Chapter Forty-Seven: The True Art of Yin-Yang Convergence and Spiritual Control

Juxuan Pavilion, seventh floor private room.

Manager Liao knocked on the door. “Master, I have urgent news to report!”

A voice, cold and clear as ice, came from within the chamber.

“Enter.”

Only then did Manager Liao carefully push open the door and step inside.

“Master,” he began, “Fellow Daoist Qin just came to the shop to purchase spiritual materials. He’s preparing to advance to mid-grade alchemist.”

Gu Qingzhao was savoring tea and reading scripture. On hearing this, she sat bolt upright, her brows knitted as she fixed Manager Liao with a sharp gaze. “What?!”

Manager Liao hurriedly bowed and narrated the events in detail, leaving nothing out.

“You’ve done well in this matter. I’ll record it as a major merit for you,” Gu Qingzhao said. “Once Yunze Immortal City is completed, you’ll have a seat within the pavilion. Continue to foster good relations with Daoist Qin. If he visits again, report directly to me.” Her star-bright eyes flickered as if pondering something.

...

Qin Ming left Juxuan Pavilion.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he arrived at Su Yuqing’s residence with practiced ease.

“Brother Su, this is Bamboo Spirit Wine—its flavor is quite refined. I brought a jar for you to try,” Qin Ming said, taking the spirit wine from his storage pouch and handing it to Su Yuqing.

Su Yuqing’s face lit up as he accepted the jar, removed its seal, and instantly a rich, intoxicating aroma filled the room.

“What a fine wine! Brother Qin, you truly have no shortage of treasures! Well then, I’ll gladly accept.”

Su Yuqing had two great passions: alchemy and spiritual teas and wines.

Eagerly, he produced two wine cups, ready to sample the offering.

Qin Ming raised a hand to stop him. “Brother Su, I’ve come today to borrow your alchemy room. I’ve already tasted the wine myself, so I won’t indulge further.”

“Very well, go ahead. I’ll savor this Bamboo Spirit Wine.” Su Yuqing nodded, taking the wine and heading toward the courtyard. Suddenly, he paused and asked casually, “What kind of pill are you planning to refine?”

“Spirit Gathering Pill,” Qin Ming replied without hesitation.

“Oh—” Su Yuqing began, then abruptly raised his voice. “What did you say?! Spirit Gathering Pill? Are you sure?”

“That pill is one of the most difficult among all mid-grade spiritual pills.”

Qin Ming answered firmly, “I’m certain. That’s the one.”

He had his reasons for choosing the Spirit Gathering Pill; at present, it was the most effective pill for advancing his magical cultivation.

Just preparing the ten sets of materials needed for its refinement had cost him several hundred spirit stones.

“Well... all right. Brother Qin always likes a challenge.” Su Yuqing, unfazed, took the jar and went off to enjoy his wine.

Next.

Qin Ming entered the alchemy room, cleared his mind of distractions, and began to refine the pill with singular focus.

The formula for the Spirit Gathering Pill, along with its refinement process, was thoroughly detailed in Su Yuqing’s notebook. Qin Ming had rehearsed it countless times in his mind, long since committing it to memory.

With his strengthened soul,

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he extracted the medicinal base and prepared the spiritual herbs. These steps went smoothly.

He opened the furnace’s fire valve.

Boom!

A surge of blazing earth fire erupted.

Qin Ming started to control the flame, heating the pill furnace evenly.

When the temperature was just right, he gestured, and one portion of the prepared spiritual medicine flew into the furnace.

Now came the most crucial step.

Relying on his powerful soul, Qin Ming carefully manipulated the earth fire while merging the spiritual medicines within the furnace.

A long while passed.

Puff!

A cloud of acrid black smoke billowed from the furnace.

Clearly, his first attempt had failed.

Qin Ming had anticipated such an outcome. After all, refining mid-grade spiritual pills was far more difficult than low-grade ones. Success in one attempt was a fool’s wish.

Expressionless, Qin Ming began to clean out the residue, analyzing his mistakes, preparing for another try.

Time slipped by.

Inside the alchemy room, muffled sounds of failure echoed repeatedly.

He failed seven times in succession.

Finally, Qin Ming’s composure began to waver.

“Where exactly is the problem?” he wondered aloud. “I’ve followed every step precisely, almost to the letter.”

He was at a loss, stuck in a deadlock.

Without understanding the key issue, no matter how many times he tried, the result would be the same—failure.

Outside the alchemy room.

“How’s the refinement going?” Su Yuqing entered, hands behind his back, grinning as he saw Qin Ming’s sooty appearance.

He casually picked up a discarded pill, gently squeezing it and examining the blackened residue.

He held it to his nose to sniff.

After a while, Su Yuqing frowned, deep in thought. He pondered for a moment, then asked,

“How long have you been trying to refine this Spirit Gathering Pill?”

Qin Ming was puzzled. Whenever he came to refine pills, Su Yuqing usually paid him no mind. Today, he’d unexpectedly come in and raised a question.

Qin Ming felt a surge of hope and responded truthfully, “I started today—altogether, I’ve made seven attempts.”

Su Yuqing: “...”

“Only seven attempts, and you’ve reached this level?”

“Are you joking?”

Su Yuqing rubbed the residue between his fingers, letting the black ash fall away to reveal inside a blue, almond-sized semi-finished pill.

“You’re already a third of the way to success.”

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Qin Ming stared at the discarded pill and shrugged. “It’s probably just blind luck.”

He checked the rest of the residue and found that only the one in Su Yuqing’s hand was a semi-finished product.

Seeing this,

Su Yuqing’s face showed a struggle, hesitating for a long time before sighing deeply.

“Enough, Brother Qin. To be honest, among all the spiritual cultivators I’ve met, you have the highest talent for alchemy.”

Qin Ming: “?!”

He couldn’t help thinking to himself: If it weren’t for the attribute that greatly strengthened his soul, he’d still be wrestling with basic detoxification pills, let alone talent.

“The steps and process you’re using to refine the Spirit Gathering Pill are actually correct,” Su Yuqing said slowly. “You’re just missing one thing.”

Qin Ming felt a surge of joy; it seemed he was finally about to get the answer to the mystery he’d been unable to solve.

He asked curiously, “What’s missing?”

“I’ll demonstrate once. Watch carefully.” Su Yuqing moved to the table.

His entire demeanor transformed.

He began to refine the Spirit Gathering Pill.

Under his skilled hands, the spiritual materials were swiftly separated, his movements fluid and seamless, every step executed with effortless precision.

Within half a cup of tea’s time,

Chirp!

A clear sound rang from the furnace—twelve deep blue, premium Spirit Gathering Pills had just been produced.

With a wave, Su Yuqing summoned the pills into his hand.

Qin Ming was stunned; his own clumsy technique was no comparison.

“It seems... there’s a difference in alchemy technique,” Qin Ming ventured, voicing his thoughts.

He had clearly seen that, at the final step of merging the spiritual medicines, the quality should have been ordinary Spirit Gathering Pills. Yet Su Yuqing used a unique secret technique—just as the medicine was about to form, it separated again, then merged anew, adjusting until it was perfect.

Only then did he produce premium pills in one go.

Su Yuqing smiled slightly and nodded. “That’s right. This ‘True Formula of Yin-Yang Spirit Control’ is my exclusive alchemy method. It’s the insight I’ve gained through years of studying alchemy, and I’m constantly refining it.”

“As for its merging technique, I dare say, apart from myself, not even second-tier alchemists could comprehend it.”

“You’ve watched me for so long, but you’ve only learned the surface, not the essence.”

Qin Ming suddenly understood. “So that’s it.”

“I can teach you the ‘True Formula of Yin-Yang Spirit Control,’ but you must swear never to reveal it,” Su Yuqing said, his expression suddenly solemn.

Qin Ming was stunned!

His joy was overwhelming, but a sense of disbelief struck him: Such a precious secret—how could Su Yuqing share it so easily?

‘Could it be...’

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