Chapter 8 Pill Formation

• As fire surged into the alchemy furnace, the intense heat dried out the herbs within seconds. The spiritual energy they held vanished before it could be released, causing an initial failure. However, Sebastian didn't waver. He recognized that while his flames were strong, they required more careful handling.
• He adjusted his flames and carefully roasted the herbs within the furnace. Yet, even with greater caution, his second attempt also fell short.
• It was only after three failures that Sebastian began to understand the way of fire control.
• By his fourth try, he succeeded in reaching the advanced stage of alchemy.
• The alchemy furnace allowed him to view the herbs inside by channeling his mental power. Observing the herbs, he saw them releasing multicolored spiritual energies. Controlling those, he directed them to spin within, creating small vortexes. As the herbs dried up, they transformed into ash.
• Using his mental power, Sebastian mixed those energies with the medicinal powder from the herbs, attempting to produce five pills at once.
• At the Earthly Fifth Realm, Sebastian's mental power was good but nearing its limit as he divided the spiritual energy into five vortexes, combining each with the powder to make the pills.
• As five swirling vortices took shape, Sebastian's brow furrowed, and beads of sweat trickled down his face. At that moment, he was not only expending true energy to create flames but also channeling a significant amount of mental power to manage those flames and shape the pills.
• It must succeed! The five vortices of spiritual energy spun rapidly, merging with five portions of evenly spread medicinal powder. The only step left was to carefully add the right amount of water to turn the powder and spiritual energy into pills.
• Once he infused the water with true energy, five pills appeared in the alchemy furnace. They were still damp and enveloped in rich spiritual energy.
• Pills formed! Sebastian exclaimed inwardly as a white mist enveloped the five spiritual pills, which was steam escaping from the moisture during the drying process.
• Exhaustion was evident on Sebastian's face; he was drenched in sweat. After all, he had been continuously generating flames and exerting mental power, nearly exhausting his true energy reserves.
• He sighed slightly. "It's done! A full day of effort—alchemy takes time!"
• Opening the alchemy furnace, he watched the mist clear from the five freshly made Body-forging Pills, revealing their snow-white surfaces. He couldn't help but smile. Although he had consumed Body-forging Pills in the past, he believed the ones he had just created were superior.
• If the old alchemists were aware that he had managed to produce the Body-forging Pill in a single day, they would certainly feel inferior. Many needed three to five years of hard work to achieve success in pill refinement. Even the most talented alchemists typically require at least a year to produce just one pill at a time.
• Yet Sebastian had accomplished the remarkable feat of refining five pills on his very first attempt, which would surely astonish those seasoned alchemists.
• Not just the old alchemists—both Melissa and Hayley were equally astonished by Sebastian's alchemical skill, staring in disbelief at the pills they held delicately in their hands.
• "Hey, Melissa, you mentioned it would take me a year or more, but here I am, done in just one day. I think I deserve a reward!" Sebastian proclaimed proudly.
• Melissa beamed at him and playfully asked, "So, what kind of reward are you thinking of?"
• With a smirk, he crossed his arms. "Just a kiss on the cheek will do."
• "Dream on!" Hayley replied coldly as she returned to the ring.
• But Melissa, with a playful smile, leaned closer and lightly pressed her soft lips against Sebastian's cheek, giggling as she said, "Boy, remember to keep working hard and stay humble."
• Sebastian had been joking, but he didn't expect the lovely girl to kiss him. When Melissa saw the look of shock on his face, she covered her mouth, giggling before returning to the ring.
• Taking a deep breath, he caught the delightful scent and felt an unexpected rush of comfort. "Wow, she truly is like a fairy. I feel invigorated!"
• He gently touched the invisible ring on his finger, reminiscent of caressing a lover's face. He was motivated to restore the powers of the two enchanting beauties contained within the ring as quickly as possible.
• Each Body-forging Pill was valued at 700 spirit stones. With five in his possession, he could sell them for 3,500 spirit stones. That was quite a profit, and he still had another set of materials ready for refining. If all went well, he could earn another 3,500 spirit stones from that batch.
• Previously, he had read that one set of materials could yield five Body-forging Pills. So, his initial goal was to produce five pills. However, he was unaware that achieving five pills from a single batch required pushing the materials to their absolute limits. Only alchemists with exceptional understanding could seize the precise moment for pill formation, which was crucial for success.
• Careful management of both mental power and temperature was essential, adjusting according to the changes occurring within the alchemy furnace; otherwise, all his efforts would be wasted.
• Body-forging Pills were particularly beneficial for enhancing one's physique, but they were effective only for those below the Earthly Third Realm. Sebastian was at the Earthly Fifth Realm. Those pills wouldn't provide much benefit to him, though they could help restore his true energy quickly.
• After consuming one pill, he felt most of his true energy restored. He carefully wrapped up the remaining four pills to give to Ronan.
• "They taste great, but I just ate 700 SD on one!" Sebastian lamented as he dashed off to his father's study.
• It was late into the night, but Ronan was still awake, contemplating the warrior's technique, which was a regular habit of his.
• "Seb, what's going on so late?" Ronan asked, scrunching his brow as he caught a whiff of Sebastian's sweat.
• "Dad, I kept my promise to let you try the pills right after I refined them!" Sebastian grinned.
• "What!" Ronan jumped to his feet, eyes wide with shock. He had thought it would take Sebastian at least ten or eight years to accomplish that, but never imagined he could do it in just a single day!
• Sebastian revealed the four snow-white Body-forging Pills to his father. Ronan gaped in astonishment at the sight of the four pills.
• "They're still warm!" Ronan exclaimed, feeling dazed. He struggled to believe that his son had grasped the art of alchemy in just one day. Such talent was rare, perhaps a once-in-a-millennium gift.
• While many sought to recruit talents like Sebastian, they also drew envy and potential danger from others. Some wished to recruit him, while others plotted against him.
• Taking a deep breath, Ronan managed to calm his excitement and said, "These are significantly better than what you'd find at the Elixir Emporium. I could sell them for at least 800 SD each! I'll keep these four for now, trade them for Spirit Dollars, and help you buy some spiritual herb seedlings."
• Sebastian had proven capable of maturing spiritual herbs and refining pills in just a few days, so Ronan was confident that his son would become a master alchemist in the future.
• "Don't rush things, though. Start with refining Low-earthly Rank pills. Once you're confident, you can progress to higher ones," Ronan advised.
• Sebastian nodded, heading back to rest. After replenishing his mental power, he prepared to refine the last batch of medicinal ingredients.
• The next morning, he woke up early, eager to create more refining Body-forging Pills. He was filled with excitement, having successfully produced pills before, and he felt ready to tackle the process again with newfound ease.
• Inside the alchemy furnace, five clusters of medicinal powder and spiritual energy had merged into a cohesive ball. This time, Sebastian felt relaxed, free from the mental and true energy fatigue he had experienced previously.
• "It's done!" He breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the furnace to reveal the Body-forging Pills radiating spiritual energy.
• This batch had taken only two hours!
• In the days that followed, Sebastian continued to cultivate spiritual herbs and refine pills. He made not only Body-forging Pills but also useful Low-earthly Rank pills such as Vitality Pills, Healing Pills, Detoxifying Pills, and Energy Condensing Pills.
• Although he faced failures at the start of each refining session, he gradually became adept at understanding the properties of the spiritual herbs and managing the heat, learning a few tricks along the way.
• The enigmatic Melissa proved to be highly skilled in alchemy. Sebastian would have never guessed that such a delicate beauty could excel in alchemical arts; he had always imagined alchemists as elderly men with gray hair.
• Nonetheless, Sebastian led a fulfilling life. His alchemical pursuits didn't interfere with his training. He typically practiced the Ambergris Technique at night, condensing the green dewdrops essential for ripening spiritual herbs.
• As another month slipped by, Sebastian had become proficient in refining Low-earthly Rank pills.