Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 74: Chapter 40: Gifted Breaking Rank Pill

As a near crimson flame suddenly erupted beneath the pill furnace, it marked the arrival of the crucial step of pill solidification for this batch.

”Buzz~”

A faint roar sounded in that instant.

Inside the carefully crafted alchemy room of Yan’s Pill Shop, Yan Qingwan’s eyes sparkled brilliantly, revealing a look of incredible joy.

Coming back to her senses, she immediately looked at Li Ji’an beside her.

”Brother Li, just now... Was that the sound of the Pill Roar?” She still found it hard to believe.

Li Ji’an’s face also showed delight.

He had successfully verified his theory.

The same pill formula, the same pill fire, and the same spiritual sense, only required adjustments in the strength of the pill fire to enhance the quality of the refined pills.

He first meticulously reviewed the alchemy process in his mind, firmly storing it in his alchemy dao data library, then he looked at Yan Qingwan and nodded with approval.

Meanwhile, gazing at the still burning pill fire, he showed a hint of envy.

Despite last year’s overwhelming alchemy pressure, Yan Qingwan managed not to take the Late Period Breaking Rank Pill and successfully broke through to the Qi Cultivation 7th Layer, becoming a top-tier cultivator of the desert, which made Li Ji’an envious.

No wonder she possessed a Middle Grade Spirit Root with sixteen strands of Fire Spirit Root Sensing!

However, what made Li Ji’an even more envious at the moment was that her cultivation at the late stage of Qi Cultivation had transformed her pill fire qualitatively into a deep crimson, higher in temperature, greater in spiritual pressure, and more precise in control than the mid-stage Qi Cultivation pill fire.

And this was the key to Yan Qingwan’s success in attempting to refine the high-grade Qi Replenishing Pill most needed by cultivators in the late stage of Qi Cultivation, with the recent Pill Roar indicating at least Upper Grade quality.

Pills, like medicine, are inherently toxic, and pills are no exception. Besides pill toxins, there is resistance.

The reason pills at the North Street Market are cheap is mostly due to their poor quality, with high pill toxicity and strong resistance, sometimes reaching as much as seventy to eighty percent.

The South Street Pill Shop doesn’t allow the sale of such poor-quality pills, as that would damage their reputation, so at least they have to be quality pills; even Lower Grade pills have three percent pill toxicity, Middle Grade has only one percent, and Upper Grade pills can almost be ignored.

As for superior grade and top-grade pills, they are refined to the extreme, not only free of pill toxins but greatly enhancing the pill’s efficacy.

Now, with Yan Qingwan’s cultivation at the late stage of Qi Cultivation condensing pill fire, along with her growing focus on nourishing and refining her Divine Soul from a young age, she was able to successfully refine Tier One high-grade pills intended for consumption by cultivators in the late stage of Qi Cultivation, and in formality, she was already considered a Tier One advanced Pill Master.

However, the reason there are still significant differences among Pill Masters of the same tier lies in their pill formation quality.

A Tier One advanced Pill Master may not be able to refine primary Upper Grade Pill Medicine, while a primary Pill Master may have the chance to refine primary superior grade Pill Medicine.

This is actually the true test for measuring a Pill Master’s alchemy skill.

To be recognized as a true senior Pill Master, at least a sixty percent Upper Grade pill formation success rate is required.

”I really refined an Upper Grade pill!” Opening the furnace to retrieve the pill medicine, unmistakably Upper Grade, Yan Qingwan nearly burst into tears of joy.

”Qingwan, don’t get carried away. Gather your thoughts and review the details of your pill fire control. A journey of a hundred miles begins with ninety. This is just the beginning.” Li Ji’an timely offered encouragement.

Yan Qingwan immediately collected herself, following the advice to close her eyes.

Meanwhile, Li Ji’an didn’t waste the abundant spiritual qi here and began practicing cultivation techniques.

To ensure the pill formation success rate and quality, well-equipped alchemy rooms often have a Gathering Spirit Array, and this alchemy room had a set of high-level Gathering Spirit Array, making the spiritual qi very plentiful.

Until a full circulation ended, Yan Qingwan slowly opened her eyes again.

Then she stood up, deeply bowed to Li Ji’an: ”Thank you, Brother Li, for your guidance!”

”No need for formalities, sharing insights and making progress together is part of our duties.” Li Ji’an replied with a smile.

During the past six months, Li Ji’an found the revenue from the pill shop rather challenging.

Apart from the first few days after opening, probably due to some people showing support, the business seemed alright; in the subsequent months, however, the business was dismal.

This made his initial plan of relying on profits from the pill shop to buy a Breaking Rank Pill seem distant.

Ultimately, Yan’s Pill Shop lacked variety in pill medicine types and the pill formation quality wasn’t high enough, plus the price cuts and promotions from Zheng’s Pill Shop made it difficult for business to thrive.

The discussion between him and Yan Qingwan concluded with two strategies: first, improving their own strength to enhance the pill quality further; second, diversifying and competing with differentiated products, striving to refine more types and even some niche pill medicines.

To achieve this, the Yan Family spent a substantial amount purchasing a large number of pill formulas.

These pill formulas further enriched Li Ji’an’s alchemy dao data library.

With these enrichments, after multiple deductions, and Yan Qingwan’s practice, the results were impressive.

”Give it your all, I hope you’ll soon achieve senior Pill Master status!” Given the pill shop’s current income, Li Ji’an had no choice but to pin his hopes for the Breaking Rank Pill on Yan Qingwan, who upon advancing to senior Pill Master status, may have a chance to refine it.

”Rest assured, Brother Li, I will do my utmost!” Yan Qingwan resolved earnestly.

Looking outside, it was already bright; they both decided not to delay any further and left the alchemy room together.

Alchemy itself was incredibly exhausting, which was why their Divine Souls were stronger than typical cultivators; otherwise, they couldn’t have endured such relentless alchemy work.

”Greetings, young lady, greetings, honored guest elder!”

...

Along the way out of the pill shop, servants greeted them.

Yan Qingwan handed the freshly refined Upper Grade Qi Replenishing Pill to Uncle Zhong, then left the pill shop with Li Ji’an, planning to return to their residence in the West District for some rest.

”Move, move, all of you move, market does not allow orphans to wander!”

Just stepping out of the pill shop, they saw several market patrollers driving a few children away.

”I’m not an orphan, my father will definitely return, don’t drive me away, I’m cultivating my Spirit Root, I...”

”Please, kind sir, help us, once I properly cultivate my Spirit Root, when I succeed in my cultivation, I’ll surely repay you in kind.”

”I’m not going, if there’s no spiritual qi for Spirit Root nourishment, there’s no good talent, then the immortal path is unattainable, I’d rather die here.”

...

Yan Qingwan furrowed her brows lightly, exchanged a glance with Li Ji’an, and shook her head helplessly.

All beings suffer, striving across the sea of bitterness, each with their own difficulties.

Although she could take in a few children without issue, she could not; her own family still had many clan members in need of resources.

Li Ji’an nodded, understanding that those who couldn’t even care for their own family and clan but generously helped others were either foolish or wicked, certainly not someone who regarded their clan and family as their own.

Simultaneously, he inwardly sighed, as this dashed one of his feasible plans for the next ”Rejuvenation.”

Time passes quietly, another half a year quickly went by.

Although he hadn’t tallied the accounts yet, Li Ji’an roughly estimated that without the supply from the medicinal field jointly developed with the Wei Family, losses would have been inevitable.

Fortunately, Yan Qingwan’s alchemy skill had considerably improved over the past year.

The Upper Grade pill formation success rate was about thirty percent, and within six months, becoming a senior Pill Master was almost certain.

At that point, profit should be official.

For this, Li Ji’an maintained a calm mindset, not rushing.

The only trouble was that Zheng Tianxiang had started visiting the pill shop more frequently, showing particular interest in Yan Qingwan.

This wasn’t a good sign.

However, he dared not act brazenly within the market.

”Brother Li, you should give it another try today.”

On this day, as Li Ji’an just arrived in the alchemy room, Yan Qingwan encouraged him to perform alchemy himself.

Li Ji’an chuckled: ”It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that my pill fire is even weaker than anticipated; even if I manage to refine a pill, the success rate and quality can’t be guaranteed, better not to waste the materials.”

The pill fire was a glaring flaw, even though he now thought his alchemy dao experience was no less than a high-level senior Pill Master, it only pertained to guiding others; he personally couldn’t do it.

”Don’t you often tell me, not to underestimate myself? Then why do you do just that? Give it another try.” Yan Qingwan insisted.

Li Ji’an smiled and then sat before the pill furnace, pushing both palms flat, a small flame positioned under the pill furnace.

Compared to Yan Qingwan’s late-stage Qi Cultivation deep crimson pill fire, his pill fire was not only less solid but also just a light red in color, clearly much lower in temperature and spiritual pressure.

The crucial point is his Dantian magical power was truly sparse, capable of refining only primary simple pill medicines; more complex ones might face fire interruption midway.

”Brother Li, remember the current state of your pill fire.” Suddenly, Yan Qingwan suggested meaningfully.

Li Ji’an turned towards her: ”You’re not quite yourself today.”

Yan Qingwan smiled mysteriously, no longer hiding, she stretched her right hand before Li Ji’an, opening it.

A glittering translucent pill appeared in view.

”Flying Cloud Pill!”