This green stone, when viewed from afar, does indeed appear no different from an ordinary one. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that it is covered with rather peculiar patterns, and its surface is slightly transparent. Placed under a bright light, one could vaguely discern a viscous fluid within. Xiao Yan’s gaze fixed on the green stone for a moment before he finally exhaled softly, slowly suppressing his joy. He bent down carefully and picked up the palm-sized green stone.
The instant his hand touched the green stone, a cool sensation flooded through him. A gentle shake produced a faint sound of liquid sloshing inside. “Heavenly Hemp Emerald Stone Essence,” he murmured. After a thorough examination, Xiao Yan finally confirmed that this was indeed the last material he needed.
“Truly fitting of the Ten Thousand Medicines Mountains,” he mused as he carefully stored the Heavenly Hemp Emerald Stone Essence in his ring. If he had sought these materials outside, it would have been a daunting task, but here, it required only bending to find them.
With the last item obtained, Xiao Yan turned and looked at Zi Yan, who was sitting on the stone steps at the edge of the square, and couldn’t help but smile. “Found it?” Zi Yan asked, her spirits lifted as she saw Xiao Yan approach.
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. “When will you be leaving?” Zi Yan asked eagerly. She had been in this realm for some time, and while there were many delicious foods, it lacked the liveliness of the Dou Qi Continent.
“Help me find a secluded room. I need to prepare something.” Speaking of this, Xiao Yan’s expression became somewhat serious. The Earth Core Soul Essence was extremely difficult to obtain, and if he failed this attempt, it would be unknown when he could acquire such a rare material again. Thus, he could not afford to be careless.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s grave demeanor, Zi Yan obediently nodded and led him around the square, finding a well-sealed stone chamber deep in the stone hall. “No one must disturb me until I come out,” Xiao Yan said solemnly before entering the chamber.
“Don’t worry, I understand,” Zi Yan nodded firmly.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan finally relaxed and slowly entered the stone chamber. The stone door rumbled closed behind him.
The chamber was not spacious, but it was sufficient for his needs. Soft light illuminated the interior, banishing the darkness. Xiao Yan quickly approached the stone bed and sat cross-legged, but did not immediately begin his work. Instead, he closed his eyes and adjusted his mental state and physical condition.
Success in preparing the Earth Core Soul Essence would determine whether Xiao Yan could fully ascend to the Eighth Grade rank! Therefore, he could not afford any distractions. After about half an hour, he finally opened his eyes, his black pupils calm like a deep pool, impenetrable.
Exhaling slowly, Xiao Yan’s hand moved through the air, and three jade boxes floated in front of him. With a flick, the lids opened, and a fragrant aroma spread, refreshing him. Of the three items, the Earth Core Soul Essence and the Dan Spirit Liquid could be directly prepared, provided the quantities were correct. The Heavenly Hemp Emerald Stone Essence, however, needed to be refined to extract the essence within before it could be added to the mixture.
Refining was not particularly difficult, especially for Xiao Yan. He waved his hand, and the green stone he had just obtained levitated and hovered in front of him. Glancing at the Heavenly Hemp Emerald Stone Essence, he spat out a emerald flame, enveloping it entirely.
As the flame appeared, Xiao Yan controlled it, raising the temperature sharply. In less than half a minute, fine cracks appeared on the surface of the stone, and a faint scent wafted out. Pleased, Xiao Yan flicked his finger, sending a weak burst of force to break the stone into pieces, revealing the pale white viscous liquid within.
As the white liquid emerged, Xiao Yan gradually reduced the flame’s intensity, transforming it into a thin flame that burned below the stone. It resembled a stone bowl being heated, with the white liquid bubbling gently, each burst releasing a faint, pungent odor.
This odor indicated impurities in the stone essence, which had to be removed before it could be used to blend with the Earth Core Soul Essence. Refinement was not taxing for Xiao Yan, and after a few minutes, the pungent odor was completely driven off.
With the stone essence refined, Xiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand, and some exquisite jade bottles and containers appeared. With a thought, he extracted a small stream of liquid from each of the three jade boxes, combining them in a transparent jade bowl under his control.
“Sizzle!” As the three liquids mixed, a faint smoke appeared, and they began to mutually erode, releasing small bubbles. Xiao Yan watched intently. Soon, the Dan Spirit Liquid and the stone essence were completely absorbed, leaving only the partially mottled Earth Core Soul Essence.
“The amount of Earth Core Soul Essence is too much,” he noted. According to the recipe, successfully prepared Earth Core Soul Essence should be emerald green, but the substance in the bowl was mottled, clearly a failure.
Undeterred by the first failure, Xiao Yan continued, varying the proportions of the three components. Achieving balance was crucial, as even a slight imbalance would result in failure. Thus, he maintained his composure through repeated attempts.
After eleven failures, Xiao Yan had consumed nearly a third of the ingredients. But despite the cost, his face showed no sign of impatience. His technique improved, and he became more confident in adjusting the proportions.
With his current level of alchemy, few peers could match him. He wouldn’t be deterred by a few failures. After all, how could he compete in the Alchemy Congress if he couldn’t handle this?
His gaze fixed on the jade bowl, where three differently colored liquids coalesced at his fingertips. As soon as the quantity in the bowl decreased, he swiftly added more, maintaining the balance. This time, the liquid in the bowl became clearer and greener, emitting a subtle fragrance.
Smelling this, Xiao Yan’s eyes showed a glimmer of hope. He gently dropped a tiny bit of stone essence into the bowl.
“Sizzle!” With the drop, a faint smoke arose, and the bowl was left with a vibrant, life-filled, viscous liquid.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Xiao Yan carefully transferred the liquid to a fine jade bottle. This success was a start, and the remaining ingredients would be easier to manage. In about two hours, Xiao Yan had successfully prepared a large portion of the remaining materials.
Looking at the jade bottle filled to the brim with emerald liquid, Xiao Yan’s face finally showed a satisfied smile. Despite the many failures, the remaining successful product was enough for his needs.
“Next, the most important part,” he muttered, taking a deep breath. If this transformation succeeded, he would reach the Eighth Grade before the Alchemy Congress, making him a strong contender for the championship.
“For the Three Thousand Lotus Flame, I must succeed!” Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan raised the bottle and drank the contents, tilting his head back as the Earth Core Soul Essence flowed down his throat.
The moment the essence entered his body, Xiao Yan’s head buzzed, and his soul power expanded rapidly, causing an intense pain in his forehead, as if it were about to explode.
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