The thirty-seven supplementary herbs, each with different properties, counteracted and influenced one another like an intricate game of chess. A single misstep could affect the entire board, leaving no room for the slightest carelessness.
Bathed in the light of his epiphany, Xia Wuyang could clearly see every single moment of change for each ingredient within the Pill Furnace. The trajectories of their medicinal properties being released, the strength of their interactions, and their final impact on the pill’s quality... every detail, no matter how minute, was as clear as the lines on his palm.
Thus, he boldly began to remove, replace, and adjust ratios, optimizing the refining process... His speed was astonishing, far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.
This wasn’t simple streamlining; it was a higher-level reconstruction that went far beyond mere simplification.
This was a customized modification of the Pill Formula, making it exclusively his own. It was based on a profound understanding of the core principle of the Elixir—to nourish the Soul and enhance the Spirit—combined with the unique demands his Supreme Talent Seven-Aperture Exquisite placed on his Spiritual Power. Specifically, it needed to equally enhance the seven aspects of memory, understanding, Comprehension, focus, speed of thought, creativity, and Metacognition.
What ultimately took shape in his mind was a completely new, improved version of the Bodhi Pill’s Pill Formula, perfectly suited for his use.
It retained the original Pill Formula’s core effects of nourishing the Soul and enhancing the Spirit. In fact, in some aspects, such as the gentleness and specificity of the medicinal power, it was even enhanced, yet the refining difficulty was drastically reduced.
The requirements it placed on Xia Wuyang’s Spiritual Power and Fire Manipulation Techniques were lowered from the threshold of a Middle Level Spirit Pill Master to a level approaching the Peak of a Low Level Spirit Pill Master. This was the true power of a tailor-made design.
More importantly, the medicinal power composition and release method of this improved Pill Formula subtly aligned with the seven-dimensional needs of Xia Wuyang’s own Spiritual Power. The effects after consumption would more closely match his actual needs, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and allowing him to reap greater benefits.
The epiphany ended. The Pill Formula was complete, its potential astonishing.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Xia Wuyang sprang into action.
He had amassed an abundance of Spirit Materials, having long since gathered everything he needed. Otherwise, how could he have even considered attempting the Bodhi Pill?
The Vajra Sect’s Secret Vault had provided the most crucial ingredient, the Thousand-year-old Bodhi Heart, and some of the Soul Nourishing Jade Marrow. The Imperial Palace Inner Treasury and his previous hauls supplied the Dawn Dew Essence and the vast majority of the supplementary herbs.
For his first attempt at Refining, he was fully concentrated, strictly following the steps of the improved Pill Formula without the slightest carelessness.
Under his exquisite control, the flames of the Crane Pattern Furnace shifted at his will. The timing for adding the ingredients was perfect, without a single mistake.
However, during the crucial final moment of Pill Formation, he slightly underestimated the more complex principles of energy convergence for a Middle Level Spirit Pill. This led to a minor energy imbalance inside the Pill Furnace, and a furnace full of precious ingredients turned into charred dregs. The refining had failed.
Xia Wuyang’s expression didn’t change. He immediately reviewed the entire process, analyzed his mistakes, and adjusted the fire control details and the rhythm of his Spiritual Power integration for the next batch, learning his lesson.
During the second attempt, he was calmer and his movements more careful.
With the experience from his first try, he had a more accurate grasp of the Pill Formation for a Middle Level Spirit Pill, and the results were better.
However, while fusing the Soul Nourishing Jade Marrow and Yang Flame Grass essence to construct the Yin-Yang Bridge, a slight deviation occurred in fine-tuning their energy balance. Although the furnace didn’t explode, the quality of the resulting pill was extremely low, with less than a tenth of its efficacy remaining. It could only be considered a Wasted Pill, having no real effect.
Two failures had cost him dearly, but Xia Wuyang’s eyes remained tranquil, without a hint of anxiety.
His Alchemy Genius talent gave him a near-instinctive ability to analyze and optimize after failure. Moreover, the improved Pill Formula provided a success rate bonus far exceeding his current Level. There was no need to rush.
The third attempt at Refining began quickly. He took a deep breath, adjusting his condition to its peak; his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had reached Perfection.
The furnace fire roared to life again, and he added the ingredients one by one, with even greater care and caution.
This time, his movements were as smooth as flowing water, as if he had practiced them a thousand times. He looked nothing like a novice.
His Spiritual Power acted like the finest silk threads, not only precisely controlling the flames but also penetrating deep inside the Pill Furnace. It sensed the most subtle changes in every bit of medicinal power, making the most timely adjustments and course-corrections to prevent any mishaps.
Time flowed by as he focused. When a crisp, melodious, and strange chime—like the tinkling of a wind chime, yet also like a softly chanted sutra—rang out from within the furnace, Xia Wuyang knew he had done it. ’This time, it’s finally a success.’
The furnace lid opened, and three azure, glass-like Bodhi Pills flew out. Their Pill Patterns were clear, starlight seemed to flow across their surfaces, and their fragrance was pure and tranquil. These were the marks of Upper Grade pills, something Xia Wuyang hadn’t expected at all. He had originally thought just passing would be good enough.
He had successfully refined a Middle Level Spirit Pill while being a Level below the requirement, and he had even produced three pills of superior quality. It was an unexpected outcome.
This not only meant he had obtained the Elixir he desperately needed to enhance his Spiritual Power, but it also signified that his alchemy attainments had made a huge leap forward through this successful challenge—a leap far greater than what could be achieved by refining Low Level Spirit Pills a hundred times over.
The formless barrier between a Low Level and a Middle Level Spirit Pill Master had weakened considerably. A breakthrough was getting closer and closer.
His Alchemy Cultivation had surged dramatically. He was no longer far from officially stepping into the realm of a Middle Level Spirit Pill Master. Perhaps all he needed were a few more successful refinements, or another small opportunity, to break through.
Xia Wuyang didn’t pause. He took out one of the freshly refined Bodhi Pills and placed it in his mouth, preparing to experience its effects.
The Elixir melted the moment it entered his mouth. It didn’t transform into a surging torrent of heat or a cool stream, but rather a warm, tranquil ball of light that slowly but surely seeped into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.
The sensation was wondrous, unlike the feeling of surging True Qi from a Qi Nourishing Pill, or the scorching heat of boiling Qi Blood from a Dragon Blood Fruit. It was different from the effects of most Elixirs.
The medicinal power of the Bodhi Pill was more like a form of nourishment and enlightenment, giving him a very comfortable feeling.
It was like the gentlest spring rain, silently nourishing the land of his Sea of Consciousness; it was also like the wisest elder, gently offering guidance on all things related to Spiritual Power...
Because of his Seven-Aperture Exquisite Supreme Talent, the pill’s effects were still divided into seven distinct directions.
Xia Wuyang could clearly feel his memory becoming like a polished mirror, clearer and brighter than ever. Vague memory fragments from his past became vivid and distinct, and even some childhood memories from his previous life emerged.
His understanding was like a widened river channel; his speed of comprehending Cultivation Techniques, Pill Formulas, and even all things in the world, was constantly accelerating. Many difficult points that once required repeated contemplation now became instantly clear, and he achieved sudden enlightenment.
His Comprehension, that most fundamental Spirit Root, seemed to become more active as well. The frequency of inspirational sparks increased significantly, creating a sense of brilliant radiance.
His focus became highly concentrated, free from distractions, making it difficult for stray thoughts to arise; his speed of thought was as fast as lightning, allowing him to complete complex deductions in the span of a single thought, far surpassing his previous capabilities; the wellspring of his creativity seemed to have opened a crack, as new ideas, new combinations, and new possibilities constantly emerged in ever-increasing numbers; and his Metacognition—the ability to perceive and regulate his own cognitive processes—also became sharper and more fluid...

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