Rong Yu’s eyes widened as he studied the glowing scroll in front of him. The illustrations of spiritual herbs on its surface seemed oddly familiar.

"Bellflower, Water Heart Grass, Verdant Leaf…" he murmured, naming the plants one by one.

A realization struck him like lightning. "These are the spiritual materials for refining Qi-Boosting Pills!"

He couldn’t suppress his surprise. His predecessor had attempted to refine these pills countless times, and the process was etched into his memory. The herbs depicted on the scroll were exactly the ingredients required.

Rong Yu’s gaze returned to the scroll. At the top, there was an image of five cracked Qi-Boosting Pills—identical to the ones in his hand. Below it, a series of seven herbs were connected by white lines.

A daring thought emerged in his mind, causing his heart to race.

Taking a deep breath, Rong Yu reached out and lightly touched the patterns of the herbs.

To his astonishment, the patterns glowed, transforming into a ball of white light that floated towards his hand. The light surrounded the five cracked pills he was holding.

He quickly let go, watching as the pills were enveloped in the radiant glow. For a moment, countless tiny runes flashed within the light.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the light vanished. The pills were gone, replaced by seven freshly formed spiritual herbs floating in mid-air.

Rong Yu stared, dumbfounded. "It… it restored the waste pills into spiritual materials!"

He pinched himself to confirm he wasn’t dreaming and let out a yelp of pain, followed by a grin of pure joy.

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The implications were staggering. Even in this mystical world of cultivation, such a phenomenon was unheard of. The ability to reverse waste pills into usable ingredients defied all logic.

This revelation sent his thoughts racing. If he could refine these herbs into pills again, would the scroll allow him to repeat the process indefinitely? Would he have an endless supply of practice materials?

The path to mastering alchemy suddenly seemed attainable. Rong Yu clenched his fists, his confidence surging.

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He glanced at the mysterious scroll again. The images of herbs and pills had vanished, leaving only the intricate patterns on its surface. Rong Yu hesitated, then touched the scroll once more.

It transformed into a ball of light, returning to the mark on his right arm. When he pressed the mark again, the scroll reappeared.

"It can be used repeatedly," Rong Yu muttered with relief.

Though he couldn’t test it further without more waste pills, the herbs restored by the scroll were enough to attempt refining the Qi-Boosting Pills once more.

With renewed determination, Rong Yu began preparing for another attempt. He tidied the alchemy room, set the furnace upright, and reviewed the steps to refine the pills.

His predecessor’s memories provided the knowledge, but translating that into practice required effort. He closed his eyes and meditated, replaying the process in his mind until he felt ready.

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Three hours later, Rong Yu opened his eyes and began the process.

He activated the furnace with a spell, igniting the black saltpeter beneath it. Blue flames roared to life, their steady heat warming the room.

Carefully, he extracted the essence from each herb, transforming them into glowing liquids. His hands moved with increasing confidence, weaving spells that controlled the process.

Once the furnace was preheated, Rong Yu added the first liquid, counting his breaths before adding the next. His movements grew smoother, but a lingering unease tugged at his thoughts.

As he added the final liquid, his timing faltered. The interval had stretched too long, and his last spell was off. A muffled bang came from the furnace, followed by a faint burning smell.

Rong Yu sighed as he opened the furnace. Inside was a charred, unrecognizable mass—not even close to a waste pill.

Though disappointed, he remained optimistic. "It’s only my first attempt. Mistakes are bound to happen."

He glanced at the restored herbs. There was still enough for another try. With the mysterious scroll’s power at his disposal, failure no longer felt like the end.

For the first time, Rong Yu truly believed he could succeed.