Refining the First Dragon's Essence Pellet in History. (2)
1035 Words
Zhu Yuan stood in front of the large marble table wearing a strict, serious look. He slowly scanned the items that were in front of him and carefully read the scroll of instructions.
Fiery Volcano Pellet key ingredients; Mature blood core of fiery abyss beast, ten scales of the Flame Zephyr Bird , Red ash from the heart of a volcano, grounded marrow of red mountain tiger, pure fiery sun essence grass, red threaded void stones..... He carefully read the long list of close to twenty key items.
Zhu Yuan calmed his heart and consulted his trusted divine azure vine deep inside him. A brief pretext of information duly surfaced in his mind. It briefly repeated all the ingredients he had read and proceed forth.
'Key ingredients to refine the divine dragon essence pellet of the Yen Dynasty.'
Startled, Zhu Yuan repeated the process of scanning the items once more. The results were the same.
'Key ingredients to refine the divine dragon essence pellet of the Yen Dynasty.'
"What Dragon Essence Pellet?? What accursed Yen Dynasty??" Zhu Yuan scratched his head in frustration.
"Just what is going on? Did senior elder perhaps make a mistake?" Zhu Yuan's frown deepened.
'Process for refining fiery volcano pellet.' He asked deep in his mind at once. A short pretext of information surfaced deep within.
'Fiery volcano pellet. Required ; Blood core of flame wolf, red volcano ash, fire essence berry seeds....' the list that surfaced was indeed shorter and the refining process was far less complicated. But the two were entirely different.!
Utterly frustrated and confused Zhu Yuan checked the antique hour glass, forty five minutes had passed quickly. Zhu Yuan kept still for a moment then bit his tongue. He would follow the process for refining the dragon essence pellet. He had no other choice given the circumstances and ingredients before him.
Maybe the historical scrolls had gotten mixed up with the passage of time, Zhu Yuan concluded. He contemplated the extremely intricate process for refining the dragon essence pellet and took a large empty sheaf of parchment and started jotting down the numerous steps he would follow as he set forth to complete the task before him in time.
Thus Zhu Yuan quickly got into the zone, he started to measure and prepare various elements. Watching keenly behind the hidden window, senior elder Feng Xiao did not know when he got up and neared the window.
As his breath misted the cool window pane, he simply could not believe his eyes as he watched the young practitioner quickly and expertly start to measure and put the numerous ingredients in order.
"This brat! He is really going through with it??"
Elder Feng Xiao was a master pellet refiner and a top figure in the pellet association therefore during the years he had been part of the elite team that had undertaken the daunting task of trying to refine the revered divine dragon essence pellet.
The process had been extremely long and arduous filled with many failed attempts. Due to these expansive trials and attempts elder Feng Xiao was one of the very few who were privy to the tried and tested starting steps one was required to undertake when refining this divine pill.
"But this brat.. How did he know!?"
This was extremely vital information only privy to the top brass of master pellet refiners alone. Then Feng Xiao remembered the figure behind the truly perplexing young individual in front of him.
"Just who was this brats master? What bizarre methods was he using to train this unusual brat??"
"Is he trying to raise a pellet refining monster??" Elder Feng Xiao let out a hearty content laugh after a lot of pondering.
"Hohoho.. Old man Yuan, you old monster. Before you my instructor credentials are but mere fart.!"
"Hohoho.. But I'm not even offended. Let me enjoy the show you have graciously prepared for us."
Zhu Yuan oblivious of elder Feng Xiao's probing eyes finished setting up the ingredients and lit up the refining kiln to a medium burn.
"Alright. Let's begin." He was enthusiastic for it would be his first time refining a cultivation pellet of any kind. He would start with the key ingredients that made up the base; the blood core of the fiery abyss beast, the scales of the flame zephyr bird and the red volcanic heart ash.
As he handled the blood core however he halted. This was because deep in his mind a brief warning had flashed.
'Blood core of fiery abyss beast not mature. Pellet will lose 35% potency.'
"WTF really? This good for nothing old senior, didn't he check the quality of the blood core?"
"Only 65% potency even before he started.! Why is it like this..." Zhu Yuan lamented in his heart.
He recalled senior Feng Xiao's stern words. " Refine a fiery volcano pellet with at least 80% potency. I need your best of efforts, whether you succeed or fail will depend on your performance.!"
"Best efforts my foot! Old fogey you have literally set me up to fail haven't you!" Zhu Yuan could only bite his tongue and continue. All he could do was give his all with whatever he had available at his disposal.
As Zhu Yuan continued his steps unerringly and methodically, elder Feng Xiao heart continued to beat loudly in anticipation. Zhu Yuan was slowly but surely nearing the bottle neck where the renowned pellet association had been stuck at for close to a decade.
Making his decision firmly, elder Feng Xiao set down his cup of sweet jasmine tea that had since grown cold and rushed out of the room in the quickest of haste.
He literally ran past his confused colleagues and old practitioners who were left with quizzical expressions. The esteemed elder Feng Xiao took the long flight of stairs three at a time making a bee line to the top most office of the Red Eagle pellet association.
He simply had to alert the supreme elders at all costs. This matter that had started as a simple impractical joke on a junior had become a monumental matter that greatly affected the pellet association and the whole of Red Eagle town!
*****
- Writer
