Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

To delve into Daoist alchemy, one must first master its most basic theories.

In a traditional alchemy lineage, the most precious thing is not the pill formulas recorded within, but the alchemy experience systematically compiled by an alchemist, including the timing of adding medicinal herbs, the degree of tempering of the medicinal liquid, precautions for fusion, techniques for separating the pills, methods for controlling the fire, and so on.

For some common pills, such as the Qi Nourishing Pill, which is most commonly used by cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, the formula is not a secret at all. You can buy it at any store of a certain size, and the price is not as expensive as you might imagine.

There are many pill formulas circulating in the market, and they can be bought with some spirit stones, with almost no barriers to entry.

The real reasons for the scarcity of alchemists are, firstly, inheritance, secondly, spirit stones, and lastly, aptitude.

After a year of arduous training, Zhang Li's cultivation level has reached the second level of Qi Refining, which is enough to meet the basic requirements for entering the field of alchemy. However, he is missing a complete alchemy lineage.

In Hanxi Market, there might not be many shops selling alchemy techniques, so Zhang Li eventually entered a shop called Dan Ding Lou.

He knew a little about the background of the shop; it was the private property of a Foundation Establishment elder in the sect. The elder's family had some lineage in alchemy and specialized in alchemy business, and had a good reputation among the disciples of the Three Peaks.

The storefront of Dan Ding Lou was much more spacious than the shops next to it. Inside, rows of wooden shelves were neatly arranged. On one side, alchemy furnaces of different sizes were displayed, and on the other side, various finished pills were stored in jade bottles. On the innermost wooden shelf, dozens of thread-bound books were neatly stacked, which should be related to alchemy.

The shopkeeper was a young woman who looked a few years older than him, about eighteen or nineteen years old. She wore an elegant light blue Taoist dress and had a light blue spiritual herb hair ornament behind her ear.

Seeing Zhang Li enter, the woman stepped forward and said, "Junior brother, what would you like to buy? Our shop specializes in alchemy-related items, and we have all the common pills and spiritual herbs."

"Greetings, Senior Sister. I've come to purchase a scroll of alchemy techniques. I wonder if your shop sells it?"

Zhang Li was straightforward.

"The Dao of Alchemy? Junior brother, are you perhaps teasing me?" The woman frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"Senior sister, why do you say that? I really want to buy it." Zhang Li's expression was calm, showing no sign of joking.

The woman looked at Zhang Li's serious expression and then realized something. She sighed softly and softened her tone: "Junior brother probably doesn't understand the intricacies of this. The true inheritance of alchemy is the foundation for a family or clan to make a living. It is mostly passed down within the clan from generation to generation and will never be leaked outside."

Even within the major sects, only a few disciples who have passed the sect's examinations and been certified in the systematic transmission of alchemy are qualified to access it. Ordinary disciples, even those who have achieved Foundation Establishment, rarely get to see it.

Just now, my junior brother asked to buy the Dao of Alchemy inheritance. If this had happened outside the sect, he would probably have been kicked out immediately. In more serious cases, he might have been seen as coveting someone else's inheritance, which could have brought him considerable trouble.

These words shocked Zhang Li. He had never known these inner rules before, and he never thought that seeking a successor would be so sensitive, or even bring trouble.

Zhang Li quickly cupped her hands in apology, her tone tinged with regret: "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. I was completely unaware of these rules before and almost broke them. I apologize for any offense I may have made earlier."

Seeing his sincere expression, the woman waved her hand and said, "It's alright. As the saying goes, ignorance is no excuse. Just don't be so reckless in the future."

As soon as the woman finished speaking, she added, "But don't be discouraged. You can't buy a complete inheritance, but the shop does have some incomplete alchemy inheritances. They're only suitable for beginners to explore and aren't considered orthodox alchemy inheritances, but they all have their merits. Do you want them?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li's eyes lit up, and he said, "I want it."

The woman turned around and took out a yellowed booklet from the innermost wooden shelf, handing it to Zhang Li. "This is the book, 'Detailed Explanation of Qinghe Dandao.' My father obtained it by accident in his early years, but the contents are severely missing. Most of the content in the latter half, which is about dividing the pill and controlling the fire, is missing. Only the records of identifying the medicine and refining the medicine are left. It can only be used as a foundation for beginners."

Zhang Li reached out and took the booklet, his fingertips touching the rough, brittle pages, and eagerly flipped through it.

The book begins by clearly listing the medicinal properties and harvesting and processing methods of dozens of first-tier spiritual herbs. It also briefly describes the steps of preheating the alchemy furnace and refining pills. However, when you turn to the middle of the book, the page suddenly stops, and the steps of changing the heat, mixing the medicinal liquids, and condensing the pills that should have been recorded are all missing.

However, even with such a loss, it is still quite valuable to Zhang Li.

"How much does this detailed explanation cost?" Zhang Li asked, looking up.

The woman spoke calmly: "Incomplete items are naturally not expensive; you can take them away for fifty low-grade spirit stones. However, I must make it clear to you in advance that most of the core content is missing. With just this booklet, it will be difficult to refine a complete pill on your own. If you really want to delve deeper into the Dao of Alchemy in the future, you will still have to find another complete book."

"No problem, I'll buy this detailed explanation."

Then, Zhang Li thought for a moment and asked, "Are there any basic introductory texts like 'Introduction to Alchemy'?"

"Of course, it's available for ten spirit stones," the woman nodded.

As he spoke, he took down a yellowed book from the inner bookshelf; the title of the book was "An Introduction to Daoist Alchemy".

Upon seeing this, Zhang Li immediately took out sixty low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and placed them on the counter.

After the woman finished counting, she handed the two books to Zhang Li: "If you ever need any medicinal herbs or alchemy furnaces in the future, feel free to come back to Dan Ding Lou. We will buy the finished pills you produce at a high price."

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Zhang Li bowed in thanks, put away the book, and turned to leave the Pill Cauldron Tower.

Although he failed to obtain the complete Daoist alchemy inheritance as he wished, this incomplete handbook was enough to solve his immediate problem.

……

Speechless all the way.

Back in his courtyard, after drinking a glass of water and resting for a while, Zhang Li took out the book "Introduction to Alchemy".

As the saying goes, if the foundation is not solid, the ground will shake.

Zhang Li has black fields that can accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs. Although he can refine pills at no cost, he cannot be careless if he wants to refine good pills and make greater profits from them.

"Looks like I need to put in the same effort I did before the college entrance exam back then."

Looking at the three-finger-thick initial understanding of alchemy, Zhang Li murmured.

Over the next period of time, Zhang Li started with basic theory, then moved on to explanations of pharmacology, changes in medicinal properties, information on common spiritual herbs, and basic methods of condensing, separating, and controlling fire, studying them diligently from the basics to the advanced.

Aside from practicing and resting, I spent the rest of my time studying these two books.

Having attended school for over twenty years and received a systematic education, they had long since developed the habit of organizing and summarizing knowledge points, making them clear-headed and quick learners.