Not long after, Lin Nian returned with the medicinal ingredients and handed them over.
Taking the bundle, Zhou Luo recognized at a glance that a portion of inferior herbs had been slipped into the batch.
He looked at Lin Nian, his eyes narrowing with deep meaning.
This kid is actually trying to sabotage me.
Lin Nian maintained a warm, genial smile. “Junior Brother Zhou, you must refine these with the utmost care. Do not disappoint Grandfather Shou.”
“Do not worry, Senior Brother,” Zhou Luo replied with a smile as he accepted the ingredients.
“Begin,” Lin Zhishou instructed calmly from his seat.
Zhou Luo slowly sorted the herbs and placed them into the pill furnace. Naturally, he included the low-grade herbs as well.
Watching this, Lin Nian sneered inwardly.
Once the refinement failed, he would whisper a few choice words into Grandfather Shou’s ear. Even if it did not get this parasite kicked out of the residence immediately, it would certainly strip him of Grandfather Shou’s trust.
With the herbs arranged, Zhou Luo focused his mind, held his breath, and began to draw upon the Spiritual Qi within his Dantian.
As the Spiritual Qi circulated, a faint spiritual light shimmered around him. A moment later, he pointed his right hand, sending a beam of crimson light directly into the pill furnace.
Whoosh!
Inside the furnace, raging flames erupted, instantly enveloping the medicinal ingredients.
Under the heat of the fierce fire, the herbs began to decompose and melt, releasing a soft, sizzling sound as they burned.
Zhou Luo tapped into his cultivation once more, channeling another stream of spiritual power into the hearth.
Under his precise control, the melted essences began to restructure and fuse.
The fusion process was the ultimate test of an alchemist’s control over medicinal properties.
Top-tier alchemists could perfectly merge the ingredients, unlocking the maximum potential of the herbs. Lin Zhishou, for instance, could achieve a ninety-five percent fusion rate when refining a Fasting Pill.
For a novice alchemist, achieving a seventy percent fusion rate was already considered highly successful. If the rate fell below fifty percent, the pill would almost certainly fail to condense.
Furthermore, the fusion rate was not only determined by the alchemist’s skill, but also by the quality of the herbs.
Given Zhou Luo’s usual demonstrated skill, he should only be capable of achieving a sixty percent fusion rate under normal circumstances. If forced to use inferior herbs, that rate would plummet drastically.
This was the source of Lin Nian’s absolute confidence.
Yet, Zhou Luo remained completely unfazed.
As a first-rank peak alchemist, he could easily keep the fusion rate above eighty percent even if he were using garbage swept off the floor.
Guided by his profound control, the molten liquids merged and refined seamlessly, showing absolutely no signs of destabilizing. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Lin Nian’s brow furrowed at the sight.
By his calculations, it should have been impossible for someone of Zhou Luo’s caliber to manage the fusion. Yet the man seemed entirely unaffected.
Could he be forcing the fusion?
At that thought, Lin Nian’s brow smoothed over.
If he was merely forcing it together through raw spiritual power, the pill would never form successfully anyway.
Time trickled by.
Lin Zhishou sat with his eyes closed, appearing to have fallen asleep.
Lin Nian, meanwhile, was already gloating, imagining his glorious future.
As for Zhou Luo, he looked as though he was struggling under immense strain.
He had to. Pretending to struggle while a first-rank peak alchemist refined a mere novice-level pill required an immense amount of mental acting.
Under his superb performance, the refinement process finally reached its last and most critical step.
Condensation.
This was the step with the highest rate of failure. One had to invest their absolute focus to ensure the medicinal properties of each herb remained perfectly balanced. The slightest tremor of spiritual power would result in a ruined batch of ash.
Lin Nian’s lips curved into a smirk, eagerly waiting to witness the burst of black smoke.
But right then, a subtle fragrance drifted into his nose.
Thinking his senses were playing tricks on him, Lin Nian twitched his nose and sniffed again. It truly was the scent of a completed pill. His eyes widened in sheer disbelief as he stared at Zhou Luo’s cauldron.
Beside him, Lin Zhishou snapped his eyes open, rising instantly from his chair to stride over to the furnace.
Within the hearth, amidst a refreshing aroma, two round Fasting Pills rested quietly at the bottom.
With a flick of Lin Zhishou’s sleeve, the two Fasting Pills flew up and landed in his palm.
He examined them closely. Finding them absolutely flawless, his face flushed with surprise.
He turned his gaze to Zhou Luo, his expression overflowing with praise. “Excellent! Truly outstanding! You can actually condense two Fasting Pills in a single batch now!”
“This is all thanks to Senior Brother Nian. If he hadn’t selected such high-quality herbs for me, I doubt I would have succeeded,” Zhou Luo said, turning a mild look toward the stunned Lin Nian.
Lin Nian’s heart skipped a beat, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck.
Did this brat notice?
“You have exceeded my wildest expectations. Given time, you will surely become a true first-rank alchemist!” Lin Zhishou clapped Zhou Luo’s shoulder, his tone filled with absolute conviction.
Previously, he only saw a mere possibility of Zhou Luo reaching that rank. But now, seeing him refine two Fasting Pills at once in such a short period of time, he was certain of it.
It had taken Lin Nian a full three years of practice to achieve a double condensation. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Lin Zhishou resolved that once Zhou Luo’s success rate stabilized, he would report this directly to the Family Head.
The difference in status and resources allotted to a novice alchemist versus a certified first-rank alchemist was night and day.
…
Over the following days, Zhou Luo continued his practice of refining two pills per batch.
Naturally, he made sure to fail occasionally. Progressing too quickly would only arouse suspicion.
Before long, the day of Lin Qinghan’s delivery arrived.
Standing outside the delivery room and hearing Lin Qinghan’s painful cries, Zhou Luo clenched and unclenched his fists, pacing back and forth with a tense expression.
“Husband, Sister Qinghan will surely be fine,” Lin Feiying said gently. Though she herself was heavily pregnant, she reached out to hold his hand comfortingly.
“I know. I’m just… a bit overwhelmed,” Zhou Luo admitted honestly.
Across two lifetimes, this was his very first time becoming a father. Even if the marriage had been arranged under duress, he still felt a profound, trembling excitement.
He had waited so long for this day.
He had even decided on the child’s name weeks ago.
Suddenly, the sharp, clear cry of a newborn pierced the air. The anxious group waiting outside stiffened, their faces instantly lighting up with joy.
At that exact moment, a clear chime echoed in Zhou Luo’s mind.
[Congratulations, Host, on the birth of your first offspring! You have received a 20-year lifespan bonus!]
[As this offspring possesses a 9th-grade Spiritual Root, the Host has obtained 1 Talent Point!]
[Current Talent: 9th-grade Spiritual Root (1/100)]
Zhou Luo froze in place, his heart leaping with joy at the system notification.
Specifically, the words “Talent Point” sent a thrill through his soul.
His theory was correct! If his descendants possessed spiritual roots, his own spiritual root aptitude could be upgraded.
Shaking off his shock, he returned his focus to the real world and stared eagerly at the closing doors.
The door creaked open, and a midwife emerged, her face beaming with delight as she cradled a small bundle. “It is a healthy baby boy!”
With trembling hands, Zhou Luo carefully took the infant into his arms. Looking down at the wrinkled, reddish little face, a radiant smile broke across his features.
From this day forth, he had a son!