Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 345: Chapter 168 Ghost City Ghost Generals, Pill Formation Entering the Dream_3

”Having accumulated several failures before, even if I process four portions of raw materials at once, I should succeed with at least one!”

Now Luo Chen already had a pretty clear understanding of the system.

The so-called odds are actually not as straightforward as they may seem.

For example, it may seem like you are guaranteed success after ten attempts in the beginner stage.

That’s not the case at all!

If every time you refine pills, without being serious and focused, without trying hard, you may still fail all ten times.

On the contrary, if the preparations are sufficient, and you have a proficient grasp of the pill formula, pill technique, and various methods, you might succeed after the first try!

When he first refined the Blood Ignition Pill, he was a perfect example.

He didn’t go through multiple failures before. Instead, he achieved success on the first try.

You have to give it your all every time you refine pills, boy!

Only then will you have a chance of success!

Filled with determination, Luo Chen added a Qinghe Demon into the fire pit.

Using this demon beast’s body as pill fire can increase the number of pills produced.

There is no reason for him not to use it.

Before formally starting the pill refinement, his expression was solemn as he mobilized the spirit power within his body, stimulating his eighteen acupoints in turn.

”Hmm...”

He grunted, took a deep breath, and suppressed the pain brought about by the circulation of Ming God’s Divine Cleanse.

He needed this pain!

Not for refining the Blood Ignition Pill, but for familiarizing himself with this feeling.

Because later when he will be refining the Tongyou Pill, Ming God’s Divine Cleanse might be able to counter the hallucinatory power brought by Snow Fox Demon blood.

This was the realization he had during his conversation with a friend today.

Pain could potentially bring clarity to someone lost in a hallucination.

And by maintaining this state of pain, he would have a high chance of avoiding falling into such a haze of illusion.

After making the necessary preparations, Luo Chen added the medicinal herbs one by one.

Then, the process of refining the Blood Ignition Pill began.

He had already become quite familiar with all these steps.

About two hours later, Luo Chen, satisfied, collected the fourteen Blood Ignition Pills.

Though all were of the lower grade, the success rate turned out to be two out of four.

The proficiency level of the Blood Ignition Pill had also reached the Proficient Level.

Not only that, the lost achievement points from the failed Tongyou Pill attempts also increased by one.

With the perfection of the Spirit Vision Technique, the Earth Rock Technique and the Wave Technique all advancing to the Perfection Level, and the Blood Ignition Pill advancing to the Proficient Level - he had gained four more achievement points.

Achievement Points overall!

During his break, Luo Chen looked at these achievement points and couldn’t help but feel a surge of urge.

If he were to put all these achievement points into those two complete second-order pill formulas, would he be able to master them?

The reason for this itch to try was largely due to the fact that he currently had no first-order pill formulas at hand.

Only three second-order pill formulas - Jade Dew Pill, Blood Evil Qi Pill, and Emperor Liquor - were left.

Among these, he was most confident with the Blood Evil Qi Pill.

Regrettably, he was missing the key ingredient.

Even if he did master it, he wouldn’t be able to refine it for now.

The Jade Dew Pill had the greatest value!

But it was incomplete, and to derive and complete what was missing would perhaps require an unimaginable large number of achievement points.

”Emperor Liquor...”

Luo Chen shook his head, feeling that it hadn’t come to that point yet.

When he advances to Foundation Establishment Stage, whether he is attempting to break into a level or make a deduction, the achievement points required will not be as substantial.

Because at that time, it would correspond to his realm, the achievement points needed for mastery would be no different from now mastering a first-order pill formula.

After briefly resting, Luo Chen stood up, walked into another pill room.

Looking at the big bronze cauldron, Luo Chen faintly smiled.

”Although the Divine Wood Tripod is only medium grade first order, it brings extra benefits when refining plant-based elixirs.”

”One of the main ingredients for the Tongyou Pill is Huan You Grass.”

”It should also be effective.”

This time, he gave up on the Four Symbols Tripod and chose the lower grade Divine Wood Tripod that had special benefits instead.

I hope it will be successful!

Running the Ming God’s Divine Cleanse, the intense pain resurfaced.

Regardless, Luo Chen’s expression remained unchanged, as if he didn’t feel pain at all. He added the raw materials one by one.

Much later...

Luo Chen came out of the pill room with a calm expression on his face.

He failed!

As expected.

He wasn’t angry, after all, the formula for the Tongyou Pill was incomplete and he had completed it himself.

And then forcefully mastered it via the system.

All failures could be forgiven.

But in this failure, he confirmed that Ming God’s Divine Cleanse had a significant resistance to the hallucinatory effect of the Snow Fox Demon blood.

This was actually the biggest gain.

”Next time, I will definitely succeed!”

...

However, the next time was not successful either.

It was not until five days later, after Luo Chen stopped refining Jade Marrow Pills and spent a whole day refining Tongyou Pills alone, that he managed to succeed just once.

”I had to try nine times before finally reaping the rewards!”

Luo Chen looked at the three pills in his hand that were as white as ice and snow, feeling incredibly emotional.

Only three, just three!

Even though Luo Chen was mentally prepared, it was still a bit overwhelming.

He knew that the Tongyou Pill, besides its main ingredient, lacked as much as half of its auxiliary ones. He spent a lot of time just trying to fill in those gaps.

He also knew that without the reverse deduction from the second-order Blood Evil Qi Pill formula, the completed formula might be inherently deficient.

But he never expected the yield to be so low.

”The cost of raw materials alone is as high as fifteen Spirit Stones, far more than the eleven for the Blood Ignition Pill and five for the Jade Marrow Pill.”

”In the end, only three were produced.”

”If we don’t allocate the cost on a per try basis and instead calculate the total actual cost, doesn’t that mean I would need a whopping one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones to get just three first-order, lower-grade Tongyou Pills?”

This result made Luo Chen wince once again.

He had never been this wasteful before.

”I’m curious to see what extraordinary effects you have!”

With the three snow-white pills clenched in his hand, Luo Chen walked into the Spirit Vein Cave.

...

His spirits were high, and he had no injuries anywhere in sight.

Luo Chen took a deep breath and decisively swallowed the snow-white pill.

As for the Blood Ignition Pill with its violently harsh medicinal properties, he dared not take it lightly after refining it.

Since he understood its medicinal nature, these pills needed to be tested.

But the medicinal nature of the Tongyou Pill is to enhance the Divine Soul endowment.

Considering how incredibly expensive it is, he couldn’t bear to use small animals for testing.

Since that’s the case, why not experience it firsthand!

The elixir entered his body and dissolved as soon as it hit his tongue.

A chilly sensation rushed straight up to the top of his head.

Luo Chen couldn’t help but shudder from the cold.

In that shivering moment, his consciousness became fuzzy.

...

In a kitchen filled with the scent of cooking, a young man stood in front of the stove, clutching a big handful of black medicine dregs, his expression frenzied.

”Failure?”

”Failure!”

”Why, another failure!”

”I’ve thrown in everything I have to gather these ten portions of raw materials, but I can’t get it right.”

”Could it be... Do I lack the talent to refine elixirs?”

”No, I don’t believe it, I still have three portions of raw materials left, I will succeed.”

The young man picked up the medicine dregs and went to the nearby stream to wash his iron pot.

He practiced his techniques, cultivated his skills, constantly adjusting his state.

The next day, he continued refining the Allure Pill.

Failure!

The third day was still a failure!

On the fourth day, with the last portion of raw material...

With all the hope he could muster, he threw himself into the task with the most focused, even manic, attitude, betting everything on it.

In the end...

”Another failure.”

Sitting there with his mouth open, the sound of his own voice filled with a choking sob.

Fifty Spirit Stones was all he had.

All of it was invested in the creation of the Allure Pill.

But he hadn’t produced a single pill. Which meant his many years of savings were completely gone.

All his efforts were in vain!

So, what would he do next?

Luo Chen looked around, his house empty. Even the Spirit Rice in the rice jar barely amounted to half a catty.

”Maybe, I am by nature unsuitable for pill refining.”

”I shouldn’t have dreamed of becoming a Pill Refiner and never having to worry about Spirit Stones again.”

He sank into deep self-doubt.

Sitting in the kitchen, the smell of the burnt pill sludge pervading the air, he felt as if he was a failure himself.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

At dawn, he slowly rose to his feet.

Luo Chen took one last look at his home, then dumped the medicine waste, cleaning up the kitchen.

After a quick wash, he stepped out of his home to the outer city district.

He arrived at a building complex nestled amid clear waters and towering bamboo.

”Who goes there?”

”Rogue Cultivator Luo Chen, I’d like to join the Broken Mountain Gang.”