Chapter 91: Grade 8!
"Leave it to me!"
Zi Yan didn't grasp the deeper meaning in Jiang Yun's words. After all, who would have thought that a small beast, abandoned and forced to compete with Magical Beasts for food since childhood, was actually a princess of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan?
Even Zi Yan herself only believed she was a descendant of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, never imagining her bloodline was so noble.
But even so, facing Jiang Yun's teasing remark, she still patted her chest solemnly and guaranteed.
Seeing this, the tenderness in Jiang Yun's eyes deepened. He turned his head to look in the direction of the valley and softly said, "It's been a few days since we came out. It's time to go back, otherwise, I estimate Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian are getting anxious!"
"Then let's hurry back!"
With that, Zi Yan turned and pulled Jiang Yun's hand, flying towards the valley.
Inside the valley.
Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin, who had finished absorbing the Earth Core Tempering Milk, were distractedly cultivating and looking at the books in their hands.
"Bai Ya, why aren't Brother Jiang Yun and Sister Zi Yan back yet?" Qing Lin finally couldn't hold back and quietly asked Bai Ya, who was carefully watching nearby.
"Could something have happened? No, Brother Jiang Yun and Sister Zi Yan are so powerful, what Magical Beast in the Magical Beast Mountain Range could threaten them?"
Watching her master start to worry again, Bai Ya's heart trembled. Torn between two difficulties, it was too hard for a snake!
"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, should we..." Qing Lin still couldn't hold back, turning to look at Xiao Yi Xian nearby, asking with a worried expression.
"No!" Unfortunately, Qing Lin's suggestion was met with Xiao Yi Xian's resolute refusal. Looking at the disappointed Qing Lin, a sudden sense of guilt rose in Xiao Yi Xian's heart, and she explained, "Qing Lin, aren't you clear about Jiang Yun and Zi Yan's strength? There's nothing in the Magical Beast Mountain Range that can threaten them."
"They should be coming back soon. If we go out on our own, and they come back and don't see us, wouldn't that just cause more trouble?"
"Alright then!"
After Xiao Yi Xian's explanation, Qing Lin also understood. She wrapped her legs again, staring blankly into the distance.
"Qing Lin, your Sister Xiao Yi Xian is right. Next time you encounter something, don't act rashly!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came, followed by a pair of familiar large hands resting on her head. Qing Lin looked up in surprise, only to see Jiang Yun and Zi Yan standing behind her, smiling.
"Brother Jiang Yun!" Qing Lin beamed with joy and leaped into Jiang Yun's embrace.
Rubbing the head of the girl in his arms, Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was equally joyful but more restrained, and said with a smile, "Excellent, your Dou Qi is already complete. It just so happens that our luck was good this time, and I gathered all the medicinal ingredients I need to refine the pill. With this, I can start to address the issues with your physique."
In Jiang Yun's plan, before becoming a Dou Zhe and before the attributes manifested, was the best method to resolve the Woeful Poison Body. Therefore, when preparing the Earth Core Tempering Milk for Xiao Yi Xian, he focused on cleansing the marrow, purifying the veins, and strengthening the foundation, with the improvement of strength being secondary.
"Really?" As expected, upon hearing Jiang Yun's words, Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but be overjoyed. The Woeful Poison Body was a persistent worry for her, and resolving it sooner would naturally be for the best.
"I'll start now!" With that, Jiang Yun flew towards an open space in the distance.
In the open space, Jiang Yun sat cross-legged on a large rock, his eyes tightly closed.
At this moment, he needed to adjust his Dou Qi and soul to their optimal state, while simultaneously recalling the refining techniques and Precautions for the Bone Melting Blood Pill.
That's right, it was the Bone Melting Blood Pill!
Although this pill appeared to be a resurrection pill in the original work, it was inherently a top-tier healing pill. It could bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones; as long as there was a breath left, it could save the injured.
Next, Jiang Yun needed to use a top-tier healing pill to help Xiao Yi Xian resolve the Woeful Poison Body.
This pill was essentially a Seventh Grade Pill, but with sufficient spirituality, it could advance to Grade 8.
It wasn't that Yao Chen's storage ring didn't contain more advanced healing pills, but for a pill with relatively simple ingredients and good effects, Jiang Yun chose the Bone Melting Blood Pill.
As a hint of dawn appeared in the sky, Jiang Yun exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened a pair of eyes as bright as stars.
He glanced back at Zi Yan and the two others, who were standing by in full readiness not far away. Jiang Yun nodded; no words were needed, Zi Yan already understood, constantly vigilant of her surroundings to ensure nothing would disturb Jiang Yun in the slightest.
Withdrawing his gaze, he raised his palm. The storage ring in his hand flashed repeatedly, and a massive medicine cauldron, engraved with patterns of ten thousand beasts galloping, crashed heavily onto the ground with a thud.
Although he already had the Black Demon Cauldron, the difference in feel between the two was not significant for Jiang Yun, so he still chose the more imposing Thousand Beast Cauldron.
Moreover, given Jiang Yun's identity, if he were to take out the Black Demon Cauldron, it might lead to trouble later. It was better to stick with the familiar Thousand Beast Cauldron from the start!
Following this, jade boxes containing medicinal ingredients floated out, enveloped by Dou Qi, and hovered around Jiang Yun.
Roughly estimating, there were at least a hundred types. Pills reaching Grade 7 and above often require a considerable number of ingredients.
The demands on soul power are quite high; those whose soul control isn't up to par would likely feel dizzy just looking at so many medicinal ingredients, let alone refining them.
After the medicinal ingredients were taken out, white flames emerged and were then casually thrown into the medicine cauldron by Jiang Yun. The flames surged violently, causing the surrounding temperature to rise rapidly.
As the flames burned, the ten thousand beast patterns on the surface of the Thousand Beast Cauldron's body seemed to come alive, emitting deafening roars, fully displaying their ferocious aura.
Soul power, radiating a faint spiritual fluctuation, was released from Jiang Yun's glabella. The already vibrant green grass, now seemingly enhanced, had countless weeds covered in a layer of green glow, full of vitality, and rapidly expanding outwards.
Deeper underground, buried grass seeds, under the influence of this spiritual fluctuation, exhibited vigorous and flourishing life force.
Soul power continuously poured into the medicine cauldron, controlling the temperature of the white flames and sensing the changes within the cauldron. After about ten minutes, Jiang Yun flipped his palm upwards, operating his Dou Qi to generate a suction force.
One of the jade boxes floating around flew into Jiang Yun's hand. He opened the jade box, and inside was the blood essence demon fruit.
He glanced at the blood essence demon fruit, then flicked his finger, and it was thrown into the medicine cauldron. The white flames instantly enveloped it.
The scorching temperature assaulted it, causing the surface of the blood essence demon fruit to emit a faint bloody glow, resisting the burning of the heavenly flame.
However, it was merely a single medicinal ingredient. Even if it was extraordinary, under the scorching of the Undying Holy Flame, after enduring for fifteen minutes, the bloody fruit continuously shriveled, and puffs of bloody mist emerged.
Finally, a mass of viscous, blood-colored liquid gradually condensed, radiating pure energy fluctuations. The remaining fruit remnants, as they were incinerated by the heavenly flame, eventually turned into nothingness.
After the medicinal liquid was extracted, Jiang Yun did not immediately withdraw the flames but guided them to the side to continue nurturing. Then, Jiang Yun once again fully immersed himself in the more intricate refining process that followed.
Unconsciously, the sky turned from bright to dark, then from dark to bright again. A day and a night had passed.
At this point, there were no more medicinal ingredients around Jiang Yun. During the refining process, even Jiang Yun's soul power felt a hint of fatigue. Fortunately, his soul cultivation method was advanced, allowing him to quickly recover his depleted soul power, achieving a balance between expenditure and replenishment. This enabled him to remain so energetic even after a day and a night of alchemy.
He stretched out his palm and gently raised it. As his Dou Qi circulated, the surrounding jade bottles all trembled simultaneously, then broke their sealed state. Lumps of medicinal liquid, powder, and other substances, enveloped by white flames, flew out of the jade bottles and floated around Jiang Yun.
Under Jiang Yun's continuous nurturing with flames, the essence of these medicinal ingredients had reached their optimal state, making it the best time for pill fusion.
With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle gust of wind emanated, and instantly, the medicinal essences floating around Jiang Yun, one after another, flew into the medicine cauldron.
The surging white flames quickly enveloped them, taking control of all these medicinal essences. Like a sea of stars, hundreds of medicinal ingredients attracted and repelled each other, emitting pure medicinal power fluctuations.
With a calm and focused mind, his gaze fixed on the medicine cauldron, soul power radiating spiritual fluctuations spread throughout every corner of the cauldron, making the medicinal essences glow brightly.
He formed a hand seal, and instantly, the soul power within his body began to leak out, surging into the medicine cauldron. Jiang Yun concentrated and shouted in a deep voice, "Condense—"
As Jiang Yun's voice fell, within the medicine cauldron, the surging white flames rotated like a fiery vortex, pushing the medicinal liquids, powders, and other components to converge.
Boom—
Waves of pure medicinal power collided with each other, creating ripples that caused the white flames to flicker continuously, then crashed against the inner wall of the medicine cauldron.
The Thousand Beast Cauldron trembled slightly. Every ripple that crashed within it was no less powerful than an attack from a Dou Huang.
The medicinal power contained within a Grade 8 Pill was evident at this moment!
However, to stabilize the medicinal liquid in the cauldron at this time, Jiang Yun's soul power rapidly surged forward, guiding the fusion of the medicinal power within, preventing it from dissipating after mutual collision.
Under the guidance of Jiang Yun's soul power, the fiercely colliding medicinal essences gradually calmed down. Soul power seeped into them like lubricant, and the medicinal liquids began to show signs of merging.
"Gathering Spirit!"
As the medicinal liquids began to fuse, a miniature Spirit Gathering Array formed in Jiang Yun's palm and enveloped the medicine cauldron.
The invisible spiritual energy around, as the medicinal liquids fused, was compressed into the pill in an extremely precise manner!
This was Jiang Yun's unique secret method for improving the quality of pills!
As the pill merged and its spiritual energy continuously increased, Jiang Yun once again quieted down.
Alchemy is a lengthy process, and the higher the grade of the pill, the more so, especially the nurturing process within, which cannot be neglected for even a moment.
Thus, Jiang Yun was once again engaged in a protracted battle!
Zi Yan stood silently at the highest point of the valley, her gaze gently resting on Jiang Yun, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. From time to time, her sharp eyes would also sweep across the surrounding Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Magical Beasts within hundreds of miles around felt a chill from within their hearts and dared not approach this mist-shrouded valley even more.
Qing Lin, riding Bai Ya, was also on alert not far away!
Only Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes were fixed on Jiang Yun, observing his every move. She had always yearned to be an Alchemist, and now that Jiang Yun was refining a Grade 8 Pill in front of her, even if she didn't understand it, it didn't hinder her curiosity.
Thus, day after day, the sun rose and set, and time flowed like water, quietly slipping through their fingers.
Three days later!
A medicine cauldron floated in mid-air, and inside, white flames surged like ocean waves. Within, a pill the size of a dragon's eye, with a rather smooth surface, was faintly discernible.
This Bone Melting Blood Pill had already formed, just waiting to 'break out of its shell'.
In an instant, the Thousand Beast Cauldron suddenly trembled, and a crisp "humming" sound rippled out.
After the medicine cauldron hummed, an exceptionally rich pill aura suddenly erupted from within the cauldron like a volcano. Faintly, one could see that the source of the pill aura was a perfectly round pill.
The surge of pill aura became increasingly fierce, eventually almost directly soaring into the sky. Attracted by such a rich pill aura, violent winds instantly howled above the valley, clouds gathered, and the power of heaven and earth surged in like ocean waves, as if being drawn.
Layer upon layer of thick dark clouds appeared, covering the sky, making it difficult for even sunlight to penetrate, pressing down over the valley.
"Rumble—"
Thunder boomed. Under the gaze of the four, the thunderclouds churned, and then red, blue, and purple colors slowly revealed themselves!
"Three-colored Pill Lightning?"
Jiang Yun looked at the Pill Lightning above his head and murmured softly.
Zi Yan stood tall at this moment, gazing at the overcast sky, and could feel the vast power emanating from within!
"Such terrifying Pill Lightning, is this a Grade 8 Pill?" Feeling the threat it brought, Zi Yan said somewhat dejectedly, "Damn it, my strength is still too weak, I can't keep up!"
However, she still circulated the Dou Qi within her body without hesitation, ready to strike at any moment.
"Colored Pill Lightning! Grandmaster Jiang is truly a Eighth-Rank Alchemist!" In the distance, Bai Ya, trembling under the Pill Lightning, stared dumbfounded at the vast heavenly power of the Pill Lightning, while also looking at the faintly discernible dark red pill in the light beam.
"Of course! Brother Jiang Yun wouldn't lie!" Qing Lin somewhat unhappily patted Bai Ya beneath her feet.
"Zi Yan, keep an eye on Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin. This Pill Lightning has its uses for me!"
Looking at the eager Zi Yan, Jiang Yun turned to Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin, a confident smile on his face, and said loudly.
With Zi Yan's current strength, she couldn't block this Grade 8 Pill Lightning. Besides, a great source of nourishing energy had finally arrived, and he wouldn't bear to waste it.
Boom!
Just then, a huge roar came. As the thunderclouds rolled, a three-colored lightning bolt descended rapidly, like a giant python, erupting from the clouds. The target of this lightning bolt was precisely the dark red pill.
"Come on—"