A transparent, ethereal panel hung in the void before him.
The text within glowed a faint crimson, the font minuscule, yet remarkably, Han Yi absorbed all the information with a single glance.
He paused, momentarily stunned.
"Isn't this... my work manual?"
The panel's design and font color were identical to the Python-coded tool he'd created in his previous life to track project progress.
But there was a crucial difference.
In his past life, the tool recorded the completion status of various work projects. This ethereal panel, however, presented a three-dimensional overview of his current state.
Life Expectancy: 87 years
Cultivation Realm: Second Layer of Qi Refining
Method: Foundation Art of the Profound Pill Sect's Outer Sect Disciples - Fire Pill Profound Art
Skills: Alchemy Technique, Spirit Void Finger
Alchemy Technique: Cultivated for three years, still at the Novice stage.
Spirit Void Finger: A basic defensive spell learned upon joining Little Spirit Void Peak, mastered only superficially.
The manual classifies cultivation methods as 'Entry-level' and skills as 'Novice.' Does this imply separate advancement paths?"
Han Yi's eyes lit up, all trace of sleepiness vanishing.
Subconsciously, Han Yi believed that the system interface that had accompanied him through his transmigration held the key to escaping his predicament.
Alas.
An hour later, Han Yi slowly exhaled, his brow furrowed in frustration.
"It's just a data panel that tracks my current lifespan, cultivation methods, and skills—nothing more."
"I can't interact with it, and there's no manual."
"This doesn't make any sense."
Han Yi returned to his meditation chamber.
Hanging on the wall was a landscape painting depicting a sword immortal with a dignified, ethereal aura, soaring through the mountains on a flying sword.
He remembered buying it at a market on the Outer Peak when he had first joined the Profound Pill Sect after his Spirit Root was discovered.
Rumor had it that the sword immortal in the painting was none other than the sect's current leader.
Back then, freshly initiated into the path of immortality, Han Yi's ambition had swelled. He had splurged five taels of Spirit Sand—a considerable sum at the time—to acquire the painting, only to later realize it was an ordinary artwork devoid of any mystical properties. Zheng Hai had teased him relentlessly for his foolish purchase.
Spirit Sand was a unit smaller than Spirit Stones. Both were mined from the same veins, but while Spirit Stones formed into solid chunks, Spirit Sand consisted of fine, flowing granules, like quicksand. Its spiritual energy was also less pure than that of Spirit Stones.
A standard Low-Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten taels, or half a kilogram, of Spirit Sand.
In his memories, the original owner of this body had spent countless days and nights facing this painting, using it as a source of inspiration and a goal to strive for.
Now, Han Yi instinctively sat on the cultivation futon, facing the painting. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"The manual... the manual... how can I actually use this manual to resolve my current predicament?"
Despite Han Yi's calm demeanor, his heart was far from at peace. He knew that panic would only worsen the situation; a clear mind was essential to finding the optimal solution.
Besides, he had no intention of being expelled from the mountain the moment he transmigrated.
The Cultivation World was far from peaceful. Cultivation itself revolved around four essential pillars: Wealth, Companion, Method, and Land.
Wealth was divided into internal and external resources. External wealth referred to cultivation resources like Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Heavenly Treasures. Internal wealth encompassed one's innate aptitude for cultivation, including Spirit Root, Comprehension, and Innate Talent.
Companion referred to Dao Companions, protectors of one's cultivation path. The term had both broad and narrow interpretations. In the broad sense, it included fellow cultivators, such as sect brothers, masters, and disciples. In the narrow sense, it specifically referred to male-female dual cultivation partners who supported each other on the path to immortality.
"Method" refers to both the "Dao" and the "Technique." The Dao represents the core principles of cultivation, its very foundation. Technique encompasses various practices such as talisman creation, pill refinement, sword arts, and more.
"Land" refers to cultivation grounds. Some cultivators seclude themselves deep in the mountains, seeking enlightenment and longevity, while others establish sects and recruit disciples. Whether in remote peaks or grand sects, all serve as sacred grounds for cultivation.
At the Profound Pill Sect, Han Yi's most direct understanding of "Land" was the Spirit Vein.
Having been expelled from the mountain and losing access to the Second-Tier Spirit Vein, his future cultivation would be far more challenging. Returning to the sect's inner peaks now seemed as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Han Yi closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and remained still for a full quarter of an hour before opening them again.
"First, I'll set aside the system panel and familiarize myself with my current skills," he resolved.
Han Yi didn't immediately begin cultivating, as he only possessed a Low-Grade Fire Spirit Root.
After three years in the Profound Pill Sect, he had barely progressed from the initial Qi Refining stage to the second layer. This demonstrated how arduous the path of cultivation truly was for him.
He wasn't alone. Among the sect's hundred thousand Outer Sect Disciples, at least eighty thousand remained at the initial stages of Qi Refining. As one ascended higher, the pyramid-shaped structure became increasingly pronounced.
For Han Yi, breaking through to the third layer of Qi Refining would take time.
To overcome this bottleneck, he needed to focus on improving his skills.
Among the myriad arts of cultivation, the most mainstream included pill refinement, artifact forging, formation arts, and talisman creation.
Fortunately, Han Yi was an alchemist. Though his Alchemy Technique was only at the beginner's level according to his status panel, it was still a valuable skill. Just as his engineering background had served him well in his previous life, he knew that having this trade meant he could thrive anywhere.
However, when Han Yi entered the pill refinement chamber, retrieved his Storage Pouch from his waist, and channeled mana into it to examine its contents, his expression froze. With a flick of his wrist, he emptied the pouch completely.
The largest item was an ancient bronze hexagonal Pill Furnace. Though only of Low-Grade quality, it was the most valuable thing he owned. There were over a dozen clear jade boxes filled with spirit herbs and medicines, and neatly stacked over a hundred pieces of spirit charcoal—the auxiliary fuel needed by low-level alchemists for pill refinement. He had about twenty ounces of spirit sand, three Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and a large bottle of Qi Sustaining Pills. Aside from these, there were only miscellaneous daily necessities.
"This is off to a rough start," Han Yi sighed. He recalled how he had exhausted his most precious herbs just days ago while attempting to refine Qi Nourishing Pills.
Han Yi could only refine four types of medicinal pills, the best of which was the Qi Nourishing Pill. Unfortunately, he had only successfully refined it once in the past three years, and that was last year.
Qi Nourishing Pills were useful for cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, making them quite popular within the Profound Pill Sect. Refining a single pill earned ten Sect Points, and a batch typically yielded about ten pills. Refining just one batch was enough to complete a Sect Mission.
His predecessor had heavily invested in Qi Nourishing Pills, but his attempts had failed miserably.
Besides the Qi Nourishing Pill, he could refine three other types: the Spirit Enhancement Pill, Plague Dispelling Powder, and Beast Taming Pill.
The Spirit Enhancement Pill, as its name suggested, boosted one's mental focus. Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators who consumed it during cultivation could slightly improve their efficiency, though the effect was barely noticeable. Still, something was better than nothing.
Sadly, the Spirit Enhancement Pill lost its effectiveness once a cultivator reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Each pill could be exchanged for five Sect Points, and a batch typically yielded two to four pills.
The Plague Dispelling Powder was a medicinal powder used to treat illnesses. In the mortal world, it might be hailed as a miraculous remedy, but in the Cultivation World, it was barely worth the effort. A jar of Plague Dispelling Powder earned only one Sect Point, making it virtually worthless.
The Beast Taming Pill was a medicinal pill formulated as feed for spirit beasts. It could be enhanced with various flavors to stimulate their appetite.
Like the Plague Dispelling Powder, it was another low-value pill, with a single bottle earning only one Sect Point.
Of course, the points earned varied with the quality of the pill. In this world, medicinal pills were categorized into six grades: Ordinary, Standard, Flawless, Perfect, Pill-Marked, and Immortal.
Outer Sect disciples of the Profound Pill Sect were only capable of refining Ordinary-grade pills. Only Inner Sect disciples or those at the Foundation Establishment Stage of Alchemy Technique could produce Standard-grade pills. As for the higher grades, they were beyond Han Yi's current understanding.
Moreover, Han Yi's alchemy skills were still rudimentary. Even when refining the most basic Plague Dispelling Powder and Beast Taming Pills, his success rate was only around 50%. For Spirit Enhancement Pills, it plummeted to a mere 30%. As for Qi Nourishing Pills, he had only successfully refined one batch, making it impossible to assess his actual success rate.
"Never mind, let's familiarize myself with the Alchemy Technique first. I'll start by refining the simplest Plague Dispelling Powder."
Although he had inherited the original owner's memories, Han Yi worried that the body's skills might feel clumsy in his hands.
Sure enough, his worst fears were confirmed.
An hour later...
Bang!
The bronze-colored Pill Furnace shook violently, a wisp of black smoke lazily drifting from its vent. Spirit Charcoal fragments scattered from beneath the furnace, striking Han Yi's face and leaving streaks of soot across his skin.
The soot was dark, but not as dark as his inner turmoil.
"Damn it! How could I even manage to blow up the furnace with this?"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"My Mana flow must have faltered for a moment during the refinement."
"And the spiritual fire from the Spirit Charcoal was too intense. I overheated it, causing the explosion."
"Alright, I'll try again. I refuse to believe I can't even refine Plague Dispelling Powder."
Han Yi wiped his face, stood up, gathered fresh materials, and resumed the Pill Refinement process.
An hour later...
Bang!
Another furnace explosion.
Two hours later...
Bang!
Another explosion.
Three hours later...
As the fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs wafted from the Pill Furnace, Han Yi channeled his Mana. The black, fine-sand-like Plague Dispelling Powder flowed into the jade bottle he had prepared nearby.
Whew!
Han Yi exhaled deeply, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
"That wasn't easy. It took four attempts to finally succeed."
"But at this success rate—or even if I could improve it to fifty percent—I still wouldn't be able to refine a hundred bottles of Plague Dispelling Powder in a month."
"Not to mention, I don't even have enough materials to make that many."
"I need to find a better way."
Han Yi focused his thoughts, and a translucent panel materialized before him.
Instinctively, his gaze drifted to the second skill listed: Spirit Void Finger.
What could Spirit Void Finger possibly do? he wondered.
Just then, an idea sparked in his mind. His eyes snapped back to the panel, focusing on the first skill:
[ Alchemy Technique (Beginner 84/100) ]
"84 progress?
That can't be right. My memory isn't failing me. I distinctly remember seeing 82 before.
What exactly happened?
Stay calm."
"Extract the phenomenon, analyze the essence."
The phenomenon: after refining four batches of medicinal pills, my Alchemy Technique, still in its initial, fledgling stage, had progressed from 82% to 84%.
Judging solely from this phenomenon, this was definitely not a normal rate of progress. Otherwise, how could the original owner of this body have remained stuck at the beginner level after refining so many batches over the past three years?
Something was amiss.
So, what was the underlying essence?
Han Yi's brow furrowed deeply, his eyes calm as his mind raced.
After a moment, he cleared his thoughts completely, then refilled them with the newly observed phenomenon.
The data sample is insufficient. Forcing an analysis now might lead to flawed or incomplete conclusions about the underlying essence.
Never mind. For now, I'll just focus on the phenomenon itself.
84% progress... I'm not far from reaching 100%.
If I can break through 100%, it means my Alchemy Technique will have entered a new realm.
At that point, refining Spirit Enhancement Pills—or even Qi Nourishing Pills—will undoubtedly yield higher success rates.
As this thought crystallized, Han Yi's eyes lit up brilliantly.
"Heaven never seals all paths."
"This is the way to break the deadlock—this is it!"