Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 304 - Fire Bird Eats the Beast Pill

When Qing Shui heard the sound which represented that the alchemy was completed, a satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he continued to apply weak primordial flames to ”nurture the pellet” for another 2 hours

Qing Shui waited for close to 1 hour before he opened the cauldron. The moment he opened the lid to the Golden Flint Iron Cauldron, a light fragrance came out causing those who smelled it to feel refreshed.

Five snow white colored medicinal pills the size of grapes at the bottom of the Golden Flint Iron Cauldron, exuded a glow which was like a jade’s or that of the moon’s, looking extremely beautiful. Qing Shui put them into porcelain bottles and sealed them, feeling satisfied!

Ever since he had applied the primordial flames to the Golden Flint Iron Cauldron, Qing Shui discovered that he had never failed in his attempts at alchemy. While he had reached a high degree of proficiency in controlling the degree of heat, his success rate should not be that high.

”Forget it. Let’s try the two prescriptions given by Old Master Cang which have a low success rate. Everything will be clear then.” Qing Shui could not help but feel fervent, with a strong sense of confidence in himself.

Next, Qing Shui first ate some food, cultivated a round of Ancient Strengthening Technique, and had also circulated the Frenzied Bull Strength since he felt that it could raise his “spirit”. This was primarily because of the existence of the Unmoving Like A Mountain, if not it would be hard to achieve this effect.

Qing Shui felt that the image of Yin-Yang in his consciousness had an unbelievable effect. While it was not very obvious now, the long and steady flow had been unceasingly temper his veins, bones, meridian channels, muscles, and Dan Tian, providing quite a significant impact. Moreover, he also had the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, and one year of the effects brought by the image of Yin-Yang would already surpass the one year’s worth of tough training and hard work of any other person.

Even if Qing Shui didn’t do anything, by just spending his time in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal daily, his overall abilities would still improve. After all, cultivation was also a form of tempering the physical body via absorbing spiritual qi from the Heavens and Earth. What Qing Shui was learning was the ancient method to temper the physical body as well as the internal organs.

Continuing with his alchemy, this time around, Qing Shui decided to concoct the Spirit Concentrating Pill. The medicinal herbs in the box were already fully prepared. The most difficult thing to master during alchemy was the degree of heat.

Such a big pile of medicinal herbs eventually condensed into a few medicinal herb clumps which were the size of grapes. It was not just about condensing the essence. It also involved the matching of suitable medicinal herbs together, putting in a suitable degree of heat, then combine, and sublimate. To reach an even greater quality, once again combining, and sublimating...all the way until the dregs were fully cleansed.

So while alchemy may seem to be very simple, it required one to be fully focused, both physically and mentally, sensing each step when the medicinal herbs sublimate, and combine, and sublimate...

Once there exists the tiniest of errors, the alchemy attempt would fail. The higher the quality of the medicinal pill, the more it needed to sublimate and combine, and the success rate would be very low. The lowest pill would only need one time to combine or sublimate, therefore the success rate would be very high.

Qing Shui controlled the primordial flames, focusing his Spiritual Sense fully to sense the changes to the medicinal herbs within the Golden Flint Iron Cauldron, sensing each step of the sublimation, combination, sublimation...

Alchemy depleted a large amount of spirit energy, especially for high quality medicinal pills. If one had not attained a certain level of cultivation, one’s body would not be able to take it. That was why the prerequisite for becoming an alchemist was to become a strong warrior.

Qing Shui felt that the reason his success rate was so high was related to that image of Yin-Yang in his consciousness which would unceasingly transmit spirit energy to him, allowing him to constantly feel that his level of spirit energy was brimming.

Under Qing Shui’s control, the primordial flames had gone through changes many times, but its appearance which was half a foot long did not seem to have changed before. As he went through the success of the combination and sublimation each time, Qing Shui did not dare to let down his guard.

It was to the extent that a dense layer of sweat droplets had appeared on Qing Shui’s forehead. Qing Shui was not perspiring from the heat, but rather, from feeling anxious because it was at the final stage!

Pa!

The flames in Qing Shui’s hands broke off!

”Sigh, what a pity!”

To think that it had failed at the very last stage. Qing Shui felt that when he was concocting his own prescriptions, so long as he had the medicinal herbs, the success rate would be almost at 100%. The control for those prescription would be especially proficient.

While he had failed, Qing Shui felt even more confident about himself now. He had the confidence that he would be able to succeed at the next attempt, and so long as he could succeed, Qing Shui would be able to attain an astonishing success rate.

After cultivating a round of the Ancient Strengthening Technique, and the circulating the Frenzied Bull Strength which he was ever so familiar with now, he once again attempted to concoct the Spirit Concentrating Pill!

He had a higher level of familiarity on the 2nd attempt!

Qing Shui went through the combination and sublimation process with great familiarity, this time around, it would be obvious to any random person that he was not a novice. Those proficient movements, and most importantly, that expression he had on his face when he was concocting the Spirit Concentrating Pill told everyone that he was able to succeed.

When Qing Shui heard that ever so familiar sound of success of the pellet forming, he was extremely surprised and overjoyed. This feeling of joy was about the same as when he had successfully created the Small Revitalizing Pellet back then.

The medicinal pill had a dark green color, its size was also that of a grape. It exuded a translucent glow, and had a light soothing fragrance. He quickly bottled them into the small porcelain bottles he had prepared earlier. Such custom-made small porcelain bottles could effectively retain the medicinal effects of the pills.

After taking a break, Qing Shui once again attempted to concoct the Spirit Concentrating Pill!

Success!

Success!

...

Qing Shui smiled. The success rate of his alchemy was something which should not be doubted. To think that one batch of this Spirit Concentrating Pill would have 10 pellets, catching Qing Shui unaware. However, thinking of how he would need at least 15 each day, he would need 5,000 each year...

The amount of medicinal herbs Cang Wuya had given him was sufficient for him to concoct 100 times, which meant that even if he succeeded in all of the tries, he would only have 1,000 pills. Moreover, he had already failed once, which meant that the rest of the Spirit Concentrating Pill would only last him about 2 months if he were to use it only on himself.

”That’s enough. Other than some 1,000 year medicinal herbs, the rest of the ingredients should be bloom in short time. Just two months in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal would be the equivalent of about 17 years.” Qing Shui chuckled as he thought about this.

He concocted 10 times, taking a few breaks in between, and two days passed just like that. Including the first day when he had started cultivating, 3 days had already passed.

On the 4th day, Qing Shui started concocting the Beast Pill. Qing Shui similarly hung on to a single strand of hope for this medicinal pill. That awakening of the 1% talent was something he was especially interested in.

It may be because he had just gone through a few days of alchemy, Qing Shui now felt that he was exceptionally steady when he was concocting the Beast Pill, and was not as anxious as when he had first started.

However, Qing Shui felt gloomy that he had still failed.

Failure!

After failing for two times in a row, Qing Shui felt a bit upset. Each time, it would be at the most crucial stage, the final “pellet forming” stage when everything would go down in flames.

Qing Shui was an exceptionally determined person. He continued concocting. Of course, each time, he would always adjust his mental state before he continued.

Failure!

Failure!

...

”Ding!”

When Qing Shui heard that sound of success, he was already numb and had only reacted after awhile. The primordial flames which almost broke off quickly continued to warm the medicinal pill.

Opening the Golden Flint Iron Cauldron, 5 blood red Beast Pills appeared before Qing Shui, emitting an astonishing heat and a deep fragrance.

He gathered everything together and took a break before continuing again. It may be due to the earlier success, and the next few attempts were all successful.

Success!

Success!

...

Only when he saw that he had made 100 Beast Pills did Qing Shui then stop and collect everything. After all, each demonic beast would only be able to enjoy the effect for up to 5 pellets.

This time around, the alchemy had actually taken him a whole week. After stopping, he felt very relaxed. Qing Shui planned to have a good sleep before starting to cultivate again.

”Hmm, let’s try out the effects of the Spirit Concentrating Pill!” After Qing Shui woke up, another half a day had passed.

Thank goodness the effects of this Spirit Concentrating Pill was only for 24 hours, one whole day. Regardless if it was taken in the day or night, it would be effective from the point it was taken for the next 24 hours.

Qing Shui took out a dark green Spirit Concentrating Pill and swallowed it. Immediately, a cooling feeling rose from his Dan Tian, gushing all the way up to his brain, making him feel refreshed throughout his body. His Spiritual Sense and ability to sense things was even strengthened by over one fold.

”Hmmm, so it’s like this. In the future, if I were to take one of these, wouldn’t it strengthen my Spiritual Sense and sensing ability by a lot...”

Qing Shui’s assumptions were not strange. It was a pity that such Spirit Concentrating Pills were too precious and one would usually not bear to eat it during normal battles, unless it was a life-and-death battle. It was just that Qing Shui was not aware of this.

Cultivating the Ancient Strengthening Technique, Qing Shui felt that the speed at which he could absorb the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth as well as merge it with the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique was much faster now. That feeling was very thrilling. It had felt very tough at the start as if he was pulling a cart up a slope, but he felt that he could now casually use a small portion of strength to charge up that steep slope.

After one round of circulating the Qi of Ancient Strengthening cycle, Qing Shui did not stop cultivating!

Half a day later, Qing Shui opened his eyes, and smiled. He could not help but sigh as he said to himself, ”This Spirit Concentrating Pill is really good stuff. There are many people who are not able to cross the door to Xiantian in all their lives, but if they have an ample amount of Spirit Concentrating Pill, it would be a different result altogether.”

After taking the Spirit Concentrating Pill, Qing Shui did not wish to waste a single bit of time, so he unceasingly cultivated whatever he could, especially his aura, as the effects on his techniques would not be as obvious.

When he felt tired, he would cultivate the Ancient Strengthening Technique and then the Frenzied Bull’s Strength, Heavenly Thunder Slash, Cloudmist Steps, Tiger Form, Bear Form, Crane Form...

At that moment, Qing Shui noticed that the things he now knew were quite a lot. Now, Qing Shui was practicing the Saintly Hands. That intriguing technique let Qing Shui discover just how amazing it was.

Circulating the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique according to the Saintly Hands’ technique. His pair of hands gradually became nearly transparent, exuding a strong saintly vital aura.

Qing Shui knew that this aura was ”refined” from the Ancient Strengthening Technique as he had used it a few times, especially the other time when he was helping Huoyun Liu-Li. He felt that the Saintly Hands would exhaust the Dan Tian’s Divine Strength very quickly.

However, the effects were definitely very impressive. Therefore, regardless what, he would cultivate this Saintly Hands and the Primal Chaotic Divine Needle Technique. After all, there were many things which could not be healed with medicinal pills alone.

When it was about time for him to exit the realm, Qing Shui was very satisfied with the effects of this Spirit Concentrating Pill. Thinking of the 100 Beast Pills, he thought of his fire bird.

Thinking of how 1 of it would increase overall power by 10%, and up to 5 could be taken. It would mean that on the overall, it could increase the abilities by 50%, regardless if it was strength, fireball, endurance, speed...

Qing Shui was a bit agitated just from thinking about it. If the fire bird could have the speed and powers which that Black Champion Monarch Falcon had, he would be satisfied. After all, that was a demonic beast which was definitely above the Martial King level.

Qing Shui called for the fire bird!

During this period, he had let it stay in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. He decided it was about time to let it out.

Sensing Qing Shui’s call, the fire bird joyfully let out a cry and flew towards his master.

Qing Shui smiled and took out a Beast Pill!

”Catch it!”

The fire bird agilely caught it with its beak and swallowed it down!

Qing Shui looked at how the fire bird was flying about happily. He was waiting, waiting for the day that 1% talent awoke!