Unbeatable Martial Emperor

C5 – Pill Refining

Min Zhenkang perused the first floor, finding that the highest quality medicine available was merely second-grade. As he was about to ascend to the second floor for a casual browse, he was intercepted, “Sir, please select your medicines on the first floor, or present your VIP card for the Hall of Rejuvenation.”

Since Min Zhenkang had lost his cultivation, he seldom ventured out of Min’s mansion. On the rare occasions he did, a medicine shop was hardly his destination. Consequently, the shop’s staff did not recognize him as the young master of the Min family, and neither Chang Tai nor Chu Keke would be found idling in such a place.

“Oh, I’ll be fine just looking around down here,” Min Zhenkang replied, not one to insist. The finest medicines on the first floor were second-grade at best, and he doubted the second floor would offer anything beyond fourth-grade. Besides, he could find everything he needed on the first floor, making a trip upstairs unnecessary.

“Sir, your order is prepared. We’ve followed the list and provided three portions of each item. Please review them,” the shop assistant announced, presenting Min Zhenkang with his order.

“How much does it all come to?” Min Zhenkang inquired after inspecting the medicines.

“Sir, the total comes to one hundred Mysterious Stones.”

Min Zhenkang retrieved a hundred Mysterious Stones from his Bag of Heaven and Earth and handed them to the assistant.

Stepping out of the Hall of Rejuvenation with their newly acquired medicines, Min Zhenkang and his companion were met by Guo Tao and his entourage approaching them.

“Big brother, isn’t that the Whalespell town’s good-for-nothing, Min Zhenkang?” one of Guo Tao’s underlings pointed out, spotting Min Zhenkang exiting the shop.

Guo Tao followed the direction of the gesture and indeed saw Min Zhenkang heading their way.

“No way. After the beating I gave you and your tumble from Antigough Cliff, you shouldn’t be alive,” Guo Tao’s eyes betrayed a flicker of alarm, quickly replaced by a malicious glint. “To survive all that, you must be quite the tough one!”

“Come on, let’s say hello to our ‘genius’.” Guo Tao led his group toward Min Zhenkang and his companions.

“Well, if it isn’t Whalespell’s very own genius. I heard you took a tumble off Antigough Cliff recently and yet, here you are, alive and kicking. You must have quite the lucky streak.”

“Guo Tao, did you have something to do with Zhenkang’s accident?” Chu Keke confronted Guo Tao as soon as she spotted him.

“Chu Keke, you can eat your fill, but watch your words. Careless talk could land you in hot water. Which of your eyes saw me do anything?” Guo Tao couldn’t hide his jealousy as he watched Chu Keke defend Min Zhenkang so fiercely.

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“Whether you did it or not, you know the truth. And I’ll have my revenge, sooner or later.” Min Zhenkang glared at Guo Tao, struggling to keep his rage under control.

“What are you implying, Min Zhenkang? If you’re so capable, why not settle this now?” Guo Tao’s lackey piped up, eager to defend his boss.

“A dog barks at the behest of its master. It’s clear what kind of dog a master like you would raise,” Min Zhenkang retorted, his words cutting through both Guo Tao and his flunky.

“You…”

“Shut it.” Zhang Shi Fei attempted to speak, but Guo Tao silenced him. “Fine, if you’re convinced I’m your nemesis, I’m curious to see how you plan to exact your revenge. Just be careful not to fall into another trap. I’d be ‘devastated’ if you died.”

“Rest assured, as long as you’re alive, I won’t die. And if you die, I still won’t. We’re leaving.” With that, Min Zhenkang and Chu Keke walked away.

“If anything happens to Zhenkang, I assure you, there won’t be a Guo’s mansion left standing in Whalespell.” Chu Keke whispered these words to Guo Tao as she passed by, a message meant for his ears alone.

Guo Tao heard her threat but dismissed it. An outsider challenging the entrenched power of Guo’s mansion? It was laughable. Yet, what truly irked him was the unwavering loyalty the woman he desired showed to his rival.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention—if you’re planning on getting revenge, you’d better act fast. I’ve been accepted into the Fang Sect and might soon join them as an outer sect disciple.” With those words to Min Zhenkang, he departed.

“The Fang Sect? Is that the most prominent cultivation sect in Steelgrave? Guo Tao is truly remarkable to have gained entry there.”

“Indeed, it’s a prestigious sect that everyone is clamoring to get into. Who would have thought Guo Tao would become one of its outer disciples?” The onlookers gazed at Guo Tao with envy as they learned of his impending status.

“I’ll make sure to pay a visit to Guo’s mansion within six months,” Min Zhenkang declared, his fists clenched as he absorbed the news.

“Brave words. Let’s see how you, whom they call trash, manage to step foot in my Guo’s mansion in half a year,” Guo Tao retorted, initially startled by Min Zhenkang’s bold claim but quickly concealing a surge of glee.

“Zhenkang, are you for real? Half a year? You might not like hearing this, but even with your former talent, it’s highly unlikely you could train from scratch to a level capable of challenging Guo’s mansion in such a short time, despite your newfound ability to cultivate,” Chu Keke said, her face etched with concern.

“Keke, trust me. I’m not only able to cultivate once more, but I can also refine pills now!”

“That’s right! And since I don’t know the first thing about pill refining, and you do, I’ll give this to you.” Chu Keke produced a cauldron from her Bag of Heaven and Earth.

“The Nine Dragons Cauldron!” Min Zhenkang’s eyes lit up with delight upon seeing the pill furnace.

“By the way, Keke, where exactly do you and your grandfather come from?”

“I wish I knew. I’ve asked him countless times, but he refuses to say,” Chu Keke admitted, her curiosity about her own past evident. Despite her grandfather’s usual affection, he remained sternly silent on the matter.

“Alright, Keke, where to next?” Min Zhenkang had found everything he needed, so time was no longer pressing for him.

“You must be tired, Zhenkang. Why not head back and rest?” Chu Keke observed the slight weariness in Zhenkang.

“Sure, I’ll walk you home.”

“Great, and I can ask Grandpa about alchemy too.”

Hand in hand, Chu Keke and Min Zhenkang made their way to her residence.

“Grandpa, I’m back.”

“Hello, Grandpa Shangguan.”

“Ah, Zhenkang, you’re here too. Come, have a seat!” Chu Le gestured to the chair next to him. “What adventures did you and Keke get up to today?”

“Grandpa, it was quite a day.” Before Min Zhenkang could chime in, Chu Keke eagerly recounted the day’s events to Chu Le.

“Zhenkang, you’re able to cultivate now? And you’re refining pills?” Chu Le’s eyes widened in astonishment, well aware of the state of Min Zhenkang’s health from when Min Qi had asked him to examine the young man.

“Yes, Grandpa,” Min Zhenkang replied earnestly.

“Let me see your hand.”

Chu Le took Min Zhenkang’s hand, channeling his Profound Qi through the meridians to probe his body.

“Incredible. I’ve never before seen such a flow of Profound Qi or such a method of cultivation,” Chu Le said in amazement after his examination. “Keke mentioned you had some alchemy questions for me. While I’m no pill refiner, I do have some knowledge. What would you like to know?”

“Well, it’s like this…” Min Zhenkang, aiming to appear as a novice alchemist, posed a few fundamental questions.

“Keke must have given you the Nine Dragons Cauldron, right? I found it in a secret realm many years ago and later passed it on to Keke. Now that it’s with you, it seems it has found its rightful heir.”

After a while of conversation, Min Zhenkang sought advice from Chu Le on cultivation matters, while Chu Keke quietly listened in.

“It’s getting late, Grandpa Shangguan, I should head back now.” As dusk fell, Min Zhenkang rose to take his leave.

“Alright. Keke, walk Zhenkang out.”

“Sure, see you tomorrow, Brother Zhenkang.” Chu Keke escorted Min Zhenkang to the door and watched him depart.

……

Having said goodbye to Chu Keke, Min Zhenkang returned home and sequestered himself, instructing the maids that he was not to be disturbed.

Once inside, Min Zhenkang hurriedly sorted the medicinal herbs he had purchased from the apothecary and took out the Nine Dragons Cauldron gifted by Chu Keke, placing it on the floor.

Surveying the herbs and the cauldron before him, Min Zhenkang couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. He was about to practice the “Qi Refining and Marrow Cleansing Powder,” a remedy he had only briefly worked with during his early days of pill refining in his past life. It was mainly used for recovery when one’s cultivation was below the Martial Spirit Stage and the meridians were injured. As his cultivation level rose, the powder became ineffective, even for damaged meridians.

Though Min Zhenkang was a revered Alchemy Master in his previous life, at this moment, his only edge was his experience. In all other respects, he had no advantage, particularly in cultivation where he was at a disadvantage.

Min Zhenkang closed his eyes, slowly recalling the precise method and temperature control needed for the Muscle Meridian Cleansing Powder.

After some contemplation, he set about the refining process.

……

To become an alchemist, one must at least be a fire attribute martial artist. A dual-attribute martial artist with both fire and wood elements would make an even more skilled alchemist, producing higher quality pills under the same conditions. Yet among the millions in Suanikos, dual-attribute individuals are exceedingly rare, and those with fire and wood attributes are even scarcer—one might only emerge among hundreds of millions. This underscores the extraordinary rarity of dual-attribute alchemists.

Alchemists with only a fire attribute tend to be more volatile when handling flames. However, the introduction of a wood attribute allows for better flame control. Moreover, since wood fuels fire, creating a continuous cycle, dual-attribute alchemists can produce higher quality pills than those with a singular fire attribute.

This advantage holds true when all other conditions are equal. Should a fire attribute alchemist surpass a dual-attribute counterpart in flame control, alchemical experience, and flame quality, they could ultimately refine pills of superior quality.

The potential to become an alchemist isn’t solely determined by a cultivator’s attributes. The control over flames, the quality of both the flames and the alchemical furnace, and the alchemist’s experience are all critical factors influencing the quality of the pills produced.

Upon inhabiting his new body, Min Zhenkang discovered it possessed the rare combination of fire and wood attributes—a stark contrast to his previous life as a cultivator with only a fire attribute. With this revelation, Min Zhenkang began refining pills to restore his body. After over ten days, a modest reserve of Profound Qi had accumulated in his veins.

Lacking a flame of his own, Min Zhenkang relied on the fire aspect of the Profound Qi for pill refinement. When he channeled the Profound Qi into the Nine Dragons Cauldron, nine fiery dragons burst forth, instantly raising the room’s temperature.