Mu Yanxi accepted Shangguan Yun’s kind suggestion and left the matter to her. In the end, she focused on studying and training.
The most urgent matter now was that tomorrow was another alchemy class, and the first living elixir she was refining was about to become a pill.
Mu Yanxi had previously been a Nascent Soul Cultivator, so she knew a thing or two about flame control methods. Controlling mere heart fire for pill refining was a piece of cake.
Moreover, she had also practiced alchemy in her past life. Even though she used her body as a furnace, the techniques were essentially the same, with many similarities.
Most importantly, she had also immersively learned the entire Living Elixir Technique through the Dao web.
It could be said that as long as her body’s digestive functions could handle it, she could theoretically refine any pill that was possible at this cultivation realm.
After a few days of meaningless mental struggle, Mu Yanxi had stopped worrying. She would just do as the book taught. After all, pill refining was about creating the best pill.
Absorbing the excess components from the medicinal ingredients was a necessary step. How could one refine a perfect elixir without doing that?
As for absorbing the remaining medicinal properties, it could be seen as reasonable compensation for the alchemist. At worst, she would just explain the situation in advance from now on.
In fact, during the alchemy class three days ago, Mu Yanxi had already swallowed all the required medicinal ingredients.
Using the digestion technique she had learned, she digested all the excess parts of the ingredients and poured all the essence into the pill embryo.
This was already considered a success. After all, the holy fire pill was only the lowest-grade Desolate grade middle-rank pill, very easy to refine. The rest depended on how many cycles she could complete.
Cycles were the process of refinement and circulation. Each cycle represented a complete refining loop, requiring strict control of heat and timing.
Every completed calcination and refinement increased the purity and potency of the medicine.
The more cycles, the stronger the elixir’s effect and the higher its quality. Nine cycles was the limit, representing perfect medicinal properties.
Although the more cycles, the better the quality, the difficulty increased exponentially at higher levels. A slight inattention could ruin the pill.
That was why Mu Yanxi had to concentrate fully, even having to control her heart fire specifically during double cultivation.
Someone like Lei Mulan didn’t have such patience. Yesterday, during physical cultivation, she carelessly lost control of the heat and the pill exploded.
In the end, she spat out a pile of charred medicinal dregs. Now she had already re-eaten the ingredients and was refining a second batch.
The next day, during the alchemy class, Qiongdann Laoren smiled and said:
“Everyone, spit out the holy fire pills you’ve refined and let me see them.”
The girls opened their mouths one after another, and fiery red pills slowly flew out. Qiongdann Laoren collected each into a pill cauldron made of warm jade. Immediately, the hall was filled with the fragrance of medicine.
About a third of the female disciples looked embarrassed. They had all failed midway and had to start over. Even if they barely succeeded, their pills were only at one or two cycles. Lei Mulan was among them.
As for the female disciples who had been refining for three straight days, the holy fire pills they spat out were round and smooth, with perfect surfaces and a faint flame burning slowly inside.
They generally reached four or five cycles. Those who achieved five cycles believed they could compete for first place.
“Good, good, good. Many are four or five cycle pills, well done. For ordinary class disciples to have two or three cycles is already an excellent performance.”
Qiongdann Laoren smiled contentedly.
Just then, a red light flashed and a rich medicinal fragrance permeated the air.
Shangguan Yun spat out the holy fire pill she had refined.
If four or five cycle holy fire pills seemed to have flames flowing inside, the holy fire pill Shangguan Yun had refined caused the air around it to distort, as if wrapped in transparent flames. Or rather, the pill itself was burning.
“A six-cycle holy fire pill? This effect is almost comparable to a Flood grade low-rank pill, isn’t it? Very excellent. Good job. You’re Shangguan Yun, right? You’ve been practicing the Living Elixir Technique since your Chu Sect days, so your refining level is much more advanced than the new disciples.”
Qiongdann Laoren looked at the holy fire pill and said with satisfaction.
Shangguan Yun had been cultivating the Living Elixir Technique since her primary sect, so her understanding of living elixirs was much higher. A six-cycle holy fire pill was already the result of her not fully concentrating.
However, this wasn’t the end.
A female disciple with fiery red hair stepped forward and also opened her mouth to spit out her pill. Instantly, the temperature inside Danhua Palace rose.
The pill she spat out was already a red-gold color, surrounded by a faint flame.
Many people exclaimed in surprise:
“A seven-cycle holy fire pill?”
“Rare indeed. To produce a seven-cycle pill in the first class. You’re Lin Xiaofeng, who transferred from Yangxin primary sect, right? That means we’re practically from the same family.”
Qiongdann Laoren looked at her kindly and smiled.
Lin Xiaofeng, one of the Ten Great Disciples, originally named Lin Xiaofeng, was an alchemy cultivator who entered the Spiritual Moon Sect from Yangxin primary sect. It was said she had already obtained a Junior Alchemist certificate.
The other disciples frowned when they saw her.
“Wait, she’s a proper alchemy cultivator. Why is she competing with us for the alchemy notes?”
“There’s no helping it. She’s already a professional alchemist. Even a casual effort is better than ours.”
“Then won’t she take all the rewards from now on?”
As soon as Qiongdann Laoren saw the disciples’ dissatisfaction, he smiled and said:
“Don’t worry. As I said before, disciples who have seen the notes can choose other rewards. And the alchemy notes can be given to the second or even third place as a reward, and so on.”
Upon hearing this, the female disciples were relieved.
In that case, everyone had a chance. Their hard work refining living elixirs would not go unrewarded. They all praised Qiongdann Laoren for being fair, worthy of being a Grandmaster of Alchemy.
Lin Xiaofeng seemed to have victory in her grasp.
She knelt on one knee before Qiongdann Laoren and said:
“This disciple does not seek to compete with fellow disciples for rewards. I am willing to trade all future class rewards for you, Elder, to accept me as a Furnace Attendant.”
The disciples below buzzed with discussion.
“It should be a furnace attendant girl.”
“But that’s fine too. This way she won’t compete for prizes in the future.”
“She entered the Spiritual Moon Sect from Yangxin primary sect for this goal, right?”
Just as Lin Xiaofeng thought she had secured victory, suddenly another wave of heat burst out from among the female disciples.
Everyone turned around and saw another red pill burning with a faint flame being held in a palm. It was almost identical to Lin Xiaofeng’s.
“Another seven-cycle holy fire pill?!”
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
“I thought Lin Xiaofeng was already the strongest alchemist in this cohort. Which sect does this expert come from?”
“Wait, isn’t she Shangguan Yun’s double cultivation study partner?”
This time, even Qiongdann Laoren was surprised.
Lin Xiaofeng, as an alchemy cultivator, being able to refine a seven-cycle holy fire pill was already astonishing enough. He hadn’t expected someone else to achieve the same feat, and she wasn’t even an alchemy cultivator.