Bab 5: 120
Here is the translation of the provided text:
Early the next morning, Water Shocking Wind brought Han Zhao to a medicinal hut at the foot of the mountain. This place was the residence of the mid-level alchemist Yan Jing.
"Master Yan," Water Shocking Wind arrived at the hut's entrance and lightly knocked on the door.
"Come in," a languid voice responded.
Water Shocking Wind pushed the door open, and together with Han Zhao, entered the courtyard. In the courtyard, a man in his sixties was sitting on a recliner, leisurely smoking dry tobacco. He had an ordinary appearance and seemed honest and simple. He wore a black short-sleeved martial outfit that revealed muscular arms. At first glance, he didn't look like an alchemist but more like a blacksmith taking a smoke break after forging.
"Master Yan, this is Brother Han, a new disciple recruited by the leader. He has great talent in alchemy and has come to learn alchemy under the leader's orders," Water Shocking Wind respectfully explained.
Yan Jing was not only a mid-level alchemist but also had reached the stage of mastering martial arts. If it weren't for his dedication to learning alchemy for the sake of the Furious Dragon Gang, he might have gone further in martial arts. As a result, the senior members of the gang highly respected him.
"Since it's the leader's order, I shall comply. Follow me," Yan Jing glanced at Han Zhao and stood up.
"Yes," Han Zhao followed him.
Water Shocking Wind followed closely. He still had orders from Upper Chief Yun Fei to monitor Han Zhao's progress in alchemy closely.
Soon, Yan Jing led Han Zhao to the alchemy room in the backyard.
"Do you know how to refine several low-level elixirs?" Yan Jing asked. Being one of the senior members of the gang, he was well-informed and knew that the leader had recruited Han Zhao due to his proficiency in alchemy. Hence, he didn't plan to start from scratch.
"I can refine Military Rations Elixir, Fasting Elixir, Blood Supplement Elixir, Hemostasis Elixir, and Qi-Boosting Elixir," Han Zhao explained. He had a basic grasp of the production of five elixirs, which was the level of a novice alchemist.
"All right, let's go straight to the most challenging one, the Qi-Boosting Elixir," Yan Jing nodded. "The herbs and the alchemy furnace are here. Choose what you need."
"Understood." Han Zhao walked to the middle of the alchemy room, where there were three different-sized elixir furnaces. After examining them, he chose the smallest three-legged Golden Snake elixir furnace.
Next to the alchemy room was an herb room, which contained more types and quantities of herbs than Han Zhao had ever seen at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. About one-third of the herbs here were unfamiliar to him.
"Ginseng, jujube, Amur cork tree bark, and snake's beard grass," he selected nine types of herbs for the Qi-Boosting Elixir and arranged them beside him. Then, he proceeded to chop, grind, and weigh them based on his requirements.
Seeing Han Zhao's rough techniques and imprecise measurements, Yan Jing furrowed his brows slightly but remained silent.
Han Zhao prepared the charcoal and furnace, and then he sequentially added the herbs, using his energy and true qi to control the fire and extract the essence of the herbs.
Soon, a burnt smell wafted from the furnace. Han Zhao glanced at Yan Jing and saw him frowning. He smiled awkwardly, "Sorry, I was nervous."
He deliberately failed, but not so quickly.
After calming himself, he continued with another attempt.
This time, he persevered for a bit longer before failing.
The third furnace, another failure.
The eighth furnace, a faint scent of medicinal herbs emerged.
Success.
Four low-quality Qi-Boosting Elixirs.
"Huff," Han Zhao heaved a sigh of relief. He needed to fail again, but it couldn't seem too deliberate. However, succeeding too quickly was also problematic.
"Continue," Yan Jing instructed. After a short break, he handed two sets of herbs for the Qi-Boosting Elixir to Han Zhao.
"Thank you."
The ninth furnace, another failure.
The tenth furnace produced elixirs with incomplete formation, more like a gooey substance.
"Somewhat careless," Yan Jing furrowed his brows slightly. "You may leave for now."
"Huh?" Han Zhao was momentarily surprised but then nodded, saying, "Alright."
Qi-Boosting Elixirs were high-level elixirs, and although his success rate was relatively low, it was not bad for a novice alchemist with no formal training.
A regular low-level alchemist would consider a success rate of two in ten a profitable venture. With one in ten, like the Qi-Boosting Elixir, it would be somewhat unprofitable. Han Zhao was well aware of this.
After Han Zhao left, Water Shocking Wind quickly inquired, "Master Yan, can this kid..."
Yan Jing, who had been calm earlier, now grabbed Water Shocking Wind by the collar, his voice filled with excitement, "Where did you find this kid? He's a genius!"
"Huh?" Water Shocking Wind was momentarily stunned, wondering why Yan Jing had been sighing and furrowing his brows earlier. What was he doing?
"This kid doesn't even know the correct dosages and sizes of the herbs, and his techniques are crude. His foundation is abysmal! It's clear that no one has taught him, and he's learning on his own. Despite that, he has a success rate of over 10%."
Yan Jing exclaimed, "If he had been learning under me from a young age, he would have probably already reached the level of a mid-level alchemist now. Even with just a little more effort, he could become a high-level alchemist in the future. Such a waste, such a waste!"
Yan Jing sighed.
"Master Yan, according to what you're saying, then he..." Water Shocking Wind's eyes brightened.
"Starting from tomorrow, I will teach him from the basics. In no more than two years, he should reach the level of a mid-level alchemist. And if he exceeds that, it won't take more than five years to reach the alchemical standards required by the leader!" Yan Jing spoke seriously.
"Great! Great! No problem at all! We'll make sure he gets all the herbs he needs!" Water Shocking Wind was elated.
"In that case, I should be able to teach him the first mid-level elixir within a year," Yan Jing affirmed.
"Thank you so much, Master Yan!" Water Shocking Wind bowed to Yan Jing.
Six months later...
In a room at the rear of the Furious Dragon Hall.
Han Zhao gazed at the
six bright red elixirs in the alchemy furnace, his eyes shining. Two of them emitted a strong, blood-like fragrance.
"High-quality Qi-Boosting Elixirs, and there are two of them!"
Skill: Mid-Level Alchemy (Proficiency: 1%)
['Alchemy Saint Reincarnation' Attribute Proficiency Increased!]
[Alchemy Saint Reincarnation]: Purple attribute; Alchemy aptitude increased twelvefold; Success rates for refining low-level and mid-level elixirs increased by fifty percent and forty percent respectively; Once you completely master the refining of a low-level or mid-level elixir, there is a ten percent chance to refine a higher quality elixir. (Can be upgraded to orange, with a maximum limit of red attributes)
Han Zhao looked at the system panel's notifications and quickly collected the elixirs, along with the alchemy furnace.
Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed, took out a high-quality Qi-Boosting Elixir, and swallowed it.
"Splash!"
The medicine melted in his mouth, and a powerful surge of heat raced through his body. Following that, his blood and qi began to flow rapidly within him, producing a sound like rushing water.
The rate at which his blood and qi increased was four times that of consuming ordinary demon beast meat.
After about a minute, the rapidly increasing blood and qi returned to stability.
"There's still so much medicinal power remaining in my body; it will take at least seven days to fully refine it," Han Zhao thought to himself. The potency of a high-quality Blood and Qi Pill was beyond his imagination.
It provided more blood and qi than eating ten meals in a day.
"Let the incarnation also consume pills for cultivation to double the speed of improvement."
After some contemplation, Han Zhao summoned his incarnation and handed over all the Blood and Qi Pills to him.
In Yan Jing's eyes, Han Zhao was currently a decent novice alchemist, with some distance to go before he could produce intermediate-level elixirs. Therefore, he needed to deliberately fail a few more times to create some failed elixir residues to deceive Yan Jing about his alchemical progress.
Fortunately, his alchemical skills were now on par with Yan Jing's, so he was confident he could maintain the charade.
"Let's see what happens if I prematurely reveal my alchemical skills."
After some thought, Han Zhao decided to simulate it.
If he could defeat Shangguan Yunfei after breaking through to the Grandmaster realm and with no opportunity for Shangguan Lie to intervene, he could take action earlier.
"System."
[Collect 110 Prompt Fragments to create an entry?]
[Combine once, cost 100 Prompt Fragments, 600 gold, and get the basic entry 'Life Simulation.']
[Increase the probability of obtaining white entries by 21%, green entries by 18%, blue entries by 14%, purple entries by 11%, orange entries by 9%, red entries by 7%, and gold entries by 0.5%. There is a low chance of obtaining corresponding quality fused entries.]
[Current balance: 1020 gold]
"Combine, start the simulation."
"At the age of 22, you joined the Furious Dragon Gang and learned alchemy from two intermediate-level alchemists in the gang."
"At the age of 24, your alchemical skills reached the peak of intermediate level, and you refined a large quantity of Five Elements Pills, retaining 99.9% of them to strengthen your internal organs, quietly absorbing the Qi of the Five Elements."
"You advanced your Earth-Shattering Fist, Yin Shao Palm, and Wind Rider Kick to the fifth layer. You mastered the Heaven River Rain Sword Technique, reaching the fifth layer of perfection."
"At the end of the year, you broke through to the Grandmaster realm with the help of your return to the Yuan Chang Prefecture, and also assisted Lv Yingxuan in breaking through to the Three Qi Grandmaster realm."
"At the age of 25, your alchemical progress was revealed, and Shangguan Yunfei asked you to help him refine 'Dragon Blood Pills.'"
"Half a year later, you suddenly ambushed Shangguan Yunfei during the critical moment of refining the Dragon Blood Pills, killed him, and drained him using the Absorption Art."
"Afterward, your incarnation disguised himself as Shangguan Yunfei, posing as the gang leader, secretly absorbing the dragon blood in Shangguan Lie's body."
"Three months later, you received a letter from Lv Yingxuan, stating that she had broken through to the Four Qi Grandmaster realm and was preparing to participate in the Central Plains Trial."
"You decided to accompany her, and during the trial, you concentrated the Yin Qi stored in your Elemental Pearl to the extreme while reaching the limit of your Yin Shao Palm. In the end, she ranked eighth, and you ranked tenth."
"Your performance attracted the attention of the Qi family, and Qi Yuntian invited both you and Lv Yingxuan to join the Royal Spirit Guards."
"To avoid the future disaster of the Wind Dragon, you decided to join."
"After the trial, Lv Yingxuan returned to the Yuan Chang Prefecture and killed Yang Xie."
"You, on the other hand, at Qi Yuntian's invitation, remained in Yunzhou City."
"At the age of 26, after taking the Creation Pill, you broke through to the Second Qi Grandmaster realm and began specializing in hunting demons and monsters with the Royal Spirit Guards."
"During the same year, the Yunzhou Great War broke out, and Yuniang disappeared."
"In a battle, you encountered a formidable demon at the Seventh Stripe of the Restrained Level. You used all your means to severely injure him, and in the end, he chose to self-detonate. His demonic blood splashed onto your Elemental Pearl, causing it to emit a purple light, revealing your secret."
"At once, numerous official generals headed to Yunzhou."
"At this moment, Qi Yuntian appeared. He asked you to swear by the 'Will of Martial Arts' that you would fully assist him in seizing the 'Heavenly Essence of Qian' and the 'Mysterious Hero from Beyond the Heavens' when the Qian Heaven Palace opens. The Qi family would take responsibility for your actions."
"After much consideration, you agreed to Qi Yuntian's terms."
"He took you to the Qi family in Tianzhou City, and halfway there, three official generals appeared."
"In a life-and-death situation, a giant sword that pierced the sky appeared, and Qi Qingchan, one of the five bloodline awakeners of the Qi family, arrived, driving the three away."
"On the way, several official generals came one after another."
"Finally, Qi Qingchan decided to send you to the Southern Gazing Sea, where you learned the Diamond Indestructible Divine Art and were expected to be accepted by the Yin and Yang Hall of the Outer Sea. You traveled through the teleportation array of the Tianxuan Sect to the Southern Gazing Sea Islands, millions of miles away."
"At the age of 27, while earning cultivation resources through alchemy, you searched for the Yin and Yang Hall. However, you discovered that the top levels of the Yin and Yang Hall were controlled by various martial families, and those without a family background could not obtain the true teachings."
"So, you chose to leave and join the Sacred Emperor Palace, founded by the descendants of the Great Qin Empire."
"At the age of 32, after successfully breaking through to the Martial Saint realm, you decided to follow the orthodox path of a martial artist. The palace master took notice of you, and he gave his daughter's hand in marriage to you."
"At the age of 37, you reached the Third Stripe of the Three Strikes Realm, and your 'Three Folds Return to the Origin Qi' and 'Vast Mountains and Rivers' were both cultivated as minor divine arts."
"In the same year, the Qian Heaven Palace was about to open, and you began competing for a spot."
"Three months later, you entered the Qian Heaven Palace as a disciple of the Sacred Emperor Palace, joining forces with Qi Yuntian, Qi Xuanming, Lv Yingxuan, and Su Tianqi."
"In the end, all four of you were heavily injured but obtained the 'Heavenly Essence of Qian' and the 'Mysterious Hero from Beyond the Heavens.'"
"You fulfilled your promise
and gave most of the 'Heavenly Essence of Qian' and the 'Mysterious Hero from Beyond the Heavens' to Qi Yuntian."
"As you were leaving the Qian Heaven Palace, you encountered an ambush by third-tier official generals."
"Qi Qingchan intervened to protect you, but more and more official generals appeared. She fled with Qi Yuntian and Qi Xuanming."
"At that moment, Yuniang appeared and rescued you and Lv Yingxuan."
"Along the way, you were pursued and eventually killed."
"Becoming a Martial God seems so difficult!" Han Zhao sighed inwardly as he looked at the simulated information.
However, through this simulation, he learned some information about the Qian Heaven Palace and the Elemental Pearl. It seemed that the "Heavenly Essence of Qian" and the "Mysterious Hero from Beyond the Heavens" were the keys to becoming a Martial God.
"I still have time, so there's no need to rush," Han Zhao thought. "If I can reach the Third Stripe of the Three Strikes Realm and reserve enough attribute points before obtaining the 'Heavenly Essence of Qian' and the 'Mysterious Hero from Beyond the Heavens' at the age of 37, I might be able to break through to a Martial God directly on the spot, breaking free from the encirclement of the martial families."
He realized that the outside world, especially the Outer Sea, was a place where martial practitioners thrived, with relatively complete martial arts legacies and abundant resources for cultivation.
"At least I have a chance to accumulate enough Yin Qi, and then I can go to the Outer Sea voluntarily to accelerate my cultivation."
"Simulation ended. You can choose one of the following options."
"Option one, gain an entry (optional)."
"Option two, gain attribute points."
"Option three, gain any part of life experience."
"Current balance: 420 gold."
"Option one."
"Obtain the entry 'Five Elements Integration.'"
"Five Elements Integration: Combines the Yin and Yang energies within the body with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The heart corresponds to fire, the lungs to metal, the kidneys to water, the spleen to earth, and the liver to wood. Practicing any one of them leads to the injury of all seven aspects."
"Wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, water generates wood; metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, fire restrains metal."
"The interaction between the five elements requires the transformation of one-to-one, which results in inefficient absorption of the five elements' energies. Five Elements Integration can balance the transformation of one type of elemental energy into five types, reducing damage to the internal organs and increasing the efficiency of absorbing elemental energies by five times."
(Upgradable to a red entry, with a maximum limit of a gold entry.)
"It's like someone delivered a pillow right when I wanted to take a nap, and they even raised the price! They raised it so much!" Han Zhao looked at the effect of the 'Five Elements Integration' entry and wished the system had increased the cost a bit more.
Normally, Grandmasters absorbed elemental energies through elixirs or Five Elements Divine Sand, but regardless of the method chosen, the human body had a limit. Any excess energy beyond this limit would go to waste.
Increasing the absorption efficiency of elemental energies by five times would be more beneficial to Han Zhao's cultivation than adding attribute points. After all, attribute points couldn't increase his elemental energies.
"I must seize control of the Furious Dragon Gang and make use of their resources to complete my internal organ training as quickly as possible!" Han Zhao's eyes gleamed with determination.
With the 'Five Elements Integration' entry, he could break through to the Grandmaster realm sooner and then focus on reaching the perfection of the Three Elements Technique before finding an opportunity to eliminate Shangguan Yunfei.
"Simulation ended. You can choose one of the following options."
"Option one, gain an entry (optional)."
"Option two, gain attribute points."
"Option three, gain any part of life experience."
"Current balance: 420 gold."
"Option one."
"Obtain the entry 'Five Elements Integration.'"
"Five Elements Integration: Combines the Yin and Yang energies within the body with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The heart corresponds to fire, the lungs to metal, the kidneys to water, the spleen to earth, and the liver to wood. Practicing any one of them leads to the injury of all seven aspects."
"Wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, water generates wood; metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, fire restrains metal."
"The interaction between the five elements requires the transformation of one-to-one, which results in inefficient absorption of the five elements' energies. Five Elements Integration can balance the transformation of one type of elemental energy into five types, reducing damage to the internal organs and increasing the efficiency of absorbing elemental energies by five times."
(Upgradable to a red entry, with a maximum limit of a gold entry.)
"This is like a dream come true," Han Zhao thought. With the 'Five Elements Integration' entry, his cultivation would progress much faster. Now, he needed to focus on advancing in the Furious Dragon Gang and refining elixirs to strengthen his internal organs.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone