Chapter 123: Alchemy Technique, Furnace Explosion on the Spot

Even securing a low-tier alchemist rank—a Ninth-Grade Alchemist—would provide Arius with greater security amid the chaos sweeping across Aragon State.

“Rise!”

With a thought, Arius enveloped the alchemy cauldron in a layer of spiritual energy, channeling heat-infused mana to summon a blazing spiritual flame.

His first attempt at refining pills—had begun.

Alchemy demanded absolute concentration.

A single moment of carelessness could lead to failure—or worse, an explosive furnace rupture.

Arius’ plan was clear:

• Master the basics of alchemy
• Then move on to artifact refinement

Generally speaking—

A cultivator who could grasp the fundamentals of alchemy would also be capable of forging basic artifacts.

However—

True mastery of artifact refinement was far beyond reach for now.

For the moment, his goal was simple:

To craft a personalized Natal Artifact, one suited for a Level 1 cultivator like himself.

As long as he succeeded, that alone would be sufficient for the time being.

Later—

Once his artifact refinement skills improved, he could re-forge and refine it further.

Of course—even if his skills proved lacking, he still had the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal.

One way or another, he would get what he needed.

Ideally, he would have sought an artifact master’s assistance to refine his Natal Artifact.

But in the current state of Aragon—that was impossible.

Aragon State was in turmoil.

Any cultivator with even the most basic forging skills had long since been recruited by feudal lords vying for power.

As for true artifact masters?

They were already overwhelmed with commissions, their workshops working day and night to supply the Eight Kings’ war efforts.

As for the alternative—randomly refining an artifact and binding it as a Natal Artifact?

Unacceptable.

A true Natal Artifact must be crafted to fit the cultivator perfectly.

Only then could it fully merge with the wielder’s essence.

In battle, many cultivators reserved their Natal Artifacts as trump cards, only revealing them in life-or-death situations.

With his decision set, Arius suppressed his distractions—

And focused entirely on the pill refinement before him.

The pill formula he had chosen—

A common Ninth-Grade pill, widely used by Level 1 cultivators.

Consuming it provided a minor increase in cultivation, making it a staple among low-level practitioners.

As long as he succeeded in refining three successful batches out of ten, he could easily pass the Alchemist Alliance’s Ninth-Grade Alchemist assessment.

In Aragon State, Ninth-Grade Alchemists were not particularly rare, but they were respected.

In Pyrenees Mountain County alone, there were:

• Dozens of Ninth-Grade Alchemists
• Three Eighth-Grade Alchemists
• One Seventh-Grade Alchemist from Albigensians Sect

While the Ninth-Grade Alchemist rank was not prestigious, it granted protection.

No matter if one belonged to the righteous or demonic path, very few cultivators would willingly provoke an alchemist.

Most alchemists avoided choosing sides.

Like the Alchemist Alliance, they remained neutral, providing services to both the righteous and demonic factions alike.

This was precisely why Arius sought to become an alchemist.

Once he passed the assessment, he would earn official recognition—

And with it, the privilege of neutrality.

Of course—

Passing the assessment would only make him a guest alchemist of the Alchemist Alliance, not a permanent member.

Even so—

During times of open war between righteous and demonic factions, guest alchemists were rarely targeted.

Only those who actively sided with one faction would be hunted down by the opposing force.

In contrast, neutral alchemists remained largely untouched.

This was because even neutral alchemists were considered valuable potential recruits for the Alchemist Alliance.

And in the world of cultivation—the Alchemist Alliance was a force neither the righteous nor the demonic factions dared to antagonize.

If the Alchemist Alliance ever decided to take action, they could wipe out every faction in the Province overnight.

For generations, the Alchemist Alliance had thrived amid endless chaos—

Because they were simply too powerful to be challenged.

If Arius didn’t have the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal, he would have unquestionably chosen to join the Alchemist Alliance permanently.

Even though membership required supplying them with pills year-round,

Even though failure to meet quotas resulted in severe penalties,

For most ordinary alchemists, joining the Alchemist Alliance was the safest choice.

Whoosh!

As Arius focused—

The cauldron’s flames blazed brighter, enveloping the Spirit Gathering Pills in golden light.

As time flowed steadily onward, Arius meticulously regulated the intensity of the alchemical flames, his mind focused entirely on the delicate process.

Following the ancient records, he added various precious herbs into the cauldron, one after another.

The air grew thick with a rich medicinal fragrance.

Even from a distance, his spirit beast, was practically drooling.

Over the years, Arius had invested a considerable amount of resources into Pyrenees.

By now, its innate talent had been enhanced to Earth Grade.

With greater potential, coupled with the steady supply of resources from Arius, Pyrenees had steadily advanced in cultivation.

Although it still resembled a housecat in size, far from its past form as a ferocious Black Tiger, its strength had already reached—

Bone Tempering Perfection.

A beast with Earth-Grade aptitude was comparable to a human cultivator with an Earth-Grade spiritual root.

Given enough resources, its future was assured—

• Level 2 was inevitable.
• Level 3 wouldn’t be too difficult either.
• With a stroke of fortune, it might even step into the Level 4 realm and become a true great demon.

Pyrenees King, Known as Aragay Pyrelis, stared unblinkingly at Arius, eyes filled with hunger and expectation.

And then—

The cauldron emitted a plume of black smoke.

A heartbeat later—

A deafening explosion erupted, shaking the land.

Boom!!!

The tremor rippled across the landscape, causing the very earth to quiver within a dozen-mile radius.

Heishan, sensing danger, bolted instantly.

There was no hesitation—only pure survival instinct.

“Cough… cough…”

Arius waved away the thick smoke, an awkward look flashing across his face.

His first attempt had ended in failure.

Fortunately, he had chosen an open area for this experiment.

If he had attempted this inside the De Molinos Family’s treasury, this blast might have leveled the entire vault.

Though the explosion hadn’t harmed him, the small lakeside pavilion he often used for fishing and relaxation had been completely reduced to rubble.

The man-made lake was now a wasteland, its surface littered with shattered lotus leaves and remnants of water lilies.

Countless fish floated lifelessly, having perished in the blast wave.

Arius furrowed his brows, replaying the moment in his mind.

“I must have been too hasty in withdrawing the flame.”

Yet, instead of frustration, his gaze remained calm and determined.

“Again.”

Without hesitation, he retrieved another alchemy cauldron.

As for the destroyed pavilion?

He barely spared it a thought.

Such structures were easy to rebuild—

A few logs, some hired labor… It wasn’t worth worrying over.

However, to prevent further collateral damage, Arius waved his hand, activating a protective array.

The lake itself could be lost, but—

Not the precious herb fields along its banks.

If those were damaged, that would be a true loss.