The clear blue flame gradually decreased in intensity. The trembling medicinal cauldron suddenly stopped shaking. Air fluctuations appeared around that cauldron until people could feel strange pressure radiating out.
Bai Fanxian nodded after observing her work. Her use of Qi Flame was one technique for tempering cauldrons. When her qi power wrapped around the entire cauldron through that blue flame, even a low-quality cauldron like this could withstand refining Tier 4 pills.
All the audience watched the occurring situation while gulping. What was happening before them had far exceeded their understanding.
Master Sun, who was displeased at first, after seeing advanced fire arts he couldn't comprehend, felt like going back to tear up the textbooks he'd written in shame!
"...It's about to begin." Novice Alchemist whispered softly to his senior. When Bai Fanxian waved her other hand, the materials the elderly butler brought floated up beside her.
"Record this well. These things will help guide the association's development."
Director Wang turned to order his assistant sternly. The male assistant nodded enthusiastically while the recording camera on his shoulder captured this moment as completely as possible.
Alchemy was like cooking.
As long as you had the recipe and complete ingredients, most people could imitate and follow along.
What made chefs different from ordinary people was technique and practice.
The same dish, the same cooking method, but when compared, somehow the chef's food came out tastier.
Because chefs were skilled, had techniques and tricks.
Cutting meat—ordinary people cut straight, but in a chef's hands who cut along the grain, the meat quality for cooking already differed.
Alchemy was the same.
Even using the same materials, type of cauldron, order of adding ingredients and equal time periods, a Tier 1 alchemist still couldn't refine Tier 4 elixirs.
Not because they followed incorrectly, but those "behind-the-scenes" techniques were the problem.
But it wasn't useless. If given a correct example to see, even ordinary people could someday cook as deliciously as chefs. Bai Fanxian's Tier 4 alchemy this time was like the good example current era alchemists needed.
Therefore, Director Wang and many others were ordered to record these next steps as completely as possible.
Bai Fanxian swept her gaze. People in the hall all stared at the floating materials.
"Blue grass, amber drops, ten-year ginseng root, pure mountain water, five adjustment herbs, sunrise tree leaves, ancient tropical vine branches..."
Many apprentice alchemists tried desperately to memorize those materials. Some tried finding something to write on, others chose to photograph or video without hesitation.
Especially the next steps—what would she put in first? Would she grind or mix which materials first?
They were excited.
Bai Fanxian flicked her finger. The grass with fresh blue leaves floated forward before its companions. Audience members wanting to secretly learn the method muttered while quickly jotting down in notebooks.
"Put blue grass in first..."
Novice Alchemist was one of them. He quickly recorded in his notebook too. But while writing, he kept being nudged by Brother Yang beside him.
"Brother Yang, I'm recording important steps..." Before he finished speaking, Brother Yang interrupted first.
"You fool! Quickly look up!"
His senior's urgent tone made Novice Alchemist look up reluctantly. He frowned slightly, thinking he was being bothered, but when his gaze returned to the stage, it widened like never before!
The image he saw was all materials swirling together above the cauldron. Not just the blue grass moving first—all materials were being purified by the blue flame instead!
Strangely, that intense flame didn't damage the materials. It only burned away impure contaminants from the materials, seen from black stains appearing momentarily before being consumed by blue flame.
All materials became pure as if never touched by soil or anyone's hands. They all floated down into that small cauldron together before Bai Fanxian controlled the cauldron lid to float over and close it.
"Put everything in together!?" Those alchemists who knew somewhat watched the scene before them with complete confusion!
Because since beginning to learn this path, the first thing they learned was timing control!
How long to wait between adding this material after the previous one, or after certain materials mixed, how long to wait before starting the next step—these were what worried them most.
Who would think Grandmaster Bai would carelessly throw everything in like that?
The steps they prepared to record vanished in a blink.
Even a being like Grandmaster Lu Qing couldn't do alchemy like this!
Could Empress do something ordinary people could learn?
Director Wang himself was one of those with flowing tears. He was ordered to record all steps completely, but when everything ended in one step, what would he report to the higher-ups!
Bai Fanxian watched the floating cauldron calmly. The watching audience felt no less thrilled.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly the blue flame swallowed the entire cauldron in its center. The heat Bai Fanxian controlled well made the materials in the cauldron begin melting and fusing as one.
Bai Fanxian's pure qi circulated in the cauldron, constantly blending and connecting to help the elixir begin condensing into pills. This method would greatly shorten the required time.
It was also another experiment.
After a while, light pressure that even ordinary people could feel began radiating from the cauldron. Its intensity climbed higher until the nearest audience members' faces paled when feeling the pressure from center stage.
Its intensity now was at the same level as Tier 4 treasures unleashing power!
And it seemed about to increase to touch Tier 5!
Bai Fanxian narrowed her eyes. The qi power in her body exploded at a level sufficient to control the situation. It went to suppress the elixir's development about to surge to a new level in the last split second.
As expected—her pure qi power now had the ability to enhance any type of elixir merged with it.
Like the first time at the Tang Clan house, when a Tier 5 elixir merged with her pure qi, it displayed Tier 6 elixir phenomena, shocking the entire city.
But fortunately she could still control it. When her will refused like just now, it could prevent the development.
All this background must have originated from the elixir she refined merged with her own body for ten thousand years.
When development was refused, the elixir about to become Tier 5 in the cauldron condensed firmly into pills successfully. Small phenomena on stage gradually calmed along with the extinguishing blue fire.
The small cauldron slowly floated down onto the table. Without opening the cauldron, Bai Fanxian could know the internal situation perfectly. She turned to face Elder Chen, who'd been staring agape for a while until he came to his senses.
"Uh... it's finished?" The old man walked closer to look. He didn't dare open the lid without permission.
Though his heart desperately wanted to see.
"Mm..."
Bai Fanxian nodded. The elders stared at Bai Fanxian like a strange creature. The higher level the elixir, the more mental and qi power alchemists must use. For highest Tier 3 alchemists like them, if they forced themselves to refine one early Tier 4 elixir pill, they'd nearly collapse from having no qi power left in their bodies!
But the young woman before them still looked fine—even lazily began sipping tea that the very considerate elderly butler served.
"You can inspect it." Bai Fanxian spoke as if unconcerned.
Hearing permission, the elders rushed onto stage like children wanting to see new toys. They crowded to watch Elder Chen about to open that small cauldron's lid intently.
"...This is?"
The first moment they prepared to feel Tier 4 elixir pressure, but nothing happened at all.
Inside the cauldron were two clean white pills with two blue stripes rolling at the cauldron bottom.
Nothing showed they were Tier 4 elixirs at all. No pressure or aura as there should be. Wasn't opening the cauldron supposed to be when newly refined elixirs shone most brilliantly?
They turned to look at Bai Fanxian in confusion. Moreover, no one among the elders recognized this elixir type. They debated and discussed but still couldn't find answers or conclusions.
"Uh... what's this pill called?"
Elder Chen asked carefully. He brought both pills out to place on a small soft cushion on the table for the audience to see clearly.
They stared at that pill questioningly. If even Alchemists' Association elders couldn't tell what kind of elixir it was, they could only let Grandmaster Bai explain herself.
"Mm... Recovery Pill, I guess?"
"Recovery... Pill?"
Chen Deming repeated the name with a twitching face. Why did a Tier 4 elixir name look so ordinary?
But this was normal for Bai Fanxian. Elixirs she personally refined and invented were mostly named simply like this according to their properties. It was the duty of her Alchemy Palace followers to come search for and establish suitable names for them later.
Otherwise, her legendary Tier 7 or 8 elixirs from that era would definitely have similar names like "Recovery Pill but Tier 8" or something!
"Uh... its properties are?"
"Recovery Pill must be used to recover wounds..." Bai Fanxian frowned while looking at the elders as if looking at fools asking something they should already know.
The elders turned to look at each other as if seeking opinions. Evaluating this newly refined elixir was their duty to judge whether it passed.
But for elixirs they didn't know, didn't know the properties, which also didn't radiate Tier 4 elixir pressure like this—for them it was extremely difficult to judge.
Finally, it was acting president Elder Chen Deming who had to turn to speak to Bai Fanxian with difficulty.
"Grandmaster Bai... for this unknown elixir, we'll need to test it first. I'm afraid we can't pass you yet..."
"Wait!"
Before Chen Deming finished speaking, Elder Fang, who'd been staring at that white pill intently since earlier, trembled instead.
"What is it, Elder Fang?"
"That pill... if I'm not mistaken," Fang Niang murmured disbelievingly. She turned to look at Bai Fanxian's face with a shocked expression.
"...It's the Heaven-Defying Revival Pill whose formula has been lost, isn't it?"
The elders turned sharply toward Bai Fanxian. The name Heaven-Defying Revival Pill looked far too grand and different from the Recovery Pill she initially suggested! It couldn't possibly be the same pill!
"Oh? If I remember correctly, it was once named something like that too."
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