Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Now, go ahead and give it a try," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun said.

All the necessary medicinal herbs were laid out beside them.

With enough skill, an Alchemist could refine even ordinary Elixirs like the Celestial Essence Pill, Healing Pill, or Antitoxic Pill into Spirit Pills.

With a thought from his Heart Spirit, Ling Fei took out the herbs for refining the Celestial Essence Pill.

He sent fire into the Pill Furnace, followed by the medicinal herbs.

"To refine a First Grade Spirit Pill, you must first merge your heart with the furnace. You must condense its Essence Qi, gathering it so it doesn't scatter, and transform it into medicinal patterns," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun explained. "Refining this Pill is a matter of the heart. Only by merging your heart with the Pill Furnace can you control the Essence Qi of the herbs within. Only then can you control the entire Pill Furnace!"

'Merge my heart with the furnace!' With that thought, Ling Fei completely immersed his Heart Spirit within the Pill Furnace.

At the same time, the Alchemy Techniques flooded his mind.

'Merge my heart with the furnace, forget myself, forget the world, lose myself in the furnace, and pour my entire being into the Elixir.' Ling Fei's mind moved in accordance with the Alchemy Techniques.

He was completely immersed within the Alchemy Furnace. Wherever his Heart Spirit reached, it seemed he could control everything.

Inside this Alchemy Furnace, he was the sovereign.

The Elixir's qi was extracted, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air. Anyone who smelled it would feel clear-headed and refreshed.

This was because the fragrance was also the Essence Qi of the herbs; allowing it to escape was a waste of their properties.

The key to refining a Spirit Pill was to condense the herbs' Essence Qi, preventing even a trace of it from escaping or being wasted. This way, the Elixir's effects would naturally be maximized.

In truth, this escaping Essence Qi was the very essence of the herbs. However, for an ordinary Alchemist, simply forming a Pill was already difficult enough. Gathering the qi so it wouldn't disperse was practically impossible. Therefore, achieving this required immense Soul Power.

One had to use their Heart Spirit to control the Pill Furnace and keep the qi from scattering.

This was equivalent to doing two things at once, and it placed a great burden on a Cultivator's soul.

Ling Fei was now simultaneously refining the Elixir and controlling the entire furnace, attempting to condense the Medicinal Qi.

Alchemy demanded one's full attention. Dividing one's focus was clearly a huge test for an Alchemist.

Ling Fei's Soul Power was exceptionally strong. He only needed to split off a portion of his Heart Spirit to refine the Elixir, while the rest could control the Pill Furnace.

Another part of his Heart Spirit then began to try to merge with and control the Medicinal Qi inside the Pill Furnace.

The Medicinal Qi spread out. It had no Spiritual Wisdom. To gather it, one had to first control it.

But the part of Ling Fei that was immersed within was just a wisp of his Heart Spirit. How could a Heart Spirit control this qi?

'Merge with it?' Ling Fei's Heart Spirit stirred as he tried to merge with the qi.

But the Medicinal Qi was ethereal and floating. The moment he touched it, it scattered to the side.

If he forcefully pulled it, the Medicinal Qi would resist and instead overflow from the Pill Furnace.

'The Medicinal Qi is intangible. It shifts with the slightest touch. How am I supposed to condense it?' Ling Fei's Heart Spirit pondered.

Right now, he was at a loss, not knowing where to even begin.

If he couldn't condense this Essence Qi, he wouldn't be able to refine a Spirit Pill.

'A failure!' A Pill formed, but Ling Fei still hadn't figured it out. He looked slightly dejected.

"No need to be discouraged. Keep trying," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun said calmly from the side.

"Mm." Nodding, Ling Fei continued with his Alchemy.

'Medicinal fragrance... Medicinal Qi!' Ling Fei tried again to guide the Medicinal Qi, but it still escaped.

Controlling this Medicinal Qi was too difficult.

Inside the Pill Furnace, the slightest fluctuation would affect the Elixir's refinement.

'Still not right. I need to review the Alchemy Techniques again.' In the next moment, the Key Points left by the Pill King surfaced in Ling Fei's mind.

The Alchemy Techniques weren't wrong, though.

'Merge heart with furnace, forget self, forget world, lose oneself in the furnace... Spirit merges with fire, fire merges with herb, and the heart becomes the herb!'

'Spirit merges with fire, fire merges with herb, and the heart becomes the herb... Before, my Heart Spirit was controlling the Medicine Furnace, but it wasn't merging *with* the herbs themselves.' Suddenly, Ling Fei seemed to have an epiphany, muttering, "Only by merging my heart into the herb can I then merge with the qi and achieve the Qi Gathering Pattern."

"Controlling the Pill Furnace with the Heart Spirit is only to prevent the Elixir's qi from escaping. To actually condense it, the Heart Spirit must merge into the Elixir from the very beginning and control the Medicinal Qi. That's the only way to properly guide the Medicinal Qi, condense it into medicinal patterns, and keep it from escaping."

After contemplating the Key Points once more, Ling Fei's understanding became much clearer.

After all, this was his first time refining a Spirit Pill. His control over the Pill Furnace was still far from perfect, which was why he had overlooked this detail.

Now with experience, his control became more adept.

With a thought from his Heart Spirit, Ling Fei began the Alchemy process once more.

This time, while his Heart Spirit controlled the entire furnace, he also lost himself in the fire. Wherever the fire reached to temper the herbs, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit followed, merging into the herbs.

The Medicinal Qi had just been released when it was touched by his Heart Spirit.

The Medicinal Qi was delicate, like a newborn. It would instinctively resist and try to flee, which is what caused it to escape.

'Still not enough. I have to merge my Heart Spirit with the Essence Qi the very moment it's extracted.' Ling Fei immediately adjusted his approach.

But the Medicinal Qi still resisted, and he couldn't guide it optimally.

'Even earlier.' Ling Fei adjusted again. This time, the Medicinal Qi was noticeably less resistant to him, but guiding it remained difficult.

'I have to try merging into the herb itself,' Ling Fei thought.

...

He adjusted his technique again and again, continuously closing the distance between his Heart Spirit and the herbs.

It seemed like a simple matter, but it placed immense demands on one's control over their Heart Spirit.

When refining an Elixir, the slightest distraction could ruin the herbs, let alone dividing one's focus to sense, merge with, and guide their Essence Qi.

Ling Fei was improving bit by bit, and the quality of the Elixirs he refined was also clearly getting better.

Although he hadn't completely stopped the Medicinal Qi from overflowing, he managed to retain a portion of it, thus causing the Elixir's quality to improve.

"Constant progress. It seems it won't be long before he can refine a Spirit Pill." Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun stroked his beard and smiled.

A day passed quickly.

Ling Fei also became more proficient at refining Spirit Pills.

「The next day」, he returned to continue his Alchemy.

After he finished refining an Elixir, Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun would evaluate its quality, letting Ling Fei know if he had made any progress.

"I'm getting closer." 「On the third day」, Ling Fei could already guide the Medicinal Qi and merge it into the Elixir.

As a result, the quality of the Elixirs improved immensely.

This time, inside the Pill Furnace, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit enveloped each herb as it was added. His Heart Spirit was gentle, like air seeping into the herbs, or like water nourishing them. His Heart Spirit was free of thought and desire, ethereal and empty, as if it could merge with all things.

Finally, his Heart Spirit merged into the medicinal herbs.

He could clearly feel the medicinal components hidden within the herbs.

Ling Fei's Heart Spirit was very gentle, like water merging with the medicinal properties.

Then, the Dragon Spirit Celestial Fire began the refinement, extracting the medicinal components. His Heart Spirit still moved with the herbs, as if it had truly become one with them.

The medicinal components were extracted, but the Essence Qi within them diffused like mist or a fragrance, drifting away. Ling Fei's Heart Spirit followed, clearly sensing the Medicinal Qi's drift. At the same time, he understood why it was escaping: it was composed of different components from within the herbs.

This Medicinal Qi was, in fact, the essence of the medicinal herbs.

'So that's how it is.' Through the perception of his Heart Spirit, Ling Fei discovered the Mystical principle at play.

'First, seal the Pill Furnace and don't let the Medicinal Qi escape.' With a mental command, Ling Fei used Fire Essence to seal the Pill Furnace.

Upon encountering the Fire Essence, the Medicinal Qi trembled, as if it sensed danger.

But it had no consciousness. Some of the Medicinal Qi continued to rush forward, only to be incinerated into nothingness by the True Fire, wasting the Elixir's Essence Qi.

Some would retreat in fear.

'Retreat!' Ling Fei's Heart Spirit had been among the Medicinal Qi the entire time. He didn't actively try to pull it by force; instead, he instinctively retreated.

This way, the Medicinal Qi didn't notice anything unusual. Ling Fei's Heart Spirit was as if one with it, and it was not being rejected.

'Heart merging with the herb... I did it!' Seeing this, Ling Fei's own soul rejoiced. He knew he had finally completed the first step.

After he completed this step, the Medicinal Qi was guided back into the Elixir.

The Medicinal Qi returned, and the Elixir gradually took form. Once the Pill was complete and removed from the furnace, an incredibly rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

"Another step forward. This Pill is already close to being a Spirit Pill. It seems you have reached the stage of 'heart merging with herb'." Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun took the Elixir and, after observing it for a moment, spoke with a joyful expression. "Next, you must perform the Qi Condensation Pattern, gathering all of it together."

"Only then will it be a true Spirit Pill, and only then can you be considered a First Grade Alchemist. The Qi Condensation Pattern not only allows the herb's effects to be released at maximum speed, but it is also a symbol that the Alchemist's Control Power has reached a certain level. It's a direct reflection of an Alchemist's strength," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun said.

'Qi Condensation Pattern!' Ling Fei was filled with anticipation.

"The Qi Condensation Pattern is even more difficult, but you've already reached the stage of 'heart merging with herb'. You just need to reach the stage of Mind Control," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun said.

"Mind Control!" Ling Fei's gaze focused, a questioning look in his eyes.

"The so-called Mind Control transcends 'heart merging with herb,' allowing you to control the herb with your heart. Inside the Pill Furnace, you become the true sovereign, making the Medicinal Qi move as you wish. It may seem difficult, but if you apply yourself, you will be able to comprehend the profound mystery within and achieve the Qi Condensation Pattern in a single stroke," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun said.

'Make the Medicinal Qi move as I wish?' A glint flashed in Ling Fei's eyes.

Before, his heart moved with the herb. Now, to make the Medicinal Qi move with his heart, was clearly another huge leap.

"Heart moves with the herb, herb moves with the heart... this is just a turn of phrase. If you reach the Realm where you *are* the herb, then the Medicinal Qi will naturally move with your heart." Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun laughed. "Alright, you must comprehend all this for yourself. Begin your Alchemy!"

"Mm." Ling Fei pondered for a moment, then continued with his Alchemy.

However, after one attempt, then a second, then a third, he still hadn't reached the Realm that Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun described.

This leap was too great. To master it in a short time was too difficult.

A full two days passed, and Ling Fei still hadn't reached this step.