Inside the alchemy chamber, Yang Kai's hands moved ceaselessly, inscribing one spirit array diagram after another and sending them streaming into the pill furnace in an endless cascade.
As he inscribed the spirit array diagrams, the strength of his divine sense waxed and waned, controlling the fire intensity with pinpoint precision.
Zong Ao watched from the side, completely mesmerized, unable to maintain his usual air of composure. He even abandoned all pretense and rushed over to Yang Kai's side, eyes wide as saucers as he studied the spirit arrays being inscribed.
Zong Ao recognized every single one of these spirit arrays. Several of the diagrams were ones he had personally created. It was clear that this kid had secretly absorbed his alchemy techniques and was now putting them to use.
But even these commonplace spirit array diagrams produced wonderful changes after being sent into the pill furnace, causing the medicinal liquid inside to churn and condense, the pill fragrance gradually filling the air.
Zong Ao's expression turned contemplative, and he vaguely sensed a barrier before him had cracked open a sliver. He wanted to see more clearly, but no matter what he did, he couldn't tear the fissure any wider. In his frustration, he stamped his feet.
He was an alchemy grandmaster — in terms of pill-refining skill and technique, Yang Kai was far from his equal.
Yet watching Yang Kai refine pills like this, his eyes still lit up. Sometimes, an unconscious movement by another person could bring unexpected insights to someone else, plunging them into a state of epiphany.
Indeed, times change, alchemy advances, and as the river of ages flows onward, countless alchemists have followed one after another to pioneer many schools and create many spirit arrays used in pill refining.
Even someone as formidable as Zong Ao dared not claim he had mastered every alchemy technique. He could only toil and explore along his own path, striving to pursue his own goals.
He had refined pills in solitude for a hundred years, his thinking calcified. Yang Kai's movements set his mind racing, and suddenly a torrent of thoughts flooded through him — thoughts on matters even Yang Kai himself could not touch upon.
"Keep refining! Why did you stop?" Zong Ao had been caught up in excitement, feeling on the verge of insight, when he noticed that Yang Kai had actually ceased his movements. He asked in puzzlement.
"Elder Zong, can you keep it down? With you carrying on like this… I can't refine any pills." Yang Kai frowned at him.
Zong Ao's weathered face flushed red, but he couldn't muster a rebuttal. He huffed and fell silent.
Only then did he realize that the pill furnace before Yang Kai was now emitting a burnt, acrid smell. The medicinal liquid that had been churning inside had all become useless waste — the pill refinement had clearly failed, squandering excellent medicinal ingredients.
"A first attempt is bound to be a bit rough." To cover his embarrassment at having disturbed Yang Kai's pill refining, Zong Ao actually took the initiative to offer comfort, waving his hand dismissively. "Fine, I'll just sit over there. I promise not to make another sound — carry on!"
With that, he walked back and settled into his chair, withdrawing all traces of his aura.
Without looking directly at him, Yang Kai could barely sense the old man's existence at all. Zong Ao's realm of cultivation was far beyond what Yang Kai could match.
Yang Kai shook his head. Through their interactions over recent days, he had come to understand that while Zong Ao's temperament was a bit eccentric, he was utterly devoted to the Dao of alchemy. Anything related to pill refining piqued his greatest interest — otherwise he wouldn't have spent a hundred years refining pills in this dreary place, never tiring of it.
Even producing a single medicine pill bearing Pill Patterns would thrill him to no end.
Such people seemed cold and unreasonable on the surface, but in truth they were not difficult to deal with. Once you appealed to their passion, they were easier to approach than anyone.
Yang Kai had encountered many people like this and knew how to handle them with ease.
He had no fear that Zong Ao would steal his alchemy techniques, because in front of Zong Ao, there was no guarding against it anyway.
He might as well refine openly and without pretense, paying no mind to the observation. How much Zong Ao could glean was Zong Ao's business.
What Yang Kai cared about more was the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water in his hands!
After clearing out the medicinal residue from the pill furnace, Yang Kai began refining the Lihuo Pill once more.
His earlier failure had not actually been caused by Zong Ao's disruption. No matter how loudly the old man had shouted, it wouldn't have disturbed Yang Kai. Back in the Nine Heavens Holy Land, every time Yang Kai refined pills, several people had gathered around to observe and comment, their conversation never ceasing, critiquing his technique and even posing questions — forcing him to explain things while simultaneously managing the furnace. He had long grown accustomed to it.
This was, after all, his first time attempting to refine the Lihuo Pill, and his mastery of the fire control and timing was not yet refined. Failure was perfectly understandable.
On the second attempt, Yang Kai was much more familiar with the process. Although it ultimately failed as well, that did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm.
On the third attempt, he fell short at the very last moment, but Yang Kai's expression only grew more confident. He felt he had already grasped the fire-intensity variations and timing requirements of the Lihuo Pill.
On the fourth attempt, a pill fragrance wafted from inside the furnace, and a single Lihuo Pill was successfully produced.
Placing it into the jade bottle he had prepared, Yang Kai had no time to examine it before Zong Ao snatched it from his hand. After a single glance, the old man tossed the bottle back and snorted: "Mediocre. Managing to produce a pill in only four attempts — you're not bad at all, kid. But you couldn't even bring out Pill Patterns, let alone the even higher-grade Pill Clouds?"