Word Count: 2,955 Words
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Nalan Yanran merely glanced at Liu Ling as he ran over excitedly. Ever since the Misty Cloud Sect had nearly been disbanded and Gu He had ultimately chosen to leave, she hadn't spoken to Liu Ling. The only reason she knew Gu He's current location was because Liu Ling had sent her a letter detailing where he and his Master would be living.
She never imagined that Xiao Yan would ask her to exchange pills with Gu He.
When Liu Ling heard that she was here to see his Master, his eyes dimmed slightly, but he quickly 'perked up' again.
"Master is currently refining a pill, but he should be finished soon. Please come in and have a seat." Liu Ling wiped the dirt from his hands, opened the bamboo door, and invited Nalan Yanran inside.
Nalan Yanran couldn't help but furrow her elegant brows. When the Misty Cloud Sect was on the verge of disbanding, Gu He, as the sect's strongest alchemist, had chosen to leave. This made her feel a twinge of betrayal.
Even though Yun Yun had told her that Gu He had other reasons for leaving, she had avoided Liu Ling for the past two years. However, having given her word to Xiao Yan, she nodded once and followed Liu Ling into the courtyard.
The entire courtyard was extremely modest, built entirely of bamboo. Moreover, this place was situated deep within remote mountains and forests. It was hard to imagine that a 6th-tier alchemist resided here!
"Yanran, how have you and Sect Leader Yun Yun been lately?" Liu Ling poured her a cup of tea, sat down, and inquired with a smile.
"We have been fine." Her tone was cool. Nalan Yanran only wanted to meet Gu He, carry out her task, and leave.
"Ah, um… I heard you've been quite active at the border, slaughtering forces from the three invading empires until they retreated in disarray. They say you even exchanged blows with a Dou Emperor. Is that true?" Liu Ling pressed on.
"Mm."
"I've been cultivating diligently in alchemy under Master's guidance. Now I can refine peak tier 4 pills, and I believe it won't be long before I reach tier 5. Tier 5 pills are perfect for Dou Kings, so once I succeed, I can make some healing pills for you. After all, your Misty Cloud Sect has now joined the Yan Alliance, and it's always dangerous for a girl like you to go to the borders. Having some pills would make things much safer."
"No need."
"It's really no trouble. Just wait for me. I'm sure I'll soon be able to refine a Dou King Pill. If you need, I can ask Master to get one for you."
If someone were listening nearby, they would probably sigh inwardly upon hearing such a conversation. Truly heartbreaking!
Nalan Yanran couldn't be bothered to respond. She slowly closed her eyes and began cultivating the new Qi Method she had obtained from the Gate of Life and Death. She was already a 5-star Dou King now. By the time he became a 5th-tier alchemist capable of refining Dou King Pills, she would have long since become a Dou Emperor.
Liu Ling saw Nalan Yanran begin cultivating and didn't persist in his futile efforts. He also started cultivating the Qi Method taught to him by Gu He.
Although alchemists mainly hone their alchemy skills, they still need the support of Dou Qi when refining pills. Without a Heavenly Flame, if one's cultivation was too low, it would be difficult even to extract the essence from medicinal ingredients.
Before long, a rich medicinal fragrance suddenly wafted over from another part of the courtyard. The scent permeated the air, and a pillar of medicinal light shot up into the sky.
"Success! Master has finally succeeded in refining a high-grade tier 6 pill!!" Liu Ling exclaimed in delight.
Nalan Yanran also seemed surprised by the energy that lingered in the air. Just two years ago, Gu He could stably refine only low-grade tier 6 pills. Who would have thought that after two years, he could actually refine high-grade tier 6 pills!
In fact, leaving the Misty Cloud Sect had allowed Gu He to devote himself to alchemy wholeheartedly, making his skills improve faster than ever before.
"Yanran, how is your Master doing?" Gu He entered the courtyard while holding a jade bottle containing the newly refined pill. With his Tier 6 Spiritual Strength, how could he not sense Nalan Yanran's arrival?
Nalan Yanran naturally didn't dare to be disrespectful toward the man who had once been hailed as the empire's number one alchemist—the Pill King Gu He—and who had once refined pills for her. She stood up, gave a respectful bow, and politely said, "Master is still at the border of the Yan Alliance, but she has sent letters; all is well."
"That is good to hear. May I ask what brings you here?" Gu He took the seat offered by Liu Ling, who then poured him a cup of tea. After drinking it in a single gulp, he set his gaze on Nalan Yanran and asked.
Nalan Yanran's eyes shifted slightly as she thought for a moment before saying, "I heard that... Grandmaster Gu He has a Body Transformation Pill, and I'd like to trade for it."
Both Gu He and Liu Ling showed puzzled expressions upon hearing this.
It wasn't a secret that he had a Body Transformation Pill, especially when he went to the Snake-People Tribe to negotiate with Medusa; he had loudly proclaimed it himself. Not only had Yun Yun heard it as she stood beside him at the time, but probably the entire Snake-People Tribe knew he had a Body Transformation Pill.
In the past, several Grand Elders of the Snake-People Tribe had intended to trade with him for the Body Transformation Pill, but he had refused. It wasn't that he was particularly attached to the pill, but rather that they couldn't offer a price tempting enough for him.
The Body Transformation Pill was truly not cheap. Gu He had not only exhausted his entire fortune but also owed the Alchemist Association a significant debt in pills before he managed to trade for it.
It was only half a year ago that he finally finished refining enough pills to repay his debt to the Alchemist Association.
"I do indeed have a Body Transformation Pill, but Yanran, what use do you have for it? This is a pill used by magical beasts. It shouldn't be suitable for you. This is a high-grade tier 7 pill; even the entire Snake-People Tribe couldn't afford to exchange for it."
Gu He wasn't looking down on the Misty Cloud Sect. Compared to the Snake-People Tribe located in the desert, the Misty Cloud Sect did have deeper pockets. However, even they couldn't afford the price of a high-grade tier 7 pill unless they exhausted all their assets.
Nalan Yanran naturally wouldn't haggle, and indeed, this wasn't something she wanted. She was just being used by Xiao Yan to make the request because she knew Gu He.
She didn't waste words. She took out two items from her storage ring and placed them on the table. "Grandmaster Gu He, here is a scroll of a High Xuan Class Soul Training Method for cultivating the soul, as well as a high-grade tier 6 pill that can increase Spiritual Strength called the Little Soul Black Purple Pill. I wish to trade these for the Body Transformation Pill."
It was clear at a glance that these two items did not belong to her. They undoubtedly came from Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan knew he couldn't get something for nothing, so he had traded for a High Xuan Class Soul Training Method from the Hall of Souls. This wasn't the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique; it didn't have the effect of breaking through the Soul State. However, it increased Spiritual Strength faster than the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique and was more suitable for 6th-tier and 7th-tier alchemists to cultivate.
As for the Little Soul Black Purple Pill, that was what he had refined yesterday.
The Soul Training Methods from the Hall of Souls could only be read once, so the value of such High Xuan Class Soul Training Methods wasn't actually very high. Using it to trade for a high-grade tier 7 pill was absolutely impossible. After all, the value of a high-grade tier 7 pill was equivalent to a Di Class Qi Method, possibly even requiring an Intermediate Di Class to trade.
However, soul techniques were valuable precisely because they were rare.
Not just in the Jia Ma Empire but throughout the entire North-Western Region, no one had heard of any methods to cultivate Spiritual Strength. They had long since been lost.
Liu Ling's expression changed dramatically when he heard what Nalan Yanran was offering. If it were just an ordinary high-grade tier 6 pill plus a High Xuan Class Qi Method, he would think she was here just to cause trouble, as the values weren't equivalent at all!
But! The fact that everything was related to soul cultivation made it a different matter entirely.
Although the values weren't equivalent, they were exactly what Gu He needed!
Apart from that freak Xiao Yan, ordinary alchemists usually had sufficient alchemy experience but couldn't increase their tier because their fire control and Spiritual Strength couldn't keep up.
After all, normal people had very few ways to increase their Spiritual Strength. Even Gu He was no exception. The fact that he could refine high-grade tier 6 pills involved a bit of luck. His Spiritual Strength hadn't actually reached high-grade tier 6.
Gu He closed his eyes in thought, then slowly opened them. His gaze carried a bit of helplessness as he said, "This Body Transformation Pill is what he wants, isn't it?"
Liu Ling was startled at first, then suddenly realized whom his Master was referring to.
Xiao Yan!
Even they had received news of his return!
Nalan Yanran instantly became a little flustered. She had rarely ever lied in her life!
"I heard he's going to refine the Zong Breaking Pill for the imperial family?" Gu He asked.
"I... I don't know about that." Nalan Yanran truly didn't know. She had just come out of seclusion, only to be thoroughly defeated again.
However, Gu He knew because Jia Xing Tian and Yao Ye had sought him out and exchanged some of the medicinal ingredients needed for the Zong Breaking Pill. It was clear to him who was planning to refine it.
"Take these items back first. Help me relay a message to him. If he can successfully refine the Zong Breaking Pill, then I will trade with him." A strange light flashed in Gu He's eyes. He refused to believe it!
He couldn't believe that someone who was still a 5th-tier alchemist two years ago could refine the Zong Breaking Pill! He wanted to test fate; he simply could not bring himself to believe it!!
…
That evening, Nalan Yanran conveyed Gu He's words to Xiao Yan.
"You're pretty useless, aren't you? He figured it all out right away." Xiao Yan shot her an exasperated look.
"I... I didn't do it on purpose! Once he knew it was you who wanted the pill, there was nothing I could say!" Nalan Yanran instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. Why did she always end up at a disadvantage in front of this guy? How strange.
Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly. "Well, nothing we can do about it now. I have to refine the pill anyway. Help me go to the palace and find Yao Ye. When the imperial family has gathered all the ingredients for the Zong Breaking Pill, bring them back to the Misty Cloud Sect for me. You can at least handle something this simple, right?"
"No problem! I'll definitely get it done this time!" Nalan Yanran perked up and left Xiao Yan's room with a determined expression to do better this time.
It was only after she walked out and closed the door behind her that she suddenly realized—how had she ended up running errands? She had unwittingly fallen for Xiao Yan's tricks again!!!
Xiao Yan certainly had a knack for 'educating' people!
…
After a day and night of waiting, Queen Yao Ye did not disappoint—she had gathered three sets of ingredients for the Zong Breaking Pill!
Xiao Yan didn't know how the Jia Ma Imperial Family had managed it. Perhaps they already had some of the ingredients, or maybe they had paid a hefty price to purchase them from the Alchemist Association. Regardless, now that the ingredients were ready, it was time for him to show his skills.
Early the next morning, Xiao Yan had his little errand runner, Nalan Yanran, go inform Gu He to come watch the alchemy. He had no intention of hiding anything. He was going to set up his cauldron at the peak of Misty Cloud Mountain and refine the pill in full view of countless Misty Cloud Sect disciples!
Normally, alchemy required a quiet environment, but he actually felt more in his element refining pills in front of many people.
Perhaps this was the highest realm of showing off.
His gaze slowly swept over the dozens of snow-white jade boxes before him, then around at his surroundings, where he could see many familiar faces.
Xiao Yan took a light breath and suppressed the fluctuations in his heart. With a flick of his finger, the massive Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron appeared out of thin air and slammed heavily onto the ground, emitting a deep, resonant hum.
"Isn't that the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron, one of the cauldrons ranked on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking?" Chairman Fa Ma had naturally come to watch. When he saw the cauldron Xiao Yan was using, he exclaimed in shock.
Gu He also narrowed his eyes slightly. As the saying goes, 'Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping of wood'; having good tools was also a crucial part of alchemy.
With eyes slightly narrowed, the alchemy method and various points to note for refining the Zong Breaking Pill flashed through Xiao Yan's mind once again. After a while, his eyes suddenly opened. In his dark pupils, the Nihility Earth Spirit Flame—formed by merging the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame, and the Seed Flame of the Nihility Devouring Flame—rose up within the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron.
With a subtle sound, a wisp of three-colored flame emerged from his fingertip. With a flick, the flame transformed into a stream of light and shot into the medicinal cauldron like lightning.
The moment the flame appeared, the fire seeds within the bodies of alchemists like Gu He couldn't help but shrink back.
"That flame... how..." Gu He was dumbfounded. What kind of flame was that?! How did he have a new fire seed again? What happened to his previous Heavenly Flames?!
The flame had only just entered the cauldron when its small form suddenly expanded. In just an instant, the tiny flame transformed into a raging inferno that burned crazily within the cauldron.
Xiao Yan's terrifyingly precise fire control quickly brought the temperature inside the cauldron to a constant level, with fluctuations less than one degree.
He waved his hand, and a snow-white jade box emitting a hint of cold was drawn into his grasp. Pinching the Cold Marrow Twig between his fingers, an icy, bone-piercing chill rapidly seeped in through his fingertips, almost numbing his entire arm.
But for Xiao Yan, who possessed seven kinds of Heavenly Flames, this kind of cold wasn't even one-hundredth as potent as the Bone Chilling Flame.
The Cold Marrow Twig was thrown with extreme precision into the medicinal cauldron with a light toss of his hand. The flames, like a ferocious maw, devoured it in one gulp.
Even with the help of the merged Heavenly Flame, extracting the Cold Marrow Twig still took thirty minutes.
As time passed, one medicinal ingredient after another was tossed in.
After the numerous ingredients were refined and were just about to make contact and fuse, a violent energy fluctuation erupted. Then, with a low sound, over half of the pure medicinal liquid that had been painstakingly refined actually dissipated from the shock.
Feeling the change within the cauldron, Xiao Yan merely smiled lightly and transmitted through his soul, "Lucky you, Mao Wu."
Meow! With a sweep of black flame, all the carefully extracted medicinal ingredients were devoured.
Many people present secretly felt it was a pity when they saw Xiao Yan's first refinement attempt fail. Only 6th-tier alchemists like Gu He and Fa Ma could perceive the subtleties, their expressions extremely solemn.
"Truly frightening fire control."
"It's not just his fire control. His Spiritual Strength is equally outstanding. His fire control and Spiritual Strength have at least reached tier 7!"
Fa Ma and Gu He glanced at each other, both seeing deep helplessness and admiration in the other's eyes.
They understood that Xiao Yan's alchemy this time would definitely succeed!
The first failure was purely due to lack of experience, not ability. With two sets of ingredients remaining, there was no doubt the Zong Breaking Pill would be successfully refined!
Sure enough, with the second set, Xiao Yan's refinement speed was twice as fast as the first. Very quickly, a pill embryo appeared!
The corners of his mouth curled up in a smile. The next second, a dazzling light burst from the medicinal cauldron, so bright that everyone couldn't open their eyes!
The Zong Breaking Pill was ready, which meant the Body Transformation Pill was in the bag!
Zi Yan's true form would soon be revealed!