186: Chapter 186 Industrialization of Alchemy: Assembly Line Alchemy
After the Blazing Fire Sect's 'red boxer shorts fleet' fled in disarray, the Heavenly River Sword Sect entered a brief but wild celebration.
The Sword Cultivators hugged their still-warm 'Electromagnetic Sword Boxes,' wishing they could cuddle them even while sleeping; the Formation Masters surrounded the leaking 'Heavenly Tribulation Battery,' their eyes glowing green as they planned how to capture the next 'wild Heavenly Tribulation.'
Only the Disciples of Dan Ding Peak stood in a corner, looking at the traditional Pill Furnaces still emitting black smoke in their hands, their faces etched with loss and anxiety.
"Senior Brother, look at Ye Guyun and those sword fanatics; they walk with such a swagger now, noses pointed to the sky."
A Body Cultivator Disciple said sourly, unconsciously rubbing a failed Medicinal Pill in his hand.
"Before, they begged us for Alchemy. Now, they have the 'Electromagnetic Cannon.' They say this thing can not only kill people but also grill meat; they don't need Pill Fire anymore."
"Are we Body Cultivators really going to be eliminated by the times?"
Just as this pessimistic sentiment spread across Dan Ding Peak...
"Eliminated?"
A faint voice sounded behind the crowd.
Li Mo, wearing a hazmat suit (actually heavily modified leather armor) and goggles, had appeared on the Dan Ding Peak plaza at some unknown time.
Behind him followed Junior Sister Liu, her face fanatical, carrying that 'explosion-proof high-pressure cooker' on her back.
"Alchemy will never be eliminated."
Li Mo scanned the dejected Body Cultivators and pushed up the goggles on his nose.
"What will be eliminated are backward productivity methods like your... handicraft workshops."
The Head of Dan Ding Peak, an elderly man with white hair who had spent his life immersed in the 'Metaphysics of Alchemy'—Dan Chenzi—couldn't help but step forward.
"Old Ancestor! You can insult the Disciple's cultivation, but you cannot insult Alchemy!"
Dan Chenzi was so angry his beard trembled: "Alchemy is an art of communicating with heaven and earth! It requires sincerity, proper heat control, and Opportunity! The birth of every supreme-grade Medicinal Pill is a unique miracle! How can you call it a workshop?"
"A miracle?"
Li Mo scoffed and casually picked up a black pellet from a nearby basket of failed pills.
"Uneven color means insufficient mixing."
"Cracks on the surface mean the cooling temperature difference was too large."
"It smells scorched, meaning localized uneven heating—the Maillard reaction was excessive."
Li Mo exerted force with his fingers, and the failed Medicinal Pill turned to dust.
"I don't want miracles."
"I want... standardization."
"I want a result where even a monkey operating it, as long as it presses the button, produces Medicinal Pills of exactly the same perfect quality."
Dan Chenzi was stunned: "A monkey? A button? How is that possible..."
"Nothing is impossible."
Li Mo waved his hand grandly.
"Issue a decree."
"Effective immediately, Dan Ding Peak is closed for systematic overhaul."
"Throw away all those annoying broken furnaces and broken fans of yours!"
"We are going to implement—industrialization."
...
After half an hour.
The main hall of Dan Ding Peak, the 'Shennong Hall,' was completely dismantled beyond recognition.
The solemn hall, which originally housed the portrait of Shennong and was shrouded in incense smoke, had been transformed into a giant... chemical laboratory.
The rows of antique bronze Pill Furnaces were gone.
In their place stood an array of reaction vessels constructed from transparent crystal (a glass substitute), high-temperature resistant ceramics, and complex metal piping.
"What is this?"
Dan Chenzi stared at the giant, steaming, gurgling transparent tank, completely bewildered.
"This is a Spiritual Liquid Extraction Tower."
Li Mo held a pointer and indicated the structure inside the tank.
"In the past, when you refined pills, you threw all the herbs into the furnace to burn. That was chaotic stewing! That was wasting resources!"
"The active components in herbs, such as alkaloids and glycosides, have different boiling points."
"We must use the principle of fractional distillation to separate them layer by layer."
Li Mo pointed to a set of giant centrifuges next to it—these were high-speed rotating discs driven by several Wind Formations.
"And this, the centrifugal separator."
"Stop squeezing out the medicinal juice by hand! Isn't that dirty? From now on, all herbs will first be crushed, then centrifuged to fling out the Impurities, leaving only the essence."
Dan Chenzi listened, completely lost, but when he saw the medicinal liquid spun out by the centrifuge, as pure as jade, he fell silent.
He had refined pills his entire life and had never seen such pure medicinal liquid.
Previously, to purify this small bottle, he needed to guard the furnace for forty-nine days, slowly simmering it over a low fire.
But now... it only took a few turns of that wheel? The time it takes to drink a cup of tea?
"But this is only the first step."
Li Mo walked to the center of the hall.
There lay a long assembly line connected by conveyor belts (Tread Array).
"Dan Chenzi, how many batches of Rejuvenation Pills could you refine in a day before?" Li Mo asked.
"Replying to the Old Ancestor, if my condition was excellent, perhaps... three batches. Ten pills per batch," Dan Chenzi replied with some pride.
"Thirty pills?"
Li Mo shook his head and held up one finger.
"Too few."
"My goal is: three thousand pills per hour."
"What?!"
Dan Chenzi nearly popped his eyeballs out. "Three thousand pills? Even if a Pill Saint were alive, rubbing his hands until sparks flew, he couldn't produce that many!"
"Pill Saints use their hands to rub."
"We use—molds."
Li Mo snapped his fingers.
Junior Sister Liu, who was already prepared, excitedly activated the main switch.
Buzz—!!!
The entire hall instantly vibrated.
It was no longer the mysterious vibration of Dao rhyme, but the roar of mechanical operation.
The first process: the giant reaction vessel mixed the purified medicinal liquid according to the precise ratios of a chemical equation.
There was no mention of 'a little bit' or 'appropriate amount.'
A balance array precise to the milligram monitored nearby; an alarm would sound if even one drop was extra.
The mixed medicinal paste flowed through the pipes to the second process—the high-pressure molding machine.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The machine pulsed rhythmically.
A huge honeycomb mold descended and then lifted.
The once shapeless medicinal paste instantly transformed into one hundred perfectly round, plump pills of exactly the same size.
Next was the third process—drying and coating.
A hot air Formation blew over, carrying away the moisture on the surface of the pills. Subsequently, a thin layer of sugar coating (specially added by Li Mo to improve the taste) was evenly sprayed on the surface.
Finally...
At the end of the conveyor belt.
Rejuvenation Pills, emitting a faint green luster and even bearing the 'Tianhe Pharmaceuticals' anti-counterfeiting steel stamp, poured down like rain into a giant collection bin.
"This..."
Dan Chenzi walked over tremblingly and picked up one pill.
He didn't need to probe with his Divine Sense; just by looking at the color and smelling the scent, he knew this was... a supreme-grade Rejuvenation Pill.
Moreover, this entire box, thousands of pills, were all supreme-grade!
Not a single failed pill!
"This... this doesn't conform to the Heavenly Dao..."
Dan Chenzi muttered to himself, his worldview collapsing at that moment.
"No sincerity leads to efficacy... No chance occurrences... Just like that... with a loud bang, the Medicinal Pills appeared?"
"This is the power of industrialization."
Li Mo walked up to him and patted the old man's shoulder.
"Dan Chenzi, the 'Dao' you pursued your whole life is actually within the roar of these machines."
"The Dao is not vague luck."
"The Dao is precision, efficiency, and reproducible truth."
"From today onward, the Heavenly River Sword Sect no longer needs to rely on the heavens' mood to take medicine."
"We will make supreme-grade Medicinal Pills as cheap as cabbage."
Dan Chenzi trembled all over.
He looked at the continuously rolling Medicinal Pills and suddenly knelt down with a 'thud.'
Tears streamed down his face.
"Disciple... has comprehended!"
"To hell with 'a little bit'! To hell with 'Opportunity'!"
"This old man wants to learn this! This old man wants to learn how to drive an excavator... oh wait, drive a centrifuge!"
Seeing this scene, Li Mo nodded with satisfaction.
The ideological work was done; the rest would be easy.
"Since you have comprehended, don't stand idle."
Li Mo pulled out a thick book, 'Principles of Chemical Engineering (Cultivation Edition),' and a copy of 'Workshop Management Regulations' from his robes.
"Dan Ding Peak is immediately renamed—Tianhe First Pharmaceutical Factory.'"
"Dan Chenzi serves as the Factory Director, and Junior Sister Liu serves as the Chief Engineer.'"
"The current mission: fully produce 'Rejuvenation Capsules,' 'Explosive Spirit Tablets' (a compressed Spiritual Qi bomb), and... 'Great Strength Pills' (a stimulant exclusively for Body Cultivators)."
"Remember our slogan: Never blow up the furnace! Unless it's to hear the bang!"
...
In the following few days.
The atmosphere of the Heavenly River Sword Sect shifted strangely again.
The once ethereal and fragrant Dan Ding Peak had completely changed.
Several giant chimneys shot up from the ground, continuously spewing white exhaust gas (water vapor) filtered by Formations day and night.
The melodious sound of bells no longer came from the mountain peak, but rather the rhythmic, metallic 'clank, clank' roar of machinery.
The Disciples no longer wore flowing Daoist robes.
Instead, they changed into neat, uniform white coats, wearing masks and goggles, carrying clipboards, and rushing through various workshops.
"Reaction Vessel No. 3's temperature is too high! Quickly activate the condensation cycle!"
"Assembly Line No. 2 is short on materials! Hurry to the Spiritual Plant Garden to urge them!"
"Quality Inspection Team! The hardness of this batch of Great Strength Pills is insufficient; they might chip teeth. Send them back for reprocessing!"
A feeling called 'urgency' and 'discipline' replaced the previous laxity.
The consequence of this change was astonishing.
The Heavenly River Sword Sect's Medicinal Pill reserves surged at a terrifying speed.
Previously, Inner Sect Disciples could only receive three Rejuvenation Pills per month and were reluctant to use them even when injured.
Now?
Rejuvenation Pills were distributed by the pound.
When Disciples went out on missions, they felt embarrassed to greet others if they didn't carry two bottles of 'Supreme-Grade Rejuvenation Capsules' in their pockets.
Furthermore, due to overproduction, Li Mo had to initiate an 'Medicinal Pill Export Business.'
Of course, the exported items were all 'substandard' (which were the previous excellent grades); the true supreme-grade industrial pills were strategic materials and not for external sale.
...
Scripture Pavilion, Top Floor.
Li Mo stood by the window and took a deep breath.
The air no longer carried the faint fragrance of herbs; instead, it was replaced by a pungent smell mixed with ethanol, sulfur, and a certain acidic reagent.
This smell was not pleasant.
But to Li Mo's nose, it was the most fragrant smell in the world.
It was the fragrance of industry.
"Squeak. (Boss, this smell is a bit pungent on the nose.)"
Squeak, wearing a small gas mask, complained in a muffled voice.
"Endure it."
Li Mo said faintly, "This smell represents us becoming stronger."
He glanced at the System panel.
Following the commissioning of the 'Tianhe First Pharmaceutical Factory,' large amounts of 'Daily Production Reports,' 'Quality Inspection Reports,' and 'Process Improvement Plans' flooded into the Scripture Pavilion like snowflakes.
[Reading 'Rejuvenation Pill Assembly Line Process Optimization Book.' Extracted White Entry: Mass Production (Elementary).]
[Reading 'Spiritual Liquid Extraction Tower Operation Manual.' Extracted Blue Entry: Essence Refinement.]
[Reading 'Dan Ding Peak Environmental Pollution Control Report.' Extracted Gray Entry: Toxin Resistance Physique.]
Although most were auxiliary entries, they were plentiful and satisfying.
Moreover, Li Mo vaguely felt that as the 'industrialization' level of the entire Sect deepened, the rules of this world... seemed to be generating a subtle 'recognition' towards him.
Or perhaps, 'compromise.'
"However, medicine alone is not enough."
Li Mo's gaze turned towards the workshop where the busy Junior Sister Liu was located.
That area was the 'Specialty Chemical Workshop,' the most dangerous place in the entire Dan Ding Peak, with a skull sign hanging at the entrance reading 'No Open Flames.'
"What is Junior Sister Liu researching recently?" Li Mo asked.
"Squeak. (Heard it's an upgraded version of that 'Nitroglycerin.')"
Squeak said, "She thinks liquids are inconvenient to carry and is trying to solidify it. Something like... TNT?"
Li Mo's eye twitched.
TNT?
Trinitrotoluene?
Did this girl intend to blow up Dan Ding Peak?
"As long as no one gets blown up, let her be."
Li Mo rubbed his temples.
"The path of science always has the fireworks of explosions."
"Besides, we really need a conventional weapon that is cheaper, more widespread, and has a larger blast radius than the 'Electromagnetic Cannon.'"
"If we can make TNT the size of a Medicinal Pill..."
"In the future, when Disciples meet, they won't need to draw swords; they can just scatter a handful of 'Medicinal Pills' out..."
Li Mo imagined the scene:
Two armies facing each other.
The opponent's Sword Immortals arrive riding their swords, their Auras majestic.
Here, the Tianhe Disciples chuckle, pull out a handful of colorful 'candies,' and scatter them into the sky.
Then they turn around and cover their ears.
Rumble—!!!
"That scene must be beautiful."
Li Mo's lips curved into a devilish smile.
"Send a message to Junior Sister Liu."
"Tell her not to focus only on power; safety first."
"Also, tell her if she can adjust the color of the explosion to be rainbow-colored, she gets extra points on her year-end assessment."
"After all, we must carry the aesthetic of violence to the very end."
Just then.
"Boom!!!"
A loud explosion came from the direction of the Specialty Workshop.
A small mushroom cloud rose into the sky, even carrying a slight pink halo.
Li Mo's teacup didn't even shake.
He glanced at the mushroom cloud and nodded in satisfaction.
"It seems she heard me."
"This is the cheer of chemistry."
"It is also the countdown bell for the old era."