Qin Feng spent three days attempting to refine pills, all ending in failure. He hadn't even managed to produce a single Battle Power Pill.
However, Qin Feng didn't feel disappointed. On the contrary, his own alchemy skills had seen a significant improvement. The Wu Zi Tian Shu (Wordless Heavenly Book) contained three chapters on alchemy, with incredibly complex content that wasn't easily understood. Initially, he had only grasped 1% of its meaning, knowing the basics of pill refinement but possessing no practical skill.
But after three days of practice, his experience had greatly increased. He was gradually mastering the control of heat and had even gained some intuition regarding timing, location, and atmospheric conditions.
To successfully refine a batch of pills, favorable timing and location were essential, and heat control was paramount. He had been completely ignorant of these aspects before, but now he understood much more. His comprehension of alchemy had risen from 1% to 10%. While he still couldn't refine a successful pill, he was confident that with time, he would eventually succeed.
The initial alchemy raw materials had all turned into dregs, and he had no more ingredients to continue his attempts.
However, Qin Feng knew that the two guards would soon deliver a steady supply of raw materials.
Now, he intended to use this spare time to test whether he could summon his Red Alert soldiers in this world.
Thus, he focused his attention on his Red Alert domain, teleporting a Red Alert soldier to his side. With a flash of white light, a Red Alert soldier appeared beside him, much to Qin Feng's delight.
This indicated that his Red Alert domain remained highly effective in this world, not only generating monetary income but also allowing him to transport troops. This meant he could still set up formations to significantly boost his combat power in this world.
Qin Feng's ability to control units in his mind had not diminished. He shared a peculiar psychic link with each Red Alert soldier, as if they were extensions of himself, capable of acting according to his will. This applied not only in this world but also at the cave entrance he guarded, the nexus between the two realms; he could still command his Red Alert army with ease.
His arrival in this world had not affected his ability to control Red Alert soldiers. Despite being in two different worlds, he could still direct his Red Alert forces on another planet in the other world.
This was excellent news for him. Being able to freely control his troops would allow him to better guard the cave entrance and execute his plans more effectively.
Feeling that everything was proceeding smoothly, Qin Feng's spirits lifted considerably.
He glanced at the Red Alert soldier beside him and recalled a body-refining technique he possessed in his storage ring. While such cultivation methods were not suitable for him, if the Red Alert soldiers could cultivate them, it would be an invaluable treasure.
Red Alert soldiers lacked souls and acted entirely according to his will. Could they cultivate immortal cultivation techniques?
Could they practice this body-refining technique?
Qin Feng was unsure and decided to test it.
First, following the cultivation methods of the body-refining technique, Qin Feng instructed the Red Alert soldier to begin with the simplest exercise: push-ups. This was the foundation of the technique, aimed at maximizing one's physical strength.
A Red Alert soldier's Battle Power was only 10, ten times that of an ordinary person, but significantly weaker compared to those who practiced orthodox immortal cultivation.
This level of combat power was barely enough to deal with ordinary monsters, let alone high-level cultivators.
As his own strength grew, the Red Alert soldiers became increasingly redundant. However, if they could cultivate, the situation would be entirely different. As long as their Battle Power could increase, their future potential would be limitless, given that he could summon as many Red Alert soldiers as he wished.
As time passed, the Red Alert soldier had completed several hundred push-ups, his strength growing increasingly weak. When his last bit of energy was depleted, Qin Feng commanded the soldier to stand up, find a hard rock, place it on the ground, and forcefully smash several acupoints on his back against the rock.
This was a form of self-harm. While it could endanger an ordinary person's life, it was indeed a cultivation method for body refinement.
By stimulating one's potential through this method when exhausted, one could unleash that potential and break through physical limits. This was the essence of body refinement: a highly self-harming and dangerous cultivation path.
If the rock missed the intended acupoints and struck others, it could result in immediate death.
This method was merely the introductory level of body refinement. Subsequent stages would become more difficult, inflict greater damage on the body, but also yield more formidable strength if survival was achieved.
The Red Alert soldier, through this act of self-harm, was being tested to see if he could cultivate the body-refining technique, an immortal cultivation method.
Qin Feng could sense the Red Alert soldier's condition. He was not dead, but his body was no longer able to move.
The Red Alert soldier's entire body became numb, and Qin Feng could no longer command him because his body was not responding to his brain's control. Qin Feng understood this situation; if an ordinary person had performed the same action, their body would also cease to respond to their brain.
The intense pain would cause a person to fall into a coma. The Red Alert soldier was in such a state. However, not long after, the soldier recovered, and Qin Feng discovered that the soldier's Battle Power had increased from 10 to 11!
Although it was a simple increase of just one point in Battle Power, Qin Feng saw infinite possibilities.
The fact that Red Alert soldiers could cultivate the body-refining technique, "Lian Ti Shu," was incredibly joyous news for him.
This meant that his endless Red Alert army could unleash immense power in the future, and he could delegate tasks to these soldiers instead of acting himself. This would greatly guarantee his safety and significantly enhance his overall combat strength.
Qin Feng was so happy that he felt like shouting to the heavens.
Just then, he sensed someone approaching from a distance.
Two people were driving several horse-drawn carriages towards him.
These were the two guards he had recently taken on as stewards.
They arrived before Qin Feng, looking energetic. One of them respectfully said, "After several days of effort, the surrounding villagers have collected all the nearby medicinal herbs. Herbs from nearby towns are also being transported. These herbs were purchased according to the list you provided. The total cost was 2000 gold, and your budget is now insufficient. Therefore, we have brought these herbs to see what further instructions you have, and whether you wish to continue acquiring medicinal herbs."
Qin Feng nodded and replied, "Of course. Acquire as many of the medicinal herbs on my list as possible. Money is not an issue."
With that said, a flash of white light appeared, and Qin Feng purchased another 500 grams of Dragon Saliva Incense from the shop. This 500 grams of Dragon Saliva Incense could be exchanged for 500 spirit stones.
According to the exchange rate of this world, 500 spirit stones could be exchanged for 5000 gold.
This amount of money would keep the two guards busy for a while, and the medicinal herbs would also be sufficient for him to work with for some time.