Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather Chapter 1289 - 838: Yue Ming’s Request, Illusion God Pill (2)

The Nine Nether Ghost Orchid possesses potent properties for fortifying the divine soul. Yang Zhenshan recalled that within the Lotus Heart Valley, a single specimen of this orchid commanded a price exceeding eight hundred Spirit Stones.

If Yue Ming only possessed two or three stalks, Yang Zhenshan would lack the confidence to attempt concocting the Illusion God Pill.

Yue Ming wavered for a moment, yet he quickly steeled his resolve since he had no alternative.

At just under one hundred and eighty years old, his cultivation had already climbed to the mid Golden Body Realm. With the aid of the Illusion God Pill, he might attain the strength to pursue the Divine Soul Realm. Without it, he would likely remain oblivious to the mysteries of that realm for his entire lifespan.

Furthermore, he had already spent twenty years in anticipation. Now that he had finally crossed paths with Yang Zhenshan—an Immortal Cultivation Alchemist capable of potentially refining the Illusion God Pill—his patience had run dry.

He drew forth a storage bag and declared, "Within this bag are twenty sets of medicinal ingredients. I trust Elder Yang will handle the refinement with the utmost care!"

"Should the attempts be successful, we shall split the yield equally!"

In the circle of Immortal Cultivation Alchemists, a fifty-fifty split is the customary arrangement when commissioned for such work.

This rule holds regardless of whether the alchemist is well-versed in the specific elixir recipe or if it is their first time handling it.

Very few alchemists are prepared to operate at a loss for others unless the provided recipe is of immense value.

"Very well, rest easy Elder Yue Ming; I shall exert all my efforts to refine this Illusion God Pill!" Yang Zhenshan accepted the bag with a grin.

The Illusion God Pill held little value for him personally, as he possessed the Void Refining Scripture and did not require pills to boost his divine soul. Over-reliance on such pills was counterproductive; consuming too many would result in the buildup of pill poison, potentially forming a pill barrier that would prove incredibly difficult to shatter.

Compared to soul-enhancing elixirs, he had a greater need for mana-boosting aids, such as the Gathering Spirit Pill, which specifically supported the cultivation efforts of those at the Foundation Establishment level.

Currently, Yang Zhenshan was preoccupied with researching the secret recipe for the Gathering Spirit Pill.

Nevertheless, even if he had no need for the Illusion God Pill, Yu Qingyi and others under his charge certainly did.

"How much time will you require for the refinement?" Yue Ming inquired.

After a brief moment of reflection, Yang Zhenshan replied, "At the very least, one year!"

Familiarizing himself with the intricacies of the recipe, test-running the炼制, meticulously correcting deficiencies, and cataloging his experiences was a process that demanded both significant time and energy.

Yang Zhenshan could not afford to neglect his own cultivation just to focus solely on the Illusion God Pill; thus, he would have to conduct the refinement in his spare moments.

Luckily, the work on the Gathering Spirit Pill had already commenced, or else the deadline would have been pushed back even further.

"Splendid, I eagerly await good news from Elder Yang!"

Yue Ming adhered to the philosophy of trusting those he hired, so he refrained from placing undue pressure on Yang Zhenshan.

Following Yue Ming’s departure, Yang Zhenshan took time to study the Illusion God Pill recipe and inspected the materials provided.

Upon close scrutiny, he realized that Yue Ming had made thorough preparations, ensuring all necessary components were accounted for.

Shortly thereafter, Yang Zhenshan sealed the array and retreated to the Spirit Source Land.

He resumed his cultivation while contemplating the finer points of his alchemy craft.

However, his primary focus remained centered on the refinement of the Gathering Spirit Pill.

The Gathering Spirit Pill was a relatively straightforward Second-Order Pill with common ingredients. Given that it was the most frequently consumed pill by Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was naturally designed to be accessible rather than difficult to craft.

The rarity of any pill is determined by its effects. If its purpose is unique, its market value is higher, as seen with the Foundation Establishment Pill. If the ingredients are rare but the resulting pill lacks efficacy, alchemists would prefer to consume the raw materials directly rather than waste effort on a low-potency product.

Generally speaking, the more ubiquitous a pill, the more common its necessary ingredients, a principle best illustrated by the Jade Marrow Pill and the Gathering Spirit Pill.

Recipes for such staples have evolved through centuries of rigorous testing and refinement by predecessors, who often swapped rare ingredients for common or easily cultivated alternatives.

This long process is what shaped the recipes in use today.

The Illusion God Pill is distinct; its core component is the Nine Nether Ghost Orchid, a rare herb that lacks any convenient substitute.

Consequently, both the importance and the difficulty of crafting the Illusion God Pill far exceed that of the Gathering Spirit Pill.

Yang Zhenshan managed to successfully produce a batch of Gathering Spirit Pills after only three attempts.

Yet, when he pivoted to the Illusion God Pill, he suffered five consecutive failures.

While his initial attempts at the Foundation Establishment Pill also involved several failures, this string of bad luck did not mean the Illusion God Pill was inherently harder; rather, it highlighted his superficial grasp of the specific recipe.

Before his first attempt at the Foundation Establishment Pill, Yang Zhenshan had spent years deeply analyzing the formula. In contrast, he had only acquired the Illusion God Pill recipe a few months ago, leaving him with significant gaps in his understanding.

The act of refining this pill was effectively part of his learning process.

"This Illusion God Pill is truly a formidable challenge!"

Within the Pill Hall, Yang Zhenshan sighed in frustration as he surveyed the charred remnants of pills upon the jade tray.

Over three months had passed since he obtained the recipe. First, he spent time on the Gathering Spirit Pill, followed by a month dedicated to memorizing the Illusion God Pill instructions. In the past fifteen days, he had initiated five batches, and all had resulted in failure.

"The Nine Nether Ghost Orchid demands a specialized refinement technique. The method itself isn't difficult to comprehend, but mastering it is an entirely different matter!"

"To successfully create this pill, I must achieve total mastery of this technique!"

Yang Zhenshan pulled forth the recipe once more to scrutinize the details.

The orchid is an atypical herb, thriving in cold, shadowed environments and saturated with yin energy. To process such a plant within the extreme heat of a furnace, one requires a delicate control mechanism to safeguard its properties.

The recipe identified this technique as the "Heart Hand," a highly specialized art for managing the power of the divine soul.

Initially, Yang Zhenshan dismissed it as a standard processing trick, but he now realized it guarded profound secrets.

Indeed, its significance might even surpass that of the recipe itself.

Yang Zhenshan was no novice when it came to channeling divine soul power, having utilized the Soul Crow Divination Skill and the Soul Capturing Skill, both of which relied upon such control. He was equally adept with tools like the Soul Vibrating Bell and the Soul-breaking Cone.

In essence, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator well-versed in the manipulation of the divine soul.

Given this, the Heart Hand should have come naturally to him, yet he found it surprisingly jarring.

"What is it that I am missing?"

Yang Zhenshan furrowed his brows in deep contemplation.

The technique appeared simple, yet executing it felt unnatural.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, offering a glimmer of clarity.

He reached out to retrieve a jade scroll, flooded it with his divine sense, and a moment later, a faint smile spread across his face.