Chapter 39: The Art of the Human Elixir

Lin Chuan stood before the gate of his newly purchased courtyard, the jade house deed in his hand slightly warm to the touch.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy black sandalwood door. A surge of spiritual energy, nearly fifty percent denser than that of Zhang Lin’s small courtyard, rushed toward him, causing the pores all over his body to involuntarily expand.

"This six million low-grade spirit stone expenditure was worth it."

Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction and stepped into the courtyard. The layout was much the same as Zhang Lin’s—three main rooms, side chambers, and a small yard paved with bluestone in the center. However, the most eye-catching feature was the independent alchemy room on the west side. Intricate flame patterns were carved into the door, and even from the outside, one could feel waves of heat radiating from within.

Lin Chuan pushed open the door to the alchemy room, and a blast of heat hit him, forcing him to squint. The room was about three zhang in length and width, with dark red fire-spirit stones embedded in the walls and complex array patterns etched into the floor. In the center sat a stone table and a meditation cushion, but the most prominent feature was the three-legged cauldron, which stood as tall as a person.

The cauldron was dark gold, its four legs carved with fine, scale-like patterns. From the wide, rounded mouth, plumes of searing heat rose continuously, forming a distorted shimmer against the ceiling.

"This cauldron..."

Although Lin Chuan knew nothing of alchemy, he could sense the extraordinary nature of the vessel.

"Mystic-grade peak quality, bordering on Earth-grade."

Little Fatty’s voice resonated in his mind. "Judging by these scale patterns, it should be forged from the scales of a Golden-Scaled Python, offering excellent conductivity for fire-type spiritual energy."

Lin Chuan approached the cauldron and touched it, immediately feeling a gentle heat.

"How much is it worth?"

"This cauldron alone would sell for at least five hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones at the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion," Little Fatty explained. "And if you add in this geothermal array..."

His voice suddenly turned excited. "Chuan'er, you’ve hit the jackpot! This array is carved with incredible precision; it automatically absorbs ambient spiritual energy to sustain the geothermal fire without needing extra spirit stones. Looking at the flow of these patterns, it’s more than enough to refine Earth-grade mid-tier pills!"

Lin Chuan circled the cauldron, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So, buying this courtyard for six million low-grade spirit stones wasn't just a fair deal—it was a bargain?"

"You could say that," Little Fatty affirmed. "Though for you, you probably won't be able to utilize such high-end equipment in the short term."

"It doesn't matter," Lin Chuan patted the cauldron, producing a dull metallic ring. "This is just an initial investment. Once things get on track with Zhang Yida, I'll earn it back soon enough."

Having inspected the courtyard, Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction and was about to leave the alchemy room when Little Fatty’s voice stopped him.

"Wait, Chuan'er."

Lin Chuan paused. "What? Don't tell me you're going to teach me alchemy? I don't have the time for that."

"Who said anything about teaching you alchemy?" Little Fatty scoffed. "I’m going to refine you like a pill!"

"What?"

Lin Chuan was stunned. Before he could react, the Blood Spirit Ring on his left hand suddenly flashed with a blinding red light. The next moment, the figures of Little Fatty and Elder Zi appeared in the alchemy room.

Little Fatty’s lingering soul was more solid than it had been in the Azure Underworld Secret Realm. He held a mass of multicolored medicinal liquid that emitted a rich fragrance. Elder Zi stood to the side, his expression a mix of curiosity and worry.

"Fatty, what did you just say? Refine me like a pill? What do you mean?"

Lin Chuan retreated half a step, his gaze darting between Little Fatty and the cauldron. Little Fatty did not answer immediately. Instead, he drifted to the cauldron, his soul power surging to activate the geothermal array on the floor. The fire-spirit stones beneath the cauldron glowed with a dark red light, and the temperature inside rose rapidly.

"The essence of alchemy is to extract the pure and discard the dross," Little Fatty said as he manipulated the array, drawing a stream of clear spring water from the Blood Spirit Ring into the cauldron. "You refine the impurities of various medicinal herbs, extract the essence, and then use special techniques to fuse them into a pill."

The spring water heated up quickly, emitting wisps of white steam.

Little Fatty continued, "And for a martial artist, body refinement is essentially the process of purging impurities and strengthening the flesh. My 'Human Pill Technique' treats the martial artist as a special material, using alchemical methods to temper the body."

Lin Chuan’s eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying you want to throw me into that cauldron?"

"Smart." Little Fatty grinned, a smile that sent a chill down Lin Chuan’s spine.

"Are you kidding me!" Lin Chuan turned to run, but with a wave of Elder Zi’s hand, a purple barrier of light blocked his path.

"Young Master," Elder Zi said gently, "I don't wish for this either, but this was all arranged by the Master. Please, do not blame me."

"You guys are insane! That water is almost boiling!" Lin Chuan pointed to the bubbling water in the cauldron, his voice rising an octave.

Little Fatty stopped talking. With a sweep of his soul power, Lin Chuan felt an irresistible force lift him up. Before he could struggle, he was tossed into the scalding cauldron.

"Ah—!"

Lin Chuan let out a blood-curdling scream. The boiling water instantly enveloped him, and his skin turned beet red. He struggled to climb out, but the lid slammed shut, knocking him back into the boiling water.

"Steady your mind! Circulate your spiritual energy to protect yourself!" Little Fatty’s voice boomed in his mind.

Lin Chuan was in such pain he nearly lost his sanity, but the instinct to survive forced him to calm down. He frantically channeled his spiritual energy, forming a thin protective film over his skin. The burning sensation lessened slightly, but it remained agonizing.

"Little Fatty! I’ll kill you! Let me out!" Lin Chuan cursed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing inside the sealed cauldron.

"Save your energy," Little Fatty’s voice was chillingly calm. "This is only the beginning. Once your spiritual energy is exhausted, that is when the true refining of impurities begins."

Lin Chuan was shocked to realize his spiritual energy was draining rapidly. With his cultivation at only the second level of Spirit Martial, his internal reserves were limited. In less than a quarter of an hour, his protective film began to thin, and the burning sensation intensified.

"Little Fatty! My energy is almost gone!" Lin Chuan pounded on the walls of the cauldron, his voice laced with panic.

"Perfect." Little Fatty’s voice remained flat. The next moment, Lin Chuan felt a cool medicinal liquid seep through a small hole in the lid, quickly coating his body.

Lin Chuan had hoped the liquid would replenish his energy, but he was stunned to find his energy still draining away; the liquid merely formed a protective film to prevent his body from being thoroughly cooked.

"What the hell is this!" Lin Chuan roared. "My energy is almost gone!"

"That is the point," Little Fatty explained. "Your spiritual energy is like the 'medicinal liquid' within you. Only once it is exhausted can the true 'refining' process begin. This film only protects you from being cooked alive; it won't replenish your energy."

By now, Lin Chuan’s spiritual energy was bottoming out. The boiling water burned his skin directly, and even with the protective film, the pain caused his vision to black out. He cursed Little Fatty wildly, exhausting every swear word he knew from Earth.

"...You are a goddamn lunatic! A pervert! A psychopath! If I die, I’ll haunt you as a ghost!"

Little Fatty ignored him, focusing on regulating the geothermal array to ensure the temperature remained at a level that was excruciating yet not life-threatening.

Elder Zi floated to the side, watching the scene and shaking his head with a sigh. "I have lived for so many years, yet this is the first time I have seen a father-son dynamic like yours." Even now, he could not comprehend a relationship where the son called his father "Fatty" or "Little Fatty," and the father tortured his son in such elaborate ways.

Inside the cauldron, Lin Chuan’s cursing gradually turned into pained moans. He felt as if his body were being torn apart inch by inch; every cell was screaming. Sweat evaporated the moment it seeped from his pores, and his throat was as parched as if it were on fire.

I don't know how much time passed. Just as Lin Chuan thought he was truly going to die in the cauldron, Little Fatty’s voice sounded again.

"That's enough. The spring water is about to boil dry."

Lin Chuan no longer had the strength to respond. He could only lean weakly against the scorching wall of the cauldron, feeling a subtle change within him. As Little Fatty had said, through the extreme agony, he could feel some impurities being refined and expelled, dissolving into the surrounding boiling water.

Finally, the lid was lifted, and a cool surge of spiritual energy hoisted Lin Chuan out. He was bright red, like a boiled shrimp, and collapsed onto the floor of the alchemy room, unable to move a single finger.

Little Fatty floated over him, carefully observing his state, and nodded in satisfaction. "The effect is good. About thirty percent of the impurities have been expelled. Rest for two days, and once your body recovers, we will proceed with the second round."

Lin Chuan weakly raised a hand, gave him the middle finger, and rasped, "Go... to... hell..."

Little Fatty didn't mind. He turned to Elder Zi and said, "To have this result on the first attempt is excellent. Next time, we can try adding 'Ice-Heart Grass' to create a cycle of hot and cold, which will further stimulate the meridians."

Elder Zi looked at the half-dead Lin Chuan and then at the enthusiastic Little Fatty, shaking his head helplessly. "Master, are you sure you won't refine the Young Master to death?"

"Don't worry," Little Fatty said confidently. "This kid is tough as nails. Besides, with my precise control, it would be hard for him to die even if he wanted to."

Listening to their conversation, Lin Chuan’s vision went dark, and he nearly fainted. He vaguely realized that his path of cultivation from here on out would likely be far more "eventful" than he had imagined.

The Blood Spirit Ring flashed red, and the figures of Little Fatty and Elder Zi vanished.

Lin Chuan was left alone in the alchemy room with the steaming cauldron. He stared at it, recalling the painful experience, and couldn't help but shiver. Yet, strangely, amidst the pain, he could feel that the flow of spiritual energy within him was smoother than before, and his muscles and bones seemed more solid.

This tangible progress forced him to admit, even while cursing Little Fatty, that the Human Pill Technique was indeed effective.