He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Life on Qinglan Peak progressed steadily amidst cultivation, sparring, and tender moments. Three months had passed in the blink of an eye since Zhang Bufan formed his Core. During this time, aside from spending his days honing his cultivation and enjoying leisure time with Ye Qingxue, Yue Ling'er, and Liu Yan'er, he devoted almost all his spare time to digesting the inherited memories of Xuanqing Daoist. The surge in his spiritual power brought about by Core Formation allowed him to read and understand memories far more efficiently than before. Those newly unlocked inherited memories related to the Core Formation stage were being disassembled and absorbed by him little by little, unfolding a completely new picture of cultivation.

Xuanqing Daoist was originally a top-tier alchemist in the Immortal Realm. His lineage naturally contained the most detailed and profound knowledge related to alchemy, far surpassing cultivation techniques and general cultivation knowledge. As Zhang Bufan's cultivation level increased, he increasingly appreciated the vast and profound nature of alchemy—a single pill could help one break through shackles and defy fate, nourish one's foundation, enhance combat power, and even save lives and heal injuries in times of crisis, making it an indispensable aid on the path of cultivation. This understanding strengthened his resolve to delve deeper into the art of alchemy, not only to improve his own and his loved ones' strength but also to stockpile sufficient pills for the Immortal Sword Sect, laying a solid foundation for the sect's rise.

Over the past three months, Zhang Bufan has thoroughly studied all the alchemy knowledge related to the Core Formation stage in his inheritance. From basic alchemy techniques and spiritual energy temperature control skills to complex formula analysis, principles of herbal compatibility, and the identification and processing methods of rare herbs, he has mastered everything. Among them are many exotic formulas unheard of in the Pangu world. These formulas originated from the Immortal Realm and other planes, and the required herbs and refining ideas have all broken through the understanding of the Pangu cultivation world. The detailed explanations of local herbs are also more thorough than those recorded in the Immortal Sword Sect's classics, even clearly explaining the differences in efficacy between different parts of the herbs and the influence of the growth environment on the medicinal properties.

After thoroughly digesting this knowledge, Zhang Bufan's theoretical reserves in alchemy had already reached the pinnacle of Earth-rank alchemists in the Pangu World—even those veteran Earth-rank alchemists who had immersed themselves in alchemy for hundreds of years could not reach such breadth and depth due to the limitations of the Pangu World's resources and traditions. However, he also knew that theory was ultimately just a foundation; only through continuous practice, transforming knowledge into tangible alchemy skills, could its true value be realized, providing assistance to himself and his sect.

Zhang Bufan's first chosen practical target was a very basic Earth-grade elixir—the Qi-Nourishing Pill. This pill was specially crafted for Core Formation cultivators, possessing the effects of strengthening the foundation and nourishing the vital energy, accelerating cultivation. After taking one pill, it required three days to refine, yet its nourishing effect was comparable to three months of arduous meditation, making it an excellent aid for Core Formation cultivators' daily cultivation. Although its effects were extraordinary, its refining difficulty was similar to that of the Core Formation Pill, only slightly more complex in terms of the combination of medicinal materials and the control of spiritual energy temperature. For Zhang Bufan, who was already proficient in refining top-grade Core Formation Pills and had thoroughly understood the alchemy theory of the Core Formation stage, it was undoubtedly the best introductory trial.

Although the recipe for the Qi Cultivation Pill is recorded in all the major cultivation sects of the Pangu World, it has not appeared on the market for over two thousand years. The reason for this is simply that the scarcity of spiritual energy leads to a shortage of high-grade spiritual herbs—this pill requires a spiritual ginseng that is over 1,500 years old as the main ingredient, combined with three auxiliary herbs that are over 1,000 years old and more than ten kinds of herbs that are over 500 years old to be successfully made. The thousand-year-old spiritual herbs that exist in the Pangu World are extremely precious, and all the sects regard them as treasures, using them all to refine essential breakthrough pills such as the Core Formation Pill and the Breakthrough Pill. No one is willing to waste resources on a non-essential auxiliary pill like the Qi Cultivation Pill.

This predicament was insignificant to Zhang Bufan. The Xuanqing Secret Realm was his strongest support. The banks of the Spirit Stream and the surrounding Spirit Lake within the secret realm were covered with various spiritual herbs, lush and verdant, brimming with spiritual energy. The oldest of these plants was over three thousand years old. However, even after digesting the alchemy inheritance of the Core Formation stage, Zhang Bufan could only identify about 30% of the spiritual herb varieties in the secret realm. The rest were mostly untraceable in his inherited memories and the Immortal Sword Sect's records, likely originating from the Immortal Realm or other exotic regions, their medicinal effects and uses still awaiting exploration.

Fortunately, the ingredients required for the Nourishing Essence Pill are all basic spiritual herbs commonly found in the Pangu World, and the Xuanqing Secret Realm has abundant reserves. For ginseng alone, there are thousands of surviving plants in the secret realm, each with plump roots and rich spiritual energy; the other auxiliary herbs are also readily available, requiring no deliberate searching to gather enough ingredients. Zhang Bufan selected a set of high-quality ingredients from the secret realm and went straight to the alchemy room on Qinglan Peak—this was the place where he had previously refined the Core Formation Pill, equipped with a spirit-gathering array to stabilize the surrounding spiritual energy and provide an excellent environment for alchemy.

Sitting cross-legged before the alchemy furnace, Zhang Bufan closed his eyes and concentrated, mentally reviewing the details of refining the Qi-Nourishing Pill one last time: the ginseng needed to be gently nurtured with spiritual energy to remove impurities and retain its core medicinal properties; the three thousand-year-old auxiliary herbs needed to be added in batches, with the temperature maintained around three thousand degrees Celsius, with an error margin of no more than ten degrees; and the dozen or so low-grade medicinal herbs needed to be ground into powder and precisely sprinkled in before the pill solidified to promote the fusion of medicinal effects. Once all the details were clear in his mind, he slowly opened his eyes, and with a flick of his fingertips, a pale golden spiritual flame ignited beneath the alchemy furnace, gradually warming the furnace body.

Zhang Bufan methodically processed the medicinal herbs. First, he placed the spiritual ginseng in his palm, slowly infusing it with a wisp of pure golden elixir power to remove impurities and refine its medicinal properties. Then, he placed it in the alchemy furnace. Once the furnace temperature reached the designated level, he added three thousand-year-old auxiliary herbs in sequence, precisely controlling the heat with his divine sense, allowing the herbs to slowly melt and blend in the spiritual fire. At appropriate times, he sprinkled in ground low-grade herb powder, then used his spiritual power to envelop the medicinal liquid in the furnace, guiding it to condense into a pill. Throughout the entire process, his divine sense completely covered the alchemy furnace, controlling every subtle change. The alchemy techniques of Xuanqing Daoist were perfectly combined with his own experience, flowing smoothly and without any hindrance.

Three days passed quietly as he focused intently on alchemy. The spiritual energy within the alchemy chamber grew increasingly dense, gradually condensing into a faint medicinal mist. On the morning of the fourth day, the alchemy furnace emitted a soft hum, and the lid automatically popped open. Eight round, plump pills, radiating a pale golden glow, slowly flew out and landed in a jade bottle that Zhang Bufan had prepared beforehand. The rich and lingering fragrance of the pills permeated the alchemy chamber for a long time. Looking through the jade bottle, the surface of the pills revealed intricate patterns and a restrained spiritual energy; they were clearly mid-grade Earth-rank Qi Cultivation Pills.

Zhang Bufan picked up the jade bottle, his fingertips lightly touching the pill, sensing its warm yet powerful medicinal properties. A relieved smile appeared on his lips. His first attempt at refining a mid-grade Earth-rank pill was a resounding success, demonstrating not only his solid theoretical foundation but also his exceptional alchemy talent. From this moment on, he officially joined the ranks of mid-level Earth-rank alchemy masters. The Immortal Sword Sect finally gained another core combatant capable of independently refining Earth-rank pills, undoubtedly providing a solid guarantee for future resource reserves and sect development.

Zhang Bufan carefully put away the Qi Cultivation Pill, already planning his subsequent alchemy scheme—first, to mass-produce Qi Cultivation Pills for himself, the three women, and the core Core Formation cultivators of the sect to accelerate their cultivation progress, and then gradually try other Earth-rank pill formulas from his inheritance. He knew that the path of alchemy was long and arduous, and this was only the beginning. The inheritance and secret realm resources in his hands would ultimately allow him to go further on this path.