The scorching heat enveloped the sealed chamber, making it as sweltering as a furnace. A faint white mist rose from the crimson medicinal cauldron and lingered in the air, swirling and refusing to disperse… Before the cauldron, Xiao Yan’s face was grave, his gaze fixed intently on the nascent pill rotating slowly within the emerald flames inside. His formidable soul power controlled the fluctuations in temperature, always maintaining it at a steady degree. As he kept the slow heat roasting for about half an hour, a rich medicinal fragrance gradually wafted out, and minute energy fluctuations came from the cauldron, finally colliding heavily with its inner walls, producing a deep chime-like sound… Detecting the increasingly potent aroma emanating from the medicinal cauldron, Xiao Yan’s eyes suddenly widened after a while. The lid of the medicinal cauldron lifted automatically, and the round, green pill within soared out, eventually landing precisely in Xiao Yan’s hand. Feeling the faint warmth from the pill, Xiao Yan finally let out a sigh of relief. Although this “Hunyuan Bone Sculpting Pill” was not considered a top-grade among the Sixth Rank medicinal pills, it was undeniably a genuine Sixth Rank one. Even with the help of the Green Lotus Core Fire, the failure rate was still high, and it took nearly four sets of medicinal ingredients before he successfully refined one.
Placing the “Hunyuan Bone Sculpting Pill” into a jade bottle, Xiao Yan stretched and shook his body, causing his bones to crackle. Watching Xiao Yan, who had spent the entire night finally succeeding, the Pharmacist Elder nodded slightly and said, “This new flame formed by the fusion of two different flames is indeed very powerful, but it’s also because of this that you can’t control it as smoothly as you did the Green Lotus Earth Flame before.”
Watching all night, the Elder, with his experienced eye, naturally spotted some of Xiao Yan’s shortcomings. The several failures were due to the overpowering strength of the Green Lotus Core Flame, which burned some of the ingredients if the temperature was even slightly off. Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded, well aware of the drawbacks of the current Green Lotus Core Flame, though he had no immediate solution. The power of unique flames was immense, but to wield them like extensions of oneself was no easy feat.
“You should practice more with the Green Lotus Core Flame in the future; it will significantly improve your success rate in refining pills…” the Elder reminded.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, putting away the crimson medicinal cauldron into his ring. He leapt down and said, “Let’s go. The pill is done, and it’s time to deliver it to the royal family. I’m quite interested in that Sixth Rank Mystic Sea Serpent.”
Finishing his words, Xiao Yan led the way to the door. The Elder smiled, his form gradually fading until he vanished completely…
When Xiao Yan emerged from the sealed chamber, a waiting servant girl softly reported to him, informing him that Yaphira had arrived at the Xiao mansion much earlier than expected.
“The royal family must be in quite a hurry,” Xiao Yan thought, surprised. Yaphira was known for her calm demeanor, having been groomed by Gamma to become the next Empress. For her to be so eager showed how seriously they regarded the Mystic Sea Serpent.
Xiao Yan chuckled and quickened his pace, entering the main hall moments later, where he saw Xiao Ding and Yaphira chatting amicably.
Upon seeing Xiao Yan, Yaphira stood up and greeted him with a smile, “I’m sorry to disturb you so early in the morning…”
Xiao Yan waved his hand, smiling. “Miss Yaphira, I wonder if… the ‘Hunyuan Bone Sculpting Pill’ was refined successfully?”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s silence, Yaphira hesitated but eventually couldn’t help asking. Glancing at Yaphira, Xiao Yan saw the urgency on her face and, smiling, nodded slightly. “Fortunately, it was successful.”
Yaphira visibly relaxed, a beautiful smile spreading across her face. Xiao Yan flipped his hand, and a jade bottle appeared in his palm, which he tossed casually to Yaphira. She caught it, shooting him a reproachful look—such high-ranking pills should not be handled so carelessly.
“Is this the Hunyuan Bone Sculpting Pill?” she asked, tilting the bottle carefully, pouring the oddly fragrant medicine into her hand, looking somewhat amazed. Even with the royal family’s extensive collection, Sixth Rank medicines were rare.
“Yes,” Xiao Yan nodded, “but its effects are too overpowering. Only a magical beast can take it, and it requires a pharmacist to activate its full potential.”
Surprised to learn that the medicine needed a special method to activate, Yaphira looked at Xiao Yan apologetically. “If that’s the case, I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you again, Mr. Xiao Yan.”
“Seeing the mysterious Mystic Sea Serpent of the royal family would be worth it,” Xiao Yan replied, shaking his head and walking towards the door. Yaphira hurriedly followed, her face beaming.
As they exited the mansion, they saw Zi Yan, boredly sitting on the steps. Seeing Xiao Yan, she jumped up and stuck to him like a limpet. Unable to dissuade her, Xiao Yan brought her along, as Medusa had gone missing again, leaving Zi Yan idle and lonely.
At the mansion entrance, Yaphira’s luxurious carriage was ready. Xiao Yan boarded without hesitation, pulling Zi Yan with him. Under Yaphira’s direction, the skilled driver pulled the reigns, and the snow-white-horned horse galloped towards the Imperial City.
After about half an hour, the carriage smoothly passed through the heavily guarded city gates. Disembarking, Xiao Yan and Yaphira didn’t dally, quickly following Yaphira into the massive back mountain area. They stopped at the edge of a great lake atop the peak.
There, Xiao Yan immediately saw Gamma, who was already waiting. Gamma also noticed them and hurried to greet them.
“Hehe, thank you for your troubles, Mr. Xiao Yan,” Gamma said, relieved to see Yaphira’s happy expression.
“It’s mutual benefit,” Xiao Yan replied, waving his hand.
Yaphira handed the jade bottle to Gamma, explaining the need for a specialized method to activate the medicine. Gamma thanked Xiao Yan again, then Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the vast lake, sensing a powerful aura hidden deep beneath the water.
“Hey, there’s a big snake in the lake, and it seems quite strong,” Zi Yan suddenly exclaimed, catching everyone’s attention.
Zi Yan’s statement astonished both Gamma and Yaphira. Surprised, they looked at the adorable little girl who could sense such a deeply hidden creature.
Xiao Yan wasn’t surprised by Zi Yan’s ability, as she herself was a high-rank magical beast. She could easily sense other hidden creatures.
“Gamma, please summon the Mystic Sea Serpent,” Xiao Yan said.
Gamma nodded, flashing to the lake, his feet touching the water. He submerged his hands, and a surge of powerful Dou Qi poured in. The once calm lake instantly boiled, bubbling fiercely. As the lake roiled, Xiao Yan felt a powerful presence rising from the depths.
“Bang!” Suddenly, a massive water column shot from the lake, splashing down in a shower of droplets.
“Roar!” With the water column soaring, a low, strange beastly roar erupted from the lake. A colossal figure emerged, occupying half the lake.
The beast before them was no smaller than the combat state of the devouring python. Its long, winding body was covered in deep blue scales, reflecting a chilling light in the sunlight. Its huge head bore a blue spiral horn, and its large, lantern-like eyes were terrifying.
The appearance of this beast made the air around them moist, confirming it was the mysterious guardian beast of the Galley Empire—the Mystic Sea Serpent!
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