Chapter 15
The warm morning sunlight poured through the window and shone on Baek-Cheong’s face.
The exhaustion from the previous day had vanished without a trace, and a refreshing feeling circulated through her entire body.
“Hnnng!”
Opening her eyes, Baek-Cheong stretched grandly and got up from her spot.
The energy of the top-grade Red Flame Pill she had consumed last night had completely permeated her Dantian without leaving a single trace behind.
The hot energy of the Fire Element circulated along the cycle of the Mutual Generation of Five Elements, nourishing the other elements in turn.
The size of her Dantian had grown a span larger than yesterday.
The most encouraging result of all was the change in her Spirit Root.
She could clearly feel the Spirit Root’s roots, situated deep within her Dantian, growing thicker, even if only minutely.
A smile spread across her lips as her power to draw in the Spirit Energy of Heaven and Earth had grown even stronger.
“Since the rewards are guaranteed…”
This single thought was the driving force that made Baek-Cheong’s sluggish body move.
She washed her face with the clear water prepared by the maidservants and changed into neat silk clothes.
Unlike yesterday when she had grumbled, she began walking toward the Pill Room with light footsteps.
Located on the outskirts of the Clan, the Pill Room was spewing acrid smoke from early in the morning.
As she opened the door and entered, a wave of sweltering heat rushed over her.
Yak-seon was waiting in front of a small Bronze Pill Furnace.
“You are here early. Did you gather the energy of the Red Flame Pill properly?”
Yak-seon asked with a benevolent face.
“Yes, it is all thanks to grandfather Yak-seon.”
Baek-Cheong showed an energetic appearance and smiled brightly.
Yak-seon nodded with a satisfied expression and pointed to the Bronze Pill Furnace behind him.
“Today, let us try real Pill Refining. We will be making a true medicinal pill, unlike the Fasting Pill you clumped together like mud pies yesterday.”
Well-dried spirit herbs were neatly arranged on the table.
There were the faintly glowing Clear Heart Herb and the energy-boosting Astragalus Root.
“First, we will try making a Spirit Gathering Pill, a Low-Grade Pill most sought after by Qi Condensation Cultivators. It is a process of raising the temperature of the Pill Furnace, extracting the essence of the herbs, blowing away the dregs, and then clumping it all together. Watch closely.”
Yak-seon immediately began his demonstration.
He sparked a small but hot flame from his finger and pushed it into the bottom of the Pill Furnace.
The Bronze Pill Furnace heated up, letting out a humming vibration.
Yak-seon tossed the spirit herbs from the table into the Pill Furnace and closed his eyes.
A delicate operation followed, extracting the essence of the herbs while controlling the heat inside the Pill Furnace using only his senses.
Not long after, the lid of the Pill Furnace opened, and three Top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills popped out along with a clear pill fragrance.
They were excellent finished products boasting flawlessly smooth surfaces without a single speck of dust.
“Now, try it yourself.”
Baek-Cheong hid her annoyance and approached the table.
Inwardly, she grumbled, “How am I supposed to make a medicinal pill!” but outwardly, she picked up the herbs with a serious expression.
Sitting down in front of the Pill Furnace, she pushed Fire Elemental Energy into it.
Heat surged inside the Pill Furnace, and sweat quickly formed on her forehead.
She hated sweating, but she endured it while thinking of the Top-grade Medicinal Pill reward.
“Now, put the herbs in.”
As soon as the herbs entered the Pill Furnace, they began to burn.
Baek-Cheong closed her eyes and pushed her Divine Sense into the Pill Furnace.
Her Divine Sense grasped every detail of the heat and the state of the herbs inside the Pill Furnace, painting a picture in her mind.
The surface area touched by the flames, the speed at which the herbs melted, the fleeting moment the essence separated.
All the information was vividly displayed before her eyes.
Baek-Cheong fully revived her multitasking abilities from her past life.
She meticulously controlled the Fire Elemental Energy to lower the heat.
When the herbs were on the verge of burning up, she mixed in a very thin layer of Water-attribute Qi to cool the heat on the surface.
She firmly suppressed and stabilized the Conflicting Energies that were about to clash using the Earth Element.
“Oho.”
A deep exclamation of Admiration flowed from Gok Jang-Ro’s mouth as he watched from the side.
Ordinary Beginners would usually fail to control the heat and end up burning the herbs.
However, the child before his eyes was different - vastly different.
She was demonstrating a god-like tuning, where the Pill Furnace would make unstable sounds as if it were about to explode, only to gradually shift back to a tranquil state.
He had suggested it with a light heart, keeping failure in mind, yet she was mimicking the process quite well.
“The heat is still too strong.”
As Baek-Cheong clearly looked inside with her Divine Sense and injected the Five Elements Qi into the right places, the probability of failure became extremely low.
When the essence began to clump together, Baek-Cheong mixed in Metal Elemental Energy to expel the impurities.
Finally, she blew in Wood Elemental Energy to firmly solidify the shape of the medicinal pill, finishing the work.
The Pill Furnace vibrated minutely, and a clear pill fragrance leaked through its crevices.
“Open it.”
Gok Jang-Ro’s voice was filled with anticipation.
When Baek-Cheong pushed open the lid of the Pill Furnace, a single round, smooth Spirit Gathering Pill sat modestly inside.
Although the quantity was small, its appearance alone was extraordinary.
“H-High-Grade!”
Forgetting even his dignity, Gok Jang-Ro leaned his upper body into the Pill Furnace and shouted.
With his eyes widened as if they were about to pop out, he took in the unbelievable sight.
“To think a Beginner handling a Pill Furnace for the first time could produce a High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill… You are truly a heaven-sent prodigy!”
A High-Grade Pill was one that only appeared when the herbs were perfectly preserved to form its shape without any loss.
Even if it was a Low-Grade Pill, if it was High-Grade, it boasted outstanding efficacy, and its price would skyrocket accordingly.
Something that even the Inner Sect Disciples of the Pill Peak who devoted themselves to Pill Refining could not easily produce, a mere ten-year-old child had pulled off on her first try.
“What, this is easier than I thought?”
Baek-Cheong was flustered because it was made much simpler than she had expected.
She had merely lowered what was excessive and filled in what was lacking like playing a game, yet a High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill had been created.
“Do I really have a Talent for Pill Refining?”
For a brief moment, she seriously pondered whether she should change her career path.
However, she dismissed the thought because she hated the idea of not being able to browse the forums leisurely and having the scent of medicine seep into her body.
On the other hand, Yak-seon picked up the High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill with trembling hands and examined it from every angle.
“In my entire life, I have taken in and seen countless disciples, but this is the first time I have ever seen a brat like you handle a Pill Furnace and make a High-Grade Pill on the first try. That Mu-ae bastard is truly blessed with luck.”
Unable to contain his joy and excitement, Yak-seon rummaged through his robes and pulled out another jade bottle.
“This is a top-grade Azure Wood Pill. It will fill the Wood Elemental Energy within you abundantly and firmly establish the balance of the Five Elements.”
Baek-Cheong politely received the jade bottle with both hands and smiled brightly.
It was a thrilling feeling, as if the fatigue of her hard labor from inhaling acrid smoke was washed away in an instant.
“Thank you, grandfather Yak-seon!”
Without even looking back, Baek-Cheong darted out of the Pill Room like an arrow.
Her steps were so light that it seemed as if she would fly away at any moment.
* * *
Returning to her Abode, Baek-Cheong firmly locked the door and immediately plopped down on her bed.
Without hesitation, she opened the stopper of the jade bottle and swallowed the top-grade Azure Wood Pill.
A blue, refreshing energy poured into her Dantian, and the cycle of the Mutual Generation of Five Elements spun even more vigorously and smoothly.
Though faint, her Spirit Root was also steadily growing.
Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal.
She distinctly felt the five types of energy gradually achieving balance and filling the empty space in her Dantian.
The arduous path toward 3rd Stage Qi Condensation felt much easier.
“Ugh, my forum-browsing levels are dropping.”
Having gathered all her energy, Baek-Cheong moved her Divine Sense with familiar motions and connected to the Nameless Forum.
It was a precious time to boast about today’s tremendous achievement and enjoy the heated reactions of her Dao Friends.
And so, she confidently wrote a post on the Chat Board.
『Dao Friend (913.14): Used a Pill Furnace for the first time and made a High-Grade Pill.』
[I made a High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill. Is that good? An Alchemist Grandmaster said I did well and gave me a Top-grade Medicinal Pill as a reward.]
Not even ten seconds after posting, red notifications lined up.
As always, the reaction on the Forum Board was hot and fierce.
[Dao Friend (11.23): …A Beginner made a High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill? Lying again, again, again.]
[Dao Friend (201.9): To make a High-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill, your Fire Control needs to reach the Divine Realm. How the hell is a 2nd-Stage Qi Condensation nobody supposed to make a High-Grade Pill? Keep your low-quality fiction in check.]
[Dao Friend (88.4): O Heavens!!! Having brought me into this world, why did you also bring forth 913.14!]
Reading through the harsh criticisms and disbelief of the Dao Friends, Baek-Cheong hummed a tune.
Snorting, she left a kindly reply for all to see.
[Dao Friend (913.14): Just extend your Divine Sense to look inside, mix in a little Water-attribute Qi right before it burns to lower the heat, and when it clumps, use Metal Elemental Energy to expel the impurities, and you’re done. It was super easy. Can’t you guys do this?]
She casually wrote out the special method that was only possible because she handled all Five Elements, making it sound incredibly easy and obvious.
As soon as the confident and brazen reply was posted, the Dao Friends instantly went dead silent.
Even when she pressed refresh, no new posts or replies came up for a while.
It made sense, as ordinary Alchemists only handled the Fire and Wood Elements.
They couldn’t even conceive the idea of intervening in the Pill Refining process with the Water Element or Metal Element.
The more elemental energies one handled, the greater the risk of the Pill Furnace causing a massive explosion, and it was utterly absurd for those lacking aptitude, like Four Elements Spirit Root Holders or Five Elements Spirit Root Holders, to become Alchemists.
Therefore, Baek-Cheong’s reply was no different from the ravings of a madman directly denying the long-standing common sense of the Cultivation World’s Alchemy Art.
A moment later, breaking the silence, a lengthy reply was posted.
[Dao Friend (553.24): Are you using the repulsion of Water Overcoming Fire to control the momentary heat, and applying the property of Metal Overcoming Wood to Pill Refining to expel impurities? It’s a crazy idea, but theoretically, the logic fits perfectly. As long as you can suppress the clash of elements, the probability of completely separating the dregs and producing good quality goes up exponentially.]
It was a reply from someone with extremely deep knowledge in Pill Refining, acknowledging her bold method.
[Dao Friend (423.110): Spring days will come for the Five Elements Spirit Roots too!!!]
[Dao Friend (82.73): Failure means crippling! Success means alchemy! Isn’t that right!]
└Dao Friend (377.33): Aren’t Five Elements Spirit Root Holders originally Crippled Persons anyway?
└Dao Friend (82.73): Take that back.
└Dao Friend (377.33): And what is a Five Elements Spirit Root going to do about it if I don’t~
Cultivators presumed to be Five Elements Spirit Roots excitedly left replies.
Watching the replies branching off from there, Baek-Cheong rolled around on her bed and giggled.
“Pfft. Are they really idiots?”
She herself had grasped a fortuitous encounter to change her Five Elements Spirit Root aptitude by obtaining information from the Nameless Forum.
However, many Dao Friends in the Nameless Forum failed to grasp fortuitous encounters even when exposed to the exact same information.
“They can’t even distinguish between the fake and the real.”
This could be seen as the difference born from her experience with online communities.
No matter how many users the Nameless Forum had or how old it was, compared to the communities filled with countless trolls and toxic users from her past life, it was at a cute level.
Because of this, the Cultivators lacked the ability to judge high-quality information.
[Dao Friend (238.77): Is this real?]
└Dao Friend (913.14): Everything posted in the Nameless Forum is real, yep.
Replying to a comment someone had left, Baek-Cheong closed the Nameless Forum.
Satisfied with her short but impactful forum browsing, she succumbed to her drooping eyelids and fell asleep.