After the duel with Randy, Kent spent a few hours with Ingrid before leaving to return to the Sword Gate.
He told her he was going into seclusion for about a week, so when he came out, he would visit her and her master, who would not be emerging from her own seclusion for the next couple of days.
When he got back, he immediately entered the Alchemy Tower, where he went straight to the pill room and prepared for his first attempt at concocting his first Tier 3 pill.
This was one of the requirements he needed to fulfill before he could become a Pill Grandmaster, where true pill-making began.
‘Qi Gathering Pill’
That was the pill he was about to make, and it was also the pill he had always tried to create ever since he became an alchemist.
He had chosen it as his go-to pill for when ever he was about to ascend the next stage of alchemy. His understanding was still limited, but he also wasn’t about to assume he was an ordinary alchemist.
He had the Primordial Alchemy records in his mind. This alone was enough to set him apart.
“If I manage to finish this, I can even concoct that pill and let Alina auction it during the Annual Auction. Though it will just be a Tier 3 pill, it will undoubtedly be a perfect pill, something anyone would kill for.”
Kent smiled and then started arranging the ingredients into six portions.
He wasn’t about to assume he could easily make a Tier 3 pill. He would need to focus more on understanding his flame and have powerful soul strength to back it up.
If he had these three things, he would also need talent and passion for pill-making. Luckily, Kent had all of these, but he still needed training, which in this case would likely involve burning a few herbs.
After arranging the ingredients, he lit his Blue Void Flame and began heating the furnace. He used the heating technique he had learned to speed up the process.
Kent had mastered some of the techniques in the Primordial Alchemy records, so his efficiency this time was much more impressive.
After the cauldron heated for a few minutes, he tossed in the first ingredient and started the process of burning and extracting the medicinal essence from it.
The process wasn’t as fast as before, mainly because this was a Tier 3 pill herb, and the focus and control required for it were not to be underestimated.
Kent focused on that, and slowly, he started showing signs of understanding something. He added the second herb, and then he began adding the rest.
Twenty minutes later, the last herb was tossed into the cauldron, and the essence was extracted. He then sighed and proceeded to the next step.
He started forming the pill while burning away impurities. This process was also the most tedious, as he had to be careful not to let the flame get too close or too far away.
Doing so would result in burning the pill, which, in this case, was not the best outcome any alchemist would hope for.
This process took close to an hour until, suddenly, Kent began using another technique after the pill was condensed.
This time, he was using a technique to eliminate all the impurities that remained after the pill was condensed but had not yet hardened.
This also meant it was his last chance to remove impurities, given the level of knowledge he had in pill-making.
The records provided everything any Pill Master would want to know in the path of alchemy. So, he was knowledgeable in this aspect.
But even so, he was still lacking, and that was evident, considering he was struggling to handle this simple task…
Close to an hour later, a puff sound escaped the cauldron, indicating the pill had formed, and the process was complete. He opened the cauldron and retrieved the pill.
Gaia was even a step ahead and displayed the details of his first Tier 3 pill concoction.
⟪You have successfully concocted a Qi Gathering Pill. Grade: Tier 3, Quality: Good. Purity: 89%.⟫
“Not bad for my first trial, really,” Kent smiled, reading the message.
He decided to try again, determined to improve his results. With each attempt, he focused more intently, applying the knowledge from the records and refining his technique.
On his second attempt, the process felt smoother.
He added the herbs with greater precision, controlled the flame more carefully, and removed impurities more efficiently.
When the pill formed, Gaia displayed the results:
⟪You have successfully concocted a Qi Gathering Pill. Grade: Tier 3, Quality: Excellent. Purity: 96%.⟫
“Better,” Kent murmured, pleased with the progress. He took a moment to analyze what he had done differently, then prepared for his third attempt.
“I knew the best option was to master the flame control. It proves to be the best decision I have made, and it’s now paying off quite well…”
Kent smiled and went ahead to give it another shot. Now that he had seen most of his mistakes, he was bound to succeed if nothing went wrong.
This time, he was even more meticulous.
His movements were fluid, and his focus was unwavering.
He adjusted the flame with precision and ensured every impurity was eliminated before the pill hardened.
When the cauldron released its familiar puff, he retrieved the pill, and Gaia’s message appeared:
⟪You have successfully concocted a Qi Gathering Pill. Grade: Tier 3, Quality: Perfect. Purity: 100%.⟫
⟪You have completed the third requirement⟫
Kent’s eyes widened in satisfaction. “A perfect pill,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “This is what I was aiming for. And all I needed was three trials.”
“Damn, I am good” Kent was very happy.
The process was now a part of him, allowing him to execute them flawlessly as if he had been practicing alchemy for years.
Feeling confident, he decided to attempt one final time to solidify his mastery. The fourth attempt was flawless, as if everything had fallen into place.
The pill formed effortlessly, and Gaia confirmed his success:
⟪You have successfully concocted a Qi Gathering Pill. Grade: Tier 3, Quality: Perfect. Purity: 100%.⟫
“Since I now have my first to success, why not make it four with the two potions of ingredients remaining?”
Thus, Kent started two more furnaces of pills, which, after 2 hours, saw him holding four Flawless pills in jade bottles.