Chapter 115: Refining the Foundation Establishment Pill

Qin Ming returned to his cave abode.

He first took out the notes on refining Foundation Establishment Pills that Su Yuqing had sent him, and studied them carefully, turning them over in his mind several times.

As for the method of refining Foundation Establishment Pills, he had long since memorized it by heart.

Qin Ming could not help but sigh with emotion.

Su Yuqing truly lived up to her reputation as a monstrous talent in the Dao of Alchemy—every key point in refining Foundation Establishment Pills, and every detail to watch out for at each step, was annotated exhaustively in her notes.

She had already used her own experience to pave the way for Qin Ming.

With Su Yuqing's experience and notes in hand, Qin Ming's confidence in refining Foundation Establishment Pills rose considerably.

After all, this pill was the very spiritual medicine that bottom-tier loose cultivators spent their whole lives trying every means to obtain.

Though the refining difficulty was not that high, the hard part was acquiring the spiritual materials.

Yet among ordinary second-rank alchemists, few could refine Foundation Establishment Pills either.

Even someone as skilled as a top-grade second-rank alchemist Sun Dadan would sometimes fail when refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

No one could guarantee a hundred percent success.

The six sets of Foundation Establishment Pill spiritual materials in Qin Ming's hands could support him in refining pills more than a dozen times.

Because refining one batch of Foundation Establishment Pills did not require an entire stalk of spiritual material—only a portion was taken, according to the pill formula's ratio.

However, once the spiritual materials were cut, their medicinal properties would dissipate, so they were always sold as whole stalks.

Qin Ming took out all the spiritual materials he had already prepared and laid them beside him.

Counting the three main ingredients and the many other auxiliary materials, there were a full thirty-six jade boxes.

Before the alchemy began.

He did not rush to try refining Foundation Establishment Pills directly, but first got a feel for things by refining a batch of Youth-Preserving Pills.

This was also one of the little tricks Su Yuqing had told Qin Ming.

Before formally beginning to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, one could first refine a batch of pills of similar difficulty—for one thing, it made it easy to quickly enter the right state and find the feel.

Secondly, it served to warm the furnace.

One hour later, a batch of Youth-Preserving Pills came out successfully—three pills formed, of excellent quality.

He had entered the state.

Qin Ming stilled his heart and calmed his qi, banishing all distracting thoughts.

"Let's begin!"

He set about refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

Qin Ming raised his hand with a beckoning motion, and all the jade boxes opened on their own.

Then he took out a stalk of Jade Marrow Ganoderma and gently peeled off a portion of it.

And according to the ratios in the Foundation Establishment Pill formula, he extracted the medicinal embryo.

In a short while.

Qin Ming's powerful divine sense spread out, and clumps of medicinal embryo floated in the air around him.

Whether it was the quantity of each ingredient or the precision of extraction, he had it just right.

The process of refining the medicinal embryo flowed like clouds and water, incomparably smooth—far more successful than he had anticipated.

Next, Qin Ming used his divine sense to begin compounding the medicinal liquid.

After the time it takes one incense stick to burn.

A pale blue medicinal liquid appeared directly in front of him.

Qin Ming began on one hand controlling the Devouring Spirit Poison Flame to heat the pill furnace evenly, and on the other pouring the compounded medicinal liquid into the alchemy furnace.

Immediately after, Qin Ming's divine sense slipped inside, observing the changes within the furnace.

His expression grew grave as never before.

This was the most critical step—success or failure depended entirely on whether the process of fusing the medicinal liquids went smoothly.

However.

Just as Qin Ming was about to perform the Pill-Fusing Art, forcibly separating and recombining the medicinal liquids to condense the pill.

The next moment.

The purple pill furnace began trembling all over without cease.

Qin Ming's expression tensed.

Not good—this was the rhythm of an explosion! He hurriedly increased the power of his divine sense, controlling the medicinal liquid inside to stabilize it.

Puchi!

A muffled sound came from within the alchemy furnace.

Immediately after, a wave of choking grey smoke billowed out.

Clearly, the first attempt at refining had failed.

Qin Ming's face was calm, placid as water—this too was something he had anticipated.

He carefully recalled the process just now.

He took out the blackish-grey dregs from the furnace, spread them out, and observed them for a while.

The near-explosion just now was because, when fusing the medicinal liquids, an unstable collision erupted between several spiritual materials whose medicinal properties clashed.

Qin Ming cleared out the dregs and cleaned the pill furnace thoroughly.

He then began attempting the second refinement.

Not long after.

Another muffled sound of failure came from within the alchemy furnace.

This time, he had condensed the medicinal liquid to the point of nearly fusing, but unfortunately still fell short at the last hurdle.

A sudden flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

Royal jelly has the effect of neutralizing medicinal properties; adding a bit during pill refinement can raise the success rate of forming a pill by ten to twenty percent.

That effect is quite remarkable. Since it works for refining ordinary pills, it should presumably work for refining Foundation Establishment Pills as well.

Why not give it a try?

No sooner said than done.

Qin Ming fired up the furnace and began refining pills once more.

Before he knew it, another two-plus hours had passed.

It was already deep into the night.

Inside Qin Ming's cave abode, a ghostly blue firelight still glowed.

The third attempt at pill refinement had once again reached the step of fusing the medicinal liquid.

Qin Ming split off a wisp of divine sense, guiding a small amount of royal jelly to drip into the prepared Foundation Establishment liquid.

In an instant.

The originally restless, agitated ball of spirit liquid instantly calmed down, becoming gentle and soft.

"It really works!"

Qin Ming rejoiced inwardly, yet did not dare let down his guard in the slightest.

The medicinal liquid in the alchemy furnace fused successfully and gradually began to condense into a pill.

Just as the condensation was about to fail.

Qin Ming activated the Pill-Fusing technique from within the Yin-Yang Union and Separation Spirit-Control True Art, forcibly condensing the pill.

After a short while.

A ball of deep azure medicinal liquid appeared within the furnace, emanating a mesmerizing, resplendent glow.

Whoosh— Qin Ming immediately drove the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame, raising the fire's temperature; the temperature inside the cave abode soared at once.

Under Qin Ming's continuous control, the deep azure medicinal liquid slowly began to condense into a pill. Half a cup of tea's time later.

Qin Ming's gaze burned like a torch; he formed a hand seal in his hand and pointed a finger at the purple alchemy furnace.

Hum— The furnace opened, a burst of five-colored auspicious vapor broke through the cauldron lid, radiating a captivating brilliance.

A wave of heat swept through the air.

An exotic, heart-permeating pill fragrance rushed to meet him.

A deep azure spirit pill floated quietly at the center of the furnace.

"Foundation Establishment Pill, complete!"

Qin Ming's eyes lit up, and an expression of delighted surprise spread across his face.

He reached out and drew it in; that Foundation Establishment Pill smoothly fell into his hand.

Qin Ming picked up the spirit pill and examined it carefully.

Feeling the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, still warm.

He could hardly believe that one day, he would truly be able to refine it himself.

The kind of pill where any single one leaking out could set off a storm of blood and carnage.

Qin Ming picked up this Foundation Establishment Pill of common quality, took out a delicate porcelain bottle, and stored it inside.

Afterward, he calmed his emotions.

He took out a magic power-restoring pill and consumed it, regulating his breath for a while.

Adjusting his body and mind to peak condition.

Preparing to fire up the furnace and refine pills once more.

He had only refined three times, and already succeeded with one batch.

His confidence instantly doubled.

Of course, it couldn't have been without the insights Su Yuqing had provided.

Qin Ming's goal was naturally not ordinary-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

But premium-grade, even supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pills! With the experience of his first success, Qin Ming's refining became even more fluid and effortless, as familiar as an old hand.

Time passed bit by bit.

The fourth and fifth attempts still fell just a bit short; pill refinement failed.

Perhaps the first successfully refined Foundation Establishment Pill owed a little something to luck.

But by the sixth batch, the seventh batch.

Qin Ming successively refined two ordinary-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

As experience and feel accumulated.

At the ninth batch.

Above the purple alchemy furnace, a strange phenomenon erupted; a halo of seven-colored auspicious light enveloped it, its misty swirls knotting together without dispersing.

Qin Ming formed his seal and opened the furnace; five-colored pill auspicious light shot skyward.

He raised his hand and beckoned.

A deep azure Foundation Establishment Pill fell into his hand, radiating a ring of brilliance.

On the surface of the spirit pill, five additional dao patterns had appeared.

"Premium-grade Foundation Establishment Pill!"

A gratified smile appeared on Qin Ming's face; after several consecutive refinements.

He had finally refined one premium-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Pill can raise the chance of Foundation Establishment by thirty percent.

A premium Foundation Establishment Pill increases the success rate of Foundation Establishment to roughly thirty-five percent.

As for the legendary supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, it is rarely seen in the entire Immortal Realm, breaking through the original pill's shackles.

The Foundation Establishment rate increases by as much as forty percent.

After opening the furnace to refine pills many times, Qin Ming refined one premium Foundation Establishment Pill, already meeting his expectations.

But the materials in his hand still had a portion remaining, roughly enough for four more furnaces' worth.

He simply pressed on in one go.

He began refining pills once more at a frenetic pace.

Such high-intensity refining was also a test of his spiritual sense and magic power cultivation.

If it were anyone else, they probably would have collapsed long ago.

Because from when he began refining pills until now—

Time had unknowingly already passed three days.

The ghostly blue firelight within the cave dwelling had never once ceased.

It was only because Su Yuqing had written in her letter to Qin Ming that the Foundation Establishment Pill she took for her own breakthrough was a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill she had refined with her own hands.

When Su Yuqing wrote that line, a thick sense of pride seeped through every word!

Qin Ming was of course unconvinced.

Finally, after repeated failures and constant attempts—

Within Qin Ming's cave dwelling, a strange phenomenon suddenly arose.

A wider expanse of seven-colored danxia gathered once more above the alchemy furnace.

A rich pill fragrance rushed into Qin Ming's nose.

Qin Ming's spiritual sense dove into the furnace, and he saw a deep-blue spirit pill radiating a stunning halo appear within his field of vision.

This supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill bore a full eight dao patterns on its surface.

Qin Ming opened the furnace, drew out this spirit pill, his eyes shining with excitement.

A surge of heroic spirit welled up in his heart at once.

"Supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill! Beyond my usual performance! Hahahaha!"

In this bout of high-intensity pill refining, all the spirit materials in Qin Ming's hands were used up, yielding a total of five pills.

Three of ordinary grade, one of premium grade, and one supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

If this news were to spread—

Lei Yuanzong, the Spirit Feather Sect, the Seven Great Powers, the Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance would probably all come to attack his Wangyue Island. Before he had sufficient strength, he still had to keep a low profile.

Through this round of pill refining, Qin Ming's alchemy skills had also improved greatly.

Next was to charge into Foundation Establishment.

However, he had refined pills continuously without sleep or rest, and both his magic power and spiritual sense were greatly depleted.

He needed to rest and adjust a while, to attempt the breakthrough in peak condition.

One day later.

Qin Ming finished adjusting, the entire person radiant and full of vigor.

He strode out of the cave dwelling.

He arrived before his natal spirit plant, the Longevity Vine.

As if sensing Qin Ming's thoughts, the entire spirit plant rustled and rustled, leaping with joy.

Qin Ming exhaled a deep breath of stale air.

Thirty years of cultivating immortality.

Having gone through all manner of things, he had finally arrived before this step at this moment.

Thanks to Great Love Little Bird for the 500-coin tip and monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, thanks to the big shot, thanks to all fellow daoists.

(End of this chapter)