thefictionvixens 560. Failure to achieve elixir
560. Failure to achieve elixir
"It's been three days already..." Lei Jingxiao, who had been guarding the place, also complained about how boring it was. After all, having to watch someone else refine medicine for so long was quite a test of his patience. He was also relieved that Aunt Yan had only forced him to learn combat skills; if he had to study medicine at such a high intensity, he might have gone crazy.
The other three, however, watched with great interest. After all, being able to see an alchemist of a higher level than themselves perform a feat up close was something to be happy about.
"Be patient, it's about time," Xiao Yan instructed Lei Jingxiao.
Cao Ying nodded in agreement. The Heart Bamboo Pill was one of the milder types of eighth-grade pills, not as potent. Therefore, its formation process was relatively short, and the results would be available today, whether it succeeded or not.
As expected, three hours later, Wei Jiangyuan reached the final stage of condensing the nascent pill form. The emerald flames within the cauldron swirled like a dragon. Even with fine beads of sweat beading on Wei Jiangyuan's forehead, his soul power had already transformed into countless strands, coiling around the nascent pill form. The ball of golden-green liquid had solidified into a round bead the size of a pigeon's egg. Its surface was still somewhat uneven, but it shimmered with an emerald-like luster, symbolizing its extraordinary nature—after all, it was a genuine eighth-grade pill.
But at this final step, Wei Jiangyuan suddenly noticed something unusual—a violent fluctuation was emerging within the originally gentle medicinal power.
"This is?!"
Xiao Yan and Cao Ying were the first to notice the changes in the medicine cauldron. Throughout their studies, their teachers had emphasized in detail the most important steps in medicine refining, and now they were facing the last major hurdle before the pill was successfully formed.
Elixirs are made by fusing the essence of various herbs. Since the herbs belong to different categories, there will inevitably be conflicts in their medicinal properties. How to combine the medicinal properties of so many materials is something that alchemists must consider and do. At this moment, it is clear that the medicinal properties of the Heart Bamboo Elixir in the cauldron have gone out of control.
Wei Jiangyuan's pupils constricted sharply, his fingertips clenching tightly in an attempt to stabilize the medicine's effects, but it was too late. Spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared on the surface of the pill, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. As the one responsible for refining the medicine, he knew best what was about to happen. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, he poured his soul power into the cauldron, but at this point, no one could stop what had transpired. A plume of smoke, mixed with the smell of burnt grass and wood, billowed from the cauldron, illuminating Wei Jiangyuan's ashen face.
"boom!"
The medicine cauldron trembled violently, and the jade crystal within the Azure Mountain Cauldron instantly dimmed. Wei Jiangyuan staggered back two steps, oblivious to the scorch marks on his sleeves from the escaping flames, but he rushed back to the cauldron, staring intently at the charred remains inside. His fingers unconsciously dug into his palms, his knuckles turning white, and a hoarse growl escaped his throat.
"How could this be? How could this be?" Wei Jiangyuan's tone was full of resentment. He had insisted on changing the ingredients, and now he had personally messed everything up.
A mountain breeze swept through the silent valley, dispelling the smell of burning. A bead of sweat trickled down Wei Jiangyuan's chin and into the medicine cauldron, eliciting a soft hissing sound. He slumped down before the cauldron, his palms pressed tightly against the scalding heat, letting the burning pain seep into his bones—this pain paled in comparison to the regret and resentment surging within him at that moment.
The air around them was still, the atmosphere eerily quiet. Yao Qingyu managed a weak smile at the sight, but just then, a wave of weakness washed over her. Xiao Yan sensed it and promptly channeled a gentle stream of fire-attribute fighting spirit into her body. Cao Ying sighed softly. They had all somewhat anticipated this outcome, but they hadn't expected to fail at the very last step. This result was utterly disheartening.
Lei Jingxiao watched everything, wanting to say something to ease the tension, but he didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Wei Jiangyuan did not wallow in his frustration. He took out a spatial jade slip from his storage ring and apologized to Yao Qingyu: "Qingyu... I'm sorry, I couldn't keep my promise, but don't worry, I will make sure you leave here safely."
Looking at Wei Jiangyuan and the spatial jade slip in his hand, Xiao Yan knew that behind this jade slip must be a powerful expert who could solve everything. Wei Jiangyuan's current actions were obviously an attempt to make amends for his mistakes.
Xiao Yan stepped forward and said to him, "Don't rush, it's not time yet. You have a third chance."
At this moment, Wei Jiangyuan was the last person he wanted to face Xiao Yan. Although he had an outward appearance of not caring about anything, he still harbored some resentment and a competitive spirit towards Xiao Yan for standing out on the Heavenly Talent Ranking.
Therefore, when Xiao Yan was refining the original Heart Bamboo Pill for the sake of safety, he insisted on resolving the problem in one go. Besides fulfilling Yao Qingyu's wishes, he also wanted to prove to Xiao Yan who was the strongest person in the Pill Gathering.
Xiao Yan's thoughtful words before the alchemy began now stung him. What he didn't expect was that Xiao Yan not only didn't ridicule him for it, but instead took the initiative to comfort him.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. This decision was made together, so we should all share the consequences of failure." Xiao Yan generously comforted him, "Judging from the alchemy process just now, you're only one step away from success. If it still doesn't work the third time, use your method to send Junior Sister Qingyu away."
Xiao Yan simply patted Wei Jiangyuan on the shoulder, then turned to Cao Ying and said, "Miss Cao Ying, please inform Ling Zhuo that he needs herbs from Misty Mountain. I'll go and fetch them for him, in exchange for that last Nine-Jointed Green Bamboo!"
This was also why Xiao Yan initially wanted Cao Ying to stay—if the two portions of Nine-Section Green Bamboo Hearts weren't enough to solve his junior sister's problem, then he would have to make a deal with Ling Zhuo. Even if the price was all the herbs in Misty Mountain, Xiao Yan wouldn't hesitate, because in his heart, those herbs, and even the champion of the Pill Gathering, were not as important as his junior sister's safety.
Upon hearing this, Cao Ying exchanged a glance with Xiao Yan, understanding his determination from his deep eyes. She then nodded, took out a jade token from her storage ring, and crushed it with a forceful squeeze.
"This jade tablet can send out location information. As we agreed before, Ling Zhuo will arrive soon."
Just as Cao Ying said, two hours later, a presence traveled from afar and finally located Xiao Yan and his group precisely.
The person who arrived was none other than Ling Zhuo, the young master of the Spirit Clan. To Xiao Yan's surprise, Ling Zhuo came alone without any help.