Chapter 83: A House of Gold Within the Art of Essence Extraction

Qin Haoxuan nodded. Like any other spiritual art, the Art of Essence Extraction could be improved through practice and experience. He understood that it was divided into seven levels, with the first level being the simple ability to use it. To advance further required not only diligence but also aptitude and insight. Still, the fact that it could be used to cultivate his Spiritual Sense at all was an unexpected and welcome surprise.

“So, if you master this art, can you also purify high-level pills?”

Pu Hanzhong gave a bitter laugh, punctuated by a series of coughs. “In theory, yes. But in reality, no.”

“Why not?” Qin Haoxuan asked, surprised. “If you can extract from a basic ruined pill, why not an advanced one?”

“The Art of Essence Extraction is unique to our Nature Hall. Because of the limitations of aptitude and Spiritual Sense, no one has ever reached a level high enough to purify high-grade pills. The highest level currently achieved in the hall is by our master, but even he is only at the third level. The methods for advancing further are purely theoretical and would require an immense amount of Spiritual Sense just to verify. No one in our hall is at that level.”

Qin Haoxuan was still not satisfied. The Nature Hall might not have any cultivators at the Dao Fruit Realm, but the sect did. “This art is so useful,” he pressed, “why don’t the sect’s patriarchs, who are at the Dao Fruit Realm, learn it? If they did, couldn’t they perfect it?”

Pu Hanzhong shook his head. “This art is not for everyone. Its very essence is the resonance of the weak. A ruined pill is, relative to a perfect one, broken. We, with our Uncolored Seeds, are also broken, relative to those with Full or special seeds. Using our Spiritual Sense as a bridge, we can connect the aura of weakness within us to the brokenness of the pill, creating a wondrous resonance. But those with perfect seeds, no matter how talented, cannot achieve this. And without that resonance, even the most powerful Spiritual Sense cannot extract the useful essence from a ruined pill.”

As they were speaking, a muffled bang came from a nearby room, followed by the smell of something burning and an angry curse: “Dammit, what rotten luck!”

It was the room of a rooted disciple named Lu Zhen. His Guiding Senior Brother, Gao Sen, had been teaching him alchemy, but the attempt had ended with the furnace exploding. Gao Sen, a disciple from one of the four great halls, emerged looking disheveled and covered in soot, a single ruined pill in his hand.

“Senior Brother Gao, what are you doing with that ruined pill?” Lu Zhen asked timidly.

“Selling it!” Gao Sen snapped, gesturing with his chin toward Pu Hanzhong. “From now on, if you ruin a pill, don’t throw it away. The people from the Nature Hall collect them.” He strode over to Pu Hanzhong and held out the pill. “Will you take this?”

Pu Hanzhong took the pill and, under Gao Sen’s contemptuous gaze, began to examine it, sniffing and turning it over. After a moment, he looked up. “This was a Body-Virtue Pill, made with six spirit herbs. Three of them have been ruined. I’ll offer you two thousand jin of first-grade corn.”

Gao Sen sneered. “Are you blind? A single one of these ingredients is worth more than that!”

“What’s your price?”

“Ten thousand jin of first-grade corn!” he said, naming an outrageous price, enough to buy a perfect pill. He was partly trying to haggle and partly just looking down on the Nature Hall disciple, amusing himself at his expense.

Pu Hanzhong didn’t get angry. “Two thousand jin,” he repeated calmly.

Seeing his unflappable, business-like demeanor, Gao Sen lost interest in the game. “Eight thousand.”

Without a word, Pu Hanzhong simply placed the pill in his palm and held it out, indicating the deal was off.

“Damn my luck,” Gao Sen muttered. “Seven thousand… Six thousand… Four thousand… Three thousand! Any less and I’m not selling!” His voice was on the verge of a roar, but Pu Hanzhong remained unmoved, his gaze cool and detached.

“Two thousand five hundred jin,” Pu finally said, coughing lightly. “Take it or leave it.”

“Fine!” Gao Sen snapped, irritated by the sight of the useless, rock-like pill. Since it was ruined, getting something back was better than nothing. After the transaction was complete, he stalked off to prepare for his next attempt.

“Senior Brother Gao,” the disciple Lu Zhen asked, “why does the Nature Hall buy ruined pills?”

“The disciples of the Nature Hall are not only weak, they specialize in collecting our trash,” Gao Sen explained with a sneer. “In the future, any pills you ruin, any talismans you mess up, any artifacts you break, you can sell to them. The price is low, but at least you can recoup some of your costs. They’re a garbage hall, so to them, our ruined pills, artifacts, and talismans are treasures. They have a way of purifying them and making them into new items.”

“Then why don’t we just purify them ourselves instead of letting them profit?”

Gao Sen laughed contemptuously. “That purification art is their own unique creation. We haven’t learned it, nor would we want to. It’s a waste of time for us. They only do it because they’re pathetic and can’t get any resources. It’s the kind of crooked, unorthodox path that only a garbage hall with no future would research. Their cultivation is hopeless, so they focus on these strange tricks.”

“Oh!” Lu Zhen nodded in understanding, then shot a look of utter disdain at Qin Haoxuan.

Though their voices were low, thanks to his cultivation of the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art, Qin Haoxuan’s senses were extremely sharp. He heard every word. Far from feeling sad, he was overjoyed. He had chosen the right person and the right hall. To a cultivator, every resource was precious. A smart person would find a way to make the most of everything. And not only that, but all the ruined pills he had collected in the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley… they were treasures too. If a low-grade ruined pill was useful, how much more valuable would the high-grade ones be once he could extract their essence?

While Qin Haoxuan was happily listening to Pu Hanzhong’s lesson, he had no idea that Xu Yu was secretly worried about his “lack of progress.” Two other rooted disciples had already sprouted in the last ten days, while Qin Haoxuan’s cultivation seemed to have stalled. Murong Chao, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. He was worried for his friend, but also secretly pleased. He was on the verge of growing his first leaf, which meant he was about to surpass Qin Haoxuan and, in his mind, improve his chances with Xu Yu.

The Art of Essence Extraction used the principle of identifying substances with Spiritual Sense. One would analyze the useful medicinal properties within a ruined pill, then use tools like a furnace and fire to extract the essence, which could then be used to make new pills or powders.

Back in their room, Pu Hanzhong began the demonstration. He took out a small, exquisite furnace, no bigger than a man’s fist, and ten jade bottles. This furnace was different from others; it had a small spout at its base, making it look more like a teapot.

He lit the fire, placed the ruined pill inside, and carefully controlled the flame. He then sent a thread of his own weak Spiritual Sense into the pill. With his full concentration on the pill, he used the fingers of his right hand to form a sword-seal, channeling a stream of pure spiritual energy to manipulate the fire. As his fingers moved slightly up and down, the flames grew and shrank in response.

Under the heat, the pill began to glow. Pu Hanzhong’s eyes flashed. The pill vibrated slightly—a sign that he had achieved resonance with it. While keeping his eyes on the pill, he used his left hand to manipulate a small mechanism on the furnace, causing the pill to rotate. He adjusted the fire accordingly, and soon, the pill began to melt. A look of joy appeared on his face. He quickly placed a jade bottle at the spout. A viscous, milky-white liquid, fragrant with the scent of spirit herbs, flowed out. The single, longan-sized ruined pill yielded nearly half a bottle of pure essence.

(End of Chapter)