Immortal Taoist

Meng Lin went to one of the many empty rooms within her villa and sat down before bringing up the Alchemy panel once more.

She had bought a lot of different ingredients so she didn't waste time and began to make pills right away, the High-Grade Rootless Flame flickered to life in her hand, casting a fiery glow over her new Alchemy Room.

She began with the simplest pill, the Minor Healing Pill. The process was not very familiar, seeing as it was her second time making pills, however, she could feel her enhanced perception guiding her moves.

The small alchemy furnace appeared and she began to first burn the ingredients with the rootless fire, removing all the impurities, before putting them within the alchemy furnace.

[Alchemy(beginning) 97%]

Pill slot: Minor Healing Pill

Ingredients: Sunflower Petals x3, Ginseng Root x1, 

3. Light Lotus Seeds x1

Chance of success: 93%

Pressing start, Meng Lin viewed the contents of the furnace with her spiritual consciousness while a small timer of 30 seconds appeared next to the furnace,  the High-Grade Rootless Flame has cut the time by a considerable margin.

Meng Lin focused intently on the alchemy process. Her spiritual consciousness was finely tuned to the reactions occurring within the furnace. As the seconds ticked down, the ingredients began to meld together. The impurities had already been removed by the Rootless Flame, ensuring a purer final product.

With a final flicker of the flame and a soft chime, the timer reached zero. The furnace emitted a faint, pleasing aroma. Meng Lin opened the furnace to reveal a set of perfectly formed Minor Healing Pills. Their surface was smooth and glistening. She carefully extracted them and placed them into a small jade bottle. 

[Congratulations! You have successfully created nine low-grade spiritual pills: Minor Healing Pill]

[You have gained Experience]

Meng Lin smiled as the notification appeared. It was small, but important, it made her confidence grow as she moved on to the next pill on her list: the Meridian Cleansing Pill.

She intends to make as many different pills as possible to enrich her alchemical knowledge and increase her proficiency. Each pill required different techniques and precise control of the flame, it provided her with valuable experience.

[Alchemy(beginning) 98%]

Pill slot: Meridian Cleansing Pill

Ingredients: Spirit Grass x2, Cloudberry Essence x1, Jade Flower Petal x2

Chance of success: 89%

Meng Lin quickly gathered the ingredients and repeated the process. The Rootless Flame danced, efficiently burning away impurities and preparing the ingredients for fusion. This time, the process was even more smoother. 

Pressing start, another timer of 30 seconds appeared, tickling down while she viewed the ingredients merging harmoniously. The furnace emitted a soft, luminous glow, with a small chime indicating the completion of the pill-making process.

Meng Lin opened the furnace to reveal another set of Meridian Cleansing Pills.

[Congratulations! You have successfully created six low-grade spiritual pills: Meridian Cleansing Pill]

[You have gained Experience]

They radiated a gentle energy. She carefully stored them in another jade bottle and moved on to the next pill.

Meng Lin continued this cycle, moving from one pill to the next with increasing proficiency. Each successful creation brought her closer to advancing her alchemy skills.

After five minutes, she reached the long-awaited moment.

[Alchemy (beginning) 100%]

Pill slot: Middle Stage Qi Advancement Pill

Ingredients: Bloodroot x1, Golden Lotus Seed x1, Dragon's Breath Herb x2, Phoenix Feather Root x1

Chance of success: 20%

Meng Lin took a deep breath, the Middle Stage Advancement Pill was a pill mainly used for small breakthroughs in stages for Qi Gathering Realm cultivators at the late stages.

Looking at the low success rate, even after purifying the ingredients, Meng Lin could only hope that everything goes well.

With a steady hand, she ignited the Rootless Flame once more. The furnace roared to life, its heat intense and demanding. Meng Lin's spiritual consciousness swept across, monitoring every subtle change within the furnace.

This time the timer set had increased to 1:30 minutes, no doubt because of the increase in the pill being made.

The ingredients began to liquefy and merge, their energies interacting in complex ways. Meng Lin's control over the flame was precise, adjusting its intensity to ensure the perfect balance. The seconds ticked away, each one feeling long.

Meng Lin's heart was calm as the timer counted down to zero. With a soft chime, the process was complete. She opened the furnace, her eyes raised in surprise.

Inside, a single Qi Advancement Pill lay, its surface gleaming with a spiritual light. The pill exuded a unique fragrance and Meng Lin carefully extracted it and placed it in a small jade bottle, her hands trembling slightly.

She might not have shown it but she was somewhat nervous about it, as the chance of success meant that there was a possibility of her trying for several more times before she could finally create such a pill. 

[Congratulations! You have successfully created one Middle Stage Qi Advancement Pill]

For successfully creating your first Middle Stage Pill you have received the items: Bloodroot x3, Golden Lotus Seed x3, Dragon's Breath Herb x6, Phoenix Feather Root x3

[You have gained Experience]

Meng Lin felt a surge of excitement. She was making progress, but there was still a long way to go. She quickly transitioned to creating Middle-stage pills, using the ingredients she had purchased earlier.

The Rootless Flame flickered more intensely as it handled the more complex ingredients, her chance of success had also increased to 60% after she adjusted the High-Grade Rootless flame.

Meng Lin's spiritual consciousness was used a lot as she carefully monitored each reaction within the furnace. The process was more challenging, but her enhanced perception continued to help her.

As she completed each Middle-stage pill, the percentage on her alchemy panel steadily increased.

Alchemy(Middle) 15%]

Alchemy(Middle) 30%]

Alchemy(Middle) 50%]

It was only when her percentage reached 50% did Meng Lin begin to feel strained, she quickly stopped making pills, instead opting to meditate for a few hours before getting up from her seated position.

At this point Meng Lin had created over 40 different batches of pills, all extremely potent and of the highest quality, she didn't intend to sell them to the sect, instead deciding to make more and store them within her inventory.

However, with the addition of 40 different slots being filled, Meng Lin's inventory was beginning to be filled up with only 12 more slots available.

Meng Lin left the Alchemy Room and looked up at the sky, she realized that it was already nighttime.

"Ha," She took a deep breath, feeling the cool night air on her skin. She decided to take a walk through the villa's garden to clear her mind. 

The moonlight cast a serene glow over the lush greenery, and the sound of water moving from pond to pond added a tranquil sound to the night.

As she walked, her thoughts drifted to Xi Lan and she unhurriedly walked towards Xi Lan's room and found Xi Lan in a meditative state, her breathing steady and calm. Meng Lin could sense the subtle shifts in her qi, indicating a slow but sure cultivation.

However seeing the small beads of sweat on Xi Lan's forehead, Meng Lin knew that just the cultivation process was taxing on her. She quietly approached Xi Lan and gently tapped her forehead, delivering cool spiritual qi into her body, quickly making her faint.

She laid down the aged body on a soft mat and took out a small metal from her inventory, it was the Physique Awakening Metal.

Meng Lin placed the Physique Awakening Metal in her hands, its cold surface reflecting the moonlight. She closed her eyes and began to channel her qi into the metal, activating its powers. 

The metal started to glow faintly, pulsating with an ancient energy, as the energy from the metal flowed into Xi Lan's body, Meng Lin could feel a powerful resonance, it was slightly similar to the feeling she had when she stood next to people with Luan's Soul.

However, she felt that it was also completely different from that, shaking the thought out of her head, she carefully guided the energy, ensuring it merged seamlessly with Xi Lan's qi.

Minutes turned into hours as Meng Lin maintained her focus, her own energy depleting gradually. But she could feel the change happening within Xi Lan. The aged woman's body began to emit a soft, golden light, and her breathing became more robust and steady. The small wrinkles on her face started to smooth out, and her hair regained a slight luster.

Finally, as dawn began to break, Meng Lin sensed the process was complete. She withdrew her hands, heaving lightly from the exertion.

Xi Lan lay there, her face seeming to have aged backward by at least 60 years, giving her the appearance of a middle-aged woman.

Just as Meng Lin was about to stand up, Xi Lan's eyes fluttered open. They were no longer the dull, tired eyes of someone on the brink of death but were now filled with a vibrant, vigorous light, it made Meng Lin wonder what kind of physique she had awakened, was it related to time? She wondered.

"Miss... Ah?" Xi Lan gasped, hearing her own voice, it had changed. 

Meng Lin's curiosity deepened as she saw the astonishment in Xi Lan's eyes. The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. Xi Lan's voice, once frail and weak, now carried a melodic resonance that seemed to echo with hidden power.

“Xi Lan, how do you feel?” Meng Lin asked, her voice gentle but laced with curiosity.

“I feel... rejuvenated,” Xi Lan replied, her hand coming up to touch her face, feeling the smoothness of her skin. “What did you do to me?”

Meng Lin smiled softly. “I came upon an item before that awakens a physique. I used that on you, tell me what you feel?" 

Xi Lan's eyes widened in disbelief. “Physique... I never imagined such a thing could be possible.”

Meng Lin's curiosity remained undiminished as she watched Xi Lan grapple with the enormity of her transformation. The older woman's eyes were wide, reflecting a mixture of shock and wonder.

"Xi Lan," Meng Lin said softly, "try to sense the changes within yourself. Focus on your qi and see if you can understand what kind of power you've gained."

"I..."  Xi Lan's astonishment lingered as she tried to understand the changes within her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing inward to sense the new power coursing through her veins. Moments later, her eyes fluttered open, and a look of comprehension crossed her face.

"Miss, I... I can feel it," Xi Lan began, her voice carrying a mix of wonder and uncertainty. "It's not a power that lashes out or controls the elements. It feels more... protective. Almost like a shield."

Meng Lin's curiosity deepened. "A protective ability? Can you describe it more?"

Xi Lan nodded, her hand instinctively reaching for the smooth skin on her face. "It's as if my body can absorb and diminish the effects of attacks, reducing the damage I take. I feel more resilient like I can reduce anything by about half."

Meng Lin's eyes raised with understanding. "A damage reduction physique... That's bizarre, Xi Lan. It may be the reason you looked middle ag... younger than before" Meng Lin abruptly cut herself as she continued. "Your physique might really be able to reduce anything, even backlashes, that's truly intriguing"

"Um ..." Xi Lan paused, absorbing the implications of her newfound abilities. "So, this means I can withstand attacks much better than before? And even recover faster?"

Meng Lin nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. This kind of physique could be invaluable in many situations. It's not just physical attacks; it could also protect you from poisoning, curses, or even mental assaults."

Xi Lan's eyes sparkled with determination and tears. "I never imagined I could possess such strength. Thank you, miss, you saved me once again, you truly saved me!" 

Meng Lin shook her head as she puts a comforting hand on Xi Lan's shoulder. "You don't need to thank me, Xi Lan. The strength was always within you; I merely helped unveil it, besides the metal was useless for me."

Xi Lan wiped away her tears, her expression a mix of gratitude and resolve as she nodded.

Meng Lin smiled gently. "Let's go tell Xi Lin and De Sijie, I am sure they are worried about you" 

Xi Lan took a deep breath and got up. "Yes, let's go. My sister must especially be anxious."