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Chapter 33: The Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron
Chapter 33: The Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron
"Xiang Xiang, can a regular iron pot be used for refining elixirs?"
In a waterside pavilion of the Fragrant Heaven Tower, Gu Caiyi leaned on the table, watching Yu Xiang apply makeup in front of her.
The gentle hands of the maidservant applied and rubbed the cosmetics, making Yu Xiang's already beautiful face even more radiant.
Sometimes, Gu Caiyi couldn't understand why Yu Xiang, already an inner disciple of the Bliss Sect, would still come to such a place of filth.
Yu Xiang closed her eyes, allowing the maidservant to apply the water-based makeup.
"An iron pot? If it has been infused with spiritual minerals, it can certainly be used for refining elixirs."
"Huh?"
Gu Caiyi was confused and asked, "Aren't alchemists supposed to use cauldrons for refining elixirs?"
"Hehe, that's a common misconception."
Yu Xiang chuckled. "The art of alchemy is vast and profound, with various methods such as water refinement, fire refinement, blood refinement, and live refinement, among others."
"And when it comes to alchemical tools, there are many types."
"A cauldron can withstand intense flames, hold more medicinal ingredients, and after the elixir is formed, it can nurture and retain more of the elixir's power. That's why cauldrons are the most commonly used tools in alchemy."
"However, pots, furnaces, bowls, and flasks are also common tools. I've even heard of dark cultivators using humans as cauldrons, employing the live refinement method to create great human elixirs."
Gu Caiyi was stunned.
She never imagined that alchemy had so many intricacies.
And from the way Yu Xiang spoke, there was likely even more to it.
"Can the lowest-quality iron pot from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion be used for alchemy?" Gu Caiyi was still skeptical.
Yu Xiang wasn't sure. "How poor is that pot?"
"The young lady, that pot only contains a trace amount of mystic iron, barely enough to retain the spiritual energy that escapes during the cooking of spirit rice. It costs one low-grade spirit stone."
The maidservant answered the question.
"Ah!"
Yu Xiang's small mouth opened in surprise as she opened her eyes.
"Such a tool can hardly produce good elixirs, right?"
"Yes, that's why I'm so shocked. I even wonder if my decades of cultivation have been in vain."
Through the clear and smooth glass mirror, Yu Xiang looked at Gu Caiyi, who was lying on the table, with curiosity.
"Is the person you're talking about about using a low-quality mystic iron pot the alchemist neighbor you mentioned last time?"
Gu Caiyi nodded.
Yu Xiang said with a touch of amazement, "The spiritual power of a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator is already limited. Using a pot with only a small amount of mystic iron to refine elixirs, your neighbor must either have an extraordinary talent for alchemy or a solid foundation, knowing the properties of herbs and the precise timing of each stage of the process."
"Either way, such a person would be a highly sought-after alchemist seed in small clans and minor powers."
Gu Caiyi was uncertain. "That good?"
"Yes, very good." Yu Xiang nodded emphatically, then her face became smeared.
The maidservant sighed and had to reapply her makeup.
"I've been a fire-tending disciple in the Bliss Sect's alchemy room for three years, a herb-mixing disciple for five years, and personally refined elixirs for twenty years, building a solid foundation. And that was with some talent in alchemy, which is why the sect was willing to cultivate me as an alchemist."
It was hard to imagine such a gentle and refined woman spending years tending fires and mixing herbs.
Gu Caiyi just felt that her neighbor must be really talented.
Mid-stage Qi Condensation, with a storage bag, but living in poverty with no backing from any major power.
Yet, he had honed his alchemy skills in such harsh conditions, achieving what most cultivators could only dream of.
"However, Caiyi, there's one thing I think you should warn your neighbor about."
"What?"
"If possible, he should get a better alchemy tool. A low-quality mystic iron pot can significantly affect the quality of the elixir and is very prone to exploding, which could result in serious injury or even death."
Why had cauldrons become the mainstream tool for alchemy?
Besides the various advantages Yu Xiang mentioned, the biggest advantage was safety!
Even if an elixir was destroyed or the earth fire became too intense, a cauldron was unlikely to explode.
"He's so poor, he probably can't afford a better alchemy tool."
Gu Caiyi pouted, then thought of something.
"Xiang Xiang, don't you have an extra alchemy furnace?"
Refining the Wondrous Pill was always a tedious and monotonous task.
Or rather, any repetitive work would eventually feel that way.
But not for Luo Chen!
The increasing proficiency and the predictable spirit stone rewards constantly motivated him to persist in his alchemy.
And recently, he had found other "entertainment" activities.
Watching a nearly fifty-pound bucket of water rise steadily from the well, Luo Chen couldn't help but grin with satisfaction.
His proficiency in the Attraction Spell had reached the Skilled level.
The rapid progress was largely due to the inspiration he drew from Gu Caiyi's water-drawing technique. He realized he didn't need to strictly adhere to the traditional methods of practicing the Attraction Spell. This spell could be applied to every aspect of daily life, from dressing and sweeping to lifting heavy objects. By frequently channeling his spiritual energy, he naturally became more adept at it.
At the Skilled level, he could now handle the Jade Green Saber, a magical weapon, with ease.
In addition to the Attraction Spell, Luo Chen had recently learned two more spells: the Wind Control Technique and the Spirit Eye Technique.
The Wind Control Technique was easy to master, likely due to his near-perfect proficiency in the Free and Easy Wanderer technique. He picked it up in just the time it took to burn an incense stick.
The Spirit Eye Technique, however, was more challenging.
Since it involved the delicate eyes, and his spiritual energy was quite powerful, he had to be extremely careful to avoid blinding himself. Therefore, he only started using it after he had upgraded his Attraction Spell and gained better control over his spiritual energy.
Before channeling his spiritual energy into his eyes, Luo Chen was quite hopeful.
"In an urban fantasy novel, this would be considered a superpower. Having a bit of X-ray vision wouldn't be too much to ask!"
However, when Luo Chen opened his eyes to see the world, he was disappointed. There was no X-ray vision. Instead, he saw a blinding light, like staring at the sun, which made his eyes ache after a while.
It had significant drawbacks!
But the Spirit Eye Technique was one of the five essential spells for Qi Condensation stage cultivators, so it must have its merits.
The Spirit Eye Technique allowed one to detect auras and spirits, and to see through illusions and evil.
For low-level cultivators, the greatest threat was not their low rank or lack of powerful backing, but their ignorance. Provoking a seemingly ordinary but highly advanced enemy, failing to identify the lairs of demonic beasts, or encountering ghosts while traveling at night could easily cost them their lives. The Spirit Eye Technique helped them avoid these dangers.
While it had its limitations, it at least allowed cultivators to know who they couldn't afford to offend and which places they should avoid. It could also easily detect polluted areas, allowing them to stay clear.
"However, this technique shouldn't be used carelessly. If you see someone you shouldn't, you might anger them."
High-level cultivators looking at low-level cultivators was generally fine, but low-level cultivators looking at high-level ones could easily be detected. Peering into the affairs of others often led to misunderstandings.
Of course, this referred to major rank differences, such as between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, or between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.
Within the same major rank, unless someone was practicing a special cultivation technique, they generally wouldn't notice others peering at them.
With a splash, the bucket of water was poured into the large water tank. Luo Chen activated the Spirit Eye Technique and gazed into the water.
Buddhism says that a single drop of water contains forty-eight thousand creatures. Modern biology also states that water is teeming with microorganisms.
Why can't I, a cultivator, see anything?
"This beginner-level Spirit Eye Technique is no better than a microscope."
Muttering to himself, Luo Chen looked at the thirty jade bottles in front of him. This was the result of his efforts over the past half-month. He had produced three batches of pills and raised his proficiency in the Wondrous Pill to the Skilled level.
He still had twenty-five sets of raw materials left, and if he wanted to refine them all, it would take nearly a month.
Now, Luo Chen was considering when to sell the Wondrous Pills.
Gu Caiyi's mention of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion being particularly busy at the beginning of the month made him realize a problem with his sales strategy.
"Selling them only at the market fairs saves time for refining more pills, but it means I earn less money."
High-quality pills often had a steady market demand. To ensure a continuous profit, he needed to keep the pills available on the market, so consumers could always find and purchase them.
Why was the Nourishing Qi Pill so popular among low-level cultivators?
After all, there were other pills that could enhance the spiritual energy of Qi Condensation stage cultivators.
The reason was that the Spirit Medicine Pavilion always had Nourishing Qi Pills in stock. They used a large supply to crowd out other similar pills.
Currently, there weren't many competitors for the Wondrous Pill, but he needed to consider this issue.
He should try to increase production while ensuring the pills were always available on the market.
"Decided. I'll set up a stall three times a month!"
Twice at the small fairs and once at the large fair. Luo Chen was a one-man operation, and this was the best he could manage for now.
However, this plan was shaken the next morning.
"A Low-Rank First-Class magical weapon, the Purple Cloud Copper Furnace?"
(End of Chapter)
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