The Medicine Man did not toss the entire fruit into the cauldron. Instead, he used his palm as a blade and sliced off a portion of the fruit. He said, "It's extremely difficult for this fruit to grow. You're extremely lucky to be able to obtain this fruit. However, you'd better use it sparingly."
With that, he returned the remaining half of the berry-less fruit to He Yiming.
He Yiming was stunned for a moment before he smiled and said, "Medicine Elder, I'll give these berries to you."
The Medicine Man shook his head and said, "With my alchemy skills, there's no need for me to use this if it's just an ordinary pill. However, if it's a rare pill like the Innate Golden Pill, the opportunity to use the cauldron is extremely rare. I might not even use it once every few decades. " He clapped his hands with a smile and placed the herbs into the copper cauldron in an orderly manner. "If I'm lucky enough to refine a Golden Pill in the next few decades, I'll definitely ask you for this."
He Yiming had no choice but to put away the remaining berry-less fruits. Then, he focused his mind and observed the Medicine Man's every move with rapt attention.
Compared to the past when he was in the Xie Manor, the current He Yiming already had a superficial understanding of medicinal theory. Although he was far from being proficient, he had some attainments in the art of alchemy.
All of this was due to the unique ability of the Innate Withering Wood Technique.
It was this unique innate technique that allowed him to have a clearer grasp of the active properties of herbs. Therefore, he had a huge advantage in the process of refining pills step by step.
If he were to treat a patient now, he would be completely clueless. However, if he were to refine pills, he would not be inferior to He Wude or He Wuji.
The Medicine Man had been studying alchemy for more than a hundred years. To him, alchemy was as natural as eating and sleeping.
The refining of the Golden Pill this time was definitely the biggest event in the Hengshan lineage in the past few decades. It was also extremely important to the future development of the Hengshan lineage. That was why the Medicine Man had brought out all the skills he had at his disposal.
His movements were not fast, nor were there any fancy moves, but every movement was so natural, steady, and magnanimous that it felt as heavy as Mount Tai.
He Yiming felt a sense of exhilaration in his heart as he watched the Medicine Man's movements. He slowly adjusted his breathing rate until it was the same as the Medicine Man's.
In that moment, he saw the "dao" in the Medicine Man.
It was the truth of the Great Dao that no one could describe with words.
He Yiming practiced martial arts, while the Medicine Man's attainments in alchemy had already formed a "Dao" that belonged solely to him.
He Yiming suddenly thought of the Mountain River Painting that had been destroyed that day. He seemed to have understood something.
Everyone had their own "dao." For the Medicine Man, his path of martial arts and alchemy had become one. Similarly, the connate expert who'd painted the world in his mind on paper had also combined his dao with the art of painting.
Once a principle is understood, a hundred principles are understood. Once a principle is understood, a hundred principles are understood.
Although this saying was a little exaggerated, it wasn't completely unreasonable.
The Medicine Man put the last bit of ingredients into the copper cauldron with a solemn expression. He then took a deep breath and turned on the pagoda's control switch, causing the raging earth fire to slowly boil.
The temperature in the alchemy room rose abruptly, but this level of temperature didn't affect the two connate experts too much.
He Yiming watched quietly from the side. He knew that he wouldn't be able to help in the process of refining the connate golden pill. Even his grandfather and the Medicine Man's eldest disciple, Ho Wuji, wouldn't be able to do anything.
The only thing they could do was make the necessary preparations before they started refining the pill. Once they started refining the pill, everything would depend on the Medicine Man's control skills.
The Medicine Man had chosen to let him watch from the side because he wanted him to inherit the Spirit Medicine Peak's legacy.
The Medicine Man's alchemy skills were indeed the best in Mount Heng. Similarly, his ability to control the earth fire wasn't to be outdone either.
With the help of the fire-based techniques he was proficient in, the temperature of the earth fire seemed to have come alive in the Medicine Man's hands for an entire day. The earthen fire rising from the entrance of the pagoda was almost on the verge of merging with the Medicine Daoist's body.
He Yiming felt as if the Medicine Man had turned into a raging earth fire, exuding boundless light and heat.
He Yiming immediately recalled his fight with the Medicine Man. Realization dawned on him.
Although the Medicine Man hadn't experienced an epiphany, he'd spent more than a hundred years in the company of earthly fire. He'd long since formed a subtle connection with nature, allowing him to comprehend certain things that could only be comprehended during the process of epiphany.
He Yiming thought about the Medicine Man's lifelong obsession with the art of alchemy and sighed inwardly. Sure enough, no one could succeed so easily. In order to gain something, one had to give something in return.
Someone like him, who'd obtained a fortuitous encounter at the bottom of the lake, was one of a kind.
A day later, under the Medicine Man's careful control, the dew in the copper cauldron had almost dried up and the vitality of the herbs inside had been stimulated to the extreme. Every step the Medicine Man took was as precise as if it had been simulated countless times by the most precise computer. There wasn't the slightest bit of error.
Although He Yiming was watching from the sidelines, he knew that the most crucial moment had finally arrived.
The Medicine Man suddenly made his move. This was the first time he'd moved so quickly ever since he'd entered the alchemy room.
He swiped his large hand across the top of the copper cauldron and the scalding lid was immediately sucked up by his palm. Then, the Connate Neidan and a small portion of the berry-less fruit that he'd prepared beforehand were tossed into the cauldron.
The lid of the copper cauldron was then firmly sealed again, and the earth fire beneath the cauldron grew even smaller.
He Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly. He immediately understood why only Connate masters of fire and wood could become truly famous alchemists.
It was because Connate masters of the wood element could accurately sense the vitality of the herbs in the copper cauldron. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as his, it was still far better than an ordinary person's.
This was extremely important in the process of alchemy, especially when refining precious pills. If the vitality of the herbs wasn't enough, then one could easily imagine the results of the refinement.
Similarly, no matter what kind of fuel was used, fire element techniques were indispensable if one wanted to control the temperature of the fire to the point where it could be controlled as one wished.
Therefore, only Connate masters of both fire and wood elements could truly achieve great success in the art of alchemy.
As the Medicine Man controlled the earth fire, he spun the copper cauldron from time to time.
In his hands, the copper cauldron, which was by no means light and had already turned red and hot, seemed to be as light as a feather. It danced happily on the flames like a spirit.
As the cauldron spun, the herbs inside began to thoroughly fuse together.
Although he was still some distance away from the cauldron the Medicine Man used to refine pills, He Yiming could clearly sense that the vitality of the pills in the cauldron was gradually stabilizing.
Through this period of cramming, as well as many personal attempts, He Yiming had already understood that once the activity of the pill was stable, it meant that the refining was successful.
As expected, a hint of joy flashed across the Medicine Man's face. However, it only lasted for a fleeting moment before being replaced by a solemn expression.
The closer he was to success, the more he couldn't afford to relax. Otherwise, if he failed on the verge of success, he'd be so depressed that he'd commit suicide.
Suddenly, the copper cauldron spun in the Medicine Man's hands stopped spinning.
The Medicine Man's hands gripped the sides of the cauldron tightly. The ghastly red color of the cauldron didn't affect him in the slightest.
He kicked the cauldron with his foot, and the pagoda-shaped mouth immediately closed, completely isolating the earth fire from the outside world.
The Medicine Man carefully placed the cauldron back in place, his eyes shining faintly.
He Yiming exchanged a look with the Medicine Man. Both of them looked extremely excited.
Finally, the Medicine Man reached out and slapped the cauldron's lid open. Both of them looked inside at the same time.
A pill as bright red as fire lay quietly within the cauldron.
The Medicine Man took out a jade box he'd prepared beforehand and gently slapped the cauldron. A surge of true energy immediately flowed through the cauldron and into the pill. The pill jumped up as if it had a mind of its own and flew high into the air as if it were being controlled by an invisible hand. Finally, it fell into the jade box in the Medicine Man's hand.
Both of them took a deep breath. A rich aroma filled the alchemy room.
The aroma was extremely unique. It had the effect of making one feel refreshed.
Their gazes were fixated on the pill. The peculiar aroma was coming from this Golden Pill.
The Medicine Man gently shook the jade box, and the pill rolled a little inside. The bright red color on its surface was like flowing lava from a volcano. It gave off the feeling that it would come to life at any moment.
Such a miraculous pill was indeed the first one he'd seen in his life.
He Yiming let out a long sigh and said, "A Connate Golden Pill. So this is what a Connate Golden Pill is like."
The Medicine Man nodded slightly. His face was filled with gratification and pride.
Although he'd seen Connate Golden Pills before, this was the first time he'd refined one with his own hands. The excitement in his heart was no less than He Yiming's.
The two of them stood together and commented on the pill. After a while, the Medicine Man suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "There's still one more pill to be refined. Let's continue."
He Yiming had wanted to advise the Medicine Man to rest for a while, but when their eyes met, he immediately sensed the Medicine Man's perverted excitement.
He laughed bitterly to himself. It seemed that the joy of his first successful refinement had made the Medicine Man involuntarily excited. Right now, he was at his best, both mentally and confidently. It would be inappropriate to ask him to calm down.
After some hesitation, He Yiming finally decided that it would be better to just watch from the sidelines.
Sure enough, the Medicine Man's preparations were much faster this time. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, and he completed everything in a matter of moments.
Then, he opened the Earth Fire and started refining the second Neidan pill.
In the alchemy room, while He Yiming was focused on observing the Medicine Man's alchemy skills, time seemed to pass extremely quickly. It was as if another day had passed in the blink of an eye.
The Medicine Man repeated his original actions. After his first successful refinement, he seemed to have a card up his sleeve. Although his movements were still meticulous and careful, his overall speed was undoubtedly much faster.
Finally, when he closed the Earth Fire again, He Yiming sensed the powerful energy that was about to overflow from the copper cauldron.
He knew that the second Connate Golden Pill had finally been refined, just as he'd wished.
He Yiming watched the Medicine Man open the copper cauldron and take out the second Golden Pill. He said sincerely, "Congratulations, Medicine Elder."
The Medicine Man laughed heartily. This was his second successful refinement that day. If he still said that he wasn't happy, then he would be saying that he didn't mean what he said.
The first successful refinement was undoubtedly a fire-based Connate Golden Pill. The red color on its surface seemed like it would gush out at any moment. The second Golden Pill was a wind-based Golden Pill.
Although this Golden Pill also had a fragrance that assailed his nostrils, the Golden Pill was almost transparent white. However, there were also faint traces of strange colors on this white, like the wind and clouds in the sky. It was a wonderful sight to behold.
※ ※ ※
At the peak of Spirit Medicine Peak, the mountain breeze blew gently and the heavens and earth were silent.
Yu Jinglei and Lian Yi were like statues as they waited silently outside.
Given their status, they could have sat peacefully in the inner hall. As long as the results of the refinement were out, they were guaranteed to be among the first few to know.
However, the two of them eventually came to the peak and personally waited here. Of course, the two of them came here with the intention of guarding the Medicine Man. Anyone who wanted to disturb the Medicine Man would have to go through them first.
After a few days, there was still no news from the cave abode. The two of them gradually became anxious.
Although they were both Connate experts, and Yu Jinglei was a great master of One-Line-Sky, they could not help but worry when it came to a major event that concerned the future development of the sect.
After all, the Medicine Man had too little experience in refining Connate Golden Pills. This was what worried them the most.
Of course, if they knew that He Yiming had hidden a berry-less fruit on him and had given it to the Medicine Man, they would not be so worried.
Suddenly, Yu Jinglei's brows twitched and his tightly shut eyes opened abruptly.
Just a moment later, Lian Yi did the same.
Their attention was mostly focused on the cave abode. Just a moment ago, they had sensed the sound of the stone door opening inside the cave abode.
The two of them exchanged a look, and their hearts were in their mouths.
Finally, the tightly shut door at the outermost layer of the cave abode slowly opened under their expectant gazes.
As soon as the stone door opened, their gazes immediately turned to the Medicine Man's face behind the door.
At a time like this, there was no need for them to ask any questions. They could roughly guess what had happened just by looking at the Medicine Man's expression.
Although the Medicine Man's face was filled with deep exhaustion, his eyes were in high spirits. There was also an indescribable sense of pride in the corners of his eyes.
Yu Jinglei and Lian Yi's tense hearts were greatly relieved when they saw the Medicine Man's expression.
Yu Jinglei beamed from ear to ear and asked, "Medicine Elder, have the pills been refined?"
The Medicine Man beamed with joy and said, "Everything went smoothly, senior uncle. The Wind and Fire Pills have been refined."
"Good," Yu Jinglei cheered loudly and laughed, "Thank you for your hard work, Medicine Elder."
With a flip of his wrist, the Medicine Man immediately took out the two jade boxes. He glanced inside and suddenly lowered his voice, "Senior uncle, Elder He is still waiting inside."
Only then did Yu Jinglei recall that although the two Connate Golden Pills had been successfully refined, the Hengshan lineage would only get one. The other would have to be handed over to He Yiming.
He reluctantly glanced at the two jade boxes. Yu Jinglei sighed and said, "Let's go in."
Lian Yi was also reluctant to part with the boxes. He sighed inwardly and wondered why he hadn't been so lucky to run into mutated Connate spiritual beasts on his way into the mountains. He'd even gotten two Connate Neidan in one go. On the other hand, the elders had been traversing the mountains for more than ten years and hadn't even found a trace of Connate spiritual beasts.
The difference between people's luck was like heaven and earth.
Although they were reluctant to part with the pills, they knew that if they stole the pills and caused He Yiming to hold a grudge against them, the losses would outweigh the gains.
For a young Xiantian expert like He Yiming, it would be hard to exchange for ten Xiantian Golden Elixirs.
After entering the cave residence, they saw He Yiming waiting quietly in the hall.
Yu Jinglei laughed and said cheerfully, "Elder He, the Golden Pills have been successfully refined. According to our agreement, you can take one first."
The Medicine Man placed the jade box on the stone table and gently opened it. Two pills the size of pigeon eggs were revealed, but they seemed to have spirituality.
He Yiming took a deep breath. The air was filled with the unique fragrance of the Connate Golden Pills, which lifted his spirits.
He Yiming's gaze lingered on the two Gold Cores for a long while, then he asked, "Medicine Elder, if a peak Houtian expert who cultivates a single type of cultivation technique wants to break through to the Xiantian realm, does he have to swallow a Gold Core of the same type?"
The Medicine Man pondered for a moment and said, "No. In fact, there's a chance of success if you swallow any Golden Pill. However, if you swallow a Connate Golden Pill of the same element, or a complementary element, then the chances of success are higher." He paused for a moment, then added, "But if you swallow a Golden Pill of the same element, then the chances of success are slimmer."
He Yiming nodded slightly and asked, "If the Wind Golden Pill is not one of the five basic elements, then who should I give it to?"
The Medicine Man smiled and said, "A Connate Golden Pill of the five basic elements can be swallowed by a practitioner of any of the five basic elements. Moreover, if you succeed in breaking through after swallowing it, not only will your original cultivation talent not be affected, but there's also a chance that you'll have a talent for cultivating the power of the wind element. "
He Yiming's heart was suddenly moved. Wouldn't the value of a Connate Golden Pill of the wind element be greater than a Connate Golden Pill of the fire element?
However, the Medicine Man's steady voice sounded again. "Of course, although using a Connate Golden Pill of the wind element has this benefit, the chances of a practitioner successfully breaking through to the Connate realm are much lower. It's even lower than if you take a Golden Pill of the opposite element."
He Yiming gasped in surprise and couldn't help but hesitate.
PS: It was already very late when I got back to the hotel. White Crane immediately went online, but he couldn't go online. Even Wei Xiaobao, Yue Guan, and Fishy's rooms couldn't be accessed. White Crane was completely speechless.
I've just solved it, please forgive me …
I'm going to the Stone Forest tomorrow, and I heard that I'll be back very late. White Crane promises to update ten thousand words, but I can't guarantee a specific time, so please forgive me.
I wrote until three in the morning last night, so I'll probably be back quite late today. I plan to catch up on sleep in the car tomorrow.
Oh, the biggest gain from Qidian is that many people are lascivious.
Wei Xiaobao, Pink Dance Enchantress, Er Gen, Luo Badao, Against the Heavens, and many others are like that.
Only the White Crane is incomparably pure. Therefore, please vote for the pure White Crane. Thank you ^ _ ^ (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please go to www.qidian.com, there are more chapters. Support the author, support the original reading!)
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