Kai stood in the practice room of the Alchemist Pavilion, taking in his surroundings. The room was smaller than he expected, but well-equipped. Shelves lined the walls, filled with various jars, vials, and tools. A large stone table dominated the center of the room, its surface scarred and stained from countless alchemical experiments.

In one corner, a small furnace glowed with a steady heat. Next to it, a set of scales and measuring tools sat neatly arranged on a side table.

Kai sighed, running his hand over the smooth surface of the worktable. I can't wait to have my own setup, he thought. But for now, this will have to do.

From his inventory, he withdrew the materials he'd need for his first attempts at pill-making: Spirit Grass, Yin Berries, and Qi Crystals.

The Spirit Grass was green, its blades were long and slender, with a faint, sweet aroma that filled the air as Kai set it on the table.

Next came the Yin Berries. They were small, dark purple fruits that looked almost black in the room's lighting. These berries were prized for their ability to balance and stabilize Qi.

Finally, he picked up one of the Qi Crystals, turning it over in his hand. Unlike spirit stones, which cultivators could use directly to boost their cultivation, Qi Crystals were primarily used in pill-making and weapon formation. Their energy was too raw and unstable for direct absorption.

The thought of weapon forging sparked another train of thought. Once I've got enough spirit stones saved up, I could try my hand at creating a weapon. The crafting menu in my system should make that interesting.

Kai shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now. He had more immediate concerns. From his inventory, he produced a small scroll - the recipe for the Qi Gathering pill. It had cost him 150 spirit stones, a significant investment but he knew it would be worth it.

He unrolled the scroll, reading over the instructions once more:

Qi Gathering Pill (Low Grade)

Ingredients:

- 1 blade of Spirit Grass

- 3 Yin Berries

- 1 Qi Crystal (crushed)

Method:

1. Extract the essence from the Spirit Grass using the Essence Extraction technique.

2. Crush the Yin Berries and mix with the Spirit Grass essence.

3. Pulverize the Qi Crystal and add to the mixture.

4. Use Elemental Fusion to combine the ingredients.

5. Apply Qi Infusion to stabilize the mixture.

6. Use Stability Control throughout the process to prevent volatile reactions.

7. Finally, use Spiritual Resonance to attune the pill to general Qi frequencies.

8. Form into a pill and heat in the furnace for precisely 49 seconds.

Kai looked at his pile of ingredients. He had enough for 25 attempts, but he knew better than to expect success on every try. If I can make 12 successful pills, I'll be able to make sufficient profit, that’ll be a win.

Taking a deep breath, Kai began his first attempt. He picked up a blade of Spirit Grass, holding it gently between his fingers. Closing his eyes, he focused on the Essence Extraction technique he'd learned.

Kai extended his Qi, feeling for the essence within the grass. It was there, pulsing just beneath the surface. He began to draw it out, visualizing his Qi as a sieve, filtering the pure essence from the physical matter.

For a moment, it seemed to be working. A faint green mist began to form above the grass. But then, Kai felt his control slip. The essence scattered, dissipating into the air.

"Damn," Kai muttered, opening his eyes. The Spirit Grass in his hand had withered, its vibrant green faded to a dull brown. He'd failed to extract its essence properly, rendering it useless.

Okay, that was too forceful. I need to be gentler, coax the essence out rather than trying to pull it.

He picked up another blade of Spirit Grass, determined to do better this time. Again, he closed his eyes and extended his Qi. This time, he imagined his Qi as a gentle stream, encouraging the essence to flow out naturally.

Slowly, a green mist began to form above the grass. Kai carefully guided it into a small glass vial, feeling a surge of satisfaction as the essence collected at the bottom.

"That's more like it," he said with a small smile.

Next, Kai turned his attention to the Yin Berries. He placed three in a mortar and began to crush them with the pestle. As he worked, he focused on maintaining a steady rhythm, infusing each stroke with a touch of Qi to help break down the berries more thoroughly.

Once the berries were reduced to a fine paste, Kai added them to the vial containing the Spirit Grass essence. He swirled the vial gently, watching as the two substances began to mix.

Now came the tricky part. Kai took the Qi Crystal and placed it in a separate mortar. He began to grind it down, applying steady pressure. The crystal resisted at first, but gradually began to give way under Kai's persistent efforts.

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This is harder than I expected, Kai thought, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. No wonder alchemists are so respected. This takes real skill and patience.

Finally, the crystal was reduced to a fine, glittering powder. Kai carefully added it to the vial with the other ingredients. Now it was time for the real test - combining everything using Elemental Fusion.

Kai held the vial in both hands, closing his eyes to focus. He began to channel his Qi into the mixture, visualizing the different elements within each ingredient. The vital energy of the Spirit Grass, the balancing force of the Yin Berries, the pure Qi of the crystal - all swirling together in a complex dance.

He tried to guide them, encouraging them to merge and combine. For a moment, it seemed to be working. The mixture in the vial began to glow softly, the different components starting to blur together.

But then, Kai felt something go wrong. The energies began to clash, repelling each other instead of combining. The glow in the vial intensified, becoming uncomfortably bright.

"No, no, no," Kai muttered, trying to regain control. But it was too late. With a small 'pop', the mixture in the vial suddenly evaporated, leaving behind nothing but a faint, acrid smell.

Kai opened his eyes, staring at the empty vial in frustration. "Well, that didn't work," he said to the empty room.

He set the vial aside and took a deep breath, calming himself. Okay, what went wrong there? he thought, analyzing his failure. I was too aggressive with the fusion. I need to be more subtle, guide the energies rather than force them.

Determined to do better, Kai began his second attempt. This time, he took extra care with each step, moving slowly and deliberately.

The Essence Extraction went smoother this time, the green mist of Spirit Grass essence collecting easily in a new vial. Kai crushed the Yin Berries with careful precision, ensuring they were reduced to a perfectly smooth paste before adding them to the essence.

When it came time to grind the Qi Crystal, Kai took his time, applying steady, even pressure until the crystal was a fine, uniform powder. He added it to the vial with the other ingredients, then paused, taking a moment to center himself before attempting the Elemental Fusion again.

This time, Kai approached the fusion more gently. He extended his Qi into the mixture, but instead of trying to force the components together, he simply encouraged them to mingle. He visualized the energies dancing around each other, gradually coming closer and closer together.

For a while, it seemed to be working. The mixture in the vial began to shimmer, the different components starting to blur at the edges. But as Kai continued to guide the fusion, he realized something was off. The energies weren't fully combining - instead, they were forming distinct layers in the vial.

Something's not right, Kai thought, frowning. He tried to adjust his technique, encouraging the layers to mix. But as he did so, he felt the delicate balance he'd achieved start to slip.

Suddenly, the mixture in the vial began to bubble violently. Kai's eyes widened in alarm. He quickly set the vial down on the table and took a step back, just in time. With a loud 'pop', the contents of the vial exploded outward, splattering the table and nearby tools with a sticky residue.

Kai stared at the mess, a mix of frustration and determination on his face. "Well," he said aloud, "at least it didn't evaporate this time. Progress, I suppose."

He began to clean up the failed attempt as he tried to figure out what went wrong.

The fusion was better, but still not quite right. I managed to get the energies to interact, but they weren't truly combining. And I completely forgot about Stability Control - that's probably why it exploded at the end.

As he wiped down the table, Kai found himself chuckling softly. You know, he thought, if someone had told me a few months ago that I'd be this invested in magical pill-making, I'd have thought they were crazy. But here I am, getting frustrated over exploding potions like some kind of fantasy alchemist.

With the mess cleaned up, Kai took a moment to review the recipe again. He realized he'd been so focused on the Essence Extraction and Elemental Fusion that he'd neglected some of the other techniques. Qi Infusion, Stability Control, Spiritual Resonance - I need to incorporate all of these if I want to succeed.

Determined to get it right this time, Kai began his third attempt. He started with the Essence Extraction, once again coaxing the green mist from a blade of Spirit Grass. This time, as he guided the essence into the vial, he also began to infuse it gently with his own Qi.

Qi Infusion from the very beginning, Kai thought. This should help stabilize the essence and make it more receptive to combining with the other ingredients.

Next, he crushed the Yin Berries, again taking care to maintain a steady rhythm and infuse each stroke with Qi. As he added the berry paste to the vial, he focused on maintaining the stability of the mixture, using the Stability Control technique he'd learned.

Steady now, Kai thought, watching the mixture carefully. Keep everything balanced.

When it came time to add the powdered Qi Crystal, Kai took extra care. He sprinkled the powder in slowly, bit by bit, using Stability Control to ensure each addition was properly incorporated before adding more.

Finally, it was time for the Elemental Fusion. Kai took a deep breath, centering himself. He extended his Qi into the mixture, gently encouraging the different components to mingle. This time, instead of trying to force them together, he visualized them as dancers, each with their own rhythm, gradually coming into sync with each other.

As he worked, Kai made sure to maintain his Stability Control, keeping a close eye on the energies to ensure nothing became too volatile. Slowly, ever so slowly, he felt the components beginning to merge.

It's working, Kai thought, a spark of excitement in his chest. But he didn't let it distract him. He knew he wasn't done yet.

As the fusion progressed, Kai began to apply the Spiritual Resonance technique. He focused on attuning the merging energies to a general Qi frequency, one that would be compatible with most cultivators. It was like fine-tuning an instrument, adjusting each component until they all sang in harmony.

After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, Kai felt the mixture stabilize. He opened his eyes, looking down at the vial. The liquid inside was a soft, pearlescent white, gently pulsing with Qi.

"I think... I think I did it," Kai murmured, hardly daring to believe it.

But he knew he wasn't finished yet. Carefully, Kai poured the liquid onto a small, flat stone designed for pill formation. Using his Qi, he began to shape the liquid, condensing it into a small, perfect sphere.

Once the pill was formed, Kai picked it up carefully and placed it in the furnace. He set the timer for exactly 49 seconds, as the recipe specified, and waited.

The seconds ticked by slowly. Kai found himself counting along in his head, his eyes fixed on the furnace. What if it dissolves? What if it explodes? What if I did everything right except this last step?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the timer chimed. Kai quickly opened the furnace and, using a pair of tongs, carefully removed the pill.

It was perfect. A small, round pill, slightly larger than a pea, with a soft, pearlescent sheen. Kai could feel the Qi emanating from it.

"I did it," Kai breathed, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I actually did it!"

He held the pill up to the light, admiring his handiwork. Then, curious to see how the system would classify his creation, Kai focused on the pill, willing its information to appear.

A blue window materialized before him:

Item Created: Qi Gathering Pill

Quality: Poor

Effects: Increases Qi absorption rate by 10% for 1 hour

Warning: Toxic, may lead to Qi Deviation

Kai's smile faded as he read the last line, replaced by a frown. "Toxic?" he murmured, staring at the warning. "That's... not good."