When Immortal Ascension Fails Time Travel to Try Again

Story 3 - Spiritual Vines and a Smokey Pill Cauldron (26)

Violet nodded sagely. “Happy Pulse Auspicious Dan is the most classic aphrodisiac medicine designed to help a paired couple ‘produce cute babies.’ Not only does it allow a cultivator to experience an... internal heat that is the hallmark of those types of pills but it also activates organs that normally lay dormant in cultivators with more advanced realms. I’m sure everyone here is aware how difficult it is for those in a higher realm to have children.”

It was very difficult. By the time I became a Nascent Soul, I already had several friends of the same realm who regretted not having children when they were a golden core. Even with the improved version of the Happy Pulse Auspicious Dan, only a few of them managed to have children. Others settled for raising a disciple. Still, it gave them better odds by a large margin than the old version.

Violet then listed out the ingredients. The manager helpfully wrote them for everyone to see.

“And your recommendation?”

“While I honestly haven’t thought about this all that much I have considered that the Red Burning Resplendent Vine could be replaced with the Splendid Glittering Chimera Root. This would lessen the intensity of the medicine and the subsequent effects.”

“And, judges? What is your opinion? Would the solution work?”

“There is no need to test it. It works, though there are definitely still side effects,” Pill Master Burning Eyes said while once again staring warmly at Violet... now that he was no longer Burning Bowels.

Violet appeared to not notice his regard.

“Then, Apprentice Lin. What is your suggestion?”

“I would instead leave the Red Burning Resplendent Vine, but replace the Orange Viscous Shroom, with Opalescent Yang Root. Then add in a Charcoal Incandescent Yin Peony. Then you need to ensure that the Brown Crowning Spider Lily has its roots cut off just before you place it inside the cauldron. You must also trim off the gills and smash the Golden Oak Mushroom Vine....”

I went on with the preparation changes for a good minute more.

“That should be it.” I didn’t worry that these cultivators didn’t memorize what I’d said since memory improved exponentially with an improvement in realm.

Pill Master Burning practically vibrated with excitement. “I’ll test these changes.” He hopped down from his seat and landed gracefully by the earth flame. A swift employee brought boxes with the requested herbs.

From there I watched Pill Master Burning take out his cauldron and follow my instructions to the letter.

Well, I could say what I wanted about his private life and bad habits but I could not deny that he deserved his title of Pill Master for someone of this era. A good twenty minutes after he started, he slapped his palm against the side of his cauldron and collected the dozen pills that flew out. They were all of a Pinnacle or High quality.

He held the bowl up and stared at them as if he’d found his saving grace. Yeah, he should switch to these before ascending became a pipe dream for him.

“Do you need to test them in order to see how they’re improved?” I asked.

He looked like he wanted to ask for a couple of hours to do just that, but Pill Master White Lily said, “No need. I can tell that these are superior with far fewer impurities.”

Pill Otaku looked like he wanted to snatch the bowl to study them and the only reason he didn’t was his iron self-control.

They should find it fascinating since decades of other people’s hard work went into creating the revised recipe. Ah, now that I thought about it... maybe I overdid it? But I really wasn’t interested in a pill like this and only learned this recipe in passing during an Alchemists' Guild convention sometime in my youth, when I was a mere hundred years or so old.

“I believe that we’re in agreement that, Alchemist Lin’s proposal for a change in recipe to remove the harmful side effects has been accepted.”

“Yes.”

“Since this is just a major change, as per guild regulations, for the next fifty years, Alchemist Lin will receive 15% of all profits off pills using this revised recipe with an additional 5% going to the guild.”

Oh shit. Well, profit is nice but earning spirit stones off a pill like that... Whatever. Best not to think about it. Best to really not think about it and just, enjoy random money falling out of the sky.

Fuck. I really should have thought this through.

Then again... It wouldn’t be a bad thing if more cultivators who wanted them had children. And these pills did focus more on the pregnancy than on the... other aspects. Then again, I wouldn’t know what to do if ten years from now some 9-year-old kid came up to me and told me that they existed because of my ‘contribution’ to alchemy. Yep. I would stop thinking about it here.

“Apprentice Violet Pill,” The guild manager began, “What is your topic?”

For the first time, I saw her look nervous. Then she squared her shoulders. “I propose the theory that it is possible to stabilize the Crushing Imminent Tribulation Lightning Dan so it has a better success rate.”

Interesting! That was similar to a Golden Core’s Lightning Tribulation Transcending Dan. It might also be the precursor to it.

“Do you accept this proposal, Apprentice Lin?”

“Can you please place the recipe on the board?”

Once he did I took a few minutes to think about what this ancient recipe would turn out like and then nodded. “I’m fine with this proposal.”

Violet grinned.

“Then how would you stabilize this pill, Apprentice Lin?”

“Give me a moment.” This time, I slowly analyzed each spiritual plant in my mind and made a plan for how I would create this pill perfectly. When I finished, its recipe still had impurities in it but the proposal was stabilization, not purification.

Once I was satisfied with my stabilization methods, I listed in detail how to concoct the pill. This included the most important part, ”The Ice Containing Vine needs to be thrown in first and then two breaths after, put in the Burning Yang Illustrious Grass...”

Once I finished the list White Lily said, “I suppose it's my turn to test this out. I’ve always had trouble making this pill.” She gently flew to the testing area and took out her cauldron. An employee brought her the necessary jade boxes. Then she started to prepare based on my instructions.

I watched as she perfectly followed every last piece of advice. Then she slapped the side of the cauldron. Six beautiful pills popped out.

Fuck. Why were there only six? There should be a dozen at least.

Did I make a mistake?

I quickly ran over my methods in my mind. No, they were perfect. Then the problem must exist with the alchemist’s cauldron, body, or spiritual energy.

I ran through the various things it could be then barely stopped myself from jumping to my feet in shock. Pill Master White Lily must have a Pure Yin Body! If that’s the case then the instructions I gave her were wrong. I turned to look at Violet.

The bitch had a smug-ass look on her face. She fucking knew!

And I couldn’t reveal that I knew about Lily's bodily constitution because that would put this lovely little Nascent Soul Cultivator in danger from some unscrupulous person looking to turn her into their cultivation furnace.

Seriously. The people in this Xianxia were the worst.

Of course, I also couldn’t tell anyone because she could crush me like a twig, but that was beside the point.

“I admit that this pill did come out easier than normal, but it didn’t stabilize enough.”

“Then we’ll attempt Apprentice Violet Pill’s instructions.”

“If you please?” White Lily said.

The bitch said, “Of course. While Fellow Apprentice’s instructions were spot on for the most part. I propose that it would work better if you started with the Burning Yang Illustrious Grass and didn’t add in the Ice Containing Vine until the end.”

Of course. Because White Lily’s Yin nature would balance out the low yang content of the Illustrious Grass. Ice Containing Vine had too much Yin, and adding on Lily’s constitution they would overwhelm the poor herb, causing an imbalance that would only get worse as the concoction went on. While it would still create good quality pills, the number of them would decrease.

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