Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 59 Refining the elixir
Lin Fan happily returned to his cave, carrying the precious elixir formula and cultivation techniques he had found in Yuelu Temple. As soon as he set foot in this familiar place, he eagerly plunged into a new round of cultivation and research.

For the next few days, Lin Fan, like an old monk in trance, immersed himself in the complex diagrams and arrangements of the Spirit Gathering Array and the All-Unifying Illusionary Spirit Array. The runes of the Spirit Gathering Array were exquisitely constructed, each line imbued with a unique principle for drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The All-Unifying Illusionary Spirit Array was even more profound, transforming the surrounding atmosphere into countless illusions, concealing the cave's true location and subtly interfering with any observer's perception.

Sometimes he would frown, pondering the formation diagram, beads of sweat forming on his forehead; sometimes he would be delighted, successfully deducing a key point in his mind, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Each time he gained insight, it was like opening a door to a whole new world, deepening his understanding of the art of formation.

Finally, a few days later, on a morning, Lin Fan felt the time was ripe and prepared to personally deploy the two formations. He held a flag engraved with runes, chanting something in his mind. Spiritual energy surged from his body like a surging tide, pouring into the flags. With lightning speed, he darted around the cave, precisely inserting the flags into the ground at specific locations. Simultaneously, he planted a number of mid-level spirit stones. As the last flag fell, the entire cave was instantly enveloped in a strange light.

The Spirit Gathering Array took effect first. As if drawn by an invisible giant hand, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth continuously flowed toward the cave. Instantly, the air was filled with a rich, mellow spiritual energy, as if transported to a ethereal wonderland, and every breath felt the spiritual energy permeating his lungs. Immediately afterwards, the All-Unifying Spiritual Array was activated. The original cave gradually disappeared in a flash of light, replaced by a desolate scene. Even if an ordinary person approached, they would hardly notice the hidden world here and would only be deceived by the illusion. Lin Fan gazed at the formation before him, which had taken days of painstaking effort to set up, and smiled with satisfaction. He knew that from this moment on, his cultivation environment would be greatly improved, and it would also gain a layer of solid and reliable protection.

After arranging the formations for his cave, Lin Fan turned his attention to the Chen family. After all, he still had a master there, nominally speaking. So, he carefully dressed, unleashed his skills, and sped towards the Chen family.

Soon, Lin Fan arrived at the Chen family mansion. The mansion remained imposing, its vermilion gates tightly shut. The stone lions at the entrance stood majestically, exuding an air of authority. He walked forward and explained his purpose to the Chen family guards. They were no strangers to him and politely asked him to wait while someone went in to deliver the message.

However, not long after, the messenger returned and informed Lin Fan, "Young Master Lin, we're truly sorry, but your Master is currently in seclusion and unable to meet with guests." Lin Fan wasn't overly surprised to hear this, and thought to himself, "Well, Master received so many resources last time. If he didn't use them to improve his own magical powers, what good would that be? Seclusion and cultivation are the right path."

Although he hadn't been able to meet his master, Lin Fan wasn't overly disappointed. He knew that on the path to immortality, everyone had their own pace and schedule. Even if they hadn't met this time, there would always be another opportunity. Moreover, he had also gained a lot, and the most urgent task was to quickly transform these gains into an improvement in his own strength. With this in mind, Lin Fan thanked the guard, turned, and left the Chen residence, heading back to his cave abode, ready to devote himself to cultivation.

Back in his cave, Lin Fan couldn't wait to transform his precious spiritual herbs into elixirs to enhance his cultivation. He counted them, and the quantity was substantial, enough to fuel the furnace dozens of times. Thinking that refining a large quantity of elixirs would surely smooth his future path, he was filled with anticipation, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Lin Fan quickly set to work, lighting the fire, adjusting the cauldron, and controlling the heat, concentrating on each step, not daring to slack off for even a moment. However, the art of alchemy was complex and unfathomable, and even with his solid skills and extensive experience, the process was full of twists and turns.

After months of torturous refining day and night, the furnace opened and closed countless times, and amidst the lingering smoke, Lin Fan felt exhausted yet also tinged with a sense of relief. Finally, seven or eight furnaces of excellent elixirs were neatly stacked in a jade box. The elixirs were plump and round, their surfaces shimmering with spiritual energy and exuding an alluring luster. Their extraordinary efficacy was evident at a glance. However, alchemy is a tradition where "one man's success is the product of countless sacrifices." Pile upon pile of discarded elixirs lay scattered beside the furnace, the products of failure. Once-spiritual elixirs, now reduced to useless waste, were a pity.

Lin Fan looked at the pile of waste pills on the ground, and suddenly a bold idea came to his mind: This Qiankun Creation Cauldron is extremely magical. If I put these waste pills in it, would there be a change in fortune? The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was worth a try. He immediately began to pick up the scattered waste pills one by one and put them away.

Filled with anticipation and nervousness, Lin Fan selected one and gently placed it into the Qiankun Creation Cauldron. Time passed slowly, and three days flew by in a flash. Lin Fan's hands trembled slightly. After taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the lid of the cauldron. A faint medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air, and the sight before him filled him with astonishment. The elixir, once dark and lifeless, had shrunk considerably, yet its appearance was completely renewed. Its surface was as smooth as jade, radiating a soft sheen, as if it had been transformed.

"This... this actually worked?" Lin Fan muttered to himself, feeling both excited and a bit worried. After all, this pill had a special origin, and he wasn't sure if it was actually safe to take. After much deliberation, he decided to find a small animal to experiment on.

Lin Fan, using his agility, darted out of the cave like a ghost. Soon, he caught a wild rabbit. He carefully crushed the elixir and mixed it with the rabbit's usual fodder. The rabbit was wary at first, but ultimately succumbed to the allure of the fodder and devoured it in a few mouthfuls.

Lin Fan stared intently at the hare, not missing a single reaction. As time passed, the hare, far from feeling any discomfort, actually grew more lively, its once dull fur now glossy and smooth. Seeing this, Lin Fan's heart finally settled. A flicker of determination flashed in his eyes. "It seems this Cauldron of Fortune is truly miraculous; it can even change fate with a useless pill. If so, I'll take it and give it a try!"

Lin Fan no longer hesitated. He picked up a spent pill, nurtured by the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, and tossed it into his mouth. The moment the pill entered his throat, it instantly transformed into a scalding heat stream, like a nimble fire snake, coursing through his meridians. Lin Fan didn't dare delay and quickly activated the Nine Revolutions Sword Technique. His spiritual energy surged like a surging wave, echoing the heat stream. As the technique was activated, the heat stream was gradually broken down and absorbed, transformed into pure spiritual energy, and integrated into Lin Fan's every limb. His body trembled slightly, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. Every inch of his muscle, every meridian, was tempered by the medicinal power, yet nourished by this power, it grew stronger and tougher.

Several hours slipped by, and Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes. A gleam of insight flashed in them, and his aura became noticeably stronger. His magic power had clearly improved a bit. He couldn't help but smile with delight. He hadn't expected this discarded pill, transformed by the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, to have such miraculous effects.

"If that's the case, then what about the effects of a normal pill?" Lin Fan's curiosity was uncontrollable, and he took out another normal pill. This one was round and plump, with spiritual patterns flowing on its surface, and a medicinal aroma filled the air. He took a deep breath, swallowed the pill, and then closed his eyes again, concentrating and beginning his refining journey.

Lin Fan could clearly sense the medicinal power spreading through his body. While the strength was different from the previous wasted pill, the increase in spiritual power it brought and the strengthening effect on himself were surprisingly similar. "The Qiankun Creation Cauldron is truly miraculous!" Lin Fan secretly marveled. With such a rare item, his future path of cultivation would surely be dramatically different.

Realizing it was difficult to explain such a rapid improvement in his magical power, Lin Fan pondered for a moment before setting his sights on the enigmatic "Nine Worlds of Reincarnation." He had always treasured this technique, and now it seemed the time had come to study and practice it.

From then on, Lin Fan's days became regular and fulfilling. Every three days, he would punctually begin a deep fusion with the medicinal power. In the morning, awakening from his quiet cultivation, he first pulled out a discarded pill from his Qiankun bag, which had been strengthened by the Qiankun Creation Cauldron. While this pill wasn't as potent as a normal, cultivated pill, it was gentler, making it ideal for daily accumulation and steady improvement of mana.

The pill entered his stomach, transforming into a trickle of spiritual energy. Lin Fan quickly activated his body techniques, guiding this spiritual energy to slowly flow through his meridians, nourishing every acupoint. As the spiritual energy seeped in, he could clearly sense his own mana quietly growing like a seedling in spring.

Once all the waste pills were consumed, or when he encountered a bottleneck, Lin Fan would swallow normal pills. These pills were cultivated by the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, and each one was filled with surging spiritual power, attacking the layers of obstacles on his path of cultivation.

Lin Fan immersed himself in the daily rhythm of cultivation, single-mindedly delving into the "Nine-Life Reincarnation Art." As time passed, his understanding of this technique deepened. With the combined power of elixirs and the technique, his mana surged like a surging river, and his strength unknowingly reached a new height.

In Lin Fan's tight and orderly training schedule, every seventh day marked a special day. On this day, the Taiqing Jade Purifying Bottle, carrying endless hope, would produce the miraculous "Taiqing Immortal Liquid" as expected.

No matter what state of cultivation Lin Fan was in at that time, whether he was concentrating on practicing the "Nine Revolutions Sword Technique" to break through the realm, or immersed in the critical stage of elixir refining, as long as he sensed the subtle fluctuations of the Taiqing Jade Bottle about to produce the immortal liquid, he would stop what he was doing without hesitation.

He quickly approached the stone platform where the Taiqing Jade Purifying Bottle rested, his expression solemn and focused. Carefully, he lifted the bottle, muttering something, mobilizing his spiritual energy to resonate with the mysterious power within. The bottle trembled slightly, and a soft, milky-white light slowly emanated from its mouth. That was the incomparably precious "Taiqing Immortal Liquid."

Lin Fan hurriedly took out his carefully selected elixir seeds, which, under his meticulous care, had long been gathering strength. He evenly dripped the elixir onto the seeds, and a magical scene unfolded. The seeds expanded and sprouted at a visible speed, their tender green branches rapidly sprouting, before blooming into gorgeous, alluring flowers. Then, heavy fruit hung from the branches.

"With these spiritual herbs, I have a constant supply of materials for alchemy." Lin Fan gazed at the vibrant scene before him, his eyes filled with joy. He knew that a sufficient supply of spiritual herbs was the cornerstone for improving alchemy skills and refining high-level elixirs, and this Taiqing Jade Purifying Bottle was undoubtedly his most solid support on his path of cultivation. After harvesting this batch of spiritual herbs, Lin Fan methodically immersed himself in the next round of training and preparation, looking forward to the creation of the next Taiqing Immortal Liquid.

(End of this chapter)