Strongest Family System

After listening to Robert's guidance, all ten apprentices bowed respectfully and left to submit their pills to Elder Devon, who then focused on their cultivation and growth. Once the room cleared out, Robert headed over to a smaller chamber next to the main alchemy hall.

This private room was his workshop, equipped with an Azure Lotus Furnace that few in the clan had the skill to operate effectively. Robert sealed the door behind him and activated the privacy formations etched into the walls—what he was about to attempt required absolute concentration.

Robert took a moment to carefully extract six full sets of herbs from his storage ring. Each set symbolized an attempt to create the Spirit Awakening Pill, essential for aiding his clan members in breaking into the Spirit Root Realm. He had immersed himself in the theory, but he understood that the real-world application was a different challenge altogether.

Robert set the first collection of ingredients on the sleek stone table: the Spirit Dew Lotus, boasting its otherworldly blue petals; the century-old Red Flame Ginseng, glowing with a fiery essence; the fragile Moonlight Herb, shimmering even in broad daylight; the resilient Iron leaf Vine Root; a low-grade beast core that pulsed with qi energy; and to top it off, the binding agent—Amber Resin Powder.

He placed his palms against the Azure Lotus Furnace and channeled his True Qi into its mechanisms. The furnace sprang to life, its inner workings illuminated by a gentle blue glow. It is vital to keep the temperature in check throughout this process.

Robert started off with a gentle heat, carefully adding the Spirit Dew Lotus and Moonlight Herb into the furnace chamber.

He maintained steady, gentle flames as the herbs slowly released their essence.

With the heat carefully managed, dark vapors started to rise, drawing away the impurities in the process.

He skillfully released the tainted vapor through the furnace's qi-controlled vents, all while keeping the pure essence intact.

Next came the more challenging phase. Robert ground the Red Flame Ginseng and Iron leaf Vine Root into fine powder using a mortar infused with his spiritual energy. Each particle had to be uniform for proper fusion.

He carefully increased the furnace temperature, and before long, both powders were glowing softly, as if illuminated by a spiritual light.

Using his skillful qi manipulation, Robert sprinkled the powders into the furnace, mixing everything together just with his spiritual energy—no tools in sight. The essence of the lotus mingled beautifully with the new ingredients, creating mesmerizing patterns of blue and gold light that danced around the chamber.

The most dangerous step arrived. Robert held the beast's core carefully, feeling its raw spiritual energy thrumming against his palm. He inserted it into the furnace and began channeling controlled pulses of his True Qi directly into the core. Too much force would cause an explosion; too little would leave the core unmelted.

Sweat beaded on Robert's forehead as he maintained a perfect rhythm.

Pulse, pause, pulse, pause—the beast's core gradually broke down, releasing its spiritual energy, which spread through the herbal mixture like streams of liquid lightning.

Once the mixture hit its peak saturation, Robert introduced the Amber Resin Powder.

This acted as a binding catalyst, bringing the diverse essences together into a slowly rotating sphere of liquid inside the furnace. It was a breathtaking sight—spiritual energy swirling in flawless harmony.

This final phase would determine success or failure. Robert took a deep breath, then suddenly raised the flame to maximum intensity for exactly three heartbeats. The liquid orb blazed with brilliant light. On the third beat, he immediately dropped the temperature to its lowest setting.

The thermal shock was a complete success. The liquid orb solidified right away, creating three perfectly round, pearl-white pills that sparkled with radiant spiritual energy from within.

Using qi-controlled tongs, Robert carefully extracted the pills and placed them in prepared jade bottles. The jade would preserve its potency indefinitely.

Robert stared at the three pills in amazement. His first attempt at Spirit Awakening Pills had succeeded completely. Each pill radiated the exact spiritual signature needed to help Body Tempering cultivators break through to the Spirit Root Realm.

A satisfied smile crossed his face. With five more sets of ingredients remaining, he could potentially create fifteen more pills—more than enough to help the five clan members advance and complete his system quest.

But first, he had to take a breather and replenish his spiritual energy. Refining pills at this level was a tough task that drained both his mind and body, even for someone as skilled as he was.

After sealing the jade bottles, Robert scrutinized the pills more intently beneath the shimmering spiritual light. He felt his smile wane as he came to the realization that these pills were nothing special—there were no star markings in sight.

While they would still be effective for breakthrough purposes, they were not the enhanced quality he had hoped to achieve.

However, Robert was not discouraged. His first attempt at Spirit Awakening Pills had succeeded in producing functional pills, which was more than most alchemists could claim. His soul power reserves had dropped considerably during the refinement process, leaving him feeling drained.

He carefully tucked the three pills away in his storage ring and got comfortable in a meditative pose. After about half an hour of quiet reflection, Robert felt a bit of his energy come back and thought it was a good time to give the process another shot while the techniques remained fresh in his mind.

The second refinement session followed the same careful steps—purification, essence extraction, qi infusion, binding, and condensation.

This time, his movements were more confident, his control more precise. When the process completed, three more normal-quality Spirit Awakening Pills emerged from the furnace.

Robert's soul power had diminished even more after the second attempt.

The mental strain of maintaining perfect control over such complex alchemical processes was taking its toll. From his supply, he retrieved a soul recovery pill and consumed it immediately.

The impact was clear—he could feel a warm energy coursing through his meridians, slowly restoring his drained spiritual reserves.

The change was unmistakable—he felt a soothing warmth flowing through his meridians, steadily revitalizing his worn-out spiritual reserves.

When he opened his eyes, the light streaming through the small window had turned a golden shade, signaling late afternoon.

Evening was approaching, and he had promised to meet the five clan members in the training hall.

Robert took great care in storing the last three sets of ingredients in his storage ring, saving them for later. Meanwhile, he placed the six finished Spirit Awakening Pills into a different compartment, each one holding the promise of a breakthrough for his clan members.

As he stood up and stretched out his stiff muscles, Robert cast one last look around his alchemy room. Today had been a success—six Spirit Awakening Pills from only two tries was a solid achievement for someone still getting the hang of advanced alchemy.

He deactivated the privacy formations and left the alchemy hall, his footsteps echoing in the corridor as he made his way toward the training hall. The five Body Tempering Level 9 cultivators would be waiting, unaware that their young master now possessed the means to elevate them to the Spirit Root Realm.

The evening air was a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in that stuffy room for hours. As Robert strolled across the estate grounds, he noticed the servants lighting lanterns and getting ready for their night duties. Tomorrow was set to be a pivotal day with the market transfer, but for now, it was all about fortifying his clan from the inside.

As he walked toward the training hall, each step felt like a step closer to finishing his system quest and increasing his clan's power. The jade bottles in his storage ring were a comforting weight, a solid sign that his hard work was indeed making a difference.

When Robert arrived at the training hall, he was greeted by Elder Devon, who was waiting for him with five young men standing attentively behind him.

All five were around twenty-three years old, their cultivation auras indicating they had reached the peak of Body Tempering Level 9. Their faces showed curiosity mixed with nervous anticipation.

"Elder Devon," Robert greeted as he entered.

Elder Devon bowed respectfully and said, "Young Master Robert," with the five clan members following suit in unison.

With a nod, Robert acknowledged the situation before inquiring, "So, did the ten alchemists submit their pills as we instructed?"

"Yes, Young Master," Elder Devon responded promptly. "They delivered everything as you requested. We are currently planning the distribution according to your guidelines."

"Good. Immediately sell the basic pills, along with the ten one-star pills.

"The higher-quality pills must be reserved for our clan members to purchase using their merit points," Robert instructed.

Elder Devon nodded in understanding, then looked at the five waiting cultivators with curiosity. "Young Master, what was the reason you asked me to bring them here?"

Rather than responding directly, Robert dug into his storage ring and pulled out a jade bottle that held the six Spirit Awakening Pills he had prepared earlier. Silently, he passed the bottle to Elder Devon.

The moment Elder Devon opened the bottle and examined its contents, his eyes widened in shock.

His hands shook a bit as he sensed the pills' spiritual essence.

These were Spirit Awakening Pills—exactly what these five cultivators needed to break through to the Spirit Root Realm.

"Young Master, these are..." Elder Devon began, his voice filled with amazement.

"Give five of them to these cultivators and keep one for future use," Robert said calmly. "Before distributing them, check their clan merit points. If anyone has less than fifty thousand points, deduct all their current points and give them the pill anyway. They can pay the remaining balance through future clan tasks."

The five young cultivators cast each other confused looks, still trying to digest the unbelievable news they had just received.

Spirit Awakening Pills were incredibly rare and expensive—worth more than most of them could earn in years of service.

Elder Devon bowed deeply, his voice thick with emotion. Yes, Young Master Robert. We will always cherish your generosity towards the clan.

Robert looked at the five cultivators, seeing hope blaze in their eyes. Put in the effort, break through barriers, and support your clan wholeheartedly.

Our strength can only be as strong as that of our members.

As the evening shadows stretched out over the training hall, Robert could not help but feel a warm sense of satisfaction wash over him. While tomorrow promises new challenges, tonight, five dedicated clan members are ready to start their adventure toward the Spirit Root Realm.

The groundwork for power was being established, one breakthrough after another.