The next morning, the entire Pan Gate was like a well-oiled machine, bustling with activity. Early in the morning, Xuner, along with two others, led their respective teams out of the freshmen area and roamed throughout the inner courtyard, following the list of medicinal ingredients provided by Xiao Yan, and acquiring them from various sources. After nearly a full day of such busyness, the group returned to the freshmen area under the cloak of night, weary but excited.
In a quiet chamber within the small tower, Xiao Yan looked at the neatly arranged pile of medicinal ingredients before him. Seeing the exhaustion on the faces of Xuner and the others, he couldn’t help but smile softly. “You’ve all worked hard.”
“These medicinal ingredients cost us over one hundred and eighty units of ‘Fire Energy.’ We four wouldn’t have been able to gather enough, but members of the Pan Gate, including A’Tai, donated some of their Fire Energy to make up the difference. These medicinal ingredients are almost our last resources,” Xuner said with a light sigh.
Xiao Yan nodded silently, feeling a bit touched. “Don’t worry, I’ll remember the Fire Energy that A’Tai and the others donated. Once we successfully refine the pills and sell them, I’ll repay them double.”
“Okay.” Xuner nodded, her slender hand gently touching the pile of medicinal ingredients, her brows slightly furrowed. “Acquiring these ingredients in the inner courtyard is quite expensive. If we can refine this batch of pills, I think we should organize a team within the Pan Gate or hire some people to search for the necessary medicinal ingredients in the deep mountains. We can pay them based on the quality and quantity of the herbs they provide. This way, the cost will be much lower.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback and then nodded in agreement. His gaze swept over the pile of medicinal ingredients. Though not many, their value represented the collective effort of the entire Pan Gate. He sighed lightly, feeling the weight of this responsibility.
“Xiao Yan, from now on, everything will be up to you. We can’t help at all with the pill refinement,” Xuner said with a charming smile.
“Alright…” Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, his voice soft. “Don’t worry, in a day’s time, I’ll turn these ingredients into the pills we need. I won’t let everyone down.”
“Oh, right, I specially sent someone to buy two types of pills from the Medicine Gang. One is the kind Wu Hao mentioned, which restores Dou Qi. The Medicine Gang calls it ‘Return Spring Pill.’ The other is a healing medicine, effective for external injuries…” Xuner suddenly took out two small jade bottles from her storage ring and placed them in front of Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan was surprised and then inwardly praised Xuner’s intelligence.
“Xiao Yan, it’s all up to you now,” Xuner smiled sweetly, waving to Hu Jia and Wu Hao. The three of them slowly exited the room and closed the door tightly behind them.
With their departure, the chamber once again fell into silence. Xiao Yan stared at the large pile of medicinal ingredients, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged. With a wave of his hand, a pill furnace appeared before him. After placing the pill furnace, Xiao Yan picked up the two types of pills Xuner had bought. He sniffed the faint medicinal aroma, raised an eyebrow, and shook his head slightly with a touch of disdain. The so-called Return Spring Pill likely required no more than four common medicinal ingredients, making it just a first-grade pill in Xiao Yan’s eyes.
“It seems the Medicine Gang isn’t putting much effort into their pill refinement,” Xiao Yan chuckled lightly. He then picked up the bottle of healing medicine. It was in a dark red paste form. Sniffing it, he could discern the mix of ingredients. He shrugged slightly, placing the two pills back in their original place. Turning his attention back to the pill furnace, his expression gradually became calm. Entering the state of pill refinement, Xiao Yan focused entirely on the task. His eyes fixed on the pill furnace, his mind raced through the process. He planned to refine three types of pills: one to restore Dou Qi, called ‘Return Qi Pill,’ which he had mastered; a second, an internal healing medicine called ‘Restore Body Pill,’ which was far superior to the Medicine Gang’s healing paste; and the third, ‘Ice Clear Pill,’ which could effectively mitigate fire poison. This pill could be considered a top-tier second-grade pill, even verging on third-grade due to its high value for cultivation.
Mentally going over the recipes, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious. He rubbed his fingers together, and a green flame instantly rose from his fingertips, dancing like a sprite. The temperature in the chamber began to rise.
Staring at the rising green flame, Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and the flame arced through the air, shooting into the pill furnace. The intense heat caused the furnace to emit a sizzling sound. His eyes never left the pill furnace as he moved his slender fingers over the pile of medicinal ingredients. Suddenly, he plucked several different herbs and tossed them into the flame. As the herbs were engulfed, his face remained unchanged. His palm hovering over the furnace, he controlled the flame’s temperature, purifying the essence of the herbs.
In the spacious hall, Xuner, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao sat anxiously, their minds wandering. Occasionally, they glanced at the closed door on the second floor, their eyes showing a hint of worry.
“Almost a day and a half, why hasn’t Xiao Yan come out yet?” Wu Hao, restless, finally spoke up.
“Let’s wait a bit more. We’re not alchemists, so we don’t understand the process. But we mustn’t disturb Xiao Yan…” Xuner shook her head, speaking seriously.
Hu Jia could only sigh. They had no choice but to wait. The success of the Pan Gate depended on Xiao Yan. If he failed, it would be a severe blow to morale. After all, Xiao Yan had never failed since they’d known him.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening broke the tense atmosphere. The three of them looked up, their eyes fixed on the now-opening door.
As Xiao Yan stepped out, his face showed signs of exhaustion, but his joy was evident. The three of them relaxed, their tension easing. Xiao Yan smiled, walked down the stairs, and with a wave of his hand, over a hundred jade bottles appeared, filling the table.
“Three types of pills: 83 Return Qi Pills, 62 Restore Body Pills, and 36 Ice Clear Pills, totaling 181 pills,” Xiao Yan said with a bright smile.
“So many…” the three exclaimed, surprised. Hearing the count, they felt a surge of excitement.
“I’ve done my part. The rest is up to you. I’m completely drained,” Xiao Yan said, sitting down in a soft chair, his face showing fatigue.
Xuner and the others nodded excitedly, rushing to the table to count the bottles.
“Xiao Yan…” After discussing the sales plan, Xuner turned to call him but found him asleep, head resting on his hand. Her face showed a hint of pity as she draped a soft blanket over him. “Sleep, Xiao Yan. When you wake up, I’ll tell you the good news.”
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