We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 269 Fifth-Rank Alchemist, Strengthening the Primordial Spirit, Matchmaking (5K)

Miao Kuo's annotations were of great help to Su Chen.

In just two months, Su Chen had thoroughly mastered the pill formula and was ready to start using it.

However, the difficulty in refining the Soul Strengthening Pill was much greater than he had imagined.

"I should have expected that Yuan Shi Dan, a fourth-grade pill, requires the infusion of Yuan power. Qiang Hun Dan, a fifth-grade pill, is no less difficult to refine than Yuan Shi Dan, and will naturally consume Yuan Shen power during the refining process."

Whether it succeeds or not is another matter. After a series of tests, Su Chen roughly estimated how many times his primordial spirit power could refine pills in a day.

If you refine the Soul Strengthening Pill continuously, you can refine it five times; if you refine it intermittently, you can refine it six to seven times.

Compared to the Yuan Shi Dan, this speed is as slow as a tortoise.

At his peak, Su Chen could refine Yuan Shi Dan forty-eight times a day.

It's equivalent to being able to refine a batch of pills in half an hour, and without much loss of one's own Yuan energy.

Now, the frequency has suddenly dropped from 48 times a day to 5 to 7 times, and you can imagine how big the difference is.

However, Su Chen was not discouraged and quickly adjusted his mindset.

After years of alchemy, Su Chen discovered that the more difficult the alchemy, the more it tested one's mentality.

Alchemists may complain or feel discouraged, but they must adjust their mindset as soon as possible. Only in this way can they have the opportunity to successfully refine elixirs.

Otherwise, even if you refine it your whole life, you may not be able to refine the elixir you want.

After adjusting his mindset, Su Chen changed his priorities.

Previously, Su Chen thought he could refine the Soul Strengthening Pill without any scruples, just like he could refine the Yuan Shi Pill. Now that he could only refine it five to seven times a day, Su Chen devoted his main energy to refining the Yuan Shi Pill.

While refining the Yuan Shi Pill, they also refined the Qiang Hun Pill.

"If the panel could display the pills following the Soul Strengthening Pill, I could give up the Yuan Shi Pill and refine the new pill and the Soul Strengthening Pill at the same time, which would greatly shorten the time."

Over time, Su Chen has become much more familiar with refining Yuan Shi Dan. While he may not have reached the pinnacle, he has certainly mastered it.

Nowadays, the focus of refining is less on honing skills and more on earning money from medicinal materials.

The ingredients for the Soul Strengthening Pill were so expensive that even Su Chen couldn't afford them.

He often needs to refine ten Yuan Shi Pills to afford the cost of one dose of Qiang Hun Pill.

Unfortunately, the panel isn't very user-friendly; it only shows the pills needed for the next stage, not the pills needed for the next two stages.

Su Chen was able to guess the next stage of the pill's grade on the panel.

If nothing unexpected happens, after the Soul Strengthening Pill, it should be a pill related to the true meaning of martial arts.

The first few types of pills had no particular pattern, but starting with the Meridian Opening Pill, patterns gradually emerged.

The Meridian Opening Pill is suitable for martial artists who have opened their meridians; the Yuan Yuan Pill is suitable for martial artists who have gathered their Yuan Yuan; the Yuan Shi Pill is suitable for martial artists who have reached the Yuan Shi realm; and the Qiang Hun Pill is suitable for martial artists who have reached the Yuan Shen realm.

Following this logic, the next stage of elixirs will be suitable for martial artists at the Divine Intent Realm.

However, guessing this wouldn't be of much help to Su Chen.

There are dozens of pills on the market that can enhance true essence.

Su Chen didn't think he had the ability to select the pills needed for the middle panel.

If you choose the wrong one, all your efforts will be wasted.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they are all pills that enhance the true meaning of martial arts; the difference between each one is even greater than the difference between a third-grade and a fourth-grade pill.

The saying "a small error can lead to a huge difference" also applies to pills of the same grade with the same effect, but with different refining processes.

The slower pace did not diminish Su Chen's experience in refining Soul Strengthening Pills.

On the contrary, because the number of times he could refine something in a day was limited, Su Chen became even more meticulous.

If there were a progress bar, Su Chen felt that his experience in refining Soul Strengthening Pills was increasing every day.

I believe it won't be long before he'll be able to refine his first batch of Soul Strengthening Pills.

It took a whole year to come to this belief.

Despite accumulating a year's worth of experience, Su Chen was still just one step away from successfully refining each batch.

"After a year of refining, I increased my refining frequency from at least five times a day to at least fifteen times a day. I carefully selected the medicinal herbs and was meticulous in every step. Why is it that in the end, it always falls short by just a little bit?"

Every time he failed, Su Chen would review and summarize the experience, but no matter how he summarized it, the same result would occur the next day.

He didn't understand where the problem was.

This is the most terrible.

Knowing the problem allows you to fix it; not knowing the problem is like being a headless fly, running around aimlessly.

It's not only a waste of money and energy, but also a waste of time.

Su Chen spent more than two years refining the Soul Strengthening Pill, which is quite a long time compared to other pills.

Even so, he still hasn't managed to refine a single batch of pills.

In order to find the answer to the question, Su Chen had no choice but to find Miao Kuo.

Upon learning of Su Chen's situation, Miao Kuo exclaimed in surprise, "You're actually a Nascent Soul Realm martial artist!"

It's one thing for Su Chen to become a fourth-grade alchemist at such a young age, but he's also a Nascent Soul Realm martial artist.

Such talent even made him take notice.

He took the liberty of asking, "Young Master Hua, how old are you?"

Su Chen was silent.

Miao Kuo was puzzled. What was there to think about in this question?

Could it be that this person frequently takes beauty-enhancing pills, making them much older than they appear?

The reason for Su Chen's silence was naturally unrelated to his wandering thoughts.

Rather, it's because so much time has passed that he has forgotten his age.

"Not even thirty-five," Su Chen replied, guessing at the last minute.

Upon hearing this, Miao Kuo's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly asked, "Do you have wives or concubines?"

Su Chen: “???”

Even through the air, Su Chen could sense the information Miao Kuo was releasing.

Su Chen thought for a moment and honestly replied, "No."

"Ahem, Young Master Hua, to be honest, I have a daughter who is as beautiful as a flower, mature and sensible, and knows how to take care of people. If you are interested, Young Master Hua, you might consider it, or I may arrange a time for you to meet?"

Miao Kuo smiled broadly, but his words carried a hint of seriousness.

After Miao Qian's husband passed away early, she had to manage the family business and take care of Xiao Xing, playing two roles at the same time, which was quite difficult.

As a father, he saw it all and felt deeply pained.

Now that the Miao family's shops are thriving and prosperous, and Xiao Xing has grown up, he is thinking of finding a Daoist partner for Miao Qian.

Upon seeing Su Chen and learning about his situation, this thought unconsciously surfaced and grew stronger.

That's why I asked.

Moreover, the two are close in age; Miao Qian is forty and still charming, while Su Chen is thirty-five and in his prime.

If both parties are willing, it could be a good thing.

After hearing Miao Kuo's words, Su Chen felt ashamed, but the image of Miao Qian, whose every smile and frown was full of charm, appeared in his mind.

But he quickly dispelled the other person's presence.

"Women will only slow me down the speed at which I draw my sword!"

The Heaven-Slaying Blade seemed to sense the protagonist's unwavering belief in it, and it pressed itself closer to Su Chen, expressing its joy.

Su Chen cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Miao, let's get back to the main topic. Could you tell me what I need to pay attention to when refining the Soul Strengthening Pill?"

Seeing Su Chen's polite refusal, Miao Kuo was not angry. Instead, his smile faded and he became serious.

He said in a serious tone, "Actually, many fifth-grade alchemists make the same mistake as you. The main reason is the purity of the primordial spirit."

Su Chen looked puzzled.

Miao Kuo said methodically, "The key to refining the Soul Strengthening Pill is the pure power of the primordial spirit. If the primordial spirit is not pure, it will inevitably fail."

As he spoke, he glanced at Su Chen and said, "You have already reached the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age, your talent is beyond question."

However, the purity of the primordial spirit has nothing to do with talent; it requires a master alchemist to refine it using the primordial spirit tempering method.

Some Nascent Soul Realm martial artists are powerful, with Nascent Soul power far surpassing that of others of the same level, but this does not mean that their Nascent Soul power is pure.

On the contrary, sometimes the purity of their primordial spirit is even inferior to that of a martial artist who has just entered the primordial spirit realm.

After listening to Miao Kuo's explanation, Su Chen seemed to be deep in thought.

His primordial spirit power is indeed stronger than that of ordinary martial artists; I wonder if this aligns with the general situation.

So Su Chen released his primordial spirit power, hoping Miao Kuo would check him out.

Miao Kuo did not refuse and the examination was quick. He determined the cause of Su Chen's condition with just one glance.

The failure to refine the Soul Strengthening Pill was due to the insufficient purity of the primordial spirit's power.

Upon learning this, Su Chen asked, "Is there any way to temper the primordial spirit?"

"The simplest way is to buy pills to temper the primordial spirit. A more difficult way is to temper it with pill fire. A more reckless way is to temper it with lightning... In short, there are many methods, and there is bound to be one that suits you."

Miao Kuo listed more than ten methods, and finally added, "However, in my opinion, the most suitable one for you is the Refining Essence Pill. Your primordial spirit power is actually quite pure compared to ordinary martial artists. I estimate that after taking a few Refining Essence Pills, you will be able to reach the standard for refining the Strengthening Soul Pill." After thinking for a moment, Su Chen thanked him and said, "Thank you, Elder Miao."

"Why don't you consider my suggestion from before?" Miao Kuo shouted as Su Chen left.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen paused and quickened his pace.

Instead of returning directly to his residence, he went outside to buy pills to refine his primordial spirit.

Since he wasn't short of Spirit Essence Pills anyway, Su Chen bought three of each type of pill, from low to high, based on their refining effects.

After returning, Su Chen entered seclusion mode, consuming pills to begin refining his soul.

It took Su Chen half a month and countless painful experiences of his primordial spirit being torn apart and reassembled before he finally finished consuming all the primordial spirit tempering pills.

He wasn't sure how effective his tempering was, or whether it met the requirements for refining the Soul Strengthening Pill.

So I decided to give it a try.

Once, twice... seven times, all attempts to refine it failed, but the primordial spirit did not feel tired.

Su Chen continued refining the Soul Strengthening Pill.

By the fifteenth time, Su Chen began to feel slightly tired.

But there was no need to continue testing, because he had successfully refined the first batch of Soul Strengthening Pills.

This means that the purity of his primordial spirit has reached the standard.

"The number of times I can refine the Soul Strengthening Pill a day has increased to thirty, and at least one pill will be successfully refined in every five attempts."

Although each batch of pills produced remained below five, and the highest quality was only high-grade, it was enough to show that Su Chen had taken a big step forward.

"Since the purity of the primordial spirit helps in refining the Soul Strengthening Pill, if I continue to refine it, will the number of Soul Strengthening Pills I refine increase and the quality also become higher?"

It's not impossible!

In short, the medication must not be stopped.

We need to continue purchasing pills to refine the primordial spirit, increase their purity, and make alchemy easier.

Su Chen thought this way and did this way, but things didn't go as planned.

The idea is nice, but the reality is harsh.

Perhaps it was because his primordial spirit power had been sufficiently refined, or perhaps it was because his primordial spirit power had become immune to elixirs.

In short, the tempering effect of continuing to take pills weakens with each dose, eventually becoming negligible.

After several rounds, Su Chen gave up on using pills to temper his primordial spirit power.

"Miao Kuo also mentioned other methods, one of which is to use the power of Dan Fire to temper the primordial spirit. I wonder if the Li Fire method is feasible?"

Instead of overthinking, he conducted market research and concluded that it was feasible.

Miao Kuo was unaware that Su Chen had mastered the Nine Revolutions Fire Technique, so he did not reveal the method.

In fact, the fire also has another function, which is to temper the primordial spirit.

This is why so many alchemists choose to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Fire Separation Technique.

According to Su Chen's investigation, at least a fifth-level or higher level of the Li Fire is required to temper the primordial spirit.

Coincidentally, he is currently at the sixth stage of the primordial spirit transformation and will soon reach the seventh stage, which is more than enough time to temper his primordial spirit.

Therefore, Su Chen refined the Soul Strengthening Pill while using the Li Fire to temper his primordial spirit.

A few days later, the purity of the primordial spirit increased significantly.

In addition, he also finished refining the one hundred Soul Strengthening Pills required for the panel.

This will further enhance the Nine Revolutions Fire Technique.

After activating the easy mode, the Nine Revolutions Fire Technique enters its seventh revolution.

The seventh stage of the Li Fire is extremely rare even in the entire Tiandan City.

If Miao Kuo knew that Su Chen had mastered the Nine Revolutions Fire Technique to the seventh revolution in just ten years, he would be absolutely astonished.

Unfortunately, this joy was destined to be enjoyed only by Su Chen.

The seventh stage of the Fire of Departure further enhanced the tempering effect, making Su Chen's refining skills for the Soul Strengthening Pill even more exquisite.

It has completely restored the glory it once had when it refined the Yuan Shi Dan.

What limits him now is not the amount of his primordial spirit power, but the fact that there are only twelve hours in a day.

He has reduced the time to refine one batch of pills to half an hour, and after refining twelve times, he can continue refining.

Having reached this point, Su Chen began to focus his attention on the next stage of pill production.

As he expected, the next stage was indeed a pill related to the true meaning of martial arts, called the True Meaning Pill.

Upon seeing the pill, Su Chen immediately beamed with joy.

There's no other reason than that the True Meaning Pill and the Yuan Power Pill are not only very similar in their refining process, but they also both belong to the pill formulas released by the Pill Alliance.

This means that he doesn't need to go through the trouble of searching for the elixir formula; he can simply buy it directly.

Similarly, since it is a publicly available formula from the Dan Alliance, it will also be marked on the formula.

The next day, Su Chen bought the detailed recipe for the True Meaning Pill, shifting his focus from the Soul Strengthening Pill to the True Meaning Pill.

There are two reasons for continuing to refine the Soul Strengthening Pill.

One reason was to earn money to buy the medicinal materials for Zhenyi Dan.

Each time the panel changes its conditions, it means a large new expense. If Su Chen wants to refine new pills, he naturally needs to earn money for medicinal materials.

Secondly, it is to strengthen the primordial spirit.

Strangely enough, while other pills for tempering the primordial spirit were ineffective for Su Chen, the Soul Strengthening Pill was effective.

The effect is not remarkable, but it is comparable to the fifth level of the Fire Transformation.

Under the dual tempering of the Soul Strengthening Pill and the Blazing Fire, Su Chen's primordial spirit power was reduced by one-third, but its purity increased by two-thirds.

Having learned from his experience with the Yuan Shi Dan, Su Chen was much more careful when refining the Zhen Yi Dan, fearing that he might infuse too much martial arts essence into it and inadvertently cause a sensation in Tian Dan City.

It turns out that he thought too much.

The problem now is not the true meaning of martial arts, but the crafting technique.

Despite studying for three months and thoroughly understanding the pill formula, Su Chen's refining skills still did not meet the required standard.

How to do?
The only option is to spend money like crazy to accumulate experience.

And so, after two years of burning money to accumulate experience, Su Chen saw a glimmer of hope.

The first batch of True Meaning Pills was successfully refined.

The next step was still frantic refining. With the experience of the first success, Su Chen improved at a speed that could be seen with the naked eye.

In less than ten days, Su Chen successfully refined one hundred True Meaning Pills, fulfilling the panel's requirements.

After upgrading the Nine Revolutions Fire Technique to the eighth revolution, Su Chen looked at the panel.

"The condition for the ninth transformation is the Longevity Pill!"

Longevity Pills are longevity-enhancing pills used to increase a martial artist's lifespan. They can generally increase lifespan by three years, and a maximum of three pills can be taken.

It belongs to the lowest level among all longevity-enhancing pills, but it is the most popular pill among martial artists and is very common.

Universality does not mean simplicity, nor does it mean ease of practice.

Conversely, even the simplest longevity-enhancing pills have extremely high requirements.

Leaving aside medicinal herbs, primordial spirit, alchemical fire, and alchemical furnace, the requirement for alchemists alone is that they must be at least sixth-grade alchemists to refine them.

"As expected, the panel always surprises me." Su Chen was speechless.

He can barely be considered a fifth-grade alchemist now. He hasn't even established himself firmly in the fifth-grade rank yet, and the panel has given him another huge challenge.

To be precise, there are two.

Not to mention choosing a sixth-grade pill, it is the most difficult of the sixth-grade pills to refine, namely the life-extending pill.

"Fortunately, refining longevity pills does not consume a martial artist's lifespan. Otherwise, with my extravagant alchemy skills, even ten thousand years of lifespan wouldn't be enough!"

Even after learning that the next stage was the Longevity Pill, Su Chen still focused on the True Meaning Pill.

Nothing more than earning money from medicinal herbs!
The cost of ingredients for the Longevity Pill is too high; so high that even fifty True Intent Pills might not be enough to buy it.

Of course, it is also expensive, with one Longevity Pill costing nearly four hundred Pure Yuan Pills.

Within Tiandan City, one Pure Yuan Pill is worth five hundred Spirit Yuan Pills, which is equivalent to two hundred thousand Spirit Yuan Pills.

If Su Chen could refine a Longevity Pill, he wouldn't need to be too obsessed with the Divine Will Pill.

The problem is that he is currently unable to refine longevity pills, so he can only make money through divine will pills.

Moreover, the current problem is not the cost of purchasing medicinal materials, but the cost of purchasing the prescription.

The formula for the Longevity Pill is not cheap either; Su Chen will need to work hard for a while before he can buy it.

The only thing that comforts him right now is that the system also thinks that the Longevity Pill is too difficult to obtain, so it has taken pity on him and only requires him to refine ten Longevity Pills to meet the requirements.

"Unlike the Yuan Shi Dan and Zhen Yi Dan, the Dan Alliance announced the formula for the Zeng Shou Dan not to encourage alchemists to refine more pills, but to hope that alchemists can refine pills. Therefore, I don't need to worry about the formula. I can buy it directly once I have earned enough money."

However, for now, let's first use the eighth stage of the Fire of Departure to temper our primordial spirit.

(End of this chapter)