361 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

In the Alchemy Room, Ye Ling Long meticulously followed the sequence outlined in the recipe, placing each mystical herb into the alchemy furnace. She harnessed her mental energy to sift impurities from each herb and then meld the purified extracts together. Once every extract had been seamlessly fused, she began the process of compressing and rotating, culminating in the formation of the pill. Every stage of this process demanded pinpoint accuracy. Control over the unique fire and timing of extract fusion had to be perfect, without the slightest error. This time, she was crafting one of the most challenging high-level Yellow Grade pills, the Soul Nourishing Pill. As its name implies, this pill nurtures the soul and is highly effective for healing hidden injuries left by soul damage. Due to the difficulty and unique nature of its formulation, the Soul Nourishing Pill is distinguished as the most unique and challenging among the Yellow Grade pills, with crafting difficulty approaching that of an entry-level Mysterious Grade pill. The process involved merging and rotating the extracts. Ye Ling Long intensely concentrated, using her mental energy to guide the liquid within the furnace towards cohesion. Just as it was about to solidify into a pill, an explosive noise echoed. A massive shockwave hit, but Ye Ling Long adeptly erected a defensive barrier to withstand the explosion from the furnace. In the aftermath, murmurs spread through the alchemy room: "Is Master Ye crafting pills again?" "Indeed, that sound could only be Master Ye. No one else's furnace explodes as loudly." "I recall it's been a while since Master Ye last experienced a furnace explosion. I kind of missed that sound." These discussions didn't disturb Ye Ling Long, who was staring regretfully at the shattered remnants of what was almost a pill. Just as it was forming, it detonated. "No wonder pills are so expensive," she muttered. "Their price is justified by their difficulty." Undeterred, she retrieved another set of mystical herbs from her spatial storage, ready to try again. A single failure wouldn't discourage her; she was prepared for a prolonged effort. "I refuse to believe it can't be done. Even without an innate talent for alchemy, I can just blow up a few more furnaces. I'll succeed eventually!" If other alchemists knew that just over two months ago Ye Ling Long had never crafted a pill and was now tackling high-level Yellow Grade pills, they might be astounded. Most consider crafting a high-level Yellow Grade pill by age 200 to be a mark of genius. The fact that she attempted the near-Mysterious Grade Soul Nourishing Pill in just over two months was nothing short of miraculous. Unbeknownst to her, the Soul Nourishing Pill had been lost to history for thousands of years. After destroying eight furnaces, her ninth attempt succeeded. As the liquid coalesced into a pill, she swiftly added some spirit spring water into the furnace. The result was a smooth, jade-green pill, and the alchemy room filled with a refreshing fragrance that suddenly cleared her mental fatigue. Unhesitatingly, Ye Ling Long popped one into her mouth, reasoning she still had two left. As the pill dissolved, a cool sensation surged through her mind, alleviating her soul's weariness instantly. "No wonder this Soul Nourishing Pill is the highest-ranking Yellow Grade pill. The effect is indescribably remarkable." Satisfied, she tidied the alchemy room and left, re-entering her rented little shop. Noteworthy alchemists have their own alchemy rooms because those rooms required special materials to fortify against the force of furnace explosions. For general pill crafting, renting isn't necessary, but she preferred to rent for new pills to prevent damage from possible explosions. After Ye Ling Long departed, a few heads peeked out from other alchemy rooms, watching her direction. "Do you think Master Ye succeeded?" "She must've failed after so many explosions." "No, I think she succeeded. I caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance, something new and invigorating." "What pill could that be?" "Who knows? Maybe Master Ye is experimenting with improving pill recipes. Haven't you noticed her shop's pills perform better than the average ones?" Unconcerned by these discussions, Ye Ling Long went back to her shop, where Feng Li and Xiao Hei managed in her absence. Seeing her, Feng Li greeted, "Back already? Did you succeed?" Since reaching the Immortal stage, Feng Li acquired a technique from his ancestral memory to conceal his presence. Unless he revealed his true form, his identity in the lower celestial realm remained hidden. Ye Ling Long nodded and casually tossed him a Soul Nourishing Pill. Feng Li caught the pill, listening as she said, "This is a freshly crafted Soul Nourishing Pill. Try it; it'll soothe your soul. I've gathered ten types of pills. I'm heading into the space." "Alright," he replied. Feng Li knew she intended to visit that mysterious tower—a place he initially found intriguing, but lost interest in after failing to enter. Inside the nine-tier tower within her space, Ye Ling Long stood beside a stone platform with ten small cavities. Clutching ten different high-grade Yellow Grade pills, she murmured, "If nothing changes again, I'm out of options." Previously, when she attempted with beginner Yellow Grade pills, they were simply ejected. The same happened with intermediate Yellow Grade pills. Now, if high-grade Yellow Grade pills yielded no response, she might consider demolishing the tower. As she placed each round pill into the apertures, they fit perfectly. With the final Soul Nourishing Pill in position, she anxiously awaited the outcome. For a long moment, nothing happened. Just as disappointment set in and she was ready to vent her frustration, the stone platform suddenly illuminated, the light so intense it was blinding.