Fantasy World: I Can Travel To Cultivation World

Chapter 183 Modern Alchemy

Of course, once war breaks out, there is no such thing as absolute safety.

After all, this is the Sea of Ten Thousand Stars.

These zombies are not ordinary enemies—they can fly, burrow underground, and adapt to almost any environment. They are capable of launching aerial assaults or infiltrating the underwater territories of the major families.

That said, such tactics are uncommon.

The reason is simple: like the wars fought by cultivators, a structured and strategic approach is essential.

When cultivators wage war, they build immortal cities as they advance. These cities are not just fortresses—they provide spiritual energy to sustain the cultivators' armies and act as logistical hubs.

Logistical support includes magical instruments, spiritual armor, talismans, and a variety of elixirs. Without these, the combat effectiveness of a cultivator's army would plummet to dangerously low levels. Forget about launching invasions—they would struggle just to survive against an enemy attack.

The same principle applies to these malevolent beings.

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Zombies, too, require resources to maintain their fighting capabilities. For them, the key resource is corpse qi, stored in their corpse pills.

And where does corpse qi come from? It is derived by refining the surrounding evil qi.

As such, the tide of corpses must advance methodically, much like an army of cultivators. They require a foundation, such as the Zhao family's third-level Yin Vein, to draw upon for continuous attacks. As they spread, they convert surrounding spiritual veins into Yin Veins, further fueling their advance.

From this perspective, the first to be affected will likely be the Wu family and the Zhou family, given their proximity to the Zhao family's territory.

Of course, there's always the possibility that the zombie horde will bypass Guang'an Prefecture entirely and head straight for Cangzhou Fairy City.

However, Cangzhou Fairy City is the ancestral home of the Ye family.

The Ye family is the most powerful family in Cangzhou. For just two zombies to attempt to cause trouble for them would be nothing short of courting death.

Even if Master Shen Jue had left sufficient backup plans for the Sun brothers, it would be nearly impossible for them to disrupt Cangzhou Fairy City from the outset.

If Luis were in their place, his strategy would be different. He would focus on gradually swallowing up Guang'an Prefecture, converting all its spiritual veins into Yin Veins. Then, with a refined army of zombies, he would launch a decisive attack on Cangzhou Fairy City.

Only through such a step-by-step approach could all of Cangzhou be transformed into a zombie nation.

Thus, the next target for the Sun brothers is most likely the Wu family.

The Zhou family is too strong for them to contend with. On the other hand, the Wu family presents an ideal target—they have a large population but lack the strength to pose a significant threat.

Of course, the Zhou family won't sit idly by. They will likely rally their allies in Guang'an Prefecture to form a coalition and prepare for an assault on the corpse-refining base at Lotus Island.

As Luis and Oliver descended onto Hartmann Island, the familiar land beneath their feet brought a sense of security and fulfillment.

"Go ahead and take care of your tasks. I'll meet with my brother to discuss this situation," Oliver said, turning to Luis.

However, Luis stopped him, a serious expression on his face.

"Uncle, I believe the situation has changed," Luis said. "I'm afraid we need to reconsider the step-by-step plan we originally devised."

"You mean?" Oliver asked, his brows furrowed in thought.

"This is both an opportunity and a danger," Luis explained. "We have the chance to expand outward."

He knew that with the zombie tide erupting, Hartmann Island could face imminent danger. The days of slow and steady development were over.

"We need to move forward boldly and decisively," Luis concluded.

Luis knew that a disaster would erupt in Guang'an Prefecture and spread across the region.

Although the Zhou family would likely form a coalition to destroy the corpse-refining site on Lotus Island, Luis remained skeptical.

Based on what he had learned about the Shen Jue Rebellion from ancient texts, the zombies created by the God Killer Shen Jue were not so easily eradicated by the cultivators of Guang'an Prefecture.

There was a high likelihood that the conflict would devolve into a prolonged war.

The Hartmann family had no choice but to strengthen their position at all costs.

As for keeping a low profile and hiding their strength, Luis dismissed such notions entirely.

Now was not the time for caution. If the Sun brothers dared to attack Hartmann Island with their corpse servants, the vortex might protect a select few, but the losses to others would be catastrophic.

In a moment of life and death, there was no room for hesitation or subtlety.

Luis had no illusions about hiding Hartmann Island's location from the Sun brothers. That would be as futile as trying to cover one's ears while stealing a bell.

Oliver, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately agreed with Luis' proposal.

"Luis, you're in charge of all family affairs in this world. Leave the matters of the other world to your father for now," Oliver said firmly.

When Luis opened his mouth to respond, Oliver raised a hand, cutting him off.

"Don't worry too much. Everything is progressing well there," Oliver assured him.

"Uncle—"

"There's no need to say more," Oliver interrupted. His tone was serious as he continued, "Just remember, you are now the young head of the Hartmann family. The safety of everyone depends on you."

Hearing those words, Luis couldn't help but recall the tragic fate of the Zhao family, whose entire clan had been wiped out.

With a solemn nod, he replied, "I understand, Uncle."

------

Five days passed.

Luis held the strange, cylindrical magic weapon in his hand, his face glowing with excitement.

"It really works!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

Around him, a group of researchers shared his excitement, their expressions mirroring his.

In the world of immortal cultivation, there are several methods for refining elixirs.

The most common approach is fire alchemy, where alchemists use both civil and martial flames to remove impurities from the ingredients within an alchemy furnace. This process extracts the essence of the materials, which is then combined to form a pill.

To simplify, the process of refining elixirs can be broken down into two main steps:

Removing Impurities: This involves meticulously purging unwanted elements from the ingredients.

Forming the Pill: Once the essence is purified, it is carefully combined and shaped into a pill.

Unlike crafting magical tools, these steps are extraordinarily challenging.

Whether it's removing impurities or refining the essence into a final product, the process demands extreme precision, with the cultivator relying heavily on their spiritual awareness and true energy.

Even a minor mistake can lead to failure. If impurities are not thoroughly removed, the resulting elixir will be flawed.

While such flawed pills may still retain some medicinal properties, the harmful toxins within can outweigh the benefits—sometimes even proving fatal.

Similarly, even if the impurities are completely removed, failure in the final stages can ruin everything. For instance, improper temperature control during the process can cause the flames to burn the ingredients, leaving nothing but ash.

In short, the failure rate in pill refining is often higher than in artifact crafting.

Theoretically, a single batch of elixirs can yield up to ten pills.

However, even the most skilled first-grade alchemist would struggle to achieve this. A few pills are almost always wasted during the process.

This isn't due to negligence or lack of skill—it's simply the nature of the craft.

To divide the elixirs into ten perfect portions, the alchemist must focus on each part simultaneously, ensuring all impurities are removed while refining the essence of each portion into a cohesive pill.

There's no room for error at any stage of this intricate process.

Such an abnormal request is challenging, even for experienced alchemists.

Luis's sudden idea, inspired by Earth's technology and the work of researchers, has paved the way for a groundbreaking solution.

This marks the first step in alchemy—using a special tool called a centrifugal wall breaker to remove impurities from the elixir.

The working principle of this magical device is straightforward yet ingenious. It utilizes the varying densities of ingredients within the elixir. By spinning at high speeds, the centrifugal wall breaker separates the components into distinct layers.

Impurities are isolated into one layer.

The essence of the elixir is concentrated in another layer.

Once the separation is complete, gravity is used to extract the purified essence of the elixir.

With this tool, alchemists no longer need to divide their focus between controlling flames and removing impurities. They simply wait for the centrifugal wall breaker to release the essence, which can then be refined into a pill.

Additionally, the device offers flexibility in controlling the process.

Alchemists skilled in rapid pill-making can adjust the valve to increase the speed at which the essence is released. For those who take a more methodical approach, the speed can be slowed down, making the process adaptable and user-friendly.

This innovation ensures that no elixirs are wasted, providing a more efficient and reliable method for alchemy.