"Eight successes out of ten materials. One century-old Blood Ginseng yielded an eighty-percent success rate. My luck is quite good!"
Qi Ping was relatively satisfied with this outcome. Initially, he had estimated only seven successful extractions.
"However, the next step of fusing them into the final potion will be significantly more difficult."
The fusion process required all herbal essences to be merged at once. There was no room for error; the degree of integration at every intermediate step had to be perfect. The compatibility between the various spirit herb essences was the most critical factor.
This process was a massive test of spiritual power control, sensitivity to herbal properties, and mental fortitude. In particular, the step where A-Touch-of-Green fused with the Blood Ginseng and Streaming Light Grass lasted less than a single breath. Any earlier or later, and the potion would be rendered useless.
Unlike the extraction phase—where a failed Blood Ginseng essence could still be fed to the Golden Marrow Bees—a failure during fusion would completely destroy the medicinal properties, leaving nothing but waste to be discarded.
Once a failure occurred, the precious spirit herb essences would be gone forever. But this was an unavoidable risk.
"I estimate my success rate for fusing this potion is only around sixty percent."
"I hope the final result can give me a little surprise..."
Before beginning the fusion, Qi Ping double-checked the proportions of every herbal essence. After confirming everything was correct, he closed his eyes to adjust his mental state.
Roughly half an hour passed. Once his state returned to its peak, Qi Ping opened his eyes. These essences were far too precious; wasting even a single portion would make his heart ache for a long time. He could not afford to be careless.
"Let us begin!"
With a firm gaze and no hesitation, Qi Ping started the fusion. He had practiced this process many times in his mind, envisioning every variable. Once he started, his movements were as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, displaying the poise of a master.
However, under this crisp execution, Qi Ping's first attempt at fusing the Bloodline Mutation Potion... ended in failure!
'The essence of the Streaming Light Grass was slightly insufficient, while the essence of A-Touch-of-Green was a bit too much.'
'The difference between a fifty-year-old Streaming Light Grass and a common one is still too significant.'
Even though Qi Ping had followed the recipe's proportions strictly, a deviation had occurred.
'It is likely that because it was stored for too long, the properties of A-Touch-of-Green or the Streaming Light Grass shifted. Or perhaps it was simply the unique individuality of the herbs. As long as I can identify the cause, it is fine.'
This highlighted the importance of sensitivity to herbal properties. Every individual spirit herb possessed differences, and these variations manifested differently when refining different potions. If one simply followed a recipe blindly, success would depend entirely on luck.
A great alchemist or apothecary must be able to identify these nuances easily and make rapid adjustments. This was the foundational requirement for the craft.
Qi Ping was undoubtedly fortunate. Not only did he have the blessing of the Jungle Druid profession, but he also shared the Brewing Artisan talent from the Golden Marrow Bees.
"Again!"
After identifying the problem, Qi Ping immediately launched into the second fusion.
The second attempt at the Bloodline Mutation Potion... failed again!
"The timing for adding A-Touch-of-Green is even more demanding than I thought."
His face darkened slightly at the second failure. He did not continue immediately. Instead, he paused to recalibrate his mindset and reviewed the two failed attempts in his mind.
A long time later, when Qi Ping opened his eyes again, his gaze was replaced by calm and determination. His movements were once again as smooth as silk!
Third attempt: Success!
Fourth attempt: Success!
Sixth attempt: Failure!
Seventh attempt: Success!
Eighth attempt: Success!
Out of eight attempts, three failures and five successes!
"Whew."
After finishing the remaining essences in one go, Qi Ping breathed a long sigh of relief. The two consecutive failures at the start had unsettled him, but luckily he had recovered in time. Out of the final six portions, he had succeeded five times.
"I barely reached my target of sixty percent."
There was no "surprise," but he had certainly been startled. At least the final result was acceptable.
"The success rate didn't give me a surprise, but I wonder if the hive's bloodline mutation will..."
Qi Ping comforted himself, thinking that perhaps his luck had been saved for the hive's transformation.
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, is the Bloodline Mutation Potion finished?)"
"Buzz buzz... (This stuff makes us want to eat it even more than the previous ones! I can hardly restrain myself!)"
Seeing that Qi Ping had finished his work, the Golden Marrow Bees circling him could not help but ask.
"Yes, it's done. It should be enough for about fifty drones to consume," Qi Ping replied, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
It hadn't been easy. Qi Ping had spent countless amounts of thought and energy for these few portions of potion. He only hoped the result of the hive's evolution would be worth the effort. Otherwise, all this hard work would truly be wasted, and the bees would likely be disappointed.
"Buzz buzz... (Wow! Boss, you're the best!)"
"Buzz buzz... (I want to try it too...)"
"Buzz buzz... (That's only for the drones to use, you dummy!)"
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, should we notify the drones to get ready?)"
"Yes—" Just as Qi Ping was about to nod, several Golden Marrow Bees rushed over at their absolute limit of speed.
They began communicating with Qi Ping through their special connection while still a great distance away.
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, a strange two-legged beast has appeared on the mountain!)"
"Buzz buzz... (He feels a bit dangerous to us, but we haven't detected any hostility yet.)"
A strange cultivator? A bit dangerous?
These two pieces of information made Qi Ping's heart skip a beat. He wondered if the marauders had finally found him. However, he relaxed slightly when he heard there was no hostility. The Golden Marrow Bees were very sensitive to intent; they rarely made mistakes in such judgments.
It was likely Manager Zhu coming to collect the rent.
'Calculating the time, it should be about time for the manager to come around.'
Thinking this, Qi Ping's heart settled. However, his caution did not diminish. One had to be prepared for every eventuality.
"Notify the other bees to prepare for combat. Attack immediately upon my command!"
"Buzz buzz... (Understood, Boss!)"
Simultaneously, Qi Ping secretly tucked the Ink Cicada into his sleeve and donned his low-grade spirit tool robe to prepare for any crisis. After finishing these preparations, he sprinted down the mountain.