The Tree Craves Calm, but the Wind Will Not Cease

The Tree Craves Calm, but the Wind Will Not Cease

Before Xiao Yan and Yao Lao stood a massive square cauldron taller than a person.

The square cauldron was bronze all over. It differed greatly in appearance from Yao Lao's Black Demon Cauldron; it was not the usual round shape, but square, supported by four pillar-like feet, its entire body covered in coiling dragon patterns and taotie beast motifs.

"This is... Teacher, what kind of cauldron is this?"

"Among the Heaven Cauldron Ranking, there is no strange square cauldron like this. I imagine that girl's family is rolling in money and had this cauldron specially prepared for her."

Yao Lao's eye was naturally viciously sharp; with one glance, he spotted something peculiar about it.

"It's just..."

"Just what?"

"This cauldron has too few fire vents. It doesn't look like a cauldron purely for refining medicine."

After observing it for a moment, Yao Lao gave his assessment.

"Not purely a cauldron for refining medicine?"

Xiao Yan murmured subconsciously, but right now he could not figure anything out either, so he could only shake his head.

Then he saw the Life Spirit Flame leave Yao Wan's hand, coil around the square cauldron, and only then did the deep-red Dou Qi flame ignite the Medicine Cauldron.

Several streaks of light flew from her Storage Ring. Xiao Yan did not even get a clear look at what they were before Yao Wan tossed them all into the bronze square cauldron at once.

"Hm?"

Yao Lao raised his brows.

"Teacher?"

"Refining them all at once? She really is bold because she's skilled."

Yao Lao explained, "Putting seven medicinal ingredients into the Medicine Cauldron at the same time requires extremely powerful Soul Power to control them. Otherwise, with such a reckless move, one mistake is all it takes for all seven ingredients to be destroyed together."

"There's actually something like that... Then what about Wan Guniang now?"

To be able to earn Yao Lao's praise, Wan Guniang's medicine-refining technique must have reached a miraculous level, right?

Xiao Yan watched the young girl controlling two kinds of flame, constantly adjusting the output of her Dou Qi to replace the delicate operations that the Medicine Cauldron could not perform due to its lack of fire vents.

"This girl is an exception. Or rather, it's precisely because she's completely confident she can refine seven medicinal ingredients at once that she dares to do this. That's why I said she's bold because she's skilled."

Yao Lao stroked his beard as he spoke.

Just as Yao Lao said this, a medicinal fragrance drifted over as well.

Xiao Yan's nose twitched. "It smells so good... Teacher, do you know what grade of pill Wan Guniang is refining?"

"At the very least, it is Fourth Grade Peak. It may also be a Fifth Grade Pill, but as for exactly which pill handed down in the world it is, that's hard to say."

Yao Lao could only make a vague judgment of the pill's grade based on the medicinal fragrance. At the same time, given this girl's strange temperament and innate talent, he guessed that perhaps it was even a Pill Formula she had developed herself.

To possess a Heaven Realm Soul at such a young age... Such talent was far stronger than any ordinary cultivation talent.

After all, one's cultivation could ultimately be raised through many methods, but Soul Power was different. There were far too few ways to improve Soul Power.

While master and disciple were talking, Yao Wan's side also quickly entered the stage of fusing the extracted medicinal essences together.

And relying on the powerful control of her Heaven Realm Soul, this was no difficult task for Yao Wan either.

A successful refinement was only a matter of time.

But at that moment, Yao Lao suddenly spoke.

"This is bad. Someone is approaching this place. I'm afraid they're coming for the girl who's refining medicine."

"We're in the middle of nowhere. How are there still people here?"

Xiao Yan spoke subconsciously, but his hand had already reached the Mystic Heavy Ruler on his back.

"A medicine refiner absolutely cannot be disturbed while refining medicine. We'll go deal with those people."

Yao Lao's expression was grave as he spoke.

Xiao Yan nodded. He immediately drew the Mystic Heavy Ruler from his back, took a heavy step forward, and charged toward the broad road through the forest.

"Not bad luck. In the middle of the wilderness, someone is actually refining medicine."

The people coming quickened their pace, rushing toward the direction where Yao Wan and Xiao Yan were.

"Move fast! With this commotion, the pill being refined is probably of no low grade, and that medicine refiner is definitely no ordinary person either!"

The leading Da Dou Shi shouted, drawing a chorus of responses from the people behind him.

"Yes!"

Holding the Mystic Heavy Ruler, Xiao Yan leaped onto a tree branch and saw the figures weaving through the underbrush. He could not help calling out to Yao Lao subconsciously.

"Teacher, these people..."

"Hyenas who specialize in picking at the edges between the two empires, I suppose. The highest realm is Da Dou Shi? Fine, leave them to me."

Yao Lao swept a glance over the figures flashing through the trees, then spoke.

"No, how about this? I'll go test them first. If I can't handle them, then Teacher can step in. How's that?"

Xiao Yan seemed to have thought of something and could not help taking the initiative to suggest it.

"A Dou Zhe fighting a Da Dou Shi? Brat, why are you so brave today?"

Yao Lao teased him, a trace of a smile appearing on his face. However, seeing Xiao Yan's serious expression, he also wanted to see how he would handle this.

"All right, then. I'll let you try."

Ha Mu was the leader of a bandit force on the border between the two nations. Because there was frequent friction between the two countries, this place had become a gray zone where certain dark forces entrenched themselves.

The spheres of control of the two empires' forces mostly extended only around the passes, and the long, uninhabited border naturally fell into the hands of people like them.

In this place, as long as one learned to see clearly who could not be provoked and who was fat meat that could be eaten, one could live quite well.

And it was precisely because of this that he had managed to become the head of a bandit force in such a no-man's-land.

When he saw the phenomenon of pill refinement light up in the wilderness like candlelight in the darkness, Ha Mu realized that perhaps the only opportunity of his entire life had arrived.

There was no doubt that he understood just how much power a medicine refiner represented, but if he wanted to take his cultivation a step further, relying solely on his current conditions, it was not exactly impossible, but there was hardly any difference.

So he hurriedly brought along everyone he could. No matter what, he had to take down that medicine refiner.

Thus, a team made up of one Da Dou Shi, including himself, three Dou Shis, and seventeen Dou Zhes immediately hurried toward the medicine refiner's location.

Such a lineup, on a border like this, could absolutely be considered a Local Bullies force that was not easy to provoke.

Only, for some reason, Ha Mu subconsciously felt that the area nearby was a little hot and cold by turns.

What was going on...?

Could the weather have changed...?

"Wait... Something isn't right!"

Ha Mu's eyes widened at once. Amid the overlapping shadows of the trees before him, a slender figure seemed to be waiting for them.

That figure went without saying. It was Xiao Yan.

"Boss, what is it?"

One of the Dou Shis under Ha Mu could not help asking.

"Look for yourself."

Ha Mu pursed his lips, indicating the figure at the end of their line of sight.

"Who is that? I can't sense any Dou Qi...?"