The Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk

"Miss Cao, you're burning the bridge after crossing the river!"

Ling Xi's eyes widened.

"When I saved you from the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle just now, you promised to help me refine the Blood Lotus Pill."

"Ling Xi, you're an Alchemist too. Surely you know the rules of Alchemists."

Cao Ying snorted, her slightly narrowed eyes foxlike.

"The Blood Lotus Essence, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, and Fourth-Order Ice Attribute Magic Core that Dan Xuan and I promised you just now will count as compensation for your help."

"Besides, Alchemists have never refined pills for people free of charge."

A curious look appeared on Cao Ying's face.

"The flame on you should be the Beast Flame of some Seventh-tier Magical Beast. With your current strength, it should be more than enough."

"And a fifth-tier pill like the Blood Lotus Pill has no use beyond helping someone refine a flame."

Cao Ying truly lived up to Xuanji Zi's high regard and his decision to take her as a disciple. Her well-reasoned deduction left Ling Xi speechless for a moment.

It wasn't just Cao Ying. Dan Chen and Dan Xuan, standing nearby, also looked curious.

After all, to an Alchemist, a powerful flame played an irreplaceable role in pill refining.

"If Miss Cao doesn't want to help me refine it, that's fine."

After a moment of silence, Ling Xi suddenly smiled.

"You two only need to give me the medicinal ingredients you promised. Once we leave this place, I'll find my teacher and have them refine it."

Ling Xi had originally planned to spend a year or so training here. That had been Ling You's idea.

But cutting his training short for a Heavenly Flame wasn't a big deal. There were plenty of places on the Central Continent where he could train.

"Brother Ling, you're joking."

After swallowing several pills, Dan Xuan's complexion had improved somewhat.

"Once I've recovered, I can help you refine the Blood Lotus Pill too. Consider it my sister's and my way of repaying you for saving our lives."

As he spoke, Dan Xuan winked at Ling Xi.

"Then thank you, Brother Dan Xuan..."

Though Ling Xi had no idea what Dan Xuan meant by winking at him, he still thanked him.

But before he could finish, Cao Ying interrupted him in exasperation.

"Dan Xuan, are you deliberately trying to undermine me?"

Cao Ying glared at Dan Xuan with fury in her beautiful eyes and said irritably,

"With an injury like yours, you should go back to the Dan Family and rest properly. You don't want to end up with any lingering complications."

"Don't worry. I naturally brought healing pills with me when I came out this time."

Dan Xuan raised his brows slightly and spoke unhurriedly.

"As long as I take the pills and meditate for a few days, my injuries will heal."

"What, you're allowed to be ungrateful, but I'm not allowed to repay a kindness?"

At his words, Cao Ying's pretty face flushed bright red.

"I don't need you meddling in my business!"

Cao Ying glared at Dan Xuan, then turned to Ling Xi.

"Hmph, I won't ask what flame you're trying to refine anymore. I'll help you make the Blood Lotus Pill!"

"Well..."

Ling Xi deliberately let a trace of hesitation show on his face.

"Don't worry. My word is my bond. If I say I'll help you refine a pill unconditionally, then I'll do it unconditionally."

Seeing the hesitation on Ling Xi's face, Cao Ying immediately snapped,

"Brother Dan Xuan, you're badly injured. Let Miss Cao handle refining the Blood Lotus Pill."

Ling Xi feigned hesitation for a moment before speaking to Dan Xuan.

But with both hands hidden from Cao Ying, he quietly gave Dan Xuan a thumbs-up.

With someone as clever and proud as Cao Ying, this little reverse-psychology trick really worked.

"Since Brother Ling put it that way, let Cao Ying help you refine it."

Seeing Ling Xi's thumbs-up, Dan Xuan played along.

"Pfft!"

Seeing her brother and Ling Xi team up to trick Cao Ying, even Dan Chen couldn't help laughing aloud.

After resting for a while, the four of them set off into the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle's cave. Dan Xuan had swallowed a few more pills before they went in.

The cave was vast and deep, and unlike the lairs of ordinary Magical Beasts, it had no unpleasant odor.

Flames surrounded each of the four, lighting the pitch-black cave as brightly as day.

"Strange. Did Teacher remember wrong? Is the Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk not here?"

They hadn't encountered any danger along the way, and soon reached the end of the cave. But all they found before them was a stone wall.

"That can't be. If there really weren't any treasure here, the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle wouldn't be guarding this place."

Dan Xuan's expression darkened, but he still spoke in a grave voice.

He'd nearly been beaten to death trying to drug the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle. If there was no Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk, wouldn't he have taken that beating for nothing?

Ling Xi didn't reply. He stared at the stone wall at the end of the cave for a while, then cautiously reached out and placed his hand against it.

"Hm?"

The other three followed suit and pressed their hands against the stone wall.

"I sensed it with my soul force for a while. This wall is solid."

After a moment, Dan Xuan was the first to open his eyes and speak, sounding rather helpless.

A little while later, Cao Ying and Dan Chen also withdrew their hands from the wall.

They had sensed the same thing as Dan Xuan: the wall was indeed solid.

"Why don't you try using a Dou Technique on the wall?"

After a moment, Ling Xi finally lowered his hand and spoke to the three of them.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Cao Ying frowned slightly and looked at Ling Xi in confusion.

"This stone is far too hard. It's completely different from the walls in ordinary caves."

Ling Xi didn't keep them guessing. He swung his fist at the wall.

Thud!

A dull sound echoed through the cave.

Despite Ling Xi's full-force punch, the wall remained completely unharmed. The force instead sent him stumbling back several steps.

"It really is unusual."

Now Dan Xuan and Cao Ying noticed something strange too.

"The Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk forms when Mysterious Yellow Earth Qi is compressed for millions of years until it liquefies. These walls must have been tempered by the Mysterious Yellow Earth Qi too, making them harder than metal."

Ling Xi shook his head and flexed his numb hand.

Mysterious Yellow Earth Qi was a strange energy deep within the earth. It was said that all the metal on the continent had formed through the condensation of Mysterious Yellow Earth Qi to varying degrees.

"I reckon the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle dug out this whole cave bit by bit."

Ling Xi looked around the cave again, and a look of understanding appeared on his face.

"If even the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle couldn't break through this wall, we might as well give up."

Dan Xuan, Dan Chen, and Cao Ying exchanged glances, each seeing the frustration in the others' eyes.

A rare treasure was right in front of them, yet an unbreakable layer of rock stood between them and it.

That was a truly unpleasant feeling.

"Ling Xi, I remember that the golden light from your Nakai Ring was what knocked out the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle."

As if she'd thought of something, Cao Ying quickly looked at Ling Xi.

"You should have a way to break through this wall, right?"