The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 161 The Essence of Cultivation: Black Soil, Chalk, and Red—Great Creation

He said nothing more. There were no threats, no warnings, and he didn't even glance at Zhang Chang'an.

But Zhang Chang'an knew what he was thinking.

Although the warden does manage prisoners regularly and is quite strict, based on his current interactions, he feels that the warden is more of a researcher than a manager. Therefore, he needs efficiency more than authority and pressure.

That's why, if you're going to put pressure on him, saying it once in the office is enough.

Zhang Chang'an, or rather Zhang Lan, was a smart man, and he knew about this matter. He seemed to be just explaining his teaching methods, but the implication was self-evident.

He will teach the basics and is unlikely to urge Zhang Chang'an to start the experiment.

However, Zhang Chang'an only had four days. The later he learned the skills, the later he could participate in the experiment, and the less likely he was to help Zhang Chang'an achieve results.

If he hasn't even finished learning the basics in four days, the warden will have merely reviewed basic common sense. But he himself will face a different outcome.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chang'an understood all of this at the same time. The warden's next sentence followed immediately: "The original purpose of alchemy, and the essence of the technology, is just like its name: to refine gold from scrap metal."

This is called metal transformation. All the technologies that followed were extensions of this purpose. But no matter how they changed, the essence remained the same.

As he spoke, he operated the lamp, heating the liquid in the flask and causing it to bubble. The steam rose through the copper tube, condensed into water droplets in the condenser, and dripped into another container.

At the same time, Zhang Chang'an quickly opened the book in his hand and began to read while listening: "Equivalent exchange, whether you are someone like yourself or anyone who has even a little knowledge of alchemy, should know that this is the ironclad rule of alchemy."

But what alchemists truly pursue is value enhancement, turning waste into something better, or even creating new value out of thin air—that is, acquiring high value at low price, rather than equal exchange.

However, this goal can only be achieved when alchemy has developed to a sufficiently mature and perfect state. Therefore, current alchemy is still in an incomplete form, and equivalent exchange remains the ironclad rule.

Zhang Chang'an's gaze swept quickly across "The Original Text of Alchemy," trying to keep up with his pace.

But he soon discovered the problem.

The warden was right; he was using his years of experience to help Zhang Chang'an quickly and easily understand the knowledge in the book and the basics of alchemy.

However, it was so fast and so brief that it went a bit too far, with almost every sentence being a core conclusion that had been refined countless times.

But at the same time, the contents of the book "The Original Text of Alchemy" in his hand were far more complicated than the warden had described.

This book is likely an advanced review within the Alchemy Institute; it is a top-tier classic with extremely comprehensive content.

Alchemy has reached its twilight years, so in addition to basic theories, the book contains a great deal of extended discussion, differing viewpoints from different schools of thought, and various controversial interpretations of the fundamental principles.

In short, there are many extended explanations and contents, and many seemingly ordinary basic terms. Only after reading these contents can one truly understand them and then apply them to subsequent practical operations.

But the warden's explanation wouldn't wait for him.

He had to listen to the warden's verbal explanation while simultaneously supplementing his understanding from this massive tome. If the two sides didn't match, or if any link was broken, the rest of the story couldn't be connected.

Zhang Chang'an gritted his teeth and turned the page, a thought suddenly popping into his head: "What the hell is the difference between this and high school math class?"

"The core process of alchemy has always followed a three-stage logic."

The warden's voice was flat, probably because this knowledge was already common sense to him: "The first stage, commonly known as 'blackening,' also called 'black soil.' It's the appearance of matter burned to black ash in a crucible. It's all the residue, low-value, and impurities."

He added a pinch of powder to the flask, and the liquid immediately turned black and became murky, like a puddle of muddy water scooped from a sewer.

"The second stage is called albinism, or chalk. It's when the blackened substance, after certain processing and purification, is cleansed and appears white. It's like a soul being cleansed, impurities being expelled; it's the initial purification stage."

He turned a valve, and the black liquid flowed through a thin tube into another flask. He added something, and the color began to lighten.

But it didn't look like it had been dyed white; rather, it faded slowly, like layers of faded fabric.

"The third stage is reddening, also called cinnabarization. It is the final stage of the great work of alchemy, symbolizing perfection and absolute purification. The individual reaches a state of completeness and harmony, realizing the birth of divinity."

The liquid in the last flask turned light red, but it stopped there without turning completely red. The warden didn't add anything more; he just looked at it, remained silent for a few seconds, and then turned off the phlogiston lamp.

Zhang Chang'an repeated those three words, lost in thought. His gaze wandered in front of him. The air in the laboratory distorted slightly above the flame of the phlogiston lamp.

The distorted lines gradually took shape in his eyes, forming the outline of the family tree. His gaze settled on his own rank.

New burnt level, 22.46%.

The numbers aren't important; what matters is the preceding content.

The state of the variegated scale flashed through his mind again.

As mortals begin to be tainted by external things and come into contact with the extraordinary, their internal energy becomes mixed and impure, but they also gradually detach themselves from the mundane stage.

Newly heated gemstones, after being treated, have had all their external impurities removed, undergoing an initial transformation, much like a raw stone that has been polished and now shines with brilliance.

Recalling the introduction of these two stages, he suddenly realized something.

"Blackening, whitening, reddening. Impurities are purified and transformed, ultimately leading to perfection—aren't these the various stages of a cultivator?"

He turned his head slightly, then froze for a moment.

The warden had stopped his experiment at some point. He stood behind the lab table, a glass rod still in his hand, but his grey-blue eyes were fixed on Zhang Chang'an.

There was no hostility in his gaze, nor was he angry because Zhang Chang'an was distracted, but he clearly saw something in Zhang Chang'an's eyes.

Zhang Chang'an felt a chill run down his spine.

The warden glanced at him a few times, then placed the glass rod on the shelf and said, "A person with a certain level of expertise can notice this."

He turned around and took a flask from the shelf. The liquid inside was a murky grayish-white color. He shook it under the light.

"The process of cultivation is the same for any profession and any direction, just like the great creative process of alchemy. The only difference is that the object of cultivation is oneself, and the methods are also different."

"Mortals are worthless beings." He said this without any emotion on his face.

"Once you embark on a certain path, or even simply grow up, you begin to acquire various special qualities and characteristics."

At a certain stage, one will gradually detach oneself from the mundane world, until one accumulates enough to undergo a transformation.

After one time, there is another. That symbolizes perfect sublimation. In alchemical terms, it is the stage of reddening, where low-value things are ultimately refined into gold, or transformed into the Philosopher's Stone.

Zhang Chang'an felt that his thoughts suddenly became clear.

"So this is the true nature of cultivation—not just for alchemists. It's the same for other professions."

He could even directly apply the methods used in China to Taoist cultivation, if it were no different from those depicted in various works of art.

So, the mixed colors are the essence of the spirit, imbued with the spirit of heaven and earth, and transcending the mortal body.

The initial burning is like foundation building, laying the groundwork and completing the first transformation. As for the final stage, the Philosopher's Stone, refining gold—isn't that the Golden Elixir?

As he pondered, he brought his gaze back to the present. He subconsciously glanced at the warden out of the corner of his eye.

Zhang Chang'an had never truly fought or had any in-depth contact with this guy, so he didn't know how capable this warden really was.

But judging from what he just said, he probably hasn't reached the next stage yet. The president of the Royal Alchemy Society, the warden of the Bastille, a ruthless character who can melt a person with a single palm strike, is still stuck somewhere in the new burning stage.

However, judging from his previous words, the possibility that he might need to use his skills, and the fact that he was even more skilled than him, Zhang Chang'an immediately had a guess: "This guy—is he researching the Philosopher's Stone?"

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