C19 The Sword Intent Entered the Furnace

"I didn't expect Elder Wen to be so approachable. He handed over the pill furnace without a single question—truly, fortune is on my side!" Hsu Fann joyfully made his way back to his courtyard, cradling the pill furnace, blissfully unaware of the danger that was slowly encroaching upon him.

At that moment, Hsu Fann was brimming with excitement at the thought of exchanging pills for spirit stones. His happiness knew no bounds.

To prevent a repeat of the embarrassing moments he'd experienced during his previous training, he resolved to refine a batch of pills as a precautionary measure.

He rushed into his room and set the pill furnace at the center. Hsu Fann gathered his robes and settled into a cross-legged position on the edge of his bed, his posture meticulously correct.

But as he settled down, a problem dawned on him: How does one refine pills?

He had skimmed through the book provided by the system, but its contents, with phrases like "To reach a state of unity with the heavens, one must lose the self," and "I am not myself, thus I am truly myself," left him utterly confused.

"Beep. Pill refining is no simple task. Please consult the literature previously provided by the system and avoid any haphazard attempts."

Faced with the pill furnace and at a loss for where to begin, the system piped up with its advice, which sounded less than solid.

"Hey, system, did you ever consider how I feel? That book you gave me, is it even meant for human eyes? I've read so many pages, recognized every word, yet not a single sentence makes sense!"

The system's response was a chilly, "This book is intended for cultivators only."

Hsu Fann rolled his eyes in silence. If not for the fact that he'd need the system's help later on, he'd have snapped back, "I can make it work without cracking a single book!"

He mulled it over and decided to bite his tongue. It was best not to boast before securing his success.

Despite the system's less-than-warm demeanor, it wouldn't lead him astray. So, he dusted off the nearly forgotten book and pulled it out from its neglected corner.

Patiently flipping through more than a dozen pages, he read each word carefully. Eventually, he closed the book with a heavy sigh. "True knowledge comes from practice! One cannot simply learn from books alone."

Hsu Fann tossed the book aside, the contents swirling into a mush in his mind. He groped for clarity and directed a thread of Qi into the pill furnace.

An ordinary pill furnace required a tangible object, but a cultivator's pill furnace did not.

The age-old adage of turning stone into gold was more than just a saying among cultivators—it was a reality. Yet, to truly achieve such a feat, one needed genuine skill.

Thus, many cultivators with darker intentions only dared to dream of such powers.

The wisp of spiritual energy meandered into the pill furnace. Hsu Fann applied his cultivation technique in an attempt to ignite it, but the furnace remained unresponsive.

He walked around the pill furnace twice, stroking his chin in thought. Perhaps this pill furnace, like a conventional one, required actual fire?

With this thought, he decisively left the courtyard and headed for the kitchen. He grabbed a bundle of firewood, arranged it around the furnace, and struck a fire piston to light it.

Returning to his bedside, he resumed his observation of the spirit energy.

The energy frolicked within the pill furnace, showing no signs of refinement. Instead, it seemed to have found a fascinating new toy.

Spirit stones were crafted from the spiritual energy of cultivators, which was often insufficient for their own cultivation, let alone for refining stones.

Hsu Fann had no precedents to follow, leaving him to puzzle it out on his own.

Despite numerous trials, the pill furnace... stood still as ever.

After several fruitless attempts, he slumped, disheartened. "Why won't this pill furnace light?"

Internally, he was fraught with urgency, yet he maintained a calm exterior, rapidly considering where the problem lay.

At that moment, the chaotic "paste" from the book began to align, and the phrase "I am not me, thus I am me" resurfaced in his thoughts.

A spark of insight flashed through his mind, and he recalled the brilliant sword intent he had grasped before.

Concentrating his spirit and gathering his Qi, Hsu Fann watched as the sword intent took shape in the air, slowly infusing the pill furnace with a surge of energy.

Initially harboring little hope, he was surprised when the energy's infusion ignited a bright flame in the furnace.

"Hahaha, fortune truly favors me—I've actually succeeded! From now on, even without the system, I won't have to worry about going hungry as an alchemist!"

"Ding! Congratulations on unlocking the identity of an alchemist. You have obtained the Alchemy Flame."

Within the luminous, blue-tinged flame, perhaps due to the sword intent, there was a subtle sharpness. It was harmless, yet it gave off an extraordinary aura.

Hsu Fann sat in silent anticipation for the spirit stone to refine, meditating at the edge of his bed. He held his breath, focused intently, and absorbed the previously gathered spirit Qi.

While the system could elevate his realm, a shaky foundation was not ideal. To reach greater heights, he knew he must rely on his own strength.

The cultivator's trance was both comfortable and pleasant, effortlessly reaching the state of self-forgetfulness.

He lost track of his surroundings, immersed only in the joys of cultivation, oblivious to another kind of "gentleness" that awaited him.

"Brother Hsu Fann?"

At the door, Lin Qingyao paused, gathering her courage before finally knocking.

But her nerves betrayed her, reducing the knock to a whisper, barely audible.

Holding her carefully chosen gift in one hand and clenching her other fist to her chest, she tried to steady her racing heart.

"Qingyao, you've got this!"

With renewed bravery, Lin Qingyao knocked a bit louder, though it was still a gentle tap.

To Hsu Fann, deep in his self-forgetful state, the sound was indistinguishable from the crackling of the flames.

"Brother Hsu Fann, are you not in your room?"

After a lengthy wait, Lin Qingyao began to suspect that Hsu Fann might not be inside.

But she had clearly seen him enter the courtyard. Could he have left again?

After much deliberation, she hesitated for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the object in her hand, struggling to decide.

Collecting herself, she quickened her pace and approached the door. Hands poised and ready, she seemed on the verge of action, but after a moment's contemplation, she bit her lip and lowered her arms.

Under her breath, she murmured, "I shouldn't just barge into Brother Hsu Fann's room. What if he's in the middle of cultivating? That would be terrible!"

Addressing the door, she continued, "Brother Hsu Fann, I've carefully selected this gift for you. It's such a shame I can't present it to you directly. I've got other matters to attend to, and I don't trust anyone else to deliver it. So, I'll just leave it here by the door. Please make sure to accept it if you find it!"

Regardless of whether the door could pass on her message, she placed the item down and dashed off, her cheeks flushed with a rosy tint.

Halfway through her retreat, she abruptly realized she had forgotten something. Rushing back, she swiftly applied her cultivation technique to leave a note atop the spirit stone.

With everything in place, she cast lingering glances at the gift, walking away with a heart full of reluctance and turning back every few steps.