Three-Pattern Azure Spirit

Jingcheng's morning sky was gray and overcast. When a ray of dawn broke through the clouds and shone upon the city, this ancient metropolis began another bustling day.

As the sun rose, wisps of Purple Qi continuously drifted up from the secret rear courtyard of White Cloud Temple. Yan Kuan and his parents had all gathered in the courtyard.

Old Yan had been woken up early by his son and called over to the small courtyard. He was somewhat listless, standing to the side and yawning, in stark contrast to the energetic Ms. Xiao beside him.

He had been fairly diligent in his cultivation recently, but his talent was ordinary after all, and he also had to manage the business outside. He lagged far behind Ms. Xiao.

Still, both of them were a long way from opening up their Sea of Bitterness. Without Yan Kuan's help, it might take another ten years or so before they found the opportunity to do so.

"Dad, Mom, when I refine medicine, the energy here will gather together. Sit and meditate quietly nearby later. Try to open up your Sea of Bitterness as soon as possible."

After reminding his parents, Yan Kuan went outside the thatched cottage in the small courtyard. Formation patterns and charred marks covered the ground there. The cultivators of Quanzhen Dao might once have placed their pill furnace here for alchemy.

With a dull clang, an ancient Bronze Cauldron, grand and simple in design and carrying a faint yet profound aura, appeared in the courtyard.

This was an ancient cauldron Yan Kuan had excavated from Mount Ba Ling. Like the Chime Bells in the Ancient Tomb, it had been refined through sacrifice, though it bore no Dao Pattern. It was likely tableware belonging to that Great Saint.

Yan Kuan had no interest in extravagant feasts, but this Bronze Cauldron, having been refined by a Great Saint, could withstand extremely high temperatures and was well suited as a medicine cauldron. Naturally, he had taken it with him.

After positioning the Bronze Cauldron, Yan Kuan raised his palm and flicked a finger. A scarlet flame flashed into existence, and the temperature throughout the courtyard abruptly soared. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Old Yan's and Ms. Xiao's foreheads at a visible rate.

Yan Kuan casually tossed the dancing scarlet flame into the Bronze Cauldron. The temperature inside surged at once, turning its walls fiery red, while unusual energy fluctuations began to coil around its three legs.

One precious medicinal herb after another flew out from Yan Kuan's person, floating around the cauldron under the control of his powerful spiritual force.

"Green Flame Grass, Black Gastrodia... Most of the raw ingredients aren't interchangeable. Good thing I made a trip to Hubei and spent a long time identifying their medicinal properties before finding substitutes."

With a movement of Yan Kuan's hand, the herbs flew into the cauldron one after another under his control. The first step of alchemy from the Battle Qi Continent began: extraction.

Yan Kuan controlled the flame's temperature and slowly extracted the portions of medicinal essence needed to refine the pill, following the information recorded in the prescription.

Although he had an exceptionally precise prescription in his mind, Yan Kuan did not dare be the least bit careless. The herbs of the two worlds were different, after all. The prescription he was using had only undergone preliminary deduction and alteration, and he was putting many of the specific steps into practice for the first time.

Fortunately, no mishaps occurred during the extraction of the medicinal essences. Once the final herb had been refined, Yan Kuan let out a long breath and moved on to the next step: pill fusion.

Scarlet flames slowly rose within the cauldron. Yan Kuan stared intently at the leaping fire, his hands rapidly forming seals to control it. The refined medicinal essences flew out in an orderly fashion, and the flames immediately surged up, instantly enveloping them.

Heat rose between Yan Kuan's brows, and golden flame-light glimmered in his eyes as his surging soul force spread out to cover every corner.

Every minute reaction occurring as the ingredients fused inside the cauldron was instantly relayed to his mind. He then rapidly compared it against the steps described in the prescription, judging whether everything was proceeding correctly and making occasional fine adjustments to ensure the pill's refinement.

"Phew... It finally worked. That's a good start."

When the sun moved overhead, a faint pill fragrance slowly spread through the air. Yan Kuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. A green pill the size of a longan lay before him, its surface slightly rough and marked by a faint fiery-red cloud pattern. It looked acceptable overall. After turning it over in his hand for a moment, he placed it in a Jade Vial.

After resting for ten-odd minutes, Yan Kuan began refining again. He used the same prescription as before, the same herbs, and similar steps.

This time, however, his movements flowed like water and were remarkably smooth. In less than an hour, he had once again reached the pill fusion stage.

Scarlet flames churned, and a faint pill fragrance drifted out. A green pill, vibrant with life like jade, spun continuously within the cauldron.

This time, Yan Kuan did not immediately remove the pill. Instead, he formed seals once more, and the scarlet flames filling the Bronze Cauldron receded into his body like a retreating tide.

Once the scarlet flames had fully withdrawn, a violet flame floated out from Yan Kuan's other hand. It instantly poured into the cauldron and wrapped around the pill.

At this moment, Yan Kuan's spiritual force was focused to its utmost limit as he carefully controlled the transition between the two flames. For refining this pill, the most critical point was the initial stage of switching flames.

The normal temperatures of these two flames differed, yet he had to ensure that their temperatures were identical during the transition. Any mishap would directly ruin the pill.

This was an alchemical technique that placed extreme demands on one's control over flame temperature. Even the slightest error would end in disaster.

Fortunately, Yan Kuan's physique was special. His spiritual force was powerful, and his control over fire was strong as well. The flame-switching process had only been difficult at the beginning; after trying it once, there would be no further setbacks.

The violet flame gave off a trace of eerie chill. Rings of violet patterns appeared on the green pill. Once the second pill pattern had been completely inscribed, Yan Kuan flipped his hand again, and the pill bearing two patterns flew into his palm, where gorgeous Colorful Flame wrapped around it.

Yan Kuan's control over the Empyrean Flame was beyond question. The final flame transition went incomparably smoothly, and colorful light burst forth.

A rich, colorful pill fragrance slowly rose, eventually becoming a vibrant cloud of multicolored mist that seemed to possess a spirit of its own. It lingered above Yan Kuan's head, forming a three-layered, multicolored cloud.

The pill fragrance had taken form, nearly stirring the energy of heaven and earth. Old Yan and Ms. Xiao beside him could not help revealing yearning expressions. Though their cultivation was still shallow, they understood that this had to be a peerless pill of immense benefit to cultivation.

The Empyrean Flame in Yan Kuan's palm slowly receded. The longan-sized pill rested quietly in his hand. The lustrous Spirit Pill was the color of green jade, with three orderly pill patterns on its surface: one red, one violet, and one multicolored.

The Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill was a Fourth Grade pill. It was divided into three tiers, with each tier forming one ring of pill pattern on the pill's body. If three rings of pill patterns could be formed, it would be the highest-tier Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill.

The most ordinary Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill was the one Yan Kuan had refined at the beginning. The highest level was the one currently in his hand: a pill with three-colored patterns, a Fourth Grade Peak pill. It could directly raise the cultivation of a Da Dou Shi and would be of great benefit to him now.