Elder Yun Nie's words gave Jiang Chen some hints. But Jiang Chen was in no hurry to offer his opinion. Instead, he smiled calmly. "Elder, in the Dao of Alchemy, details determine success or failure. I haven't witnessed your process of refining the pill, so I wouldn't dare jump to conclusions. However, observing your refinement of this pill could easily be seen as an attempt to steal your craft. Therefore, whether or not this junior should be allowed to observe—you'll have to make that decision yourself, Elder."
Jiang Chen was in no rush whatsoever. He knew he had already succeeded in capturing Elder Yun Nie's attention.
So rather than eagerly currying favor with Elder Yun Nie, he feigned restraint, waiting for the old man to come to him instead.
If Elder Yun Nie insisted that his pill-refining process was a secret, then such a paranoid person wouldn't be worth partnering with, and Jiang Chen certainly wouldn't grovel just for a modest reward.
Jiang Chen was confident that as long as this old man hadn't given up on the Six-Vein Mysterious Dragon Pill, he would absolutely take the risk.
Besides, Jiang Chen was a disciple of Danqian Palace after all. Even if observing his pill-refining process carried a whiff of theft, at least the knowledge would stay within the family.
After hearing Jiang Chen's words, Elder Yun Nie's gaze grew deep. He stared into Jiang Chen's eyes, studying them carefully for a long moment, then suddenly broke into a free-spirited smile. "Trust the ones you employ, and don't employ those you doubt. Palace Master Dan Chi was willing to wager the sect's very destiny on your behalf. What's a mere pill formula to me in comparison?"
Elder Yun Nie's magnanimous attitude put Jiang Chen at ease. He had been worried the old man would be cantankerous and paranoid.
He hadn't expected Elder Yun Nie to be so refined and graceful, agreeing readily and without hesitation.
"It seems I underestimated Elder Yun Nie's magnanimity. Perhaps those disciples who were beaten before had performed so poorly that they disappointed him greatly?"
Jiang Chen could also see that Elder Yun Nie's regard for the Six-Vein Mysterious Dragon Pill had surpassed everything else.
The alchemy chamber.
After following Elder Yun Nie inside, Jiang Chen immediately realized that this alchemy chamber was on an entirely different level from those in the Sixteen Surrounding Kingdoms.
This alchemy chamber had already begun incorporating formations.
"Danqian Palace is, after all, a top-tier sect of the Myriad Realm. To have already integrated formations into alchemy—very impressive indeed."
A single glance was enough for Jiang Chen to see through the mysteries of the formation. However, he wasn't about to make a show of it, and simply followed behind Elder Yun Nie with a calm expression.
Seeing Jiang Chen remain so composed, Elder Yun Nie was slightly taken aback. "A disciple from the Sixteen Surrounding Kingdoms, and not the least bit astonished upon seeing my alchemy formation? Not even a pretense of understanding? Could it be that he already knows about this formation?"
At this thought, Elder Yun Nie felt an urge to test him.
"Jiang Chen, what do you think of my alchemy chamber?"
How could Jiang Chen miss the hint of a test? He smiled. "I have never seen an alchemy chamber like this in my entire life. The Sixteen Surrounding Kingdoms absolutely cannot match these conditions."
His words were cleverly chosen—he only said he had never seen one in his life, leaving Elder Yun Nie none the wiser to the deeper meaning.
"Do you know what these runes around the pill furnace mean?" Elder Yun Nie asked with a smile.
Jiang Chen found it amusing inwardly—testing me with such a rudimentary alchemy formation?
But Jiang Chen knew this was not the time to show off. He simply smiled modestly. "These should be formation runes—using formations to aid in alchemy. I've heard sect elders mention it before. As expected of Danqian Palace; this has truly opened my eyes."
Since Elder Yun Nie wanted to test him, he might as well flatter the old man a little and indulge his vanity.
In truth, an alchemy formation of this level was completely beneath Jiang Chen's notice. But how could he say something like that out loud?
Sure enough, Elder Yun Nie was visibly delighted upon hearing Jiang Chen's words.
"Elder Yun Nie, shall we begin?" Jiang Chen didn't want to waste any time and asked directly.
Elder Yun Nie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Prolonging this any further won't help. Jiang Chen, the materials I currently have on hand are only enough to refine at most three Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pills. In other words, we have no more than three chances. If all three fail, it will be anyone's guess when the raw ingredients for this pill will be gathered again."
Jiang Chen understood what Elder Yun Nie was getting at—the elder was telling him that he had very few opportunities to waste.
Jiang Chen thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "Elder Yun Nie, if you don't mind, could you describe your previous steps in detail? Every single part of the process, every detail—nothing can be left out. The order cannot be altered either."
After all, these were nothing but experiences of failure. There was nothing Elder Yun Nie had to hide.
He immediately recounted his previous procedure in its entirety, step by step. Whenever he reached a critical point, Jiang Chen raised a few questions.
Although the Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pill and the Nine-Vein Heaven-Seeking Pill were not remotely in the same league, the underlying principles were essentially the same.
In his previous life, Jiang Chen had even refined the Nine-Vein Heaven-Seeking Pill, so the Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pill was naturally no stranger to him. After listening to Elder Yun Nie's account, he had already grasped the general process of refining the pill.
Speaking frankly, the complexity of the Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pill did not amount to even a tenth of the Nine-Vein Heaven-Seeking Pill. After a brief contemplation, Jiang Chen had already arrived at a preliminary judgment regarding Elder Yun Nie's problems.
Whether it was the Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pill or the Nine-Vein Heaven-Seeking Pill, the core of the matter lay in the final step—inscribing veins onto the pill. Inscribing pill veins meant altering the medicinal potency within the pill, using the pattern of the inscriptions to stimulate the potency and elevate the pill's quality.
And pill vein inscriptions relied on Heavenly Fire.
The Six-Vein Mystic Dragon Pill required six types of Heavenly Fire. The six Heavenly Fires were used to temper the pill body and inscribe the pill veins upon it.
Elder Yun Nie's problem lay precisely in this step of Heavenly Fire tempering.