Chapter 619: Refining Pills Like Frying Beans
“Thank you, Young Noble Li. I am very, very grateful!” The monarch’s mind came back as he quickly took out his ingredients; all of them had transformed six times. All of these were good materials whose medicinal spirits had aged for a long time.
It was clear from a glance at the materials that the monarch did not hastily gather them as an excuse, he had indeed been gathering them for a long time for pill refinement.
“How do you want me to refine it?” Li Qiye looked at the materials then back at the monarch.
The monarch was surprised, but he quickly answered: “I am only a layman so Young Noble Li can decide everything.”
Li Qiye was very pleased with the monarch’s attitude. He had always been a person who prefers soft over hard. He smiled and took out the Myriad Heavenly Cauldron.
“Boom!” The cauldron’s flame erupted, but Li Qiye was too lazy to take a look and casually threw all the ingredients inside. Even in the era of the Alchemy God, very few people could compare to him regarding the dao of alchemy. In this generation, Li Qiye could personally refine pills, so after he got familiar with it, the whole process became a piece of cake to him. This type of fate pill refinement was no challenge unless it was an immortal pill!
“Crakkk—” A sound that resembled beans being fried appeared as the flame that danced like a dragon and phoenix refined the materials inside.
Although the monarch was not an alchemist, he was still thrown into a daze while watching the process.
Bai Weng had previously told him how Li Qiye refined pills so the monarch was mentally prepared. However, seeing it with his own eyes still left him shaking and breathless.
This was the second time Shi Hao and Bai Weng watched, but they were still astounded. Li Qiye’s style was very stimulating and impactful to watch for alchemists. They couldn’t see his process with their current level, but it was the most beautiful scene in the world, at least, for alchemists.
After a series of crackles, Li Qiye shouted quietly and turned off the fire before taking out the pill. In the blink of an eye, a six transformations fate pill flew into a gourd.
Li Qiye threw the gourd towards the monarch and put away his cauldron, then he lightly said: “Okay, take it.”
Li Qiye’s appearance didn’t look like he had just refined pills at all. Refining high level fate pills was a great challenge to alchemists; it was both tough and required full concentration.
The monarch couldn’t calm down as he asked blankly: “It’s done...? Just like that?”
This was the fastest pill refinement speed he had ever seen. No one in the world could be faster than Li Qiye.
Li Qiye drily answered this inquiry: “This is only a six transformations fate pill, one without a tribulation, so how long could it possibly take? This is not an imperial pill or an immortal pill after all; those would take some time.”
Others would think that Li Qiye was insane for saying such things. Even an Alchemy Saint couldn’t guarantee success for refining a six transformations pill in one go. If it was fast, then it would be one or two days; slow would be three to five days. Who could do it like Li Qiye? Refining pills like frying beans?
But of course, this was normal for Li Qiye. He had become proficient after refining pills back at the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect. Moreover, back in the remote times of the Desolate Era — the age of the Alchemy God, Li Qiye himself had developed many guidelines.
Half of the rules of modern alchemy were from the Alchemy God, and the other half were from Li Qiye! They were the standards that had been used for tens of millions of years.
After reclaiming the canon left behind by the Alchemy God, he had trained with the best alchemy dao in this world. He had practiced many times back in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, so his pill refinement had reached the zenith.
For him, as long as he put more effort into it, it would not be a problem to reach the Alchemy God’s level in the past. In fact, he was the one who guided the Alchemy God before he achieved his unparalleled success in the dao of alchemy. At the moment, the only pills that could be considered a challenge to Li Qiye were imperial pills, immortal pills, or incomparable items such as imperial medicines and era medicines; common alchemy creations were nothing to him.
At this moment, the three were at a complete loss for words and felt that Li Qiye’s answer was completely natural and without pretension.
Eventually, the demon monarch calmed down and poured the pill out of the gourd to take a look.
“Pop!” The monarch fell straight to the ground. His reaction shocked both Bai Weng and Shi Hao. Bai Weng helped him up then asked: “Demon Monarch, what is wrong?”
“This... this... How is this possible?!” The monarch lost his calm and involuntarily screamed: “This... is ninety percent purity!” His hand was shaking while holding onto this six transformations fate pill.
Bai Weng’s eyes were wide open as he looked at the fate pill in the monarch’s hand. This was more than just excellent; it was a ninety percent pure pill with a near golden color!
“Pop!” Bai Weng’s legs gave out as he also dropped to the ground and muttered in a daze: “No... way! Near golden color with ninety percent purity for a six transformations pill! This color is only something the finest nine transformations pills from the legends should have!”
Shi Hao also gasped as he watched this scene unfold. He was a Junior Alchemist, but he had heard of many legends before. Even a simple-minded fella like him realized how untouchable Li Qiye’s alchemy dao was!
It was no wonder why those two were so affected. A successful refinement was already amazing for a six transformations concoction; this meant that it had sixty percent purity. A bronze color was already of the finest grade. After all, the potency of ingredients that had only transformed six times was limited.
As the saying goes: pills are never naked. For alchemists, especially the high ranking ones, there were two standards for gauging the quality of fate pill: purity and color. [1. The raw is “pills are never barefoot”, so I’m guessing it is never naked and is saying that pills are easily gauged by their colors. This is one expression I do not know, and a google search only... ahem... led to some unsavory images. Just kidding, they were good images, albeit quite distracting.]
For example, a six transformations fate pill with sixty percent purity should help a Heavenly Sovereign increase his cultivation by sixty percent, but this was strictly theoretical.
Normally, in order for a pill to achieve the above, it needed to be of the finest grade with a golden color. Most of the time, fate pills with sixty percent purity could only increase a Heavenly Sovereign’s power by sixty percent in a minor level. Nevertheless, this was already quite precious.
More often than not, the six transformations pills refined by most alchemists might have sixty percent purity, but they would carry a slightly yellow color that resembled copper. These were already considered high grade.
However, Li Qiye was able to refine a ninety percent purity six transformations pill with a golden color, so how could others not be shocked? Even a Legendary Alchemist wouldn’t be able to refine such a pill — this was absolutely impossible!
Normally, only nine transformations pills would have ninety percent purity. It was already heaven-defying for a six transformations pill to have seventy percent purity. Once again, pills are never naked, and only nine transformations pills should have the near golden color.
Despite all of this knowledge, right here and now, this impossibility appeared on the six transformations pill, causing the group of three to lose their minds.
If six transformations pills with a bronze color and sixty percent purity refined by other alchemists were considered high-grade, then Li Qiye’s pill was of an immortal grade. Other pills were merely trash compared to this one!
“I’m... not... dreaming, right?” The monarch was extremely excited as he held the pill with quivering hands.
Such a fate pill wouldn’t only increase his cultivation by sixty percent. This was more than enough to help him break through his bottleneck and directly become a Heavenly King!
The monarch was even a little reluctant to take such a supreme pill. It could be said that this pill was rare even across the eons and was definitely worth keeping as a precious collectible.
“You are not dreaming.” Li Qiye slowly said: “You collected only the good stuff. Not only did all the materials transform six times, they aged well and had enough medicinal strength. If your materials were a bit worse, then it would have only been at eighty percent purity. It seems that you have spent a lot of effort collecting them.”
The monarch composed himself and deeply bowed before speaking with extreme gratitude: “The pill you are granting me is akin to a chance at a new life. This little demon has nothing to repay this debt. In the future, just say a single word and this little demon will not say no!”
The monarch’s gesture was not just for show. At his age, he had no chance of reaching the Heavenly King realm, so Li Qiye’s pill had completely changed the monarch’s fate. Although sovereigns and kings were only one realm apart, there was a huge gap between the two.
More importantly, even if Li Qiye was not an Alchemy Emperor at the moment, he would become one in the future! Although an Alchemy Emperor did not lord over the world like an Immortal Emperor, they were still a high and above existence beseeched for favors by countless Virtuous Paragons. It would be an honor to be of service to an Alchemy Emperor.
Regardless of the Alchemy Emperor’s cultivation, there would be times when Virtuous Paragons or even Immortal Emperors asked them for help!
Ancient Pine was only a Demon Monarch so he knew he was extremely lucky to be in Li Qiye’s presence.
Li Qiye leisurely accepted the Ancient Pine Demon Monarch’s bow and nodded his head to say: “Stand up, get ready to depart for the capital.”
Ancient Pine and Bai Weng voiced their agreement then went and waited outside.
After they left, Li Qiye pushed the box Ancient Pine had given him in front of Shi Hao and said: “You take it.”
“But...” Shi Hao was hesitant and didn’t dare to accept it. No matter what was inside the box, the monarch’s solemn expression earlier showed that it had to be a wonderful item.