Chapter 130 - The Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pill and the Lost Era
Chapter 130: Chapter 130 - The Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pill and the Lost Era
Lu Canghai returned to Quiet Jade Inn with a smile that could not be hidden.
He stroked his beard.
Tang Yuyan probably thought she had won the negotiation.
That was good.
From the beginning, Lu Canghai had never truly expected half.
He understood Tang Yuyan too well.
If he directly asked for thirty percent, she would cut him down to ten.
If he asked for forty, she would cut him to twenty.
So he asked for half.
Then he let her win.
A victory that still gave him what he wanted was not a loss.
As for the personal favor he added?
Lu Canghai’s smile softened slightly.
That was only a decoration placed on the table to make the deal look heavier.
If Tang Yuyan truly needed help one day, would he refuse because she had not spent a favor?
Naturally not.
But business needed business language.
Feelings could be hidden behind contracts.
That was how adults kept their dignity.
Just as Lu Canghai stepped into the courtyard of Quiet Jade Inn, another figure entered from the opposite side.
Li Xuanzong.
The two men stopped.
Their gazes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Li Xuanzong asked Lu Canghai.
"Managed to get ingredients?"
Lu Canghai’s smile widened.
"Yes. How about you?"
Li Xuanzong’s usually calm face revealed a rare smile.
"Of course."
The two old monsters looked at each other.
Then they laughed.
Not loudly enough to shake the inn. But loudly enough that the passing disciples immediately lowered their heads and walked faster.
When elders laughed like that, it usually meant someone else had paid the price.
Lu Canghai asked, "Where did yours come from?"
Li Xuanzong said calmly, "I visited a few sects connected to the previous demonic cultivators incident."
Lu Canghai’s eyes brightened.
"Oh?"
"They had been hoping I would not visit."
"That means you visited correctly."
Li Xuanzong nodded.
"I reminded them that Radiant Sky Sect still held records, ledgers, and evidence regarding their disciples’ involvement."
Lu Canghai stroked his beard.
"And they gave materials?"
"They were reluctant."
"Naturally."
"They asked me to hand over the ledgers and evidence I had with me."
Lu Canghai paused. Then his smile grew strange.
"And did you?"
Li Xuanzong’s expression remained righteous.
"I gave them what I had with me."
Lu Canghai stared at him.
Li Xuanzong continued, "The originals are in the sect archives."
Lu Canghai was silent for half a breath.
Then he laughed harder.
Li Xuanzong’s smile deepened.
"I did not lie."
"You merely answered exactly what they asked."
"They should have asked better."
The two men walked side by side into the inn, both in excellent moods.
One had purchased surplus from the Tang Clan before the market rose.
The other had turned old evidence into survival materials.
Both had acted fairly.
Mostly.
Radiant Sky Sect’s material stock had become abundant.
Not enough to waste recklessly. But enough to practice. Possibly enough for Ji Ruyue to waste.
...
A short while later, the five disciples were gathered.
Su Bai, Liu Meng, Ji Ruyue, Han Yuelin, and Qin Baoshan stood in the courtyard.
Li Xuanzong pointed at the sealed boxes.
"We have obtained enough materials for Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pill refinement."
Liu Meng’s eyes immediately brightened.
Ji Ruyue looked calm, but her gaze had already moved to the herb boxes.
Su Bai looked at the materials with quiet interest.
Han Yuelin looked at the boxes, then at Su Bai and Liu Meng.
"So we are refining pills now?"
Li Xuanzong nodded.
"Disciple Liu, Su, and Ji will go to the private pill-refinement hall nearby. Brother Lu and I will accompany you."
Han Yuelin pointed at himself.
"What about us?"
"You and Disciple Qin may do as you wish."
Han Yuelin immediately relaxed.
"Then I will cultivate."
Qin Baoshan nodded seriously.
"I will also cultivate."
Lu Canghai looked at them with approval.
"Good."
...
Soon, Su Bai, Liu Meng, Ji Ruyue, Li Xuanzong, and Lu Canghai left Quiet Jade Inn.
The private pill-refinement hall was only two streets away.
Naturally, the rent was not cheap. But compared to the price of failed Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pills, the rent felt almost kind.
The rented pill room was spacious and quiet.
At the center stood a bronze cauldron connected to an earthfire vein. Around it were jade tables, herb trays, water basins, sealed cabinets, and several small formation plates meant to stabilize temperature.
Liu Meng stood before the cauldron.
Her usual bright expression slowly settled.
The moment she touched the herb tray, her aura changed.
The cheerful junior sister disappeared. In her place stood an alchemist.
Su Bai watched silently.
This was Liu Meng’s first true attempt at refining the Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pill.
She knew the recipe. She understood the theory. But theory and refinement were never the same.
Liu Meng took out the main ingredient first.
A pale lotus-heart root.
Its surface carried faint white veins, as if moonlight had been sealed inside plant flesh.
Then came purification dew.
White jade marrow.
Miasma-cleansing flower.
Several auxiliary herbs followed.
Su Bai watched carefully.
He was not trying to copy ordinary alchemy.
He was looking for sequence.
For his Cold-Forging, the order of essence activation mattered even more than the flame.
The Nine-Severing Frost Pill had taught him that not every herb could be frozen the same way.
The Corpse-Chill Yin Pill had taught him that some essences had to be caught before they realized they were being refined.
The Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pill would have its own temper.
He only hoped it would not be as troublesome as those two.
Liu Meng raised her hand.
Her fire rose. It wrapped the bottom of the cauldron.
The first herb entered.
The scent changed immediately.
Liu Meng’s eyes did not blink.
She guided the heat upward in thin layers, coaxing the herb essence out rather than forcing it.
Su Bai’s gaze sharpened.
The lotus-heart root softened first.
Then the purification dew entered, spreading like mist across the cauldron’s inner wall.
White jade marrow followed, stabilizing the mist and giving it weight.
The miasma-cleansing flower was added later than Su Bai expected.
Right after the foundation had formed.
He understood after a moment.
If added too early, its cleansing nature would scatter the weaker lotus essence.
If added too late, it would fail to merge fully and only coat the surface.
This pill did not simply block miasma.
It created a clean inner foundation and a sacrificial outer protection.
Su Bai remembered that.
Ji Ruyue also watched closely.
Her expression remained cold, but her attention was absolute.
Inside the cauldron, the essences began to merge.
A faint lotus shadow formed above the flame.
Liu Meng’s fingers moved in small, precise motions.
One seal.
Then another.
The flame lowered.
Then rose.
Then lowered again.
Her forehead gained a faint sheen of sweat.
The first refinement was always the most difficult.
She had no rhythm memory yet.
Everything had to be handled through theory, talent, and calm judgment.
The lotus shadow trembled.
For a moment, the essence almost scattered.
Liu Meng’s eyes narrowed.
She changed the flame pattern immediately.
The purification dew rotated inward.
The white jade marrow pressed down.
The miasma-cleansing flower essence spread like thin petals.
The trembling stopped.
Lu Canghai’s smile faded slightly.
Li Xuanzong’s eyes brightened.
Su Bai nodded inwardly.
She saved it.
The final condensation began.
The lotus shadow shrank.
The cauldron gave a low hum.
A soft medicinal fragrance spread through the room.
After several breaths, Liu Meng opened the cauldron.
Inside lay one pale white pill.
The surface was smooth, but the lotus pattern on it was faint.
Low-grade.
But complete.
Liu Meng exhaled slowly.
"Successful."
Li Xuanzong smiled.
"Good."
Lu Canghai clapped once.
"Very good."
Liu Meng’s ears turned faintly red.
"It is only low-grade."
"It is your first attempt," Li Xuanzong said. "Success matters more than grade."
Lu Canghai nodded.
"Many alchemists fail their first attempt, blame the cauldron, blame the fire, blame the room, and then blame their ancestors."
Liu Meng smiled despite herself.
Su Bai looked at the pill with genuine admiration.
"Junior Sister Liu is very capable."
Liu Meng’s eyes brightened instantly.
"Senior Brother Su watched clearly?"
"I watched clearly."
"Then was there anything wrong?"
Su Bai thought for a moment.
"No. But the miasma-cleansing flower seems more difficult than the recipe suggests."
Liu Meng paused.
Then she nodded quickly.
"Yes. Its essence is too eager to cleanse. If not pressed by the white jade marrow first, it tries to scatter the lotus-heart foundation."
Su Bai’s eyes showed understanding.
So that was the temperament.
Ji Ruyue said quietly, "The flame changed seven times during the third fusion."
Liu Meng looked at her in surprise.
"Senior Sister, you noticed?"
Ji Ruyue nodded.
"The fourth change was to suppress the upper layer. The fifth was to pull the bottom essence back."
Liu Meng became even more surprised.
"That is correct."
Ji Ruyue lowered her gaze.
"I only guessed."
Su Bai glanced at her.
That did not sound like only guessing.
On the side, Li Xuanzong and Lu Canghai exchanged looks.
Their smiles gradually widened.
They had thought Liu Meng was talented.
They had known she was talented.
But seeing it directly was different.
A first attempt at a difficult survival pill had succeeded.
Even if it was low-grade, that was enough to prove her foundation.
Given time, she might not lose to many famous alchemists.
Lu Canghai suddenly sighed.
Li Xuanzong also sighed.
The two sighs came almost at the same time.
Su Bai looked at them.
"Did something go wrong?"
Liu Meng froze slightly.
Ji Ruyue also turned her gaze over.
Lu Canghai shook his head.
"The pill is fine."
Li Xuanzong looked at the single pill inside the cauldron.
"It is the world that is wrong."
Su Bai tilted his head.
Liu Meng’s expression became uncertain.
Lu Canghai pointed at the pill.
"Have you noticed? With one batch of ingredients, most alchemists today can usually refine only one pill."
Su Bai was confused.
"Master, is that not normal?"
Lu Canghai paused.
Then he sighed again.
"That is the problem."
Li Xuanzong said calmly, "It is normal now."
His voice became lower.
"But it was not always normal."
The room became quiet.
Li Xuanzong looked at the herb trays.
"In the past, a complete batch of spirit herbs could yield three pills at minimum if the alchemist was competent."
Liu Meng’s eyes widened slightly.
"Three?"
Lu Canghai said, "Six was considered excellent."
Li Xuanzong continued, "Nine was the mark of full essence extraction."
Su Bai looked back at the single low-grade pill.
Nine.
From one batch.
The difference was not small.
Lu Canghai’s expression became rare and serious.
"Before the Great Fissure, spirit herbs were different. Their roots held more essence. Their veins were fuller. Their medicinal nature did not scatter so easily."
Li Xuanzong nodded.
"After the Great Fissure, the world changed. Spiritual veins fractured. Earthfire weakened in some regions. Rain essence thinned. Many herb fields survived, but the herbs they produced were no longer the same."
He picked up a remaining auxiliary leaf.
"Most spirit herbs today look complete, but their inner essence is thin. Refining one pill from one batch has become the standard because there is simply not enough essence left for more."
Liu Meng stared at the pill in silence.
Ji Ruyue lowered her eyes.
Su Bai felt something settle in his chest.
The Great Fissure again.
Su Bai had thought the Great Fissure was a historical calamity.
But it was more than that.
It was still happening.
Quietly.
In every weaker herb.
In every reduced pill yield.
In every sect forced to pay more for less.
In every generation that thought scarcity was normal because they had never seen abundance.
Li Xuanzong said, "Only old medicines grown before the damage, or rare herbs more than a century old in protected lands, still carry something close to the old essence."
Lu Canghai snorted softly.
"And most of those are monopolized by ancient clans, Holy Lands, or sects that know how to smile while locking their warehouses."
Liu Meng’s fingers tightened slightly.
"So even if my refinement improves..."
"You can improve grade," Li Xuanzong said gently. "You can reduce waste. You can refine more steadily. But unless the herb essence itself is abundant, increasing pill count is difficult."
The room became quiet.