Chapter 35: Simulated Fire
Luo Xuanyi focused her mind internally, attempting to mimic the flow of spiritual energy during alchemy. The benefits of converting spiritual energy into medicinal liquid and storing it within the body were obvious. With the spiritual energy refined and then circulating through the Qi channels, the medicinal liquid would naturally be free of impurities. However, there were also many difficulties, such as how to extract the appropriate medicinal liquid to simulate the corresponding herbal remedy.
Luo Xuanyi finally put the knowledge she'd memorized from extensive medicinal tome to different medicinal properties to use in different situations to use. Furthermore, her eyes could detect subtle streams of spiritual energy invisible to ordinary cultivators. After a few attempts, she quickly mastered the art of creating globs of medicinal liquid. The liquid automatically sank into her dantian and began to slowly swirl around the essence of the medicinal pill.
Next came the fusion of the various medicinal liquids. Luo Xuanyi carefully and slowly inserted them, but failed again and again. Her repeated failures made her extract and prepare the medicinal liquids from her body faster and faster, but she still failed. Unable to transform the different forms of the medicinal ingredients, she could only simulate them through her imagination. She lit the furnace again, watched the Taoist master refine the elixir, and tried again. Repeatedly, she exhausted all the herbs needed to refine the Star-Swallowing Pill, and finally fused all the medicinal liquids together, forming a fist-sized, precise sphere.
Luo Xuanyi possessed a high level of comprehension. She mastered most of the steps in internal alchemy without anyone noticing, quite quickly. She was also adept at summarizing experience and improving herself. She patiently attempted to simulate the spiritual flame extraction process, and repeated failures didn't wear her down. She spent two solid months in her room, finally managing to break down the medicinal liquid, which had lost most of its properties, into a form capable of being split into two Star Swallowing Pills.
She wasn't satisfied, but her limited experience and knowledge prevented her from making any further progress. To achieve perfection, Luo Xuanyi decided to get up and go to the left side hall to seek help from Taoist Hua Shen. As she approached the main hall, she saw Su Yang hurried past with a grim expression. He seemed to glance at her in his haste, but he didn't stop before disappearing into the dark corridor filled with the aroma of medicinal herbs.
Luo Xuanyi looked at the place where he left, which was the left side hall where Taoist Hua Shen was refining the elixir. She hesitated, but her desire to improve her abilities overcame her fear. She took a deep breath and walked straight into the left side hall.
As soon as they entered, Luo Xuanyi could probably guess why Su Yang was acting so strangely. Taoist Hua Shen was testing a medicine that looked like a much-improved version of the Bodhi Pill. A row of about twenty people knelt against the wall, their faces etched with tears of fear, yet not even a sob could be heard.
There was a huge medicine jar placed next to Taoist Hua Shen's desk. As if to make it easier to see the reaction inside, the jar emitted a bluish-white light, making it easy to see what was inside - a light gray liquid and a human head with a distorted face.
Those liquids weren't herbal elixirs, but rather people—melting people, people whose entire bodies had collapsed and liquefied after taking the Bodhi Pill. Because liquefaction doesn't mean instant death, those pools of liquid with only a head remaining were still considered living entities. Looking closely, each person's degree of liquefaction varied. The one at the bottom, with only half a head remaining, was practically watery. As they moved upward, the body gradually transformed into a tangible liquid. The one at the top had a body that resembled an ointment.
Taoist Hua Shen didn't immediately notice Luo Xuanyi's entrance; he was still busy dealing with another person. He held the man suspended in mid-air. He used a Dust Purification Technique to remove the blood stain from his body. Luo Xuanyi finally saw that his face looked familiar, as if he were one of the people Su Yang had specially arranged to stay in a separate room. No wonder Su Yang looked so grim.
The newly refined Bodhi Pill fell into his pried open mouth, and almost instantly he began to struggle madly in pain. His arms and legs, swung in a direction impassable to a normal person, were liquefied, and he was completely unaware. This time, the Bodhi Pill transformed into a liquid like solidified lard. Taoist Hua Shen released him with satisfaction, turning to record his thoughts on the table. The man, still barely holding onto his human form, fell, "standing" through everyone in the vat, finally unable to suppress a groan of collapse, but his body continued to sink, quickly drowning and silencing his voice.
The people in the corner didn't even dare to tremble. This might be the living purgatory in the world.
Luo Xuanyi felt a chill run down her spine and considered retreating, but unfortunately, Taoist Hua Shen had already spotted her. Or rather, Taoist Hua Shen had already sensed someone approaching, but was too engrossed in testing the elixir to bother.
"Xuanyi, you can make pills now?" As a master of alchemy, Taoist Hua Shen immediately noticed the difference in the flow of spiritual energy within Luo Xuanyi's body. It seemed that he had already begun to simulate the flow of alchemy energy even when he was not refining the pill, so as to make the pills more quickly. Who wouldn't like such a positive and insightful disciple? Therefore, his attitude became more gentle. "Are you here because of something that is confusing you?"
Since you're already here, why not ask? Luo Xuanyi quickly recounted how she learned to make pills and her confusions about making pills, and Taoist Hua Shen immediately gave her an answer.
"Look." He extended his palm, and suddenly a purple spiritual flame with golden light dots danced in his palm. Luo Xuanyi thought it was just a fine elixir fire, but Taoist Hua Shen said, "This is the spiritual fire in my body that I refined by simulating the elixir fire."
The real Dan fire then jumped in the palm of the other hand. Luo Xuanyi carefully distinguished and finally found a slight difference.
"Will the spiritual fire be more refined than the elixir fire and circulate more regularly?"
"Not bad," Taoist Hua Shen said with satisfaction. "That's why I hope to be able to refine the elixir within my body—the spiritual fire can be controlled more precisely and the spiritual power is purer. Of course, it would be best if I had a elixir fire within me... Well, what I mean is that it's possible to simulate the effects of the elixir fire within your body, but you can't just dream about it on paper. You must see a real elixir fire before you can practice."
"Of course, there are different grades of Dan Fire. The ninth grade Dan Fire is also known as Heavenly Fire. It's hard to come by, and there's only one recorded in the classics. The Dan Fire in your alchemy furnace is just the lowest grade red flame. If you want to observe Dan Fire, it's better to observe something else. I do have a few in my warehouse, but they're too high-grade for you to tame."
He seemed to have thought of something and nodded. "Feiyan Pavilion does have quite a few valuable items from other sects. Feel free to pick out a mid-level third-grade Danhuo." He said it casually, as if he were asking to take a piece of clothing from my warehouse. Ever since hearing about Taoist Hua Shen's deeds, Luo Xuanyi had gradually figured out how to profit from this position. Unexpectedly, Taoist Hua Shen even offered to teach her step by step. She immediately tried to use this as an excuse to leave, but he grabbed her.
Taoist Hua Shen said with great joy, "Wait, why don't we try the new formula first!"
Luo Xuanyi thought of the twisted and rotten body like lard, and a chill ran up from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
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