Inside the Hidden Dragon Cave Mansion.

Li Min and Hu Bao stood respectfully beside the Pill Furnace, their eyes fixed on the calm figure at the front of the furnace.

Chen Sheng, dressed in a moon white Daoist robe, with the flipping of his hands' spell, the cuffs stirred a gentle breeze.

Since his Divine Sense control improved, his demeanor during alchemy had become increasingly at ease.

His Divine Sense, like a fine net, enveloped the entire Pill Furnace closely, with every flow of Spiritual Qi clearly presented in his perception.

"Melting Liquid!"

Chen Sheng softly called out in his heart, and the Spiritual Fire at his fingertips suddenly surged, like a lively Fire Dragon, it swept the Red Blood Flower, Warm Sun Grass, and other herbs into the Pill Furnace.

Inside the furnace's Yin Yang Fire Prison, the medicinal herbs quickly melted, turning into a mass of red-gold liquid, rolling and flashing fine golden glimmers, stunningly beautiful.

His hands moved incessantly, the spell was cast densely like a storm of pear-blossom, each spell landing precisely on different positions of the liquid.

Continuously invoking the Yang Fire to refine the impurities within, using Yin Fire to condense the scattered Spiritual Qi, his actions were smooth and fluent, with not the slightest sensation of hindrance.

"Vortex Condensation! Solidification! Spirit Lock!"

Three low calls resonated in his mind, the liquid in the Pill Furnace firstly rotated into a vortex, then condensed into six round Pill Beads.

Finally, enveloped by a faint golden Spirit Light, they steadily suspended in the center of the furnace.

"Release!"

With Chen Sheng's command, the lid of the Pill Furnace popped open with a snap.

Six blood-red Red Essence Pills burst out of the furnace, swirling through the air, spreading a rich Pill Fragrance, finally landing into a jade tray lined with brocade.

Each pill had two clear Pill Patterns flowing like living creatures on its surface, evidently a masterpiece among Tier Two High Grade Elixirs.

Li Min was the first to bow, his eyes full of unabated admiration:

"Congratulations, Master, on refining Tier Two High Grade Elixir Pills!"

"To produce a masterpiece on the first refinement, such accomplishment is considered top-tier within the sect!"

Hu Bao quickly echoed: "Master's Fire Control Skill is increasingly miraculous, this disciple can only look up in awe."

Chen Sheng lowered his hands and smiled faintly: "You two haven't learned much else, but your skill at flattery has indeed become quite refined."

The two exchanged a glance, unable to help but complain inwardly.

Back then, watching Dragon Void Daoist refining pills, Master's expression of astonishment was much more exaggerated than ours.

Of course, they didn't dare to speak this out loud, and could only bow and say: "Every word of the disciple comes from the heart."

Chen Sheng lifted an eyebrow indifferently.

Once the Fire Technique bottleneck was broken, his Alchemy Skill surged forward with rapid progress, Tier Two High Grade Elixirs were indeed not difficult for him anymore.

Currently in the Pill Hall, his Alchemy was surpassed by only a handful, barely able to be considered top-tier.

He flicked his finger, collecting the six Red Essence Pills into a Jade Bottle, turning his gaze towards the two disciples:

"Alright then, each of you refine a furnace of pills, let me see your recent progress."

Upon hearing this, their eyes immediately showed anticipation.

Chen Sheng's teaching style was always gentle, even when pointing out problems he was direct and to the point.

Every guidance left them enlightened, thus they did not resist this kind of examination at all.

Li Min stepped forward first, choosing the Tier One Top Level "Nine Spirit Pill."

His technique was still stable, but during the Vortex Condensation of the liquid, there was still some deliberate rigidity, lacking a bit of agility.

Hu Bao, on the other hand, chose the Tier One Top Level "White Jade Pill." His Fire Control was more meticulous than before, yet during the Spirit Lock, the Spiritual Power output was unstable, which made the Pill Pattern appear somewhat faint.

Chen Sheng watched quietly from the side, and only after the two finished refining did he gently speak:

"Li Min, your understanding of the Pill Formula is still somewhat rigid..."

He then looked at Hu Bao:

"Your Fire Control has improved, but during Spirit Lock you rushed to completion, the Spiritual Power impact was too aggressive, causing the Pill Pattern to be unstable."

"Both of you go back and practice ten furnaces each, write down your insights today into a Jade Scroll for me."

"Yes, disciple remembers Master's teachings."

The two bowed in response, holding their pills and retreating.

The cave mansion returned to silence.

Chen Sheng shook his head lightly.

Li Min and Hu Bao had talents much better than He Ping'an, yet compared to Qin Yuan in those days, they were still a notch below.

Chen Sheng murmured to himself, a trace of lament flashing in his eyes:

"There are still limits to talent..."

"What a pity Yuan'Er passed so young, back then joining this mediocre master's sect was truly a delay."

...

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

Qinghua Villa.

Chen Sheng sat beside a stone table, looking at the dusty He Ping'an before him, a gentle smile on his face:

"Good boy, it's been a long time, you've gained quite some weight."

He Ping'an was the first disciple he accepted in his life, honest and diligent by nature, these years Chen Sheng called him to the Qinghua Sect for guidance every few months.

Now he was the chief alchemist of the He Clan, barely able to refine Tier One Top Level Elixirs, and it wouldn't be difficult to become a Tier Two Alchemist once he reached Foundation Establishment.

Ever since He Clan established their foundation in the Western Border, He Ping'an had also gone there to refine pills for his clansmen, making his return all the more rare.

Chen Sheng couldn't help but reminisce with him, asking about the situation of the He Clan in the Western Border.

He Ping'an showed a smile on his face and said:

"Everything is fine. Previously, the clan members were a bit unwilling to go to the Western Border, but with the good news from the front lines, their attitude has changed."

"Now, the Western Border has become quite popular, and many branch families want to move their entire family there."

"Back then, when grandfather insisted on taking the clan to the Western Border against all opinions, it seems that it was indeed a wise decision."

Chen Sheng laughed heartily at these words:

"Most people just follow what others say. There are few people like Brother He who have such decisiveness."

After speaking, Chen Sheng inquired about the current situation of He Ping'an within the clan.

Although this disciple of his is of the direct line, he only has a Middle Grade Spiritual Root, and now in his early forties, he has just barely reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation, not yet achieving perfection.

He Ping'an cupped his hands and replied:

"After all, I am a Tier One Top Level Alchemist, and the clan has been taking good care of me. I have never been on the battlefield, but usually stay in the clan's Alchemy Room to refine pills for everyone."

Chen Sheng was not at all surprised to hear this.

If even the seed of a Tier Two Alchemist had to go to the battlefield, then the He Clan would probably be on the brink of life and death.

The two of them reminisced for a while before Chen Sheng changed the subject to business:

"Let's talk about why you're looking for me this time."

He Ping'an bowed and presented a Jade Scroll:

"A few days ago, my grandfather obtained a Pill Formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill and some materials, so I came to ask for your help in refining it, Master."

"Foundation Establishment Pill?" Chen Sheng's interest was immediately piqued.

Generally speaking, the Foundation Establishment Pill is just a Tier Two Middle Grade Elixir, but to increase the success rate, most people would ask a Tier Two High Grade Alchemist to help refine it.

He had only recently spread the news of his breakthrough as a High Grade Alchemist, and no one had asked him to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill yet.

He smiled as he took the Jade Scroll and scanned the Pill Formula with his Divine Sense, nodding slightly:

"Brother He really trusts me!"

"It still uses a Tier Two Demon Beast Core as the main ingredient, with Gold Stone to form the pill, barely considered an Ancient Formula."

Chen Sheng lightly nodded. In this world, there are two common paths for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

The first path uses Profound Essence Ginseng as the main ingredient, combined with several types of Spiritual Medicine, for a mild and stable medicinal effect.

The second path uses a Demon Beast Core as the main ingredient, combined with several types of Spiritual Medicine, for a somewhat overpowering medicinal strength.

And this formula, which uses Gold Stone as an auxiliary, is mostly an ancient method passed down from ancient times, now becoming less common.

"Where are the materials?" Chen Sheng asked.

He Ping'an quickly handed over a Storage Pouch.

Chen Sheng used his Divine Sense to scan it and saw a Tier Two Demon Beast Core emitting a faint blood aura and several gold-stone materials like Red Copper Essence and Profound Iron Sand inside.

In the corner, there were also thousands of Spirit Stones as the reward for this alchemy.

Chen Sheng nodded: "I will start the furnace immediately. You can observe from the side, perhaps it will give you some insights."

He Ping'an nodded, his eyes full of expectation.

...

Before long, in the Alchemy Room.

Chen Sheng extracted the Cyan Abyss Cauldron from the Storage Pouch.

Under the activation of his Divine Sense, the cauldron grew against the wind, reaching about a zhang in height in the blink of an eye. The flame runes carved on the cauldron glowed brightly, emitting waves of heat.

"Rise!"

Chen Sheng flicked his finger to release a wisp of Spiritual Fire. With a thought, the fire transformed into a Yin Yang Fire Prison, enveloping the Demon Beast Core and gold-stone materials within.

The inner core slowly melted in the Yang Fire, releasing a crimson spiritual power, while the gold-stone materials were tempered in the Yin Fire, turning into gold sand, intertwining and merging with the core's spiritual power.

He formed a spell with his hands, his Divine Sense like a precise instrument, controlling every thread of spiritual power's flow.

The movements were fluid like flowing water, without the slightest error.

"Release!"

Half an hour later, the top cover of the Pill Furnace popped open, and two smooth Foundation Establishment Pills slowly floated out.

The pills were light golden, without any Pill Pattern, yet pure and full.

Chen Sheng looked at the pills and shook his head slightly: "The first time refining this Ancient Formula, only about seventy to eighty percent efficacy, just barely usable."

He Ping'an, however, was full of amazement:

"From one set of materials, Master can differentiate the spirituality to make two pills, which is already extremely impressive."

"If the spirituality of the two pills were combined, it would definitely refine into a top-quality pill."

Chen Sheng laughed heartily at his words:

"Your vision has improved; you actually spotted the issue."

He patted He Ping'an's shoulder:

"Take the pills back with you. With two pills in hand, you can secretly keep one, and when the clan grants another, you'll have a greater assurance."

"Establish your Foundation early, and don't let down my painstaking efforts."

He Ping'an accepted the Jade Bottle, feeling its warmth in his hand, his heart even warmer. He knelt and kowtowed three times:

"Thank you, Master! This disciple takes his leave."

Watching his departing figure, Chen Sheng nodded lightly.

The disciple he casually accepted back then can now stand on his own. Perhaps this is another kind of perfection beyond cultivation.

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