CHAPTER 111: CHAPTER 98 SPIRIT MONSTERS

The sun had just risen. After a busy night, the heat from the Alchemy Furnace made Chen Ku feel dehydrated, despite the winter air. But he had been tending the Pill Furnace all night and was finally about to open it and see the results, so his mood was still quite good.

Shang Yunfang looked expectantly at Chen Ku. "Open the furnace. Let’s see how many pills you managed to form this time?"

Chen Ku nodded. Shang Yunfang also stood up.

The two of them ascended the steps on either side of the enormous Pill Furnace. Chen Ku, wearing gloves, lifted the lid, which was the size of a manhole cover. They peered down at the same time.

Inside the Pill Dew’s intricate mechanism, with its many twists and turns, lay a series of grooves. Within one of these, a blood-red pill was rolling...

CLANG.

It finally fell into the pill tray in the middle of the furnace. Looking at the tray, besides that one, all that remained was charred ash.

Chen Ku looked at Shang Yunfang. "One pill? Only one... Master, is this good or bad?"

Shang Yunfang fell silent for a moment. Without speaking, she first used a tool to remove the pill tray, then picked up the freshly made Seven-Blood Pill and sniffed it. After pondering for a moment, she said, "The quality is mediocre. However, considering this is your first time performing Alchemy, producing a pill of this quality is already quite good."

Chen Ku shook his head. "Master, please don’t try to find excuses for me. A single Seven-Blood Pill sells for over one hundred taels of silver. The ten sets of ingredients alone cost that much, not to mention the Fire Essence consumed during refining... For my Alchemy this time to yield only one pill... it’s clearly a losing business."

Shang Yunfang looked at Chen Ku. Without refuting him, she asked, "Do you know where the problem lies?"

Chen Ku pondered. The proportions weren’t the issue. He had specifically utilized the Golden-eyed Falcon’s sight, Ling’s spiritual focus, and the Flower Fox Mink’s Fine Dog Sense... Even Master Shang had called it a golden ratio. His skill was already at the level of a seasoned Pharmacist. Yet, only one pill of mediocre quality was formed, with the rest turning to ash. It was clear the fire had been too strong.

"The fire. I didn’t control the heat properly," Chen Ku sighed.

"Yes, it’s an issue of heat control," Shang Yunfang said, seeing Chen Ku’s dejection. "The Pill Prescription was fine, but the person controls the heat. Even with me, your master, guiding you, when it comes to Alchemy... a slight difference in heat can lead to vastly different outcomes inside the Pill Furnace. It’s like this for a first attempt at Alchemy. Both I and you had high hopes for your first try, especially given your astonishing performance in other areas. I instinctively expected you to possess the same extraordinary talent in Alchemy.

"Now, it seems you do have a talent for Alchemy. Producing a pill on your very first attempt already surpasses more than half of the Pharmacists aspiring to become Pill Masters. Next, it’s simply a matter of more practice..."

Shang Yunfang said earnestly, "Experience with heat control is gained through practice. Do you understand?"

Chen Ku nodded. To be honest, upon reflection, he felt he had set his expectations too high. After all, he wasn’t some genius. Achieving the golden ratio in concocting was also due to enhancements from his other abilities. But when it came to heat control, he had no special talent to augment it. To produce even one mediocre Seven-Blood Pill was already considered lucky; at least he hadn’t wasted those ten sets of golden-ratio ingredients.

"Heat control... heat control..." Chen Ku murmured.

Seeing this, Shang Yunfang also said slowly, "Fire is the root of the pill. In fact, there’s a legend in our hall... It’s suspected that the founding ancestor was able to refine the Sixth Grade Five Elements Great Rejuvenation Pill because he had cultivated a martial art enabling Fire Control. However, this is merely speculation and rumor from a century later. Whether it’s true... and whether such a fire-controlling martial art truly exists in the Martial Arts World, I, at least, have yet to hear of it."

Fire Control, huh? Chen Ku mused.

"Alright, you’ve been busy all night. Go back and rest first. You just need more practice." Shang Yunfang was also a bit tired.

However, Chen Ku could clearly detect a hint of disappointment in Master Shang’s tone. "Disciple takes his leave."

After Chen Ku departed, Shang Yunfang turned to look at the Pill Furnace, sighing helplessly. Indeed, how can anything in this world be perfect? That child possesses such excellent Root Bone and Martial Arts Talent; that’s already enough. As for Alchemy... it’s fine if he’s a bit lacking. We can’t expect him to carry every burden in the future.

「 」

Chen Ku returned to his home and continued to contemplate.

Alchemy! I must find a way to increase my Pill Formation rate! Otherwise, for every Treasure Herb I refine, how much money would I lose? A single Treasure Herb can yield at least ten pills. The same cost, yet ten times the profit. How could I not master Alchemy?

"Fire... fire..." Chen Ku murmured. Is there no such thing as Alien Fire in this world? On second thought... if such a thing truly existed, what level of Evil Qi would I need to suppress it? I’d probably be burned to ashes before I could even manage that. Then... are there any fire-related Demons?

When it came to all sorts of strange and bizarre abilities, the countless races in the untamed wilderness were most likely to give rise to Demons possessing them. After all, even in his previous life, ordinary animals like the ’electric eel’ could generate electricity. In this world, it was even more plausible for fire-related Demons to exist.

There should be. Lying in bed, the fatigue from a sleepless night washed over him. He decided to sleep first and think about it after waking.

He slept until late afternoon. Chen Ku ate a meal at home.