Chapter 40 : The Alchemist's Gambit

Early the next morning, Eldrin Chen sat cross-legged within the Alchemy Room, an Alchemy Manual [a book detailing the art of pill refinement] open in his hands.

This time, he intended to refine the Essence Gathering Pill. This pill, classified as Second Rank Lower Grade, could instantly replenish a vast amount of a cultivator's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body].

According to the Alchemy Manual, possessing an Essence Gathering Pill might increase his chances of a successful Foundation Establishment [the crucial breakthrough that solidifies a cultivator's spiritual foundation] by one-tenth.

Although the pill's refinement process was not overly complex, it required a Second Rank Rare Spirit Fruit. Eldrin Chen lacked such a Second-Order Spirit Fruit. However, having lived a previous life in an era of information explosion, he was naturally not one to be bound by rigid convention.

He planned to substitute the rare fruit with a large quantity of First Rank Spirit Peach to concoct a single batch of the pill. By compensating for quality with sheer volume, the resulting Essence Gathering Pill might not match the original's potency, but it should retain fifty to sixty percent of its efficacy—enough to grant him an additional half-tenth chance of achieving Foundation Establishment.

No sooner thought than done. Once his method was settled, Eldrin Chen began the refinement of the Essence Gathering Pill.

For this endeavor, he gathered the remaining hundred or so Spiritual Peach he had accumulated over the years, resolved to succeed in a single, decisive attempt.

Although the Essence Gathering Pill was a Second-Order formula, Spiritual Peach were not typical Spirit Herb. They contained virtually no medicinal toxins and minimal impurities, making their refinement among the least demanding tasks within the realm of Second-Rank Pill creation.

Eldrin Chen employed a gentle flame, patiently simmering the ingredients for over half a month until he had slowly distilled a cauldron of spiritual liquid. Finally, the critical moment of pill condensation arrived.

"Five globules of pill essence," he observed.

"It must succeed."

Watching the spiritual liquid before him gradually take shape, Eldrin Chen felt his heart leap into his throat.

After all, this was his first attempt at refining a Second-Rank Pill. His cultivation base and spiritual sense were insufficient, leading to an immediate mishap—three of the five clumps of pill liquid instantly dissipated.

"Not good!"

At this critical moment, Eldrin Chen made a decisive choice. He abandoned one of the remaining clumps and focused all his efforts on condensing the final one.

The effect of this concentrated focus was immediately apparent. With his entire attention devoted to this single clump of pill liquid, no further accidents occurred, and he successfully refined this Essence Gathering Pill.

"Success!"

Overwhelmed with elation, Eldrin Chen lifted the lid of the cauldron, snatched the Essence Gathering Pill with his hand, and placed it into a prepared jade vial.

The successful refinement of the Essence Gathering Pill not only increased his hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment by another half-step, but also signified that he could now be considered a quasi-Second-Order alchemist.

"Once I break through to Foundation Establishment, becoming a full-fledged Second-Order alchemist will be virtually assured."

Gazing at the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and refining spiritual energy] within the vial, a smile finally touched his lips. The arduous month of alchemy had not been in vain.

Stepping out from the alchemy chamber, Eldrin Chen paused in surprise. He found Old Granduncle waiting outside his door, having been there for quite some time, his expression one of profound distress.

Rain poured heavily outside, the rumble of thunder unceasing. He hurriedly invited Old Granduncle inside.

"Old Granduncle, what is the matter?"

Old Granduncle's face was rigid as he handed over a letter, then spoke.

"This is news that arrived from Verdant Chariot Mountain the day before yesterday."

"Half a year ago, Qingyuan failed in his Foundation Establishment [the crucial breakthrough to the second major realm of cultivation] attempt and passed away at the Green Sun Sect."

"Boom—"

Eldrin Chen felt as if a primordial bell had struck his mind, the reverberation nearly causing him to stumble where he stood.

They had journeyed two hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], battling a Foundation Establishment-realm Demonic Ape in a desperate, bloody struggle so fierce it left Mordecai Chen grievously wounded and teetering on the brink of death. All of that sacrifice, just to retrieve a single Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that significantly increases the chance of a successful Foundation Establishment breakthrough] that rightfully belonged to the Chen Family.

They had merely sought to reclaim the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that forms the foundation for a cultivator's path] their ancestor had paid for with his life sixty years prior, yet what they ultimately received was a token of impending doom.

Caleb Chen, the most gifted talent of the Verdant Generation [a generation or cohort within the Chen family], had fallen. He was invaded by Earth Fire Malignant Qi [a corrosive and violent energy from deep within the earth], his meridians shattered and his cultivation utterly destroyed.

According to the Green Sun Sect Messenger, the agony inflicted by the Fire Malignant Power [the destructive force of the Earth Fire Malignant Qi] was so unbearable that Caleb Chen chose to end his own life.

"…"

"Boom! Rumble!"

The sky was somber, rent by thunder and lightning.

Rain poured down in torrents, lashing the surface of the lake.

Eldrin Chen stood by the shore of Lake Heart Island, sword in hand, his robes as white as snow.

He gazed up at the vast, brooding heavens, his eyes reflecting the serpents of lightning that writhed across the firmament.

He stood there in silent vigil, letting the rain drench him, his long hair whipping in the storm. He remained motionless throughout the long night, wrapped in profound silence.

"The Green Sun Sect!"

"..."

Early the next morning, he returned to the Cultivation Chamber with an impassive expression and immediately entered seclusion to cultivate.

He had resolved to cease seeking the possibility of obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill and to immediately attempt his breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The Beast Tide would arrive in just over thirty years. To protect himself and his clan, he needed to break through to Foundation Establishment sooner and become far stronger.

This time, Eldrin Chen was not without confidence. His meridians had been tempered for years by his True Qi and the Primordial Mist Violet Aura, making them more than twice as resilient as those of his peers—comparable to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had broken through using a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Coupled with his profound reserves of True Qi, his chances of a successful breakthrough to Foundation Establishment were at least fifty or sixty percent.

Even so, compressing True Qi into True Essence was no simple task.

A profound qualitative transformation lay between the two states. Once the compression succeeded, nourishing the body with True Essence would complete the leap in Life essence, extending one's lifespan beyond two centuries.

Guided by the wisdom of predecessors and his own profound understanding, Eldrin Chen meticulously compressed his True Qi. After a full month of relentless effort, he finally compressed his True Qi to its absolute limit.

At this juncture, the most critical moment had arrived.

If successful, he would be able to compress his True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] into True Essence [a more potent and condensed form of cultivated energy]. However, if his meridians [the energy channels within a cultivator's body] could not withstand the strain, the True Qi compressed to its limit would violently disperse, instantly shredding his meridians into a thousand holes.

Yet, Eldrin Chen did not rush to complete this final step. He took a deep breath and swallowed the Essence Gathering Pill [a pill that aids in gathering and refining spiritual energy].

Instantly, a torrential surge of energy flooded into his meridians. The immense pressure forced the True Essence to take its final form.

"Now!"

Gritting his teeth, he channeled all his True Essence, compelling it to coalesce and complete the ultimate transformation.

However, lacking a Foundation Establishment Pill [a specialized pill that stabilizes and tempers energy during a major breakthrough] to temper the True Qi, its volatility far exceeded the norm, making it a wild and unruly force to tame.

Fortunately, his meridians, tempered by the Primordial Mist Violet Aura [a rare and potent spiritual energy], possessed extraordinary resilience. They withstood the violent churning of the True Qi, allowing him to finally cross the most perilous threshold.

When the first wisp of True Essence was born within him, a chain reaction ignited of its own accord.

Like a great whale drawing in the sea, that single wisp of True Essence absorbed vast quantities of True Qi, refining it into more True Essence. In the wake of this transformation, Eldrin Chen's meridians were left feeling hollow and drained.

The vast True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's meridians] that had filled his meridians was compressed into True Essence [the purified, foundational energy core of a cultivator], leaving behind less than one-tenth of its original volume.

"It is done."

Eldrin Chen wore a smile, not leaving the Cultivation Chamber [a specially prepared room for meditation and energy refinement] immediately. He took out all the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] he possessed, frantically drawing upon their spiritual energy to nourish and strengthen that single wisp of True Essence.

He then channeled the newly-born True Essence to continuously temper his meridians, strengthening them while simultaneously using the True Essence to gently nurture his physical body. This process continued for nearly a month before he finally completed the fundamental transformation at the Life [the foundational level of cultivation, representing the refinement of one's vital essence and lifespan] level.

From this day forward, his Life foundation was fundamentally different. With True Essence constantly nurturing his flesh and bones, barring any incurable injuries, living for two hundred years was now an almost certain fate.