Spirit Ascending Pill

Bang—

"Cough, cough—another failed batch. Why did it even explode this time?"

Xiao Li was covered in soot. Something had gone wrong during the pill fusion process, ruining the pill and causing an explosion. If not for the Blue Flame Cauldron being sturdy enough, a blackened face would have been the least of his problems.

"Brother Xiao Li, do you need to refine pills to break through to Dou Ling? Teacher said that taking pills over a long period can make one's Dou Qi unstable and weaken one's foundation," Yun Yun said worriedly.

"I refine my own pills and eat them myself. How would that make my Dou Qi unstable? Cultivating by absorbing World Energy is absorbing energy, and taking pills is also absorbing energy. Why would only the latter make it unstable?

"Besides, even if it does become unstable, I have ways to fix it. Yun'er, you'd better cultivate properly, or you won't be able to catch up to me~"

Xiao Li held the theory that pills caused unstable foundations in utter contempt.

Absorbing World Energy to cultivate would not make one unstable? Were medicinal ingredients not Heavenly Treasures? Did they not contain vast amounts of energy? An Alchemist removed the impurities from those ingredients and condensed them into pills. How could that be worse than absorbing Dou Qi oneself?

Then how could Alchemists across the continent be doing so well? They might as well all suffer through cultivation instead. Why eat pills at all?

With pills available, why waste time cultivating slowly? Wasn't that just making trouble for oneself? Did they not know that time was the most precious thing?

As for foundations, even a Dou Zong with an unstable foundation was stronger than a Da Dou Shi with a solid one, wasn't he? Or did you also have a Heaven Rank Dou Technique that could possess you?

Xiao Li took the failed pill from the Medicine Cauldron, cleaned out the cauldron, then looked to the side.

"Tsk, there are only two portions of ingredients left. I've already ruined three portions. It's just a Grade 5 Pill, so why is it so easy to fail?" Xiao Li said helplessly.

The pill Xiao Li was currently refining was called the Spirit Ascending Pill, a Grade 5 Pill. A Dou Ling who consumed it could raise their cultivation by two stars.

Xiao Li was refining it as insurance for himself. Normally, a Da Dou Shi advancing to Dou Ling would not encounter any problems, but if there was insufficient energy, the breakthrough might fail.

Xiao Li was currently in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, where Fire Attribute World Energy was not particularly abundant. If he had been in the Tagor Desert, he would have broken through on the spot.

Breaking through in the Magical Beast Mountain Range was not impossible, but Xiao Li feared that his Earth Rank Cultivation Method would attract powerful Magical Beasts while absorbing World Energy. To be safe, he decided to break through with the help of pills.

By taking pills, he would not need to absorb massive amounts of World Energy and cause unnecessary disturbances.

"Let me look over the pill formula and notes again. Where did I go wrong just now?" Xiao Li opened the Spirit Ascending Pill formula and the alchemy notes Old Wang had left behind, beginning to examine where he had made a mistake.

After carefully reviewing everything, Xiao Li finally found the problem. During the pill condensation process for the Spirit Ascending Pill, the heat could not be too intense. If it was too strong, the Embryonic Pill would not withstand it and would explode.

"No wonder they say the pill condensation process can't be rushed. So that's how it is. Then let's continue!"

Xiao Li put away the notes and pill formula, adjusted his breathing for a while, then resumed refining.

On his fourth attempt at refining the Spirit Ascending Pill, Xiao Li's technique was much more practiced than during the first three attempts. Sure enough, failure was the mother of success, preparing the way for the next success.

Inside the Blue Flame Cauldron, the blue-green Medicine Liquid at the center of the purple flames gradually condensed into the shape of a pill. Xiao Li lowered the heat and used a gentler flame to Warm Nourishment the pill, which gradually became fuller and more rounded.

Xiao Li was extremely exhausted at this point. Refining a Grade 5 Pill was quite taxing for him at his current level, especially the final pill condensation process, which severely tested his concentration.

"Yun'er, Qi Returning Pill! Ice Heart Pill!" Xiao Li shouted. Yun Yun, who had nearly dozed off nearby, immediately snapped awake.

Very quickly, Yun Yun poured out a Qi Returning Pill and an Ice Heart Pill from the Jade Bottle beside her. She hurried to Xiao Li's side and fed them to him.

After Xiao Li swallowed the two pills, his weary soul instantly cleared up, and his previously depleted Dou Qi was restored.

"Phew~" Yun Yun wiped the sweat from her forehead. These past few days, she had been assisting Xiao Li with his alchemy, giving him Qi Returning Pills whenever his Dou Qi was insufficient and Ice Heart Pills whenever his soul was exhausted.

Yun Yun did not dare relax for even a moment. Xiao Li was someone with whom she had worked hard to establish a friendly relationship. The future development of the Misty Cloud Sect would depend on him, and even she herself would have to rely on him in the future.

Although Yun Yun was young, she understood some matters of adulthood. Disciples within the sect had also tried to court her, but Yun Yun ignored them. How could the sect's great affairs be delayed over romantic feelings?

Later, she had attended several gatherings with her teacher, Yun Shan. Quite a few clans had wanted to arrange marriages with her in order to gain ties with the Misty Cloud Sect.

But Xiao Li gave her a different feeling. Though she could sense that his gaze often swept over her body, Yun Yun did not find it repulsive, because Xiao Li would say it openly.

Xiao Li: "Yun'er is so beautiful that she reminds me of the softest cloud atop a mountain peak—yet that cloud makes one want to reach out, pluck it down, and keep it hidden in one's arms to admire alone."

The moment Yun Yun heard that, the tips of her ears turned red. She had naturally heard sweet words before, but none had sounded as good as Xiao Li's. More importantly, Xiao Li was the one saying them.

Yun Yun currently had no thoughts of choosing a partner. The sect had yet to rise to prominence, and as the Young Sect Master, she ought to lead by example. How could she be swayed by romantic feelings?

But if she had to say it, Yun Yun preferred Xiao Li's type: dignified in appearance, impressive in cultivation, honest about everything, never beating around the bush. Yun Yun felt that her man should be like that.

Yun Yun herself hated cowardly men who followed people around like puppies, could not speak plainly, and always liked to beat around the bush. What kind of man was that? (I'm talking about you, Gu He!)

(Author: Damn it, why does that feel like it's talking about me too? Sob, sob, brothers, that hit me hard.)

Buzzz—

A powerful energy fluctuation spread out from within the Blue Flame Cauldron.

"It's about to form! Oh my heavens, it really is a Grade 5 Pill! A Rank 5 Alchemist not even eighteen years old!" Yun Yun cried out. Yet her hands did not stop, and she hurriedly took out an empty Jade Bottle.

"Open!"

Xiao Li used Dou Qi to open the Blue Flame Cauldron. A blue-green pill the size of a longan, wrapped in Purple Flame, flew out of the Medicine Cauldron.

The moment the pill emerged, it released waves of extremely rich medicinal fragrance. Moreover, that fragrance carried a faint blue-green tint, which filled the entire cave.

"This is a phenomenon that only appears when pills above Grade 4 take shape!" This was also Yun Yun's first time witnessing the phenomenon of a Grade 5 Pill.

"Phew, I finally succeeded. This Beast Flame still isn't powerful enough. I really want Heavenly Flames." Xiao Li was so exhausted that he lay down directly.

Yun Yun stored the Spirit Ascending Pill in the Jade Bottle, then walked over and sat beside Xiao Li. "If you need me when searching for Heavenly Flames in the future, you can come find me anytime."

"Oh? What if those Heavenly Flames already have an owner?" Xiao Li said with a smile.

Yun Yun thought for a moment before saying firmly, "Then we kill that person and seize the Heavenly Flames. On the Dou Qi Continent, strength reigns supreme. Seizing things by force happens every day. For you, I wouldn't mind doing such a thing."

Xiao Li looked puzzled, as if he were meeting Yun Yun for the first time. "Eh? I thought you wouldn't be able to do something like forcefully taking another person's possession for the greater good, and that we'd go look for Heavenly Flames elsewhere. I didn't expect you to be so aggressive. Have I become the conservative one?"

Yun Yun pouted. "Do I look like such a pedantic person? I'm not that pedantic. Opportunities are equal before everyone. Whoever gets them owns them. If someone lacks the strength, they can't blame anyone else."

"I actually got lectured by a little girl like you. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Yun Yun said angrily, "I'm not little! I'm only one year younger than you. By the way, Li~ when are you planning to advance to Dou Ling?"

Xiao Li sat up. "I'll rest for three days, then break through. I'll have to trouble Yun'er to stand guard for me."

"Easy."