Returning to his small courtyard as evening fell, he had dinner and then retired early to his room.
He carefully took out the alchemy notes left by his grandfather and studied them earnestly.
Rin Shigong had been a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist, capable of concocting most First Order elixirs. Within the Rin Family, he was regarded as their finest alchemist.
However, due to his inability to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had never been able to refine Second Order Pills.
Besides him, the Rin Family also had a First Order Higher Grade Alchemist, Rin Xingyuan—Rin Tianming's clan uncle. Ranked fifth among the Xing generation, he had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and was among the most talented of his peers.
In the Cultivation World, alchemists are highly respected. Whether they are low-order or high-order cultivators—or even among the demon beast races—all rely on elixirs for assistance.
For hundreds of thousands of years, not only had the number of demons and humans increased, but it had also become increasingly difficult for high-order cultivators to break through their realms. The primary reason was the scarcity of Spiritual Medicine resources.
It was said that tens of thousands of years ago, during the ancient era, the number of high-order cultivators in both human and demon races had been several times greater than today.
Back then, Spiritual Medicines and resources were abundant. The four great crafts—pill concoction, weapon forging, formation, and talisman making—all flourished to unprecedented heights.
But after hundreds of thousands of years of continuous mining and harvesting, resources dwindled. Many ancient pill recipes and concoction methods were lost.
Alchemists, however, possessed the ability to extract the purest essence of Spiritual Medicine, refining it into pills that not only preserved its power but also minimized side effects.
Thus, elixirs had always remained in high demand.
First and Second Order elixirs were still obtainable, often sold in markets. But Third and Fourth Order elixirs were far rarer, only found in large markets or auctions.
And since high-order alchemists were just as scarce, their value was immeasurable.
Cultivating an alchemist required enormous resources—every successful one was essentially forged from a mountain of Spiritual Medicines.
The other three great crafts were equally demanding, far beyond the reach of most Loose Cultivators.
In its eight-hundred-year history, the Rin Family had never lacked First Order Alchemists. Yet only two Second Order Alchemists had ever emerged: one Junior and one Medium Grade.
The reason was simple—the family's financial resources were limited. With many clan members to support, they could not afford the vast cost of training alchemists, which in turn hindered their chances of producing high-order cultivators.
The Rin Family's income mainly came from Qingling Bamboo, a First Order artifact-refining material grown on Green Bamboo Mountain. Each year, batches of Qingling Bamboo were sold as spirit materials, while some were forged into Spiritual Artifacts for additional profit.
The family had several First Order Artifact Refiners, and even a Second Order Refiner. Their signature product, the Qingling Sword, was both kept for clan use and sold to Loose Cultivators.
In contrast, alchemy was limited. The Rin Family prioritized elixirs for Qi Refinement cultivators, while Second Order elixirs—vital for Foundation Establishment—had to be purchased from the markets.
This lack pushed the family to nurture their own Second Order Alchemists.
Rin Tianming, along with his cousins Rin Tianhong and Rin Tianqin, all possessed Spiritual Roots suitable for alchemy. Young and full of potential, they became the family's primary focus for cultivation.
Now, as he studied his grandfather's notes, Tianming immersed himself in various pill recipes.
Fasting Pills, Qi Condensation Pills, Jade Detoxification Pills, Essence Replenishing Pills, Origin Expansion Pills, Barrier-Breaking Pills…
Among them, the Jade Detoxification Pill—a First Order Medium Grade Elixir—could neutralize most First Order Demon Beast toxins. While ineffective against the rare and powerful toxins of ancient demon beasts, it could at least suppress their spread temporarily. This made it a must-have pill for cultivators venturing into dangerous regions.
The Essence Replenishing Pill, also a First Order Medium Grade Elixir, rapidly restored spiritual power. A single pill could replenish nearly half of one's reserves in moments. Both the Essence Replenishing and Jade Detoxification Pills were consumable combat elixirs that could save lives at critical moments.
The Origin Expansion Pill, a First Order Superior Grade Elixir, cleansed the marrow and expanded meridians, strengthening the body and enhancing absorption of spiritual energy. It could even increase the Qi Sea and Dantian's capacity by ten percent—an effect considered heaven-defying.
In battle, even a slight increase in Spiritual Energy could tip the balance. Thus, the Origin Expansion Pill was among the most valuable First Order elixirs, though difficult to refine.
The Barrier-Breaking Pill, another First Order Superior Grade Elixir, contained immense Spiritual Energy. It could shatter bottlenecks, helping Qi Refinement cultivators break through. Each pill sold for hundreds of Spirit Stones and was instantly bought up whenever available.
Still, only one could be taken—additional consumption was useless.
The alchemy notes contained over twenty pill formulas widely known in the Cultivation World, as well as an introduction to hundreds of Spiritual Medicines.
To his surprise, they even described the Foundation Establishment Pill!
This Second Order elixir greatly aided Qi Refinement cultivators in breaking through, increasing success rates by forty percent.
But the main ingredient, five-hundred-year-old White Jade Grass, was nearly impossible to obtain. Difficult to cultivate, requiring rare conditions, and with low survival rates, only a few precious stalks could be grown in the family's spiritual fields.
Wild White Jade Grass was even rarer, long since harvested by cultivators, and now mostly found only in demon territories.
This scarcity was why the Rin Family had only two Foundation Establishment cultivators. The Foundation Establishment Pill was worth fifty thousands of Spirit Stones and was rarely seen outside auctions, where only major clans could compete.
For small families like the Rin, acquiring even one required decades of savings. And it won't result in guaranteed success.
Putting aside the precious pill, Tianming continued reading.
Since childhood, he had often helped his grandfather sort Spiritual Medicines and organize pill formulas. Under such influence, he grew deeply fascinated by alchemy, and his grandfather, knowing his years were limited, taught him everything without reservation.
Yet, despite his foundation, progress was difficult. That very day, he had used three sets of ingredients and only managed to produce a single flawed Fasting Pill.
Alchemy was indeed not easy.
Still, with his grandfather's patient instruction, his comprehension deepened. What he needed now was diligent practice.
Tomorrow, he planned to visit the Family Merits Hall, hoping to exchange points for an alchemy furnace and some Spiritual Medicines. After all, alchemy required not only ingredients and a furnace, but also Earth Fire.
Before Foundation Establishment, a cultivator's flames were too weak. Only with Earth Fire could alchemy and artifact forging be carried out. After Foundation Establishment, however, cultivators could wield their own Foundation Fire, far superior to Earth Fire.
Fortunately, beneath the Rin Clan grounds flowed a vein of Earth Fire, discovered and sealed by their founding ancestor. Formations had been laid to create several alchemy and refining chambers, sustaining the family's prosperity for eight centuries.
Back then, Ancestor Rin Duan, a Golden Core cultivator, had secured their position on Green Bamboo Mountain. The clan grew from a dozen members to nearly two hundred cultivators, alongside hundreds of thousands of mortals.
Though internal strife after the ancestor's passing nearly destroyed them, the family endured thanks to the protective treasures he left behind. United once more, the Rin Family slowly regained strength.
After hours of study, Tianming put away the jade slip.
He believed that with persistent effort, he would one day master the path of alchemy on his own. This was the advantage of belonging to a family—elders' experience greatly reduced wasted effort and mistakes.
Lying down at last, he listened to the rustling of the Qingfeng Bamboo outside his window. Fatigue overtook him, and Rin Tianming soon fell into a deep sleep.