Chapter 30: The Alchemist's Second Try

The return journey from the Sunstone Quarry Outpost was swift and uneventful under the cloak of fading night. Lin Fan's enhanced Wind Step turned the hours-long trek over arid badlands back into a manageable commute. He re-entered the familiar territory of the Azure Cloud Sect's Outer grounds in the deep hours before dawn, the sect slumbering around him.

As he passed through the southern gate, he felt a subtle pulse from his disciple token. He focused his spiritual sense on it. The sect's internal network, triggered by the remote confirmation talisman sent by the quarry's crew chief hours earlier at sunset, had processed his task completion.

[Task: Defend Sunstone Quarry Outpost - Status: Completed (24hr Cycle Confirmed)] [Reward: 200 Contribution Points (Base Defense)] [Bonus Objective: Nest Location Identified - Status: Confirmed] [Reward: 50 Contribution Points (Bonus)] [Total Awarded: 250 Contribution Points] [Current Contribution Points: 530 + 250 = 780 CP]

Just like that. No need for another trip to the Hall for this one. The remote confirmation was sufficient. 780 CP. He was getting closer to his initial goal of 1000, needing only 210 more points. Excellent progress for just a few days' work, however dangerous those days had been. No System Points were awarded for the automated completion, reinforcing that SP gain often required direct observation or interaction leading to shock and awe.

He arrived back at his hut as the first hints of dawn were painting the sky. Despite his cultivation ensuring he wasn't physically exhausted in the mundane sense, the 24 hours of constant vigilance, preceded by the intense Wraith fight and the Frozen Serpent Ridge expedition, had left him feeling the need for genuine rest and consolidation.

He spent the first few hours of the morning in deep meditation, circulating his Qi smoothly via the Nine Cycles Refining Art, absorbing ambient energy, and ensuring his fifth layer foundation was perfectly stable after the recent exertions. He felt fully recovered, his Dantian brimming, his mind clear.

With several hours of daylight still available before he felt inclined to visit the Contribution Hall yet again, his thoughts turned to the "Introduction to Pill Concoction" manual and his previous, less-than-stellar attempt at alchemy. He had the time, the basic tools, and an effectively infinite supply of common ingredients thanks to his earlier market spree. Practice, the manual implied, was key.

He retrieved the small bronze Pill Furnace, the manual, and the necessary ingredients: Greenleaf Powder, Ironvine Root, Beast Blood, and a few other minor catalysts listed for the standard Qi Gathering Pill. Recalling his first attempt – the burnt dregs resulting from unstable Qi control – he approached the process with renewed focus.

He carefully regulated the furnace temperature using precise Qi infusion, keeping it steady. He added the ingredients in the exact sequence and timing described, visualizing the reactions within. When it came time for the crucial Qi infusion and refinement stage, he acted with meticulous care. He fed his Qi in slowly, focusing not just on power but on gentle guidance, feeling for the energetic balance within the concoction, coaxing the impurities out, encouraging the medicinal essences to merge and condense. It required a different kind of mental discipline than combat or cultivation – a quiet intensity.

This time, there was no sudden pop, no puff of acrid smoke. The mixture within the furnace simmered, gradually reducing, the murky brown liquid slowly clarifying and thickening. After a tense period of sustained focus, the energy stabilized. Lin Fan carefully withdrew his Qi and let the furnace cool.

Peering inside, he saw not a single charred lump, but three small, roughly formed pills resting at the bottom. They were still slightly irregular in shape and their green color was a bit dull compared to professionally made pills, but it was a marked improvement over his first disastrous attempt.

He retrieved them with tongs. They felt more solid, less gritty than the single 'inferior' pill he'd made before. He used Basic Appraisal on one:

[Item: Qi Gathering Pill (User-Made). Quality: Low-Grade (Minor Impurities Present). Effect: Restores a small amount of Qi (approx. 1/3rd of standard pill efficacy). Prolonged use may lead to minor impurity buildup.]

Low-Grade! And three of them from one batch this time. Still riddled with impurities and significantly weaker than standard sect pills (let alone his lottery rewards), but it was undeniable progress. He had gone from complete failure to producing multiple, functional (albeit low-quality) pills on only his second try. His superior Qi control and focus, honed by the Nine Cycles Art, clearly gave him a significant advantage in the process of alchemy, even if he lacked the knowledge and experience of a true practitioner.

A small smile touched Lin Fan's lips. There was a genuine satisfaction in creating something, however crude, through applied skill and effort. It was a different feeling from the overwhelming power granted instantly by the system. He stored the three homemade pills away – perhaps they could be given away later as part of his Daily Quota, their low quality making the act even more dismissive if needed.

This brief success reinforced his view of alchemy: a potentially valuable skill, accelerated by his innate advantages, but still requiring significant learning and practice unless the system offered a shortcut via the lottery later. For now, it would remain a side project for downtime.

His main focus returned to the Contribution Point ledger. 780 points. He needed 220 more to reach his first major goal of 1000. What could grant that many points? Likely another task rated for the sixth layer, perhaps even touching on seventh layer difficulty if he wanted to achieve it in one go. Or he could take two smaller tasks.

He stood up, storing the furnace and remaining ingredients. It was time to head back to the Contribution Hall and find the final task(s) for this leg of his CP grind. Reaching 1000 CP felt important – a threshold that might unlock new options within the sect, or at least provide enough capital to acquire something genuinely useful from the Exchange Hall beyond introductory manuals.

What challenge awaited him this time? Another hunt? An escort? Perhaps something entirely different? He felt ready for whatever the task board offered.