Alchemist

The mottled Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy slowly flowed into Xun'er's body in a vortex, then was refined layer by layer until it was absorbed.

After days of cultivation, Xun'er could clearly sense the changes in her qi vortex. Sometimes, when she used Dou Techniques, she even felt a distinct resistance. All the signs indicated that she was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Xun'er knew that she could not rush this. She needed an opportunity—a perfect opportunity.

And just now, she had fully circulated her cultivation method, using all the Dou Qi in her body to execute a Dou Technique. This happened to disrupt the balance within her. As Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi poured in, Xun'er naturally advanced into a Five Star Dou Zhe.

She suddenly opened her eyes, and golden flames instantly covered them. A moment later, the flames slowly receded, revealing her star-like eyes once more.

She rose to her feet and looked at her hands, then cried out happily, "Yay, I'm a Five Star Dou Zhe now!"

Watching Xun'er cheer excitedly ahead of him, Ling Ying smiled as well, his mood improving considerably.

"Congratulations on breaking through to Five Star Dou Zhe, Miss."

"Thank you, Old Ling." Xun'er smiled as she hugged Ling Ying's arm.

If she had not sparred with him, Xun'er would not have found her opportunity so quickly and reached five stars. So, a proper thank-you was only right.

"Hahaha, Miss, you flatter me. This was all your own effort. This old man did not help in the slightest." Ling Ying said indulgently as he looked at Xun'er clinging to his arm.

"Oh, right." Ling Ying paused, then took an exquisite Jade Bottle from the High-Level Storage Ring on his hand. "This is a Fourth Grade Pill I previously asked an alchemist in the clan to refine—the Jade Vein Pill. It can greatly increase the toughness of the meridians and accelerate cultivation. I had meant to give it to you earlier, Miss, but some trivial matters delayed me."

"A Fourth Grade Pill? An alchemist?" Xun'er cried out in surprise.

She had known since she was young that there was a special profession on this continent—alchemists. Though their personal strength was not necessarily exceptional, they were deeply revered by others for one reason alone: they were alchemists.

Of course, the requirements for becoming an alchemist were extremely harsh. One had to possess fire-attributed Dou Qi mixed with a trace of wood attribute. On top of that, one needed powerful soul perception and innate talent. Otherwise, no matter how hard one worked, it would all be in vain.

A fifth-grade alchemist might not be able to defeat a Dou Wang, but a Dou Wang would certainly not dare offend a fifth-grade alchemist lightly. It was not because they could not win, but because of the alchemists' exquisite pill-refining arts and vast network of connections.

Gu Yuan had once told her a story: an Alchemy Grandmaster capable of refining Ninth Grade Pills had been severely wounded by a Ninth Cycle Dou Zun Peak. The very next day, three Low-Level Half-Saints and one High-Level Half-Saint went to that Dou Zun's sect and slaughtered all thousand-odd members of the sect, until blood flowed like a river.

The importance of a high-level Alchemy Grandmaster was even greater than that of an ordinary Dou Saint.

So when she was very young, she had also entertained thoughts of becoming an alchemist. She had even imitated pill refinement, using ordinary flames to refine ordinary grass. As a result, the incident became Xun'er's embarrassing secret.

"Is this for me?"

When she saw the Jade Bottle in Ling Ying's hand, Xun'er's eyes lit up. But because of a girl's reserved nature, she still asked cautiously.

"Hahaha, that's right."

Upon hearing Ling Ying's confirmation, Xun'er's brows rose. She happily accepted the Jade Bottle, the lingering blush on her face refusing to fade.

Seeing the delight on Xun'er's face, Ling Ying said with a smile, "Although this Jade Vein Pill is a Fourth Grade Pill, it does not have the side effects that Fourth Grade Pills usually carry. Miss only needs to take it, wait for the medicinal effects to take hold, and then refine them."

Xun'er nodded happily. She raised her head to look at the kindly old man before giving him a big hug. "Thank you, Grandpa Ling."

Ling Ying broke out in a cold sweat. "Miss, you give this old man far too much honor..."

"Then I'll go back and cultivate first, Grandpa Ling. You should go take care of your own business." Xun'er waved at Ling Ying before jogging down the mountain.

Ling Ying watched the girl disappear into the distance. Stroking his beard, he murmured softly, "I hope this pill will help Miss. After all, there is only one short month left until the Clan Competition."

With that, his Dou Qi Wings flapped, and Ling Ying's figure gradually vanished beyond the horizon.

Inside the Bamboo House.

Xun'er sat cross-legged on the bed, her little hands constantly stroking the Jade Bottle as though she could not bear to put it down.

"Is this pill really that miraculous? It can affect the meridians?"

Yun Xi slowly floated out and looked at Xun'er playing with the bottle on the bed, somewhat surprised.

After all, in his world, there was no such title as alchemist. The spiritual pills cultivators consumed were all refined by pill refiners, and their effects were only temporary. Not only were the medicinal effects weak, but they also came with considerable side effects.

"Xun'er, why not take it and try?" Yun Xi asked tentatively.

There was no question about the safety of the pill Ling Ying had given her. He wanted to know whether this tiny pill truly possessed such miraculous effects.

Xun'er nodded and carefully opened the bottle. A rich medicinal fragrance spread through the Bamboo House. Just one breath of it made her feel refreshed and relaxed.

She poured the pill into her palm. Its naturally cool sensation made her narrow her eyes slightly. Looking at the smooth, round Jade Vein Pill in her hand, Xun'er smiled. After taking another sniff of the soothing pill fragrance, she finally stopped hesitating and placed it in her mouth.

The instant the pill entered her mouth, she felt a fresh sensation. Its coolness quickly spread through her mouth before transforming into a stream of pure energy that entered her body.

A moment later, Xun'er suddenly felt an unfamiliar energy appear within her meridians. It slowly flowed through them, spreading from her chest to her limbs, then to every corner of her body.

A faint jade-colored glow appeared along every meridian the energy passed through, making them more resilient.

Feeling the changes in her body, Xun'er grinned. "Hehe, this pill is really amazing. I almost feel like if I cultivate a little longer, I'll be able to break through to six stars. Hehe."

Yun Xi: Don't get ahead of yourself. You just broke through to five stars, and after taking one pill, you're already thinking about six stars? How could that be possible?

Ignoring Yun Xi's exasperated expression, Xun'er continued to herself, "Hmm... if I became an alchemist, would Father be very happy? If I became an alchemist, I could refine pills for myself. Then my strength could grow quickly..."

Yun Xi: Hiss, where did you get the confidence to say that...

Unable to bear interrupting Xun'er as she indulged in her fantasies, Yun Xi simply watched her, occasionally letting out a quiet laugh...