I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 74 I've Mastered It
Jiang She had only refined pills once before.

It wasn't made from metals, stones, or herbs; it was just a random experiment that, by sheer luck, produced a pill. I don't really know much about this aspect.

He said, "I know very little."

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man was taken aback by this answer, but then smiled and said, "Then, senior, would you be willing to come with me to take a look?"

Everyone has their strengths, and it's normal that the older generation wasn't skilled in alchemy.

With nothing else to do, Jiang She also wanted to see how Taoists of this era refined elixirs.

Hongdao Temple was a famous temple in Luoyang, attracting a constant stream of pilgrims. At that time, when people came to Luoyang, the imperial Taiqing Palace was rarely open to the public. Tang people would either go to Baima Temple to worship Buddha or come to Hongdao Temple to offer incense.

The abbot holds a high position and possesses profound Taoist knowledge.

It's worth watching.

Jiang She agreed, "Okay."

The abbot fasted for seven days.

On the eighth day, at the hour of Si (9-11 AM), it was an auspicious time.

The temple grounds were lush with vegetation, with many ginkgo and pine trees planted within. The group walked around the stele pavilion, through the corridors, and past many quiet rooms and monks' quarters. Finally, they arrived at the alchemy room.

Beside a pond, many slender bamboos were planted, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

When the Taoist priests saw the guests from Yunmeng Mountain arrive, they all greeted them respectfully.

Jiang She looked over and saw the abbot inside the alchemy room, dressed in monastic robes and wearing a lotus crown.

Not far away stood a group of people dressed in scarlet official robes, talking to the disciples of the temple. There was a small and exquisite scale beside them. A disciple glanced over, whispered a few words to the official, bowed, and then came over.

"Some guests have arrived."

The middle-aged man said, "I heard that the abbot is about to start refining elixirs, so I've come to join in the fun."

These are all highly skilled masters on the mountain, whom disciples would much rather die for. The best positions are reserved for a select few.

He personally accompanied her to the ceremony, fearing any slight.

The official glanced at it but didn't say anything more.

Hongdao Temple attached great importance to the elixirs used to cure Prince Qi's illness. The courtyard here was secluded and quiet, and the Taoist priests in the temple watched from a distance, speaking in hushed tones so as not to defile the altar.

Jiang She and his group were among the closest.

The floor of the alchemy room was covered with a Bagua diagram, and an alchemy altar was set up in the center.

The abbot washed his hands with peach wood soup.

Previously, he had recited the "Qingjing Jing" (Classic of Purity and Tranquility) a hundred times, and no distracting thoughts arose.

The golden tripod is engraved with the Seven Star Symbol. Two children use a bronze mirror to gather sunlight, fetch a "sunlighting device," and light the furnace fire.

Yuan Danqiu's gaze fell on the golden cauldron. Even with his family's wealth, he couldn't help but sigh softly, "Hongdao Temple truly lives up to its reputation as a famous temple in Luoyang. It has a very deep foundation."

Even the first-year students looked over, their voices soft.

"How did you figure that out?"

Yuan Danqiu told him to take a closer look and said, "This small cauldron alone could buy one or two mansions in Luoyang. It's truly a wonderful magical artifact."

He had practiced alchemy and knew there were many intricacies involved.

The charcoal is both civil and military type; the water-fire mirror is used to observe yin and yang; the fire just now was celestial fire, not ordinary fire. When the fire in the furnace is about to go out, it cannot be simply extinguished by splashing water; it must be extinguished with rootless water.

The tools used for grinding medicine were a jade mortar and pestle, not ordinary iron tools.

The ingredients for elixirs are divided into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and Man. There are many intricacies involved in each category. Heavenly ingredients are made from morning dew and the essence of stars and the moon, while Earthly ingredients are...

As Jiang She listened to Yuan Danqiu's detailed explanation, with Taoist disciples adding details, he recounted the intricacies and significance of the alchemy process.

Jiang She then found out.

The batch of pills he refined earlier had violated so many taboos.

He used an old bronze stove covered in ash, and didn't use any fire at all, let alone obtain fire from heaven.

The middle-aged man beside him said, "Actually, Yunmeng Mountain doesn't pay such attention to other minor details. Whether it's a gold cauldron or a bronze cauldron, there's not much difference."

"The most important thing is for practitioners to communicate with the local heavens and earth."

"To detect the movement of pure energy."

"Therefore, before refining elixirs, one must purify one's mind, nourish one's vital energy, and choose an auspicious day. One should not start the furnace in wind, rain, thunder, or lightning, nor should one start the fire if one's mind is unsettled."

"The next thing to consider is the quality of the elixir materials and the quality of the utensils."

"Ordinary people cannot communicate with heaven and earth, so they can only work on external tools." He said this to his two young disciples, Sanshui and Chuyi, and also to Jiang She.

After all, this senior is not knowledgeable in alchemy, so it is only right that he explains a few more words.

Sanshui and Chuyi listened to their master's words and kept them in mind. The Taoist disciples accompanying them also listened respectfully, wishing the middle-aged man would say a few more words, as this was the alchemy method of a reclusive master.

Jiang She said, "I see."

The official in the scarlet robe was not far away, so Li Bai lowered his voice.

"Can refining elixirs truly prolong the life of Prince Qi?"

The Taoist disciples pricked up their ears; they too wanted to know the truth. If they could cure Prince Qi's illness, their Hongdao Temple would become famous throughout the world.

"No."

The middle-aged man shook his head and said regretfully:
"If life were so easy to continue, everyone in the world would want it."

If ordinary pills could extend one's lifespan, why would his senior brother have gone down the wrong path?
Why would one need to use the essence and blood of the Yin spirit to replenish their own body?

The middle-aged man stared blankly at the alchemy room. At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the Teng Snake transformed, displaying both fire and metal aspects.

The bamboo leaves rustled, bringing a gentle breeze.

He didn't know much about alchemy, but he could sense that the abbot, Daoist Taihe, had indeed slightly stirred up the pure energy of heaven and earth, in an extremely subtle way. This batch of pills... that King Qi was still somewhat lucky.

Jiang She took this to heart.

Suddenly, I asked about it.

"If no medicinal materials are used, and no metals, stones, herbs, or trees are taken, but only the pure essence of heaven and earth is absorbed, what kind of function would the resulting pill have?"

The middle-aged man remained silent for a long time.

At first, he frowned when he heard that no medicinal materials were needed. If it weren't for the fact that he was a senior in front of him, Qingyunzi would have scolded any junior from Yunmeng Mountain.

It requires neither metal nor stone, nor grass or wood.

To gather the pure essence of heaven and earth?
Are you dreaming?
Is the pure and spiritual energy of heaven and earth something you can obtain?

But before them stood a senior who could easily guide the souls of the dead, and the people coming and going were the lords of the mountains and rivers of this land. Beside them were spirits like the fish spirits of the Luo River, and they were discussing the pursuit of the Great Dao.

The middle-aged man thought for a moment, then decided not to dampen his senior's enthusiasm for alchemy.

He said, "If we can do that, that would be wonderful."

Unable to refine the elixir successfully, the middle-aged man casually speculated that if someone were to actually succeed, it would surely be extraordinary.

"It can prolong human life, cure chronic illnesses, and even enlighten ordinary people and mountain beasts, leading them to enter the Taoist path and strengthen their foundation in Taoist practices. It seems that this is indeed possible."

"It cannot be obtained without the great karmic connection."

The two young disciples stared wide-eyed.

Li Bai couldn't help but ask, "Are there really such potent elixirs in the world?"

Yuan Danqiu and the Taoist priest beside him also looked up. It seemed that the legendary elixir that Ge Hong took was probably just like this.

"only--"

The middle-aged man paused for a moment.

"It is just that the pure and spiritual energy of heaven and earth is always difficult to find, let alone to collect for refining medicine. I am just making some speculations, which are not true. In fact, whether it can be made into pills, how to make pills, what kind of equipment to use for refining, and what the heat should be... are all unknown."

The middle-aged man looked at the abbot who was standing in front of the alchemy furnace.

A wisp of pure energy swirled within the golden cauldron, the key to gathering energy, though it was uncertain whether it could be successfully gathered.

He casually remarked:

"If you, senior, succeed in your cultivation, please inform me so that we may witness it together."

Li Bai noticed that the gentleman looked thoughtful.

Several people watched as the abbot refined elixirs.

Jiang She took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve.

He looked down and sized him up.

Sometime during the process, the previously ordinary porcelain seemed to have undergone some kind of change. At first glance, it still looked the same, but upon closer inspection, one could see a halo of light flowing around it, delicate and wondrous.

He said:

"I've succeeded."

(End of this chapter)