After a final period of meditation to ensure his Qi reserves were full and his mind was sharp, Gù Tiānháo placed the lid securely on the iron cauldron and positioned his hands on either side, palms facing the metal. Taking a deep breath, he began channeling his 3rd Level Body Refinement Qi into the cauldron, following the initial heating instructions from the Meridian Opening Pill formula. The iron began to warm steadily, radiating a gentle heat into the small room. This first step required stable, consistent Qi output to bring the cauldron to the precise temperature needed for the first ingredient.
Once the temperature stabilized, guided by his cultivator senses, he carefully lifted the lid just enough to drop in the first portion of Iron Bone Root Powder. He immediately replaced the lid and adjusted his Qi flow, increasing the heat slightly as per the formula, aiming to break down the powder into its medicinal essence. So far, so good. Next came the Spirit Calming Flower, added at a specific interval. The room filled with a slightly acrid, herbal scent as the ingredients began reacting under the influence of his Qi-fueled heat.
Then came the first critical juncture: adding the segment of 300-year Blood Ginseng. Its potent energy required careful handling. As he introduced the vibrant red piece into the heated mix, he simultaneously infused a stream of Qi according to the formula, intending to gently extract and merge its essence with the other components. But perhaps due to inexperience or a momentary lapse in concentration, his Qi infusion wavered slightly, causing the temperature inside the cauldron to spike erratically. The potent Blood Ginseng energy reacted violently with the unstable heat. Poof! A muffled sound came from within the cauldron, followed by a plume of thick, acrid black smoke escaping from under the lid, carrying the unmistakable smell of burnt herbs. Attempt 1: Failure. Cause: Unstable temperature control during Blood Ginseng introduction.
Tiānháo calmly ceased his Qi input, letting the cauldron cool slightly before removing the lid. Inside was nothing but a layer of blackened, useless ash. He felt a pang of regret at the waste of one-tenth of the precious Blood Ginseng, but his expression remained impassive. He meticulously cleaned the cauldron, analyzed the mistake – the critical need for absolute temperature stability when handling the main ingredient – and prepared the second set of ingredients.
On his second attempt, he paid obsessive attention to temperature control. He successfully added the Iron Bone Root Powder, the Spirit Calming Flower, and the Blood Ginseng segment, maintaining a perfectly stable heat. The essences began to extract and mingle, creating a fragrant, ruby-red liquid within the cauldron. The next step was adding the Seven Star Grass, meant to catalyze the fusion process. The formula specified adding it precisely when the red liquid reached a certain viscosity and pulsed with energy three times. He watched intently, counting the pulses… one… two… three! He added the grass. But he had hesitated fractionally, adding it just after the third pulse had fully subsided, not during its peak as likely intended. The fusion occurred, but it felt sluggish, incomplete. The resulting mixture was a murky, brown sludge instead of the clear, vibrant essence described in the formula. Attempt 2: Failure. Cause: Incorrect timing during the fusion catalysis stage.
Frustration gnawed at him, but he suppressed it, cleaning the cauldron once more. Two failures, two portions of Blood Ginseng wasted. He reviewed the fusion step, understanding the need for split-second timing. He began the third attempt, executing the heating and initial additions flawlessly. He nailed the timing for the Seven Star Grass, and the essences fused beautifully into a shimmering, potent liquid. Now came the condensation phase – gathering the dispersed medicinal essence using Qi control and forming it into a solid pill. He carefully manipulated his Qi, creating a gentle vortex within the liquid, guiding the shimmering particles towards the center. A tiny, nascent pill began to form, glowing faintly. But the process demanded incredibly fine control, more than he had anticipated. As he tried to solidify the core, his Qi output wavered for an instant, disturbed perhaps by a subconscious flicker of excitement. The delicate structure collapsed, the nascent pill dissolving back into raw energy that dissipated within the cauldron. Attempt 3: Failure. Cause: Insufficient Qi control stability during condensation.
Gritting his teeth, Tiānháo immediately started the fourth attempt, determined to conquer the condensation stage. He reached it again, the shimmering liquid ready. This time, remembering the previous failure, he focused intensely on maintaining smooth, stable Qi control. He guided the essence particles together, the nascent pill forming more readily. Seeing it solidify, he grew bolder, trying to accelerate the final formation by increasing his Qi pressure slightly, hoping to force it into a perfect sphere quickly. It was the wrong move. The structure, still fragile, couldn't handle the abrupt increase in pressure. It destabilized rapidly, resulting in a small but sharp energy backlash – a pop from the cauldron and a wave of heat that forced Tiānháo to pull his hands back instinctively. The nascent pill was gone, leaving only faint scorch marks inside the pot. Attempt 4: Failure. Cause: Applying excessive force instead of finesse during final condensation.
Four attempts. Four failures. Nearly half of the precious Blood Ginseng was gone, turned into smoke and dregs. The sun was setting outside, casting long shadows into the room. Tiānháo sat before the cooling cauldron, physically and mentally drained. Yet, his eyes held no despair, only a cold, analytical light. Each failure had taught him something vital. He understood the process now, not just intellectually, but viscerally. He knew the pitfalls, the required precision. He would rest, recover, and try again. Alchemy was indeed a demanding path, but he would not be deterred.