APTnovel Chapter 123 Initial Refining of Pills
Chapter 123 Initial Refining of Pills
Xu Xiaoxiao observed carefully, thinking that she also wanted to subdue a fire seed to refine pills.
Mu Zhusheng saw what she was thinking, but considering that her junior sister had always had good fortune, she might actually have a chance to see a higher-level fire seed.
"Junior Sister, all you need to do now is practice the most basic alchemy techniques. The higher the level of the fire seed, the harder it is to encounter. It also depends on fate. Don't be too stubborn." Mu Zhusheng was also afraid that her junior sister would get stuck on something.
"Don't worry, Second Senior Brother, I will cultivate diligently. I know that opportunities are rare and hard to come by," Xu Xiaoxiao patted her chest.
Xu Xiaoxiao stood in the alchemy room, surrounded by tranquility, with only the occasional soft crackling of the embers in the alchemy furnace.
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes firm, her small nostrils twitching gently, as if she had deeply absorbed Mu Zhusheng's words of advice into her heart.
"Second Brother, I know what I'm doing, so don't worry about it."
As Xu Xiaoxiao spoke, she raised her hand and gently patted Mu Zhusheng's arm, her lips curving upwards to reveal two shallow dimples, trying to reassure him.
"Try refining some simple pills yourself first. I'll go to the senior brother's courtyard to protect him. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, remember to send me a message, or have Chu Yi and Chu Er relay the message."
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded, saw her second senior brother out of the alchemy room, and then sent a message to Chu Yi and Chu Er to come and help with the alchemy.
Then, she turned to face the shelf full of medicinal herbs, and moved with light steps, her figure as graceful as a butterfly in flight.
Her fingers gently brushed over the rare herbs. Sometimes she would pick one up and sniff it, and sometimes she would close her eyes and ponder, as if sketching out the steps of alchemy in her mind.
A moment later, Xu Xiaoxiao carefully placed the selected medicinal herbs on the plate, then picked up the alchemy manual next to her and held it tightly in her hand, her seriousness as if she held the key to unlocking the peak of alchemy.
Xu Xiaoxiao was left alone in the alchemy room. At this moment, the sunlight outside the window filtered through the dappled leaves, casting dappled light and shadow, and a gentle breeze stirred her hair.
She took a deep breath to calm herself and focused her gaze intently on the medicinal herbs and alchemy manual in front of her.
She spread the alchemy manual out on the stone table beside her, her slender fingers slowly moving along the words, softly reciting the key points of alchemy, sometimes frowning slightly as if encountering difficulties, and sometimes nodding slightly as if she had gained some understanding.
Her fair face was serious, and her eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge, as if the whole world had shrunk to just this one world of alchemy.
Next, Xu Xiaoxiao picked up the prepared medicinal herbs and began to process them meticulously according to the steps shown in the manual.
With practiced skill, she gently crushed each herb, her movements light and precise, the powder falling like fine snow in winter.
Occasionally, a few bits of herbs would drift onto her cheek, but she would simply blow them away, completely unconcerned, and concentrate intently on the task at hand.
The first and second-year students arrived quickly. The two clever and cute girls skipped and hopped to Xu Xiaoxiao's side.
Xu Xiaoxiao raised her head, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes, and a smile appeared on her lips: "You've come at the right time. Quickly help me start a fire, and let's try refining this batch of pills together."
After saying that, she pointed to the alchemy furnace, her eyes full of anticipation.
With the help of the first and second students, the furnace fire roared to life. Xu Xiaoxiao stood in front of the furnace, her hands moving in a series of hand seals, spiritual energy surging, and light shimmering in her palms.
She stared intently at the fire and the changes in the medicinal herbs inside the furnace, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, her posture upright, her clothes billowing in the wind, as if she had become one with the furnace and the flames.
Once she sensed a slight deviation in the timing, she quickly adjusted her spiritual energy output, and fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead, but she dared not slack off in the slightest.
Inside the alchemy room, the firelight flickered, and a scorching heat permeated every inch of the space.
Xu Xiaoxiao wore a light blue dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind, like a lotus blooming in flames.
She stared intently at the alchemy furnace, her eyes filled with focus and determination. Her fair face was flushed red by the firelight, and her hair was soaked with sweat, but she was completely unaware of it.
Two little girls, one in the first year of junior high and one in the second, stood on either side, their cheeks flushed red from the heat.
Chu Yi gripped the bellows tightly with both hands, pumping it vigorously. His cheeks puffed out and shrugged, and he put all his strength into each pump. His eyes showed a stubbornness, determined to make the fire burn even brighter.
The second-year student squatted to the side, carefully adding charcoal into the stove. Her eyes were wide open, and she paid close attention to the changes in the fire. She added just the right amount of charcoal, and her movements were precise and steady.
Xu Xiaoxiao would occasionally look down at the alchemy manual, her slender fingers lightly tracing the pages as she silently recited the key steps.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, as if she had caught a key piece of information. She quickly raised her hands, her ten fingers moving nimbly in hand seals, and spiritual energy wrapped around her like silk threads, flowing into the alchemy furnace.
As she performed the incantation, a slight buzzing sound emanated from the alchemy furnace, as if responding to her control.
As the pill was about to take shape, Xu Xiaoxiao's face showed a mixture of tension and anticipation.
She opened her mouth slightly, her breathing became rapid, her hands moved in a series of hand seals, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, instantly vaporizing on the scorching hot stove surface.
The first and second-year students also became nervous. The first-year students unconsciously slowed down the rhythm of the blower, and the second-year students almost dropped the charcoal in their hands.
At the critical moment, Xu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and suddenly increased her spiritual power output, and a beam of light shot out from the alchemy furnace.
Immediately afterwards, the furnace lid popped open automatically with a "bang," and several round pills emitting a faint glow slowly rose up.
Xu Xiaoxiao's face lit up with an ecstatic smile, her eyes curving into crescents. She eagerly reached out to catch the pill, examining it closely, and murmured, "It's done, it's done!"
The first and second graders cheered and jumped for joy, surrounding Xu Xiaoxiao and clapping their hands in praise. The alchemy room was filled with the joy of success.
This time, she refined the pills on her own, unlike the time when Mu Zhusheng helped her. Looking at the pills in her hand, she saw two pill patterns, indicating that this pill was a second-grade pill.
"So I have a talent for alchemy too!" Xu Xiaoxiao looked at the pill pattern in disbelief. She had succeeded in refining pills on her first attempt by herself.
I've heard my second senior brother say that you can judge the quality of pills from grade one to grade five by looking at the pill patterns, but from grade six to grade nine, pill patterns won't appear, and you have to look at the color and luster to judge.
"Congratulations, Master!" The first and second-year students happily gathered around.
"Thank you both for your hard work this time. Here are these two Spirit Gathering Pills for you." Xu Xiaoxiao had three finished pills in this batch, one for each of them.
"Thank you, Master." The first and second-year students each took one. It was the Master's first time refining pills, so he was a little reluctant to eat them and wanted to keep them as a keepsake.
Xu Xiaoxiao put the pill in her mouth. It had a pleasant fragrance and melted in her mouth. It was delicious. It seemed she could refine more so she could eat it like candy.
"Why aren't you two eating?" Xu Xiaoxiao asked, seeing the two girls' reluctant expressions. "This is just the beginning. I will refine many more, even better pills, and then you can eat as much as you want."
Hearing Xu Xiaoxiao say this, the first and second children nodded happily, ate the pills in their hands, and felt much better after eating them. They looked at each other and smiled, "Our master is so good to us, we must take good care of him."