Volume One: Storms in the Small Town Chapter 60: First Encounter with Alchemy

Something abundant in spiritual energy? Suddenly, an idea flashed through Zhang Heng’s mind.

Zhang Heng crept quietly to the mouth of the cave, poked his head out, and looked around to make sure there were no other cultivators or spirit beasts nearby.

Once certain, he dashed swiftly in a particular direction.

However, when Zhang Heng arrived at the Spirit Lake, he was stunned. Murong Qingxue, that little vixen, was truly ruthless—she had absorbed every last drop of the lake’s rich spiritual energy. Anyone else would have exploded from the sheer force, but the Innate Spiritual Physique was indeed extraordinary.

A few days ago, he’d been so focused on bidding her farewell that he’d overlooked the spirit energy here, which she had already drained dry.

Disheartened, Zhang Heng made his way back to the cave.

At this moment, Dragon Burial Abyss was at the height of its treasure-hunting frenzy. Everywhere, fights erupted, and both humans and beasts fell. High-level cultivators and spirit beasts roamed freely.

It was the worst possible time to search for objects brimming with spiritual energy. He’d be better off hiding in the cave for a while.

As for his cultivation, he had lingered at the first stage of body training for so long that a few more days made no difference to him.

Besides, true treasures were never found so easily. Most of those who entered the Dragon Burial Abyss seeking fortune would leave empty-handed; the real treasures belonged to Zhang Heng.

In other words, this abyss was his private vault, and the treasure seekers were merely laborers, clearing out the less desirable low-grade spirit herbs for him.

After sorting out his thoughts, Zhang Heng spoke slowly, “System, didn’t you say I’ve completed the task of winning over Dugu Bai? Where’s my reward?”

He blamed his recent busyness; he’d actually forgotten the most crucial matter. This was his first time receiving something tangible from the system—it surely wouldn’t be anything ordinary.

“The Xuan Shadow Boat has already been issued. It exists within your mind. You only need to summon it with your thoughts,” the system replied.

With a thought, Zhang Heng extended his hand and pointed forward, shouting, “Come out, come out, come out!”

Nothing happened.

“Beep. That method is ineffective. The host must quiet his mind and focus to summon it,” the system intoned.

Calm his mind? Zhang Heng grimaced—he hated anything involving meditation or deep reflection.

Still, for the sake of the reward, he steeled himself.

Cross-legged, he emptied his mind and sat in stillness.

Time trickled by.

Suddenly, Zhang Heng felt something stir within his consciousness, as if it wanted to break free.

He didn’t resist, choosing instead to let it happen naturally. Before long, something materialized in his hand—a palm-sized little boat, exquisitely carved.

But what use was this, he wondered. Could he sell it?

After pondering, Zhang Heng asked, “System, this thing can change size, can’t it?”

Isn’t that how it always goes in the novels? Supreme treasures could alter their form at will—like Sun Wukong’s golden cudgel, which could stand as a pillar to prop up the heavens or shrink to the size of a needle.

“Yes,” the system replied.

How could he make it grow? Did it require a spell? Zhang Heng thought it over but came up empty.

“Beep. The method for transformation can be given, but it’s advised not to attempt it lightly.”

Zhang Heng wasn’t foolish. The very name “Xuan Shadow Boat” revealed it as a high-grade spirit vessel.

Such treasures attracted envy if revealed carelessly. Better to wait until the spatial turbulence returned, and all the treasure hunters had left; then he could study it at leisure, free from interlopers.

The turbulence would abate for seven days in total; four had passed, three remained.

Sitting idly on the ground, Zhang Heng wondered what to do next.

The system’s voice sounded again.

“Beep. In light of current circumstances, it is recommended that the host learn alchemy.”

Alchemy? Just as I thought. Zhang Heng smiled faintly.

Given his situation, with an all-knowing system residing in his mind and accompanying him at every moment, all he needed to do was familiarize himself with the basic procedures.

As for recipes, the properties of herbs, managing the flames, and all the details—Zhang Heng didn’t need to know; the system knew enough for both of them.

Thus, alchemy was the best and quickest skill for him to master—a perfect way to impress.

Once he learned alchemy, he could easily win the favor of powerful figures and, in the future, have another means to protect himself.

“System, where do we begin?”

“Beep. Given the host’s current level, it’s best to start with the basics of alchemy.”

Zhang Heng deflated.

Of course—he was a complete novice from another world, utterly clueless about alchemy. Even he wouldn’t believe it if he produced a pill right away.

With that, the system conjured up the fundamentals of alchemy in his mind for him to study.

Reading had always been one of Zhang Heng’s hobbies.

In his previous life, he had few friends and little to do, so most of his time was spent quietly reading alone. As a result, his mind was filled with all sorts of strange and obscure knowledge that others lacked.

Now he sat cross-legged, eyes closed in concentration.

To an outsider, he seemed deep in cultivation, but in truth, Zhang Heng was absorbing the basics of alchemy at a frantic pace.

Alchemy, simply put, was the process of gathering various spiritual herbs and refining them into pills with special properties.

The process was divided into four steps.

The first step was refining the herbs—extracting their essence and removing impurities.

If impurities remained, the pill’s effectiveness would be greatly diminished. This was the most basic stage of alchemy, and many mundane world alchemists could manage it.

The second step was adding ingredients. Using spirit fire to heat the cauldron, and at the right moment, adding the prepared herbs.

This was the most crucial part of the entire process—the timing and order of adding ingredients directly affected the pill’s quality. Sometimes, the optimal moment lasted only a fraction of a second, making it incredibly difficult to master.

A single mistake, and all effort would be wasted. Many alchemists failed to advance beyond this hurdle.

The third step was fusion. Once all the herbs were added, the cauldron was sealed; the main task then was adjusting the temperature of the spirit fire as needed. This part wasn’t hard to control but was extremely time-consuming and exhausting in terms of spiritual power.

The fourth step was opening the cauldron. When the pill had condensed for the proper amount of time, the cauldron was opened to retrieve it.

The timing here was critical. Too early, and the pill would be unformed, causing the spiritual energy inside to dissipate and the pill to be ruined. Too late, and over-condensation would destroy its properties, severely diminishing its potency.

Such failures were called half-finished pills or waste pills.

A brand-new door was opening before the protagonist.