Chapter 88: Heart-Stirring Danger

Yes, that is exactly so, Yan Chixia replied. “She Meier, quickly tell me how to refine the Firebane Golden Elixir. Start with the proportions of the ingredients…”

“All right,” She Meier said without lifting her eyes from the wondrous alchemical furnace she was admiring. “Cinnabar, five qian; saltpeter, one qian; gypsum, one qian; borax, one qian; mica stone, five qian; sea-floating stone, three qian; native copper, half a qian; one drop of mercury; two Heart-Preserving Fruits; one Resurrection Stone. Yan Chixia, every measure must be exact, down to the last hair’s breadth. Not a single fraction may be wrong, or the slightest error in proportion will ruin the medicine’s effect by a thousand miles!”

Understood, Yan Chixia said gravely. At once, he placed the five Heart-Preserving Fruits and the three Resurrection Stones he had been holding in both hands onto the stone table. Then he turned, took a rosewood tray, swiftly gathered seven wooden bowls and a porcelain bowl, arranged them one by one on the tray, and hurried to the medicine storage room on the right.

She Meier truly adored the wondrous furnace. At that moment, she lifted it carefully in both hands, weighing its heft as she gazed at it, her heart overflowing with mixed emotions:

Master, oh Master, this is the peerless treasure under heaven you have longed for day and night, the Wishful Alchemical Furnace! What a pity it has already fallen into Yan Chixia’s hands! Even now, though I hold it in my arms, I cannot seize it by force and claim it for myself…

Master, I cannot take it away, and I will never tell you that the Wishful Alchemical Furnace is in Yan Chixia’s possession, because I swore an oath to Yan Chixia in the name of Mount Li’s Purple Radiance Palace. Master, I am sorry. I fear you will never see the Wishful Alchemical Furnace. For now, let Meier hold this treasure of the world on your behalf.

As she thought of this, She Meier could not help drawing the furnace into her embrace, savoring its boundless allure. Suddenly, two glittering tears welled up in her sapphire-bright eyes.

Just then, Yan Chixia came over carrying a tray of Firebane Golden Elixir ingredients. Seeing She Meier clutching the Wishful Alchemical Furnace with tears in her eyes, he could not help exclaiming in alarm, “She Meier, why are you crying?”

“What?” She Meier jumped, hastily setting down the furnace and wiping away the tears. “I…I was too moved seeing such a treasure under heaven, and so tears rose to my eyes. Yan Chixia, the ingredients are all here. Are the proportions exact?”

“Absolutely exact. Except for the single drop of mercury, I weighed the cinnabar, saltpeter, gypsum, borax, mica stone, sea-floating stone, and native copper three times each on the fine scale,” Yan Chixia said as he set the tray on the stone table. “She Meier, what comes next?”

She Meier answered:

“First, place the cinnabar, saltpeter, gypsum, borax, mica stone, sea-floating stone, and native copper together into the iron mortar and pound them to powder. Then put everything into the furnace, add the mercury as well, and refine them together. Once all the powders have dissolved into the mercury, add the Heart-Preserving Fruits and the Resurrection Stone, let them dissolve too, and then allow the entire solution to condense into a single golden elixir. When it is finished, it may be taken from the furnace and consumed.”

Yan Chixia said, “Very well.” He immediately put the cinnabar, saltpeter, gypsum, borax, mica stone, sea-floating stone, and native copper into the iron mortar. After using the iron pestle to grind all the stones into powder, he activated the Wishful Alchemical Furnace with a controlling incantation and his true energy. At once, the furnace, formerly a deep violet, turned into a fully transparent crystal.

“Aah—!” She Meier cried out involuntarily. “A treasure under heaven truly is beyond imagining!”

Before her words had even faded, Yan Chixia had already opened the lid of the Wishful Alchemical Furnace and carefully poured the powdered ingredients inside. He closed the lid and began refining the elixir with the controlling incantation.

Facing the furnace with calm assurance, Yan Chixia used the incantation and his true energy to awaken the golden dragon coiled around its body. The dragon rose into the air and entered the furnace through a special opening. Inside, it wheeled and danced without pause, breathing out the fire of the three pure essences to refine the medicinal powders…

She Meier stood to the side, staring in stupefied wonder.

Under Yan Chixia’s spellwork, the golden dragon’s fire blazed fiercely. The powders swallowed by the flames changed color in rapid succession: from blue-green to gray, then to white, then yellow, deep yellow, scarlet… Suddenly, with a flash, everything melted together with the drop of mercury, becoming a pool of brilliantly luminous liquid boiling within the furnace.

Seeing this, Yan Chixia promptly opened the lid again and added the two Heart-Preserving Fruits and the Resurrection Stone to the boiling liquid—

She Meier watched with thrilling intensity from the side, unable to help breaking into a cold sweat for Yan Chixia, for the crucial moment in the making of the Firebane Golden Elixir was at hand: the forming of the pill…

Yan Chixia’s heart tightened as well.

Though somewhat nervous, he remained composed and continued to command the flying golden dragon with his incantation, urging it to spew the fire of the three pure essences without cease—until the two Heart-Preserving Fruits and the Resurrection Stone suddenly dissolved in the boiling liquid, turning it at once from crimson to a vivid scarlet, dazzling in its brilliance. He knew the heat was now perfect and immediately sent the dragon the command to stop breathing fire. Receiving the signal, the dragon ceased its flames, swiftly left the furnace, and returned to its place coiled upon the outer body.

Then Yan Chixia pressed his advantage. He extended both palms toward the elixir liquid in the furnace and used his true energy to drive it. As the energy flowed on and on, the pool of liquid began to roll within the furnace without end, like a dewdrop on a lotus leaf stirred back and forth by a gentle breeze, rolling, rolling… At last, the rolling droplet gradually cooled and solidified into a small, red, fiery-looking Firebane Golden Elixir.

At the sight of this, She Meier could not help clapping and cheering.

“So good, so good, truly marvelous! Yan Chixia, you are amazing!”

“Thank you for the praise!” Yan Chixia said, deeply stirred. He hurriedly opened the furnace lid, took out the Firebane Golden Elixir, and handed it to She Meier. “She Meier, take a look and see how this Firebane Golden Elixir turned out.”

She Meier accepted the still-warm elixir and placed it in her palm. Examining it closely, she said with evident delight, “Mm, this Firebane Golden Elixir is round and full in shape, bright and lustrous in color, its entire body glowing with a vivid red radiance that carries a powerful medicinal aura… Good, truly excellent! The immortal Red Pine Seed’s Wishful Alchemical Furnace really is a divine tool for refining elixirs!”

Hearing this, Yan Chixia finally let out a breath. “She Meier, then this Firebane Golden Elixir has been successfully refined?”

“Not merely successful,” She Meier said exuberantly. “Yan Chixia, the Firebane Golden Elixir you have refined is simply a supreme-grade elixir!”

“Really?” Yan Chixia was overjoyed. “In that case, She Meier, come with me at once to see Master!”

With that, he grabbed the Firebane Golden Elixir, strode forward, and rushed quickly outside.