C3 Pill Refining

"Zhuang Xing is truly fortunate. Had I known things would turn out this way, I would have taken matters into my own hands."

The east courtyard was Zhuang Shaoying's domain, and he held the title of the great elder.

Zhuang Shaoying remarked, "Qi'er, you let your guard down this time. You didn't give his abilities enough credit."

Zhuang Guai nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Those two failures infuriated me. If they return, I'll personally twist their heads off."

"Those failures are likely dead by now. Whether Zhuang Xing killed them, I can't say."

The fate of those two servants was sealed; death awaited them regardless of their return.

"That's impossible. Zhuang Xing isn't that capable."

Zhuang Guai shook his head dismissively. Zhuang Xing had only reached Qi Refining Stage Level Two Heaven, while the two servants were at Level Four Heaven. Zhuang Xing stood no chance against them.

Zhuang Shaoying also doubted Zhuang Xing's ability to kill two servants of the Level Four Heaven Qi Refining Stage. They weren't concerned with how the servants died; their focus was solely on the fact that Zhuang Xing had come back alive.

"Forget those failures. Qi'er, you must be more vigilant from now on. And don't fret about explaining this to Zhuang Dou. Even if that failure tattles to him, it's inconsequential. Without evidence, he can't touch us."

Zhuang Guai nodded, "Understood, Father. I'll exercise greater caution. What's your plan for handling Zhuang Xing?"

Zhuang Shaoying furrowed his brow, deep in thought, before responding, "Qi'er, leave this concern to me. I'll take care of it promptly. The spot is yours and yours alone—there will be no issues."

"Thank you, Father."

Post-lunch, Zhuang Xing engaged in cultivation within his room. The body he inhabited was frail, burdened with an excess of impurities. To advance his cultivation, he needed to purge these impurities and enhance his constitution.

"I need to begin pill refining without delay."

Recalling the pills he had previously consumed, he felt nauseous. He couldn't fathom who had produced such substandard concoctions.

However, to refine pills, he needed both medicinal herbs and a Pill Cauldron. Without these, even a Pill God couldn't produce any pills.

The West Garden served as the Zhuang family's pill refining headquarters. Being a Pill Refining Master was a highly esteemed profession. To ensure that the Pill Refining Masters could concentrate on their craft, the Zhuang family provided them with luxurious accommodations, top-notch materials, and state-of-the-art facilities. They had nothing to worry about except for refining pills.

"Young Master."

The apprentices tensed up when they saw Zhuang Xing approaching. They suspected he was there to request more pills.

Cultivators relied heavily on pills for their practice. Over the years, Zhuang Xing had squandered countless pills in an attempt to advance his cultivation. The great elder had decreed that Zhuang Xing could take pills whenever he wished.

Despite the preferential treatment, Zhuang Xing's cultivation level remained stagnant even after consuming so many pills, which led to widespread grumbling. Many believed it was a waste to spend pills on someone they considered worthless.

"Zhao Fang, bring out the pills you just refined and give them to the Young Master," someone instructed.

A young man dashed into the Pill Room and quickly returned with a small pouch in hand.

"Young Master, there are ten pills inside. Please take care of them," he said, offering the pouch to Zhuang Xing.

Zhuang Xing's eyes gleamed at the sight of the ready-made pills. Why bother refining pills when they were already available?

But as he opened the pouch, his mood turned to rage.

"What is this? Dog excrement?"

The sudden outburst startled everyone. They were baffled, as Zhuang Xing was known for his even temper, despite his poor cultivation. What could have set him off today?

"Forget it, I'll refine the pills myself," Zhuang Xing declared.

He tossed the bag of pills back to the group and strode into the Pill Room.

The onlookers were stunned, questioning if they had misunderstood.

"Did I hear that right? What did the Young Master just say?"

"The Young Master said he's going to refine the pills himself."

"Do you believe that? Because I sure don't."

"Neither do I. What can the Young Master do besides waste pills?"

"Hurry and notify the third elder. We can't bear the responsibility if something happens to the young master."

"Alright, I'm on it."

Zhuang Xing entered the Pill Room and got straight to work on refining pills. The Qi Gathering Pill was the most common and popular type on the market. It was a Rank One pill, easy to make, requiring only four medicinal ingredients. For someone of Zhuang Xing's stature as a Pill God, refining such a basic pill was truly a waste of his talents.

"Paper grass extraction complete."

"Blue root extraction complete."

"Deer antler extraction complete."

"Small flower extraction complete."

Zhuang Xing's skills in pill refining were exceptional. In no time, he had prepared all the ingredients. He fine-tuned the fire's temperature, and once it was just right, he tossed the four purified ingredients into the Pill Cauldron.

For Zhuang Xing, with his mastery of the Pill Refining Arts, making a Qi Gathering Pill was effortlessly simple. Soon, a delightful fragrance wafted from the cauldron, and a pill began to take shape within the flames.

At that moment, a strange light burst forth from the cauldron, signaling an odd phenomenon – the hallmark of a Top Grade Pill's creation. This pill was, without a doubt, a Top Grade Pill.

If others knew that Zhuang Xing could casually produce a Top Grade Pill, they would be astounded. Crafting such a pill was no easy feat. Even a Rank One Top Grade Pill was beyond the capabilities of many Rank Two Pill Refining Masters.

But Zhuang Xing was a Pill God. He had refined countless pills over his lifetime and had witnessed many odd phenomena. He was well accustomed to such events. He continued to adjust the fire and carried on with his refining process.

Before long, Zhuang Xing had successfully refined a Top Grade Qi Gathering Pill. He examined the pill, a sense of satisfaction easing his features. He believed that only the pills he refined were truly fit for consumption. In comparison, the pills he had previously eaten in the forest were nothing but rubbish.

To swiftly regain his strength, Zhuang Xing needed to consume a Pill. For cultivators, Pills are as essential as food. Without them, their cultivation progress would significantly slow down or come to a complete standstill.