Chapter 3: First Attempt at Alchemy

Early in the morning, a ray of sunlight filtered through the small window of the loft, illuminating Lin Tianming's face.

He opened his eyes, got up, and stretched. The fatigue of the past half month disappeared. Even cultivators need a balance of work and rest; endless seclusion and cultivation are not conducive to later advancement.

Pushing open the door and stepping out into the courtyard, Lin Tianming observed the bustling activity on Green Bamboo Mountain. Family members were coming and going in the early morning light.

The morning sun hung like a fiery red disk on one side of the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain. The vast fields of lush Qingfeng Bamboo stretched over hundreds of acres, and the dozens of pavilions scattered around the mountainside added to the picturesque scene.

With a thought, a blue and red flying sword appeared in Lin Tianming's hand. It was seven feet long, half a foot wide, and incredibly sharp, able to cut through iron like mud. The family named it the Green Bamboo Sword, a lower-grade spiritual weapon.

Each family member who reached the third level of Qi Refining could receive a Green Bamboo Sword from the Family Merit Hall as a tool for combat and travel.

Summoning the flying sword, Lin Tianming cast a spell, causing the sword to enlarge several times. He jumped onto it and controlled it to head straight for the family's Alchemy Hall.

Within half an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at a pavilion on the mountainside. The five-story building had a large plaque above the door with the characters for "Alchemy Hall" written in a flowing script.

Though it looked like an ordinary pavilion, it was protected by several restrictive formations.

Lin Tianming took out a green token from his storage bag, cast a spell, and recited an incantation. The token shot out a green light towards the pavilion, and a large gap appeared in the formation. Lin Tianming stepped through and vanished.

Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming walked through several alchemy rooms, familiar with the place, and stopped at the door of the innermost room.

Inside, an elderly man was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat.

The old man, dressed in a gray robe, had mostly white hair and a long goatee, giving him a kind and approachable appearance.

In front of him stood a bright red alchemy furnace, three feet high, with intricate carvings and three ears. It was the middle-grade second-tier alchemy furnace, the Samsung Furnace.

The Samsung Furnace was the only second-tier alchemy furnace in the family's Alchemy Hall, passed down for over three hundred years and once belonging to a second-tier alchemist ancestor.

The Samsung Furnace was the treasure of the Alchemy Hall, used by family alchemists and managed by Lin Tianming's grandfather, Lin Shigong.

Next to the furnace on a stone table were various colorful spiritual herbs, each radiating spiritual energy.

The elderly man was Lin Tianming's grandfather, Lin Shigong, at the peak of the Qi Refining stage. Ranked ninth in the Lin family's "Shi" generation, he was nearly a hundred years old and one of the family's two alchemists.

The Lin family had a lineage spanning over 800 years, with generations named as follows: Ren, Yi, Zhi, Jiu, Rong, Yu, You, Meng, Qiu, Ying, Huan, Cheng, Yi, Shi, Xing, Tian, Chang, Qing, Jing, Zheng, Qian, Ao, Jing, Ze, Cheng. The founding ancestor was Lin Renfeng.

Lin Tianming belonged to the "Tian" generation, the sixteenth generation of the Lin family, ranked sixth among his generation. His father, Lin Xingrong, belonged to the "Xing" generation, ranked eleventh.

The Lin family had 175 cultivators and over 500,000 ordinary people, living within a thousand miles around Green Bamboo Mountain. The Lin family married into the local populace, and all descendants took the surname Lin.

Lin Tianming entered the room and respectfully bowed to the old man.

"Grandson Tianming greets grandfather."

Lin Shigong looked at his grandson with satisfaction and said, "You've made progress, already at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Remember, cultivating is like rowing upstream; if you don't advance, you fall back." He pointed to several meditation mats. "Sit down."

Lin Tianming chose one of the five mats and sat.

After a few moments, the protective formation of the Alchemy Hall flickered.

Lin Shigong took out a token and cast several spells, opening a gap in the formation. A young man and woman entered.

The young man, Lin Tianhong, was twenty-two years old, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, with three spiritual roots. He was the son of Lin Xingping and Lin Tianming's cousin, ranked second in the "Tian" generation.

The young woman, Lin Tianqin, was twenty-one, also at the fourth level of Qi Refining, with three spiritual roots. She was the daughter of Lin Xinghua and ranked third in the "Tian" generation.

In the Lin family, members below the fourth level of Qi Refining focused solely on cultivation. At the fourth level, they could choose to learn one of four arts: alchemy, tool refining, talisman crafting, or formation. At the fifth level, they had to contribute to the family.

In the cultivation world, mastering an art, though time-consuming, allowed one to quickly accumulate resources, aiding in their cultivation progress.

Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin greeted Lin Shigong in unison, "Tianhong and Tianqin greet Ninth Grandfather."

Lin Shigong sternly said, "Find a place to sit. Today, we will learn the basics of alchemy. Ask questions if you have any."

Once the three were seated, Lin Shigong began his lecture.

"To refine pills, you need a recipe, spiritual herbs, an alchemy furnace, and either earthly or heavenly fire. The higher the pill's grade, the harder the refining process.

Besides the necessary materials, alchemy also requires a strong spiritual sense. The stronger your spiritual sense, the better you can refine and purify the herbs' essence and grasp the best moment to condense the pill, greatly increasing the success rate.

Today, we will start with the basics by discussing the Bigu Pill, a common first-tier pill that allows one to go without food for half a month. It's an essential for Qi Refining cultivators in seclusion. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, one can go years without eating or drinking."

Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong, and Lin Tianqin listened intently, asking many questions, which Lin Shigong patiently answered.

An hour passed, and the three had memorized the basics, eager to start refining.

"Now, I will demonstrate how to refine a batch of Bigu Pills. Watch closely."

Lin Shigong placed the Samsung Furnace over the ground fire pit, cast a spell on it, and the ground fire released several flames, raising the room's temperature significantly.

He quickly added over ten different first-tier spiritual herbs to the furnace, casting spells continuously. After about fifteen minutes, he shouted, "Condense!"

The room filled with a fragrant aroma as Lin Shigong finished, revealing seven brown pills the size of eyeballs, emitting a rich fragrance, with some black residue at the furnace's bottom.

"One batch of herbs can produce up to ten pills, but only high-level alchemists can achieve this with lower-tier pills. Normally, producing three pills per batch is considered qualified."

He stored the seven Bigu Pills in his storage bag and took out three more sets of materials.

"Tianhong, you try first."

"Yes, Ninth Grandfather!"

Tianhong took a deep breath, cast spells on the furnace, and released the ground fire. He added the herbs one by one, casting spells on the furnace. After a quarter of an hour, the furnace crackled, and the attempt failed, leaving only fragments. Tianhong smiled wryly, sweating profusely. Alchemy was indeed challenging.

"Tianqin, your turn."

Tianqin followed the same process, but after a quarter of an hour, she too failed, with similar results.

Lin Shigong said, "Both of you failed to purify the herbs sufficiently, wasting part of their essence, resulting in insufficient medicinal power and failure to condense the pills. First attempts often fail; you need more practice."

"Tianming, it's your turn. Remember, do not rush!"

Lin Tianming sat on the mat, relaxed, took a deep breath, and adjusted to his optimal state.

He cast spells on the furnace, focused on the fire's intensity, and slowly added the herbs, one by one, separating their essence at the furnace's bottom.

After a quarter of an hour, he infused his spiritual power.

Sensing the right moment, he shouted, "Condense!"

A fragrant aroma filled the room as he opened the furnace to reveal two oval pills, though they were misshapen and cracked, considered defective.

Exhausted but happy, Lin Tianming realized that achieving this on his first attempt was remarkable.

Lin Shigong, though internally surprised, maintained a calm exterior.

For a first attempt, producing even defective pills was impressive. It had taken him dozens of tries to reach Lin Tianming's level.

Lin Shigong pointed out Lin Tianming's mistakes and offered encouragement.

With six more sets of materials, the three took turns refining, spending most of the day practicing.

On his final attempt, Lin Tianming produced one complete pill and two defective ones, while Tianqin produced defective pills, and Tianhong failed again.

Lin Shigong stored the furnace and, with a serious expression, handed each a jade slip containing alchemy insights, "These are my lifetime's experiences and the wisdom of our ancestors. Study them well and strive to produce pills soon."

Lin Tianming, Tianhong, and Tianqin respectfully bowed, "Thank you, Grandfather (Ninth Grandfather), for your guidance. We take our leave."

The three left the Alchemy Hall together.

Lin Tianming smiled at Tianhong and Tianqin, "Second Brother, Third Sister, let's not keep you. I invite you to my home soon to discuss alchemy and cultivation."

After they agreed and parted ways, Lin Tianming summoned his Green Bamboo Sword and soared into the sky, disappearing from view.

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