Top-level Qi Luck: Leading My Clan to Cultivate

At dawn, a ray of sunlight pierced through the small window of the attic, shining on Lin Tianming's face.

Opening his eyes, he stretched lazily out of bed, the fatigue of half a month dissipating without a trace. Cultivators too needed a balance of work and rest; constant seclusion for cultivation was detrimental to advancement in the later stages.

Pushing the door open, he stepped out of his family's courtyard. The morning in Green Bamboo Mountain was exceptionally lively, with clan members moving through the mountain paths.

The morning sun resembled a fiery red disc, hanging beside the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, a vast expanse of green Qingling Bamboo stretched over a hundred acres, and more than a hundred attics on the mountain's waistline encircled Green Bamboo Peak in pairs and trios, a sight too beautiful for words.

Releasing his divine sense, a green and red flying sword materialized in Lin Tianming's hand. Seven feet long and half a foot wide, it was extremely sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. The family called it the Green Bamboo Sword, a low-grade spiritual artifact.

Every clan member who reached the third level of Qi Cultivation could receive a Green Bamboo Sword from the Family Merits Hall to serve as a tool for repelling enemies and transportation.

Summoning the flying sword, he cast a spell on it, and the sword instantly grew several times larger. Lin Tianming leaped onto it, steering the Green Bamboo Sword straight to the family's Alchemy Hall.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at an attic on the mountainside. There stood a five-story-tall building with a large plaque hanging over its entrance, flamboyantly inscribed with the words "Alchemy Hall."

This building appeared no different from an ordinary attic, but in reality, it was protected by several restrictive formations.

Lin Tianming took out a green token from his storage bag, pinched a law decree with his hands, and murmured incantations.

A beam of green light shot from the token towards the attic, and in the blink of an eye, a large gap opened in the formation. Lin Tianming stepped forward and mysteriously disappeared from sight.

Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming passed through several alchemy rooms familiarly, as if he often visited this place, before finally stopping at the door of the innermost room.

Seated within the room was an old man in his seventies, sitting upright on a meditation cushion.

The elder was dressed in a gray Daoist robe, with most of his hair already white and a long goat beard, exuding a friendly and amiable appearance.

In front of the elder was a flaming red pill furnace, three feet tall. The entire pillar furnace was red, with three legs and beautifully carved designs—it was a second-order medium-grade Three Star Furnace.

The Three Star Furnace was one of the second-order pill furnaces the Alchemy Hall possessed, its legacy spanning more than three hundred years, a relic of an ancestral Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist of the family.

Now the treasure of the Alchemy Hall, the Three Star Furnace was for the use of family alchemists and was overseen by Lin Tianming's grandfather, Lin Shigong.

Next to the furnace, on a stone table, lay a dozen Spirit Grasses of various colors, surrounded by spiritual energy.

This elder was none other than Lin Tianming's grandfather, Lin Shigong, at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Cultivation. He was the ninth in seniority among the Shi generation of the Lin Family and was nearly a hundred years old—one of the only two alchemists in the family.

The Lin Family had a history exceeding eight hundred years, with numerous members. The generations were distinguished as follows: Ren, Yi, Zhi, Jiu, Rong; Yu, You, Meng, Qiu, Ying; Huan, Cheng, Yi, Shi, Xing; Tian, Chang, Qing, Jing, Zheng; Qian, Ao, Jin, Ze, Cheng; with the ancestral founder being Lin Renfeng.

Lin Tianming, a member of the Tian generation, was the sixteenth descendant of the Lin Family, ranking sixth among his generation. His father, Lin Xingrong, was the eleventh in the Xing generation.

The Lin Family had 175 cultivators and over fifty thousand mortals, spread across major towns within a thousand miles around Green Bamboo Mountain. Lin Family mortals intermarried with the local population, and all descendants bore the surname Lin.

Lin Tianming entered the room and bowed respectfully to the elder.

"Grandson Tianming pays his respects to Grandfather."

Lin Shigong examined his grandson with a satisfied face:

"You have been diligent, already at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement."

"Remember, cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you will fall behind," Lin Shigong pointed to the meditation cushions in front of him and said, "Take a seat."

Lin Tianming glanced at the five meditation cushions and randomly picked one to sit down.

After a few breaths passed, the Alchemy Hall's early warning formation flickered slightly.

Lin Shigong took out a token. Several spells were cast, opening a gap in the restriction, and a man and a woman entered.

The man was named Lin Tianhong, twenty-two years old, at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the aptitude of Three Spiritual Roots. He was the son of Lin Xingping, Tianming's cousin, and ranked second in the Tian generation.

The woman was Lin Tianqin, twenty-one years old, also at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the same Three Spiritual Roots aptitude, and the daughter of Lin Xingsu, ranking third in the Tian generation.

Within the Lin Family, those below the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement did not study crafts, focusing solely on cultivation.

Upon reaching the Fourth Level, one could choose from the four crafts: alchemy, artifact refining, talisman making, and formation techniques; by the Fifth Level, one was expected to contribute to the family.

In the Cultivation World, mastering a craft may be time-consuming and tedious, but upon achieving proficiency, one could quickly accumulate some resources for cultivation, aiding in the swift advancement of cultivation.

Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin bowed to Lin Shigong and greeted in unison:

"Tianhong and Tianqin pay respects to Ninth Grandpa."

Lin Shigong said sternly:

"Find a place to sit. Today, we will learn the basics of alchemy. Feel free to ask questions if there's anything you don't understand."

After Lin Tianming and the others sat down properly, Lin Shigong began to explain.

Alchemy starts with having a pill formula, spiritual medicine, a pill furnace, earth fire, or an alternative such as Heaven and Earth Marvelous Fire. Missing any of these renders the process impossible, and the higher the grade of the elixir, the more difficult it is to make.

Beyond the necessary materials, the art of alchemy also demands strict requirements for a cultivator's divine sense.

The stronger the divine sense, the greater the help in alchemy. It allows for the precise purification and extraction of the essence of spiritual medicine and seizing the optimal moment for solidifying the pill, thereby significantly increasing the success rate of pill formation.

Today, we will discuss the most basic Fasting Pill, which is the most common first-order elixir. Consuming one Fasting Pill allows for half a month without the need for food.

The Fasting Pill can replace food but does not increase cultivation level. It is the irreplaceable choice for Qi Refining Cultivators during secluded cultivation. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, one can forego food and drink for several years.

Lin Tianming and the others listened intently, asking various questions along the way, to which Lin Shigong patiently provided answers one by one.

An hour had passed in the blink of an eye, and Lin Tianming and his two companions committed the basic knowledge to heart, brimming with interest in alchemy.

"Now, I will practice making a batch of Fasting Pills. Watch closely," Lin Shigong said.

Lin Shigong placed the Three Star Furnace above the Earth Fire vent. With the casting of a spell, dozens of flames gently spurted from the vent, raising the room's temperature substantially in an instant.

"This is Golden Bull Grass, this is Fire Ganoderma, and this is Nine-direction Flower..." Lin Shigong swiftly tossed over a dozen types of First Order Spiritual Medicine into the Three Star Furnace, his hands continuously forming incantations. After about two quarters of an hour, Lin Shigong shouted,

"Solidify..."

A fragrance filled the room as Lin Shigong concluded his work.

In the Three Star Furnace lay seven brown pills, each the size of an eyeball, with a rich fragrance assailing the senses, and a bit of black residue at the bottom of the furnace.

Lin Shigong nodded and said,

"From one batch of medicinal ingredients, up to ten pills could be made, but that assurance is only given to a High Order Alchemist making Low-grade Pills. Normally, if three pills are solidified, it's considered passing."

After speaking, he collected the seven Fasting Pills and placed them into his storage bag. Then he took out three sets of ingredients for Fasting Pills. Once ready, Lin Shigong instructed,

"Tianhong, you try it first."

Hearing the instruction, Lin Tianhong looked somewhat nervous, but still mustered his courage to respond,

"Yes, Ninth Grandpa!"

Lin Tianhong took a deep breath, channeled his energy, pinched an incantation with two fingers, and cast his spell over the Alchemy Furnace. As Earth Fire flowed out, he sequentially threw over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, casting several spells upon it.

A quarter of an hour later, there were a few crackling noises from the furnace, but the pills failed to solidify successfully, ending in a heap of broken residue—a failed initial attempt.

Lin Tianhong managed a wry smile, sweating profusely, realizing that alchemy was indeed not as simple as he had thought.

"Tianqin, your turn!"

Upon Lin Shigong's command, Lin Tianqin started to channel her energy, casting a spell onto the Alchemy Furnace and began her attempt at alchemy.

After another quarter of an hour, there were similar cracking sounds and, just like Tianhong, she too failed to successfully create a pill.

Lin Shigong was calm, apparently not angry, and then he spoke,

"You two didn't purify the Spiritual Medicine for long enough, which wasted some essence and resulted in insufficient medicinal strength, ultimately leading to the failure of the pill solidification. It's perfectly normal to fail on your first alchemy attempt—it requires much more practice."

Lin Tianming and his companions nodded, their expressions a mix of understanding and confusion.

Lin Shigong said no more, preparing to continue with more attempts.

"Tianming, it's your turn. Remember, don't be impatient!"

Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion, relaxing his body and mind, taking a deep breath to get into the best state.

With incantations in hand, he cast a spell, offering up his Divine Sense to monitor the intensity of the Earth Fire closely. He methodically tossed the Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, step by step isolating the essence of the herbs at the bottom of the furnace.

After a quarter of an hour, infusing his Spiritual Power forcefully, seeing the timing was nearly right, he too couldn't help but shout,

"Solidify..."

Suddenly, the scent of the medicine filled the air.

Upon uncovering the lid of the furnace, two oval pills floated in the center, with quite a bit of residue at the bottom, and the pills were misshapen with cracks and missing pieces, qualifying only as defective products.

Lin Tianming concluded his work, feeling completely drained, a clear sign of overexertion, yet his heart was filled with joy. For a first attempt at alchemy, this result was quite extraordinary.

Lin Shigong was inwardly astonished, yet he managed to appear utterly composed.

To produce defective products on the very first attempt at alchemy was quite an achievement. He knew well that in his own time, it had taken him dozens of tries to reach the level Lin Tianming had achieved on his first go.

Lin Shigong pointed out where Lin Tianming had fallen short and gave him some encouragement.

There were six sets of ingredients left, and the three of them took turns practicing as the better part of the day slipped by unnoticed.

In Lin Tianming's last batch of ingredients, one pill solidified, with two defected pieces. Lin Tianqin managed to produce defected pills, while Lin Tianhong did not succeed at all.

Lin Shigong packed up the Alchemy Furnace and said sternly,

"I leave you three with Alchemy Insights Jade Tubes—these contain my lifelong experience combined with the insights passed down by my predecessors. Make sure to study them well and strive to master the art of pill-making as soon as possible."

After a few words of encouragement, he allowed the three to leave.

Lin Tianming and his two companions respectfully bowed and said,

"Thank you, Grandfather (Ninth Grandpa), for your careful teaching; we shall take our leave now."

The trio left the Alchemy Hall together.

Lin Tianming smiled and bid farewell to Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin,

"Second Brother, Third Sister, today has been exhausting. I won't impose any further. I would like to invite you both to my home another day to discuss the art of alchemy and cultivation."

After Lin Tianhong and the others agreed, they each said their goodbyes and departed.

Lin Tianming left the Alchemy Hall and summoned his Green Bamboo Sword, ascending into the sky, and vanished on the horizon.