Spirit Nurturing Dust
(An extra chapter for the monthly vote from reader 20210320211239530!!!)
The appearance of the yellow dust made the surrounding violent fire-elemental energy more docile and orderly, giving people an extremely comfortable and pure feeling of spiritual awakening.
The shedding of the pale yellow dust lasted for about two minutes before stopping completely. As the last grain of dust was removed, the copper rust sphere, which had retained some form, seemed to lose all support in an instant. With a soft "poof," it turned into a wisp of smoke and vanished completely, leaving no residue.
In the end, five grains of pale yellow dust, smaller than grains of sand and shimmering with a Spirituality luster, floated quietly and eternally in the center of the purplish-red flame. No matter how the terrifyingly high temperature, enough to melt fine iron, was burned and impacted, they maintained their shape and luster, without showing the slightest sign of melting, as if they existed in a different dimension from the flames of this world.
"This is...?"
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes were filled with surprise and bewilderment as she stared at the five pale yellow dust particles within the flames, which resembled works of art. With her knowledge and the Poison Master's inheritance, she couldn't recognize what they were at all, but the attraction and comfort emanating from the depths of her soul told her that this thing was definitely extraordinary.
While Xiao Yi Xian was bewildered, Elder Yao was staring intently at the five specks of dust. His face first showed a deep contemplation and recollection, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the table.
After a long while, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with an uncontrollable glint, and slowly, deliberately, exhaled, saying in a deep voice:
"If I'm not mistaken, this thing should be that ancient artifact that existed only in ancient times and is now almost extinct... Spirit Nurturing Dust!"
He abruptly turned to Lin Ming, his face filled with astonishment and envy, his voice rising eight octaves. "Heh heh! Lin Ming, your luck... it's simply heaven-defying! Compared to this, that scroll of Seventh Grade Intermediate Suxin Pill formula is practically a steal! No! It's free!!"
"Spirit Nurturing Dust..."
Looking at Elder Yao's suddenly animated and excited face, and hearing those four resounding words, Lin Ming's lips slowly curved into a smile of complete control, and he uttered a low murmur that only he could hear.
Finally, I got it!
"What exactly is the purpose of this Spirit Nurturing Dust?"
Inside the room, as Lin Ming gazed intently at the five pale yellow dust particles that floated and shimmered with Spirituality light amidst the purplish-red flames, Xiao Yi Xian, unable to contain her curiosity, softly asked a question.
Although she could feel the strange attraction this object had to her soul, she knew nothing about its specific effects.
Upon hearing this, Elder Yao stroked his beard, his face showing a mixture of reminiscence and emotion. He paused for a moment, seemingly organizing ancient knowledge, before slowly speaking, his voice carrying a hint of antiquity. "This Spirit Nurturing Dust was a renowned wonder in ancient times. Its effects were nothing short of miraculous."
Elder Yao paused, his gaze towards the five grains of powder now filled with fervor. "First of all, it is an almost 'essential' auxiliary ingredient when refining Tier 8 and higher -High-Grade Pills!"
"Tier 8 Medicinal Pill?" Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes widened slightly. Although she was not Alchemist, she knew the preciousness of Tier 8 Medicinal Pill and the difficulty of refining it.
"Indeed." Elder Yao nodded affirmatively and continued, "The reason why Tier 8 Medicinal Pill can attract Pill Lightning and contain a trace of Spirituality is because it is endowed with 'spirit'. This Spirit Nurturing Dust is like igniting the spark of Spirituality, which can greatly increase the probability and intensity of the birth of Spirituality when the pill is formed. It can be said that without Spirit Nurturing Dust, the success rate of refining Tier 8 Medicinal Pill will drop sharply, and even if it is successful by chance, its quality will most likely be unsatisfactory."
First Revolution, Elder Yao revealed an even more enticing use for Lin Ming and Xiao Yi Xian: "However, its most precious use is not in alchemy, but... in the soul itself!"
"If this Spirit Nurturing Dust can be successfully integrated into the soul," Elder Yao's voice carried a guiding emphasis, "It can take root deep within the soul, like the most diligent gardener, continuously 'nurturing' the soul, subtly enhancing the 'spiritual Spirit Qi's contained within the Soul Origin! And this is precisely the key to stepping into and elevating the legendary 'Spirit Realm' of the soul!"
"Spirit Realm Soul!" A look of surprise and delight flashed in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. She knew that Lin Ming's Soul Power had reached the High-Grade Spirit Realm, only one step away from the profound and mysterious Spirit Realm Grand Perfection —a step that seemed like Natural Chasm. This seemingly insignificant speck of dust actually possessed the great power to help the soul break through bottlenecks and even continuously Spirit Ascension Realm level? Wouldn't Lin Ming's already formidable Soul Power be able to reach an even higher level with this?
Seeing the two people's surprised expressions, Elder Yao smiled and explained further.
"In the golden age of ancient Alchemist, those who had touched the threshold of the Spirit Realm, or even entered Spirit Realm altogether, would go to great lengths to obtain this Spirit Nurturing Dust Alchemist. For the soul, this substance is like a magnet that automatically attracts and gathers the 'Spirituality' of heaven and earth! Once integrated, the Spirit Qi within the soul will become increasingly abundant and active without one even realizing it. Moreover, it has an extremely good catalytic effect on certain 'states of enlightenment' that require extremely high comprehension, such as sudden enlightenment of cultivation Cultivation Method, understanding of high-level Dou Technique, or even breaking through bottlenecks in alchemy, making it easier for one to enter that profound state."
Lin Ming nodded slightly, his joy no longer concealed. This deal, made in exchange for the Suxin Pill, was indeed a huge profit! The value of this Spirit Nurturing Dust far surpasses that of a Seventh Grade Intermediate pill formula. It directly affects the Soul Origin, enhancing fundamental potential, especially its effect of strengthening "Spirit Qi," which is exactly what he urgently needs right now.
The so-called "Spirit Realm" soul is characterized by its ability to imbue elixirs with "Spirituality." This ability requires the soul to be filled with a sufficiently rich and active "Spirit Qi." However, without special methods of Soul Cultivation or nourishment from rare substances like Spirit Nurturing Dust, ordinary people cannot perceive, let alone accumulate or enhance, this profound "Spirit Qi."
"This kind of Spirit Nurturing Dust is extremely rare, even in ancient times." Elder Yao's gaze fell once more on the glittering dust in the flames, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes.
"It is said that only a few top-tier Tier 8 Alchemist, after mastering a certain lost 'Spirit Nurturing Technique,' were able to expend tremendous effort to refine it. However, in my opinion, the technique for refining this Spirit Nurturing Technique has probably been lost to the long river of time..." He had also seen related records in ancient books, and seeing the actual object today was quite an eye-opener.
"Therefore, Lin Ming," Elder Yao reminded him solemnly, "Remember this: if you ever have the opportunity to try refining Tier 8 Medicinal Pill in the future, adding a small amount of this Spirit Nurturing Dust before the Pill Formation will not only greatly increase the Pill Formation rate, but also ensure that the quality and Spirituality of the pill will be purer and more potent than other Tier 8 Medicinal Pill without the powder!"
Lin Ming nodded solemnly in response, keeping Elder Yao's admonition firmly in mind. This was the invaluable advice of a Venerable who had once stood at the pinnacle of the continent.
"Hehe, well, we've cracked the secret of this thing together, and my mission is complete." Seeing Lin Ming's knowing and delighted expression, Elder Yao smiled with satisfaction.
Then he stood up, stretched his limbs, and said, "It's getting late, you should get some rest and get yourself ready. Tomorrow is the so-called 'Five Great Families Assessment,' and that old man Ye Zhong probably hasn't been sleeping well these past few days. He's putting all his hopes on you, so don't let anything go wrong."
After saying that, he patted Lin Ming on the shoulder, turned around and walked out of the room, his figure disappearing in a flash at the door.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi Xian hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lin Ming with her clear eyes and softly advised, "Elder Yao is right. Tomorrow's assessment is important, so don't study too late and get some rest."
Lin Ming smiled gently at her and nodded, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Xiao Yi Xian then stopped talking, nodded slightly to him, and slowly left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.
As the door gently closed, the room returned to silence, with only the faint crackling of the burning purplish-red flames and the soothing Spirituality glow emanating from the five grains of Spirit Nurturing Dust.
Watching the two leave the room, Lin Ming's smile slowly faded. His gaze returned to the five pale yellow dust particles in the flames before him, each carrying ancient mysteries. His eyes became incredibly fervent and focused. He pondered for a moment, feeling the almost instinctive yearning emanating from the depths of his soul, and finally, he could no longer resist.
He took a deep breath to calm his slightly agitated emotions, then changed his hand seal, and the purplish-red flames enveloping the dust slowly subsided and extinguished. He stretched out his finger and gently beckoned to the five dust particles floating in the air.
One of the Spirit Nurturing Dust seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, quietly detaching from the small group, and then, like a well-behaved elf, slowly floated in front of Lin Ming, level with his forehead.
With his gaze fixed on the tiny speck of dust containing immense spiritual energy, Lin Ming could clearly feel his Soul Power, which had already reached the High-Grade Spirit Realm, trembling with joy and longing. Without further hesitation, he slowly closed his eyes, his mind sinking completely into the depths of his soul, as if merging into another dimension.