Alchemy is an essential art for cultivators, as no matter the realm of cultivation, it is impossible to do without elixirs. It is said that ancient scriptures have records of immortal pills. The appearance of immortal pills marks ascension, showing the importance of elixirs in the cultivation world.
In his previous life, Ding Yan was an elder of a sect with a pre-tribulation level of cultivation. Despite not being as skilled as the grandmasters of the alchemy sects, he was considered decent compared to ordinary independent cultivators. Until his fall, Ding Yan had refined countless elixirs, including some with incredibly complex methods, taking years or even decades to finish, making the Base-Building Pill seem like a basic elixir in comparison.
As the medicinal fragrance dissipated, Ding Yan stood up, and green elemental force seeped from his palm. This was the ability of the wood attribute talisman, to nourish the fire and increase the chance of elixir formation. These were all experiences summarized by Ding Yan in his previous life. If a ninth level cultivator who had never been involved in alchemy attempted to refine the Base-Building Pill, the failure rate would be close to 100%.
After the green elemental force flew in and diffused into the furnace, the ground fire became even more furious. The wooden table not far from the furnace silently turned into a pile of black ashes under the influence of the scorching fire.
Ding Yan's eyes flashed as he swiftly pressed more than ten handprints on the surrounding area of the furnace, compressing the fire into a small area.
Refining the elixir with martial fire was both the final and most energy-consuming step in alchemy. Many cultivators fail at this stage. The elixir, in that critical moment just before forming, requires an immense amount of fierce fire to expel impurities from the medicinal materials and refine the elixir into shape.
Although it is difficult to control natural ground fire, it does not require the cultivator's elemental force to drive it, unlike those who can condense spirit fire from their bodies. Before alchemy, they must prepare themselves; otherwise, in the later stages of alchemy, they may encounter issues where their elemental force fails to drive the martial fire to refine the elixir.
After a while, a rich fragrance of the completed elixir permeated the air. After the scent of the elixir dissipated, a smile crept onto Ding Yan's lips.
With a flip of his right hand, he pressed down on the furnace. The originally glowing red furnace instantly calmed down, and the raging fire gradually diminished until even the last trace was drawn back into the furnace.
After sealing the ground fire, Ding Yan extended his left hand and took the elixir into his hand. Despite knowing that there was little chance of failure in refining this elixir, Ding Yan still felt a sense of joy at the moment the elixir came into his possession.
The just-formed Base-Building Pill, the size of a pebble, was a dark red color, warm to the touch, and emitted a faint fragrance.
"The elixir has formed, and Foundation Establishment is not far away. It is time for me to experience the tribulation of this world." He took out a porcelain bottle, placed the elixir inside, sealed the bottle, and walked out.
By this time, there was already a hint of light on the horizon, marking the passing of a night. Ding Yan took a deep breath in the courtyard and sat down cross-legged.
Every day, at sunrise and sunset, the elemental force in the world was most abundant, making it the best time for cultivators to breathe and refine their energy. In his previous life, Ding Yan's cultivation technique had clear records of these practices.
As the sun and moon alternated, incorporating yin and yang, breathing in and refining the elemental energy to nourish oneself.
Even though the cultivation technique Ding Yan practiced had changed, some things remained unaltered because they were laws, ancient and immutable.
Through his deep breathing, the wisps of elemental energy flowed into his dantian through his pores. The elemental force he consumed in refining the elixir overnight was quickly replenished, and there was even a slight enhancement.
Cultivation is a step-by-step accumulation, and achieving immortality in a hundred years is practically impossible. Even in his previous life, Ding Yan, a renowned figure in the cultivation world, took over a thousand years to reach the pre-tribulation stage, and in the end, he did not dare to face the tribulation.
Mental state, though invisible, is crucial for cultivators. If the mental state is insufficient and one only focuses on using elixirs to increase strength and cultivation, it will ultimately lead to demonic possession.
However, such a situation is non-existent for the current Ding Yan, as his mental state cultivation has long reached the pre-tribulation stage, equivalent to the seventh realm of the world!
Whether there are cultivators at the seventh realm, Ding Yan didn't know, as there was no memory of such a character in this body, with the most powerful person being a secluded pre-tribulation immortal from the Lianhua Valley.
After the sun rose, Ding Yan took a long breath and opened his eyes. Taking out the Base-Building Pill he refined the night before, Ding Yan, without hesitation, swallowed it and began cultivation again.
After the elixir entered his body, it quickly dissipated.
The medicinal power merged with Ding Yan's seven meridians and eight veins, and a searing sensation surged from his dantian.
Inside the body, it felt like a fierce fire burning, which was the first step in purging impurities from the body after taking the foundation-building pill.
Throughout a person's life, consuming grains and absorbing impure qi, the body accumulates numerous impurities.
Despite Ding Yan's short-term cultivation, his body still harbored uncleansed impurities, many of which were hidden in the acupoints and could not be expelled unless reaching a certain realm.
The process of refining impurities was akin to burning the body in a fierce fire, something ordinary people could not endure.
Yet, at this moment, Ding Yan, outwardly, showed no change whatsoever, as if he did not feel the pain at all. In the path of cultivation, mental strength is also crucial; for foundation building, Ding Yan had experienced it in a past life, so it was merely a repeat for him.
As time passed, the effects of the foundation-building pill completely erupted. Many hidden impurities in Ding Yan's body were gradually burned away, the pill's power purifying impurities that would normally require reaching the tenth, eleventh, or even twelfth level of Qi Refinement to cleanse.
Gradually, an indescribable clear stream surged in his mind. A hollow vortex appeared around Ding Yan, and the unseen vitality in his body surged towards him as if it had no value.
As the name suggests, the foundation-building pill is a pill for cultivators to lay a foundation.
After purifying the impurities within, the natural world's vitality gathered to fill the deficiencies caused by impurity refinement in Ding Yan's body. Subsequently, an indescribable feeling emerged from his soul.
Ding Yan opened his eyes, a glint flashing in them.
Foundation building had begun!
With Ding Yan's mental cultivation, one foundation-building pill was enough to successfully lay the foundation. For an average cultivator, foundation building is a threshold that many cultivators fail to cross in their lifetime. When Ding Yan built his foundation in his previous life, it took nearly a dozen foundation-building pills to find the key to foundation building and achieve success. Now, building the foundation once again was familiar terrain, avoiding many detours.
Having experienced foundation building, Ding Yan clearly understood that the refinement of the soul had commenced, and his stagnant cultivation began to rise.
By this point, his body had been completely filled with wild vitality, and as time passed, the vitality continuously melted into his body. Ding Yan keenly felt his body becoming lighter, with an ethereal energy emanating from his acupoints.
His cultivation directly broke through the initial stage of the tenth level of Qi Refinement and reached the mid-stage, late-stage, and pinnacle of the tenth level, and finally, the eleventh level...
In the time it takes to have a meal, Ding Yan's cultivation directly crossed several major realms, reaching the peak of the twelfth level of Qi Refinement.
Upon reaching this level, Ding Yan's cultivation growth slowed down.
At this point, the effects of the foundation-building pill had started to weaken, and eventually, Ding Yan's cultivation was halted at the peak of the twelfth level of Qi Refinement, with only a faint barrier separating him from achieving the position of a loose immortal.
Opening his eyes, Ding Yan frowned slightly.
"How could this be a failure?" He felt puzzled by his actual failure.
He had followed each step of his cultivation according to his past life's experience. His failure now had only one explanation: heavenly tribulation.
In this world of loose immortals, if one wants to break through, they must undergo the heavenly tribulation.
"Even if I need to go through the heavenly tribulation, my current cultivation should be sufficient to trigger it, so is it..." Looking up at the sky, Ding Yan's eyes seemed to see the inexorable gathering of the power of heaven and earth.
"This can conceal my aura, even to the extent of deceiving the heavenly tribulation! What exactly exists in this small village!"
Recalling the old voice he had heard when he first entered the small village, Ding Yan's state of mind trembled once again.
"Could this be a hidden place for a powerful cultivator?!"
In his past life, Ding Yan had encountered some reclusive old creatures in certain places. Each of these old creatures had unparalleled cultivation, but they were relatively unknown in the cultivation world. After reaching their cultivation realm, they only pursued becoming immortal and had already disregarded things like reputation. Some of them had even forgotten their own names, all of them being extraordinary beings.
Thinking of this, Ding Yan retracted his aura and stood up.
Looking at the sky, he noticed that it was already midday.
"It's time to leave here..." Ding Yan had come to this island to use the earth fire to refine elixirs and enhance his cultivation. Now that the elixir had been successfully concocted and his cultivation had reached its peak, it was naturally time to leave.
Moreover, the thought that there might be a hidden eccentric on the island made Ding Yan feel uneasy.
Hopefully, it's not a demon cultivator...