C21 Pill Condensation

At that moment, Elder Leng wholeheartedly accepted Su Ling's guidance. Following Su Ling's precise instructions, he methodically added the Spirit Soul Pill ingredients into the Pill Furnace, all the while maintaining intense focus to keep the furnace's temperature under strict control.

As time ticked away, the medicinal materials in the Pill Furnace slowly transformed into a shimmering, translucent liquid that swirled inside. This liquid was the very essence extracted from the herbs.

Elder Leng utilized his Soul Force to monitor the Herbal Essence within the Pill Furnace, carefully blending the essences in the exact proportions Su Ling had instructed. He couldn't afford even a moment's hesitation or distraction.

"The Red Mystery Grass is a heat-inducing herb; only a third of its essence should be retained. The remaining seven parts must be discarded."

Though Su Ling's Soul Force hadn't reached the level required to refine a third-grade pill, his keen observer's eye could discern the precise ratios of the various Herbal Essences in the Pill Furnace. He had clearly noticed that Elder Leng had only cast aside five parts of the Red Mystery Grass's essence, not seven as instructed.

In other words, the essence of the Red Mystery Grass currently in the Pill Furnace was two parts more than Su Ling had specified.

"Mr. Wu Chen, I distinctly recall that when refining the Spirit Soul Pill, the essence of the Red Illusion Grass should be kept at five parts!"

Upon hearing Su Ling's correction, Elder Leng's brow furrowed with confusion. He hadn't followed Su Ling's directive to discard seventy percent of the Red Illusion Grass's essence.

Elder Leng's mastery of Soul Force might not compare to Su Ling's, but he was confident in his knowledge. He had read about the herb ratios for the Spirit Soul Pill in texts and had even taken detailed notes, which emboldened him to disregard Su Ling's advice and make his own decisions.

With a sigh, Su Ling felt a sense of resignation. He understood that the texts did mention a five-part ratio for the Red Illusion Grass in a standard Spirit Soul Pill recipe, but those instructions only covered the creation of an ordinary pill. Following the book's guidelines would, at best, yield a mid-grade Spirit Soul Pill.

For Su Ling, producing a middle-grade Spirit Soul Pill was no different from producing a failed pill.

"Condense the pill!"

In a burst of excitement, Elder Leng's hand slammed down on the Pill Furnace, and a blood-red pill shot out.

Elder Leng caught the pill, which was still warm from the refining process. He was eager to assess the quality of the Spirit Soul Pill he had just produced.

"Don't bother—it's a low-grade Spirit Soul Pill."

Standing to the side, Su Ling shook his head in resignation, his face etched with frustration. "You should have used no more than three parts of the Red Illusion Grass. It's a heat-inducing herb and using too much is inappropriate. You added five parts."

"Had that been the only issue, you might have still managed a middle-grade Spirit Soul Pill. But you initiated the pill condensation five seconds too early. These mistakes have relegated your Spirit Soul Pill to nothing more than low-grade."

Upon hearing Su Ling's critique, Elder Leng could hardly believe it. He opened his hand to inspect the blood-red pill, and upon seeing it, he froze, then looked at Su Ling with a mix of shock and awe—as if staring at a demon.

Everything was as Su Ling had said. The Spirit Soul Pill Elder Leng had crafted was indeed of inferior quality. Worse yet, it was incomplete, missing a small fragment—a clear result of condensing the pill prematurely.

"Mr. Wu Chen, I..."

Elder Leng had taken it upon himself to ignore Su Ling's advice on the Red Illusion Grass proportions, resulting in a Spirit Soul Pill devoid of any medicinal value. Overcome with embarrassment, he was at a loss for how to face Su Ling.

"Failing in pill refinement isn't unusual. I won't hold this against you. With only nine sets of ingredients remaining, I expect you to produce nine Highest Grade Soul Pills under my direction. That means no mistakes going forward—you must adhere strictly to my guidance."

Every alchemist possesses their own independent will, and while the primary cause of the failed concoction was Elder Leng's deviation from Su Ling's instructions, Su Ling acknowledged he bore a sliver of the blame.

Thus, Su Ling harbored no resentment towards Elder Leng, but he was adamant about avoiding a repeat of the same issue during the creation of the Spirit Soul Pill.

"Yes, Mr. Wu Chen. Moving forward, I will strictly adhere to your directions. I'll use exactly the amount of Red Illusion Grass you specify, and I'll initiate Core Formation precisely when you instruct. I won't repeat any mistakes born from my own assumptions," Elder Leng affirmed.

After the recent setback, Elder Leng harbored no skepticism towards Su Ling; his faith in Su Ling's expertise was unshakeable.

In the subsequent pill-making process, Elder Leng vowed to execute Su Ling's instructions to the letter, ensuring not to countermand him again.

Promptly, with Su Ling's guidance, Elder Leng reignited the Pill Furnace's flames and methodically added the herbs in a specific sequence.

As time swiftly passed, Elder Leng once again grappled with the issue of herb proportions. This time, however, he meticulously followed Su Ling's guidance, keeping the Red Illusion Grass ratio to exactly three parts, not daring to overstep.

"Mr. Wu Chen, when should we condense the pill?" Elder Leng asked, monitoring the Pill Furnace with his Soul Force, though he feared the optimal moment for Core Formation had slipped by.

"Concentrate!" Su Ling chided sharply when he noticed Elder Leng's attention waver. "Do not allow distractions."

"Understood!" With a determined bite of his teeth, Elder Leng focused intently, aware that the prime window for Core Formation had elapsed by half a minute.

"Now! Condense the core!" Su Ling suddenly exclaimed with a surge of exhilaration.

In that split second, Elder Leng, fully prepared for the task, unleashed a burst of Mystical Qi from within, coalescing the Herbal Essence within the Pill Furnace.

Following a moment of intense focus, Elder Leng's expression turned grave. He slapped his right hand onto the Pill Furnace, and with a resounding "bang," a blood-red pill shot forth.

Elder Leng acted swiftly, seizing the blood-red pill. In that fleeting moment, he was enveloped by its potent scent.

"Could it be..."

The invigorating aroma that filled his senses caused Elder Leng's face to register shock. He hurriedly opened his hand to examine the pill nestled in his palm.

"A Highest Grade Soul Pill! It's actually a Highest Grade Soul Pill. I never imagined that in my lifetime, I'd have the opportunity to personally craft such an exquisite pill, especially one that's a third-rank."

As he gazed at the pill, with its lustrous, full-bodied color and overwhelming fragrance, it was unmistakably a Highest Grade Soul Pill. Elder Leng could no longer contain his inner thrill, his voice quivering with emotion.