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

The morning mist on Qinglan Peak had not yet dissipated, and a figure in azure sat upright on the blue stone by the spring. Zhang Bufan's eyes were slightly closed, and the spiritual energy around him flowed slowly like a pale blue ribbon, circulating repeatedly in his meridians according to the profound trajectory of the *Xuanqing Daodao Jue*. More than three months had passed since he broke through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but he had not slowed down his cultivation pace due to the advancement in his realm, maintaining his unwavering habit of morning practice every day. However, each leap in the Foundation Establishment stage required the accumulation of a massive amount of spiritual energy and a sufficiently profound foundation. The amount of spiritual energy needed from the mid-to-late stages was several times that from the early to the mid-stages, and it was by no means something that could be achieved in a short time. These days of accumulating experience finally gave him the leisure to delve into the art inherited from the Xuanqing Daoist—alchemy.

Back in the Xuanqing Secret Realm, Zhang Bufan had been repeatedly reviewing the alchemy theories left behind by the Xuanqing Daoist in his mind during his spare time from cultivation. At that time, he was still in the Qi Refining stage, and the pill formulas, refining techniques, and herb identification methods suitable for the Qi Refining stage were already clearly imprinted in his mind. From the most basic Qi Gathering Pill and Spirit Cleansing Pill to the slightly more complex Qi Consolidation Pill and Healing Pill, he remembered the herb ratios, heat control, and refining steps of each pill without the slightest error. However, the secret realm only had spiritual herbs and springs, but no suitable alchemy furnace. With a belly full of theories, he could only talk about it on paper.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, the sealed inheritance within his sea of ​​consciousness was unsealed once more, revealing a large number of pill formulas and refining techniques suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. In the eight months since leaving the Xuanqing Secret Realm, Zhang Bufan would immerse himself in this new knowledge after each day's cultivation. The extraordinary mental strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator became his greatest asset—the Xuanqing Daoist had already instilled all the alchemy knowledge into him in the form of an information stream. Unlike ordinary alchemy apprentices who memorized word by word and repeatedly explored, he only needed to concentrate and deeply understand to transform obscure theories into his own knowledge, making his learning efficiency far surpass that of ordinary alchemists.

Thanks to the profound mysteries of this inheritance, Zhang Bufan's theoretical understanding of alchemy has now reached the level of a perfect Xuan-rank alchemist. However, alchemy is ultimately an art where theory and practice complement each other. He has never personally refined a single pill, not even the most basic Huang-rank pill. According to the alchemist ranking standards of the Pangu Realm, he is not even a low-level Huang-rank beginner alchemist. This state of "full marks in theory, zero marks in practice" has always fueled Zhang Bufan's burning desire to personally refine his first pill and verify his knowledge.

While reviewing the inherited knowledge, Zhang Bufan also gained a clear understanding of the alchemy system in the Pangu Realm. Limited by the current concentration of spiritual energy in the Pangu Realm, the world's spiritual energy can only support Nascent Soul stage cultivators at most, leading to the decline of the corresponding alchemy system. Pills in the Pangu Realm are categorized into four grades from highest to lowest based on their energy content and suitability for different cultivator groups: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Heaven-grade pills are suitable for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, Earth-grade pills for Core Formation stage cultivators, Profound-grade pills for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and Yellow-grade pills for Qi Refining stage cultivators.

The boundaries between different grades of elixirs are extremely strict; low-level cultivators must never rashly consume high-grade elixirs. If a Qi Refining stage cultivator accidentally ingests a Xuan-grade or higher elixir, the violent energy contained within will instantly destroy their fragile meridians and dantian. At best, they will lose all their cultivation and become crippled; at worst, they will explode and die on the spot. Conversely, if a high-level cultivator consumes a low-grade elixir, it's like a drop in the ocean—the medicinal effect is instantly diluted by their abundant spiritual power, having almost no effect whatsoever. Each grade of elixirs is further divided into four levels based on their quality and efficacy: low-grade, medium-grade, high-grade, and top-grade. A top-grade elixir of the same grade is often several times, or even ten times, more potent than a low-grade elixir, and its value is vastly different.

Alchemists are ranked regardless of a cultivator's cultivation level, based solely on the highest-grade pills they can refine. From lowest to highest, they are divided into Yellow Rank, Profound Rank, Earth Rank, and Heaven Rank, each further subdivided into four minor realms: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Perfect. For example, a cultivator capable of refining a mid-grade Profound Rank pill is a mid-grade Profound Rank alchemist; only by consistently refining perfect Profound Rank pills can one be considered a perfect Profound Rank alchemist. Although Zhang Bufan possesses a profound theoretical foundation, his lack of practical experience prevents him from even obtaining the entry-level Yellow Rank beginner alchemist certification, which only strengthens his resolve to practice alchemy.

To refine pills, the most essential item is a pill furnace. Xuanqing Daoist's storage ring contains hundreds of Yellow and Black Rank pill furnaces in its regular space; he can simply choose one that suits his needs. The Xuanqing Secret Realm also contains many herbs, but many are from other worlds or even the Immortal Realm. Zhang Bufan can currently identify less than 20%, and most are over a thousand years old, unsuitable for his current practice. He'll have to seek help from his sect.

As a secluded sect in a secret realm, the Immortal Sword Sect naturally has its own alchemy system. The current head of the Alchemy Pavilion is a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, but due to factors such as medicinal herbs, alchemy furnaces, and techniques, the highest-grade pills he can refine are only high-grade Xuan-level pills. Therefore, he is a high-level Xuan-level alchemy master. In addition, there are two Foundation Establishment stage Xuan-level alchemists and more than a dozen Yellow-level alchemists.

The sect also has many medicinal fields, especially for low-grade spiritual herbs, which are planted in large areas on the outskirts of the secret realm. It should be easy to gather the raw materials for several Qi Refining stage pills. With this in mind, he flew towards the Alchemy Pavilion.

Given Zhang Bufan's current status, he easily obtained a batch of basic medicinal materials from the Alchemy Pavilion—spiritual licorice, qi-condensing flower, and green-patterned grass needed to refine Qi-gathering pills, and azure leaves and calming flowers needed to refine spirit-clearing pills. He planned to start by practicing with the simplest yellow-grade pills and gradually accumulate experience.

Upon returning to Qinglan Peak, Zhang Bufan went straight to the alchemy room in his cave dwelling. The alchemy room had already been prepared by the sect disciples. In the center was a blue stone alchemy platform with a recessed groove for placing the alchemy furnace. Simple spirit-gathering arrays were also engraved around it, which could gather the surrounding spiritual energy during alchemy to increase the success rate of pills. Zhang Bufan selected a high-grade Xuan-level Xuan iron alchemy furnace from his ring, placed it steadily in the groove of the alchemy platform, and then, following the method passed down in the sect, used his spiritual power to activate the furnace, checking whether the furnace body was damaged and whether the spirit-gathering patterns were unobstructed.

"Buzz—" A faint spiritual energy flowed into the furnace, and a layer of weak black light instantly appeared on its body. The spirit-gathering patterns slowly lit up, and the surrounding spiritual energy flowed into the furnace along the patterns, forming a tiny vortex of spiritual energy. Zhang Bufan nodded in satisfaction. This black iron furnace was indeed intact and could support his initial alchemy practice.

"Let's refine the Qi Gathering Pill first," Zhang Bufan decided. The Qi Gathering Pill is the most basic of the low-grade Yellow Rank pills. It is the easiest to refine, the ingredients are easy to obtain, and the margin for error is relatively high. It is most suitable for familiarizing oneself with the pill refining process and controlling the heat. He took out three spirit licorice roots, two Qi Condensation Flowers, and one Azure Pattern Grass. According to the proportions in the inheritance, he neatly arranged the medicinal materials on the pill-refining platform. He then carefully reviewed the refining steps of the Qi Gathering Pill: first, use spiritual power to crush the medicinal materials and purify the medicinal juice, then pour the medicinal juice into the pill furnace, boil and concentrate it with precise heat, wait for the medicinal juice to condense into a pill core, and then continue to nurture it until it finally condenses into a pill.

With everything prepared, Zhang Bufan took a deep breath, slowly circulated his spiritual energy, and formed alchemy hand seals. His Foundation Establishment stage spiritual energy was profound and refined; he precisely controlled it, transforming it into two slender strands of energy that wrapped around the licorice root. Under the crushing force of his spiritual energy, the licorice root instantly turned into fine powder. The strands of energy then enveloped the powder, removing impurities and leaving only a pure, pale green medicinal juice. Next, the Qi Condensation Flower and the Azure Pattern Grass were processed in the same way. The three different colored medicinal juices were drawn together by his spiritual energy, slowly converging above the alchemy furnace, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

This step of purifying the medicinal herbs requires extremely high precision in spiritual energy—too much spiritual energy will destroy the effective components in the medicinal juice; too little spiritual energy will fail to completely remove impurities, affecting the efficacy of the pill. Fortunately, Zhang Bufan's spiritual power far surpasses that of cultivators of the same level, and his control over spiritual energy has reached a level of subtlety. Coupled with the detailed theoretical guidance in his mind, he completed the purification of the three medicinal herbs in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The three streams of medicinal juice were pure and free of impurities, with a viscous texture, which was exactly the optimal state required for alchemy.

Then, Zhang Bufan controlled the three streams of medicinal liquid, slowly pouring them into the Xuan Tie pill furnace. Upon entering the furnace, the liquid was instantly enveloped by a vortex of spiritual energy within, beginning to rotate slowly. He then adjusted his spiritual energy output, urging the furnace to heat up and begin simmering the liquid. The simmering of Qi Gathering Pills requires a gentle heat; the temperature must be high enough to concentrate the liquid, but not so high as to carbonize it. Zhang Bufan stared intently at the furnace, releasing all his spiritual energy to clearly observe the changes in the medicinal liquid inside.

Inside the furnace, the medicinal broth, simmering over a low flame, gradually began to shrink and merge. The three streams of broth—pale green, pale yellow, and pale blue—intertwined and slowly condensed into a pale white paste. As the water evaporated, the paste became increasingly viscous, and the aroma grew stronger, gradually filling the entire alchemy room. Zhang Bufan dared not be careless in the slightest, meticulously adjusting his spiritual energy output and controlling the intensity of the heat to ensure the paste steadily concentrated and gradually condensed into a pill core.

However, just as the medicinal syrup was about to condense into a pill core, an unexpected incident occurred. Perhaps due to it being his first time practicing, his control over the heat was still flawed. Zhang Bufan was momentarily careless, and his spiritual energy output was slightly too strong, causing the temperature inside the furnace to rise sharply. With a soft "hiss," the pale white medicinal syrup inside the furnace instantly turned black, and the rich medicinal aroma was mixed with a burnt smell. The originally pure medicinal syrup was instantly ruined.

Zhang Bufan's heart tightened, and he quickly withdrew his spiritual energy, stopping the heating process. He opened the lid of the furnace, only to see a clump of charred residue at the bottom. The condensed medicinal liquid had been completely carbonized, leaving not even a trace of the pill core. His first attempt at alchemy ended in failure.

"I was still too hasty." Zhang Bufan shook his head slightly, not too discouraged. He was mentally prepared; alchemy requires countless trials and tribulations, and even with a complete theoretical foundation, mistakes are inevitable on the first attempt. He carefully reviewed the process and quickly found the problem—in the final stage of boiling the medicinal elixir, he focused too much on the condensation of the pill core, neglecting the precise control of spiritual energy output, leading to a loss of control over the heat.

He cleaned the residue from the bottom of the furnace, took out a new batch of medicinal herbs, and began his attempt again. This time, Zhang Bufan was much more composed, slowing down the pace of each step. His mental energy was firmly locked onto the changes within the furnace, allowing him to precisely detect even the slightest fluctuation in the medicinal liquid. When purifying the herbs, he controlled his spiritual energy more gently, ensuring that the effective components in the medicinal liquid were not destroyed. When boiling the medicinal liquid, he eliminated distractions, outputting spiritual energy at a steady pace, keeping the heat at its optimal level, allowing the medicinal liquid to slowly concentrate and blend.

Time passed slowly, and the aroma of medicine in the alchemy room grew stronger. An hour later, the medicinal syrup in the furnace had condensed into a white pill core the size of a quail egg. The surface of the core gleamed faintly, and its texture was firm—the rudimentary form of a Qi Gathering Pill. Zhang Bufan was delighted, but he did not let his guard down. He continued to gently nurture the core with a low flame, while simultaneously using his spiritual energy to regulate the medicinal power within, ensuring its even distribution and improving the quality of the pill.

Half an hour later, a soft "ding" sound suddenly came from inside the alchemy furnace. The white pill core instantly emitted a faint white light, which then subsided, revealing three round, white pills lying quietly at the bottom of the furnace, their surfaces smooth and their aroma rich and mellow. Zhang Bufan immediately stopped channeling his spiritual power, opened the lid of the furnace, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, refreshing and invigorating.

"It's done!" Zhang Bufan felt an indescribable joy welling up inside him. He carefully took out the three Qi Gathering Pills and examined them closely in his palm. These three Qi Gathering Pills had a uniform color and a firm texture, actually reaching the quality of a high-grade Yellow Rank pill, far exceeding the level of an ordinary Yellow Rank beginner alchemist. Clearly, his profound theoretical foundation and powerful mental strength had saved him from countless detours.

Just then, the door to the alchemy room was gently pushed open, and Yue Ling'er skipped in. She sniffed the air and her eyes lit up immediately: "Senior brother, what a strong medicinal fragrance! Are you refining pills?" Ye Qingxue followed closely behind and also came in, with a gentle smile on her face. Her gaze fell on the pills in Zhang Bufan's palm, and a hint of approval flashed in her eyes.

Zhang Bufan smiled and nodded, handing one of the Qi Gathering Pills to Yue Ling'er: "I just practiced refining a few Qi Gathering Pills. Take a look." Yue Ling'er took the pill, smelled it carefully, and then gently rubbed its surface with her fingertips. She exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother, the quality of this Qi Gathering Pill is amazing! It's much better than the Qi Gathering Pills given to outer disciples! Are you this skilled on your first attempt at pill refining?"

Ye Qingxue also stepped forward, carefully examining the pill, and said softly, "Although the Qi Gathering Pill is basic, the fact that you were able to refine it to this quality shows that you have extremely precise control over the heat and spiritual power."

Zhang Bufan smiled, carefully put away the three Qi Gathering Pills, and said, "It was just good luck. I made mistakes in the first two attempts at alchemy, and this was only the third time I succeeded. Next, I want to try refining the Qingling Pill. After I've refined all the Yellow-Rank pills in the sect that have the necessary ingredients, I'll gradually challenge myself with Profound-Rank pills." He knew that refining the Qi Gathering Pill was just the beginning. To truly master alchemy, he needed to practice constantly, try different kinds of pills, and accumulate more experience.

Next, he reorganized the medicinal herbs, wiped the Xuan Tie alchemy furnace clean, and continued refining Qi Gathering Pills. Zhang Bufan took a total of ten portions of Qi Gathering Pill ingredients from the alchemy pavilion.

With the experience of the previous successful batch, the subsequent refining was unsurprisingly successful, and the last two batches produced top-grade Yellow-level Qi Gathering Pills.

Then they prepared to begin refining the second type of pill—the Cleansing Spirit Pill. The Cleansing Spirit Pill was more difficult to refine than the Gathering Qi Pill, requiring stricter purification of the medicinal materials and more precise control of the heat. In particular, the juice of the Tranquil Heart Flower was very easy to lose its medicinal efficacy during the boiling process, so extra care was needed.

Zhang Bufan focused intently, his hands forming a hand seal, his spiritual energy precisely enveloping the herbs such as the Azure Leaf and the Tranquil Heart Flower, beginning the purification of the medicinal juice. With the experience from the first time, his movements became more skillful, the purification speed of the herbs was faster, and the purity was also higher. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the herbs were purified, and four streams of medicinal juice of different colors floated above the alchemy furnace, pure and without impurities.

After the medicinal liquid was placed in the furnace, Zhang Bufan adjusted his spiritual energy and simmered it slowly over a low flame. The brewing cycle of the Qingling Pill was even longer, requiring the heat to be adjusted three times, corresponding to the three stages of medicinal liquid fusion, pill core condensation, and medicinal power nurturing. The intensity and duration of the heat in each stage had strict requirements, and the slightest carelessness would lead to insufficient efficacy of the pill or even complete ruin.

Time passed slowly, and the alchemy room was quiet except for the faint sound of the furnace burning. Zhang Bufan was completely focused, his mental energy firmly locked onto the changes inside the furnace, and every adjustment of the heat was precise.

Two hours later, a crisp "ding" sounded from within the alchemy furnace. Four pale blue pills slowly condensed, their surfaces shimmering with a faint blue light. Their fragrance was even richer than that of the Qi Gathering Pills, carrying a calming and concentration-enhancing aura. Zhang Bufan felt a sense of relief, stopped channeling his spiritual energy, and opened the furnace lid. Four round and plump Qingling Pills lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace, their color uniform, their texture firm—they were actually top-grade Yellow Rank pills!

Zhang Bufan took out the four Qingling Pills, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment. The practical experience of refining two types of pills gave him a more intuitive understanding of the refining process and the control of heat, confirming the correctness of the theoretical knowledge in his mind. He carefully put the pills away and began to review the details encountered during the refining process, pondering how to further improve the quality of the pills and move closer to top-grade pills.

In the days that followed, Zhang Bufan combined cultivation with alchemy, spending most of his time each day consolidating his cultivation and accumulating spiritual energy, while immersing himself in the alchemy room for repeated practice. He started with Yellow-grade pills, refining each type—Qi Gathering Pill, Spirit Cleansing Pill, Qi Consolidation Pill, and Healing Pill—dozens of times, constantly optimizing the refining steps, adjusting the heat and the proportions of the medicinal materials. Surprisingly, he refined all of them into top-grade Yellow-grade pills.

With accumulated practical experience, Zhang Bufan's alchemy skills became increasingly proficient, and his control over spiritual energy reached a new level. He began to attempt refining low-grade Xuan-rank pills, suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators' Meridian Strengthening Pills and Spirit Condensation Pills. The difficulty of refining Xuan-rank pills far exceeds that of Huang-rank pills. Not only does it require more precise control of the heat and purer extraction of medicinal materials, but it also requires using spiritual power to organize the medicinal power during the condensation of the pill core, forming stable pill patterns. The integrity of the pill patterns directly determines the efficacy and grade of the pill.

When Zhang Bufan first attempted to refine a Xuan-grade pill, he encountered numerous failures. Either he failed to completely remove impurities from the Xuan-grade herbs during purification, resulting in a cloudy medicinal liquid; or he overexerted his mental energy during the condensation of the pill core, making it impossible to create complete pill patterns, causing the pill to disintegrate midway. However, he did not lose heart. After each failure, he carefully reviewed the process, combining the theoretical knowledge inherited from his lineage to adjust his refining methods. He even went so far as to expend spiritual energy to repeatedly practice the manipulation and control of the medicinal properties with his mental energy.

Half a month later, the crisp sound of pills refining echoed once again from the alchemy room. Zhang Bufan opened the furnace, and three pale blue Spirit Condensation Pills lay quietly at the bottom. The surface of the pills was surrounded by three fine pill patterns, with a warm luster and a rich medicinal aroma. They were indeed low-grade Xuan-rank pills. At this moment, he finally truly joined the ranks of beginner Xuan-rank alchemists by refining Xuan-rank pills with his own hands.

Standing before the alchemy platform, gazing at the Spirit Condensation Pill in his hand, Zhang Bufan was filled with countless thoughts. Alchemy had not only given him a means of livelihood, but through repeated practice, it had also honed his control over spiritual power and the composure of his mind. This honing, in turn, had enriched his cultivation, making his foundation increasingly solid, and bringing him closer to the bottleneck of the late Foundation Establishment stage. He knew that although the alchemy system of the Pangu Realm had declined, with the inheritance of Daoist Xuanqing and his own continuous practice, he would surely be able to forge his own path in alchemy, both to aid his own cultivation and to replenish the Immortal Sword Sect's medicinal resources, living up to his master's expectations and the legacy of Daoist Xuanqing.