Refining Essence Blood

Shen Wen found Cao Ying's attempt to conceal the truth rather amusing.

He sat beside Cao Ying and said gently, "Didn't you hear that Dan Chen came looking for you?"

"She only asked me in passing because she had some questions after finding you absent!"

Holding up the jade box, Shen Wen smiled. "Was this specially prepared for me? There can't be another vial of Ancient Void Dragon essence blood in the Cao Family, right?"

"Thank you."

The Ancient Void Dragon Clan stood at the head of the three great Demonic Beast races of the Dou Qi Continent.

In ancient times, they had been enemies of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan, both being overlords among Demonic Beasts.

After races such as the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix and Ancient Heavenly Snake, which could contend with them, vanished, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan became the undisputed strongest race in the Beast Realm.

They could also be considered the strongest surviving dragon race in the world of Battle Through the Heavens. Even though the Heavenly Dragon Qi within Shen Wen had yet to be fully consumed and had only been used up a little—

The Ancient Void Dragon Clan's essence blood could still help him improve the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art. Moreover, he had been considering something.

Ancient Void Dragons were born with mastery over Space Power, and the greatest difference between a Dou Emperor and a Dou Zong was Space Power.

He wanted to see whether he could refine Ancient Void Dragon essence blood through the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art and draw inferences from it to comprehend Space Power.

However, this clan was already rare to begin with, and he had heard that it had even split apart.

Its members were few, and Demonic Beast clans were naturally hostile toward humans. Obtaining Ancient Void Dragon essence blood was quite difficult.

Unless he went to Jia Nan Academy and brought that little Zi Yan back.

But there was no need for that.

He had not expected Cao Ying to find it for him before Old Monster Lin could think of a way. Even with Cao Ying's standing in the Cao Family—

Resources were not something she could simply take whenever she wanted. She must have paid something in exchange.

That was the foundation of a family's enduring prosperity.

"What are you thanking me for...?"

"Who said it was specially prepared for you? That thing was just an eyesore in the Cao Family treasury!"

"Don't overthink it!"

Cao Ying spoke incoherently. She had not specially searched for it for Shen Wen; it had merely been taking up space in the Cao Family treasury.

Mm.

That was what she thought.

Shen Wen did not continue teasing Cao Ying.

The awkward atmosphere between them seemed to have dissipated considerably after that bout of banter.

He remembered the important matter. Although the dignified Flame Emperor should still be in Wutan City, it was best to get the Green Lotus Core Flame into Cao Ying's hands as soon as possible, lest something unexpected happen.

"Have you gotten started with the Red Emperor Fire Sovereign Qi? If you have, then we should go look for the Green Lotus Core Flame."

Cao Ying froze for a moment upon hearing Shen Wen's question.

Seeing her expression, Shen Wen's face turned strange. "I didn't ask you to master it completely. Once you get started, we can slowly familiarize ourselves with it on the road."

"Uh..."

Embarrassment appeared on Cao Ying's bewitching face. Over the past three days, she had been wondering why Shen Wen had not come to see her. How could she have gotten started?

She had not had the heart to cultivate.

She had not even refined any pills.

Shen Wen said helplessly, "Fine. We'll stay another two days while I refine this Ancient Void Dragon essence blood and make some pills, then we'll leave directly.

You can continue studying the technique on the road."

"You need to take this seriously. I have only given this cultivation art to you. As long as you master it, and with your control over Heavenly Flames—"

"Even others who wield Heavenly Flames will not be your match!"

"Got it."

Cao Ying nodded obediently. There was nothing she could say.

After all, she truly had not put her mind into this. Yet when she heard Shen Wen say that he had only given this cultivation art to her—

An inexplicable trace of delight rose within her heart.

But soon, she huffed inwardly. It was originally my Betrothal Gift. Of course he could only give it to me!

"Alright, go refine it! I'll go find Dan Chen." The anger and grievance in Cao Ying's heart had already faded.

Dan Chen was also like a sister to her. She really should not have—

Her anger had flared up all at once just now. It was all Shen Wen's fault for being such a blockhead.

If he had come to find her earlier...

"Alright!"

Shen Wen nodded, then heard Cao Ying say before leaving, "I'm not angry..."

Shen Wen turned back and watched Cao Ying's graceful figure depart. "Not angry?"

"What does she mean, not angry? Not angry that I kissed her, or not angry that I talked with Dan Chen?"

Shen Wen shook his head and glanced at the system.

[Current Favorability: 18%]

Her favorability had even increased? Women really were hard to understand sometimes.

Forget it.

He should cultivate first.

Inside the training room.

Shen Wen opened the jade box Cao Ying had given him. Inside lay a bottle of scarlet blood, within which the faint sound of dragon roars seemed to echo.

Because of the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, Shen Wen was extremely sensitive to such items.

"Would the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit work, then?"

A thought suddenly crossed Shen Wen's mind. The Ancient Void Dragon Clan possessed a treasure known as the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.

Zi Yan had relied on it to become a Dragon Phoenix, a Magical Beast Emperor.

But Shen Wen quickly suppressed the thought. The Ancient Void Dragon Clan was not something he could afford to provoke at present.

Casting aside his distracting thoughts, he opened the bottle and swallowed the Ancient Void Dragon essence blood. If an ordinary person did this, they would simply be courting death!

Many Demonic Beast materials contained extremely violent power and conflicted with a Dou Zhe's Dou Qi.

That was why Alchemists existed: through their techniques and flames, they refined things Dou Zhe could not use into medicinal pills that Dou Zhe could consume.

But with the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art and the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, let alone essence blood, even if it were a Magic Core, as long as it came from a dragon—

Shen Wen dared to put it straight into his mouth.

A stream of heat instantly spread from Shen Wen's stomach in all directions. Yet before the scorching heat within could erupt, it was continuously absorbed.

This power stirred the remaining Heavenly Dragon Qi in Shen Wen's body. One Dragon Mark after another emerged across his skin, their texture resembling that of actual flesh.

The Dragon Marks flickered. A moment later—

Shen Wen opened his eyes, delight flashing within them. "As expected, Ancient Void Dragons are the most suitable for me to comprehend Space Power. If I had a few more bottles..."

"Breaking through to Dou Zong would be effortless."

This bottle of essence blood had strengthened his physical body by half a level, but that was only secondary. The main benefit was the Space Power within Ancient Void Dragon blood.

If he had a little more, he could directly gain control over space and naturally break through to Dou Zong. An eighteen-year-old Dou Zong—

Even across the entire continent, including the eight ancient clans, would be renowned and considered a true genius.

"What a pity..."

Shen Wen shook his head inwardly. Ancient Void Dragon essence blood was not so easy to obtain. If he wanted more, it would be impossible at this stage.

It would be more feasible to cultivate his relationship with Cao Ying and obtain rewards, or perhaps marry another woman.

"I still need to cultivate our relationship first. Otherwise, I'll end up losing more than I gain."

But he was not disappointed. This bottle of essence blood had at least saved him a year of hard cultivation.

Shen Wen used Dou Qi to burn away the sweat that had just formed on his body, then took out medicinal herbs from his Storage Ring. He needed to refine pills.

After all, Cao Ying would be refining the Green Lotus Core Flame. Even a Dou Emperor would be tortured upon encountering that flame.

Even if Cao Ying mastered the Red Emperor Fire Sovereign Qi on the road, it would still be best to have some safeguards, such as Blood Lotus Pills.

Moreover, he planned to improve their efficacy. After all, Cao Ying did not have Fen Jue or Old Yao as a safety net.