Inside the immortal’s cave.
The runes of the fire control formation illuminated one by one, drawing upon spirit stones and spiritual energy to create a tier-2 azure fla beneath the Violet Jade Furnace.
Heat waves surged, steadily increasing the temperature around it.
Sensing the stability and obedience of this fla, Fang Xi nodded with satisfaction.
His designed formation operated remarkably well, with its only drawback being the consumption of spirit stones.
Fang Xi took a deep breath and first retrieved other dicinal ingredients to concoct a batch of ‘Qi Supplent Pills’.
In the art of pill concoction, this technique is known as ‘Warming the Furnace’!
When using a pill furnace that has been idle for a long ti, the performance during the first batch often diminishes, potentially affecting subsequent pill outcos. Therefore, before attempting important dicinal pills, alchemists typically start by concocting a different type of pill beforehand.
With a solemn expression, Fang Xi set aside the prepared Qi Supplent Pills and then extracted sixteen jade boxes from his bag of holding.
As he opened them, various ingredients beca visible, with a striking gray-white monster core catching the most attention.
“Let’s begin!” Fang Xi murmured and first retrieved a pristine white ‘Dragon Transformation Ginseng’, resembling fine jade, before carefully slicing off a portion with a small jade knife.
To concoct a Foundation Establishnt Pill, one actually doesn’t require an entire Dragon Transformation Ginseng; just a segnt is sufficient. However, once cut, this ginseng rapidly loses its dicinal potency, hence it is typically sold whole.
“These monster cores are from early Foundation Establishnt beasts. I don’t expect to produce more than two pills per batch, so naturally, I’ll use minimal ingredients… Small quantities at a ti, gradually accumulating experience…”
Fang Xi released his divine sense, directing it into the Violet Jade Furnace.
In the next mont, he placed the sliced Dragon Transformation Ginseng inside, manipulating flas to envelop it and refine it into a transparent liquid essence.
Next ca the other auxiliary materials…
Throughout this process, Fang Xi ticulously observed every change within the dicine furnace using his divine sense.
Since he wasn’t expecting success with his first batch, his mindset remained calm, treating it purely as an experintal exercise.
As soon as the grayish-white monster core entered the pill furnace, Fang Xi’s expression turned unprecedentedly solemn.
Roar! Roar!
Upon encountering the flas, the monster core instantly unleashed a powerful resistance, accompanied by faint sounds of furious mythical beasts.
“Concocting with monster beast cores indeed lacks the gentleness found in spirit dicines…”
Fang Xi swiftly added the Jade Spirit Solution to blend the dicinal properties and stabilize the various ingredients.
However, in the very next mont!
Boom!
The Violet Jade Furnace trembled violently as the internal conflict between the drug solution and the monster core escalated, resulting in both turning to ashes!
In this first attempt, Fang Xi failed even before reaching the stage of solidifying the liquid into a pill.
“Hm… The impact from the monster beast core was too strong, and I introduced the Jade Spirit Solution slightly late…” His face remained impassive, showing no concern for having destroyed such an incredibly valuable monster beast core. Instead, he reflected on his pill-concocting experience thus far.
After resting overnight and ntally rehearsing nurous tis, Fang Xi once again comnced pill concoction!
Bang!
This ti, he barely managed to integrate the Jade Spirit Solution with the monster core, rging it with the drug solution. Yet, at the final step…
Three months later.
“Sixth batch!”
Fang Xi’s expression remained composed, his gaze sharp and focused as he skillfully added each ingredient to the pill furnace with fluid grace.
Next, he introduced a crystal-like monster inner core along with the Jade Spirit Solution!
“In the fifth batch, I was close to forming the pill just before running out of magical energy at the critical mont…”
This ti, Fang Xi was well-prepared. He perfectly activated the demonic energy from the monster core, seamlessly blending it with the existing dicinal liquid, resulting in a translucent mixture tinged with shades of purple and green.
The roaring flas continuously nurtured this mass of liquid…
After seven days and nights, Fang Xi consud a Qi Supplent Pill to replenish his magical energy before calmly executing a magic art:
“Condense!”
Within the pill furnace, the purplish-green liquid rapidly concentrated, its color shifting between various hues of iridescent shimr…
Sweat beaded on Fang Xi’s forehead as he struggled to stabilize the conflicting spiritual energies within the dicinal pill.
Three days later.
“Open the furnace!”
His magical energy surged, channeling multiple magic arts into the Violet Jade Furnace.
With a resounding rumble, a pale blue dicinal pill erged, landing in Fang Xi’s hand.
Before any joy could surface on his face, the Foundation Establishnt Pill swiftly turned black, exploded, and disintegrated into ash.
“I need to refine my technique for extracting the pill…I rushed it slightly earlier.”
Another three months passed.
As Fang Xi’s attempts continued, the ti he spent on each Foundation Establishnt Pill grew longer, which was indeed a positive sign.
Initially, he had failed early in the process, but now, he could persist all the way to the final step of extracting the pill.
“Eighteenth batch!”
Fang Xi ticulously navigated through each challenging stage until reaching the crucial extraction phase.
This ti, having refined his original technique for collecting pills, he cast a new magic seal into the pill furnace.
The Violet Jade Furnace rumbled open, filling the room with a potent dicinal aroma.
A deep blue dicinal pill landed in Fang Xi’s hand - it was the Foundation Establishnt Pill!
However, upon closer inspection, there was a gray alchemy marking visible on its surface!
“Inferior-grade Foundation Establishnt Pill?!” Fang Xi frowned. “It seems my previous thod still has imperfections…”
Despite being inferior grade, this pill retained the remarkable effect of aiding a cultivator’s transformation during Foundation Establishnt. The downside was its excessive pill toxicity and slightly diminished efficacy compared to a genuine Foundation Establishnt Pill, estimated at only around 60-70% effectiveness.
“But it’s enough, more than enough…”
“As long as the Foundation Establishnt Pill safeguards the ridians and ensures survival even if the attempt fails, that alone is sufficient…”
Fang Xi carefully stored away this substandard Foundation Establishnt Pill and then went to catch up on much-needed sleep.
The recent pressure had been imnse, especially during the final few batches.
Despite reminding himself that failure would rely an repeating the process of gathering materials, the supply of Monster Kings in Great Liang was not inexhaustible.
Now, with all stress swept aside, Fang Xi joyfully took a few months off for leisure before returning refreshed to resu his work!
For the ninth batch of Foundation Establishnt Pills, Fang Xi approached it freely, letting his creativity soar… He tested several hypotheses one by one, but ultimately, the furnace exploded midway through the process.
With a hearty laugh, he cleaned the furnace and proceeded to refine the last monster beast inner core.
This ti, as if aided by divine providence, he successfully produced a genuine Foundation Establishnt Pill in his final attempt!
Lying half-reclined on his bed within the immortal’s cave, Fang Xi tossed two jade bottles in his hands.
“With ten monster beast cores, any pill concocting grandmaster could easily produce at least ten genuine Foundation Establishnt Pills…”
This wasn’t to say they always succeeded with every batch, but so grandmasters were capable of creating two Foundation Establishnt Pills per furnace!
In contrast, Fang Xi managed only two pills from ten cores, one of which was inferior quality—a significant loss!
Yet, he still felt it was quite profitable.
At the very least, he quietly obtained two Foundation Establishnt Pills and learned the art of crafting them!
Ard with this skill, he could dare to impersonate a tier-2 pill concocting grandmaster!
However, Fang Xi had no intention of doing so.
As he played with the jade bottles containing the Foundation Establishnt Pills, he began contemplating his path to Foundation Establishnt.
“Swallowing the Foundation Establishnt Pill for transformation should ideally be done above a tier-2 spiritual vein, benefiting from its enhancent…”
“With my identity as Fang Xi, I can openly declare my intent to break through to Foundation Establishnt… At just fifty-eight years old, I can claim that nearing the sixty-year deadline, I’m taking a desperate gamble!”
Although the self-guided Foundation Establishnt process has extrely low success rates and high mortality, there have been fortunate exceptions!
“Or perhaps… announce having luckily acquired a Foundation Establishnt spirit item?”
“After all, once reaching Foundation Establishnt, the spirit object is consud. Who could verify it then?”
Bai Ze Immortal City was renowned as a sanctuary for rogue cultivators seeking Foundation Establishnt.
News of successful rogue cultivators achieving this milestone circulated regularly, ensuring a reasonable level of credibility.
Since Fang Xi had ticulously planned to acquire a Foundation Establishnt Pill, he naturally aid for optimal conditions across all aspects.
Renting a tier-2 spiritual vein immortal’s cave indeed offered unparalleled safety compared to any other location within the Yue Kingdom.
Moreover…Fang Xi also considered the challenges post-Foundation Establishnt.
“After reaching Foundation Establishnt, despite my superior spiritual roots, I’ll still require access to a tier-2 spiritual vein, suitable cultivation techniques, and ample resources for effective practice… Ideally, having support from a major power would be beneficial.”
“Bai Ze Immortal City seems promising… If I achieve Foundation Establishnt here, with a clear background, they might seek out. Perhaps I could leverage this opportunity to join them?”
As for the Core Formation sects in the three kingdoms, they were not part of Fang Xi’s considerations. Aside from potentially stringent entry evaluations, simply being a disciple not raised from childhood by a sect virtually guaranteed exclusion from its inner circles, unless under extraordinary circumstances.
After all, loyalty is highly valued within sects!
With this decision made, Fang Xi tidied up his cave and returned to Bai Ze Immortal City.
Smokey Willow Lane, Building 87.
He had previously rented it for ten years, and the lease was still valid.
Gazing at his little courtyard brought a sense of familiarity.
“Fellow Daoist, you’re back! Sothing significant happened recently!”
The Grapevine Fairy, clad in a green dress, brightened upon seeing Fang Xi. “Your cultivation… has reached great perfection?”
“Indeed, by sheer fortune, I finally advanced to the tenth level of Qi Refinent!” Fang Xi smiled slightly. Since he aid for Foundation Establishnt soon, there was no need to conceal his cultivation base publicly anymore. He then asked, “What occurred?”
“Sigh… Jin Ling’s husband, nearing the end of his longevity, rented a tier-2 immortal’s cave in the inner city to attempt Foundation Establishnt but failed, leading to his demise…” The Grapevine Fairy recounted with a tone of respect, acknowledging that Fang Xi was now a formidable expert at the great perfection stage.
“Oh… truly unexpected.”
Fang Xi promptly took so gifts and headed to Su Lie’s residence to offer condolences.
“Fellow Daoist Fang…”
Jin Ling, dressed in a snowy white gown, looked on with a cold expression.
“My condolences, Fellow Daoist Jin,” Fang Xi offered sympathetically.
“You know old Su’s temperant well… Before exhausting his longevity, he would inevitably take the chance.” Jin Ling spoke emotionlessly, “Before entering his death-defying seclusion, he ntioned his greatest regret was not attempting earlier, before age sixty, which led to diminished blood qi and reduced chances of success… Not once did he consider ; how utterly heartless!”
Fang Xi remained speechless, unsure how to respond.
The next day, Fang Xi ventured to the inner city and found the manager responsible for rentals, requesting a tier-two immortal’s cave.
“Certainly, certainly…” The manager, dressed in a green silk robe, introduced himself with a smile as Manager Han. “May I ask what purpose you have for renting an immortal’s cave? If it’s for seclusion to break through your cultivation, our top-tier ‘A’ class caves are ideal, boasting tier-two high-grade spiritual energy inside!”
“Indeed, it’s for breaking through in seclusion!” Fang Xi replied firmly.
Noticing Fang Xi’s Peak Qi Refinent cultivation base, Manager Han’s expression turned slightly more serious. “If I may inquire, how old is esteed sir?”
“Fifty-eight years…” Fang Xi answered with a weary deanor.
“Ah, an A-class immortal’s cave costs one hundred spirit stones per year…” Without further ado, Manager Han swiftly processed the rental formalities.
After Fang Xi left, Manager Han watched his departing figure, a hint of pity evident on his face.
Having worked here, he had seen nurous rogue cultivators attempting their final gamble before reaching the age of sixty.
Most ended up failing; so even tragically lost their lives due to bad luck.
“Foundation Establishnt, ah…” A trace of lancholy and self-deprecation crossed Manager Han’s face. “The true darlings of the heavens achieve Peak Qi Refining by thirty and then breakthrough using Foundation Establishnt Pills… How can re elders like us compare?”
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