Pill Furnace
Elder Yu was concerned with matters concerning the Qian family, Master Chen focused on the forging workshop, while Mo Hua devoted himself wholeheartedly to drawing arrays.
The construction progress of the alchemy workshop proceeded swiftly, and Mo Hua's array drawings were also completed rapidly.
Since the building layout diagrams were identical, Mo Hua only needed to replicate them.
It took Mo Hua about half a month to finish drawing the array for the alchemy workshop.
Master Ban was delighted, humming off-key tunes as he supervised the craftsmen and Forges to wrap up.
Mo Hua also intended to invite Master Feng to inspect.
After all, Master Feng would be responsible for overseeing the alchemy workshop afterwards.
When Mo Hua went to find Master Feng, he was still holding court at the Apricot Grove Hall, diagnosing and prescribing medicine for rogue cultivators, occasionally refining pills.
Master Feng usually spent most of his time in the Apricot Grove Hall, attending to patients and refining pills, seldom leaving except for medical consultations.
Mo Hua informed Master Feng about the progress of the alchemy workshop.
"So soon?" Master Feng was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought that a project as significant as the alchemy workshop would take three to four months just to establish the initial scale, and about half a year to complete.
Moreover, the alchemy workshop was the second phase, following the completion of the forging workshop.
However, upon reflection, a quicker completion was preferable. He also wanted to see what the alchemy workshop would look like.
"Wait a moment," Master Feng told Mo Hua, finishing up with a few patients, instructing disciples to oversee the hall, before quickly tidying up and following Mo Hua to the alchemy workshop.
Upon seeing the forging workshop, Master Feng's gaze sharpened. He inspected it inside and out, astonished.
"Did you draw these arrays?" Master Feng asked.
Mo Hua nodded, "Yes!"
"You did this all by yourself?"
"Yes, it was all me!" Mo Hua affirmed.
Master Feng smiled, "Impressive. No wonder everyone calls you 'Little Array Master.'"
Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed but chuckled softly.
The layout of the alchemy workshop mirrored that of the forging workshop, with a large scale and orderly layout.
Master Feng was very satisfied.
With such a large alchemy workshop completed, it would be able to produce many medicinal pills.
Once completed, rogue cultivators would have access to these pills for emergencies, whether for injuries or illnesses.
With affordable medicine, many rogue cultivators could also keep some on hand for emergencies.
This was indeed a great benefit to the rogue cultivators of Tongxian City.
Master Feng stroked his long, white beard, nodding in contentment.
Before leaving, Master Feng also examined the furnace used for refining.
Upon inspection, Master Feng was momentarily stunned.
He circled around the large furnace, furrowing his brows as he carefully observed, then looked at Mo Hua with some disbelief, "A One-Grade Compound Array?"
"Master Feng, your discerning eye is truly remarkable to identify it at a glance!" Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.
Most cultivators couldn't even recognize a One-Grade array.
Master Feng had only taken a brief look around the furnace and could already identify it as a One-Grade Compound Array, demonstrating his exceptional insight.
After all, Master Feng was not an array master.
"Did you draw this too?" Master Feng hesitated for a moment before asking again.
Mo Hua nodded, "Yes!"
Master Feng was momentarily speechless.
He never underestimated Mo Hua's level in ink drawing formations, and had always held high regard for Mo Hua's talent in formations. However, he felt that perhaps it shouldn't be so extreme.
"A Grade One Compound Formation..."
In his lifetime, he had rarely seen a Grade One formation master capable of drawing a Grade One Compound Formation.
Mr. Feng was momentarily stunned, then he noticed the pure and bright furnace fire.
It was a vivid red, shining like solidified substance, instantly capturing Mr. Feng's attention.
Mr. Feng couldn't help but feel his heart tremble.
"This fire..."
"Elder Yu said it's stronger than the fire used in Qi Refining stage," Mo Hua said.
Mr. Feng, how could he not know? He stood there for a long time, staring at the furnace fire for half a day.
Apart from studying alchemy to heal people, Mr. Feng had always been without desires. Finally, he couldn't resist anymore. He pointed to the stove and said to Mo Hua:
"Could you... make one for me too?"
Mo Hua also wanted to make a large Grade One alchemy furnace for Mr. Feng.
But this alchemy furnace was not easy to make.
A regular Grade One refining furnace couldn't serve as the formation medium for a Grade One Melting Fire Compound Formation, and similarly, a regular Grade One alchemy furnace couldn't sustain the long-term operation of a Grade One Melting Fire Compound Formation.
Moreover, the formations used on alchemy furnaces were inherently more complex than those used on refining furnaces.
A refining furnace only needed to consider heating supply, with other formation effects being auxiliary. But besides heating supply, an alchemy furnace also had to consider the properties of herbs and the harmonization of spiritual energies.
Thus, the Compound Formations used in alchemy furnaces would be more challenging.
This also meant that as a medium for Compound Formations, the quality of the alchemy furnace had to be high, the forging techniques had to be good, and the specifications couldn't be small.
Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if there were suitable alchemy furnaces.
Elder Yu was somewhat embarrassed. That large refining furnace had been a stroke of luck for him.
But finding a large Grade One alchemy furnace wasn't so easy.
Mo Hua had no choice but to be frank with Mr. Feng.
He could solve the problem with formations, but when it came to alchemy furnaces, he had no solution.
Mr. Feng pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you refine it yourselves?"
"We can, but do you have the refining manual?" Mo Hua asked.
Mr. Feng thought for a moment and said, "Yes!"
"Really?" Mo Hua was surprised.
Mr. Feng went inside, opened a storage box in the corner, and pulled out a wax-yellow piece of parchment from the bottom. The parchment recorded the method of refining a large alchemy furnace.
Mo Hua glanced at the diagram and exclaimed, "Mr. Feng, where did you get this?"
The shape of this large alchemy furnace was very standard, and it was highly compatible with complex formations, showing that it was not an ordinary heritage.
Mr. Feng sighed, "This was passed down by my sect. Before my master passed away, he passed all this down to me. I haven't used it. It's been buried in this box for seventy or eighty years. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would probably have kept it until my coffin."
"Can you use it?" Mr. Feng asked again.
Mo Hua carefully examined it again and said, "There's no problem with the formations, but I don't understand the refining part. I'll have to ask Master Chen and the others."
Mr. Feng nodded, "Then go ask."
Mo Hua took the diagram of the alchemy furnace refining process to Master Chen.
Master Chen glanced at it and his eyes lit up, "A great diagram, indeed!"
"Can it be refined?" Mo Hua asked.
Master Chen scratched his beard and said slowly, "It's challenging, but not impossible. I'll have to discuss it with the other masters."
"And there's Elder Yu," Master Chen added, "To refine this alchemy furnace, we'll need a good amount of refined iron and some special ores, like Melting Fire Stones and Golden Vein Ore. We'll need Elder Yu's help to prepare them."
Naturally, Elder Yu readily agreed. After all preparations were made, Master Chen and the other masters studied for several days before finally starting to refine this alchemy furnace.
This alchemy furnace was the most difficult spiritual tool they had ever refined.
Mo Hua didn't look into the specific refining process much, but he knew they had failed quite a few times.
In the end, despite some flaws, they managed to refine this alchemy furnace.
(End of the Chapter)