Chapter 55: Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, Soaring Power...
In the end, Shen Lian’s spiritual sense settled at one hundred and forty-four zhang. Within the range of his perception, even the finest dust particles could not escape his notice.
The remarkable increase in his spiritual sense was primarily due to his advancement to the ninth level of Qi Refining. During the transition from the eighth to the ninth stage, his spiritual sense expanded by over thirty zhang in an instant.
Qi Refining, ninth level. Spiritual sense, one hundred and forty-four zhang.
After more than a year and a half, the first step of his plan upon arriving at the sea—the small goal of reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining—had been accomplished smoothly. Thanks to the improved scale of his Fire Spiritual Root, Shen Lian had been relying on spirit stones for cultivation, barely touching any pills. Even so, he advanced effortlessly to the ninth level, and the efficiency brought by a high-quality spiritual root was beginning to show its effects.
No wonder the great sects favored disciples with superior spiritual roots.
The ninth level of Qi Refining was the last stage before Foundation Establishment.
Within his dantian, the five-element spiritual power intertwined, flickering in a cluster of five-colored mist. To reach Foundation Establishment, this mist-like five-element force must be condensed into liquid, a transformation that required a large amount of mist-like spiritual power.
Slowly withdrawing his spiritual sense, Shen Lian stood up and stretched his limbs. Long hours of sitting and refining spirit stones were exceedingly tedious.
Rustling sounds… Dahei crawled in, biting a fish and radiating excitement.
“Eat it yourself.”
Each time Dahei reported on the environment, he would drag some little creature from the sea to please Shen Lian, as if he had learned the art of currying favor from someone.
“Hiss hiss—”
Dahei’s two antennae swayed, hissing as he recounted the recent happenings on the nearby islands.
It was just as before.
Two words—peaceful.
Apart from local fishermen occasionally seeking shelter from storms, no one else had appeared on the island.
“Let’s go…”
Upon hearing the command, Dahei swiftly climbed onto Shen Lian’s shoulder, proudly lifting his head. Only he was permitted to perch on his master’s shoulder.
Soon, Shen Lian appeared on a stretch of rocky shore, sitting down casually to gaze at the vast heavens and ocean.
Over the past year, whenever cultivation became tiresome, he would come to the beach for a breath of fresh air.
Three sides of the area were surrounded by mountains, lush with vegetation, scattered with hidden reefs. The fishermen’s boats wouldn’t come, and cultivators paid little attention.
The sea wind howled, the waves crashed against the rocks, and Shen Lian leaned contentedly against a boulder with his hands behind his head, eyes closed for a nap.
Dahei dove into the sea, starting his own seafood feast, sometimes diligently catching fish or clams to offer to Shen Lian.
Though life was monotonous, the tranquil environment greatly satisfied Shen Lian.
With his eyes half-closed, a flash of inspiration arose.
[Shen Lian: Ninth Level Qi Refining]
[Five-Element Spiritual Roots: Fire 86, Earth 18, Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18]
[Spiritual Sense: One hundred and forty-four zhang]
[Insight Points: 11,621]
[Divine Comprehension Points: 0]
The Fire Spiritual Root had risen from seventy-two to eighty-six, and the insight points had increased from less than two thousand to nearly twelve thousand.
Aside from advancing to the ninth level of Qi Refining, this was Shen Lian’s greatest gain over the past year.
“Hiss hiss—”
Dahei emerged from the water, holding a gray shell in his mouth, presenting it as a treasure before Shen Lian.
Shen Lian casually took out a spirit stone and stuffed it into Dahei’s mouth, habitually shaking Dahei’s snout.
“Wait for your master to refine some pills for you.”
“Hiss hiss—”
As the sky darkened, Shen Lian grabbed Dahei and prepared to return to the cave.
After so long in seclusion, his five-element spiritual items had long been depleted. To focus his efforts on breaking through to the ninth level, he hadn’t set foot off the island.
The long-awaited moment had come; it was time for Ding Xiu to take his place.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have enough spirit stones to purchase five-element spiritual items.
After a day of rest, Shen Lian instructed Dahei to stand guard outside, then began his journey as an alchemist.
…
[First-Rank Low Grade Alchemist]
[Insight Points -1000]
[First-Rank Middle Grade Alchemist]
[Insight Points -1000]
…
[First-Rank High Grade Alchemist]
[Insight Points -1000]
Inside the cave, Shen Lian’s mind expanded once more.
Countless bits of information crashed into his thoughts, like a ball of light filled with myriad symbols exploding in his mind, whether he welcomed it or not, forcibly pouring in.
“Fasting Pill… Yang Spirit Pill… Yellow Sprout Pill… Spiritual Power Pill…”
“Great Yang Pill… True Pill… Qi-Recovery Pill… True Essence Pill…”
…
“Shanyang Spirit Bamboo for fuel, its fire is gentle; Three Yang Wood for fuel, its fire is explosive… The earth fire a thousand zhang below ground is earth-aligned, heavy and enduring…”
“Six-Yao Pill Condensing Method… Fire Control Technique…”
“Tianyang Grass grows atop sun-drenched peaks, Deer Ling Flower prefers shady spiritual grounds… Snake-Coiled Ganoderma…”
“Yin-Yang Reversal Pill… Dragon Phoenix Coupling Pill… Joy Pill…”
…
“Purple Yang Pill… Qi Fusion Pill… Barrier-Breaking Pill…”
…
Inside the cave, Shen Lian clutched his head, mumbling intermittently.
“Hmm… Hmm… So that’s how it is… It can be done this way…”
“Spirit Beast Nourishing Pill, as expected, there are pills suitable for spirit beasts…”
“Now that I’m an alchemist, it’s time to integrate the beast-taming art and properly plan Dahei’s advancement.”
Having received the inheritance of all three tiers—low, middle, and high—of first-rank alchemist, Shen Lian’s mind felt swollen, even with a spiritual sense on par with Foundation Establishment cultivators.
In a sect or family with alchemy heritage, a cultivator would spend years as an apprentice before truly refining pills, starting with herbal identification and growth habits.
The amount of information Shen Lian absorbed was staggering, encompassing herbs, pill fires, prescriptions, alchemy techniques, and more.
Alongside this came corresponding refining experiences.
Not just for one type of pill, but countless varieties were poured directly into his mind, impossible to resist.
He simply gave up resisting and let it flow.
This forced inheritance lasted nearly a month. At first, Shen Lian squatted in the cave, muttering alchemical terms.
Later, he fell into a haze, unconsciously reciting all manner of jargon.
If not for his strong spiritual sense, he might have driven himself to a cultivator’s madness.
Dahei visited several times, frightened by Shen Lian’s mad state, trembling in fear lest his master destroy him.
A month later.
After enduring a month of madness, Shen Lian finally returned to normal.
He took out the pill furnace and herbs he’d prepared, ready for his first attempt at pill refinement.
Before starting, he went outside to bask in the sun and calm his mind.
Once he felt composed and his mind cleared, he returned to the cave.
He embedded a spirit stone beneath the bronze pill furnace, placed the spiritual charcoal he’d purchased underneath, and set aside several herbs needed for the Spirit Beast Nourishing Pill.
Forming a hand seal, a ray of spiritual light landed on the pill furnace.
At once, flames ignited within, searing the inner walls.
Years ago, he had used this furnace to concoct poison.
As an alchemist, one must possess pill virtue.
It was permissible to mix grains into medicine, but never poison—a matter of principle.
Next, one herb after another flew into the furnace.
“Bloodbone Grass, Spirit Pouch Fruit, Demon Bone…”
After placing all the herbs in, Shen Lian covered the furnace lid with a wave of his hand, sending a strand of spiritual fire below to envelop the furnace in flame.
From adding the herbs to igniting the fire, each step was smooth.
His powerful spiritual sense penetrated the furnace, observing the transformation of the true spiritual herbs in the fire. The fragrance of medicine soon filled the cave.