Fragrant Pills Fill the Garden

"Son, what kind of pill is that in your hand? It smells amazing! It looks clearer than jade—could it be some legendary immortal pill? Just smelling it makes me feel refreshed, like eating it would let me ascend to immortality."

The crimson flame within the Bronze Cauldron slowly receded, and a rich medicinal fragrance drifted throughout the small courtyard. Old Yan and Ms. Xiao both had flushed faces, utterly entranced as they walked over to Yan Kuan, eager to take the pill for a closer look—maybe even sneak a taste.

"Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill, a fourth-grade pill that aids cultivation in the Dao Palace Realm. If a peak Dao Palace first layer expert takes it, they should be able to break through to the second layer."

Yan Kuan handed the jade bottle to his impatient father and added with a joking tone, "Of course, if you took it, Dad, I wouldn't have to worry about supporting you in your old age anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Yan Qiang looked down at his son, feeling like the brat was up to some mischief, but somehow he always ended up on the losing end.

"Like I said, this pill is great for the Dao Palace Realm. The gap between you and that realm is about the same as between a person and an ant. One light step from them, and you're gone."

Yan Kuan used his pinky tip to illustrate the difference, then raised his hand and mimicked a firework explosion. "The energy inside this pill is tough even for a peak Wheel Sea Realm cultivator to digest. If you took it, it'd be poof—fireworks."

Hearing this, Old Yan quickly shoved the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill back to Yan Kuan. "Don't talk nonsense, kid. How can you joke about your own father like that?"

"I never said it was for you. It's for me."

Yan Kuan leisurely took back the jade bottle, again gesturing with his pinky. The more Old Yan thought about the ant comparison, the angrier he got, but his son was already too much to handle at this age. He almost wanted to start over with a new kid.

Ms. Xiao crouched down and hugged her precious son, dropping a heartbreaking line. "Son, why scare your dad like that? Why bother arguing with him? My son is so amazing—he must be able to refine all kinds of pills. With you being so filial, your mom will stay beautiful forever, right..."

"I do know the recipe for a Beauty Preservation Pill, but the ingredients would be hard to find on the Ancestral Star. Still, once my cultivation is high enough, keeping a youthful appearance won't be a problem."

Yan Kuan answered seriously. "Your aptitudes are average. If you rely on self-cultivation, it'll be hard to achieve much. But hey, you've got me as your son."

With that, Yan Kuan handed two jade bottles to his mother, then took out several jade boxes from his Sea of Bitterness and began refining new pills.

The midday sun was scorching, but none of the three in the courtyard tried to avoid it. A hazy purple aura gradually spread through the yard, drawing wisps of earthly purple qi into the cauldron. Moments later, a speck of purple light flew out and landed in Yan Kuan's palm.

"Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill—done."

As this purple pill emerged from the cauldron, a dense purple medicinal fragrance rose slowly, forming a patch of purple mist above the courtyard.

Such a rich fragrance marked it as another peak fourth-grade pill. The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill had a similar effect to the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill—it directly boosted one's strength—but it only worked at the Great Battle Master level.

If a Great Battle Master took the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, they could raise their cultivation by one star. Moreover, two pills could be taken in succession without much resistance buildup. In other words, two pills could directly boost strength by two stars.

With one Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill and two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills, if luck was on his side, Yan Kuan could jump five stars in cultivation through pill consumption, reaching the six-star Great Battle Master level, equivalent to the Dao Palace second layer.

The successful refinement of the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill boosted Yan Kuan's confidence. His current alchemy skill had reached peak fourth-grade, allowing him to attempt any fourth-grade pill. As for fifth-grade pills, he hadn't tried yet, so he couldn't be sure.

Soon, the phenomenon of purple aura and medicinal fragrance filling the courtyard appeared again, and he quickly refined a second Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill.

Then he took out another jade box, which contained a Purple Spirit Mushroom from Dragon Tiger Mountain. This time, he was refining a fourth-grade pill: Azure Mushroom Fire Spirit Balm.

Azure Mushroom Fire Spirit Balm was made from Three-Leaf Azure Mushroom, Fire Lotus Fruit, Thousand Spirit Grass, and other herbs. It was an auxiliary cultivation balm, applied externally rather than taken orally.

When a cultivator applied this balm, it enhanced their sensitivity to fire energy and actively drew it into their body. Even without consciously circulating their technique, fire-attributed energy from the surroundings would be attracted and continuously pour in.

Three-Leaf Azure Mushroom was a fungus unique to the Battle Qi Continent. Unable to find it on the Ancestral Star, Yan Kuan substituted it with Purple Spirit Mushroom and replaced the other herbs with alternatives. The new version of the balm should still be effective.

After the new Purple Zhi Fire Spirit Balm, Yan Kuan refined a batch of modified Swift Spirit Wind Pills. This fourth-grade pill had a rare effect: it accelerated the flow of energy within a cultivator's body, speeding up refinement and boosting cultivation.

As dusk approached, Yan Kuan finished a day of pill refining. The flame in the Bronze Cauldron gradually died out, and two crystalline, emerald-green liquids sank into separate jade bottles.

Yan Kuan carefully stored the pills for his own use, then placed the last two jade bottles in front of his parents. "Dad, Mom, have two large wooden barrels made and set them in the yard. Use them for medicinal baths to help find your Qi Sensation during cultivation. This is Foundation Establishment Spirit Elixir—use one drop each time..."

As Yan Kuan explained the effects and usage of the elixir, his heart was complicated. If he had unlocked this pill-based cultivation method earlier back then, it wouldn't have taken him five or six years just to barely form a Battle Qi Cyclone.

"Xiao Kuan, go ahead and do what you need to. Your father and I will support you."

Yan Kuan's mother, Xiao Lin, understood that her son was about to head out again. She couldn't stop him, only silently back him up, avoid causing trouble, and speak for her unreliable husband.

"I'll be back soon."

Yan Kuan nodded. This time, he planned to go into seclusion at Mount Ba Ling. He figured that with this full set of pills and the pure, dense fire-attributed energy there, his Battle Qi cultivation would quickly reach Peak Great Battle Master.

Once his Battle Qi cultivation rose, he could use it to nourish and transform his Sea of Bitterness, quickly developing his Wheel Sea Secret Realm to a level comparable to the Dao Palace third layer. By the standards of Blue Star at this stage, that would count as high-end combat power.