Chapter 482 – Meridian Nourishing Pill

Leaving aside the fact that Valley Master Nie’s abacus of exchanging resources for techniques fell through and he went out somewhat disappointed to consult with Elder Zhang—

Zhang Xiaohua, however, was not at all worried that Spring Rebirth Valley would refuse. In the pill formula, the prescription and refining method of the Scarlet Flame Pill were clearly written. With the current “decoction method” of Spring Rebirth Valley, they absolutely would not succeed in refining it. Even if Valley Master Nie used his true qi simulation method to imitate the process, the chance of success was at most thirty percent. The conditions Zhang Xiaohua proposed, although harsh, only restricted them from observing certain steps. Not only would the entire process still improve Spring Rebirth Valley’s pill-refining skills, but even the final successfully refined Scarlet Flame Pill was something that Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang would covet with burning desire.

Could Elder Zhang possibly refuse?

How could he not agree? The pill records of Spring Rebirth Valley clearly stated that by taking the Scarlet Flame Pill together with the valley’s secret inner cultivation method, one’s cultivation could increase by five to ten years out of thin air. For any martial artist, this was an absolutely fatal temptation. It was also the very pill that sprang to Elder Zhang’s mind the moment he learned that Zhang Xiaohua could refine pills using the ancient method.

In the jade slip of Immortal Dao pills that Zhang Xiaohua possessed, the Scarlet Flame Pill had another name—Meridian Nourishing Pill. Its effect was to nourish and expand the meridians. It was not considered a high-grade pill, not even a middle-grade one. Moreover, herbs such as Scarlet Pearl Grass and Flaming Sun Grass were not regarded as extremely rare even in ancient times. It was only because the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth had drastically diminished in the present age, and many of these herbs had gone extinct, that this pill appeared so precious.

When Valley Master Nie left the pill room, Zhang Xiaohua took out the jade slip. He had already wanted to study it carefully a few days ago, but the refining of the little flags had truly consumed all his effort, so he had put it off again and again.

From the very start, Zhang Xiaohua had never planned to refine the so-called Scarlet Flame Pill. He only wanted to refine the Meridian Nourishing Pill as recorded in the jade slip. After all, the techniques he used were all Immortal Dao pill-refining arts. If he really used simulated true qi to refine the Scarlet Flame Pill, then he might as well let Valley Master Nie refine it himself.

Furthermore, through this period of pill refinement, Zhang Xiaohua had also discovered that although the pill formulas of Spring Rebirth Valley were based on the Martial Dao method of refining, at their core they still retained the traces of Immortal Dao alchemy. All the pills he had refined previously were first attempted with Martial Dao methods, then refined again using Immortal Dao incantations, and every time the latter’s quality and purity far surpassed the former by several folds. This was the main reason why he intended to directly refine the Meridian Nourishing Pill instead of the Scarlet Flame Pill.

Carefully reading through the formula and refining process of the Meridian Nourishing Pill, Zhang Xiaohua felt that this pill was only slightly more complicated than a basic one. The only difference was that the pill-nurturing stage took longer; the other steps were more or less the same, and the incantations only added two more. For him, it should not pose much difficulty.

Of course, having already gained experience from refining the little flags, Zhang Xiaohua no longer dared to underestimate anything he had not yet tried. He could only ensure the possibility of pill completion from multiple angles.

After finishing his perusal of the jade slip, Zhang Xiaohua then took out the formula and refining steps of the Scarlet Flame Pill to use as reference. However, as it was ultimately a Martial Dao method of alchemy, it was much rougher—many parts were unsuitable, and some even seemed erroneous. Shaking his head as he read, he continued to the end, when suddenly his brows knit tightly. Do you know why?

It turned out that in the jade slip, the Meridian Nourishing Pill was recorded as being fiery red, about the size of a soybean. Yet in the scroll, the Scarlet Flame Pill was described as reddish-brown, about the size of a thumb. The color and size of these pills were completely different—could they really be the same pill?

Could it be that the two pills had different formulas?

At once, Zhang Xiaohua thought of the [Herbal Encyclopedia]. He hastily retrieved the thin jade piece and carefully searched for the several herbs required by the Meridian Nourishing Pill. Though it was a low-grade pill, its ingredients were still quite numerous. Besides Flaming Sun Grass and Scarlet Pearl Grass, there were more than ten other kinds. Zhang Xiaohua looked through them one by one, memorizing their names and appearances, then compared them with the ingredients he had just memorized from the Scarlet Flame Pill. Apart from the main ingredients, the Scarlet Flame Pill also contained nearly ten auxiliary herbs, of which around seven were largely the same as those for the Meridian Nourishing Pill. Though their names were entirely different, the medicinal effects and appearances were extremely similar—without a doubt, they should be the same herbs. As for the rest, some were different, some were missing altogether.

Putting away the jade slip, Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin in silent thought. It was not difficult to imagine: with the decline of the Immortal Dao, alchemy too had changed. The formula of the Meridian Nourishing Pill might have been passed down, but as some of its herbs went extinct, Martial Dao alchemists who obtained such a precious recipe would of course attempt to refine it. Based on their own experience, they substituted other herbs in, and as time passed, with many skilled pill refiners making further adjustments, the result was this Scarlet Flame Pill formula, in which even the refining methods had been nearly completely altered.

As for the differences between the pills themselves, that was easily explained. The herbs were no longer the same, and the refining techniques were wholly different—how could the outcome possibly be identical? Yet, Zhang Xiaohua was still puzzled: why was the Meridian Nourishing Pill smaller than the Scarlet Flame Pill? Martial Dao alchemy was clearly derived from Immortal Dao alchemy—how could it produce a pill larger than the Immortal Dao one?

Thus, another question arose: if he succeeded in refining the Meridian Nourishing Pill, how was he to explain the relationship between these pills and the Scarlet Flame Pill?

But immediately, Zhang Xiaohua laughed, secretly thinking: “I’ll just say I failed in refining the pill—what else can I say? Anyway, it’s my first time refining it, and failure is only natural. If I have extra time, I’ll just use the cauldron to refine the real Scarlet Flame Pill. But that one’s success rate is far lower than the Meridian Nourishing Pill.”

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xiaohua no longer tried to cram at the last minute. Instead, he took out the incantation for concealing one’s cultivation from the Guiding the Spirit Art and continued his unfinished comprehension.

Since the people of the Incense Spreading Sect were about to arrive, it was best to comprehend it thoroughly before they came, so that he could conceal his Immortal Dao cultivation. If he were really discovered, it would be extremely unfavorable.

The beginning of the incantation was exceedingly obscure. No matter how many times Zhang Xiaohua contemplated it, he always felt as though he had grasped something, yet it slipped just beyond understanding. He remained stuck there, with little progress. Today was no different—there was still no real advancement. Feeling vexed, Zhang Xiaohua was about to rise and take a walk in the inner valley, when suddenly a thought flashed across his mind like lightning: a few days ago, when his head ached to the point of splitting, he had been resting beside the Linglong Red in the inner valley. He had neither released his divine sense nor used any supernatural arts, yet he somehow felt merged with the environment around him, and could even sense Valley Master Nie’s arrival.

Wasn’t concealing one’s cultivation simply hiding one’s true qi within the body so others could not perceive it? Wasn’t that feeling from a few days ago exactly the same in essence? Following this line of thought, Zhang Xiaohua immediately thought of the Dao of Heaven. Were not all things in this world under the Dao of Heaven, secretly following its trajectory? Moreover, when his cultivation had last broken through, Nie Qianyu had said he seemed even more ordinary—wasn’t that the very same principle?

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly saw the light. The Dao of Heaven—truly the source to which all laws return! Not daring to waste time, Zhang Xiaohua merged his comprehension of the Dao of Heaven with the incantation. Before long, the blockage he had faced loosened. Overjoyed, he quickly sat down again, closed his eyes, and entered into deep contemplation.

Meanwhile, in the inner valley, beside Zhang Xiaohua’s pill room, Elder Zhang frowned, extremely angry, and asked in a deep voice: “Valley Master, did Young Hero Ren truly make such a demand?”

Valley Master Nie said helplessly: “Yes, Elder Zhang, I’ve already told you five times, don’t ask again. Just tell me, are we going to refine it or not?”

Elder Zhang was utterly troubled. Of course, the reason he had agreed to refine the Scarlet Flame Pill with Zhang Xiaohua was to refine it alongside him—both to observe his alchemy and to obtain the Scarlet Flame Pill, achieving two goals with one stroke. But now, at the crucial moment, the other party refused to let him watch from the side. His careful plan had collapsed—how could he not feel both embarrassed and enraged?

“Forget it. I’ll go and ask Young Hero Ren myself. With his loyal and righteous character, how could he be so petty?”

Just as Elder Zhang finished speaking and was about to rise, Valley Master Nie quickly pulled him back with a wry smile: “Elder Zhang, do you think you understand Young Hero Ren better than I do?”

Elder Zhang looked at him and said: “Of course not. No matter what, he’s your nominal prospective son-in-law. How could I compare with you?”

Valley Master Nie quickly waved his hands: “Elder Zhang, please don’t say that again. If you anger Young Hero Ren, that would be bad. He merely lent us a helping hand; we mustn’t be ungrateful.”

Elder Zhang snorted disdainfully: “Nonsense. If it weren’t because he has some thoughts about Little Yu, would he have gone to such lengths? You and I are both men of experience—who doesn’t understand such things?”

Valley Master Nie looked at this elder who was many years older than himself and was truly at a loss for words.

He could only say: “From what I know of Young Hero Ren, if it weren’t for special instructions from within his sect, he would not have refused us so firmly. By the way, haven’t you been urging me all along to ask Young Hero Ren to refine the Scarlet Flame Pill? Do you know why I have never mentioned it to him?”

Elder Zhang replied irritably: “How should I know? You kept putting it off again and again. I don’t even know where your loyalties lie anymore.”

Valley Master Nie chuckled softly and then recounted the matter regarding the Artifact Forging Sect. Of course, he did not mention the Wordless Heavenly Book.

“What? The Five Elements Formation of the Artifact Forging Sect? Aiyo, that brat Si Yakong actually stayed in the outer valley all this time just for this Five Elements Formation. Let me think… I seem to recall his master once speaking of this wondrous thing. Don’t tell me Young Hero Ren actually let Little Yu copy it down and passed the Five Elements Formation to our Spring Rebirth Valley?”

Valley Master Nie could not hide his excitement and said: “That’s exactly how it is. Tell me, with such actions from Young Hero Ren, how could I doubt him about anything else? There must be some genuine reason he truly cannot let us know.”

Elder Zhang, hearing this, also nodded. “Mm, a fine child indeed. More importantly, he still wishes to leave this Scarlet Flame Pill for our Spring Rebirth Valley. Even if we don’t get to observe, it’s still worth it!”

“Then it’s settled. Elder Zhang, tomorrow morning I’ll bring out the jade boxes stored within the valley, and together we’ll gather all the herbs required for the Scarlet Flame Pill.”

“Good. Then tomorrow, we’ll proceed exactly as such!”