Chapter 114: Second Tier Pill Master
The Essence Nurturing Grass and other Spiritual Herbs needed for refining Nourishing Essence Pills had been cultivated by him several years ago.
However, due to limited space and their long growth period, he had only accumulated a little over five hundred materials until now.
Each Nourishing Essence Pill material was valued at around five hundred Spirit Stones, making these materials worth nearly three hundred thousand in total.
In the Cultivation World, an Alchemist capable of refining first-tier elixirs was known as a first-tier Alchemist.
As the supply of first-tier Spiritual Herbs was relatively abundant and not too expensive, one could cultivate a first-tier Alchemist by investing around fifty thousand Spirit Stones, provided they were willing to spend the money.
So, while first-tier Alchemists were not nurous, almost every decent family or faction would have one or two.
Although the initial investnt was significant, once successfully cultivated, it was like having a golden-egg-laying hen, yielding continuous profits in the later stages. As long as the financial resources were sufficient, it was a worthwhile endeavor.
However, second-tier Alchemists were extrely rare. Firstly, the resources required to cultivate a second-tier Alchemist were enormous. So small families couldn't even gather enough resources by selling everything they had.
Even for dium-sized forces, it wasn't a task accomplished in a day or two; it often took decades.
Furthermore, after putting in trendous effort to cultivate a second-tier Alchemist, there was a serious problem to facelack of second-tier Spiritual Herbs.
Second-tier Spiritual Herbs grew slowly, ranging from a couple of hundred years to six or seven hundred years. During this lengthy period, sotis people would pass away several tis, and there was no guarantee of successfully cultivating the Spiritual Herb.
Obtaining second-tier Spiritual Herbs was also very challenging, making second-tier Alchemists often unable to refine elixirs. If luck wasn't on their side, they might not even recover the cost of cultivating the Alchemist.
Refining second-tier elixirs required the use of second-tier spirit charcoal. The fire produced by first-tier spirit charcoal was insufficient to effectively lt the Spiritual Herb, purify impurities, and extract essence.
Second-tier spirit charcoal required second-tier spirit wood refinent, and it wasn't cheap. One piece of spirit charcoal cost thirty Spirit Stones.
There was no space for planting spirit wood specifically for refining spirit charcoal, so he cut down dense branches from those second-tier spirit fruit trees.
Cutting these branches into two or three feet lengths, he placed them in the Alchemy furnace, covered them, and burned them with first-tier spirit charcoal below.
In so spirit charcoal workshops, there were specialized carbon kilns for construction.
Wang Hong didn't need too much himself, and his Alchemy furnace was incredibly large, just enough to temporarily refine so spirit charcoal.
The spirit charcoal refined from spirit fruit branches was of better quality than the ones sold in the market. The only difference was that the shapes he made weren't as regular, and the spirit charcoal turned out to be in the shape of branches.
Anyway, he only used them for himself and had no intention of selling them. Who cared about their appearance?
Wang Hong took out a Nourishing Essence Pill material and placed it next to the alchemy furnace.
First, he brewed a cup of Spirit Tea using Spirit Spring Water and Spirit Tea from the space. This Spirit Tea had the effects of relieving fatigue, keeping the mind clear, and sharpening the intellect.
After drinking a cup of Spirit Tea beforehand, he thought it might increase the success rate a bit.
Once everything was prepared, he began the Alchemy process.
Taking several branches-like spirit charcoal, he placed them under the alchemy furnace and ignited them. Then, he used the Fire Control Technique to adjust the fla size to the right position.
Wang Hong sensed the temperature inside the furnace, threw an Essence Nurturing Grass into it, but the firepower seed insufficient, showing no sign of lting the Essence Nurturing Grass.
He cast two more spiritual techniques towards the fla. The flas surged, emitting a burnt sll. The fire was too intense, and the Essence Nurturing Grass was charred, ruining the first step.
Wang Hong wasn't frustrated. It was his first attempt at refining a second-tier elixir. He wasn't familiar with fla temperatures or the characteristics of these Spiritual Herbs. It was expected to waste several furnaces before mastering it.
After adjusting the fla again, he successfully lted the Spiritual Herb into a green liquid with the previous experience.
Then, he gradually added various other Spiritual Herbs, turning the furnace's contents into a large liquid mass.
The next step was Purification of Impurities. If impurities weren't refined, the resulting elixir would be useless. Conversely, refining too much could eliminate the essence of the Spiritual Herbs, leading to failure. Therefore, precise control of the fla was crucial.
Wang Hong cautiously increased the firepower. Gradually, a faint mist evaporated from the liquid, indicating the impurities being refined.
After a stick of incense, he used the Fire Control Technique again, slowly reducing the firepower. Now, he needed to blend the various ingredients in the liquid to achieve a balanced and coordinated dicinal effect.
His hands moved like phantoms, executing hundreds of techniques. These techniques were specific to refining second-tier elixirs, and he had practiced them extensively before attempting Alchemy.
However, at this mont, the Spiritual Energy in the furnace suddenly beca extrely violent. Various Spiritual Energies collided, resulting in a loud bang and black smoke. The furnace exploded.
Wang Hong cleaned the furnace, contemplated silently for a while, and then started the refinent of the next elixir.
The third furnace, another failure.
The fourth furnace, failure.
...
Finally, on the tenth attempt, he succeeded in obtaining a second-tier Nourishing Essence Pill.
Then, the eleventh furnace failed again. After fifty furnaces, he finally stabilized. On average, every ten furnaces produced three or four elixirs.
The overall Pill Success Rate was still below ten percent. To break even, the Pill Success Rate for Nourishing Essence Pills needed to be at least twenty percent. At his current level, he was essentially losing money with each attempt.
This was only possible because of his strong foundation in Alchemy. He had mastered the refinent of first-tier elixirs to perfection. Additionally, his extensive study of various dicinal properties and theories made Alchemy easier for him than for others.
If it were soone else, even after refining a hundred furnaces, they might not reach his current level. Refining second-tier elixirs was at least ten tis more complicated than refining first-tier elixirs.
After completing a hundred furnaces, Wang Hong took a day off, treated himself to a delicious al, drank so wine, and relaxed.
A day later, he resud Alchemy. This ti, he refined another hundred furnaces consecutively, showing so improvent. Now, approximately eight furnaces out of ten produced visible elixirs, and the overall Pill Success Rate finally reached ten percent.
After another day of rest, he added so Spirit Bee Royal Jelly during Alchemy. This substance could increase the Pill Success Rate.
He hadn't used it before while refining first-tier elixirs because his Pill Success Rate was already high when he acquired the Spirit Bee. Most first-tier elixirs were not as expensive as Spirit Bee Royal Jelly, so adding it would result in a loss. Now, with the refinent of second-tier elixirs, each extra elixir per furnace could cover the cost of Spirit Bee Royal Jelly.
As for the previous hundreds of furnaces where most didn't yield a single elixir, adding Spirit Bee Royal Jelly would be futile.
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