This was different from his previous advancements to new Minor Realms.
In an instant, the range of Xiao Chen’s Divine Sense more than doubled, reaching nearly seven hundred zhang.
This meant he could now simultaneously perceive every blade of grass, every tree, and every flying bird and insect within a four-li radius, with himself at the center.
He could even see himself meditating in his room, despite the tightly shut doors and windows.
He could see the reflection on the surface of the pond and, at the same time, the koi swimming within it.
The sensation was marvelous; it was as if he suddenly possessed countless eyes, each with a different point of view.
He’d had this ability before, of course, but the limited range made it feel no different than using Sword Control to look down from the sky.
But now, it was completely different. The sheer scale of his perception was so vast it completely upended his previous understanding.
Xiao Chen closed his eyes, letting his Divine Sense roam freely in all directions.
At the same time, he skillfully circulated the Spirit-Nurturing Technique to replenish the empty Magical Power in his Dantian.
He had, of course, prepared Spirit Stones in advance for this breakthrough, absorbing a total of three hundred and twenty.
Once the Magical Power was fully absorbed, the breakthrough was officially complete.
SWISH. Suddenly, three silver cards lit up before his eyes.
[Heart of the Alchemist: You will immediately become a qualified Low-Tier Alchemist. When you personally craft any Tier Two or lower elixirs, you gain an additional one hundred percent success rate.]
[Heart of the Artifact Refiner: You will immediately become a qualified Low-Tier Artifact Refiner. When you personally craft any Tier Two or lower Magical Artifacts, you gain an additional one hundred percent success rate.]
[Heart of the Talisman Maker: You will immediately become a qualified Low-Tier Talisman Maker. When you personally craft any Tier Two or lower Talismans, you gain an additional one hundred percent success rate.]
Oh?
Xiao Chen stared at the cards. ’So... there really are class-change-type Augments. I’ve never seen one before, and now three show up at once.’
The effects of these three Augments were simple and straightforward, their purpose easy to grasp.
He chose the first one without the slightest hesitation.
’If I hadn’t picked the Buy One Get One Free Augment before, I might have had to seriously consider my future path before deciding.’
’But since I’ve already chosen an Alchemy-related Augment, the best strategy is undoubtedly to go all-in on that path.’
’A jack of all trades is a master of none, after all.’
With his choice made, the first card transformed into a stream of light and shot into his Sea of Consciousness.
A sudden understanding dawned on Xiao Chen.
He understood why it specified an "additional one hundred percent success rate" rather than a guaranteed one hundred percent success rate.
It was because factors like the condition of the Pill Furnace, the quality of the Spirit Grass, and the stability of the surroundings all influenced the outcome of the refinement.
Under normal conditions, he would now have a one-hundred-percent success rate.
But if he were to use a worn-out or damaged Pill Furnace, use immature or incomplete Spirit Grass, or try to force an Alchemy session in a hostile environment with chaotic Spiritual Qi, he could still fail.
"Eh, that’s it?"
Xiao Chen was a bit surprised. ’Why don’t I feel any different?’
’No, I have to test it out.’
He opened his Storage Bag, and his eyes immediately fell upon the Five-Colored Golden Lotus.
’This seems like a good choice. The Foundation Establishment Pill is a rare breakthrough elixir, and its refinement process is notoriously complex.’
’It’s perfect for testing my current skill level.’
Besides, he already had the main ingredient; gathering the supplementary ones wouldn’t be difficult.
Li Huo Market alone could provide most of them. As for the two remaining key ingredients, he had already redeemed them from the Sect’s Merit Hall.
’I haven’t performed Alchemy in a long time, it seems.’
As he set up the Pill Furnace, Xiao Chen took out a stick of incense. ’I haven’t used this high-grade Sandalwood Incense since I got it. I might as well try it today.’
’I was short on Spirit Stones before and I was busy using Alchemy just to earn them.’
’But recently, with Hundred Poison Demon and Black Wind Wanderer delivering one windfall after another, and then Elder Su’s generous contribution, I’d almost forgotten about Alchemy entirely.’
’Besides, to be honest, it would have been a real pain to spend a ton of time catching up, starting all over from refining Qi Gathering Pills.’
’That time would have been much more profitably spent on Cultivation.’
’As it turns out, that was the right call. Now that my Cultivation has broken through, I’ve landed a class-change Augment.’
’Theoretically, my Alchemy skill has now shot past my Cultivation level.’
It was a strange feeling. Even though this was his first time attempting to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, the moment he saw the Spirit Grass and Pill Furnace, he instinctively knew exactly what to do.
「Twelve hours passed in a flash.」
A bottle of brand-new Foundation Establishment Pills emerged successfully from the furnace.
The three elixirs were radiant and perfectly formed. A rich Pill Fragrance wafted from them, and they were brimming with Spiritual Energy.
At the same time, three more identical Foundation Establishment Pills appeared inside his Storage Bag.