Refining Ruins Cauldron

"Disciple understands."

Gu Qingyun clasped his hands in a fist salute, but inwardly he felt relieved.

He obediently left the alchemy room and closed the door behind him.

The courtyard that Elder Huoqian had prepared was in a side courtyard, not far away, but not very big.

But at least it's a private house with its own room, clean and quiet, and I have my own private space, which is much better than before.

Gu Qingyun took out the jade slip given to him by Elder Huo Qian and carefully studied its contents. Before he knew it, it was getting dark.

Coming to his senses, Gu Qingyun got up and stretched, his bones cracking softly.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he took out the Refining Ruins Cauldron and put the insights that Nalan Feixue had given him into it.

Inside the cauldron, a faint light flickered, then quickly returned to calm.

Gu Qingyun's spiritual sense quickly probed in to investigate, and his alchemy insights were transformed into two orbs of light.

With a gentle touch of the mind, information floods into the brain like a tidal wave.

Firstly, it is no different from Nalan Feixue's experience, except that it is more detailed than before, with all the details being supplemented and completed.

Everything became clear and easy for Gu Qingyun to understand.

Even the parts that Nalan Feixue had not yet figured out were completely filled in.

With such detail, even a complete novice like Gu Qingyun could easily absorb and digest it.

As for the other sphere of light, it contained an ancient book, which was more like an encyclopedia about elixirs.

From low to high, all kinds of things, big and small, are recorded.

It can be said that everything about all kinds of elixirs was laid bare.

There's almost nothing that Gu Qingyun can't think of that can't be found by the higher-ups.

This classic text, when used in conjunction with alchemical texts, will greatly increase the success rate of alchemy.

This is an invaluable treasure for all alchemists in the world!

Originally, Gu Qingyun was somewhat worried that he wouldn't be able to refine the Guiyuan Pill within a month, but now it's clear that he was worrying too much.

"One week! Just one week!"

Gu Qingyun was full of confidence and decided not to waste any more time.

He sat down cross-legged again, his mind already simulating each step of the alchemy process.

Refine the elixir with your heart, and when everything is ready, complete the elixir in one fell swoop!

……

In the days that followed, Gu Qingyun immersed himself in alchemy every day.

During the day, he diligently followed Elder Huo Qian to learn alchemy, progressing step by step from the most basic techniques of controlling the heat.

In the evening, he studied ancient books on elixirs and combined them with Nalan Feixue's alchemy insights to thoroughly digest what he had learned that day.

Despite Elder Huoqian's cold and selfless demeanor, he is actually very patient and serious when it comes to teaching.

"Controlling the heat is the foundation of alchemy, and also the most basic thing. Come, try it yourself, but do not be overly ambitious."

Following Elder Huo Qian's instructions, Gu Qingyun sat down in front of the alchemy furnace and carefully began to practice.

Every step was performed meticulously, with hands forming hand seals, and spiritual energy continuously flowing into the alchemy furnace.

The flames rose slowly, and the temperature inside the alchemy furnace increased accordingly.

Under Gu Qingyun's control, the cooking time remained relatively stable.

But that was only the beginning. Before long, he was surprised to find that the flames were fluctuating in size and were very difficult to control.

"Your cultivation is insufficient, and your spiritual power is too weak to allow you to control fire for an extended period of time."

Elder Huo Qian succinctly pointed out the problem: "There is no other solution in the short term."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyun did not respond, but simply wiped the sweat from his forehead.

In his eyes, the strength of the fifth level of Qi Refining already placed him among the strongest of the many miscellaneous disciples.

But for an alchemist, it's still not quite there yet.

However, Elder Huo Qian did not simply criticize; he spoke again, his tone now showing more approval.

"Although your spiritual power is insufficient, you seem to have a natural sensitivity to fire control, and you can control the changes in the size and intensity of the fire in a timely manner."

"For many alchemists, even those who reach the second rank may not be able to achieve this."

Gu Qingyun understood perfectly what Elder Huo Qian was saying.

It's because of the Five Elements Elixir Control Technique!

From the very beginning, he condensed the Dan Fire in his Dantian.

As one's alchemy skills improve, the alchemical fire also increases.

This is why he can see the energy patterns on the medicinal herbs and better control their medicinal properties.

Of course, this matter cannot be told to Elder Huoqian.

Gu Qingyun cupped his hands and respectfully replied, "Thank you, Elder. This disciple will certainly continue to strive for excellence."

Seeing this, Elder Huo Qian didn't say anything more, but simply nodded in response.

Time flies, and Gu Qingyun made rapid progress in fire control, mastering it in just five days.

Even Elder Huo Qian was secretly astonished by this level of skill.

The key point is that this is a mixed spiritual root. Even those geniuses with exceptional talents and single spiritual roots might not be able to achieve this level.

"Your talent has reached such a level."

Elder Huo Qian couldn't help but sigh, and he began to look at Gu Qingyun with newfound respect.

"Let's practice for two more days. On the seventh day, we can start refining pills."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Gu Qingyun started refining pills as scheduled.

All the necessary medicinal herbs were laid out in front of him; Gu Qingyun had prepared them in advance.

He didn't rush to take action; instead, he closed his eyes to rest and adjust himself to his best condition.

After taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his eyes, focusing all his attention on the elixir.

Following the recipe given to him by Elder Huo Qian, Gu Qingyun started a fire and heated it up. Once everything was ready, he added the ingredients in the correct order.

When the elixir came into contact with the flame, its outer shell was burned away almost instantly.

A strange and wonderful medicinal fragrance wafted out and instantly filled the alchemy room.

Gu Qingyun was not disturbed. He had simulated it countless times in his mind, and everything was perfect.

Within his body, the alchemical fire circulated, allowing him to monitor the situation inside the furnace at all times and prevent any accidents from occurring.

Once the medicinal herbs were refined to their optimal state, removing all impurities and leaving only the essence, he then added the second spiritual herb.

Each type of elixir has different properties and medicinal effects, and the state it exhibits during extraction is naturally different as well.

But none of this could distract Gu Qingyun; he continued to proceed methodically, steadily controlling the heat.

Soon, the second spiritual herb was refined, and the two clumps of spiritual liquid merged together, their color becoming even darker than before.

Next comes the crucial step in refining the Returning Origin Pill.

One fire, one ice—two spiritual herbs were injected simultaneously!

The two attributes are extremely antagonistic, representing two extremes.

If each component is applied individually, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve a balance.

They must be refined at the same time so that the medicinal properties of the two herbs can counteract each other and reach a delicate balance before they can be fused.

Otherwise, not only would the alchemy fail, but there is also a high risk of the furnace exploding.

Moreover, the entire process must be carried out with utmost care, without the slightest mistake.

Otherwise, at best the quality of the pills will be too low and the medicinal properties will be greatly reduced; at worst the pills will be destroyed and the furnace will explode, even endangering lives.

As soon as the two medicinal herbs were added, Gu Qingyun heard a muffled thud almost immediately.

Fortunately, the alchemy furnace was sturdy enough to withstand the impact.

However, this was not the end. As the refining continued, the two conflicting medicinal properties kept colliding with each other, producing one explosion after another.

Gu Qingyun was so nervous that he was covered in sweat and dared not be distracted in the slightest.

His spiritual energy circulated rapidly within his body, and his spiritual consciousness was also released at this moment, surging into the alchemy furnace!

The fire roared, seemingly capable of burning everything.

Gu Qingyun precisely controlled the heat at a critical point; no matter how much or too little the heat was applied, it would be immediately brought back down.

The various medicinal properties are harmonized with each other, and through the control of the heat, they are consumed and combined to reach that mysterious critical point.

Before long, Gu Qingyun's spiritual energy was almost depleted, and continuing would not be enough to sustain him.

But seeing that he was just one step away from the goal, Gu Qingyun dared not stop, nor could he stop!

"Just a little bit more, just a little bit more!"

He gritted his teeth and persevered, fearing that the slightest mistake would cause the entire batch of pills to explode!

Taking advantage of the break, he immediately took out a top-grade Rejuvenation Pill and swallowed it.

The medicine dissolved in my mouth, quickly replenishing my spiritual energy!

With the nourishment of spiritual energy, Gu Qingyun's spiritual consciousness became much clearer.

Finally, all the spiritual liquids began to merge, and the original brown liquid now had a golden sheen.

Although it's a bit bland, it's a good start!

Gu Qingyun seized the opportunity and quickly formed his core!

"Freeze!"

He made hand seals, for the opportunity to form the elixir was fleeting!

Various spiritual liquids were mixed and squeezed together, and under high temperature, they fused together, gradually taking the shape of a pill.

Bang! Another muffled sound followed, and then the fragrance of the elixir grew stronger, almost tangible.

"...It's...it's done!"

At the very last moment, Gu Qingyun finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly withdrew his strength.

The flames died down, and the alchemy furnace returned to calm.

Gu Qingyun wiped the sweat from his forehead, opened the furnace lid, and found ten round pills lying quietly inside.