Chapter 484 – Secretive Alchemy

Not to mention how Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang stood outside the pill room, their faces full of grievance, from time to time turning back, wanting to sneak a look at what Zhang Xiaohua was doing inside. Yet they were also keenly aware that such behavior was utterly disgraceful. Still, their hearts itched with curiosity, and they simply could not restrain themselves.

Inside the pill room, Zhang Xiaohua struck several initial incantations into the pill furnace and the earth fire. Once the furnace’s heat had risen, he lifted his hand, and the jade box containing the Scarlet Flame Grass opened by itself. With another flick of his finger, the Scarlet Flame Grass was split into two halves. His right hand beckoned, and one half of the herb flew straight out of the box and into the pill furnace, while the jade box closed shut at the same time.

After the Scarlet Flame Grass entered the furnace, before long it was refined into a fist-sized lump of medicinal liquid. It churned unceasingly within the furnace, while thin wisps of smoke rose out from it—these were the impurities hidden within the liquid.

Zhang Xiaohua knew well that although Scarlet Flame Grass was a rare herb, containing a great amount of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, precisely because of its long years of growth, the impurities contained within that Qi were many, and extremely difficult to refine away. Ordinary martial cultivators’ furnaces could never obtain a pure liquid of Scarlet Flame Grass. Even with his own refinement, it would still take an entire day and night. Watching the liquid inside the furnace stretch, contract, and shift into various shapes, Zhang Xiaohua furrowed his brows. Before long, Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang would surely come in to observe—how was he supposed to explain to them this ball of medicinal liquid floating freely in midair?

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Xiaohua chuckled softly and cast another incantation. At once, that fist-sized medicinal liquid gradually flattened into a pancake-like shape, slowly sinking down to the bottom of the pill furnace, looking exactly like the flatbread Guo Sufei used to make on the stove back in Guo Village!

Alas, in that moment of urgency, the only thing in Zhang Xiaohua’s head was the flatbread his mother had stuffed into his bundle when he left Guo Village.

Looking around the pill furnace and seeing nothing amiss, Zhang Xiaohua finally walked to the pill room’s door. Just as he was about to call out, he heard someone outside exclaim in surprise: “Father, Elder Zhang, why are the two of you waiting outside the pill room? Where’s Senior Brother Ren? Isn’t he inside?”

Wasn’t it none other than Nie Qianyu?

Elder Zhang’s face twisted with deep bitterness. “Ah, Little Yu, you’ve come at last.”

Nie Qianyu asked curiously, “Elder Zhang, what do you mean by that? These past few days I’ve been helping Senior Brother Ren copy out texts, and I’m absolutely worn out. I wanted to take a few days to rest properly. But yesterday Father said that today the Scarlet Flame Pill was to be refined. I had just woken up, so I hurried over at once, to lend you all a hand.”

She then laughed, saying: “Senior Brother Ren has always been an early riser. No doubt he’s gone into the valley to practice martial arts. Let’s wait a little while—after all, the hour is still early.”

Valley Master Nie looked at his precious daughter and gave a wry smile. “Yes, the hour may still be early, but alchemy doesn’t follow the rules of time. Besides, herbs must be gathered early.”

“Oh!” Nie Qianyu covered her small mouth in surprise. “I forgot Father’s reminder—herbs must be picked before the morning dew has disappeared.”

But then her tone shifted, and she laughed again: “Still, as the ancients say, ‘theory must be linked to practice.’ The herbs I pick are all common ones—how could there be so many taboos?”

Then she seemed to notice something off and asked: “Father, didn’t you make an appointment with Senior Brother Ren? At this hour he should already be in the pill room, shouldn’t he?”

Just then, Zhang Xiaohua walked out of the pill room with a smile. “Little Fish Nie, you’ve come too?”

Nie Qianyu laughed. “Good morning, Senior Brother Ren. Aren’t you going to invite us in? Father and Elder Zhang have already brought the herbs.”

“Hahaha,” Zhang Xiaohua laughed. “Then please, the three of you, come in.”

Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang exclaimed with delight, “We can go in?”

Zhang Xiaohua gave a slight nod, and the two of them immediately rushed inside, three steps covering the space of two, barging in first. Nie Qianyu, however, found it rather odd. Still, she was not one to pry, and accompanied Zhang Xiaohua in walking slowly into the pill room.

A faint medicinal fragrance lingered within the pill room. It was not thick at all, far lighter than the scent when refining the Fasting Pill, the Hundred Dissipating Pill, or the New Snow Pill. Watching her father and Elder Zhang ignoring everything else and heading straight toward the small pill furnace above the earth fire—where the flames still blazed vigorously—Nie Qianyu couldn’t help asking in surprise: “Senior Brother Ren, you’ve already opened the furnace to refine the pill?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded. “Yes, long before you arrived, we had already begun.”

“But…” Nie Qianyu was just about to ask something when Elder Zhang suddenly called out: “Young Hero Ren, could you come over a moment?”

Zhang Xiaohua quickly walked over, smiling. “What is it, Elder Zhang?”

Elder Zhang pointed to the puddle of liquid at the bottom of the pill furnace and asked: “Doesn’t Young Hero Ren’s alchemy require no water? Then why is there so much water at the bottom of the furnace?”

Zhang Xiaohua knew that though Martial Dao alchemy methods did have the effect of refining impurities, their approach was far too forceful—directly burning the impurities to ashes with fire. At the same time, much of the essence would inevitably be lost. Immortal Dao methods, however, refined herbs into medicinal liquid and preserved them with formations. This was the gentle way: not only could it remove impurities to the greatest degree, but it also retained more of the medicinal essence.

The “water decoction method” of Spring Rebirth Valley likely carried a similar meaning.

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Elder Zhang, look carefully. That is no ordinary water—it is the juice of the Scarlet Flame Grass itself. I have not added the slightest other substance.”

Valley Master Nie was greatly astonished. “Nephew Ren, with such high heat, how can you keep the medicinal juice in this state without it vaporizing away? How have you managed this?”

Zhang Xiaohua rubbed his nose and said: “Uncle Nie, forgive your nephew—this is something I cannot answer.”

Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang both looked disappointed. Exchanging a glance, they turned their attention back to that puddle of medicinal juice.

At this time, Nie Qianyu also came up to the furnace, peered inside, and then recalled the question she had earlier. Laughing, she said: “So the refinement had already begun long ago. But when I came, Father…”

Before she could finish speaking, Valley Master Nie suddenly realized something. He raised his head and asked in alarm: “Nephew Ren, did you just say that this liquid is from the Scarlet Flame Grass?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded. “Yes, Uncle Nie. Is there a problem with that?”

“But in the pill recipe, doesn’t it clearly say that the Scarlet Flame Grass and the Crimson Pearl Grass must be added together, so that the properties of the two main herbs can be slowly blended?” Valley Master Nie asked, somewhat anxious.

Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand. “Uncle Nie, no need to worry. Your nephew has full confidence. This juice from the Scarlet Flame Grass still needs to be refined for a full day and night. Only by this time tomorrow can the Crimson Pearl Grass be added.”

“What???” The three beside him were all shocked and spoke in unison: “Just refining this Scarlet Flame Grass alone will take an entire day and night?”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered that the recipe for the Scarlet Flame Pill had not specified the refining time. These past few days he had been busy with formations and had overlooked this issue. The pills refined in Spring Rebirth Valley were all extremely ordinary, and the longest he had ever spent refining before was no more than the time of a single meal. He had never refined a pill as time-consuming as the Scarlet Flame Pill. Now that he had said it so abruptly, it was only natural that everyone would be astonished.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiaohua explained: “Elder Zhang, Valley Master Nie, the Scarlet Flame Pill recipe only states the steps of refinement, but gives no details on the time required. In my sect, this method of tempering herbs is different from what you are used to. It emphasizes two words: ‘gentleness’—meaning that a slow fire brings forth fine work. Because of this, the time becomes much longer.”

Nie Qianyu asked curiously: “Then Senior Brother Ren, exactly how many hours will it take?”

Zhang Xiaohua laughed. “It’s not that each herb must be refined one after another. Before long, the Crimson Pearl Grass and the other herbs can also be added to the furnace. They too will need to be refined together for a day and a night.”

“Oh, I see.” The three let out a breath of relief. That, at least, was something they could understand.

But his next words left them stunned once more.

“However, after the refinement, the juices must be nourished over a gentle flame within the pill furnace for thirteen full days!”

Zhang Xiaohua spoke these words calmly.

“Ah… ah… this…” The three could find nothing to say.

Indeed, Immortal Dao alchemy had long since been lost. Though Martial Dao alchemy did still speak of “nurturing the pill,” with the passing of ages, the true meaning of the term had been forgotten. By the time of Spring Rebirth Valley, “nurturing the pill” was nothing more than rolling the mud-like dregs of medicine into little balls.

But before they could react, Zhang Xiaohua spoke again: “Three honored ones, forgive me. It is time to add the Crimson Pearl Grass. I must ask you to wait at the pill room entrance.”

Nie Qianyu was taken aback and blurted out: “Senior Brother Ren, go ahead and add it. Haven’t I already watched you add herbs ten times or more? What need is there to be so secretive?”

Zhang Xiaohua glanced at Valley Master Nie and said: “Little Fish, go out first with Uncle Nie. Let Uncle Nie explain it to you. The herbs must be added to the furnace at once—there can be no delay.”

At the words “no delay”, Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang grew anxious. Without another thought, they pulled the still-puzzled Nie Qianyu out of the pill room.

Once the three had left, Zhang Xiaohua squinted at the medicinal liquid in the pill furnace. He struck his incantations, and the juice of the Scarlet Flame Grass once again formed into a sphere, floating in midair. Watching the liquid churn, he waited a moment, then added half of the Crimson Pearl Grass.

The moment the Crimson Pearl Grass touched the Scarlet Flame Grass juice, there was an immediate reaction. The spherical liquid suddenly expanded as if it were about to explode. Zhang Xiaohua did not panic; his hands moved continuously in incantations, and True Qi poured into the spells without restraint. As the incantations struck the liquid, it churned violently, rolling within the furnace like a child’s toy. After a while, it finally settled, quietly floating in the furnace.

Zhang Xiaohua knew that although the liquid appeared calm on the surface, within it, the fire-natured Scarlet Flame Grass and water-natured Crimson Pearl Grass were quietly merging, interacting in harmony and opposition.

Only, the spherical shape was the natural form of the liquid—he wondered whether changing it into a pancake shape would affect the fusion of the two main herbs.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Xiaohua extended his Divine Sense, observing the changes within the liquid. Then he cast an incantation, gradually sinking the liquid to the bottom of the furnace, reshaping it into a “flatbread shape.”

Fortunately, although the exterior shape had changed, the internal fusion remained intact. The change in form had caused no unforeseen transformations. Zhang Xiaohua spread the liquid evenly, nearly wiping the sweat from his forehead. Had any Immortal Dao cultivator ever refined pills in such a manner?