Qin Ning's movements were incredibly skilled and fluid, from dividing and refining medicinal ingredients to condensing the pill-refining flame and increasing the furnace's heat.
Each of these steps, for any other alchemist, would be like handling precious gold, slow and meticulously careful.
But for Qin Ning, everything was prepared in the blink of an eye.
This speed was truly astonishing!
"Oh, no wonder he's the one the Great Emperor prophesied about in a dream. Brother Ning, you're truly amazing!"
At this moment, Qin Xin-xin was utterly impressed.
Meanwhile, atop the wall of the small courtyard...
"Big Brother, look, look! Ning'er really is refining pills. His movements look ten times more skilled than those two, Xu Yuan and Chen Feng!" Qin Yuan-shan exclaimed excitedly.
"I see it, I see it all!"
Only then did Qin Chang-sheng's brows relax, a sense of relief washing over him.
"A blessing in disguise! Heaven has truly blessed my Qin family!"
"Clan Head, Second Master, what are you two looking for?" Just then, a servant passing by outside the courtyard poked his head in curiously, looking at them.
The Clan Head and Second Master were sprawled across the top of the wall, looking like two old men up to no good. What in the world were they doing?
"Cough cough..."
Qin Chang-sheng immediately climbed down, clearing his throat. "Nothing, nothing at all! The Second Master and I just noticed a strange phenomenon in the sky and wanted to observe it."
"Oh!"
A strange phenomenon in the sky?
The servant looked up at the sky. Not even a single bird was flying by; where was this "strange phenomenon"?
"Phew..."
An hour later, in the small courtyard, Qin Ning let out a soft breath.
At that moment, a fragrant waft of medicinal pills drifted out.
At that very moment, the pill-dispensing opening of the furnace opened, and three perfectly round, blue pills suddenly appeared.
"The Shu Gu Dan is complete!"
Qin Ning smiled faintly. It seemed this body had already reached the fifth gate of the Du Men realm, with spiritual energy gushing forth and accumulating densely. Refining pills now took no effort at all.
"Continue!"
"Continue?"
Qin Xin-xin looked at Qin Ning in surprise. "Brother Ning, aren't you tired?"
"Not tired!"
Qin Ning shook his head. "I'll be refining pills in the manor for the next few days. In a while, I'll head to the Ling Yun Mountain Range to find something, so I absolutely must prepare enough Shu Gu Dan for Second Brother!"
"Find what?"
A smile played on Qin Ning's lips when he heard that question.
"Something that was lost!"
Qin Xin-xin was bewildered, unable to grasp the meaning.
Qin Ning's words were becoming increasingly vague and elusive.
As the sun began to set, lights were lit in the small courtyard.
At this point, Qin Ning's complexion was slightly pale.
The pill-refining flame was formed by the sublimation and condensation of a martial artist's spiritual energy from within their body and internal organs. Pill refining required a continuous supply of this flame, thus consuming a vast amount of spiritual energy.
Even Qin Ning found this afternoon's refining session somewhat taxing.
Despite this, Qin Ning had reaped a considerable harvest.
And looking at the number of pills in the brocade box on the stone table in the courtyard, Qin Xin-xin was speechless.
"Shu Gu Dan, low-grade pills, thirty of them!"
"Tuo Men Dan, mid-grade pills, ten of them!"
Qin Xin-xin stared at the pills, utterly dumbfounded.
In just one afternoon, Qin Ning had refined twelve batches of pills.
Although he wasn't an alchemist himself, he knew very well that an ordinary alchemist, or even a high-level one, would find it incredibly difficult to refine twelve batches of pills in a single afternoon.
Even the three high-level alchemists of the Qin family couldn't do this; being able to refine three furnaces of elixirs was already impressive.
Yet Qin Ning's spiritual energy was so abundant.
"Xin Xin, give thirty Bone-Soothing Pills to Second Brother. Tell him to take one pill with each of his three meals a day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When he runs out, wait for me to return!"
"Alright!"
"These are Gate-Breaking Pills. Take six pills; give three to Sister Xin Yue, and you keep three. Remember, take one pill every three days. I believe that by the time I return, you will have reached the Fourth Gate realm!"
Hearing these words, Qin Xin Xin's eyes widened.
"Gate-Breaking Pills..."
Qin Xin Xin was stunned. Although he had never heard of this mid-grade elixir, Qin Ning would definitely not lie to him!
After seeing Qin Xin Xin off and closing the courtyard gate, Qin Ning let out a breath.
"My low-grade red pill-refining flame is still too weak!"
During his fifth life, he was the renowned Nine Origins Pill Emperor. Back then, his pill-refining flame was the Supreme Divine Flame, surpassing seven levels.
Compared to before, he was indeed far inferior now!
"One must eat rice bite by bite; impatience is useless!"
Qin Ning washed his face, shook off his fatigue, went straight to the courtyard, and began practicing the Tiger Roar Dragon Chant Fist.
Based on his current fifth-gate Du Gate realm, he could easily execute the first four Tiger stances of the Tiger Roar Dragon Chant Fist, but the five Dragon stances that followed were a bit forced.
After completing a round of the fist technique, he sat cross-legged on the ground and began to restore the spiritual energy in his limbs and internal organs.
Night fell, and Qin Ning let out a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a Gate-Breaking Pill appeared in his hand.
Qin Ning swallowed it directly. As the Gate-Breaking Pill entered his stomach, a pure surge of power began to spread.
In the initial Fifth Gate realm, martial artists use spiritual energy to affect their limbs and internal organs, whereas the Sixth Gate, Shadow Gate realm, uses spiritual energy from the limbs and internal organs to directly impact the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of the head.
Once the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of the head is unblocked, one can circulate spiritual energy more proficiently, to the point of being able to transform spiritual energy into physical objects.
Qin Ning swallowed another Gate-Breaking Pill. As soon as it entered his body, the Gate-Breaking Pill twisted the spiritual power within him into a strand, directly impacting the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of his head.
"Not enough!"
An hour later, Qin Ning frowned and swallowed another Gate-Breaking Pill.
"Still not enough!"
Three hours later, Qin Ning opened his eyes again and swallowed another Gate-Breaking Pill.
All three Gate-Breaking Pills had entered his stomach. Qin Ning did not stop, intending to continue breaking through directly to the Sixth Gate, Scenery Gate realm.
Cock-a-doodle-doo...
At dawn, as the rooster crowed, Qin Ning suddenly opened his eyes.
A stream of spiritual energy appeared in the palm of his hand, condensing into a dagger, which he directly launched outwards.
He chuckled softly. The tree trunk in front of him was pierced by the spiritual energy dagger, and a thumb-sized hole suddenly appeared on the tree.
"Spiritual energy materialized! The Sixth Gate, Scenery Gate realm, achieved!"
Qin Ning let out a breath, looked at the sky gradually brightening, and refreshed, sat down once more, swallowing the last Gate-Breaking Pill.
Although he had already reached the Sixth Gate, Scenery Gate realm, where spiritual energy could not only be released outwards but also transformed into physical objects, the Gate-Breaking Pill not only enhanced the effectiveness of breaking through gates and advancing, but also condensed spiritual energy.
At this moment, Qin Ning made a decision: to continue advancing and stabilize his cultivation at the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm.
The sky grew brighter and brighter. Qin Ning stood up, his complexion rosy.
He clenched his fists, a surge of boiling power welling up within him.
Normally, a martial artist who reaches the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm, would possess thirty units of horsepower.
While a martial artist of the Seventh Gate, Zimen realm, would possess sixty units of horsepower.
But now, he already possessed nearly one hundred units of horsepower, far surpassing a martial artist of the Seventh Gate, Zimen realm.
One hundred units of horsepower!
Night had fallen. Qin Ning breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a Gate-Expanding Pill appeared in his hand.
Qin Ning swallowed it directly. The Gate-Expanding Pill entered his stomach, and a surge of pure power began to spread.
In the initial Fifth Gate realm, martial artists use spiritual energy to affect their four limbs, five viscera, and six fu-organs, whereas the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm, uses spiritual energy from the four limbs, six fu-organs, and five viscera to directly impact the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of the neck.
Once the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of the neck is unblocked, one can circulate spiritual energy more proficiently, to the extent of being able to transform spiritual energy into physical objects.
Qin Ning swallowed another Gate-Expanding Pill. As soon as it entered his body, the Gate-Expanding Pill twisted the spiritual power within his body into a thread, directly impacting the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of his neck.
"Not enough!"
An hour later, Qin Ning frowned and swallowed another Gate-Expanding Pill.
"Still not enough!"
Three hours later, Qin Ning opened his eyes again and swallowed another Gate-Expanding Pill.
All three Gate-Expanding Pills had entered his stomach, but Qin Ning didn't stop, intending to continue breaking through directly to the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm.
Cock-a-doodle-doo...
At dawn, the rooster crowed, and Qin Ning suddenly opened his eyes.
A stream of spiritual energy appeared in the palm of his hand, condensing into a dagger, which he directly shot outwards.
He chuckled softly. The tree trunk in front of him was pierced by the spiritual energy dagger, and a thumb-sized hole suddenly appeared on the tree.
"Spiritual energy materialized, the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm, achieved!"
Qin Ning let out a breath, looking at the sky that was gradually brightening. Refreshed, he sat down once more and swallowed the last Gate-Expanding Pill.
Although he had reached the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm, where spiritual energy could not only be released outwards but also transformed into physical objects, the Gate-Expanding Pill not only enhanced the effectiveness of breaking through gates and advancing, but also helped condense spiritual energy.
At this moment, Qin Ning made a decision: to continue advancing and stabilize his cultivation at the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm.
The sky grew brighter and brighter. Qin Ning stood up, his complexion rosy.
He clenched his fists, a surge of boiling power welling up within him.
Normally, a martial artist who reaches the Sixth Gate, Jingmen realm, would possess thirty units of horsepower.
While a martial artist of the Seventh Gate, Zimen realm, would possess sixty units of horsepower.
But now, he already possessed nearly one hundred units of horsepower, far surpassing a martial artist of the Seventh Gate, Zimen realm.
One hundred units of horsepower!
This level of power was even comparable to a martial artist of the Eighth Gate, Jingmen realm.
That day when he woke up, the spiritual energy from the Divine Seal Pearl flooded his body, giving new vitality to his originally ravaged body.
Now, having advanced once more thanks to the Gate-Expanding Pill, Qin Ning understood that this difference was only natural!
Just as dawn broke, Qin Xinxin arrived, loudly shouting outside the courtyard.