Chapter 80: Zhou Bingyun
Inside the cave dwelling.
“Boom!”
With a burst of thick smoke, Lin Chang’an used Object Manipulation Technique to lift the alchemy furnace. Unexpectedly, the furnace was filled with pungent smoke. The moment it opened, there was a blast, instantly transforming into a fire dragon.
A blue light flickered, and a spiritual shield appeared around him, protecting him from the flames. Though he was not burned, Lin Chang’an shook his head.
This batch failed too.
“I really underestimated alchemy. What I learned about spirit herbs and spirit plants during the hunting team days was only enough to identify their type and age. When it comes to understanding medicinal properties, it can’t be compared to a true alchemist.”
After deciding to practice alchemy in secret, he had disguised his identity and spent a high price at Many Treasures Pavilion to buy a second-rank alchemy furnace, along with some alchemy recipes and notes.
But only through firsthand experience did he realize that among the Hundred Arts of cultivation, each field had its own difficulty.
“If talismans require lineage to master, then alchemy’s difficulty lies in mastering the potency of various spirit herbs, and the cost of materials.”
Each run consumed a large amount of spirit stones. Even he couldn’t afford so many wasted attempts.
He had used up more than a dozen furnaces worth of precious medicinal materials without making any progress, which made Lin Chang’an frown.
“I remember that Wei Buyi once mentioned that the most important aspect of alchemy was pharmacology. Alchemists must be familiar with each spirit herb’s characteristics. Only then can they use the herb’s age and medicinal properties to blend them and finally refine a pill. That’s why alchemists often share insights on spirit herbs and spirit fruits with each other.”
At this moment, Lin Chang’an recalled Wei Buyi’s smiling words during a gathering at Gathering Immortals Tower: that if anyone found books on pharmacopeia, he would buy them at high prices.
“It seems I’ll have to go to Wei Buyi for guidance.”
He glanced down at the smoldering, scorched pills revealed in the furnace—still too hot and giving off a burnt smell—then looked at the recipe in his hand. His eyes twitched.
The recipe listed several spirit herbs, all of which he had acquired. But their ages differed slightly, and even the season and method of harvest affected their medicinal efficacy.
Thus, when he followed the formula’s ratios, he overlooked every alchemist’s subtle interpretation of medicinal properties. These nuances couldn’t be applied mechanically.
That’s why he had failed repeatedly.
“After cultivating to Foundation Establishment, I did underestimate others—Hundred Arts of cultivation are truly profound.”
Lin Chang’an laughed at his own naivety. But he believed that with his Foundation Establishment stage strength, his alchemy skill would soon improve.
After all, refining first-rank pills in the Foundation Establishment stage requires much stronger mana and spiritual insight control than in the Qi Refinement stage. While a Qi Refinement cultivator might open only a few furnaces a month, a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him could refine every day as long as materials were available. And because his cultivation method had strong recovery, his mana was more abundant and recovered faster than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Having thought it through, Lin Chang’an waved his hand and cleared all the spoiled pills from the furnace, then closed the alchemy room set up inside the cave dwelling.
He also cast a spell to erase all traces of his alchemy aura.
…
In the courtyard of the Daoist dojo, the Azure-Horned Bull soaked lazily in a pool under the sun, chewing on a lotus leaf. When it spotted its owner striding out with the gait of a dragon among tigers, it immediately flashed a smile and let out a joyful moo.
But Lin Chang’an turned back, saw the lazy ox, and couldn’t help but laugh and scold:
“You gluttonous ox. If you haven’t broken through to second rank in half a year despite eating Spirit Nourishing Pills every day, go find yourself a big cauldron.”
With water splashing around, the Azure-Horned Bull stared at its master, unable to believe its ears.
Just the day before yesterday its horn had been stroked and praised as having top-grade bloodline—how could today’s words be so different?
It felt so bullied!
The Azure-Horned Bull mooed in grievance.
…
Gathering Immortals Tower.
Ever since Lin Chang’an reached Foundation Establishment, Gathering Immortals Tower’s business had also boomed.
After all, everyone knew that the tower had behind it a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was also a second-rank talisman master.
“Fellow Daoist Wei, I have another Daoist friend who is getting old and has lost hope in cultivation. He wants to learn a craft, and found alchemy to be broad and profound. Could you share some insights...” leaning against the window, Lin Chang’an sighed, beginning the classic “I have a friend” routine, which made Wei Buyi fall silent.
“Brother Lin, every branch of the Hundred Arts has its own nuances. Although pharmacological principles are similar, every alchemist has his own subtle insights.
Thus, even with the same pill recipe, every alchemist would have slight variations in technique. “I do have an ancestral copy of the Pharmacopoeia of a Hundred Herbs.”
As he spoke, Wei Buyi took out a bundle of jade slips from his storage pouch. Just before handing them to Lin Chang’an, he earnestly reminded him:
“Brother Lin, your talent in the Dao of Talismans is extraordinary—don’t let it go to waste.”
Lin Chang’an gave an awkward smile upon hearing that. Indeed, the excuse he used earlier was rather clumsy.
Wei Buyi didn’t say anything more. He simply shook his head in silence. There were too many cultivators who would never turn back until they hit a few walls.
“Pharmacopoeia of a Hundred Herbs.”
Lin Chang’an browsed through the records on the jade slips and silently nodded in praise. No wonder this was a pharmacopoeia handed down among alchemists—it was nothing like the mass-produced versions sold outside.
Not only did it clearly describe each spirit herb’s natural environment and medicinal effect, but it also marked the approximate potency based on different ages. Some even detailed what effects came from the leaves, and what came from the roots and stems.
It was a comprehensive guide to alchemical herbs.
“No wonder I kept failing earlier.”
Having found the root cause, Lin Chang’an nodded to himself. With a clear direction in alchemy, things would go smoother.
“Brother Lin, I shall take my leave.”
Wei Buyi suddenly smiled awkwardly and cupped his hands in farewell, as if he had spotted something. Leaning on his iron cane, he turned to leave.
Though his legs had long been healed, Wei Buyi still habitually used this iron staff magic tool as a disguise.
“Brother Lin.”
At this moment, a striking figure entered Gathering Immortals Tower. Upon seeing Lin Chang’an from afar, she revealed a sweet smile.
Upon seeing the visitor, Lin Chang’an silently shook his head. The Zhou Clan really was persistent.
“So it’s young friend Zhou.”
Lin Chang’an rarely smiled, but seeing who it was, he did. She came at the perfect time—he had plenty of questions to ask.
It was Zhou Bingyun, daughter of the current head of the Beast-Taming Zhou Clan. Despite her young age, she had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement, and more importantly, she was a premium-grade first-rank alchemist.
Of course, due to her clan background, she specialized in refining pills for spirit beasts.
After all, whether it was beasts or humans, both relied on pills. The principles couldn’t be too different.
And it didn’t hurt to learn more about pills for spirit beasts—especially since he was still raising an Azure-Horned Bull.