Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Book lovers are hotly debating: What exactly happened? Join the discussion!

"Brother Zhou, it's been a long time! I didn't expect the Qingyun Sect to be so generous as to host such an exchange meeting."

"Fellow Daoist Li, how have you been? The Qingyun Pill Hall has been gaining momentum in recent years, especially Elder Li Xiaocao. I've heard that he has obtained an ancient inheritance and his pill-refining techniques are unique. I'm sure he's come prepared for this exchange meeting."

"Hmph, just making a fuss. The path of alchemy is vast and profound; how can one achieve it overnight by chance?" A white-haired old man with an arrogant face from Medicine King Valley stroked his beard and said indifferently, and several of his fellow disciples beside him nodded in agreement.

"Look, they're here!"

A slight silence fell over the hall as the side door opened, and Li Xiaocao entered first. Today, she was not wearing the elaborate elder's robes, but only a neat light blue outfit, with the sleeves rolled up to reveal half of her forearm. She wore a gentle smile on her face, and her eyes were clear and focused.

Behind her followed several core disciples of the Pill Hall, including Mu Qingqing, each holding a jade tray with jade slips, medicinal herb samples, and small jade bottles on it.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting." Li Xiaocao walked to the main seat, bowed deeply, and said in a clear voice, "It is an honor for Qingyun Pill Hall to have you grace our sect with your presence today and to discuss the Dao of Alchemy together. It is also a great event for our alliance of alchemists."

"I am but a humble scholar with limited knowledge, and I offer this as a starting point for discussion. I hope my fellow practitioners will not hesitate to offer their guidance."

Her humble attitude, without any airs of a senior elder, won the favor of many alchemists present and also eased the expressions of those arrogant individuals.

"Elder Li is too modest."

"It is our honor to receive guidance from Qingyun Dantang."

Everyone returned the greeting.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Xiaocao got straight to the point. She picked up a jade slip, activated her spiritual power, and several lines of shimmering text and a complex phantom image of a medicinal pill immediately appeared in the air.

"Today's exchange meeting will be informal. I will first make a fool of myself and share two low-level pill formulas that my alchemy hall has recently improved, for discussion with fellow Daoists."

"Firstly, there is the 'Powerful Fasting Pill'." The illusory image shifted, revealing a pill the size of a longan, with a warm, lustrous color. "This pill is primarily composed of 'Polygonatum' and 'Poria,' supplemented with the essence of 'Jade Marrow Rice.'"

"The improvement lies in the addition of the root of a 'Heart-Clearing Grass' and the control of the heat using the 'Reversal of Literary and Martial Arts' method. This allows the pill to provide a full stomach of spiritual energy while also having a slight calming and soothing effect, helping lower-level disciples to maintain a clear mind and not be easily disturbed by external demons when they are in seclusion for a long time or traveling."

"The success rate of pill formation has increased by about 20%, and the duration of the medicinal effect has increased by 30%."

As she spoke, Mu Qingqing distributed a bottle of newly refined "Potential Fasting Pill" to the alchemists for their appreciation.

The alchemists took the jade bottles, poured out the pills, and carefully observed their color and smelled their aroma. Some even scraped off a small amount of powder with their fingernails to taste it. Immediately, low gasps of amazement arose from all sides.

"Hmm? The patterns on the pill are perfectly smooth, and the medicinal power is contained within; it is indeed a top-grade medicine!"

"This fragrance... does indeed have the scent of calming herbs, but it blends together perfectly, without any clashing notes!"

"A reversal of literary and martial arts? Brilliant! I used to think this method was only used for high-grade pills, but I never imagined it could work on low-grade pills as well, actually increasing the success rate!"

Elder Zhou, the white-haired elder from Medicine King Valley, who had initially paid no attention, now focused his gaze intently, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

As a master of alchemy, he naturally saw that this improvement, though seemingly simple, actually required an extremely high level of understanding of the medicinal properties and control of the heat, something that could not be achieved without decades of immersion in alchemy.

He couldn't help but ask, "Elder Li, how do we control the timing of this 'Civil and Martial Reversal'? Won't adding the roots of the Heart-Clearing Grass clash with the warming and nourishing properties of the Jade Marrow Rice?"

Li Xiaocao smiled slightly and explained in detail without holding back, "Senior Zhou has insightful eyes. The key is to suddenly switch to a gentle fire when the Poria cocos is about to solidify, so as to nourish and calm the medicinal properties of the herbs. After they are fully integrated, switch to a strong fire to solidify the pill."

"The roots of Qingxincao are slightly cold in nature, which is precisely what Yu Sui rice needs to warm and neutralize. If the timing is right, it can actually harmonize the medicinal properties and make the elixir more mild."

As she spoke, she casually picked up the prepared medicinal herbs, and a gentle blue flame rose from her palm as she demonstrated the key fire control technique. Her movements were fluid and precise.

The alchemists watched with rapt attention, especially the rogue cultivators and those from smaller sects, who stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing a single detail.

This core fire control technique is kept secret from outsiders!

After the demonstration, Li Xiaocao showcased the second improved pill formula – the "Light Body Pill." This pill can significantly reduce the user's weight and increase movement speed in a short period of time, making it a commonly used elixir for low-level cultivators to travel or escape.

Li Xiaocao's improvement lies in optimizing the ratio of "Wind Chime Flower" and "Floating Grass" and introducing a special "vibration condensation method" to make the pill's effect more lasting and with fewer side effects.

Similarly, she frankly explained the detailed principles and techniques, and then refined a batch on the spot, producing nine pills, each one... This drew cheers from the audience.

The selfless sharing of two low-level pill formulas completely ignited the atmosphere in the hall. The alchemists asked questions one after another, and Li Xiaocao, Mu Qingqing, and other disciples of the Pill Hall patiently answered them one by one without reservation.

The atmosphere gradually warmed up. Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Xiaocao changed the subject and said with a smile, "The Dao of Alchemy has no end. One person's wisdom is limited, but the wisdom of many is greater. Although my Qingyun Alchemy Hall has some experience, I also know that there are many talented people in the world, and each school has its own unique techniques."

"For example, the Medicine King Valley's 'Hundred Flowers Honey Refining Method' purifies floral medicinal liquids, the Hundred Herbs Sect's 'Earth Vein Nourishing Medicine Technique' cultivates spiritual plants, and the 'Water Refining Method' of Danxia Island in the East Sea processes aquatic spiritual materials—all are unique skills. Today, with this rare opportunity, I wonder if any fellow Daoists would be willing to share a bit of their knowledge, so that we can broaden our horizons?"

Her gaze swept sincerely over the crowd.

A moment of silence fell over the hall upon hearing this. Sharing unique techniques was the foundation of each sect's existence! The crowd exchanged hesitant glances.

At this moment, a short, stout alchemist from the small sect "Qingmu Temple" hesitated for a moment, then stood up and somewhat embarrassedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Elder Li, fellow Daoists. I am Lin Mu from Qingmu Temple. Our temple has a traditional method for processing 'Iron Bone Grass' called the 'Hundred Kneading and Twisting Method.' It can effectively remove its harshness and make the medicinal properties easier to absorb. However, the method is crude and I'm afraid it's not suitable for refined occasions..."

Li Xiaocao's eyes lit up, and she encouraged him, "Fellow Daoist Lin is too modest! There is no superior or inferior method; what matters is its applicability. Please don't hesitate to offer your guidance!"

Encouraged, Lin Mu became bolder, walked to the table, took out a handful of tough iron-boned grass, and began to demonstrate. His hands were covered in calluses, and his movements, though seemingly clumsy, contained a unique rhythm: kneading, rubbing, twisting, and shaking, all with meticulous care.

After a series of operations, the Iron Bone Grass indeed became more lustrous, and its sharp edges were significantly reduced.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed a rogue alchemist, clapping his hands. "This method, though time-consuming, requires no special tools and has low spiritual energy requirements, making it perfect for small sects like ours!"

"It certainly has its unique features." Elder Zhou stroked his beard and nodded.

With Lin Mu leading the way, the other alchemists also put aside their concerns. A female cultivator from the Hundred Herbs Sect shared her experience on how to cultivate a rare fungus using the excrement of specific insects.

A rogue cultivator presented his ancestral techniques for distinguishing several easily confused poisonous herbs; even the alchemist from Danxia Island in the East China Sea briefly explained how to use the power of tides to assist in refining elixirs with water...