Chapter 99

Chapter 100: The Way of Alchemy, Infinite Variations

After Li Xuan finished explaining the basic theories of alchemy he had compiled, he looked at Su Lingxiu and asked, "Have you remembered it?"

If she couldn't remember it, this girl's talent would be a bit lacking.

Whether it was Xu Yan or Meng Chong, they could remember it after just one explanation.

"Master, I've remembered it all. I even thought of an alchemical formula. Do you think it will work?"

Su Lingxiu said excitedly.

Li Xuan was taken aback. She came up with an alchemical formula so quickly?

Her talent is quite good!

I haven't misjudged her, and I haven't taken the wrong disciple.

His face remained calm, and he nodded, saying, "Oh, what formula is it?"

"Master, you said that cultivation starts with sensing qi and blood, refining the skin, bones, and organs. So I thought of combining ginseng, nine-leaf yuanzhi, tiger blood... to refine into a pill. It will certainly be highly nourishing and can be quickly digested for cultivation."

Su Lingxiu explained the formula she had thought of.

"You can come up with a formula so quickly, which shows that you are familiar with various medicinal herbs..."

Li Xuan said calmly.

Su Lingxiu was delighted. Did Master approve of her formula?

However, Li Xuan continued, "You have talent, otherwise, I wouldn't have taken you as a disciple. But how did you come up with this formula?

"The way of using herbs involves the principles of principal, auxiliary, and messenger. Do you know this?"

Su Lingxiu pinched the edge of her clothes and said, "I don't know. Please enlighten me, Master."

"The principal herb treats the main disease, the auxiliary supports the principal, and the messenger responds to the auxiliary... one principal, two auxiliaries, a small formula; two principals, three auxiliaries, five messengers, a medium formula..."

Li Xuan explained the principles of using herbs as principal, auxiliary, and messenger, then said, "You need to understand which herb should be the principal, which should be the auxiliary... The way of alchemy has infinite variations.

"Remember, diseases have no fixed form, medicine has no fixed formula, and herbs have no fixed quality. Whether to advance or retreat depends on the situation; the skill and wisdom of the practitioner depend on the person, and the roles of principal, auxiliary, and messenger depend on their application..."

Su Lingxiu was greatly impressed. In that moment, it was as if a window had opened, revealing a new world.

She had a vague understanding.

Various precious and spiritual herbs flashed through her mind, their characteristics and focuses... all appearing in her mind.

"Principal, auxiliary, and messenger? The way of alchemy has infinite variations..."

Su Lingxiu vaguely felt that she seemed to have understood something. As long as she spent time organizing it, she could certainly come up with a qualified formula.

Li Xuan looked at her. This girl had good insight. The alchemical theories and the principles of using herbs as principal, auxiliary, and messenger seemed to have given her great inspiration.

She might have gained some understanding.

So he stopped explaining and waited for Su Lingxiu to digest it.

"Master, I understand some of it. I will seriously ponder it."

Su Lingxiu said respectfully.

"Good. Next, I will teach you how to refine pills."

Li Xuan nodded and continued, "Refining pills uses qi and blood as the furnace, qi and blood as the fire, and the heart as the sensor. Understand the changes in the pill, know its success or failure... use true qi as the fire, refine and remove impurities, extract the essence..."

How to refine pills?

Li Xuan directly compiled the methods of refining pills using qi and blood, and true qi. In the qi and blood realm, use qi and blood as the fire to refine pills; in the innate realm, use true qi as the fire to refine pills... and so on.

As for the pill furnace, Li Xuan didn't emphasize it much, as he didn't know if it could be refined.

"You haven't entered the qi and blood realm, so you can't use qi and blood as the fire to refine pills. You can try using a pill furnace. Of course, if you have a good pill furnace to assist, refining pills will be easier.

"All of this depends on how you understand the way of alchemy.

"If you want to use a pill furnace to assist in refining pills, you need to figure out how to make a pill furnace. A pill furnace has its own principles. An ordinary steel furnace is not suitable for refining pills."

Li Xuan reminded Su Lingxiu that besides refining pills by hand, she could use a pill furnace to assist.

As for how to get a pill furnace, that was entirely up to Su Lingxiu's own abilities.

After all, he didn't have a pill furnace and didn't know how to refine pills.

It was all made up.

"Yes, Master!"

Su Lingxiu nodded, indicating that she understood.

Next, it was the core of the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way: how to cultivate.

"The Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way involves refining the skin, bones, and organs, but it is close to the vitality of all things, using the spiritual qi of all things to nourish oneself and stimulate qi and blood.

"The qi and blood of Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial practitioners are full of vitality. This is the way of medicine, to heal and save lives; but it can also be fierce like fire, which is the way of alchemy, to extract essence and refine pills.

"Medicine is wood, alchemy is fire, wood can generate fire, and fire can refine metal, metal can generate water, and water can generate wood..."

Li Xuan then passed on the cultivation methods of Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial practitioners to Su Lingxiu, along with the principles of yin and yang, the five elements, the eight extraordinary meridians, and the body's acupoints.

The qi and blood and true qi cultivated in the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way naturally have their own characteristics.

Otherwise, there would be no significant difference from orthodox martial cultivation.

Finally, he explained various acupuncture techniques, such as golden needle acupuncture, golden needle detoxification, and golden needle revival, which were mysterious and profound.

He explained the entire Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way, which he had compiled. Whether Su Lingxiu could understand anything from this vast, complex, and somewhat inconsistent theory was entirely up to her talent.

Li Xuan couldn't guarantee it.

If she succeeded, he would have opened a new martial cultivation system.

He would have another talented disciple.

This girl is beautiful, lively, and kind, and she likes to bury evil people. If she successfully understood it, Li Xuan felt that the troubles behind her wouldn't be a big deal.

If she didn't understand it...

It means they were not meant to be master and disciple.

"Remember, what I pass on is the way, not ordinary cultivation techniques. The way requires understanding and enlightenment..."

Li Xuan emphasized again that what he passed on was the way, which required understanding and enlightenment, not just following the martial cultivation methods. Without enlightenment and perfection, it couldn't be cultivated.

"Master, I understand!"

Su Lingxiu nodded.

She was greatly impressed. There was such a powerful and mysterious martial way in the world.

If she could understand it, how powerful would she be?

The magic and wonder of alchemy, if she could refine pills, would she still worry about slow cultivation?

One pill could save ten to eight days, or even a month or a year of hard cultivation.

"I need to figure out the formula first!"

Su Lingxiu thought excitedly.

"Good."

Li Xuan nodded. He believed in Su Lingxiu's talent. Passing on these theories to her, it wouldn't be difficult for her to figure out formulas and pills.

However, the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way was not just about formulas, herbs, and medical techniques, but also martial cultivation.

For Su Lingxiu, the hardest part was understanding the cultivation methods of the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way, how to cultivate the unique qi and blood of the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way.

The hardest part was getting started.

Once she successfully understood the cultivation methods and got started, the innate realm and even higher realms would be relatively easier to understand because she would have a foundation.

After all, she would have a theoretical foundation.

Li Xuan thought of his eldest disciple, Xu Yan, who cultivated orthodox martial cultivation, pure martial cultivation. Because of the purity of martial cultivation, his understanding and enlightenment of martial cultivation were extremely profound.

Moreover, Xu Yan was the pioneer of martial cultivation. The foundation and roots of the martial cultivation cause were in Xu Yan.

"The cultivation methods of the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way, although different from orthodox martial cultivation, are ultimately closer to orthodox martial cultivation. So, can Xu Yan assist Su Lingxiu in understanding the techniques?"

Li Xuan thought.

In terms of insight and imagination, no one could match Xu Yan.

Thinking of this, Li Xuan said, "The methods of martial cultivation, how to refine the skin, bones, and organs, how to cultivate the qi and blood of the Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way, you can ask your eldest brother when he returns."

Su Lingxiu's eyes lit up, "What level is my eldest brother?"

Li Xuan said calmly, "Innate realm, he can easily kill ordinary inner domain masters!"

Su Lingxiu was extremely excited. Master was mysterious and powerful, and so was the eldest brother. There was also the second brother. As long as she successfully understood the techniques and got started.

With such strong backing, would she need to worry about burying people?

No!

"Master, Master, when will the eldest brother return?"

Su Lingxiu asked eagerly.

She wanted to understand the techniques as soon as possible and start cultivating. She felt that the techniques Master passed on were too mysterious, and she couldn't find a direction to understand them for the time being.

In terms of alchemy, she already had some insights.

She just needed to organize them and could come up with some formulas.

Then find a pill furnace and try to refine pills. True refining requires entering the martial cultivation realm and cultivating qi and blood.

So, if she couldn't understand the martial cultivation methods, even if she understood alchemy and came up with formulas, she would just be an ordinary alchemy doctor.

She wouldn't be an Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial practitioner!

"Your eldest brother will return in a few days. You should focus on understanding it."

Li Xuan said and walked away.

Su Lingxiu followed behind, holding a spade, and said excitedly, "Master, I already have some ideas for the formulas. After I go back, I'll organize them and should be able to come up with some formulas.

"It's just that I don't have a pill furnace. How can I refine pills?"

Li Xuan walked with his hands behind his back and said, "The master leads you to the door, but cultivation is up to the individual."

"Okay, I'll figure it out myself."

Su Lingxiu was a bit dejected.

Passing by Meng Chong's cultivation place, Su Lingxiu asked curiously, "Master, what is the second brother doing?"

"Cultivating, nurturing his sword, and understanding techniques."

Li Xuan replied calmly.

"Nurturing his sword?"

Su Lingxiu blinked.

"Nurturing the sword with the heart, nurturing the sword with the mind... you don't understand, this is not your talent."

Li Xuan glanced at her.

Looking at the spade in her hand, he wondered why a good girl liked to play with a spade.

"What are you doing with the spade?"

"Burial!"

"…How many people have you buried?"

"Maybe a hundred, or at least a few dozen."

Su Lingxiu thought for a moment and said.

Then she added, "Master, I also have a small medicinal hoe for digging herbs, but it's lost, so I only have this spade left."

Back in the small courtyard.

Li Xuan sat in a chair, and Su Lingxiu went into her room.

"Aunt Zhou, go buy some paper and pens for me, a lot!"

"Okay, Miss."

Aunt Zhou nodded, came out of Su Lingxiu's room, and found Shi Er to buy paper and pens.

Shi Er didn't want to agree. He was the master's servant, why should he listen to her?

But thinking that Su Lingxiu was now the master's disciple and needed paper and pens, he had to agree.

"Miss, how is it?"

Zhou Ying returned to the room and asked anxiously.

"Aunt Zhou, Master is too powerful. The Alchemy, Medicine, and Martial Way is too strong and too mysterious. I want to refine pills!"

Su Lingxiu said excitedly.

Zhou Ying was puzzled. Refine pills? What is that?

"Aunt Zhou, go find a pill furnace for me. I need to think about what a pill furnace should look like..."

Su Lingxiu pondered.

"Master said a pill furnace can't be an ordinary steel furnace, so it must be made of precious materials..."

In the inner domain, almost only masters could use true precious materials.

First-rank martial practitioners who owned precious materials were rare.

"But where can we find precious materials in the borderlands?"

Su Lingxiu was troubled.

"Miss, what kind of pill furnace? I can go to the Wu Kingdom palace or the Qi Kingdom palace to find one for you?"

Zhou Ying pondered.

Shi Er bought the paper and pens and gave them to Zhou Ying, then continued to think about how to break through the bottleneck and enter the qi and blood realm.

Su Lingxiu picked up a pen and started drawing on the paper, sketching the vague outline of a pill furnace that appeared in her mind.

The pill furnace was not large, with holes to release impurities and a lid that could be sealed...

"Aunt Zhou, the pill furnace is roughly like this, but it needs to be made of precious materials..."

She handed the drawing to Zhou Ying and said, troubled.

Zhou Ying took the drawing. Although she didn't understand what a pill furnace was, she knew it was important to the Miss!

She said solemnly, "Miss, don't worry. Although the borderlands can't cultivate, some materials are available and should be found."

"I hope so."

Su Lingxiu nodded and said, "Aunt Zhou, try to find it. Ask the Heavenly Mother Sect to tell Kui Ruozhi to find it for me."

"I understand, but Miss, if I leave..."

Zhou Ying hesitated.

"Aunt Zhou, it's fine. Master is so strong, and there's the eldest brother and the second brother..."

Su Lingxiu wasn't worried.

"Then I'll go."

"Okay!"

Su Lingxiu nodded.

After Aunt Zhou left, Su Lingxiu started writing down her insights about alchemy.

She also wrote down various precious and spiritual herbs, noting their characteristics and effects.

This took her most of the afternoon.

Usually, Aunt Zhou would take care of her and call her for meals. After Zhou Ying left, Su Lingxiu was so focused on organizing that she only realized she was hungry when her stomach growled.

She looked out the window and saw it was already evening.

She walked out of the room and found Master sitting in a chair, reading an ancient book, looking like a hermit sage.

"Master, I'm hungry!"

Su Lingxiu grabbed Li Xuan's arm and blinked.

Li Xuan put down the ancient book and said, "Shi Er, from today, you are responsible for cooking for Lingxiu."

"Yes, Master!"

Shi Er said respectfully.

"Thank you, Master!"

Su Lingxiu was very excited.

After eating, Su Lingxiu continued to organize various precious herbs in her room, preparing to create formulas.

Li Xuan quietly appeared at the window, looking at her and nodding. Su Lingxiu's talent in the way of alchemy was extraordinary.

She had already gained some understanding and was organizing her thoughts. He believed that she would come up with formulas soon.

"Hopefully, she can successfully understand the cultivation methods."

Li Xuan thought silently.