Sixty years of blacksmithing, a single hammer blow forging a celestial being.

The female cultivator in red didn't waste any time and led Li Ping'an directly into a pill-refining room.

"Come in, come in and refine pills with me."

Hongling, with her slender figure, followed Li Ping'an into the alchemy room.

Facing such a powerful senior sister, Li Ping remained perfectly respectful and extremely cautious throughout.

After entering the alchemy room, he quietly walked to the side and began preparing the wood for Hongling's alchemy.

"Senior sister, what kind of pill are you refining?"

Li Pingan asked.

Hongling glanced at Li Ping'an and said calmly,

"I'm refining a Qi-Nourishing Pill. Do you know what kind of wood I need?"

Li Pingan nodded and said,

"The Qi-Nourishing Pill should be made from ironwood and rockwood, as these two types of wood contain the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making it easier to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill."

Hongling raised an eyebrow and said,

"You seem to know quite a lot, and it looks like you do have some real skills."

Li Ping'an smiled modestly and said,

"After all, I've been in the sect for so many years, so I still know these basics."

"hehe."

Upon hearing this, Hongling suddenly frowned and sneered.

"Let me tell you, I've been practicing this Qi-Nourishing Pill for a full half month, failing countless times without ever succeeding."

"Today I'll see if you're really as amazing as my junior sister says. If you succeed, there will be a great reward, but if you fail, hehe, you know the consequences."

Hearing Hong Ling's sudden threat, Li Ping'an frowned, thinking to himself, "Is this woman crazy?"

It's like they're making a big deal out of alchemy; all they're doing is controlling the fire, and they're just shifting the blame onto themselves for no reason.

In an instant, Li Ping'an lost all goodwill towards this alluring woman.

He answered in a muffled voice,

"Senior sister, alchemy depends on fate. When the time is right, it will naturally come to fruition. You can't force it."

Hong Ling sneered.

"You have no choice. Alright, enough talk, hurry up and come over here to control the fire."

Li Ping'an nodded, started a fire, and threw the prepared wood into the alchemy furnace.

Then he saw Hongling take out several bundles of medicinal herbs from her storage bag, count them, and...

There are seven bundles in total, and each bundle is one furnace.

It seems that Hongling is well-prepared today, as she is going to refine seven batches of pills.

Seeing this, Li Ping'an's eyes lit up.

If all seven batches of pills fail, wouldn't he be able to absorb the waste gas from all seven batches?

With so much waste gas, it should be enough for him to break through to the second level of Qi Refining.

Now that he has broken through to the Qi Refining stage, Li Ping'an's craving for waste gas has become even stronger.

Because there is already a Qi Sea in my dantian, and it is a real Qi Sea. Every time I absorb more waste gas, the Qi Sea will expand by one size, and I will be able to cast more spells!

The fire in the alchemy furnace burned brighter and brighter, and wisps of blue smoke rose from inside.

Seeing this, Hongling quickly threw the prepared medicinal herbs into the alchemy furnace one by one.

Seeing Hong Ling's skill, Li Ping'an couldn't help but nod in approval.

In terms of alchemy, the senior sister's technique is far more professional.

Qingyue is no match for this senior sister.

If alchemy is like cooking, then Qingyue is like a big stew, throwing all the ingredients into the pot regardless of whether they can withstand cooking.

As for how it will taste after stewing, that's up to fate.

Hongling, on the other hand, was highly focused while refining pills, her beautiful eyes never blinking.

The order in which herbs should be added and when they should be added is all predetermined. Everything is orderly and without any panic. This is the composure that a qualified alchemist should have.

Watching Hongling's professional technique, Li Ping'an was impressed. Alchemy was such a wonderful skill!

Everyone knows that in the world of cultivation, alchemists hold an admirable status, and people usually offer them a few words of flattery.

He began to carefully observe Hongling's every move, thinking how wonderful it would be if he could learn alchemy.

Li Ping'an was silently thinking about Hong Ling's alchemy skills, but as he looked at her, he unconsciously looked at Hong Ling's beautiful figure!

A firm chest, a slender waist, and long, shapely legs!

This woman has a perfect figure and is incredibly alluring. If a man could win her heart and indulge in nightly revelry, he would probably die of exhaustion in less than six months.

At this moment, Li Ping'an was distracted and confused by Hong Ling's hot body.

Just as I was feeling dazed, a fierce voice rang out:

"Look again, and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Li Ping'an came to his senses and realized his lapse in composure. His face flushed red, and he quickly turned his face away.

He coughed a few times before awkwardly explaining:

"Senior sister, you've misunderstood. I was merely observing your alchemy techniques."

Hongling snorted coldly:

"Hmph, do you think I don't know what you men are thinking?"

After scolding him, Hongling didn't pursue the matter any further. After all, Li Ping'an was now an old man in his twilight years, so what could he possibly do to her?

Time passed slowly, and the temperature inside the furnace continued to rise, but the herbal refining process remained very stable. There was no smoke from an explosion, nor any smell of burning.

Li Ping'an's expression darkened. If the pill is successfully refined, how will he continue to inhale the waste gas?

Even Hongling was overjoyed, and she exclaimed in surprise:

"I didn't expect the first batch of pills today to go so smoothly. Li Ping'an, you really do have some skills!"

But before they could even celebrate, they heard a loud bang from the alchemy furnace, which shattered a piece of the bluestone slab beneath their feet.

Both of them were startled, but their expressions were quite different.

Hongling's face was ashen, her expression grim, and her eyes were filled with heartache.

Li Ping'an was excited, but he suppressed his joy and didn't show it on his face.

"hateful!"

Hongling clenched her fist, then relaxed it, and angrily rebuked Li Ping'an.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and clean out the alchemy furnace, I want to refine the next batch!"

"Okay, okay."

Li Ping'an smiled ingratiatingly, extinguished the firewood, and then began cleaning the alchemy furnace.

The herbs used in this Qi-refining pill were much more potent than those used in the Body-tempering pill Qingyue had refined before. After the refinement failed, an extremely foul stench emanated from the furnace, causing even Hongling to pinch her nose and walk away.

However, Li Ping'an excitedly inhaled the aroma, as if the scent emanating from the alchemy furnace was some rare delicacy, and he was almost ready to lick it.

Seeing this, Hongling couldn't help but frown. Was this old man crazy?

He actually likes this smelly stuff so much. No wonder Qingyue said there was something unusual about this guy. So that's what it is.

Li Ping'an plunged into the alchemy furnace and immediately began frantically absorbing the waste gas inside.

After being dormant for several days, the Heaven-Forging Hammer was now extremely excited, jumping wildly inside Li Ping'an's body and rapidly activating its power to absorb the surrounding waste gas.