14: Chapter 14 Nine Revolutions of Crimson Patterns, Daoist Essence Naturally Formed!

An unimaginably potent aroma of qi gathering pills suddenly assailed Jiang Yuxue's nostrils, making even a Foundation Establishment expert like her heart skip a beat.

Her brows knitted together, and her sharp gaze instantly fell upon Duan Gujin in the corner.

Duan Gujin's face was smudged with a bit of soot, but his expression was focused and calm, even carrying a hint of something peculiar.

That shabby, gray Pill Furnace before him seemed to come alive in his hands.

The few low-quality fire-starting stones at the furnace's base were controlled by him with remarkable stability, the heat precisely right.

His hand seals for controlling the fire, though seemingly casual, were executed with deadly fluidity and precision.

With every finger movement, Spiritual Qi was injected into the furnace—not a trace too much, not a trace too little—as steady as breathing.

The flow of that Spiritual Qi even carried an indescribable, elusive charm.

On the stone table beside him lay a sheet of white paper.

Jiang Yuxue's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

She slipped over silently, stopping not far behind Duan Gujin, holding her breath as she watched.

Before long, she smelled a medicinal fragrance so thick it seemed tangible and so pure it felt as if her Soul was about to achieve Soul Emergence.

As the white steam dissipated, nine pill-sized, perfectly round, and smooth jade-white Medicinal Pills lay at the bottom of the furnace.

On the surface of each pill were nine faint cyan-colored veins, exuding an aura of profound mystery.

Jiang Yuxue's eyes nearly popped out of her head!

nine-revolution pill veins?!

Is this for real?

Only then did Duan Gujin notice someone behind him. He turned around calmly, his face wearing an expression of perfectly measured respect mixed with a hint of surprise at being caught.

"Elder, moving so silently, you nearly scared me to death!"

"The designated time for supplementary cultivation hasn't arrived yet, so this Disciple was practicing Alchemy here."

Jiang Yuxue had no mind for his pleasantries; her very Soul was captivated by the pills in the furnace!

In a flash, her figure appeared beside the furnace. With a beckoning gesture, a gentle surge of Spiritual Qi wrapped around one of the pills, sending it flying before her eyes.

The pill felt warm and smooth like jade. An absurdly pure, almost primordial Spiritual Qi, as if from the dawn of creation, fiercely assaulted her fingertip.

This sensation was more intense than all the qi gathering pills she had ever seen combined!

Her gaze sharpened like a blade, fixed unwaveringly on the pill suspended before her.

On the jade-white body of the pill, nine subtle yet incredibly clear, interconnected cyan pill veins, naturally formed as one, emanated an arcane aura that bordered on the Dao itself!

"N-nine-revolution pill veins?!"

Jiang Yuxue's voice was filled with shock and disbelief.

She concentrated Spiritual Qi at her fingertip and carefully probed into the pill veins.

It's true! Absolutely true!

She jerked her head up, her gaze shooting toward Duan Gujin like twin bolts of lightning.

The latter was still standing there, his face a mask of appropriate respect tinged with a hint of 'I know nothing' confusion.

Jiang Yuxue said excitedly, "Did you truly refine these nine-revolution qi gathering pills with your own hands?"

"Yes! I just finished refining them!"

"How did you refine them?"

"Just by following the instructions on the Pill Formula!"

"Where is the Pill Formula?" Jiang Yuxue asked urgently.

"The Pill Formula is right there, lying on the table!"

Jiang Yuxue immediately picked up the Pill Formula and began examining it carefully.

However, her understanding of Alchemy was limited.

She couldn't discern the intricacies within it.

She said, "You wait here. I'm going to fetch a second-rank Alchemist!"

"Alright!"

Jiang Yuxue swiftly departed.

Seeing her leave, a triumphant, cunning smile curled at the corner of Duan Gujin's mouth.

Not long after.

Jiang Yuxue returned, bringing with her a woman dressed in pink garments.

The woman possessed peerless beauty, her demeanor noble and elegant, giving off a feeling of pure, transcendent grace.

She wore a jade hairpin, and her figure was full and curvaceous, reaching a state of Perfection.

As she drew near, a prompt from the System sounded in Duan Gujin's mind.

[Target character detected!]

[Name: Shang Ruoni]

[Age: 39]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment, Ninth Level]

[Aptitude: High Grade Triple Spiritual Root (Water, Fire, Wood)]

[Submission Level: 0]

[Character: Pill Obsessive.

To her, a perfect batch of Medicinal Pills holds more allure than Spirit Stones, Magic Treasures, or even temporary cultivation boosts.

She would venture into dangerous places to find a specific auxiliary herb of a particular year, neglect food and sleep for months over an Epiphany in Alchemy, and even willingly test pills on herself to verify their properties.

Worldly affairs and power struggles pale in importance compared to a single line of fine print on a Pill Formula in her eyes.

Her dedication borders on obsession. Once she sets her mind on something, especially regarding Alchemy, not even nine bulls could pull her back.]

Duan Gujin's heart surged with wild joy.

This is truly 'searching far and wide to no avail, yet finding it effortlessly'!

Jiang Yuxue approached quickly with the woman in pink.

Before they even arrived, a cool, medicinal fragrance had already begun to permeate the air.

That woman was precisely the second-rank Alchemist, Shang Ruoni.

The moment she entered the Alchemy room, her gaze locked onto the still-warm gray furnace and the nine jade-white pills on the table as if magnetized.

She only gave Duan Gujin a passing glance.

"Junior Martial Aunt Shang, look at this, quickly!"

Jiang Yuxue pointed at the pills in the furnace and the Pill Formula on the table, her voice urgent.

Shang Ruoni's figure flashed, arriving beside the Pill Furnace, completely ignoring Duan Gujin.

She first swept a quick glance over the furnace, then, as if discovering a treasure, carefully picked up one of the nine-revolution qi gathering pills.

Her movements were even more delicate and professional than Jiang Yuxue's.

She brought the pill close to her nose and took a deep inhale!

Her usually cool eyes instantly lit up, like lanterns suddenly ignited in the night, filled with astonishment and excitement.

"Nine pill veins! Jade-like texture! The medicinal fragrance is condensed and lingering, the Spiritual Qi purity is astonishing! Simply unbelievable!"

Her voice trembled slightly.

It was a pure, almost reverent excitement.

After examining the pill, she finally picked up the Pill Formula from the stone table. Her gaze, sharp as a small knife, scanned the lines rapidly.

When she saw a few strange Spirit Medicine names and the line, 'The fire-starting requires the gentle infusion of Pure Yang Power; only when Yin and Yang harmonize can Perfection be achieved,' her brows furrowed, clearly puzzled.

Duan Gujin stood obediently to the side, but the little drum in his heart was pounding loudly.

He knew the most critical moment had arrived.

Shang Ruoni put down the Pill Formula, her gaze finally settling on Duan Gujin.

That look was no longer one of ignoring him. Instead, it scrutinized him as if dissecting a rabbit, filled with examination and intense curiosity, seeming to want to see right through him.

"Your name is Duan Gujin?" Her voice was cool.

"Yes! This Disciple is Duan Gujin, greetings, Junior Martial Uncle." Duan Gujin hurriedly bowed.

"Where did you obtain this Pill Formula?" Shang Ruoni got straight to the point, not beating around the bush at all.

"In reply, Junior Martial Uncle, this Disciple found it as an ancient, incomplete formula in a dilapidated cave. Having little to do lately, I've been pondering Alchemy, so I tried to complete and study it myself." Duan Gujin answered smoothly.

This reply was something he had prepared long ago.

Shang Ruoni's gaze remained fixed on him. "I ask you, how did you achieve such stability in controlling the furnace fire? Especially with these fire-starting stones—they're poor quality with impure heat output—yet you managed to make them as docile as a lamb?"

"This Disciple... this Disciple simply followed what was written on the Pill Formula, sinking my mind into it, striving to feel every subtle change in the flame, then using Spiritual Qi to guide and soothe it."

"As for the precision... this Disciple isn't sure either. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Duan Gujin adopted an expression of "I'm also quite clueless" and "trying hard to recall," packaging himself as a novice relying on intuition for Alchemy.

"Feeling?" Shang Ruoni's brows knitted even tighter, but the investigative desire in her eyes burned brighter.

She pointed to the key line on the Pill Formula. "Then, how did you interpret this 'Pure Yang Power'? And how did you infuse it?"

Note: The translation maintains the original meaning, context, and glossary terms (e.g., Pill Furnace, Spiritual Qi, Soul Emergence, Foundation Establishment, Pill Formula, Alchemy, Disciple, Pure Yang Power, Yin and Yang, Perfection, Alchemist, qi gathering pills, nine-revolution pill veins, Elder, Junior Martial Uncle, System, Aptitude, Spiritual Root, Spirit Medicine). Pronouns are used according to the glossary's gender specifications. No translator notes are included in the translated text.