C8 Pill Refining

"What did that kid do to you to leave you looking like this?"

Jiang Woo, the Jiang Family's second-in-command, furrowed his brow as he surveyed his son Jiang Ming, who had been beaten to a pulp.

"Yes, it was him," Jiang Ming confirmed, his voice dripping with resentment. "That good-for-nothing somehow became incredibly strong out of nowhere. I suspect... I suspect he's regained his ability to cultivate!"

Jiang Woo took a sip of tea, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "We can't wait any longer. We need to take care of this worthless young master as soon as possible!"

Jiang Ming nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity. It's the annual family hunt. If that trash has the guts to show up, I'll take some of the guys to a secluded spot and take him out quietly."

"Good!"

...

"Ding... Consuming a rank zero Devil Beast—Fish. Progress in basic Water Spiritual Force affinity cultivation has increased, enhancing the ability to manipulate water attribute spiritual energy and the power of water attribute Martial Spells."

"Ding... Martial Pulse cultivation progress has increased."

"Ding... Cultivation level progress has increased."

"Ding... Consuming a rank zero Devil Beast—Chicken..."

It was time for another delightful meal. Jiang Yuan couldn't help but beam with joy as he looked at the spread before him, full of delicacies the System had yet to sample.

Seeing Jiang Yuan devouring his meal with gusto, Qiao Wei chuckled and cautioned, "Young Master, please eat slowly! Don't choke. Here, let me serve you some porridge."

Jiang Yuan waved her off and kept eating, grinning. "I'm fine. You should eat up too, Qiao Wei. You're still growing, and we wouldn't want you to develop poorly, would we?"

Qiao Wei's cheeks flushed at his words, and she playfully retorted, "Young Master, you're always teasing me."

"Remember, tomorrow is the family hunt," she reminded him. "Some in the family resent you for outshining them, so please be careful."

Jiang Yuan just smiled nonchalantly. "They're only Martial Disciples. Don't forget, I was once on the verge of becoming a Grand Martial Master. Tomorrow, I'll make them all bow to my brilliance once again!"

Watching Jiang Yuan reclaim his confidence, Qiao Wei didn't harbor a single doubt as she nodded affirmatively, "Yeah! Young Master, you're the greatest!"

After the evening meal, Jiang Yuan bid farewell to Qiao Wei.

He then retrieved the herbs he had purchased earlier that day.

"Pill furnace, ignite!"

As Jiang Yuan commanded, he traced a circle with his left hand and placed his right hand over it. A pattern flashed across his palm, and the fire-attributed Spiritual Qi began to coalesce before him. Shortly, a semi-transparent, oddly patterned, fiery red pill furnace materialized in front of him.

It was common knowledge that alchemists relied on a pill furnace for their craft. However, Jiang Yuan was employing an ancient alchemy technique that had been lost to time, a method once practiced by the alchemists of old.

Legend had it that this technique could harness the power of the heavens and the earth, imbuing it into the pills, endowing the final product with this formidable energy.

In the present day, almost no one could perform this art, yet the system had bestowed it upon Jiang Yuan as if it were a mere trinket. Even Jiang Yuan himself was unaware that the alchemy he practiced could attract deadly peril.

As Jiang Yuan's hands moved with increasing urgency, the furnace's temperature soared to its peak. Just as the furnace neared the brink of collapse, Jiang Yuan ceased his movements.

With a slight lift of his left hand, all the herbs, enveloped by Spiritual Force, were tossed into the pill furnace in one motion.

To any onlooker, this would be a shocking sight. Alchemists typically added ingredients in a precise sequence, not in the haphazard manner Jiang Yuan did, throwing everything into the scorching pill furnace all at once.