Next, he studied with Taoist Lan Ke for another two days. That afternoon, he tried to refine the simplest Qingxin Pill in an empty alchemy room according to Taoist Lan Ke’s instructions.
Qingxin Pill is an entry-level pill stone that has the effect of calming the mind and spirit, and can also detoxify some simple toxins.
For someone like Shi Hao, who has an eighth-grade foundation and practices orthodox Taoist internal skills, it has little effect, but it is often given to outer disciples who walk outside.
The Taoist alchemy technique is not as simple as boiling medicine in a pharmacy. It also involves the use of true qi and spiritual consciousness. Even in the process of alchemy, it is also a process of cultivating internal strength.
Shi Hao sat in front of the alchemy furnace, with flames burning fiercely inside.
He put his spiritual consciousness into the furnace, and from time to time, he observed the medicinal materials in the furnace, and then adjusted the flame through his true qi.
In the Taoist alchemy technique, one must first learn the Samadhi Fire.
This Samadhi Fire is to adjust one's body, mind, and intention to the extreme, and then activate the hidden power in one's soul to condense essence into energy.
Although it is called Samadhi Fire, it is actually not fire, but a hot air that can lead to charcoal fire.
The kind of palm strike that can spew out amazing flames and subdue demons is called "Samadhi True Fire", and Shi Hao doesn't know how to use it yet.
And it seems that no one knows it. It is just something made up in strange stories and legends to deify Taoist practitioners.
The hot air ignites the charcoal fire at the bottom of the furnace, and a stream of true qi wraps around the medicinal materials in the furnace, continuously condensing the medicinal power and adjusting the temperature until the dross is removed and the essence is retained, and the qi is condensed into pills. This is the Taoist alchemy technique.
However, Shi Hao, who was making it for the first time, found it difficult to protect the herbs and adjust the temperature at the same time. Before he knew it, the medicinal power was about to dissipate. If this continued, the entire furnace of herbs would be reduced to ashes.
Although Mingkun Temple had all kinds of medicinal herbs like this for its disciples to practice inner alchemy, he was still a little unwilling.
His mind moved slightly, and he actually activated the Immortal Ice Art and the Mysterious Charm Art in his body at the same time.
He used the Taoist method of operating the Samadhi Fire to guide the Xuanmei Power and create the magic fire, and used the true energy guided by the Xianbing Jue to protect the medicinal materials.
The devilish fire penetrated the barrier created by the mysterious ice true qi, roasting and condensing the medicinal herbs.
In fact, this kind of demonic fire cannot be used in Taoist alchemy.
The Demon Sect also has magic potions, but they are prepared through rituals to obtain the magic source in the Demon Realm. The Taoist method of using Samadhi Fire to refine natural medicinal materials into elixirs is simply impossible for the magic fire cultivated by the Demon Sect with magic skills.
This is because the demonic energy itself represents "chaos" and cannot be as pure as the Taoist true energy.
However, Shi Hao, probably the only person since ancient times who practiced both Taoism and magic, used the purest and clean true energy of Taoism to regulate and filter the overbearing and strange magic fire, and then produced a strange fire that harmonized yin and yang and was extremely mysterious and wonderful, to replace the Samadhi fire and charcoal fire.
Under his operation, the medicinal power that had almost dissipated was condensed again and quickly compressed into a perfect circle.
The essence of the medicinal materials quickly condensed into a pill, full of medicinal power, and spun around above the strange fire...
Chapter 26 It can’t be that simple
"Uncle, why did you let Senior Brother make the elixir by himself so soon?" The girl put her hands on her waist and said unhappily, "He has only learned it for a few days. What if he makes a mistake by accident..."
Taoist Lan Ke laughed and said, "Don't worry! Don't worry! At most, the furnace will explode. After all, he has an eighth-grade foundation, so he won't die."
Outside, the bright sunshine was falling from high above, and a few white clouds were floating leisurely in the sky.
Du Yuejiao looked very dissatisfied. Alchemy was not an easy task. Almost every beginner's first dozen furnaces were all waste. It was not uncommon for the furnace to explode due to the failure to control the Samadhi Fire.
A few days ago, Shi Hao was still a beginner who had never been exposed to alchemy. It was even difficult to say that he was a martial artist.
Du Yuejiao still remembers the stupid thing he did when he ran to the pharmacy to buy the main medicinal ingredients for the ninth-grade immortal prescription.
She looked towards the alchemy room anxiously, fearing that there would be a sudden explosion inside.
Taoist Lan Ke sat on a rock and said with a smile, "Girl, I asked you to come over to help me before, but you always refused. But these past few days, you come to my place every day. Even though you are here, you don't help me do anything, but just talk about this and that."
"Don't worry. People learn lessons from failure. If you don't let him fail a few times, he will think that refining pills is easy."
Du Yuejiao bit her lower lip, her face showing some anger. She was an angry person, and she thought that her shouting here would inevitably affect the young man in the alchemy room and also destroy her image in his heart.
So he snorted softly, turned his head and looked at the tightly closed stone door of the alchemy room, thinking that it didn't matter if the herbs were ruined, as long as the furnace didn't explode and he wouldn't be hurt.
She had also practiced alchemy herself, but the first time, she was too impatient and failed to control the fire, causing the furnace to crack.
Fortunately, her master was protecting her at the time and took her away in time so she was not injured.
The stone door of the alchemy room opened at this time. The stone door was pushed open, and the young man in the room walked out. He had a gentle face, a casual long gown, a calm expression, and walked at a leisurely pace.
Lan Ke Taoist laughed and said, "You came out so soon? Looks like you failed!"
Du Yuejiao whispered to comfort him: "Master, don't worry. Everyone fails the first time. Basically, everyone has to fail more than ten or twenty times before they find the trick."
Lan Ke Taoist laughed and said, "That's true. I succeeded on the third try."
Du Yuejiao snorted, "How many people can compare with you in this regard? And even you, didn't you fail twice before succeeding the third time? Anyway, no one has ever succeeded in refining the elixir the first time they open the furnace."
Lan Ke Taoist nodded: "That's true, how can this kid compare to me? It's normal to fail eight or ten times, hehe!"
Shi Hao's calm expression became more or less hesitant, and he looked a little more unconfident.
He hesitated for a moment, took out the white silk from his sleeve, and carefully opened it: "This... I don't know whether this is a success or a failure, please help me take a look."
Taoist Lan Ke and Du Yuejiao opened their eyes wide, looking at a pill sticking out from the white silk. It was verdant and crystal clear, with the heat from just coming out of the oven still lingering on the pill.
Du Yuejiao showed a surprised expression: "This..."
Shi Hao felt a little guilty: "I don't know whether this Qingxin Pill is successful or not. The ingredients are correct, and the color after it is made is almost the same as what the senior said... It just looks a little more transparent. I don't know if there is a mistake."
He was still full of confidence when he walked out of the alchemy room.
As a result, they said that no one had ever successfully made the elixir on the first try.
Even Lan Ke Zhenren, one of the Twelve Quanzhen, failed twice before he succeeded.
This made him suddenly become unconfident again.
Du Yuejiao raised his head and glanced at him… In the past, the failure of alchemists in the first furnace was not because the medicine was not right after the pill was made, but because all the medicinal materials were ruined, without exception.
Moreover, in the Taoist alchemy, if the elixir is successful, it is successful, and if it is not, it is ruined. The elixir that can be produced is at most a question of quality, and it is considered a success no matter what.
But this is the first time that Master Brother is refining an elixir? !
"Let me see, let me see!" Lan Ke Taoist took the elixir with disbelief. "The fire energy has just dissipated, and there is still some spiritual energy flowing inside. This is indeed freshly made. This, this quality... This quality is already top-grade."
He raised his head and looked at Shi Hao in astonishment.
"Senior, are you sure?" Shi Hao's confidence, which had just been knocked away by them, was restored a little.
Lan Ke stood up, with his hands behind his back: "It's nothing, actually. Occasionally there are some people who get a little bit of luck. Alchemy is not that easy to learn. There's nothing to be proud of with just a small achievement."
As he spoke, he walked towards another room.
Du Yuejiao said excitedly: "Master, you are probably the first one in Chongxian Sect to succeed in refining the elixir on the first try. Even my uncle can't compare to you. Let's see how he will publicize his proud story of succeeding in refining the elixir three times in the future, hehe."
An angry voice came from the room: "You ungrateful girl, humph! You succeeded, so what's there to brag about? It's just one pill. When you can throw a bunch of herbs into the same furnace and make more than ten pills, that will be considered a small achievement."
Du Yuejiao curled her lips and said, "Tsk, uncle, it took you three months to do it. Senior Brother Shi is so amazing, maybe he can succeed in one month."
The old Taoist in the room laughed and said, "Everyone can brag. I'll see if he can do it in a month."
Shi Hao looked up at the sky... Using the same furnace to make more than ten Qingxin Pills? It sounds a bit difficult.
Then, that night, Shi Hao poured numerous medicinal herbs into the furnace and continued to experiment, guiding the magic fire of Xuan Mei Gong in the form of Samadhi Fire and controlling it with the true Qi of Xuan Bing Jue.
Half an hour later, Shi Hao looked at the ten newly-baked, crystal clear Qingxin Pills and felt a little hesitant.
It can't be that simple, right
These days, everyone in Mingkun Temple could see that Master Lan Ke was in a bad mood.
As one of the Twelve Quanzhen of Chongxian Sect, although not the abbot, he is actually the only person in the entire Mingkun Temple who is qualified to be called a "Zhenren". In the past, he was basically in the Shijin Hall or the Baishao Courtyard where he lived, either refining elixirs or casting treasures.
Few people saw him outside, and even if they did, he would mostly just smile and be kind.
But on this day, he always left Baishao Courtyard in a huff. When someone asked him about it, he would frown and glare at them: "Do I need to ask you for permission just to relax?"
The others were frightened by his behavior and immediately stopped talking.
Some people also murmured secretly that the old master's mood seemed to have become worse after he accepted a disciple.
One day, they heard Zhuo Sanren's female disciple Du Yuejiao giggled and said to the old master: "Uncle, don't be angry. No matter how talented my senior brother is, no matter how many times he breaks your records, it was you who taught him."
"Doesn't this just prove that you have a good way of teaching, and your apprentice is better than you. He can do things that you couldn't do before, and he can break records that you couldn't break before. You learn fast, and he learns faster. You..."
Lan Ke Zhenren shouted, "You, you, you, you are nothing, are you here to irritate me? You have always been sharp-tongued, and now you are even more irritating."
In just a few days, Shi Hao had completely mastered the art of alchemy.
Unfortunately, because the Assay Hall was sealed, he was unable to try out the sword-forging and treasure-training methods, otherwise he really wanted to learn them all.
The moon is already half full, and there are only seven days left of this month's full moon night.
In the process of learning alchemy, Shi Hao never stopped practicing.
—
That afternoon, Shi Hao found an excuse, left Mingkun Temple and entered the county town. On the way, he changed his appearance using the Evil Shadow Disguise Technique and went to meet Mr. Qiu.
After welcoming him into the hall, Elder Qiu whispered, "Master Hao, you came at the right time. With the clues you provided, we have already tracked down the gangs that stole and kidnapped children."
Shi Hao asked: "Who are they?"
Qiu Laodao: "Shuhu Gang!"
Shi Hao said, "Shuhu Gang? I've heard of this gang. They seem to be involved in salt trafficking and smuggling. When did they start doing this business?"
Lu Tong said, "The Shuhu Gang has never been a good group. In addition to smuggling salt, they often act as thugs for the landlords and gentry, and have committed many evil deeds such as forcing women into prostitution and trafficking in human beings. However, this is probably the first time that they have kidnapped children on such a large scale."
Old Taoist Qiu said, "There is one more thing. The leader of the Shuhu Gang is named Cheng Kun. The leader of Mingkun Temple, Taoist Songcui, is also named Cheng. Cheng Kun is actually Taoist Songcui's apprentice. We are not sure whether Mingkun Temple is also involved in this matter."
Shi Hao wrinkled his hooked nose and said, "Although Chongxian Sect is not a good thing, at least it claims to be a righteous sect. They shouldn't get involved in such things, right?"
Lu Tong snorted: "Those people in Chongxian Sect, on the surface, are righteous and detached from the mundane world, but they have done all kinds of ugly and evil things in secret. Even if they are involved in this matter, I am not surprised at all."
Old Taoist Qiu: "From the clues we have so far, the Shuhu Gang is just the seller of these children. There must be another hidden person or force that 'purchases' these children from the Shuhu Gang.
"It is precisely because of this demand that the Shuhu Gang would do such a deal. Even the Six Gates would act as bodyguards for this deal. The buyer hiding in the dark must be someone very powerful."
Shi Hao said calmly: "There is such a demand, and only such a business can exist. In this case, we need to further investigate the 'buyers' of those kidnapped children and catch them all in one fell swoop."
Lu Tong said softly, "Brother Hao, we have discovered that the Shu Tiger Gang has become more rampant in recent days. They have been kidnapping and abducting children everywhere. It has reached a crazy level. This time, there are at least hundreds of children in their hands, many of whom are even local children of Shu County."
Shi Hao's mind moved slightly, knowing that it was because of his last move that alerted the enemy, causing the Shuhu Gang to seize the time and complete this "big deal" as soon as possible.
He said: "We must not let those children be sent out of Jin County by the Shuhu Gang, otherwise, I'm afraid we will never find them again."
Elder Qiu sighed, "Although we were able to find out the Shuhu Gang's movements, we are unable to rescue those children. Cheng Kun himself is an eighth-rank warrior, and he also possesses supernatural powers. He also has two eighth-rank warriors and many ninth-rank experts by his side, and there are several hundred gang members under him."
"Although we have many spies at the bottom, none of the masters in the association are here."
Shi Hao nodded. He could also see that the Dark Thunder Society had great ambitions and they might have people in all the major provinces. Their goal was to wait for the right opportunity to overthrow the Barbarian Court.
However, no matter how many experts there are, their strength will become limited once they are shared among provinces and counties.
The real masters and manpower of the Dark Thunder Society must be concentrated in the heart of the Central Plains and in the south where the power of the Barbarian Court is relatively weak. The Western Shu Province cannot be the center of gravity, so naturally there are limited masters.
He said in a deep voice, "It's okay. What I need is your intelligence. You just need to pay attention to where the children are imprisoned and where they will be transported to. Especially when they transport these children to the northwest, they must have a place to stay along the way. I originally knew of one, but it is estimated that it has been abandoned."
Old Master Qiu said: "Master Hao, just rest assured about this."
Shi Hao looked up at the beam above, then suddenly lowered his head again: "If I want to avoid Cheng Kun and capture someone from the Shuhu Gang who knows more information, who do you think is the most suitable person to capture?"
Old Master Qiu said, "If that's the case, the most suitable person is undoubtedly Gu Shufeng, the chief of the Shuhu Gang. Although he doesn't know martial arts, he is the main brain of the Shuhu Gang in business. Basically, he is involved in all the accounts and major businesses. But he also has many bodyguards around him, so it's not easy to catch him."
Shi Hao nodded and said, "Please give me the intelligence information about him as soon as possible, including the places where he often appears, where he usually hides, and the best time to take action against him. I only need your information. As for taking action, I will find someone else."
Qiu Lao and Lu Tong looked at each other. After thinking for a moment, Qiu Lao said, "Don't worry, brave man. Leave the intelligence work to us."
Shi Hao said: "I may not be able to come directly to meet you at that time, and I must have another base for information exchange."
Old Master Qiu said, "Don't worry about this, Mr. Hao. In fact, there are many of our people in Jincheng. Although most of them are ordinary people who are not good at martial arts, they are hidden in various industries. As long as we agree on a location, we can exchange information with each other through secret letters."
Shi Hao nodded, discussed with them for a while, and then left in a hurry...
Chapter 27 Moonlit Night Jinjiang
Shi Hao was walking on the road, with the Immortal Ice Art and the Mysterious Charm Skill still running in his body.
He could feel that these two internal forces, which were supposed to be incompatible, were like Tai Chi in his body, entangled and entangled with each other.
They were like surging waves, filling his meridians, and circulating one big circle after another.
In two days at most, he will be able to fully master these two skills.
After leaving the city, he changed back to his original appearance and returned to Mingkun Temple.
When we arrived at Mingkun Temple and entered Baishao Courtyard, the air was filled with the aroma of medicine.