Chapter 60 Weighing Gains and Losses

Yet fate seemed to delight in toying with people. Just as Su Hao was filled with joy, already envisioning in his mind the glorious scene of a successful concoction after this alchemy session, a sharp "puff" sound rang out. It was like a sharp needle, ruthlessly piercing through his beautiful fantasy.

Immediately following this, a thick plume of smoke billowed fiercely from the alchemy furnace, pitch-black like ink, rolling with an aggressive momentum. In an instant, it spread throughout the room, accompanied by a pungent, burning odor that relentlessly declared the failure of this alchemy attempt once again.

The smile that had just bloomed on Su Hao's face froze instantly, resembling a fragile bubble popping in mid-air. Following closely, like an eggplant beaten by the frost, his whole body slumped rapidly. The light that had just flickered in his eyes dimmed in an instant, replaced by a profound sense of vexation and frustration. He looked as though all his strength had been drained from him in a single moment, plunging him into the abyss of deep despair.

He stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the smoking alchemy furnace, his eyes filled with disbelief and self-reproach. Looking at the charred pills inside the furnace, he could not help but mutter complaints to himself over and over again:

"Ah, how did it fail again? I was clearly being so careful, double-checking every single step multiple times. It is such a pity—we were just a hair's breadth away! How could it all fall apart at the very last moment?"

However, the inherent stubbornness deeply rooted in Su Hao's bones was like a spark buried deep underground, soon bursting into roaring flames once more. He clenched his teeth involuntarily, his jaw bulging slightly from the force, and thought with indignation:

"Hmph, although it failed again this time, I refuse to believe I will never succeed. I have a feeling the next batch will definitely form pills successfully. I won't let this defeat me; I must concoct this life-saving pill!"

Thus, Su Hao forced himself to calm down once more. He took a deep breath, striving to smooth out his chaotic and tangled thoughts. Then, he began to meticulously analyze the lessons from this failure. Sitting at the table with tightly knit brows, his gaze focused and profound, he sorted through the problems that had arisen during the alchemy process one by one, like unspooling fine silk, and recorded them neatly in his alchemy journal.

As he wrote, he would occasionally raise his head, gazing at the alchemy furnace with a piercing gaze, as if carrying a competitive spirit within his eyes, silently telling the furnace:

"Just you wait, sooner or later, I will conquer you."

He also muttered incessantly under his breath:

"The mistake this time was right here; I must not repeat the same error next time. I must succeed, I definitely can."

Anyone who witnessed his earnest and persistent demeanor would undoubtedly be moved by his steadfast perseverance.

After finishing his notes, Su Hao picked up the journal, which was already filled across two pages. He slowly brought it close to his eyes, his gaze as focused as if he were staring at a rare and priceless treasure, reviewing it word by word.

At times, he nodded slightly, looking as though he were endorsing the experience he had just summarized; at other times, he furrowed his brow lightly, seemingly having discovered another issue worthy of deep contemplation. It was as though he were engaged in a silent yet profoundly deep dialogue with the written words, attempting to brand every single key point deep into his heart and infuse them into his soul, allowing them to become the solid foundation of his path in alchemy.

Having made all these preparations, Su Hao once again stepped forward with firm strides and stood before the alchemy furnace. At this moment, his expression grew increasingly solemn, a gravity so intense it seemed capable of freezing the surrounding air. His eyes gleamed with a resolute determination of burning his boats and pressing forward without turning back—as if even if the heavens were to collapse and the apocalypse were to arrive at that very second, nothing could possibly obstruct his resolve to succeed in alchemy. The aura he exuded resembled that of a fearless warrior about to embark on an expedition to challenge a legendary dragon.

"Hoo—" Standing before the alchemy furnace, Su Hao drew a deep breath, the air circulating slowly within his chest as if injecting boundless strength into his body. Afterward, he exhaled long and slow. With the release of this breath, his state of mind grew completely tranquil, resembling a serene lake without the slightest ripple.

Immediately following this, in one continuous motion, he devoted himself heart and soul to the art of alchemy. His hands moved like agile butterflies dancing gracefully among the medicinal herbs and the furnace. Every movement was precise and flawless, every step impeccably timed. It was as though he were no longer a green and slightly clumsy novice, but had been transformed overnight into a seasoned master deeply versed in the mystic arts of alchemy for years, wielding his craft with effortless mastery and complete ease within this realm of pill refinement.

Finally, under Su Hao's stubbornly unyielding efforts, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted from the alchemy furnace. The scent was fresh and pleasant, akin to the fragrance released by blooming flowers in spring, wafting through the air in delicate wisps and forming a stark contrast with the pungent, burning smell from before, as if announcing the arrival of a metamorphosis to the world.

Su Hao's previously focused eyes instantly brightened, his luminous pupils seemingly concealing two brilliant, shining stars. His heartbeat involuntarily quickened, pounding heavily inside his chest as though it might burst right through. Staring at the alchemy furnace with tension and eager anticipation, he scarcely dared to breathe. He stood rooted to the spot like someone struck by a binding spell, terrified that even the slightest movement on his part might disturb this hard-won, beautiful moment.

As the medicinal fragrance grew richer, the opulent aroma draped a dreamy veil over the entire room. The glow within the alchemy furnace gradually dissipated, much like the lowering of a grand stage curtain, preparing to reveal the ultimate mystery.

Unable to wait any longer, Su Hao reached out with slightly trembling hands and cautiously lifted the furnace lid, his movements as gentle as peeling back the mysterious veil of a peerless treasure.

Inside the furnace, three round, plump pills emanating a gentle luster lay quietly. They resembled three meticulously carved jades, radiating a charming halo and seeming to contain boundless, mysterious power.

"Success!"

Su Hao was so excited he nearly cried out, the sound spinning in his throat before he forcefully swallowed it back, transforming it into a low gasp mixed with surprise and agitation.

He carefully extended his hands—the motion as delicate as cupping a newly hatched fledgling—and retrieved the three pills. Holding them gently in his palm as if cradling the most precious and fragile treasure in the world, his gaze was filled with deep appreciation and joy.

First, he brought them closer, opening his eyes wide and observing the three pills unblinkingly without a single flutter of his eyelids. His gaze resembled that of a skilled connoisseur admiring a rare antique, missing not even the slightest detail. Even the extremely fine textures on the surface of the pills were all taken in by his eyes. He muttered softly under his breath:

"It's finally done. The quality looks quite decent. This luster and shape are vastly superior to the previous attempts."

Next, as though drawn by the enchanting allure of the pills, he involuntarily brought them close to his nose and inhaled gently. At that instant, he closed his eyes slightly, a look of utter intoxication spreading across his face as he seemed to immerse himself in a wondrous world, murmuring softly:

"Mmm, the scent is quite nice indeed. Just smelling this faint medicinal aroma makes one feel that these pills are extraordinary."

Only then did Su Hao reluctantly snap out of his intoxicated state. He glanced at the pills in his hand, then turned his gaze to the system panel notifications, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation intertwined with a trace of nervousness, wondering what kind of attributes the pills he had painstakingly refined actually possessed.

The system panel clearly displayed:

[Item Name: Tier 1 Life-Saving Pill.]
[Alchemist: Qingming Alchemist.]
[Produced by the Universal Environmental Protection Agency.]
[Effect: Restores 1000 HP.]
[Usage Range: Contractees with 5000 HP or below may use this.]
[Suggested Selling Price: 5000 Cosmic Coins.]
[Pill Rating: 10 points.]

Gazing at this information, Su Hao could not help but knit his brows slightly, his two eyebrows twisting together like a pair of tangled little bugs. A look of contemplation and worry flickered in his eyes as he quietly began to calculate in his mind:

"I still have 17 portions of medicinal ingredients left. Judging by the current success rate of pill formation, if half of them succeed, I suppose I will still need to concoct them another eight or nine times. If each time yields three pills just like this one, plus these three ready-made ones, that would add up to 30 pills in total. Calculated this way, if sold at 5000 Cosmic Coins per piece, the total revenue would only be 150,000 Cosmic Coins. But earlier, just exchanging the herbs alone cost me 8 cosmic particles. If those 8 cosmic particles are converted into Cosmic Coins, that's equivalent to 80,000 Cosmic Coins. Reckoning it like this, wouldn't I suffer a net loss of 35,000 Cosmic Coins? That won't do at all. How can I engage in a losing business? Alchemy is inherently a costly and laborious endeavor. If I keep losing money like this, my meager savings won't withstand the drain. It seems I must find a way to increase the pill formation rate; otherwise, the losses are simply too heavy. After all the painstaking effort I put into alchemy, I certainly can't end up paying out of my own pocket in the end."

Thinking of this, Su Hao hurriedly checked his skill panel, where it was clearly displayed:

[Alchemy Skill: Early Stage Tier 1 Alchemy Technique +30 points.]

Looking at this data, he furrowed his brows even deeper, the creases between them seemingly tight enough to crush a fly, and mused to himself:

"This skill level is still too low. With just this level of proficiency, raising the success rate is far too difficult. I must figure out a way to elevate it as soon as possible. Only by increasing the pill formation rate and raising the selling price of the pills—say, to 10,000 Cosmic Coins per piece—might I avoid running at a loss. If fortune favors me and the success rate goes up a bit more, perhaps I can even turn a small profit. I must exert myself further; I cannot simply give up so easily."

While pondering, he subconsciously gripped the pills in his hand tightly, exerting enough force as if to extract the strength to press forward from the pills themselves. A renewed fighting spirit relit in his eyes, its brilliance resembling a blazing torch in the night sky, illuminating the path ahead. He felt as though he could already envision himself advancing more and more smoothly along the path of alchemy, reaping a bountiful harvest—a radiance filled with hope and yearning for the future.