C4 Sixty Percent Pill

The following day, Xiao Yong rose early to prepare breakfast. He made enough for both Ying and himself, ensuring there'd be leftovers for her to eat later. However, Ying usually preferred her food cold rather than reheating it.

"Great, my appetite's shot up. I'm going to need more money for food," Xiao Yong muttered as he put away the chopsticks and picked up his basket. Just then, Ying stumbled out of her room, still groggy. "You're leaving already, bro?"

"I haven't been to the sect in twenty days; I should check in before the Master thinks I've abandoned my training. I've prepared breakfast and lunch for you—just remember to eat."

"Perfect timing, I'm starving. I'll eat right now," Ying responded.

"If you go out, remember to lock up and ensure you're back before dark," Xiao Yong cautioned.

"I know, bro. It would help if you also came back early," Ying said.

Closing the door behind him, Xiao Yong took a deep breath and began his walk down the narrow alleyway.

Xiao Yong's home was in a small alley of Corbourne Town, which used to be on the outskirts. However, as the population grew and more houses sprang up, it became more central—essentially part of the second ring. The alley was roughly a mile and a half long, and his home was right in the middle.

Walking on the uneven limestone slabs, he exchanged pleasantries with the neighborhood folks who were already up and about. Once he left the alley, he hit the main road leading to the county from Corbourne Town. He needed to cover approximately sixteen to seventeen miles to reach the sect.

Perhaps it was the hearty breakfast fueling him, but Xiao Yong managed to cover eight miles before feeling exhausted. After taking a brief rest at the roadside, he continued.

Thinking back to when he could easily run to the sect, he was now forced to take breaks before continuing. "This is insane," he grumbled at the Suppression Cauldron. "Next time, I'm ditching this thing. It's just slowing me down!"

When he finally reached the sect, he sighed in relief. A journey that typically took half an hour had turned into a grueling ninety-minute ordeal. He was worn out but grateful to have made it.

The spirit inside the cauldron sighed inwardly. The young man had a strong will, but his foundations were weak. Considering his poor background and lack of prior cultivation, it was little wonder why he struggled. The spirit wasn't optimistic about his future, especially given his limited resources.

Upon entering the medicine hall, he found his master, Lau Daofu, in the resting room, his face clouded over. Seeing him at the doorway instantly lifted the master's spirits, lightening the lines on his face. "Xiao Yong, you've returned?"

Xiao Yong bowed respectfully. "Master, I've returned. I apologize for any concern I've caused you."

After listening to Xiao Yong's account of the day's events, Lau Daofu's expression hardened. "Why did you bring goat patchouli to the mountain?"

Xiao Yong looked serious. "Master, none of us had brought any medicinal herbs, and we had no time to look for them. And I certainly know what goat patchouli is—I would never bring it."

Lau Daofu waved him off. "Leave now. Focus on refining more pills and mastering the techniques. The Alchemy Competition is less than a month away. Your only chance to remain in the sect hinges on finishing in the top three."

Xiao Yong bowed again to his master and exited the room.

"Goat patchouli? Where would that have come from?" Xiao Yong wondered, his face expressionless but his mind racing. Having grown up independently and responsible for Ying, his younger sibling by four years, he was generally more cautious and thoughtful than his peers.

"Senior Brother Xiao is back!" The moment he stepped outside the alchemy room, a startled cry filled the air as various figures rapidly emerged before him.

The moment Liu Bofan and his four companions saw Xiao Yong, their stunned expressions transformed into looks of joy. They hurried over to greet him.

A few others approached, led by Liu Jiyuan at the center of the group of eight. Liu Jiyuan smiled, "So, Senior Brother Xiao, you've returned? I heard you fell into the Ghost Cliff Stream. Is that true?"

Xiao Yong grinned. "Well, I'm standing right here, so whether it's true or false doesn't matter anymore."

Liu Jiyuan chuckled. "Always the open-minded one, aren't you, Senior Brother?"

Qi Zhen joined in the laughter. "Don't get too comfortable, Senior Brother Xiao. Senior Brother Liu is now capable of making pills, too. Your top spot among us new disciples is no longer secure."

Annoyed, Liu Jiyuan retorted, "What are you babbling about? Senior Brother Xiao has been capable of making pills for a while. I still have to work hard if I want to surpass him." Despite his irritated tone, a smile revealed his genuine feelings.

Xiao Yong chuckled. "There are countless seniors far more skilled than either of us. Let's open the doors and see who's itching to get refined pills." With that, he turned and headed toward his alchemy room.

As the doors swung open, eager cultivators swarmed in. "I want Senior Brother Xiao to refine my pills!" "I'm here for Senior Brother Liu!"

As he listened to the clamoring cultivators outside making their way to different alchemy rooms, Xiao Yong moved through the lounge and entered his workspace. Lighting the fire, he picked up the alchemy furnace and began preheating it.

The Cauldron Spirit sighed silently as it looked around the alchemy room. 'Is this even an alchemy furnace? It's just a thin sheet of iron!' it thought. The furnace was using charcoal as a heat source. Though the temperature could technically meet the requirements, controlling it would be a nightmare. In all its existence, the spirit had never seen such rudimentary alchemy. It had never tasted the delicacies of success, but at least it had seen others achieve it. Now, its confidence in its future was dwindling.

A crisp voice broke the silence. "Senior Brother Xiao, could you help me refine an Essence Gathering Pill?"

The Essence Gathering Pill was highly coveted among cultivators on the Dragon Soaring Continent. It replenished their elemental energy but was notoriously difficult to make. Even within the Cloud Sword Sect, fewer than fifteen people could craft it. Aside from Xiao Yong, the only ones capable were either elders or advanced disciples.

Xiao Yong turned to see a young girl with delicate features. He smiled, "Lee Yuan, did you go through your last batch of pills that quickly?"

With a blush coloring her cheeks, Lee Yuan whispered, "I've opened my meridians now."

Xiao Yong looked surprised, "You opened your meridians at twelve years old? You could become a Martial Master in the future!"

Lee Yuan grinned, "Oh, come on, becoming a Martial Master is a pipe dream. That's the pinnacle on the Dragon Star Continent and requires exceptional talent. Anyway, here are the ingredients for three batches of pills, along with six hundred grams of silver." She handed over a small bundle to him.

Xiao Yong replied, "You can keep the silver. I'll start on the pills right away." He tried to give the money back.

"No way, we have to stick to the rules," Lee Yuan insisted, refusing to take the silver.

Glancing at the two people waiting outside, Xiao Yong decided not to press the issue. He pocketed the silver, gave them a nod, and closed the door to his alchemy room to begin the refining process.

Xiao Yong had a steadfast rule: aside from tasks assigned by the sect, he would assist only three people in pill refinement each day. Anyone seeking his help had to wait patiently outside. It was a rule that only individuals of his caliber could establish.

Might made right, and those with exceptional skills could also lay down the law. Xiao Yong was no exception; his expertise in alchemy was more than enough for him to set his guidelines.

'My Master said alchemists purify essence using their willpower,' Xiao Yong mused. 'Now that I can focus inwardly, my mental strength has increased. It's high time I gave this a try.'

Following the prescribed steps, he tossed the medicinal herbs into the alchemy furnace and carefully controlled its temperature. As the essence of the herbs began to ooze out, he focused his will to contain it, guiding the process of pill separation, condensation, formation, and, finally, extraction.

"I've done it!" Xiao Yong exclaimed, almost giddy with excitement. 'Nine pills in total—three more than my previous batch. Three have a purity of around 70%, and the other six are around 60%. This is a significant improvement over my prior 50%.' Eagerly, he placed each pill in his pouch for individual inspection.

Curious, Xiao Yong popped one of the 70% pure pills into his mouth. Almost instantly, he felt a wave of comfort wash over him. 'The difference between a 70% pure pill and a 50% pure one is like night and day,' he thought, awed by the results.

'Wow, I can feel my third meridian opening up,' he noted with delight. Without a second thought, he swallowed another 70% pure pill and initiated energy flow through his three meridians.

After sustaining the energy flow for three weeks, Xiao Yong felt markedly lighter and free of the earlier oppressive weight. Not wanting to dwell on the sensation, he promptly grabbed a second batch of medicinal herbs and tossed them into the cauldron.

He sealed the cauldron and extended his mental focus inside. But as he tried to contain the oozing essence, he was overwhelmed. 'I can't hold it all in; might as well not try to contain it all,' he decided.

After completing the process—separating, condensing, and forming the pills—he lifted the cauldron's lid. Once more, there were nine pills: one with an 80% purity, two at 70%, three at 60%, and the remaining three at 50%.

Ignoring the brief darkness that clouded his vision, Xiao Yong swiftly sorted the pills, setting aside the ones with eighty and seventy percent potency into separate compartments of the pill bag.

After meditating for fifteen minutes, he transferred all the medicinal ingredients from the bag into his Storage Ring. Then, opening the door to the alchemy room, he handed the pill bag to Lee Yuan, smiling as he said, "Mission accomplished."

Lee Yuan's eyes widened the moment she peeked into the bag. She stared in awe for a few seconds before finally looking up to say, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Xiao Yong responded with a smile. "What pills are you two planning to concoct? I need to rest a bit. Just leave the ingredients here; you can collect your order later."

"Sounds good," said Brother Zhao. "Here are three sets of ingredients for the Blood Clotting Pill and three pieces of silver."

Xiao Yong chuckled. "You're wasting your silver refining Blood Clotting Pills here, Brother Zhao."

"You shouldn't say that," Zhao retorted. "An extra percent of efficacy gives an additional chance at survival. Who knows how many more chances two percent could offer? I'll be back later to pick them up."

Brother Guu said, "I'm also making Essence Gathering Pills. Here are the ingredients and two pieces of silver."

"In that case, come back later for your order as well," said Xiao Yong.

Both men handed over their ingredients and silver and left the room. Lee Yuan, however, lingered. "You're capable of refining sixty percent pills now? Even a seventy percent one? Your skills have improved significantly," she remarked, her eyes shining with intrigue. She stayed in the area, clearly not in a hurry to leave.

"After refining for so long, progress was overdue," Xiao Yong remarked.

Lee Yuan stepped closer and whispered, "Brother Xiao, before your last herb-picking expedition, Liu Jihua, Zhong Gui, and two others left the sect two days earlier. They returned empty-handed before Liu Bofan and the rest got back."

Stunned, Xiao Yong replied, "Thank you."

Lee Yuan left the room, and Xiao Yong closed the door. He then took a moment to clear his mind and sat cross-legged, eyes closed.

As the day neared its end, Senior Brothers Gu and Zhao arrived at Xiao Yong's alchemy chamber. They found him already sitting in the lounge.

Upon their arrival, Xiao Yong handed them two separate bags—one containing pills and the other with herbs.

Opening the bag of pills, Brother Zhao exclaimed, "A seventy percent Blood Clotting Pill?" He looked up at Xiao Yong, incredulous. "Brother Xiao, you've managed to refine a Blood Clotting Pill with seventy percent potency?"

"It was sheer luck. Please, keep it safe," Xiao Yong responded.

A loud cry echoed through the room, "A sixty percent Essence Gathering Pill and another at seventy percent? Wow, Brother Xiao, you've outdone yourself! Here are one kilo of silver for you." Brother Gu excitedly fished out thirty taels of silver and shoved it into Xiao Yong's pocket.

Xiao Yong hastily objected, "Brother Gu, I've already taken your payment. I can't possibly accept more."

Brother Gu burst into laughter. "Brother Xiao, you're missing the point. A 60% Essence Gathering Pill can go for sixty grams of silver, while a 70% one can fetch two kilos. You've only charged us the rate for a 50% pill. We both got quite the bargain today, especially you, Brother Zhao!"

Feeling a bit awkward, Senior Brother Zhao chimed in, "Brother Xiao, I didn't bring any silver with me this time. I'll bring you two kilos of silver tomorrow. You're still giving us a deal."

Xiao Yong simply smiled, "Don't worry about it, seniors. I set those prices myself. Keep your money. I just hope you'll use these pills to help elevate the reputation of our Cloud Sword Sect."

Brother Gu's hearty laugh startled nearly everyone in the medicine hall. Alchemy disciples popped out of their rooms, and the martial cultivators turned their heads, their expressions a mixture of shock and curiosity.

As he bid farewell to Brother Zhao and Brother Gu, Xiao Yong heard his master summoning him.

"Xiao Yong, did you refine a 60% Essence Gathering Pill today?"

"Yes, Master."

"What's the success rate?"

"60%."

"So, you're saying you can successfully refine two out of every three cauldrons? In that case, you may as well skip the Alchemy Competition. No one would be a match for you."

"I'll follow whatever Master decides," Xiao Yong replied.

"Have you been practicing the incantation I taught you?" his master inquired.

"Yes, Master, I've practiced it diligently. In fact, it's thanks to that incantation that I've achieved what I have today," Xiao Yong answered.

"Very well, you may go. But remember, don't become complacent," his master cautioned.