Chapter 137: The Way of Alchemy

It was the season of Beginning of Autumn.

By the Carefree Cave, a batch of medicinal herbs had reached maturity. The white film over Third Sister's eyes was slowly dissipating, and the throat passages of the Green Chi were gradually improving, now capable of producing some simple syllables.

Unawares, Cheng Xinzhan had also gained substantial insights into the Qi-Refining Realm, and he now directed more energy toward researching the acupuncture points of the celestial cycle.

The second realm focused on two main directions: divine abilities and stellar auras. Cheng Xinzhan intended to prioritize divine abilities first, and seek out stellar auras later.

Because his five inner palaces and the crimson palace had been fully opened, his acquired longevity far exceeded that of ordinary people. Opening his heart, kidneys, liver, and spleen palaces each granted him thirty years of longevity, which was the maximum possible limit. For others, gaining twenty years would be considered high. Similarly, opening the crimson palace granted sixty years, again the maximum, while generally forty or fifty years was considered substantial.

Therefore, even though the tribulation of true stellar auras piercing his points had cost him thirty years of lifespan, overall, his longevity still surpassed that of his peers.

Moreover, he had broken through the first realm fast enough, and his innate constitution and lifespan were high, leaving him with an abundance of life force. Thus, there was no need for him to specialize exclusively in either divine abilities or stellar auras; he could cultivate both successively.

Having cultivated his body and nurtured his nature for over a year, he felt the time was ripe to study alchemy. Furthermore, autumn was approaching; the hue of autumn was golden and governed warfare, meaning his appointment as the White Tiger Envoy should arrive soon.

He was about to become busy once again.

***

Mount Danxia.

Mount Danxia was a volcano.

Naturally, there were no volcanoes in the vast lands of Yuzhang.

After Patriarch Ge Hong founded his sect on Mount Sanqing, he had specifically traveled to the Southern Wilderness to relocate a volcano there for the sake of alchemy. He drove its roots deep into the earth, connecting the base of the mountain to subterranean fire veins, thus planting an active volcano in the lands of Yuzhang.

The terrestrial fire in the Golden Refining Cave of the White Tiger Mountain Armory was also channeled from here.

The crater resembled a well shaft that plunged straight down into the earth's core, and this passage was called the Fire Well.

On the periphery of the Fire Well, there were two ring-shaped wells: the inner one was called the Smoke Well, and the outer one was called the Dan Well.

Along the inner ring wall of the Dan Well, numerous square openings had been carved inward, each about the size of a small room. Each opening had a hole both above and below it; the lower hole connected to a fire duct, with its other end leading into the Fire Well, while the upper hole connected to a smoke duct, with its other end leading into the Smoke Well.

Each of these openings served as an alchemy chamber, acting as a place for the disciples of Mount Danxia to practice alchemy and cultivate themselves.

The alchemists of Mount Danxia moved up and down the Dan Well, swarming through the mountain like ants or bees.

Raging terrestrial fire surged up through the Fire Well, and the flames mixed at the crater with the alchemical smoke rising from the smoke ducts, transforming into crimson clouds of mist that lingered over the peak. This was the origin of Mount Danxia's name.

The deeper one went into the Dan Well, the higher the temperature, the more vigorous the terrestrial fire, and the higher the realm of the alchemist practicing within.

Usually, Mountain Master Ren Wushi practiced and refined pills deep below. Today, because Cheng Xinzhan was coming, he was waiting outside the crater.

As soon as Cheng Xinzhan arrived at Mount Danxia and saw the Mountain Master waiting for him, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

"I apologize for keeping the Mountain Master waiting so long."

Mountain Master Ren smiled and shook his head. "Not long at all."

Bending low and remaining bowed, Cheng Xinzhan spoke again:

"Given the Mountain Master's busy schedule, it was already a great favor for you to spare the time to guide me in the Dao of Alchemy. I ought to have sought your instruction sincerely from the very beginning, yet I procrastinated for a full year. I have truly slighted the Mountain Master's kind intentions, and I earnestly beg your forgiveness."

Cheng Xinzhan spoke with heartfelt sincerity, genuinely ashamed of himself.

Unexpectedly, Ren Wushi looked up and laughed heartily.

"Xinzhan, oh Xinzhan, did you intentionally delay? I think not. What I see is that in order to practice alchemy, you spent a whole year nurturing your nature, a whole year settling your mind and building foundations, a whole year familiarizing yourself with medicinal herbs, and a whole year understanding medicinal properties. Were all these not preparations for practicing alchemy? Coupled with the year you spent studying artifact refinement in the Armory, where you mastered the nature of metals and minerals, was all that not also for the sake of alchemy? Hahahaha!"

Cheng Xinzhan blushed slightly. Perhaps it had achieved that effect, but that had not been his original intention.

"Xinzhan, I intend to personally act as your tutor and teach you the Dao of Alchemy. Are you willing?" Ren Wushi asked, looking at Cheng Xinzhan with a smile.

Naturally, Cheng Xinzhan was willing. The title of Mountain Master of Mount Danxia spoke for itself, and just listening to his Dao name—Wushi, meaning "Free from Defilement"—was enough. With such a person willing to be his tutor, how could he possibly be dissatisfied?

"Your disciple Xinzhan pays respects to my tutor!"

"Good, good, good!"

Laughing heartily, Ren Wushi led Cheng Xinzhan down into the Dan Well.

Inside the Dan Well, heat waves billowed, and fluorites of various colors were embedded in the well walls, emitting a soft glow.

As the two descended, Ren Wushi repeatedly asked Cheng Xinzhan whether he could endure the heat and not to push himself too hard.

Yet in the end, Cheng Xinzhan's tolerance for terrestrial fire far exceeded Ren Wushi's expectations. The two descended a full two hundred zhang from the well opening before stopping.

This was practically the limit achievable for anyone below the Golden Elixir realm.

This was mainly because Cheng Xinzhan had opened his heart palace first after consuming qi, and his long-term cultivation of fire arts had been deep and unceasing. Furthermore, when the true stellar auras had pierced his points, his entire body had been scoured by the Purple Fire Rotten Peach Qi, naturally granting him a high tolerance for terrestrial fire.

The satisfaction in Ren Wushi's eyes grew even more pronounced. He led Cheng Xinzhan into an opening with a plaque that read "Vacant," and casually flipped the plaque over to the other side.

An alchemy furnace sat inside the chamber—a standard Mount Danxia furnace, though one was free to use their own if they possessed a better one.

***

Beside the alchemy furnace, straw cushions were laid out, and the two took their seats.

"First came the External Dao of Alchemy in this world, and only later the Internal Dao of Alchemy. Therefore, whenever we discuss the Dao of Alchemy in daily life, we are referring to the External Dao. When speaking of the Internal Dao, we must explicitly attach the word 'Internal' to it. Such is the status of the Dao of Alchemy."

Thus spoke Ren Wushi.

"Elixirs and medicines are often mentioned in the same breath, but an elixir is an elixir, and a medicine is a medicine. The Dao of Medicine is also known as the Qihuang Method; it is related to the Dao of Alchemy, but they must never be confused."

This was Ren Wushi's second remark.

"The so-called Dao of Alchemy is merely cooking and refining metals and minerals in pursuit of longevity, while the so-called Dao of Medicine is merely decocting plants and trees to eliminate illness."

"In the Dao of Alchemy, the principal materials are metals and minerals, seeking the indestructible golden essence, supplemented by plants and trees for harmonization. In the Dao of Medicine, the principal materials are plants and trees, seeking the wooden essence that purges defilement and heals sickness, supplemented by metals and minerals for harmonization."

"Therefore, some people may appear to be practicing alchemy, and what emerges are rounded, pill-like shapes, but if the principal materials used are plants and trees, then fundamentally, what they have refined is medicine, not alchemy."

Cheng Xinzhan suddenly recalled that when he first left the mountains and refined pills for townsfolk in Camphor Town, he had bought the elixir formula from a street stall in the Eastern Heaven Daoist Grounds. It turned out he had been swindled back then; what was called an elixir formula was actually just a medicine recipe, not an elixir at all.

"The purposes and emphases of the two differ, but they also share commonalities. Both require fire to extract either golden or wooden essence, both place great importance on the timing of fire control—the gentle and fierce flames—both require the coordination of monarch, minister, assistant, and courier roles among metals, minerals, and plants, and the timing and proportions for adding ingredients into the furnace are also of paramount importance."

"Thus, some elixirs can also cure diseases, and some medicinal minerals can also nourish life."

"Telling you all this is to let you know that the Dao of Medicine you studied over the past year shares commonalities with the Dao of Alchemy, but the golden and wooden essences also have a gulf as vast as heaven and earth between them. You must bear this in mind."

Ren Wushi explained very clearly. Cheng Xinzhan committed it to memory and cupped his hands in acknowledgment.

"The Dao of Alchemy emphasizes a golden essence, and its essence lies in harmonizing yin and yang. This connects back to the internal elixir, sharing wondrously similar principles. Since you are in the second realm, your next major task is to forge your Golden Elixir. When practicing alchemy, you can consider it in conjunction with your own cultivation..."

On this first day of meeting, Ren Wushi kept Cheng Xinzhan talking for a long time, but from beginning to end, he did not lift the lid of the furnace or ignite the hearth fire. Instead, he provided many high-level, overarching explanations regarding the origins of external elixirs and their connections to other Daoist arts, benefiting Cheng Xinzhan immensely.

By the next day, before dawn had broken, Cheng Xinzhan had already arrived, walking straight into yesterday's alchemy chamber to wait.

Not long after Cheng Xinzhan arrived, Ren Wushi showed up. Seeing that Xinzhan was already there, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Today we will fire up a furnace to let you try your hand."

Cheng Xinzhan agreed, feeling a stir of excitement.

"Just use this furnace. Since you are a beginner, you won't need to pick an alchemy furnace for the next five years. There is a array formation in the fire duct beneath the furnace. You just need to press your jade token against that groove, and it will activate the array formation in the duct, drawing the terrestrial fire over."

"The terrestrial fire will deduct points from your token based on the time spent. Your points should be sufficient, right?" Ren Wushi asked, pointing to a groove on the wall.

Within the mountain, the sect's own resources were all deducted through points—for instance, the terrestrial fire of Mount Danxia, the starlight dew of Mount Yaoguang, the jade lotus roots of Mount Baicao, and the cloud mist gathered by the Cloud-Sealing Array, and so on.

If outsiders wished to borrow or purchase these items, they had to pay substantial amounts of gold and silver. It was considered a welfare benefit provided by the sect to its disciples.

The points on the jade token could be purchased with gold and silver, or chosen as rewards when meritorious service was rendered or breakthroughs were achieved.

Hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan nodded. He had rendered meritorious service several times, and the points on his token were so numerous he hadn't even counted them.

In particular, bringing back the ginseng fruit pit for the sect was of inestimable value. How much gold and silver could buy a ginseng fruit pit? Therefore, aside from having the Armory forge five magical swords, Sect Master Ji had waved his hand and transferred a massive amount of points into Cheng Xinzhan's token.

He walked over and pressed his waist plaque against the groove.

"Whoosh!"

A sound of whistling wind and surging fire rang out, and crimson terrestrial fire instantly ignited beneath the alchemy furnace.

The temperature inside the entire alchemy chamber rose sharply.

"Come, sit down."

The two took their seats beside the furnace.

"Warm the furnace first. Let the fire be smaller and more dispersed," Ren Wushi said, looking at the excessively young Daoist priest.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. His tutor was evidently testing his fire-control skills.

He pinched an incantation seal, and his mana passed through his fingertips, landing upon the hearth fire.

To make the fire small, one added a bit of water element to the mana; to make the fire disperse, one incorporated a touch of swift wind.

With a point of his finger, the crimson color of the flames faded slightly, yet the flames blossomed outward like a lotus flower, enveloping the entire furnace. The copper-cast lid of the alchemy furnace possessed numerous ventilation holes resembling lotus seeds, making the furnace look remarkably like a lotus seed pod—a truly striking sight.

Ren Wushi nodded inwardly. True to his reputation, a renowned expert lived up to his name.

He extended his hand and turned his palm upward, where a flame emerged, shifting according to his will within his palm. As he demonstrated, he explained:

"While the furnace is warming, let me teach you the techniques. The fire techniques of alchemy are divided into calcining, refining, scorching, melting, extracting, volatilizing, and subduing. Burning fiercely with fierce fire is calcining; roasting slowly with gentle fire is refining; spot-burning is scorching; rendering into liquid is melting; using fierce fire to drive away dampness is extraction; using a great fire to turn solids into vapor is volatilizing; and altering properties without melting is subduing. When these techniques are connected sequentially, infinite changes can be produced, but no matter how they change, they must match the golden essence of the metals and minerals being introduced."

"In the Dao of Alchemy, fire is divided into Bing and Ding, heaven and earth, gentle and fierce—meaning yin and turbidity, clarity and turbidity, large and small. Furthermore, fire temperature is extremely important; at different temperatures, various metals and minerals will either melt or volatilize. A hair's breadth of difference leads to a thousand miles of error."

Cheng Xinzhan listened intently. Upon careful reflection, the rhythms emphasized in flame techniques and breathing exercises seemed somewhat similar; they should be mutually compatible, something he could ponder carefully upon returning.

"Let me tell you about the commonly used principal metal and mineral materials in alchemy. Cinnabar, lead, mercury, gold, and silver are known as the Five Monarchs of Alchemy. Cinnabar is cinnabar itself, possessing a yang attribute with its five elements belonging to fire; lead is yin, belonging to earth; mercury is yang, belonging to wood; gold is yang, belonging to metal; and silver is yin, belonging to water."

"Additionally, the primary auxiliary materials include seventy-two kinds such as sulfur, realgar, orpiment, saltpeter, alum, jade, quartz, gypsum, mica, rock salt, mirabilite, charcoal, plant ash, and seashell powder. These are known as the Seventy-Two Ministers."

"Each of these Five Monarchs and Seventy-Two Ministers has finer subdivisions. Take the common rock salt as an example: according to region, it can be divided into Longnan salt, Xuxi salt, Jibei salt, and Ludong salt. According to moisture, it is divided into dry salt and wet salt, and wet salt is further divided into river salt and sea salt. The golden essence of each is different. If paired with different fire-refining techniques, the golden essence of each will undergo different changes, and if co-refined with other golden materials, the golden essence will change yet again."

"Heh, aside from these Five Monarchs and Seventy-Two Ministers, who knows how many other metal and mineral materials there are? As for the countless other auxiliary ingredients of plants, trees, and liquid waters, the combinations of monarchs and ministers can truly be said to exhaust all variations."

Even Cheng Xinzhan felt a bit daunted listening to this. True to the Dao of Alchemy, with so many variations, it was indeed far more complex than artifact refinement.

Watching Cheng Xinzhan's expression of solemn difficulty, Ren Wushi could not help but smile inwardly. Geniuses were everywhere, but the Dao of Alchemy was the touchstone for geniuses; those who soared above all others in alchemy were the true geniuses.

This kid excelled in thunder, swords, talismans, incantations, and artifact refinement, mastering every single art he studied. He was likely prone to pride, and this speech could be considered a sharp blow to the head, preventing the kid from holding the Dao of Alchemy in contempt.

However, Ren Wushi did not know that Cheng Xinzhan used "humility and caution" as his motto, constantly reminding himself. When practicing the Dao of Alchemy, he treated it with a heart as cautious as walking on thin ice; how could he possibly treat it lightly?

"Since I am initiating you today, we will refine the simplest formula, known as the 'Eight Treasures Flesh-Nourishing Elixir.' Consuming it can whiten the skin, purify the mouth, and produce fragrant saliva."

With that, Ren Wushi flicked his sleeve, and a cluster of bottles and jars floated up before Cheng Xinzhan, each bearing a label.

"During the time you study alchemy with me, you naturally don't need to provide the metal materials yourself. However, in the future, you will eventually have to refine elixirs on your own. Therefore, you must usually pay close attention to and collect metal materials, various auxiliary ingredients, and containers capable of preserving medicinal properties."

Cheng Xinzhan acknowledged the instruction.

At that moment, the purple alchemy furnace slowly began to glow and turn red.

"Alright, the furnace is warmed up. Next, I speak and you act."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, signaling that he was ready.

"One qian of chilling mercury, ignite the Ding fire, fierce yet small, up to four hundred zhu, volatilize it." Ren Wushi instructed.

Cheng Xinzhan pinched an incantation seal, carefully extracting one qian of blue mercurial liquid from the bottle labeled "Erosion-Stone Chilling Mercury" using absorption techniques, and dropped it into the furnace. He immediately circulated the Six-Ding Divine Fire to merge it with the terrestrial fire, while suppressing the hearth flames so that they burned fiercely yet remained small.

When the temperature inside the furnace reached four hundred zhu, the "Erosion-Stone Chilling Mercury" instantly vaporized and flew off, turning into a wisp of black smoke.

"The fire temperature was too high—four-hundred-and-twenty zhu. The golden essence of the chilling mercury has changed, turning into scorched mercury. Start over."

Without a word, Cheng Xinzhan nodded and fetched fresh mercury again.

"Too slow! The chilling mercury re-coagulated. Start over."

"Too slow! Half-volatilized and half-coagulated, incorrect dosage. Start over."

"..."

"Good, that will do. Now take one liang each of purple saltpeter and lake alum, still using the Ding fire, shift the fire intensity to fierce, up to six hundred zhu, co-melt them."

"Wrong! The two have not yet fully melted; why did you withdraw the fire?"

"Wrong..."

"Good, now take three qian of floating stone, three qian of moonstone, two qian of cinnabar..."

"Two red-headed centipedes..."

"Five qian of glutinous rice powder..."

"One qian of musk..."

Ren Wushi spoke rapidly, and Cheng Xinzhan's hand seals moved so fast they blurred into afterimages. The mana within his body was mobilized and shifted frequently, surging through his meridians in a relentless torrent and depleting at a rapid pace. He felt that even when fighting enemies and casting spells, it had never been this exhausting.

Throughout the entire day, Cheng Xinzhan attempted sixteen times, consuming quite a few materials, and only succeeded in opening a furnace of elixirs when the sun was setting.

He was somewhat drained of strength, but he still stood up to repeatedly apologize to Ren Wushi, vowing over and over that he would be even more focused tomorrow.

Smiling, Ren Wushi patted Cheng Xinzhan on the shoulder and told him not to take it to heart. If no metal materials were wasted and success was achieved every single time, how could it even be called the Dao of Alchemy?

He watched as Cheng Xinzhan opened the furnace and retrieved five round, white elixirs the size of soybeans. He carefully inspected their luster and sniffed their alchemical fragrance, before picking one up and swallowing it under Cheng Xinzhan's rather alarmed gaze.

Closing his eyes to savor it, after a dozen breaths, he smiled and said to the anxious Cheng Xinzhan:

"Rest assured, it's a good elixir."

Afterward, he took out an elixir bottle, gathered the remaining four pills, handed them to Cheng Xinzhan, and said:

"This is your first furnace of good elixirs. Keep them safe."

Only then did Cheng Xinzhan's alarm turn to joy. After carefully putting away the elixir bottle, he expressed his utmost gratitude and took his leave of his tutor.

After Cheng Xinzhan left, Ren Wushi stood in the alchemy chamber for a long time without moving. After a moment, he let out a long breath and murmured softly:

"Learning the method for a single day, and the elixir formed is of superior grade... Hah, could it be that this old Daoist might actually witness a newly forged corpse-liberation elixir in his lifetime?"

(End of this chapter)