Chapter 21: You Cannot Kill Him! That Is an Alchemist!

Liang Chuan rubbed his hands together subconsciously in excitement. "It’s finally here! With this, I can begin cultivating disciples on a massive scale!"

At the thought of this, his heart rate quickened.

*Basic Theory and Design of Foundation Establishment Pill Production Lines* was, in the modern era, nothing special; many pill factories could purchase this book to set up their operations. After all, spiritual energy was scarce in the modern world, leading to a surge in the variety of pills designed to supplement it.

He had chosen this specific topic after long deliberation. If he were to build a weapons production line, the investment in time and resources would be far too great. Furthermore, the craftsmanship required for weapons was overly complex; even for someone like Elder Luo, forging them by hand was a challenge. Only simple processes, like the manufacturing of bullets, were feasible to produce on his own. Mass production of weapons had to be shelved for the time being.

Moreover, weapons could not be mass-produced for profit, and the sect was currently in need of funds for expenses everywhere. Compared to weapons, Foundation Establishment Pills were much more relevant to the sect's current situation. Many disciples in the White Sword Sect were already at the late stage of the Qi Refining period, and all they lacked was the Foundation Establishment Pill.

In the modern world, these pills were indeed abundant, but here, the price was exorbitant. Even then, one often had to wait just to purchase a single pill. There were simply too few sects capable of refining them. Even when he and his junior sister had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, their master had traveled far and wide, spending a massive amount of spiritual stones just to acquire them. Coupled with the recent relaxation of spiritual stone policies and the twenty-four-hour availability of the Spirit Chambers, the demand from disciples would inevitably rise. Foundation Establishment Pills were exactly the resource they needed most.

After weighing all these factors, he had opted for this pill—a staple with high demand, indispensable to most sects and rogue cultivators alike.

Liang Chuan picked up the book, took a deep breath, and slowly opened it. Although it was not a rarity in the modern age, the cost to acquire such production techniques still required over half a million spiritual stones.

He spent over an hour browsing through the book. The more he read, the more he found himself nodding in approval. It contained not just the methods for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, but a history of how the cultivation world had progressed toward modernization.

Closing the book, Liang Chuan sighed, "I have to admit, looking at the historical progression, it really took a long time to reach the point of assembly-line production."

From the primitive days of traditional alchemy to one person controlling multiple furnaces, and finally to the standardization of factory-based pill production—no one knew how many years that evolution had taken. Yet, this simple book had saved them from that long, arduous journey, while also significantly improving safety.

One had to realize that alchemists faced not only the risk of failure but also the high probability of a furnace explosion. Such an event could lead to injuries at best, or death at worst. This was precisely why the number of alchemists remained low; aside from the high costs, who would be willing to take such risks? Furthermore, traditional alchemy required years of experience to master the timing, heat control, and the precise moments to add ingredients for any single type of pill. It even involved the maturity of the raw materials and the viscosity of the medicinal liquid—all of which required a vast amount of time to learn.

Could one save time? It was impossible; such methods were never taught to outsiders. Unless it was someone extremely close, no one would share their hard-earned experience. But now, all of that was about to change because of him.

"It’s time to give it a try!"

Liang Chuan took a deep breath and pulled out the thermometer that came with the book. Although it was just a thermometer, it was something the ancient world could never have developed. He realized while reading that the black wooden box had likely included it as part of the production kit.

"I still need containers. It looks like I’ll have to find Elder Luo."

With that thought, Liang Chuan headed straight for the Pavilion of Hundred Crafts. As soon as he pushed open the doors, a wave of heat hit him. Inside, disciples from the other three sects were working hard under Elder Luo’s direction. The once-quiet Pavilion was now full of life, and one could even hear Elder Luo shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I’ve taught you this so many times! How can you still mess up a simple bullet head?"

"If you can't get it right, go back to sweeping the floors! You're struggling with mere scraps of spiritual stones!"

"The shell of this casing is far too crude. Can’t you use your spiritual energy to polish it?"

Berated by Elder Luo, the dozen or so disciples didn't dare to talk back; they simply buried their heads and continued their work. Despite the scolding, their lives here were much better than those of their fellow disciples. If they reached a certain quota, they were even rewarded with spiritual stones. They were merely prisoners, while their peers were still stuck doing the most menial labor.

Elder Luo wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had hand-picked the cleverest among them, but even with just a dozen people, he had to patiently point out their mistakes and find the root of their problems.

"Elder Luo!" Liang Chuan strode toward him.

"Sect Master, what brings you here?" Elder Luo’s mood improved instantly. Liang Chuan had breathed new life into his old bones. Before, even though the sect had the Pavilion of Hundred Crafts, the production of even simple spiritual tools required massive resources. It had been a long time since the place had been this bustling.

"Elder Luo, there is something I need to discuss with you." Liang Chuan glanced at the dozen disciples nearby. Elder Luo understood and led him to his private study.

"I have an idea..." After Liang Chuan explained his vision, Elder Luo’s eyes widened, his heart racing.

"Are we doing it?" Liang Chuan asked with a smile.

"Doing it! How could we not!" Elder Luo’s voice rose in excitement.

For the next few days, Liang Chuan and Elder Luo were inseparable. On this day, the doors to the Pavilion were pushed open. Liu Ruyan walked in, frowning. After asking around for Liang Chuan’s whereabouts, she marched directly to the room. She hadn't seen him in days, and she had essentially been left to manage the sect’s affairs alone. What worried her most was that she had no idea what he was planning. With the market stalls already rented out, she was truly afraid that Liang Chuan might decide to sell off their magical artifacts in a fit of desperation.

But as she pushed open the door, she saw Liang Chuan and Elder Luo leaning over a cluttered table in excitement.

"It’s done!" they shouted in unison.

Their weary eyes were filled with joy. Only Liu Ruyan stood there, completely bewildered.

What was done?