting team were only for judging their types and ages. In terms of the true understanding of their medicinal properties, they are no match for alchemists."

Since deciding to secretly refine pills, he disguised his identity and spent a high price to buy a second-tier pill furnace, as well as some pill formulas and pill refining tips from Duobaolou.

But only after experiencing it firsthand can one truly understand that each of the myriad arts of cultivating immortality has its own unique difficulties.

"If the difficulty of talisman making lies in its inheritance, then the difficulty of alchemy lies in mastering the medicinal power of various spiritual herbs and the materials used."

Each batch requires a large amount of spirit stones; even he couldn't afford to produce so many.

He had used up more than a dozen batches of precious medicinal herbs, but still hadn't mastered the basics, which made Lin Chang'an frown.

"I remember Wei Buyi once mentioned that the most important thing in the path of alchemy is pharmacology. To refine pills, one must be familiar with the characteristics of each kind of spiritual herb. Only then can the alchemist combine the herbs according to their age and medicinal properties to finally refine the pill."

Therefore, when alchemists usually discussed Daoist principles, they mostly exchanged different opinions on spiritual herbs and fruits.

At this moment, Lin Chang'an recalled that when they gathered at Juxianlou, Wei Buyi had said to everyone with a smile that he was willing to buy any books on medicine if they were ever found.

"It seems I still need to learn from Wei Buyi."

At this moment, Lin Chang'an, standing in front of the alchemy furnace, looked down at the flames dissipating, revealing several hot, red-hot pills that emitted a burnt smell. He then looked at the alchemy formula in his hand and couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye.

The prescription listed all the medicinal herbs, and he had acquired them all. However, the medicinal effects of herbs that were harvested at different times, in different seasons, or using different methods of harvesting would vary.

Therefore, he refined the pills according to the proportions and methods in the prescription, but he neglected the fact that every alchemist had their own understanding of the medicinal properties and subtle control over them. They did not simply follow the prescription blindly.

That's why he failed repeatedly.

"After becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I really underestimated people. The myriad arts of cultivation are truly profound and mysterious."

Lin Chang'an found his naiveté during this period amusing, but he believed that with his Foundation Establishment stage strength, his alchemy skills would soon improve.

After all, when it comes to refining first-tier pills, the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators have far greater control over their mana and spiritual sense than the Qi Refining stage cultivators. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators can only open a few batches a month.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he can almost guarantee that as long as the medicinal materials are available, he can start the furnace every day without any problem. In fact, due to the powerful recovery ability of his cultivation technique, his mana is more abundant and his recovery ability is faster than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After figuring it out, Lin Chang'an waved his hand and cleared away all the waste pills in the alchemy furnace, then closed the specially set-up alchemy room in the cave.

At the same time, he cast a spell to completely eliminate the aura of his alchemy practice.

……

At this moment, in the courtyard of the temple, the Green Horned Ox was soaking in the pool, lazily basking in the sun. Occasionally, it would take a bite of a lotus leaf. Suddenly, it saw its master walking out with a powerful stride and immediately grinned and let out a joyful moo.

However, when Lin Chang'an turned around and saw this lazy, simple-minded creature, he couldn't help but laugh and scold:
"You idiot, if you can't break through to the second tier after six months of feeding with spirit pills, you'll have to find yourself a big pot to cook."

As water splashed down, the blue-horned ox stared wide-eyed at its master as he strode away, seemingly in disbelief.

Just two days ago, I was stroking its bull head and praising it for being a superior bloodline. How come it has changed so much today?

That's so unfair to the cows!
The green-horned ox mooed pitifully.

……

Juxianlou. Since Lin Chang'an achieved his foundation, Juxianlou's business has flourished.

After all, everyone knows that there is a Foundation Establishment cultivator behind Juxianlou, and he is also a second-level talisman master.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, I have a fellow Daoist who is getting old and has given up hope of cultivation. Therefore, he wanted to learn a skill, but he discovered that the Dao of Alchemy is profound and complex. He asked me to inquire about it..."

Leaning against the window, Lin Chang'an spoke with a melancholy expression, repeating the classic "I Have a Fellow Daoist" series, which silenced Wei Buyi.

"Brother Lin, the various arts of cultivating immortality each have their own unique wonders. Although the principles of pharmacology are largely similar, every alchemist has their own unique and subtle insights."

Therefore, even with the same formula, each alchemist's technique will be slightly different. I do, however, have a herbal classic passed down from my ancestors.

As he spoke, Wei Buyi took out a bundle of jade slips from his storage bag, but when he handed them to Lin Chang'an, he still said earnestly:

"Brother Lin, you have an extraordinary talent for talismans, so don't waste it."

Lin Chang'an smiled awkwardly upon hearing this; indeed, the reason was lame.

Wei Buyi didn't say much, but just shook his head secretly. There were too many cultivators who wouldn't turn back until they hit a wall a few times.

"The Classic of Herbs".

At this moment, Lin Chang'an was flipping through the records on the jade slip and couldn't help but nod in approval. It was indeed the Herbal Classic that alchemists needed, unlike the bulk goods bought outside.

Not only are the growing environment and effects of each kind of spiritual herb clearly recorded, but the approximate medicinal power of different years is also marked. Some spiritual herbs even have clear records of the medicinal effects of the leaves and the nature of the roots and stems.

It's a detailed introduction to medicinal herbs used in alchemy.

"No wonder I kept failing before."

Having found the reason, Lin Chang'an nodded to himself; it was good that he had found the direction for alchemy.

"Brother Lin, I'll take my leave now."

Seemingly having noticed something, Wei Buyi gave an awkward smile, cupped his hands in farewell, and, leaning on his iron crutch, prepared to take his leave.

Even though his legs had been healed, Wei Buyi still habitually used the iron crutch magic weapon to disguise himself.

"Brother Lin."

At this moment, a beautiful figure appeared inside Juxianlou. Upon seeing Lin Chang'an from afar, she revealed a sweet smile.

Upon seeing who it was, Lin Chang'an secretly shook his head; the Zhou family really wasn't giving up.

"So it's you, young friend Zhou."

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Lin Chang'an smiled, a rare occurrence. Perfect timing; he had many questions to ask.

The newcomer was Zhou Bingyun, the daughter of the current head of the Zhou family, who was skilled in beast taming. Despite her young age, she had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining and, more importantly, was a first-grade high-level alchemist.

Of course, due to family reasons, he is an alchemist who is skilled at refining pills for demonic beasts.

Both beasts and humans need elixirs, so they all share the same fundamental principle and must be interconnected.

Moreover, it wouldn't hurt to learn about the uses of spirit beasts, since he also keeps a Green Horned Ox.

Fellow Daoists, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the book will be available for purchase next week. We will notify you of the details later.

Thank you all for your support, fellow readers, which has helped this book rise from its initial failure. Please continue reading next Monday and Tuesday.

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(End of this chapter)