Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 93: Refining the Jade Marrow Pill (Third Update) - Novel Cool

Chapter 93: Refining the Jade Marrow Pill (Third Update)

Chapter 93: Refining the Jade Marrow Pill (Third Update)

The largest of the three alchemy rooms was the central one, equipped with the most comprehensive facilities. This was because it housed the most precious item in the Alchemy Hall, aside from Luo Chen himself.

The Xuan Yun Cauldron, a mid-tier first-rank cauldron, was said to be one of the most expensive mid-tier magical artifacts, even more costly than some redundant mid-tier defensive artifacts.

At the moment, the large alchemy room was empty, with no outsiders present. Even Millet was kept outside.

Luo Chen stoked the fire himself, opened the furnace, and began adding the various ingredients that Uncle Hua had prepared. Common ingredients like ginseng and polygonum were essential auxiliaries, providing the basic essence needed for cultivators. Beyond these, there were more valuable auxiliaries like blue citron grass and snow orchid, which could enhance the main ingredients or suppress unwanted properties.

With the auxiliaries in the cauldron, Luo Chen's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the Xuan Yun Cauldron. The Spirit Eye Technique had long been activated in his eyes, and he was just one step away from becoming a master in it. When he used it, his vision was so sharp that he could see through the barriers of a ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator.

Ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators would never spend much effort on such a technique, so their proficiency naturally couldn't match Luo Chen's. Occasionally, Luo Chen wondered if he could see through the disguises of Foundation Establishment cultivators if he advanced to the master level in the Spirit Eye Technique.

"The auxiliary ingredients have mostly released their potency," Luo Chen mused. "It's time to add the main ingredient!"

From a nearby rack, Luo Chen took a bamboo box. Inside, a palm-sized piece of Cold Jade shimmered with a lustrous glow.

Washing Jade, a first-rank spirit jade, was commonly found in rivers, lakes, and seas, as well as in areas with heavy yin energy. This jade had many uses: it could be used to make jade boxes for sealing pills, to create water-attribute jade scrolls, or to strengthen the body through its essence.

In the mortal world, this jade was also popular. It was used as a core material for ice cellars or in large quantities to construct tombs. However, it was quite expensive. A palm-sized piece of Washing Jade cost one spirit stone, which could buy ten pounds of spirit rice.

The main ingredient for the Jade Marrow Pill was the essence inside this Washing Jade, which accounted for about one-fifth of the total cost of a batch. Luo Chen estimated that the raw materials for a batch of Jade Marrow Pills would cost around five spirit stones. Not cheap, but not excessively expensive either, similar to the cost of the Wonderful Pill.

The cost of the Wonderful Pill was actually higher due to one of its main ingredients being sourced from the Outer Northern Sea, which inflated its cost.

With the current cost of the Jade Marrow Pill, Luo Chen wasn't sure how many pills he could produce in a batch, but as long as it was more than the Wonderful Pill, it would be a profitable venture. After all, one was an aphrodisiac, and the other was a pill that aided cultivation. Their markets couldn't be compared.

With these thoughts in mind, Luo Chen didn't relax his movements. The Washing Jade floated above the cauldron as Luo Chen continuously channeled his spiritual energy. The amount of spiritual energy he released was minimal, about one-tenth of a Fireball Spell, but it had to be maintained very steadily.

After a while, he began to feel a bit tired. Once the spiritual energy was released, he had to manipulate and compress the jade using a special technique he had learned from the Green Origin Alchemy Manual, called the Jade Folding Technique, which was specifically used for handling jade-like materials.

Under the Jade Folding Technique, the outer shell of the Washing Jade began to crack, and droplets of a crystalline liquid, like bone marrow, seeped out. This was the Jade Marrow! Originally solid, it had become a semi-liquid under the manipulation of spiritual energy. Once these droplets entered the cauldron, they would turn completely liquid under the high temperature.

Extracting the Jade Marrow took a lot of effort, and it took Luo Chen a full half-hour to complete this step.

"The hardest part is done," Luo Chen thought. "Now comes the next challenge."

Since the main ingredient was jade, this pill was not a medicinal pill but a mineral pill! In the world of cultivation, medicinal pills were the absolute mainstream, but they were divided into many categories based on their main ingredients and effects.

For example, a pill made from herbs was a medicinal pill, one made from a demon beast's core was a beast pill, and one made from minerals was a mineral pill, also known as a metal-stone pill. There were also rumored to be soul pills made from souls, qi pills made from qi, and wonder pills made from celestial wonders. The most legendary of all were the Dao pills, which were said to be made from the intangible principles of the Dao, allowing one to grasp the Dao and control their own fate.

Luo Chen wasn't interested in these mythical tales. He had only dealt with medicinal and mineral pills so far. The Jade Marrow Pill was a mineral pill, and refining mineral pills always presented a challenge: how to remove the impurities from the minerals while perfectly blending them with herbal ingredients.

If the impurities weren't removed sufficiently, the mineral pill would contain residual metal toxins. If the blending wasn't done well, the pill would be unstable and prone to mineralization.

Luo Chen soon saw the result of poor blending.

Not only did he see it, but Uncle Hua and the others did as well.

"Is this the Jade Marrow Pill you refined?" Uncle Hua held a handful of colorful small stone beads, his face full of disbelief.

Luo Chen felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head. "Everyone makes mistakes, even the best. And who can succeed on their first try? Even the Alchemy Sage from Central State wouldn't dare to boast about it."

Luo Chen spoke with confidence, but the disappointment was hard to hide.

Uncle Hua sighed and tossed the handful of colorful stones to the ground. "I was too hasty."

Luo Chen instinctively patted his shoulder, but he was startled when he did.

When did I ever disrespect Foundation Establishment cultivators like this?

However, seeing that the other party wasn't upset, he put on a smiling face and said, "Hey, failure is the mother of success. This failure will surely lead to success in the future. Old Mi, don't lose heart. I've already gained significant insights into refining the Jade Marrow Pill!"

Old Mi muttered, "Failure is the mother of success," and wandered home in a daze.

After three days of being a guardian, the brother he was protecting gave him a harsh wake-up call.

After he left, Luo Chen shook his head.

How could a grown man be so impatient?

When he first refined the All-Wonder Pill, he failed for several days in a row but remained confident.

In front of his subordinates, he picked up the colorful stone beads from the ground.

After all, these were materials worth five spirit stones, and the little trinkets that came from refining them.

Even if nothing else, they could be used to play marbles or hopscotch during his free time!

However, he needed more. A few more failures, and he could collect all the colors to play hopscotch.

He thought this, and the others watched him happily picking up the beads.

Over the next few days, all the failed beads were collected and delivered to Luo Chen.

During this time, Luo Chen made a rare effort to refine pills.

He refined the All-Wonder Pill twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Under his deliberate control, the success rates for low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade pills were maintained at a ratio of three to six to one.

This method was slow in improving his All-Wonder Pill mastery.

However, it effectively concealed his true alchemy skills.

The guild held another meeting, chaired by Mi Junping.

She planned to set different prices for the three grades of pills.

After a discussion, the low-grade All-Wonder Pill was priced at three spirit stones, the mid-grade at five, and the high-grade at ten spirit stones.

Such a high price was almost equal to a single Qi Nourishing Pill!

Few would buy it.

But that was fine; there would always be some big spenders.

Moreover, the quality of the pills was distinctly different.

According to the experience report of senior user Mr. Zeng Wen, the mid-grade All-Wonder Pill was twice as effective as the low-grade, and the high-grade completely eliminated the side effects of the All-Wonder Pill.

Even with long-term use, it wouldn't cause any issues.

Furthermore, it truly had the effect of strengthening the foundation and nurturing the essence.

Zeng Wen exclaimed that he had found the path to enlightenment!

Luo Chen was also moved by himself. He had brought a touch of warmth and color to the cold, ruthless world of cultivation.

He, Luo Chen, deserved to be one of the top ten outstanding young cultivators in the Jade Cauldron Domain.

The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect owed him a trophy made of high-grade spirit stones!

Well, enough self-admiration.

Apart from refining the All-Wonder Pill twice a day, Luo Chen would also refine the Jade Marrow Pill by himself in the evening.

That's why there were so many colorful beads.

Time passed quickly.

Ten days later, Mi Shuhua stepped into the Slanting Moon Valley Alchemy Hall again.

However, he was immediately angered by what he saw.

"What are you doing?"

On the left side of the alchemy hall, there was a slightly protruding cliff platform.

Usually, there was a stone table here for Luo Chen to eat and drink.

However, today, three people were sitting around the stone table.

Luo Chen, Gu Caiyi, and Sikong Shoujia.

They were gathered around a hexagonal board.

The board was filled with beads of six different colors.

It was Sikong Shoujia's turn to make a move.

Hearing Mi Shuhua's sudden outburst, he jumped and quickly overturned the board.

"Reporting to the guild leader, we were studying the characteristics of discarded Jade Marrow Pills to find the possibility of success."

It sounded noble, but!

Luo Chen gritted his teeth and glared at Sikong Shoujia.

Old man, you were about to lose, and you overturned the board.

I don't care; you still owe me that book!

...

Faced with Sikong Shoujia's excuse, Mi Shuhua was half-believing, half-disbelieving.

Overall, he didn't believe it at all!

However, seeing the two old men looking at Luo Chen with hopeful eyes, he wanted to know about Luo Chen's progress.

Seeing the two old men's pitiful expressions, Luo Chen sighed.

He took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and casually tossed it to Mi Shuhua.

Mi Shuhua took the bottle in confusion, opened it, and his eyes instantly widened.

Then...

"Ha ha ha, indeed, you are a genius alchemist!"

Luo Chen gave a thumbs-up, "You, sir, have keen eyes!"

Uh!

Mi Shuhua froze, this kid is truly shameless!

But then, he couldn't help but be overjoyed as he poured out a pale white pill from the bottle.

"Come here, that Luo boy."

Luo Chen subconsciously took a step forward, then felt embarrassed and angry.

Damn it, he was calling Luo Eardo, Luo Invincible's nephew.

No, after he became a respected elder, the Luo surname must be treated with respect!

Luo Eardo walked up in a daze.

"Guild leader!"

"Eat it, run your cultivation technique, try to refine it, and tell me the result."

"Okay."

Luo Eardo, usually carefree, was obedient in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He took the Jade Marrow Pill and began practicing his cultivation technique on the spot.

However, his posture was bizarre, like a frog crouching on the ground or a tiger descending a mountain with its fur standing on end.

Seeing this, Luo Chen was stunned.

Seeing his confusion, Gu Caiyi whispered, "Each cultivation technique has its unique benefits, and the practice methods vary. It's said that Luo Eardo practices the Tiger Descending the Mountain technique taught by his uncle, Luo Invincible. Each stage of the technique simulates the movements of a tiger, allowing for better absorption of the earth's qi."

Luo Chen nodded in understanding.

He didn't know much about cultivation techniques.

The only one he knew was the Everlasting Technique.

The Everlasting Technique, a wood-type technique, is best practiced in a static state.

Thus, when running the technique, one's state is like a standing tree.

The Tiger Descending the Mountain technique, on the other hand, is more dynamic.

He wondered what other techniques were like.

Thinking about this, he glanced at Gu Caiyi.

However, he noticed that the other person seemed a bit uneasy and instinctively turned away.

Luo Chen became intrigued. "Brother Gu, how about we practice together sometime?"

"Get lost!"

Gu Caiyi spat, her eyes flashing with irritation.

Seeing the two bickering, Uncle Mi Shuhua shot them a stern glance and immediately cast a Silence Barrier around Luo Erduo.

For low-level cultivators, practicing their techniques often took a long time.

Back when Luo Chen was practicing the Eternal Spring Technique, it would take him two hours each session.

This drawback gradually diminished as his proficiency increased, reducing the time to about half an hour.

Naturally, Luo Erduo was no exception. He performed various peculiar movements, each lasting twenty minutes.

It wasn't until two hours later that he finished, drenched in sweat.

Uncle Mi Shuhua nodded. "The Tiger Walking Mountain Technique consists of nine movements. You can currently perform six of them, which shows a solid foundation at the mid-stage Qi Refinement level."

Pleased with the praise, Luo Erduo wiped the sweat from his forehead and recounted his experience with the pill.

"The pill's nature is quite cold, not as mild as the Qi Nourishing Pill."

"Normal. The main ingredient is Jade Washing, which is cold in nature, so the pill's properties are naturally cold," Luo Chen explained.

Glancing at Luo Chen, Luo Erduo continued, "The potency was good, increasing my overall spiritual energy by about one or two thousandths."

One or two thousandths, roughly one or two parts in a thousand.

Luo Chen frowned. "The potency is a bit low. It might be due to my technique not being refined enough."

However, Uncle Mi Shuhua was already quite satisfied.

He smiled. "Luo Erduo is only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement. A single Qi Nourishing Pill would only increase his spiritual energy by about one or two percent. In other words, this low-grade Jade Marrow Pill already has about ten percent of the effect of a Qi Nourishing Pill!"

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. Uncle Mi Shuhua seemed to have a lot of experience in this area. He himself had some questions in this regard.

Perhaps he could find some time to glean some knowledge from Uncle Mi Shuhua.

After all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, if pressed a bit, would always give something away.

After receiving the user's feedback, Uncle Mi Shuhua dismissed the others.

He looked at Luo Chen excitedly. "What's the success rate?"

Luo Chen replied calmly, "In the past ten days, I only succeeded once, using my own Purple Cloud Copper Cauldron. That batch yielded eleven Jade Marrow Pills."

Hearing this, Uncle Mi Shuhua's excitement dimmed.

The Jade Marrow Pill couldn't be sold like the Marvelous Pill.

The Marvelous Pill, as Kang Dongyue, the head of the Gold and Stone Pavilion in Mount Tai, had said, was overpriced.

It was only because of its unique properties and the frequent battles with beast monsters in the Great River Market that it could be sold individually for five spirit stones.

In more peaceful inland markets, a single pill would only cost one or two spirit stones.

Now, the Jade Marrow Pill's potency was only about one-tenth that of the Qi Nourishing Pill.

Thus, its price couldn't be much higher.

Cultivators were very sensitive to the prices of cultivation pills.

"Five spirit stones for the cost, if we sell it for ten spirit stones per bottle, we won't make much profit," Uncle Mi Shuhua murmured.

Then, he looked at Luo Chen hopefully. "Can you increase the number of pills you can produce?"

Luo Chen shrugged. "I'm afraid that's not possible right now, unless I make more progress in refining the Jade Marrow Pill."

"Moreover, I can't mass-produce it like the Marvelous Pill. I haven't mastered the techniques yet, and I can't pass them on to others."

Currently, Luo Chen was doing everything himself.

If he hastily asked the apprentices and furnace workers to help, they might not succeed in a single batch out of a hundred.

Hearing these difficulties, Uncle Mi Shuhua's face grew even more troubled.

Seeing this, Luo Chen felt a bit sorry for him. He had always seemed like a genial, wealthy old man.

Now, after more interaction, Luo Chen realized he had his own troubles.

So, Luo Chen decided to help him.

"Boss, the main issue in refining more Jade Marrow Pills is in the handling of the Jade Washing."

Uncle Mi Shuhua perked up. He had gone over the pill formula countless times and even had the Mi family's alchemy apprentices try their hand at it.

He knew the difficulties well.

"Every time I handle the Jade Washing, whether it's extracting the jade marrow or fusing it with the auxiliary materials, I have to be fully focused."

Luo Chen rubbed his temples. "As you know, our Qi Refinement cultivators have a shallow soul foundation, and our spiritual senses can't even leave our bodies. In this situation, it's hard for me to achieve much."

"So?" Uncle Mi Shuhua asked tentatively.

He had a bad feeling about this.

Luo Chen opened his innocent eyes. "So, if there were any soul-soothing and mind-stabilizing elixirs, I could refine more and better Jade Marrow Pills for you."

"Um, Tranquilizing Incense is very good, cheap, and effective. If I get a small box every month, I can definitely contribute more to the guild!"

Tranquilizing Incense was one of the best external aids for low-level cultivators.

One Tranquilizing Incense per day would allow a cultivator to practice their life-bound technique five more times, supposedly restoring their fragile souls.

Luo Chen had used this before, obtained from a short-lived cultivator.

It was one of the few times he had killed and taken treasure.

That experience left him with both terrible and wonderful memories.

The Tranquilizing Incense was part of the wonderful experience.

A box of Tranquilizing Incense had allowed him to practice freely for a while, even giving him the energy to develop his own combat style.

Without that box of Tranquilizing Incense and the accompanying Qi Nourishing Pills, he might not have survived his second battle.

Hearing the name, Uncle Mi Shuhua shuddered.

It wasn't the cost; a box of Tranquilizing Incense was a mere trifle to him.

He was trembling because this young man seemed to always push for more.

But for the Jade Marrow Pill!

Uncle Mi Shuhua took a deep breath. "Tranquilizing Incense, right? I'll send it to you. But you must show me results!"

"Of course, of course! Little Luo will never make empty promises. You old man can wait at home and count your spirit stones until you can't stop smiling!"

Little Luo was already grinning from ear to ear!

---

Thank you, Fireworks Xiao Min, for your generous support. I remember this is the second time. I am very grateful.

(End of Chapter)

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