Immortal Taoist

Puff!!

A pungent smoke rose up from within the furnace, and Meng Lin waved her hand to dispel it.

She took out the black-looking pill from the furnace, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "I was close," she thought.

[You have gained experience for creating a spiritual Pill]

This was her fifth attempt, and she had finally figured something out. Her hands moved with confidence as she prepared the ingredients for her sixth attempt.

Each failure had been a lesson, and now, her understanding of the High-Grade Essence Fusion Pill had deepened.

She adjusted the quantities meticulously—one Dragon's Blood Flower, three Phoenix Feather Roots, five Starfire Crystals, and five Lunar Essence Leaves. The adjustments were subtle; Meng Lin knew that alchemy often hinged on such minute details. She placed the ingredients into the furnace and activated the rootless fire, her spiritual consciousness enveloping the process once more as she pressed start.

14:59 seconds

As the seconds passed, the ingredients began to melt. She could sense the nuanced vibrations of each element. The fire qi of the Dragon's Blood Flower clashed momentarily with the gold qi of the Phoenix Feather Root before beginning to harmonize. The brilliance of the Starfire Crystals and the calming blue aura of the Lunar Essence Leaves started to balance each other as they met the other two ingredients to converge at the center.

Meng Lin's focus was sharp, and she maintained the temperature with expert precision, making minute adjustments to ensure the perfect fusion. Her spiritual consciousness delved deeper into the transformation, watching as a new aura began to emerge from the combined qi of the four ingredients' energies as they intertwined and coalesced.

This time, there was no room for doubt or hesitation. She could feel the energies aligning more smoothly, the harmony within the furnace growing stronger. The spiritual intensity was palpable, surging with each second that passed.

After what felt like a brief, intense eternity, the chime sounded again. Meng Lin's heart raced as she peered into the furnace. There, nestled amidst the residual energy, lay a pill that shimmered with a perfect blend of red, gold, orange, and blue.

[Congratulations! You have successfully created one High-Grade Pill: Essence Fusion Pill]

[For successfully creating your first High-Grade Pill, you have received the items: Dragon's Blood Flowers x3, Phoenix Feather Roots x8, Starfire Crystals x15, Lunar Essence Leaves x15]

[You have gained Experience]

Meng Lin carefully retrieved the pill, her hands steady despite the excitement coursing through her veins. She examined it closely, noting its flawless surface and the potent energy it radiated. This was no ordinary pill; it was a pill that even Soul Wandering Realm cultivators would want.

A low-grade Essence Fusion Pill will increase the chance of a successful breakthrough into the Soul Wandering Realm by 5%, a medium grade by 10%, and a high grade by 15%.

Although the increase in chances is only 15%, it still wasn't something that could be taken lightly. Meng Lin knew that even a slight chance could make a significant difference in the breakthrough stages of cultivators.

With her understanding of the Soul Wandering Realm, she knew that it was extremely difficult to accumulate qi potent energy to increase your percentage.

If it wasn't for the system gifting her with dozens of high-grade boons and items, she would still be within the early stages of the Gold Core Realm, maybe not even.

After storing the pill in a small bottle, she looked at her Alchemy panel once more.

[Alchemy (Advanced) 1%]

Pill slot: none

Ingredients: none

Chance of success: 40%

Meng Lin smiled slightly as she was coming even closer to her goal. She could now create high-grade pills, which opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for her.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to take a short break to replenish her energy and clear her mind. Making high-grade pills required immense concentration and precise fire control, and she knew the four failures had affected her mind. What she needed was to maintain her mind and continue her progress.

After a brief meditation, Meng Lin felt rejuvenated. She stood up and stretched, her mind already planning the next steps. She had a list of high-grade pills she wanted to attempt, each more complex and potent than the last. The thrill of the challenge excited her.

She gathered her materials once more, her hands moving with practiced ease. The next pill on her list was the "Soul Fortification Pill," a rare and powerful pill that could slightly strengthen one's soul, providing some benefits in cultivation for Soul Wandering Cultivators.

[Alchemy (Advanced) 1%]

Pill slot: Soul Fortification Pill

Ingredients: Azure Soul Grass x2, Moonlight Orchid x1, Spirit Jade Essence x3, Celestial Dewdrop x1

Chance of success: 35%

Meng Lin's eyes sparkled with determination. The ingredients for this pill were precious and hard to come by, but she knew why she didn't hesitate to buy them.

Igniting the Rootless Flame, she began the delicate process of burning away the impurities of three of the five ingredients. The Azure Soul Grass, the Moonlight Orchid, and the Spirit Jade Essence required all impurities to be washed away before starting any refinement.

The Spirit Jade Essence and the Celestial Dewdrop were the main concerns.

Meng Lin knew that the Spirit Jade Essence and the Celestial Dewdrop were the cornerstones of the Soul Fortification Pill. Their unique properties made them both graceful and volatile, requiring an extra level of caution when handling them.

After she finished purifying the first three ingredients, she placed them within the furnace while carefully adding the Spirit Jade Essence.

The crystalline substance began to melt, its clarity becoming even more pronounced as it surrounded the other ingredients which hadn't melted yet. Finally, she added the Celestial Dewdrop, its essence merging seamlessly with the Spirit Jade Essence.

14:59 seconds

Meng Lin's spiritual consciousness enveloped the ingredients, watching their fusion with meticulous precision. She maintained the temperature, making minute adjustments to ensure the perfect harmony of the elements. The Rootless Flame flickered and danced, responding to her every command as the ingredients began to merge.

The azure qi of the Soul Grass intertwined with the soft glow of the Moonlight Orchid, and the Spirit Jade Essence added a layer of crystal on the surface of the pill, while the Celestial Dewdrop brought an unparalleled sense of fusion and balance.

A wave of spiritual qi was emanating from the furnace, surging with each moment that passed. Meng Lin's focus was unwavering, her Rootless Flame flickering as she guided the process.

Finally, the chime sounded, signaling the completion of the process. Meng Lin's heart turned as she looked to see a small pill of complete crystal. She had failed.

[You have gained experience for creating a spiritual Pill]

Meng Lin carefully retrieved the pill, examining its flawless surface of pure crystal, and shook her head as she began to ponder over the process within the furnace.

After a few minutes of thinking, Meng Lin brought up the Alchemy panel once more, not at all bothered by her failure.

[Alchemy (Advanced) 2%]

Pill slot: Soul Fortification Pill

Ingredients: Azure Soul Grass x2, Moonlight Orchid x1, Spirit Jade Essence x3, Celestial Dewdrop x1

Chance of success: 40%

****

Within a small forest a few miles away from the sect, a few dozen men gathered around a small camp. The leader, a grizzled man with a scar running down his left cheek, sat at the center of the campfire, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames.

Ran Xue looked towards one of his most trusted aides. "San Di, you said you received intel that my brother is closing in on us."

"Yes, boss Xue," San Di replied, his voice low and serious. "Our spy has informed us that your brother has located one of our bases. Fortunately, we had an escape route in place, so some of our men were able to leave. But judging by the way things are, it seems that he will find us in a month or two."

Ran Xue's expression hardened, his grip tightening into a fist as he thought about his brother. "Damn that Luo Su. If it wasn't for his younger brother, then we would have already left this continent. But now we have to get the jade box back."

If he had not been staying one step ahead, then his brother would have gotten him by now. But now it seemed that his luck was running out.

"We must be prepared," Ran Xue said firmly, as he reached into his robe and pulled out a talisman.

Injecting qi into it, he spoke, his voice impatient, "What's taking so long? Didn't you say that you'd get the girl out of the sect? Why is she still in there?"

"Xue the Silent Blade, could it be that you don't trust me after seeing what I was able to do to you?" A calm woman's voice emerged from the talisman, her tone calm and sharp.

"Hump, other than your physique, what else do you have?" the bandit leader asked, his voice a low growl.

The woman's voice from the talisman remained composed, unaffected by Ran Xue's dismissive tone. "Physique prowess is not the only weapon in my arsenal. I'll try to lure Meng Lin out within five days. If that fails, we will deal with her at the Ancient Spirit Pool. The jade box will be ours. Do not worry."

"Very well," Ran Xue said, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and begrudging respect. "But remember, we are running out of time."

With a final exchange of words, Ran Xue severed the connection with the talisman and tucked it back into his robe. He turned his attention back to San Di.

"San Di," Ran Xue called, his tone commanding. "Gather our men. We will fortify this camp and prepare."

San Di nodded, his face understanding. "Yes, boss."

****

[Congratulations! You have successfully created three High-Grade Pills: Soul Fortification Pills]

Meng Lin smiled as she carefully stored the three pills in separate bottles. Despite her initial failure, she had persisted and finally succeeded in creating one Soul Fortification Pill.

After that, she continued and after two more tries, she was finally able to create three more pills in a single batch.

The flawless pill radiated powerful spiritual energy, proof of her improved alchemy skills.

Looking at her Alchemy panel once more, Meng Lin's eyes gleamed with excitement.

[Alchemy (Advanced) 8%]

Pill slot: Soul Fortification Pill

Ingredients: Azure Soul Grass x2, Moonlight Orchid x1, Spirit Jade Essence x3, Celestial Dewdrop x1

Chance of success: 55%

The increase in her chance of success was a small but significant step forward. She wanted to continue to forge a few more Soul Fortification Pills before moving on to the next one, the Qi Harmony Pill, Vital Qi Restoration Pill, and the Soul Heart Pill.