Seated within the cave, Xiao Yan took out the medicinal cauldron from his storage ring and gently placed it before him. Then, he laid out all the materials needed for refining the Vein-Protecting Pill and the Ice Heart Pill beside him. After carefully inspecting them, he finally let out a breath of relief. Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to start refining, the Pharmacist Elder, swaying, floated out from the ring and landed on a large rock, folding his arms and smiling at Xiao Yan’s actions.
Glancing at the Pharmacist Elder, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes. In his mind, he reviewed once more the two prescriptions the elder had sent, as well as the quantities and heat controls needed for the pills. Gradually, he opened his eyes, gently rubbing his hands. His palm pressed against the fire mouth of the medicinal cauldron, and his spirit slowly sunk into his body, carefully drawing out the purple flame at the center of his Qi vortex.
The purple flame, enveloped by Dou Qi, rapidly passed through the meridians and then through the palm, entering the medicinal cauldron. The purple flame surged into the cauldron, and with a soft “puff,” the flames began to rise and burn within the cauldron.
Looking through the reflective surface of the cauldron, Xiao Yan watched the chaotic purple flames inside. As the cold temperature of the cauldron gradually rose, he turned his head and smiled at the Pharmacist Elder. Then, his expression became serious again, and his soul perception power emerged from his body, moving through his arm into the cauldron, successfully controlling the unruly purple flames.
“Let’s begin,” the Pharmacist Elder said, nodding with a smile, inwardly remarking, “This little fellow is becoming more and more proficient in using his soul force, able to control the flame temperature so quickly.”
Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan skillfully picked up a bright green plant from beside him. This was the Evergreen Flower, whose branches and leaves contained warm energy perfect for protecting the meridians.
Glancing at the Evergreen Flower in his hand, Xiao Yan paused for a moment before shooting it into the cauldron. As soon as the Evergreen Flower entered, the raging purple flames rushed up, instantly turning the green leaves and branches yellow. At this point, Xiao Yan used his soul force to slowly lower the temperature of the purple flames. The faint flames carried a neutral temperature, gradually roasting the floating Evergreen Flower.
As the roasting continued, the branches and leaves of the Evergreen Flower began to secrete droplets of green liquid. With more and more liquid seeping out, the branches and leaves also began to shrink. When the last drop of green liquid was squeezed out, the Evergreen Flower turned into black ash, settling at the bottom of the cauldron.
“Mm… not bad. With your outstanding soul perception, even some second-grade alchemists would be envious,” the Pharmacist Elder praised, seeing Xiao Yan succeed in the first step.
Smiling, Xiao Yan waved his hand, and the green liquid within the cauldron was sucked out, carefully poured into a jade bottle, ready for later use.
After obtaining the energy juice of the Evergreen Flower, Xiao Yan successively refined three different colored liquids and a pale green powder made from roasting Tarnish Fruits. During the refinement of these medicinal powders, since it was his first time preparing the necessary heat and quantities, even with his exceptional soul perception, he ended up destroying twelve precious medicinal herbs. If not for the abundance of medicinal resources in the valley, he might have faced the embarrassing situation of running out of ingredients.
Sitting on the stone, the Pharmacist Elder quietly watched Xiao Yan refine the medicines until all the required materials were extracted. Nodding slightly, although Xiao Yan had destroyed several medicinal herbs during the process, the failure rate for his first attempt at such a complex formula was quite good.
After extracting all the materials, Xiao Yan sighed in relief, took out a Replenishing Qi Pill from his storage ring, and popped it into his mouth, sitting cross-legged to restore his Dou Qi.
Seeing Xiao Yan like this, the Pharmacist Elder shook his head in resignation. No wonder Xiao Yan was so eager to evolve his cultivation method; even after just a short while, he had already consumed so much Dou Qi. The pill he was currently refining was only a second-grade one; if he were to refine a third or fourth-grade pill, he might need to keep popping Replenishing Qi Pills to avoid failing due to running out of Dou Qi.
Sitting cross-legged and recovering for a while, Xiao Yan finally opened his eyes. Seeing the Pharmacist Elder’s resigned expression, he could only laugh wryly. He placed the previously extracted materials in front of him and then, with a flip of his palm, a snow-white magic core that constantly emitted cold air appeared in his hand.
Staring at the second-grade ice magic core, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled. With a light flick of his fingers, the magic core was accurately shot into the cauldron. At the same time, Xiao Yan’s hand quickly touched the fire mouth of the cauldron, and his soul perception released the suppressed purple flame, causing the flames to roar and fill the entire cauldron.
Amidst the roaring purple flames, the second-grade ice magic core began to emit cold air, struggling to avoid destruction. Within the cauldron, the purple flames and ice mist were in a stalemate, with white fog seeping out from the top of the cauldron and spreading around.
Raising his eyes to see the increasingly thick white vapor in the cave, the Pharmacist Elder lightly waved his sleeve, sending a fierce burst of energy to sweep the white vapor away, clearing the cave once more. However, Xiao Yan paid no attention to this; his entire focus was on the ice magic core in the cauldron.
The purple flames continuously surged into the cauldron, and the ice magic core, not willing to fall behind, continuously released waves of cold air, desperately trying to escape its fate. The stalemate continued until Xiao Yan swallowed another Replenishing Qi Pill, and only then did the ice magic core’s cold barrier break. Although the ice magic core contained a considerable amount of ice energy, it had no backup, so under the persistent roasting of the purple flames, the cold barrier was finally breached.
With the breach of the cold barrier, the purple flames excitedly surged and engulfed the ice magic core, beginning to smelt it. As the flames burned, cracks gradually appeared on the surface of the ice magic core. After a while, with a crisp cracking sound, the surface of the magic core turned to ashes, falling to the bottom of the cauldron. A small, snow-white, gel-like mass of energy then floated in the cauldron.
Seeing the snow-white energy gel, Xiao Yan’s tense face finally showed a hint of joy. After slowly roasting it with the purple flames, he carefully extracted it and stored it in a jade bottle.
After refining the energy of the magic core, Xiao Yan quickly grabbed the materials already refined and threw them into the cauldron. The purple flames enveloped the materials, beginning a fierce smelting. As the intense flames roasted, the differently colored medicinal herbs began to fuse together. The liquids and powders merged, slowly rolling in the flames, and over time, the rough shape of the pill began to form in the cauldron.
At this stage, the pill’s rough shape was pockmarked, irregular, and lacked luster, appearing like an ancient, angular object, far from the smooth and shiny finish of a finished pill.
Seeing the rough shape of the pill, the heavy weight in Xiao Yan’s heart finally lifted. At this point, the pill refinement was almost 90% successful. The remaining step was the final coagulation.
Holding the extracted magic core energy, Xiao Yan turned to the Pharmacist Elder. Seeing his nod, he took a deep breath and, without hesitation, poured the energy from the bottle into the cauldron. The white gel-like energy immediately covered the rough shape of the pill and began to rotate slowly. Simultaneously, Xiao Yan’s soul perception hurriedly controlled the temperature of the purple flames, maintaining it at a moderate level, slowly roasting the pill encased in the energy.
The final coagulation step lasted nearly half an hour, and only then did the magic core’s energy fully infuse the pill. Suddenly, the compressed purple flames surged, and in an instant, they enveloped the pill with a fierce heat. The purple flames were swiftly suppressed again, and a lustrous, perfectly round, white pill appeared in the cauldron.
Seeing the white pill, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but grin. With a wave of his hand, he extracted the pill and quickly put it in a jade bottle. Pulling his hand away from the cauldron, the purple flames inside quickly subsided, and the busy cauldron became quiet.
Shaking the bottle, Xiao Yan took a whiff of the fragrant medicinal aroma, savoring it with delight. After a while, he smiled at the Pharmacist Elder, “The Vein-Protecting Pill is complete!”
“Mm, not bad. Although there were some minor mistakes during the process, your performance was excellent…” Nodding in praise, the Pharmacist Elder glanced at the materials for the Ice Heart Pill on the ground. “Take a rest. Next, you need to refine the Ice Heart Pill. With this success, I think you’ll waste fewer herbs next time.”
Nodding, Xiao Yan carefully stored the Vein-Protecting Pill and took another Replenishing Qi Pill. Closing his eyes, he waited for his Dou Qi to recover. Half an hour later, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, once again at peak condition. Staring at the cauldron, he took a deep breath and extended his hands, starting the pill refinement again.
As the Pharmacist Elder said, with the success of the Vein-Protecting Pill, the Ice Heart Pill was even smoother. Except for the initial unfamiliarity with the different heat requirements, the subsequent steps flowed smoothly. Even the picky Pharmacist Elder was highly satisfied, indicating how impressive Xiao Yan’s performance was.
Two hours after the pill refinement began, Xiao Yan’s face showed signs of fatigue, but more so, a mixture of excitement and joy. In his hands, he tightly held two jade bottles, each containing a playful, white and green, smooth pill. These were the Vein-Protecting Pill and the Ice Heart Pill, necessary for absorbing the purple flames.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s tired face, the Pharmacist Elder glanced at the darkening sky outside and smiled, “The timing of the pill refinement is about right. During the day, the purple flames will increase in intensity, making it more difficult to absorb. So, now is the best time to absorb the purple flames. How do you feel? Can you continue?”
Xiao Yan rubbed his temples and smiled, “Of course, just a bit mentally exhausted. Continuing for the night shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Haha, that’s good,” the Pharmacist Elder nodded, pondering, “How many Replenishing Qi Pills do you have left?”
“Eighteen,” Xiao Yan replied, rummaging through his storage ring.
“That should be enough. If you feel your Dou Qi is depleting, take one immediately. Running out of Dou Qi at a critical moment wouldn’t be fun.”
“Right,” Xiao Yan nodded firmly, not daring to risk his life.
“Alright, now let’s see the results. To be honest, I’m curious to see how much the ‘Burning Decision’ can evolve,” the Pharmacist Elder said, taking a breath, showing a hint of anticipation.
“Jumping directly to the Xuan stage is impossible,” Xiao Yan acknowledged, aware of the limitations. Although the purple flames were powerful, they were vastly inferior to a Flame of Differentiation.
“Of course, it’s impossible to reach the Xuan stage. Each stage of cultivation is a world apart. The purple flames might allow the ‘Burning Decision’ to evolve in rank, but evolving to a higher class is extremely difficult,” the Pharmacist Elder laughed, rolling his eyes.
Xiao Yan chuckled, then fell silent, closing his eyes and focusing. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a sharp light in his gaze. As the light faded, he turned to the Pharmacist Elder.
“Let’s begin, it’s time,” the Pharmacist Elder smiled, nodding.
Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two small jade bottles before closing his eyes and sinking his mind into his body. Under his control, the Qi vortex in his abdomen began to spin rapidly, and as it spun, the purple flames were thrown out in clusters.
The thrown-out purple flames seemed confused, as their former partner had suddenly expelled them. The purple flames gathered around the vortex, merging into a larger, intense purple flame. Just as the purple flames prepared to attack the vortex, a surge of pale yellow Dou Qi flooded out, enveloping the purple flames and, under Xiao Yan’s control, pulling them along the meridians of the ‘Burning Decision.’
As the Dou Qi enveloped the purple flames, the flames sensed danger and began angrily attacking the surrounding Dou Qi. Each assault burned large amounts of Dou Qi, but the vortex continuously supplied more, keeping the purple flames trapped.
When Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi surrounded the purple flames, he lost control over them, but he didn’t care. Focusing on the Dou Qi, he pulled the purple flames into thin streams, rapidly guiding them into the meridians of the ‘Burning Decision.’
As the Dou Qi and purple flames entered the specific meridian, Xiao Yan’s body trembled, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, dripping down his face and onto the rocky ground. Clenching his teeth, the pain in his meridians twisted his face. He hadn’t expected the pain to be so intense, even with the Dou Qi providing initial protection.
“Take the Vein-Protecting Pill!” the Pharmacist Elder’s voice rang out in his ear.
Xiao Yan immediately grabbed the small jade bottle and poured the pill into his mouth. The pill transformed into a warm, soothing flow, rushing down his throat and through his body. Under his control, it coated the meridians of the ‘Burning Decision’ with a thin layer of white energy.
Though the layer was thin, its effect was significant. Soon, Xiao Yan’s tense muscles relaxed, and his twisted face returned to normal. Though occasional burning pain still flared, it was within his tolerance.
Relieved, Xiao Yan felt a sense of gratitude. Without the Vein-Protecting Pill, he doubted his meridians could continue to absorb Dou Qi. The thought of becoming crippled after the purple flames completely passed through his meridians chilled him.
“Truly, having an elder is like having a treasure,” Xiao Yan muttered, feeling the Pharmacist Elder’s status in his heart soar.
With the aid of the Vein-Protecting Pill, Xiao Yan was much more relaxed. Despite the rapid consumption of Dou Qi by the purple flames, he managed to keep up with the continuous intake of Replenishing Qi Pills.
Everything proceeded in a tense yet orderly manner. So far, nothing had gone wrong, but Xiao Yan remained cautious. The Pharmacist Elder had warned that, besides the danger of burning meridians, the wild intent of the purple flames could gradually erode the mind, causing loss of control.
Remembering the warning, Xiao Yan carefully guarded his mind, ensuring no mistakes. After the Dou Qi and purple flames had navigated about half of the ‘Burning Decision’ meridians, Xiao Yan’s face grew solemn. He sensed a growing restlessness in his mind as the absorption intensified.
Realizing the change, Xiao Yan immediately reached for the Ice Heart Pill and swallowed it. The cold, bone-chilling sensation spread from his throat, making his mind shiver. The rising restlessness in his mind melted away like snow in a fire.
With the Ice Heart Pill protecting his mind, Xiao Yan no longer feared losing control. He drove the Dou Qi enveloping the purple flames through the meridians with all his might. As the Dou Qi and purple flames moved through the ‘Burning Decision’ meridians, Xiao Yan noticed something strange: the leading Dou Qi and purple flames were merging!
No, it wasn’t a merger; the purple flames were being gradually absorbed by the ‘Burning Decision’ Dou Qi!
Seeing this, Xiao Yan was both shocked and delighted. It confirmed that the ‘Burning Decision’ truly had the ability to evolve!
As the pale yellow Dou Qi and purple flames neared the final ‘Burning Decision’ meridian, they had almost completely merged. The formerly pale yellow Dou Qi had turned to a light purple, and a faint purple flame rose from its surface, no longer harming the meridians.
Seeing the changed color of the Dou Qi, Xiao Yan felt elated and directed it to complete the final circulation. The Dou Qi sped up, and in a flash, it burst out of the last meridian, completing a perfect cycle and returning to the abdomen. The purple Dou Qi rushed into the spinning pale yellow Qi vortex.
As more and more purple-flame-infused Dou Qi flowed back into the vortex, its color gradually shifted from pale yellow to light purple. When the last strand of purple Dou Qi returned, the vortex had fully transformed into a light purple.
The spinning vortex in the abdomen abruptly stopped, standing still. At the same time, in the cave, Xiao Yan, who had his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and a blinding purple light shot out, extending half an inch. Moments later, the light faded, and Xiao Yan turned to the Pharmacist Elder, grinning foolishly, “Success?”
“Success!” the Pharmacist Elder sighed in relief, smiling and nodding. He could sense the vast increase in Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi.
Seeing the Pharmacist Elder’s nod, Xiao Yan’s face split into a wide grin. He was about to shout in joy when his expression suddenly changed. He felt the energy of heaven and earth rushing towards him.
“Teacher, what’s happening?” Xiao Yan asked, alarmed.
The sudden change surprised the Pharmacist Elder as well. Frowning, he stepped in front of Xiao Yan, placing his hand on his body. A moment later, the old man’s face lit up with a smile.
“Good things come in threes. Congratulations, it’s time for you to break through to become a Dou Shi!”
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