Chapter 269: Heavenly Fragrance Pill Completed

"Heavenly Fragrance Pill?"

He Pingsheng was stunned.

Mi Cangyuan said: "It's a third-rank elixir—it can revive the dead!"

"Here is the pill formula for the Heavenly Fragrance Pill—take a look!"

As he spoke, Mi Cangyuan pulled out a jade slip and handed it to He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng took it and immediately extended his spiritual sense to read it.

The formula was short; he finished reading it quickly.

After reading it, He Pingsheng understood what this so-called "Heavenly Fragrance Pill" truly was.

More accurately, it didn't revive the dead—it could fuse souls.

A person has three souls and seven corporeal spirits, but there is an extremely rare condition where part of one's three souls or seven corporeal spirits is lost due to some cause.

Either one of the three souls is lost, or one of the seven corporeal spirits is lost.

In such cases, the person falls into a coma and cannot awaken—only when that lost fragment of soul is found and fused back into the body can the comatose person awaken.

But the problem is: how to fuse it?

Ordinary cultivators cannot merge the soul fragment with the body.

At this point, one must use an elixir capable of fusing the soul and body together.

There are many such elixirs.

They come in third, fourth, and fifth ranks.

Different cultivation bases require different-rank elixirs.

The third-rank elixir capable of fusing souls is called the "Heavenly Fragrance Pill."

"I understand!" He Pingsheng placed the jade slip back on the table and said: "Master, you mean you want me to refine this Heavenly Fragrance Pill?"

"Hmm…"

Mi Cangyuan stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed at the sky above the courtyard, speaking softly: "I had a cultivation partner who, a hundred years ago, suffered a qi deviation during cultivation and lost one of her three souls!"

"Fortunately, I was right beside her, so I used a Soul-Nourishing Wood to collect the soul fragment that drifted out of her body!"

"But she has remained in a coma ever since!"

"For a hundred years, I've tried everything to save her—but failed."

"That doesn't make sense!" He Pingsheng said: "Third-rank elixirs are hard to refine, but there are surely cultivators who can do it!"

"Can't you find one?"

"I can't!" Mi Cangyuan shook his head. "Young brother, one of the main ingredients in the Heavenly Fragrance Pill is called 'Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom.'"

"It's a third-rank heavenly treasure, differing from 'Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom' by only one character!"

"But their effects are worlds apart!"

He Pingsheng re-examined the jade slip.

Only then did he notice that the main ingredient listed in the Heavenly Fragrance Pill formula was indeed "Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom"—just one character different from "Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom."

"I've searched for this Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom for eighty years!" Mi Cangyuan said. "I'm almost certain it's extinct across this land."

"Even if a few remnants still exist, they're buried deep in ancient forests—no one could find them in a lifetime."

"I had already given up hope."

"Then, I met an elder who told me that in this pill's formula, a second-rank 'Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom' could substitute for the third-rank 'Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom.'"

"But... since second-rank heavenly treasures are inherently weaker than third-rank ones, to achieve the same effect, the pill's quality must be raised to supreme grade!"

"Young brother, do you understand what I'm saying?"

He Pingsheng understood.

The original main ingredient of the Heavenly Fragrance Pill was Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom—a third-rank spiritual material.

Now, since Heavenly Fragrance Holy Cardamom couldn't be found, it was replaced with second-rank Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom—but to make it work, the substitute must be supreme grade.

And over the years, Mi Cangyuan had found no alchemist capable of refining supreme-grade elixirs.

"Not long ago, I heard your alchemy shop could refine supreme-grade third-rank Golden Core Pills, so I came to see for myself—and I didn't expect the shop was yours!"

"Young brother, can you help me?"

Mi Cangyuan looked at He Pingsheng.

"This…" He Pingsheng hesitated.

He had already decided to help Mi Cangyuan.

But he couldn't agree too readily—after all, his pills were all said to be refined by his fabricated "Master."

"My Master can indeed refine supreme-grade elixirs... when fortune favors him!"

"But it's never guaranteed."

"And it consumes some Celestial Spirit Fluid."

Mi Cangyuan said: "I know that—every cost will be borne by me, Mi Cangyuan!"

"No, no, no!" He Pingsheng said: "That's not what I mean, Master Mi… I mean… there's no such thing as a hundred percent guarantee in this world!"

"If you trust me and give me the materials, I'll ask my Master to do his best to refine it."

"But I cannot guarantee the final result will be supreme grade."

Although He Pingsheng was confident he could produce a supreme-grade elixir.

But he couldn't promise anything.

What if the furnace exploded?

Who could guarantee a hundred percent outcome?

"Very well—I entrust it to you, young brother!" Mi Cangyuan pulled out a jade box and said: "I have two sets of materials for the Heavenly Fragrance Pill—I can only give you one."

"Whether you succeed or fail, I won't blame you."

"If you truly refine a supreme-grade elixir, I will repay you handsomely!"

"As for the second set I keep, it's just to hold onto a sliver of hope for myself."

"Alright!" He Pingsheng carefully took the jade box and said: "Master, please wait—I'll go find my Master and ask him to refine your pill!"

"It may… take a few days."

"Good!" Mi Cangyuan nodded. "I'll wait right here."

He Pingsheng hurriedly left the alchemy shop with the materials and formula.

He circled the city several times before finally returning to his small courtyard.

The array activated.

All were third-rank arrays.

Third-rank Spirit-Blocking Array, Alarm Array, and others.

Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator scanned here, He Pingsheng had countermeasures.

First task: strengthen the materials.

He Pingsheng placed all the materials into the Treasure Basin to strengthen them, while he himself studied the formula.

Several days later!

The materials had been strengthened into two sets, and He Pingsheng had copied the formula and also strengthened it slightly.

After studying it, he began refining.

His goal was simple: he didn't need success—but at least he needed one dud.

He couldn't let the furnace explode.

For safety, he even added over a dozen drops of 【Golden Bee Holy Sap】 into the furnace.

Golden Bee Holy Sap was a second-rank spiritual fluid—its effect on a third-rank pill was already weak.

Only a little could be added.

But the result was good.

The first batch of third-rank pills actually succeeded.

"This…" He Pingsheng froze for over a dozen breaths.

He'd only intended to make a dud—but the pills had succeeded.

Twelve pills per batch—all low-grade.

Though all low-grade, this was the first time in He Pingsheng's alchemy career that he had truly refined a third-rank pill.