WHOOSH!
Shen Mo took a prepared fire starter from his embrace and lit the firewood under the cauldron. Then, according to the elixir recipe, he added the ingredients for refining the Yang-strengthening Powder, one by one, into the cauldron, using the cauldron's flame to refine them.
After the main ingredient, Blood Tiger Grass, was entirely rendered into a pool of spiritual water, he carefully removed all impurities from the spiritual medicine. Afterwards, he added the several auxiliary spiritual medicines for the Yang-strengthening Powder into the cauldron as well.
When all the spiritual medicines had been refined and boiled down into a medicinal liquid, Shen Mo took a deep breath. His palm lifted slightly, forming a hand seal for condensing the pill.
"Refine!" he uttered in a low voice, his hands forming seals as a faint fluorescence emanated from his palms.
Finally, a Dao talisman struck the top of the cauldron. All the medicinal liquids within the cauldron thoroughly mixed and combined.
The next step was the pill condensation phase. During alchemy, one needed to form different alchemy hand seals according to varying circumstances to control the cauldron's fire, temperature, and the rhythm of pill condensation. This stage could not be rushed; patience was essential.
Shen Mo waited for the time it took for about two incense sticks to burn. Feeling the Yang-strengthening Powder inside the cauldron gradually taking shape, he finally began the last step: Condensing the Core and Shaping the Body!
HUM!
He executed another hand seal. The burning Red Cloud Cauldron trembled slightly, emitting a humming sound. In the next instant, the cauldron lid flew off, and an unusual fragrance wafted out from within.
Did it succeed? Shen Mo wondered as he caught the unique scent, his face alight with joy. However, before he could rejoice for long, the strange aroma abruptly vanished, replaced by a pungent, burnt smell.
[You attempted to refine Yang-strengthening Powder but failed.]
[Your understanding of the Alchemy Path has improved. Alchemy Experience +1]
[You have achieved greater proficiency in refining Yang-strengthening Powder. Yang-strengthening Powder Proficiency +2]
A notification quickly appeared in the status panel.
As expected... it's basically impossible to succeed in alchemy on the first try.
There shouldn't have been any issues during the pill condensation stage. Was it during the Condensing the Core and Shaping the Body stage... Did I open the cauldron too early?
After reflecting on his failure, Shen Mo quickly lit the fire again, preparing for another round of refining.
「The night passed, and the Rising Sun ascended in the east.」
Shen Mo glanced at the sky and twisted his neck, sore from the long hours of alchemy. "Time flies; a whole night passed just like that," he murmured.
That night, he had attempted to refine Yang-strengthening Powder thirty times in total. He succeeded with three batches; the other twenty-seven attempts were failures.
That's already quite good. Shen Mo wasn't disappointed with this result; on the contrary, he was rather pleased. After all, this success rate was much better than when he first started making talismans. This achievement was likely due to the insights on the Alchemy Path left by Alchemist Red Cloud, which had significantly boosted Shen Mo's experience. The lifelong insights of a Grade II Alchemist had saved him from many pitfalls.
It was time to report to the mountain gate. He glanced at the bright sky outside the window. After tidying the room and washing up, he was about to head out. But before he did—
Let's give it a try.
He picked up one of the finished Yang-strengthening Powders and swallowed it.
PHEW... This medicinal power... the effect is quite good.
As the spiritual medicine entered his stomach, a burning sensation spread through his body. It was gradually assimilated as he circulated the Heavenly Origin Technique. Soon, this medicinal power was refined into strands of pure Spiritual Qi, which then converged into his Qi Sea.
Now that I've learned this elixir recipe, I won't have to worry about running out of pills in the future.
The primary effect of the Yang-strengthening Powder was to boost the qi and blood of Body Tempering Realm cultivators, strengthen their physical power and vitality, and help accumulate energy for cultivation. In terms of medicinal efficacy and value, it couldn't compare to the extremely precious Qi Gathering Pill, a single one of which could help a cultivator break through their realm. However, the merits of this powder lay in its low cost and low resistance build-up, allowing for long-term consumption. Its cumulative benefits over time could shorten the duration of arduous cultivation.
Thanks to the medicinal effects of this dose of Yang-strengthening Powder, Shen Mo managed to solidify his somewhat unstable aura from his recent breakthrough a few days prior, consolidating his newly advanced realm.
「Riverside Sect, mountain gate.」
When Shen Mo arrived, Cao Ren was already there. After a quick greeting, Shen Mo began to slack off as usual, letting Cao Ren cover his guard duties. Meanwhile, he used this time to focus entirely on cultivating the Heavenly Origin Technique.
At lunchtime, Cao Ren suddenly shared some news that left Shen Mo somewhat dumbfounded.
"I've submitted my resignation to the Deacon. Starting tomorrow, I will no longer be guarding the mountain gate."
"You're quitting?" Shen Mo frowned slightly, somewhat taken aback.
"Indeed." Cao Ren nodded. "My cultivation has reached a crucial stage, and I'm not far from a breakthrough. For the next two months, I plan to make a final push. I'll use the Qi Gathering Pill you shared with me and enter seclusion for a while. If all goes well, I should be able to break through."
He was approaching the Perfection stage of the Body Tempering Realm. A breakthrough meant advancing to the Qi Gathering Realm. Once successful, he would become an inner disciple, fulfilling his long-held aspiration.
"I won't be able to keep you company guarding the mountain anymore. You'll have to manage on your own. Slack off less, or you'll get caught and scolded by the Deacon."
So, this guy is leaving. It probably won't be so easy to slack off and practice during my shifts anymore. As Shen Mo considered this, a faint sense of melancholy arose in his heart. His previously cheerful mood dampened somewhat.
「For the next few days」
Shen Mo guarded the mountain gate alone. He stood guard during the day and returned to practice his techniques and perform alchemy at night; he felt there wasn't enough time.
On the fourth day, a new disciple surnamed Zhao arrived to guard the mountain gate with him. However, this Disciple Zhao had a cold personality and an impassive face, unlike the easygoing Cao Ren. After interacting with him for two days, Shen Mo felt there was little chance of turning him into someone who would cover for him while he slacked off.
In the end, after much deliberation, he submitted his resignation to the Deacon. He was giving up the steady job of guarding the mountain gate.
"From now on, I'll focus on alchemy and making talismans to support my cultivation," Shen Mo murmured to himself on his way back.
The monthly pay from guarding the mountain gate really wasn't much. Previously, Shen Mo had no other means of livelihood and could only take on such a job to get by; receiving some cultivation resources each month wasn't bad. Now that his talisman-making skills were proficient, the income they generated for him was far greater. This small monthly salary had become dispensable.
The main reason he hadn't resigned earlier was because the job was leisurely. With Cao Ren's help, it hadn't taken up much of his own time, allowing him to slack off, use work hours for personal tasks, and essentially get paid for doing his own thing. But now that Cao Ren was gone, there was no one to cover for him while he slacked off. Spending time here idly every day was a waste of cultivation time and no longer worth it. He might as well quit this job and focus entirely on his cultivation.
Now that I've quit my job, I can't afford to slack off.
Returning to his room, Shen Mo took out paper and pen to draft a detailed plan. "I need to create a schedule for how I'll manage my time from now on."
Cultivation, too, requires perseverance and self-discipline.
"I can't just focus on alchemy; my cultivation, martial arts, and even magic mustn't be neglected. I need to develop in a balanced manner."
Last month, Shen Mo had devoted all his time and energy to making talismans, neglecting his cultivation in the process.
"I'll dedicate the time from early morning until noon to alchemy," Shen Mo decided. "The afternoons will be for cultivation and meditation, and the evenings for practicing martial arts."