Soon, having adjusted his state, Jiang Yan did not hesitate and began methodically tossing the herbs into the alchemy furnace.
The alchemical flame ignited, causing the temperature inside the entire room to rise instantly.
Lin Yuan was somewhat surprised because he recognized that this was no ordinary flame, but an alchemical flame—something that only alchemists could conjure.
Normally, powerful cultivators who understood some alchemy were capable of refining common first or second-grade pills. However, because they were not alchemists by trade, they typically used spiritual power to generate fire for refining.
This spiritual fire was vastly different from a true alchemical flame, looking and acting much like a normal fire.
An alchemist's flame was entirely different. It was a purple flame formed through the unique spiritual power of an alchemist, possessing a much milder temperature that allowed for better control, thereby increasing the success rate of pill refining.
Yet, the flame Jiang Yan was currently using was not spiritual fire, but a genuine purple alchemical flame. Such a sight naturally stunned Lin Yuan.
This meant that the eldest senior brother before him—previously thought to be entirely devoid of martial strength—was actually a true alchemist!
"Hum!"
As the purple flames burned, Jiang Yan successively tossed the herbs into the furnace, refining them all into a specialized liquid extract.
Though the process was not rushed, it was executed with absolute order. In just the span of a quarter of an hour, all twelve herbs required for the Qi-Nourishing Pill had been refined into liquid by the alchemical flame.
Next came the crucial step: blending these twelve liquid extracts together while continuing to heat them with the flame so that the moisture within was completely evaporated, causing them to solidify into pills.
The twelve herbs possessed entirely different properties. Trying to fuse them together was a complex and tedious undertaking.
Fortunately, this was only a batch of low-grade pills, meaning the medicinal potency and elemental properties contained within the herbs were not exceptionally strong. Consequently, the fusion process was much simpler—at least for Jiang Yan.
The higher the grade of the herbs, the stronger their medicinal nature and properties, and the greater the difficulty of fusion. This was the primary reason why many alchemists often failed when attempting to refine higher-grade pills.
"Hum!"
Jiang Yan quietly sat before the alchemy furnace, using his spiritual power to manipulate the purple flames within. His practiced, seasoned technique and the smoothness of the refining process left Lin Yuan dumbfounded.
By now, he seemed to realize something.
The eldest senior brother of the Dao Sect, long mistaken by everyone as utterly powerless, was actually an alchemist with extraordinary attainments in the Dao of Alchemy!
Judging by the techniques Jiang Yan displayed just now, Lin Yuan guessed that the other party had to be at least a fourth-grade alchemist, if not higher!
He was utterly shocked.
One had to know that throughout the entire Dan Peak, all the disciples and elders combined numbered only about thirty people.
Nearly half of the disciples were still in the stage of recognizing herbs—essentially acting as medicine boys who had yet to truly touch alchemy. Only a handful, like himself, had become alchemists, but almost all of them remained at the first or second-grade level.
Even the elders of Dan Peak had barely reached the third grade.
As for the fourth grade...
That was a level of attainment possessed only by the Master of Dan Peak, a status that commanded immense prestige throughout the entire Xuan Province.
Yet what was he witnessing now?
A youth of merely sixteen years old—a senior brother four or five years younger than himself—possessed alchemical attainments that were already completely on par with the Master of Dan Peak!
Lin Yuan was certain he was not mistaken.
Because this was not just about the alchemical techniques Jiang Yan displayed, but even more so about the sheer strength of his spiritual power.
Although Jiang Yan was only refining a first-grade pill at the moment, the intensity of that spiritual power could not possibly be faked. It was unquestionably at the level of at least a fourth-grade alchemist!
"Hum!"
At a certain moment, when the medicinal fragrance permeating the room reached a dense peak, the alchemy furnace before Jiang Yan trembled slightly.
Shortly after, the purple flames inside the furnace extinguished. As the temperature dropped, Jiang Yan reached out and retrieved the pills from within.
Although he had only used a single portion of herbs, with Jiang Yan's mastery, refining such first-grade pills naturally yielded more than just a single pill per batch.
He methodically collected the Qi-Nourishing Pills from the furnace, and upon counting them, found there were a total of eight.
Jiang Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Tomorrow, I'll give one to Junior Sister first. If her foundation still isn't stable enough by then, it won't hurt to sell her a few more."
With that, without hesitation, Jiang Yan stored the eight Qi-Nourishing Pills into a crystal jade bottle and immediately set about refining the third-grade Spirit-Gathering Pill.
Compared to the Qi-Nourishing Pills, refining a third-grade pill was undoubtedly far more intricate and complex.
However, to someone with Jiang Yan's level of mastery, it was no exaggeration to say that third-grade pills were no different from first-grade ones—both could be effortlessly conjured and easily refined.
Soon, about half an hour later, the Spirit-Gathering Pills were finished.
Just like the previous Qi-Nourishing Pills, from a single portion of ingredients, Jiang Yan successfully produced eight pills.
This was because of his supreme alchemical standards and profound understanding and cognition of the herbs, allowing him to better preserve the medicinal properties during the refining process and divide them precisely, thereby condensing multiple pills rather than just one.
Simply put, only when enough medicinal properties were retained during the process could such a feat be achieved.
If it were an average alchemist, much of the medicinal efficacy would be lost during refining, leaving behind only enough potency to condense into a single pill.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
Having stored away the Spirit-Gathering Pills, Jiang Yan stood up and dusted off his hands. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that Lin Yuan not far away was looking at him with a gaze full of worship.
He immediately spoke up, "Whatever you saw today, make sure you don't go spreading it around. Otherwise, don't blame your senior brother for being impolite."
"Senior Brother, rest assured, my lips are sealed!" Lin Yuan nodded earnestly.
"Hum!"
With a flick of his palm, Jiang Yan produced ten spirit stones—the payment for borrowing the alchemy furnace that they had agreed upon earlier.
"There's no need for that, Senior Brother."
Lin Yuan waved his hand in refusal, saying with a deadpan, serious expression, "Today, I had the honor of observing your alchemy, which has truly benefited me immensely. How could I possibly dare to take your spirit stones?"
"Truly benefited immensely?" Jiang Yan paused, looking at him suspiciously.
"Absolutely true!"
Lin Yuan nodded with a solemn face.
Jiang Yan rubbed his chin as if seriously pondering something, before finally speaking, "In that case... why don't you pay your tuition fee instead? Ten spirit stones will do."