Chapter 117: Divine Sense Transformation

"Not right, not right, this isn't right either!"

Second floor of the Dan Hall.

In Pill Room Number One, rare spirit medicines were scattered about in disarray.

Xu Zhen's eyes were full of unwillingness. After half a month of bitter research with no progress, his heart had become agitated and restless, the veins on his forehead bulging even more prominently.

After a long while, he let out a long breath, his expression returning to calm.

"Forget it. Completing this pill is as difficult as ascending to heaven, with hope as faint as mist. Continuing would only be futile."

Xu Zhen immediately decided to give up.

Afterward, he left and went to the third floor to pay his respects to Yun Zhongzi.

"You want to give up?" Yun Zhongzi's face showed neither joy nor anger.

"The process of completing an incomplete formula is also a deepening of one's own pill Dao. However, since Fellow Daoist Xu Zhen has already decided, this old man won't force you. Just don't regret it."

"The chief has given me this opportunity, and Xu Zhen is naturally grateful. I won't disturb the chief further."

"Mm, you may go."

Xu Zhen left. Yun Zhongzi watched his departing figure and sighed softly.

Xu Zhen's aptitude was quite good, and he was young. His pill Dao accomplishments were even above Daoist Yunding's. Unfortunately, his willpower was insufficient, and he lacked a pioneering and enterprising spirit. His achievements would ultimately be limited.

In earlier years, Yun Zhongzi had placed his hopes in him, wanting to cultivate him as the future Dan Hall chief but ever since he began trading with various families, focusing only on immediate benefits, he had abandoned that idea.

This time was the last chance he had given him and Xu Zhen had failed to grasp it.

"Yunding? Unburdened and unattached, but somewhat old. If he cannot break through to Foundation Establishment, he only has twenty or thirty years of lifespan remaining, almost no different from me. Sansu seems to have attachments and has no intention of binding himself completely to the Dan Hall."

Yun Zhongzi sighed again, then threw himself into deducing and completing the pill formula.

Daoist Yunding had researched bitterly for half a month, consuming over ten portions of spirit materials, but also gained very little.

As for Xu Chuan, from the very beginning he wasn't in a hurry to refine pills. Instead, relying on his Divine Farmer's Hundred Herbs talent, he thoroughly understood the medicinal properties of all the spirit materials in the incomplete formula.

He even consumed tiny amounts of combinations of two or three materials, using his human body as a pill furnace to comprehend the changes in their medicinal principle but only he with this talent could do such a thing.

If it were any other pill refiner, they would likely have been unable to endure it and died from the strain.

"As expected, it's a pill that increases divine sense. During these days of tasting various combinations, my divine sense has actually increased by a tiny bit."

"I wonder what amazing effects the completed pill will have."

Xu Chuan's eyes were full of fighting spirit.

After thoroughly understanding the medicinal properties of the spirit medicines recorded on the incomplete formula and the conflicts and changes between their medicinal properties, he began deducing which spirit herbs could be added.

First, he consulted the pill scripture ancient scroll, searching for spirit medicines according to the medicinal properties he envisioned needing.

If there were none, he would go to the library to browse through.

There were quite a few pill books and ancient texts inside, with an incalculable number of current spirit medicine records.

Over ten days later, he finally found twenty to thirty types of spirit medicines that could possibly be tried. However, even the Dan Hall didn't have them all. Over ten types of spirit medicines were rarely used in refining the Dan Hall's mainstream pills, so he could only have Steward Chen go purchase them.

Yun Zhongzi had already given instructions that whatever spirit medicines Xu Chuan and Daoist Yunding needed should all be satisfied.

The Dan Hall had extensive connections, and everything was gathered within half a day.

Seeing Steward Chen deliver over ten portions of each spirit medicine, he had to admit that indeed, having extensive connections made things easier.

If the Xu family had to collect them on their own, it would likely take seven or eight days to gather everything.

Afterward, Xu Chuan began attempting to refine pills according to the formula he had deduced and completed.

For each formula, even after failing several times in succession, he would continue, constantly studying the medicinal property reactions and changes so he could adjust promptly in subsequent attempts.

During Xu Chuan's process of testing pill formulas.

Steward Chen, as was customary, reported to Yun Zhongzi about the spirit medicines Xu Chuan had him purchase from outside.

"They're all ordinary first-grade spirit medicines. Only one is a second-grade spirit medicine, but without exception, they're all quite obscure. Many pill refiners probably don't even know their medicinal properties."

Yun Zhongzi pondered briefly.

The medicinal property changes between spirit medicines were extremely complex. Without personally refining pills to test, there was simply no way to explain it clearly.

"Could it be that he's already made a discovery so quickly?"

"Steward Chen, also send me some of the spirit medicines that Elder Sansu requested."

"Yes, Chief."

One day, two days, three days...

Over a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Daoist Yunding also gave up.

It wasn't that he didn't want to continue, but he deeply understood his own capabilities. Even if he continued trying, it would only waste spirit medicines needlessly.

It was better to save a few more portions for the chief and Xu Chuan to try.

After trying over twenty deduced pill formulas, Xu Chuan finally saw the light of dawn.

In the latest furnace, Xu Chuan refined one completed pill. Unfortunately, during the process, he focused too much on the medicinal property changes and didn't control the heat properly, resulting in this pill not even reaching low-grade quality. It was clearly a poison pill.

Xu Chuan looked at the pill floating above his palm and smiled, his expression indescribably relaxed, "How long has it been since I've refined a waste pill?"

"Rare, rare indeed."

Seeing that the deduced formula finally showed results, his heart relaxed considerably.

After a short while, he began refining pills with full effort.

First furnace, failed!

Second furnace, failed!

Third furnace, success!

The surface of the successful pill had blue-purple markings, its residual warmth not yet dissipated. Though it was only low-grade, it was a major step forward for Xu Chuan's success.

This type of pill could be taken at most three to five times. Xu Chuan naturally wanted to advance his divine sense to divine consciousness by consuming superior-grade pills.

He lightly sniffed with his nose, thin wisps of pill fragrance entering his body.

After a moment, his brow furrowed slightly.

"My divine sense did indeed fluctuate, but it's not as miraculous as I imagined. Is it because it's a low-grade pill? Or has this completed formula, though it can form pills, reduced the efficacy somewhat?"

After pondering, Xu Chuan first put away this pill, then refined several more furnaces, producing two more pills, all of which were similar.

"If it's a pill with reduced efficacy, even a superior-grade pill would likely find it difficult to transform divine sense into divine consciousness, wouldn't it?"

Xu Chuan was unsatisfied and began researching again. However, having a successful formula made things much simpler afterward.

It was nothing more than finding spirit medicines with the same or similar medicinal properties based on the completed spirit medicines and repeatedly testing them.

Even Xu Zhen and Daoist Yunding could accomplish this with some time.

Over ten days later.

During this period, Xu Chuan tried continuously. Many spirit medicines worked, but most of the pills refined had even lower medicinal efficacy. However, even so, taking them out would still be quite valuable.

One pill would be worth dozens of spirit stones and Xu Chuan already had accumulated fifteen or sixteen of them.

Finally, Xu Chuan had a flash of inspiration and thought of a method to add one more spirit medicine.

After this spirit medicine was integrated into the formula, it needed to play a role in amplifying medicinal power without causing conflicts with the medicinal properties of other spirit medicines.

For this, Xu Chuan also racked his brains, flipping through ancient and modern texts, before finally finding a common spirit herb called Evening Primrose.

This spirit herb would only grow under moonlight and could only be picked under moonlight illumination to have medicinal efficacy.

Though peculiar, it was very common.

Immortal cultivators generally wouldn't pick it, simply because almost no pill formula used it, making it worthless.

Xu Chuan found Steward Chen and told him about it.

"Evening Primrose?"

"I recall this spirit herb seems to have no use?" Steward Chen was puzzled and confused.

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "Very few pill formulas use it, but there's no useless spirit herb in the world. Few people know that only Evening Primrose picked under moonlight illumination has medicinal properties. Picked during the day, it's no different from wild grass."

"I've been taught. I'll go collect it right away. Please wait two days, Elder Sansu."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

During the two days of waiting, Xu Chuan cultivated with full effort.

After nearly two months of cultivating with superior-grade Qi Gathering Pills, combined with the spiritual qi concentration in the Dan Hall, Xu Chuan's cultivation had advanced further. He was already close to the middle stage of the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

Even Foundation Establishment families wouldn't be this extravagant.

Only Foundation Establishment seeds could enjoy such treatment. For others, having one or two superior-grade Qi Gathering Pills per month was already extremely good treatment.

After all, families were large with many clan members.

After the Evening Primrose arrived, Xu Chuan tried again.

At this time, on the third floor of the Dan Hall.

"Evening Primrose? Elder Sansu requested this type of spirit herb again?"

Yun Zhongzi was quite surprised.

"This subordinate also doesn't understand. It's no different from weeds. Almost every mountain peak within the Imperial City has large patches of it, but no one picks it."

"If you can't understand, then don't think about it. Just do your job. Alright, you may withdraw."

After Steward Chen left, Yun Zhongzi picked up a pill formula from the desk.

The content on it was identical to Xu Chuan's first successful formula.

"After trying everything, this formula still has the strongest medicinal efficacy. But it seems it still doesn't reach the effect of transforming divine sense into divine consciousness."

With his pill Dao accomplishments, he naturally also tested out multiple formulas that could form pills. Only this formula had the best medicinal efficacy.

Before long, he even refined a superior-grade pill. However, after observing it, he discovered it didn't reach the result he had anticipated.

"Did I overestimate it from the beginning?"

"Perhaps it was always like this. How could transforming divine sense into divine consciousness be such a simple matter?"

Yun Zhongzi reconsidered and stroked his beard with a light laugh, "Forget it. Since Xu Chuan was able to discover these spirit medicines, he'll likely be able to deduce it before long. This old man also borrowed his light, so I won't compete with him for credit. However, I should still give him some pressure."

Afterward, he had someone summon Daoist Yunding.

"Chief, what matter do you need me for?" Daoist Yunding cupped his fists.

"Deducing this pill formula is complex and vast, and the Dan Hall's consumption is also tremendous. It cannot continue without restraint. Give Xu Chuan one more month to deduce. If there are no results, the Dan Hall will abandon completing this formula."

Daoist Yunding's pupils constricted slightly, but since it was Yun Zhongzi's instruction, he naturally complied.

Outside Pill Room Twelve.

Xu Chuan looked at Daoist Yunding, "The chief instructed that at most I have one more month?"

"Yes. I gave up long ago. Now only you and the chief are still deducing it."

"Thank you for informing me, Fellow Daoist Yunding. I'll do my utmost to deduce it and not disappoint the chief's expectations." Xu Chuan cupped his fists.

"Then I won't disturb you further."

Daoist Yunding cupped his fists, then turned and left.

The corners of Xu Chuan's mouth curved slightly upward. He thought to himself, "One month is enough for me to deduce the optimal formula and then refine superior-grade pills."

Entering the pill room, he continued his attempts.

The next day, in the pill room.

"I never expected Evening Primrose would harmonize so well with the formula ranked third in medicinal efficacy. I thought it would be with the one ranked first."

Above Xu Chuan's palm floated a completely purple pill emitting a strange pill fragrance.

"Just a low-grade pill already surpasses the previous best middle-grade pill in medicinal efficacy. If it's a superior-grade pill, it might truly have the effect of transforming divine sense into divine consciousness."

If Xu Chuan had continued refining that pill formula, he naturally could have refined superior-grade pills like Yun Zhongzi. Unfortunately, he sensed it wasn't what he wanted and stopped refining it, only producing middle-grade pills.

"There's still nearly a month. This is an opportunity. I'll take advantage of it to refine more superior-grade pills and prepare them for Yunnu, Shitou, Little Ling’er, and the others."

The reason for this was that Xu Chuan guessed Yun Zhongzi had already deduced the formula. As for whether it was the same as his, that remained unknown.

If he couldn't get the pill revenue share, he needed to pocket some extra benefits.

As for this pill formula, Xu Chuan didn't plan to present it. Instead, he would keep it hidden.

He couldn't be blamed for being selfish. Any other family's immortal cultivator would do the same.

Ultimately, all the Great Wei immortal cultivation families were in competition with each other, including with the imperial family.

If this pill that transforms divine sense into divine consciousness were released, wouldn't it simply create more formidable enemies for the Xu family's future?

One step ahead means staying ahead at every step.

If divine consciousness was transformed during Qi Refining, upon advancing to Foundation Establishment, the divine consciousness would naturally be more powerful than those at the same level.

Xu Chuan was full of expectations for the Xu family's future, anticipating the moment when outstanding talents would emerge in abundance and compete with the heavens.

One day later, Xu Chuan stabilized the pill output rate of the Advancement Spirit Pill.

Advancement Spirit Pill was the name Xu Chuan had given it.

Five or six days later, he produced the first middle-grade Advancement Spirit Pill.

A few more days passed, the middle-grade Advancement Spirit Pill formation rate stabilized.

Seven days later, Xu Chuan finally refined the first superior-grade Advancement Spirit Pill. In his excitement, he lost control of his mental state, and the next furnace directly failed.

If it were Qi Gathering Pills and their ilk, even if his mental state was slightly unstable, Xu Chuan was confident he could refine superior-grade pills.

However, he felt that consuming just one pill alone might not achieve the effect of transforming divine sense. So he prepared to wait until he had refined five superior-grade Advancement Spirit Pills before consuming them.

This wait lasted five days.

On average, only one per day.

For Xu Chuan, this was already an extremely low pill formation rate, but it also showed that the Advancement Spirit Pill was incomparable to ordinary pills.

As for one furnace producing multiple superior-grade Advancement Spirit Pills, that had never happened even once.

The most successful attempt was one superior-grade, one middle-grade, and two low-grade pills.

In the pill room.

Xu Chuan regulated his breathing for half an hour until every aspect reached its optimal state. Only then did he take out the superior-grade Advancement Spirit Pills.

"Let me first consume three at once. This pill is precious. If only three are effective, two more can be saved."

Xu Chuan formed hand seals with his fingers. Three superior-grade Advancement Spirit Pills rose from the green porcelain bottle in response.

With delicate hands he closed the bottle. Between slightly parted lips and teeth, the three pills entered successively like stars threading through the moon, one after another disappearing into his mouth.

In an instant, the pills transformed into misty purple clouds, like the Celestial River pouring through his entire body, ultimately returning to his sea of consciousness and merging with his soul.

Incomparably massive medicinal power flooded his soul. Xu Chuan suddenly had veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth clenched tightly, as if unable to bear this violent medicinal power.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Time passed bit by bit.

Xu Chuan's soul was nourished by the medicinal power and suddenly grew several times larger.

His divine sense had long reached the extreme of the Qi Refining realm. Now, having obtained the creative power of this supreme pill that nourished the soul, his soul finally broke through its shackles.

Within his sea of consciousness, illusory golden lotuses bloomed.

Xu Chuan himself also emitted a unique clear fragrance that permeated the entire pill room.

The original divine sense seemed to transform from gaseous to liquid form, all becoming glazed in color.

Half an hour later.

Xu Chuan's expression had returned to serenity. However, the soul transformation wasn't finished yet, so he still sat in meditation with closed eyes.

Not until three or four hours later did he finally open his eyes.

At this moment, his soul had become even more powerful. As for his divine sense, it had all transformed into divine consciousness.

Divine consciousness was condensed and naturally could sweep farther distances than divine sense.

Legend had it that with one thought, a Golden Core could survey an area of several dozen li, while a Nascent Soul could reach several hundred li.

Xu Chuan's newly transformed divine consciousness also had the ability to probe the surrounding several li. However, this place was the Dan Hall. Various locations all had array restrictions, and Yun Zhongzi, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was stationed at the Dan Hall.

He didn't want others to detect his abnormality, so he suppressed his desire to freely spread out his divine consciousness.

With divine consciousness, he could probe Qi Refining immortal cultivators without even being detected by them. It was extremely convenient.

"Perhaps this pill only has the greatest effect the first time, and afterward it will sharply decrease. After three pills, there probably won't be much effect left. And taking multiple pills requires at least a soul at Qi Refining perfection to endure."

Xu Chuan also felt lingering fear at this moment. Consuming three pills at once had nearly burst his soul.

At other realms, the likely outcome would be death from soul explosion.

Of course, this was only the case with the Advancement Spirit Pill formula.

With the previous formulas, even if three superior-grade pills were consumed consecutively, as long as one had a Qi Refining late-stage realm, they should be able to endure.

"There are still seven or eight days left. I'll first refine ordinary pills to familiarize myself with divine consciousness, then refine Advancement Spirit Pills. The superior-grade pill formation rate should improve."