Mortal Bones

Chapter 34: Obtaining a Pill Furnace, Preparing to Refine the Qi Gathering Pill

“Sister Lingyue, could you take another look for me? What exactly is this bronze furnace used for?”

Next, Xu Taiping lifted the bronze furnace in his palm, presenting it to Fairy Lingyue with a face full of curiosity.

“Little Taiping, your luck truly is not bad.”

Fairy Lingyue did not answer directly, but instead looked at Xu Taiping with a beaming smile.

“Sister, why do you say that?”

Xu Taiping sensed a hidden meaning in Fairy Lingyue’s words.

“This object is a pill furnace, a Magical Artifact used by cultivators to refine Pills. It happens to be exactly what you need to refine the Qi Gathering Pill for your impending breakthrough.”

Fairy Lingyue explained.

“Refine the Qi Gathering Pill? But I heard Perfected Lord Ziyang state during his sermon that to break through to the Door Opening Realm, one only needs to cultivate the Residual Glow Art to the Ice Condensation Phase, accumulate True Qi in the Dantian, and then blast open all the body’s acupoints in one fell swoop.”

Xu Taiping was somewhat puzzled.

“Little Taiping, you possess mortal bones. Naturally, the obstacles on your path of cultivation will be far greater than those of other cultivators.”

Fairy Lingyue sighed, her voice tinged with pity.

Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping was momentarily stunned. A flicker of indignation flashed in his gaze, but his eyes quickly regained their unyielding firmness as he declared:

“Sister Lingyue, please teach me how to refine the Qi Gathering Pill!”

…

Over two months later.

Yunlu Mountain enjoyed spring-like weather all year round, its verdant scenery remaining completely unchanged.

Xu Taiping’s daily routine remained much the same. Every day, he cultivated the Residual Glow Art during the Zi, Wu, and You hours. In the time between, he practiced his fist forms, shot arrows, chopped firewood, watered the herbs, hunted, and studied the Dao of pill refining. His days passed in a fulfilling rhythm.

The only thing that left him somewhat disappointed was that Uncle Bai had not visited again since that fateful meal. The spiritual bird tasked with delivering his supplies had also been replaced by a highly foul-tempered white-headed eagle.

Furthermore, another season of the Nine-Leaf White Perilla in the herb garden had matured, allowing him to finally accumulate enough spiritual harvest to purchase the medicinal ingredients required for the Qi Gathering Pill.

“After deducting the merit coins spent on the medicinal herbs and my living expenses over the past two months, I still have ninety-six coins left. Although purchasing a True Fire Talisman remains a distant dream, at least I do not need to worry about lacking the required tribute for the Sect.”

That evening, standing in the backyard of the Green Bamboo Residence and looking at the neat rows of medicinal herbs arranged in his bamboo basket, Xu Taiping’s heart swelled with a profound sense of accomplishment.

However, at this very moment, Xu Taiping still faced his greatest crisis—

In half a month’s time, if he failed to break through to the Door Opening Realm, his name would be forcefully erased from the Spirit Bone Stele. He would face expulsion from the Qingxuan Sect, or perhaps even severe punishment.

“The moon has reached its zenith; it is time to call Sister Lingyue out so we can refine the Qi Gathering Pill.”

Xu Taiping murmured to himself, his gaze lifting toward the pale, perfect circle of the full moon.

According to his agreement with Fairy Lingyue, the night of the full moon exactly two months later would be the appointed time for their alchemy session.

Over the past two months, he had actually made several secret attempts to break through using the methods imparted by Perfected Lord Ziyang. Yet, no matter how fiercely he circulated his Qi, he ultimately failed to shatter the barrier.

Thus, there was only one path left before Xu Taiping—refining the Qi Gathering Pill.

“Sister Lingyue, the hour has arrived.”

Xu Taiping stood up and called out softly toward the herb garden.

“Mmm…”

Not long after, a languid voice drifted from the direction of the spiritual plants.

“Haa… That sleep was truly comfortable.”

A moment later, Fairy Lingyue materialized before Xu Taiping, stretching her ethereal arms and yawning, a trace of hazy sleepiness still lingering between her elegant brows.

“Sister Lingyue, did you not sleep well when you were outside the mountains?”

Xu Taiping asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Outside the mountains, the Spiritual Qi is barren. For this remnant soul of mine, slumbering in such conditions is pure torment. Here, however, it is different. The Spiritual Qi is abundant. Sleeping is not merely harmless; it is actively beneficial, nourishing my divine soul.”

Fairy Lingyue smiled.

Xu Taiping’s inquiry noticeably chased away the remaining drowsiness from her features.

“Have you gathered all the medicinal herbs?”

Fairy Lingyue inquired.

Before she fell into her deep slumber, she had explicitly instructed Xu Taiping to prepare all the necessary materials for the Qi Gathering Pill during her absence.

“I have gathered them all.”

Xu Taiping nodded, pointing toward the small bamboo basket resting nearby. Within it, carefully wrapped packets of medicinal herbs were neatly sorted and arranged.

“They are all ordinary medicinal herbs. The merit coins I managed to save were barely enough to purchase a single set.”

He added softly.

“The medicinal herbs required for the Qi Gathering Pill, much like those for the Bone Cleansing Marrow Soup, are not considered precious. What truly matters is the refinement method.” Fairy Lingyue cast a sweeping glance over the herbs before looking up at Xu Taiping, her expression turning solemn. “However, once you step into the Door Opening Realm, the medicinal herbs and Pills required to assist your cultivation will become exorbitantly expensive. Taiping, you must prepare your heart for this.”

“En!” Xu Taiping nodded vigorously. “No matter the cost, I will definitely find a way to gather the necessary resources.”

“Then let us begin.”

Fairy Lingyue nodded with deep satisfaction.

Xu Taiping retrieved the small bronze furnace from his robes and set it carefully upon the ground. Pressing his palm firmly against its cold surface, he began to channel his True Qi and Spiritual Qi into the vessel.

Boom!

Accompanied by a heavy, resonant thud, the fist-sized bronze furnace instantaneously expanded, swelling until it matched the height of a standard cooking stove.

Xu Taiping’s reaction remained entirely calm; after all, he had borne witness to this mystical transformation many times over the past two months.

“I presume you have already familiarized yourself with the method for operating the pill furnace, Taiping. Now, you may begin adding the spiritual charcoal.”

Fairy Lingyue instructed.

“This pill furnace is merely a low-grade Magical Artifact. Provided there are no mishaps, its latent spiritual power will completely dissipate after refining a single batch of Pills, reducing it to an ordinary mortal cauldron. Therefore, Taiping, you must listen to my commands with absolute focus. You must maintain perfect control over the furnace’s heat and time the addition of the medicinal herbs flawlessly.”

As Xu Taiping fed the charcoal into the gaping maw of the furnace, Fairy Lingyue continued her admonitions, her delicate features displaying a rare and solemn severity.

“Sister Lingyue, set your mind at ease. Over these past two months, I have mentally simulated this process countless times. I will absolutely not make a mistake.”

Having finished preparing the embers, Xu Taiping rose to his feet, his gaze locking with Fairy Lingyue’s with an unwavering, iron-clad resolve.

And just as he had promised, the subsequent refinement process flowed as smoothly as water, proceeding from start to finish without a single solitary error.

“To think this little fellow managed to practice the complex timing of adding ingredients and controlling the furnace’s heat so proficiently… He is completely on par with cultivators who have studied the Dao of Alchemy for years. Just how much agonizing effort did he pour into this?”

Watching Xu Taiping keep his palm pressed firmly against the pill furnace, continuously feeding his own True Qi to stabilize the raging temperatures within, Fairy Lingyue’s gaze grew increasingly fervent.

When it came to the myriad Daos, her mastery over alchemy far surpassed even her cultivation. Now, bearing witness to a youth possessing such heaven-defying talent for pill refinement, how could her heart not race with eagerness?

“Little Taiping, become my disciple.”

Fairy Lingyue almost blurted the words aloud, but just as they reached the tip of her tongue, she forcibly swallowed them back.

“In my current state, I cannot possibly be a competent master. Moreover, should any outsiders recognize the lineage of his cultivation arts and deduce that he is my disciple, it would only invite countless life-threatening calamities upon him in the future. Forget it… forget it…”

Fairy Lingyue’s expression dimmed, a veil of sorrow masking her brilliant eyes.