Starting as a Talisman Master

Lu Chi did not head straight back home.

Having obtained the alchemy furnace, he already had a plan in mind. If he wanted to access the [Alchemist] section that had not yet appeared on the panel, based on past experience, he would most likely have to do the things that an alchemist should do himself.

Cultivating talismans unlocks the talisman master; regulating the earth's veins and irrigating spiritual fields triggers the spiritual farmer. The same applies to alchemy.

He went into a general store in a corner of the market and picked out some common medicinal herbs: three ounces of beef, a little bit of Solomon's seal, a section of yam, a pinch of malt, and a little salt and water.

This is the recipe for the Bigu Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine formula for fasting).

This pill is not graded and does not seek spiritual efficacy; it is only for sustenance and to alleviate hunger. It is a common item for ordinary cultivators. The medicinal materials are not expensive, and there are even finished pills for sale in shops at a low price of ten taels of spirit sand.

After purchasing everything, Lu Chi rode the wind back to his residence. Upon entering the courtyard, he first set up an array, and then took out the seeds he had just obtained.

The Qi-boosting vine has slender leaves and long vines, which can gently replenish spiritual energy. Long-term use can stabilize the Qi Sea.

Cold Dew Grass is cool and pure in nature. It can regulate dryness and heat, and can also be used in pills to clear the mind and reduce heat.

The root of warm yang is red like a jujube. It is warm in nature and can warm the meridians and promote the flow of yang qi.

He first planted the harvested spiritual plant seeds in the open space in the courtyard, covered them with soil and watered them, then condensed spiritual liquid at his fingertips and gently applied it.

All three are commonly used materials of the first tier. Although they are not rare, they each have their own uses.

With everything settled, he sat in meditation until the next day, waiting for the [Condensed Dew] to be exhausted and replenished before getting up and going to the west storeroom to take out the old alchemy furnace.

The alchemy furnace was placed on the table, its body as stable as a rock. Lu Chi examined it carefully and gently stroked the dark patterns on its body.

This is his first alchemy furnace. Although it is not valuable, it was acquired by his own hands, so it should have a name: "Since it has blue patterns and is the beginning of the path... I will call it the Azure Beginning Furnace."

Lu Chi sat cross-legged, raised his hand to lift the furnace lid, and slowly inhaled and exhaled, drawing the magic power in his body to his palm, condensing a wisp of faint fire.

Even knowing the formula for the Bigu Pill, he didn't feel much at ease.

The art of alchemy and the art of drawing talismans seem similar, both relying on tools. Adding a furnace to the alchemy process doesn't seem to change much.

But once you actually get involved, you'll realize it's far from simple.

The essence of talismanic arts lies in each stroke, with the flow of energy on the paper.

However, the Daoist alchemy requires overall control, with the timing, timing, and properties of the medicine interacting and counteracting each other. The slightest mistake will render all previous efforts futile.

If one could achieve immortality solely through alchemy, why would Xu Yanqiu have sold his land to enter Yangyuan Residence, become a disciple of the Shen family, and still struggle to obtain the true teachings?

During his three years in the market, Lu Chi had heard quite a bit about alchemists.

The key to elixirs, besides the elixir furnace, lies in the elixir fire.

The Dan Fire can be condensed from one's own magical power, or it can be generated after practicing a cultivation method. Once the fire is tamed, it can be subtly controlled, rising and falling at will.

Those with even greater skill can use the fire of alchemy to gently nurture the qi within the furnace, allowing the essence of the medicinal herbs to blend naturally without forcing it.

He had only heard about these things; he had no real knowledge of alchemy. To say that he could refine a first-grade spiritual pill was wishful thinking.

Fortunately, what he tried today was merely a fasting pill. This pill was not a high-grade medicine. It was rumored that it could be made into pills even with an ordinary iron pot.

It involves neither intricate techniques nor the risk of the furnace exploding, and has very low requirements for the fire used in alchemy.

With a firm resolve, Lu Chi condensed a wisp of magical fire and sent it into the bottom of the furnace. The flame flickered slightly. Among the five elements, fire was the weakest, and this wisp of fire could only be considered barely stable.

Then put the shredded beef, Solomon's seal, yam, and malt into the stove along with a little water.

There was no order of cooking, no careful attention to the heat; it was practically a hodgepodge.

As he watched the churning inside the furnace, a hint of self-mockery crept into his heart: "So this is how the path to alchemy begins."

Steam billowed and churned inside the furnace.

The shredded beef is the first to be heated, its fat melting and releasing a subtle aroma. Beef extract slowly exudes a sweet and moist fragrance, while yam becomes sticky and chewy, and malt is finely broken, gently unfurling in the steam.

Suddenly, a faint sound appeared in Lu Chi's mind.

"It's so hot...it's so hot..."

"Don't stir it... I haven't dissolved yet..."

Lu Chi was taken aback, realizing that [Listening to Plants] had taken effect. Although there was beef in the stove, the Solomon's Seal, yam, and malt were all of the nature of herbs and trees, and even after being put into the fire, they still retained their spiritual essence.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind, slowly expanding his consciousness to observe the movement of the elixir materials, and then adjusted the heat in the furnace accordingly.

The Polygonatum rhizome, being too hot to handle, was being slowly heated by reducing the heat. The yam, not yet melted, was being gently melted by moving the heat to the center of the furnace. As for the malt and beef, the heat was carefully adjusted according to their individual reactions.

The fire in the stove remained unchanged, yet the restless energy gradually subsided.

The Solomon's Seal no longer resists, transforming into a gentle flow; the Yam slowly disperses, binding all the flavors together...

As the salt and water are mixed, the moisture gradually evaporates, and the originally messy medicinal mass slowly condenses into a supple and resilient substance.

Lu Chi opened his eyes, his heart trembling slightly. This [Listening Plant] was originally a spiritual farmer's root, and now it could actually add some assistance when used to refine pills.

It turns out that the most taboo thing in alchemy is the conflict between medicinal properties, but he could hear their "dissatisfaction" and only needed to soothe them a little to make them blend together.

Bigu pills are crudely made; they can even be made in an iron pot.

However, if left to simmer haphazardly, it's hard to guarantee that the mixture won't burn or become unbalanced. With this method of blending, although the heat isn't precise, the risk of the food exploding in the oven is reduced.

As the steam in the stove gradually dissipated, the properties of the various herbs and plants ceased to clash, their essences merging together and slowly settling to the bottom.

Lu Chi added another spark of anger.

A moment later, a viscous substance slowly gathered deep inside the furnace. A dark brown, sticky mass adhered to the bottom of the furnace, emitting a slight amount of heat.

He lifted the lid of the stove, and a warm, medicinal aroma wafted out.

"It's done!"

This is the Bigu Pill, and its appearance is truly ugly. If a real alchemist were to see it, he would probably shake his head.

However, Lu Chi had no experience in alchemy, nor had he cultivated alchemical fire, so it was quite normal that he could not use the timing and technique to shape it into a smooth pill.

Lu Chi reached out and took out the ointment. It was scalding hot to the touch, so he quickly wrapped it with his spiritual power to insulate it from the heat.

After it cools down a bit, pinch off a lump and rub it back and forth in your palm.

Slowly, he kneaded a pill the size of a fingernail into shape; it was rough and not perfectly round, but it had taken form.

He stared at the small pill in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and then put it in his mouth.

Surprisingly, it didn't taste bad.

The aroma of beef blends with the sweetness of Solomon's Seal, the richness of yam, and the subtle sweetness of malt. While not exquisite, it is quite palatable.

After swallowing, a warm feeling slowly spreads, and a feeling of fullness gradually arises.

Lu Chi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and at that moment, a flash of light appeared deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, and a familiar panel emerged.

[Job Panel]

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 4]

[Spellcaster: Lv.2 (18/50)]

[Linnon: Lv.1 (1/30)]

[Currently Unlockable]: Alchemist (Unlocking in progress)

[Unlock Quest: Alchemist]

[Goal 1]: To personally open the furnace once (Completed)

[Objective 2]: Condense fire once using your own magical power (Completed)

[Objective 3]: Successfully refine one batch of pills (1/3)

[Note]: You need to complete three consecutive refining processes, regardless of grade, to unlock the profession "Alchemist".

"As expected, the [Alchemist] unlock quest has been triggered... Two more batches are needed. Luckily, I prepared extra ingredients beforehand."

An hour later, the furnace fire gradually died down, but a wisp of heat remained in the alchemy room, slowly dissipating along the stone wall.

Lu Chi sat on the futon, not in a hurry to get up, staring at the mouth of the alchemy furnace, waiting for the last trace of residual heat to sink down.

This is already the third batch of fasting pills.

He reached out and lifted the stove lid.

A faint, bitter medicinal fragrance wafted out, and at the bottom of the furnace lay several round pills, their surfaces rough and their color dark, but without any cracks.

"It actually formed a pill directly?" Lu Chi's eyes lit up with joy.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. The first two batches of the Bigu Pills turned out to be sticky lumps, but this third batch turned out to be pills directly, which was truly delightful.

Could it be that I truly possess some talent in alchemy? My spiritual soul is now stronger than that of ordinary people, which may indeed be of some benefit... The thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Chi slowly exhaled, finally relaxing his shoulders and back.

Refining three batches in a row was no easy task for him, as it consumed a great deal of his mental and spiritual energy.

Fortunately, there was no deviation.

He put the pill into the jade bottle, and a beam of light unfolded in his field of vision.

Name: Lu Chi

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 4]

【职业：符师Lv.2（25/50）、灵农Lv.1（1/30）、炼丹师Lv.1（0/30）】

The words "Alchemist" quietly appeared in the profession column, along with new traits and talents.

[Occupation: Alchemist]

【Level: Lv.1 (0/30)】

[Root Nature: Mysterious Fire]: The primordial fire of the elixir, born from the vital energy and bound to the mind and spirit. In its initial stages, it can be nurtured. It can absorb ownerless fire and the remnants of earth fire to strengthen its origin. The fire it absorbs is slowly refined, without losing its master. The stronger the fire, the more refined its control over it becomes.

[Talent: Formula Recognition]: Upon seeing any elixir, if one has previously identified the medicinal ingredients involved in its refining, one can deduce its compatibility and the circulation of its medicinal properties. One can determine its grade and detect errors in the formula. If the materials are unfamiliar or of too high a grade, the deduction will be limited.