Foundation Establishment Pill

A few days later, the Competition Festival began at Gyorei Cave. Those participating in the Martial Competition Festival went around to the far side of Mount Gyorei and descended into the demon realm, while those participating in the Elixir Competition Festival gathered in a room in the Main Hall.

However, it seemed there were few participants in the Elixir Competition Festival. There were only a little over a dozen in total. There were around twenty worktables in that room, and it seemed they would be making immortal medicine there. Elder Mon, who was in charge, entered the room. She was as beautiful as ever.

“I think this every year, but why are there so few who participate in the Elixir Competition Festival?”

Elder Mon, who excelled at alchemy, lamented.

“That is because there is little room for luck to play a role in it, so many give up easily.”

Lin Chenfa, Elder Mon’s direct disciple, answered.

“Even though alchemy is such an important field, it is truly regrettable.”

While listening to the conversation between Elder Mon and her direct disciple, I wondered what kind of task would be assigned, and then the Competition Festival began.

“The task this time is the Foundation Establishment Pill.”

The Foundation Establishment Pill was an immortal elixir with effects similar to the Qi Prosperity Pill. This Foundation Establishment Pill was famous as an immortal medicine taken by Taoist practitioners who trained in still art, where one sat in meditation and quietly refined qi. I also knew how to make it, and I had even made it once before.

“We will distribute the ingredients and the alchemy furnaces. Please refine the Foundation Establishment Pill using those ingredients.”

When I looked at the distributed ingredients, they were powdered Celtan Grass and Borbeek Grass, along with dried bear liver.

“Elder Mon, is this liver not a mistake? The Foundation Establishment Pill is made with the liver of a Red-Eyed Bear.”

Chenfa raised his voice.

“You noticed well. That liver is from an Iron-Claw Bear. However, it is incorrect to say that the Foundation Establishment Pill can only be made with Red-Eyed Bear liver. It can also be made with Iron-Claw Bear liver. Though doing so requires delicate control of qi.”

It seemed Elder Mon had raised the difficulty of the task.

“But… we were never told that.”

Elder Mon glared at her direct disciple.

“Of course I would not tell you. This is a Competition Festival, after all.”

Chenfa bowed his head.

“My apologies.”

Elder Mon looked around at everyone participating.

“You will now make the Foundation Establishment Pill, but the moment you fail, you are disqualified. Understood?”

After that, the refinement of the Foundation Establishment Pill began. When completed, the Foundation Establishment Pill became a beautiful orange pill. When I checked the ingredients, I felt that the medicinal herbs had been processed a little roughly.

I brought over a mortar and ground the ingredients into an even finer powder. There were participants who saw my work and copied me, but most of them crushed only the liver, put the ingredients into the alchemy furnace, and began the refinement.

I felt one of the male Taoist practitioners, one of those who had started the refinement after crushing only the liver, begin pouring qi into the alchemy furnace. The Taoist practitioners who seemed to be inner disciples appeared to have reached the Fifth Tier in qi level.

“Something like the Foundation Establishment Pill is easy. I’ll finish first and take the victory.”

Several people began pouring qi into their alchemy furnaces. Their qi levels seemed to be at the Fifth Tier or Sixth Tier. My qi level was also at the Sixth Tier, so there was no real difference in level.

The Taoist practitioners who had begun the refinement proceeded smoothly at first. However, a problem arose at the stage of extracting the components from the medicinal ingredients. They could not extract enough of the necessary components. Even so, they tried to force the Foundation Establishment Pill into being refined, and the ingredients burst into flames. It seemed that excessive heat had been generated because they had forcefully increased the amount of qi they were pouring in.

When flames burst from the alchemy furnaces, the Taoist practitioners cried out almost like screams.

“Those who have failed, step away from your worktables and wait by the wall.”

Elder Mon ordered. The Taoist practitioners whose shoulders had slumped moved to the wall and watched the inner disciples who were still continuing the refinement. By the way, I was the only outer disciple participating.

Every Taoist practitioner who had skipped processing the ingredients failed.

“In this Competition Festival, one of the tasks is also whether you can judge the quality of the ingredients.”

When Elder Mon said that, I heard voices saying, “No way…”

Those of us who remained began putting our processed medicinal ingredients into the alchemy furnaces and pouring in qi. Inside the furnaces, qi began to swirl, and the medicinal ingredients that had been added were caught up in the vortex of qi and floated into the air.

As the medicinal ingredients floated in the air, they were heated, and once they reached the optimal temperature, the stage of extracting the components began. It was at this stage that the Taoist practitioners before us had failed. When I poured in qi and controlled it, the components were extracted from the medicinal ingredients and began gathering together into one.

Then I reached the second critical point. The components were trying to become a pill, but they would not form a proper sphere. That was probably because the ingredient was not Red-Eyed Bear liver, but Iron-Claw Bear liver.

“It looks like I’ll need to pour in more qi and refine it that way.”

I steeled myself and began carefully increasing the qi. I could not afford to fail here. If I increased the qi all at once, I would lose control, so I increased it slowly while maintaining control.

“Uwah!”

It seemed someone had caused their qi to run wild. Flames burst from the alchemy furnace, and the medicinal components burned up. After that, one person after another failed. In the end, only Chenfa, Elder Mon’s direct disciple, and I remained.

And then, just for the briefest instant, I succeeded first and took the Foundation Establishment Pill out of the alchemy furnace. Almost at the same time, Chenfa also took out a Foundation Establishment Pill.

“It’s done.”

“It’s finished.”

Our voices came at the exact same timing. Elder Mon tilted her head. It seemed she could not judge which of us had been first.

“To me, it looked as though they were completed at the same time. The winner will be decided by the quality of the completed Foundation Establishment Pill.”

I might not be able to win. If the quality was to be compared, then it would come down to judging a very slight difference. If it came to that, the direct disciple would likely have the advantage.

Elder Mon picked up the two Foundation Establishment Pills and compared them. Chenfa and I waited tensely for Elder Mon to make her decision.

“There is only a slight difference, but I have decided.”

“Who is the winner?”

Chenfa asked, as if urging her on.

“The winner is Kou, the outer disciple.”

Chenfa made a face that said, “That’s impossible.”

“That can’t be right. You’re mistaken.”

Elder Mon turned a sharp gaze toward Chenfa.

“Are you saying that I made a mistake?”

“I-I’m sorry. I was so shocked by losing that I spoke without thinking. But please, I would very much like to hear the reason for your judgment.”

Elder Mon nodded.

“Very well. I will tell you the reason.”