Chapter 450: The True Blood-Replenishing Pill

Having thought it through, Zhang Xiaohua placed both hands onto the protruding parts of the pill furnace and guided his true qi into it. This furnace was indeed extraordinary—its internal temperature could be controlled at will with the flow of true qi.

“Isn’t this quite easy to control?” Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but frown slightly.

After becoming more familiar with it for a short while, Zhang Xiaohua turned the earth fire to its maximum. One hand remained on the furnace’s protrusion to regulate the internal temperature with true qi, while the other hand followed the pill formula for the Blood Replenishing Pill, adding in the herbs, starting with Tianma, one by one. As he refined them, the impurities within were burned away. Before long, all the medicinal herbs had been added. Only then did Zhang Xiaohua place both hands on the protrusions and, in accordance with the records of martial alchemy, began slowly refining with a gentle flame.

At the side, Nie Qianyu watched Zhang Xiaohua steadily place herbs into the furnace in an orderly manner. She was already inwardly astonished—this didn’t look like someone practicing for the first time at all! When she then saw Zhang Xiaohua place both hands on the furnace and close his eyes to refine the pill, she inwardly scoffed: “This guy’s clearly been hiding things from me. He must have trained for a few days at his sect.” If she hadn’t known Zhang Xiaohua’s character so well—knowing he was open and honest at heart—she might have started to suspect that he had ulterior motives for coming to Spring Rebirth Valley.

After the time of one incense stick, Zhang Xiaohua slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the dark-red powder floating within the furnace, he knew the refinement was complete. Just as he lifted one hand from the protrusion and was about to form a hand seal to proceed, he heard Nie Qianyu gently say beside him: “Brother Ren, did it go wrong? Did you refine the herbs into ashes?”

Only then did Zhang Xiaohua come to his senses—he was practicing martial alchemy, and martial alchemy didn’t involve any hand seals.

So, Zhang Xiaohua withdrew the seal and turned back with a smile: “Little Fish Nie, you’re underestimating me. Look—would you say this isn’t properly refined?”

As he spoke, he casually turned off the earth fire.

Nie Qianyu was momentarily stunned. In disbelief, she stepped forward and peered at the dark-red powder at the bottom. With a gentle prod at the base of the furnace, the powder dropped into a container. She picked up the box, brought it up to her eyes for a close inspection, then to her nose for a sniff. Finally, she pinched a bit of the powder and tasted it on the tip of her tongue—her eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed: “Brother Ren, you… How did you do this?”

Zhang Xiaohua spread his hands and shrugged, wearing an expression of complete innocence. “I guess good fortune?”

“Pah!” Nie Qianyu spat lightly, but her face was filled with delight. “Brother Ren, wait here—I’m going to find my father.”

As soon as she finished, she dashed out lightly without even waiting for Zhang Xiaohua to respond.

“Hey~” Zhang Xiaohua raised his hand, wanting to stop her, but Nie Qianyu was already long gone—how could she hear his call now?

But when Valley Master Nie came later, how was he supposed to explain how he’d refined the herbs so effortlessly? Honestly speaking, this martial alchemy was no difficulty for Zhang Xiaohua at all. It was merely a matter of controlling the furnace’s temperature, far simpler than manipulating the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth and forming hand seals. But then, why couldn’t Valley Master Nie control the heat as freely as he did?

Was it because he himself was already skilled in manipulating flame? Or was it the difference between true qi and inner strength? Moreover, martial alchemy didn’t involve any decoction or “water-boiling” methods—evidently, the forebears of martial cultivation had once been able to freely command flame as well.

Could it be that Valley Master Nie simply hadn’t practiced enough? Looking at this dedicated pill refining chamber and the seasoned way Nie Qianyu assessed his work, Zhang Xiaohua could tell that Valley Master Nie had definitely trained for a long time.

Then perhaps… the only real difference lay in true qi versus inner strength.

Thinking this far, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly recalled the technique, Soul Bewitching Finger. That particular manual recorded a method for simulating true qi using inner strength. If one were to control the pill furnace using inner strength that mimicked true qi, wouldn’t it be much easier to refine genuine martial pills?

Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t possess inner strength himself. It was just a passing thought.

Since Nie Qianyu hadn’t yet returned, Zhang Xiaohua could only pass the time by idly looking around the pill chamber. He noticed in one corner a bed and some chairs—presumably a resting place for Valley Master Nie when he grew weary from refining.

Zhang Xiaohua walked over. Upon the desk were several books on alchemy, along with a scattering of miscellaneous items. His gaze quickly fell upon a square jade slip pressed between the pages of one of the books. Reaching out to pick it up, he swept it with his divine sense—but sighed. Unfortunately, the jade slip only retained a faint trace of Yuan Qi. Though it clearly once held records, the contents were now indecipherable.

A thought stirred in Zhang Xiaohua’s heart. Since there were ancient jade slips in this pill room, perhaps there were others elsewhere in the valley. If the chance arose, he definitely had to explore more and sweep them with his divine sense.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was lost in thought, a shadow darted into the pill room from outside, and an excited voice called out: “Nephew Ren, this… this Blood Replenishing Pill—you really refined it?”

“Oh come on, old man, it’s just powder, not a finished pill,” Zhang Xiaohua muttered silently in his heart. But aloud, he replied politely, “Yes, I just refined it a moment ago.”

The newcomer was none other than Valley Master Nie. He held in his hand the box containing the powdered form of the pill, his face full of disbelief, his eyes glittering with joy. Indeed, when pills were boiled in water, much of the medicinal potency would be lost in the steam, and the remainder often contained impurities. How could such a method compare to one where the herbs were directly refined over earthly fire to extract their purest essence? Though the powder in Nie’s hand couldn’t compare to the pills Zhang Xiaohua refined using immortal techniques, even so, it was utterly unique within the Spring Rebirth Valley.

Valley Master Nie sighed with admiration. “Nephew Ren, could you refine it once more in front of me?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded. “I await Uncle’s instructions.”

Valley Master Nie nodded, poured the powder from the box into a porcelain bottle, and set the empty container beneath the furnace.

Zhang Xiaohua opened the ground fire, turned it up to full, and once again effortlessly followed the same process, refining the herbs into what Valley Master Nie called the Blood Replenishing Pill. At that moment, Nie Qianyu also returned, her face brimming with joy.

It turned out that when Valley Master Nie received word of Zhang Xiaohua’s successful refinement, he’d immediately abandoned Nie Qianyu and rushed ahead using qinggong to reach the inner valley.

When he saw with his own eyes how Zhang Xiaohua effortlessly refined the Blood Replenishing Pill, Valley Master Nie could no longer restrain himself—he had to try it for himself. He simply couldn’t believe it: same furnace, same ground fire—how could Zhang Xiaohua succeed so easily, while he himself had studied this for years and still couldn’t grasp the technique?

But reality spoke plainly: this had nothing to do with “good fortune.”

Valley Master Nie still couldn’t control the process well enough. All the herbs turned to ash.

Faced with the expected outcome, he was dejected. He extinguished the fire, turned to Zhang Xiaohua, and looked at him with eyes full of hope. His lips moved, but no words came out.

It was clear now: the ability to refine a true Blood Replenishing Pill had nothing to do with technique, nor with the quality of the herbs. The only likely factor was inner strength—or the method of its application. And this, perhaps, was a closely guarded secret of Zhang Xiaohua’s sect, something an outsider like him could not hope to learn.

Even so, Valley Master Nie wasn’t willing to give up. Even if he couldn’t learn the inner cultivation method, surely Zhang Xiaohua could at least point out what he was lacking?

Seeing this, Nie Qianyu stepped forward and gently asked: “Brother Ren, my father has studied this for over ten years without success. That’s why we’ve continued using the older method—decoction—to substitute for direct refinement. You were able to refine the herbs with such ease. You must understand the key to it. I wonder if…”

She trailed off, not wanting to place Zhang Xiaohua in a difficult position.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua deep in thought, Valley Master Nie asked: “Nephew Ren, you’ve been here in Spring Rebirth Valley for several months, and even longer with Little Yu. I have great trust in you, so I never asked about your sect. But if this secret is connected to your sect’s cultivation method or other hidden teachings, Spring Rebirth Valley is willing to offer an equal value in exchange—and we would be glad to form an alliance with your sect.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua secretly chuckled: What sect do I even have? Maybe the Piaomiao Sect? But they themselves don’t even master that technique, and the Immortal Dao methods can’t be taught to Valley Master Nie.

But could he teach the true qi simulation technique from the Soul Bewitching Finger to Valley Master Nie?

This was the real reason Zhang Xiaohua hesitated.

However, since the Heaven’s Way Alliance was now basically his enemy, and the cultivation method was in his hands, he had no qualms about passing it on to others. If he liked them, he could gift it, just for his own satisfaction. Moreover, if Spring Rebirth Valley learned this method, it could both raise Valley Master Nie’s martial cultivation and enable the true refinement of martial pills—also a way to repay their kindness in teaching him.

After some thought, Zhang Xiaohua made up his mind and said: “Uncle Nie, my sect is the Big Dipper Sect. It’s a reclusive group, hardly known in the martial world. I suppose you’ve never heard of it.”

Valley Master Nie nodded. Indeed, he had never heard of such a sect. Then he smiled and said: “Though I’ve never heard the name, from what I see in you, Nephew Ren, your sect’s foundation is profound and its teachings effective. Even if you can’t reveal the secrets of pill refining, Spring Rebirth Valley is very willing to form an alliance with the Big Dipper Sect, to advance and retreat together in the jianghu.”

Zhang Xiaohua gave a bitter smile. “Why can I refine pills but Uncle Nie cannot—I have some idea in my heart. Whether it is exactly so, I do not know. We must first try.”

Valley Master Nie was delighted. “Then how can we try?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled. “Our sect has a method to channel inner strength with excellent effect, enabling fine control of its flow. Just now, when I controlled the furnace temperature, I used this method. I believe that if you, Uncle Nie, learn this technique, you too could easily refine pills as I do.”

“Well…” Valley Master Nie hesitated. “Your sect’s method—it might not be appropriate for me to practice, right?”

Zhang Xiaohua waved his hand. “No worries. This technique is not considered essential in my sect; it’s just part of a certain cultivation method. I believe the elders in my sect would be willing to maintain a lasting friendship with Spring Rebirth Valley.”