Chapter 33: Purple Cloud Copper Furnace

"Xiangxiang, can a cast-iron pot really be used to refine elixirs?"

In a waterside pavilion at Tianxiang Tower, Gu Caiyi lay sprawled across a table, watching Yu Xiang, who was applying makeup in front of her.

Under the delicate fingers of her maid, her already beautiful face became even more dazzling and radiant.

Sometimes, she couldn't understand why Yu Xiang, having already become an inner sect disciple of the Hehuan Sect, still insisted on coming to such a filthy place.

Yu Xiang closed her eyes, letting the maid apply the water-based pigments.

"A pot? If it's a cast-iron pot that has been licked by spiritual ores, then naturally, it can refine elixirs."

"Hmm?"

Gu Caiyi was puzzled and asked, "Don't you alchemists always use cauldrons to refine elixirs?"

"Hehe, that is a misconception on your part."

Yu Xiang chuckled. "The Dao of alchemy is vast and profound; there are many methods of refining, such as water refining, fire refining, blood refining, living refining, and so on."

"And when it comes to alchemical apparatus, the variety is even greater."

"Because a cauldron can withstand sufficiently intense flames and hold more medicinal ingredients, while also nourishing the elixir and locking in more medicinal power once it forms, the cauldron has become the most mainstream alchemical tool."

"But in reality, pots, furnaces, gui-vessels, and pots are also quite common. I have even heard that there are demonic cultivators who use humans as cauldrons, employing the method of 'living refining' to forge Human Dao Great Elixirs."

Gu Caiyi listened, dumbfounded.

She had never imagined that the Dao of alchemy had so many intricacies.

And judging by the unspoken meaning in Yu Xiang's words, she feared there was even more to it.

"Then, can the most inferior cast-iron pot from the Wanbao Tower also be used to refine elixirs?" Gu Caiyi still found it hard to believe.

Yu Xiang was not familiar with it. "How inferior is that kind of pot?"

"Miss, that kind of pot only has a trace amount of black iron added, barely enough to lock in the spiritual energy that escapes during the steaming of spiritual rice. The selling price is one low-grade spirit stone."

The maid beside them answered the question.

"Ah!"

With her small mouth slightly agape, Yu Xiang opened her eyes in surprise.

"With such an apparatus, I'm afraid one couldn't refine good elixirs!"

"Exactly, that's why I'm so shocked, and even suspect that my decades of cultivation life have been spent in vain."

Through the smooth and clear glass mirror, Yu Xiang looked at Gu Caiyi, who was sprawled on the table, feeling a bit curious.

"The person you mentioned who uses an inferior spiritual iron pot to refine elixirs—could it be the alchemist neighbor you mentioned last time?"

Gu Caiyi nodded.

Yu Xiang said with a hint of admiration, "A Qi Refining mid-stage cultivator's spiritual power is already limited, and to use an inferior spiritual iron pot containing only a small amount of black iron to refine elixirs—your neighbor is either gifted in the Dao of alchemy or has an incredibly solid foundation, knowing the properties of medicinal herbs and the heat control for every stage perfectly."

"Either way, whichever it is, if word got out, they would be an alchemist seed chased after by small families and minor factions."

Gu Caiyi was skeptical. "Is he really that amazing?"

"Yes, very amazing." Yu Xiang nodded heavily, and then her face became smudged.

The maid was helpless and had to redo her makeup.

"I spent three years as a fire-tending disciple in the Hehuan Sect's alchemy room, five years as a medicine-preparing disciple, and then personally refined elixirs for twenty years before I laid a decent foundation. And that was only because I had a certain talent for alchemy that the sect was willing to cultivate me on this path."

It was a bit hard to imagine such a beautiful and quiet woman spending years tending fires and preparing medicine.

Gu Caiyi just felt that her neighbor seemed truly amazing.

At the Qi Refining mid-stage, although he had a storage bag, his living conditions clearly showed he was poor, and he had no powerful faction behind him.

Yet, he had managed to hone alchemy skills that ordinary cultivators wouldn't even dare to dream of in such harsh conditions.

"However, Caiyi, I think it's necessary for you to warn your neighbor about one thing."

"What?"

"If possible, he should switch to a better alchemical apparatus! An inferior spiritual iron pot greatly affects the grade of the elixir once it forms. Moreover, it is very prone to exploding; one careless moment and he could be seriously injured or even die."

Why did the alchemy cauldron become the mainstream alchemical apparatus?

Besides the various advantages Yu Xiang mentioned earlier, the biggest advantage is safety!

Even if a batch of elixirs is ruined or the earth fire is too strong, the alchemy cauldron is not easily destroyed.

"He's so poor, he probably can't afford any good alchemical apparatus."

Gu Caiyi curled her lips, then suddenly thought of something.

"Xiangxiang, don't you have a spare alchemy furnace?"

The days of refining Myriad Wonder Pills were always dull and tedious.

Or rather, any repetitive work would feel the same after a long time.

But not for Luo Chen!

The rise in proficiency and the predictable profit in spirit stones constantly stimulated him to refine elixirs with perseverance.

And recently, he had added other "entertainment" activities.

Watching a bucket of nearly fifty catties of water fly out of the well at a steady speed, Luo Chen couldn't help but grin with pride.

The Traction Technique had reached minor success, and its level had also reached the proficient stage.

The reason for such rapid progress was the inspiration he drew from the scene of Gu Caiyi drawing water at that time.

Actually, there was no need to strictly follow the cultivation method of the Traction Technique.

This spell could be applied to every aspect of life.

From small things like dressing and sweeping the floor to larger tasks like moving heavy objects, by releasing spiritual power whenever he had the chance, the Traction Technique naturally became more and more familiar.

With the Traction Technique at the proficient level, he could now easily control that set of Jade Blade magic tools.

Besides the Traction Technique, Luo Chen had recently learned two other spells.

Wind Control Art and Spirit Eye Technique.

The former was easy to get started with, likely related to his near-perfect level of Carefree Travel; in any case, he mastered it in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

The latter was a bit difficult.

Because it involved the fragile eyes and his spiritual power was too strong, one careless move could easily lead to blindness.

So, Luo Chen only controlled his spiritual power to attach to his eyes after the Traction Technique had leveled up.

It must be said that before the spiritual power entered his eyes, Luo Chen had expectations.

"In urban novels, this would count as a superpower, right? Having a clairvoyance function wouldn't be excessive at all!"

However, when Luo Chen opened his eyes to look at the world, he was very disappointed.

No clairvoyance.

All there was, was a blinding sensation, like looking at the sun; after looking for a long time, his eyes would ache terribly.

The drawbacks were significant!

But there must be a reason why this spell was listed among the five basic spells that every Qi Refining cultivator must know.

Spirit Eye Technique: observing Qi, inspecting spirits, and seeing through the ghostly and evil.

For low-level cultivators, what affects their survival is not their low realm or lack of a powerful background, but ignorance.

Provoking an enemy who looks ordinary but is actually deep in realm, failing to distinguish the habitat of demonic beasts, or running into ghosts on a night journey—all these can easily cost one their life.

But the Spirit Eye Technique could effectively avoid these problems.

Although it had limitations, at least it allowed a cultivator to know which people they couldn't afford to provoke and which places they couldn't go.

Filthy places could be spotted at a glance, allowing one to avoid them.

"However, this spell shouldn't be used indiscriminately. If you look at someone you shouldn't, it would be troublesome to anger them."

It's fine for a high-realm cultivator to look at a low-realm one, but if a low-realm cultivator looks at a high-realm one, they are very likely to be detected.

Peering is inherently prone to causing misunderstandings.

Of course, the high and low realms mentioned here refer to major realms.

Such as Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan.

Within the same major realm, unless someone is practicing a special technique, they generally cannot detect others peering at them.

Splash!

A bucket of water was poured into the large vat under the traction of spiritual power, and Luo Chen activated the Spirit Eye Technique to look inside carefully.

The Buddha says a drop of water contains forty-eight thousand insects.

Modern biology also says there are a large number of microorganisms in water.

Why can't I, a dignified cultivator, see anything?

"This beginner-level Spirit Eye Technique isn't even as good as a microscope."

Muttering a few words, Luo Chen looked at the thirty jade bottles prepared in front of him.

This was the result of his last half-month, not only having three pots of finished products but also having raised the proficiency of the Myriad Wonder Pills to the proficient level.

There were twenty-five portions of raw materials left from before; if he wanted to finish refining them all, it would take at least nearly a month.

What Luo Chen was considering now was the time to sell the Myriad Wonder Pills.

The event Gu Caiyi mentioned about Tianxiang Tower being exceptionally busy at the beginning of the month made him notice a problem in his sales aspect.

"Selling them at the big market every time certainly saves more time for refining elixirs, but in reality, the money earned will be less."

Elixirs with solid quality often don't lack a market.

But to form a continuous profit, one must keep the elixir constantly in the market so that consumers can notice it at any time and buy it at any time.

Why are Qi-Nourishing Pills so popular among low-level cultivators?

You must know that Qi-Nourishing Pills are not the only elixirs that can increase the spiritual power of Qi Refining cultivators.

The reason lies in the fact that Qi-Nourishing Pills are always available for sale in the shops of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

They use a huge volume of goods to forcibly squeeze the living space of other similar elixirs.

Currently, there are not many competitors for the Myriad Wonder Pills, but he should also consider this problem.

It is necessary to try to increase production, but also to ensure that the Myriad Wonder Pills are always present in the market.

"Decided, I will set up a stall three times a month from now on!"

Twice at the small market, once at the big market.

Luo Chen was just one person, unable to be in two places at once, and currently, he could only barely manage to do this much.

However, this plan was shaken the next morning.

"A first-grade low-tier magic tool, Purple Cloud Copper Furnace?" ===== CHAPTER 34 =====