Subtle Changes

Within the Sword Clan, there was a Dou Skill of an extremely awkward standing known as the Spirit Condensation Absolute. Though ranked at the Heavenly Rank, it possessed no earth-shattering might. All it could do was create an incomparably realistic Doppelganger that could be controlled, achieving the effect of one soul inhabiting two bodies.

However, the condensed Doppelganger was two tiers weaker than its original body. In other words, if you were a Dou Venerate, the Doppelganger created with this Dou Skill could at most reach the strength of a Dou Emperor. Furthermore, the original body and Doppelganger could not be too far apart. Otherwise, their connection would be severed, and the Doppelganger would become nothing more than a lifeless shell before eventually dissipating into energy.

Of course, as a Heavenly Rank Dou Skill, it was not without notable advantages. The most important was that it could preserve one's life. When the original body suffered fatal injuries and perished, the primary consciousness would completely enter the Doppelganger, which would inherit all of the original body's traits apart from its strength. The user could then continue living and cultivating in that body. Another advantage was its extremely low requirement for use. As long as one had reached the Dou Wang level or above, they could fully wield it.

The Spirit Condensation Absolute had been stored in the Sword Clan's Skill Pavilion for nearly three thousand years, yet fewer than a hundred people had cultivated it. Unless Sword Clan People had far too much free time on their hands, they generally would not touch this Dou Skill. And Miss Liuli happened to be one of those people with plenty of time to spare.

She had not originally intended to show herself and approach Xiao Yan during the Alchemist Competition. It was all a move born of necessity. The reason was that the plot had already begun to go awry.

After leaving seclusion, she had gone to the Alchemy Department of Jia Nan Academy to borrow an alchemy room for Pill Refining. After giving Elder Huo a few benefits to build a rapport, she learned during their conversation that Su Qian was planning to send several Outer Court students of Jia Nan Academy to participate in this year's Alchemist Competition in the Jia Ma Empire.

That had never happened in the original plot!

Liuli immediately sought out Su Qian and discussed having her escort the students to the competition. Her purpose was to keep watch over them. If anything happened to Xiao Yan during this period, her entire series of plans would go down the drain.

Su Qian readily agreed. After all, Liuli had already advanced to the Dou Zong level. With her strength, she could basically do as she pleased between the Black Corner Region and the Jia Ma Empire. With such a formidable figure watching over them, the students' safety was undoubtedly well ensured.

Thus, Liuli used the Spirit Condensation Absolute to create a Doppelganger with the strength of a Dou Ling. She then spent nearly a month training before she gradually became able to control both bodies at the same time, making them so lifelike that they were indistinguishable from the real thing.

She also assumed the alter ego of Yu Gongtian, an elder of Jia Nan Academy, and openly took a seat in the VIP section.

"Bone-Growing Pill." Liuli carefully read through the prescription with her Soul Power, then nodded rather seriously.

As a Fifth-grade Alchemist, refining such a merely innovative Second-tier pill was effortless for her.

With a thought from Liuli, a white Medicine Cauldron emerged from her Storage Ring.

Xiao Yan took one look at it, and a trace of envy flashed through his eyes.

What a fine cauldron!

Liuli noticed Xiao Yan's gaze, then looked at his shabby Second-tier Medicine Cauldron with its two fire vents and smiled faintly. However, she did not say anything, since it might otherwise seem like she was mocking him.

"Miss Gongsun, what tier is your Medicine Cauldron?" Xiao Yan was the one who could not resist asking first.

There were three things Alchemists endlessly pursued: Heavenly Flames, pill recipes, and Medicine Cauldrons. To Xiao Yan, they were equally irresistibly alluring.

"Seven-star. It still falls far short of those cauldrons on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking." Liuli smiled as she stroked the fire vent of the white Medicine Cauldron and poured the white flames of her Yin Yang Twin Flames into it.

Xiao Yan sharply sucked in a breath. His regard for the young girl before him immediately rose several levels.

Medicine Cauldrons were divided into seven tiers from lowest to highest. A Seven-star Medicine Cauldron was among the finest beneath those listed on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. It significantly improved an Alchemist's pill quality and success rate. If a Seven-star Medicine Cauldron appeared, even some Sixth-grade Alchemists would likely fight to the death for it.

Yet this Young Girl possessed such a cauldron. The force behind her had to be terrifyingly powerful.

He lowered his head and looked at the shabby Second-tier Medicine Cauldron in his hands, unable to stop himself from giving a bitter laugh. He had bought it for tens of thousands of Gold Coins when he had been refining pills in Wutan City. It had accompanied him for two years and could be considered an "old friend."

Still, Xiao Yan did not feel inferior. No matter how good a Medicine Cauldron was, it was merely an external aid. One's own strength was what truly mattered.

"Alright, focus on Pill Refining!" Xiao Yan nodded at the young girl. The Purple Crystal Winged Lion Beast Fire in his hand flowed into the fire vent as he began refining the medicinal ingredients according to his inferred sequence for the Bone-Growing Pill.

Liuli turned to watch Xiao Yan's practiced movements and smiled softly, slowing her own refining speed slightly.

Though her strength as a Fifth-grade Alchemist made this competition as easy as cutting vegetables, she was only here to accompany Xiao Yan in the contest, not steal his limelight. The title of champion of the Alchemist Competition had to go to Xiao Yan.

"This year's Alchemist Competition has quite a few formidable contestants!" Fa Ma stroked his beard and said with a chuckle, "Yao Ye, Liu Ling, Yan Xiao, and that Jia Nan Academy student... the little girl named Gongsun Liuli. Their refining techniques are all very seasoned, and their foundations are clearly solid. The fight for the championship should be quite a spectacle."

"I wonder whether student Gongsun Liuli is an Inner Academy or Outer Court student at Jia Nan Academy?" Jia Xingtian asked Liuli, who sat in her seat with her primary consciousness already transferred to her Doppelganger.

"Inner Academy." Liuli answered evenly.

Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma both secretly breathed sighs of relief. If a genius with the strength of a Five-Star Dou Ling and outstanding Alchemist talent was merely an Outer Court student at Jia Nan Academy, then Jia Nan Academy would be far too powerful.

As time passed, a number of Alchemists began noticing something wrong with the prescription and failed in their Pill Refining. Red light flickered as they left the stage in regret.

Then, following a sharp explosion, everyone's eyes turned in that direction. An Alchemist wearing the robes of a Third-grade Alchemist stumbled off the stage, face blackened with soot and fury written all over it. Due to a mistake, his Medicine Cauldron had actually exploded. Without a cauldron, even though he still had another set of medicinal ingredients, he could no longer refine pills.

Seeing such a comical scene, Xiao Yan could not help letting out a faint, somewhat gloating laugh before calmly continuing to place medicinal ingredients into his cauldron. Among those present, probably fewer than ten percent could fully grasp the refining of these ingredients, and Xiao Yan was one of the best among that ten percent.

Once all the medicinal ingredients had been refined into liquid or powder by the beast fire, Xiao Yan adjusted his body and mind once more, becoming focused and serious. The most important part of this round's Pill Refining... fusion, began now.

Slowly pouring several medicinal ingredients into the cauldron, Xiao Yan closed his eyes and used his Soul Power to control the beast fire, carefully probing for the correct steps of fusion.

Liuli's side appeared much more relaxed. Though this Doppelganger possessed only the strength of a Dou Ling, her original body was still a Dou Zong, and her Soul Power was powerful. Thus, handling the fusion of such medicinal ingredients came naturally to her.

Watching the Medicinal Liquid inside the cauldron slowly merge together, Liuli observed it with a smile, her hand continuously controlling the Heat Control of the Life Flame.

However, a tremendous bang startled her, causing her hand to tremble. The precisely controlled flames instantly shifted, and the Medicinal Liquid within was immediately vaporized by the sudden increase in temperature, leaving behind only black residue.

"Damn it!" Liuli was somewhat irritated. In a moment of carelessness, she had actually been disturbed by the outside world.

She angrily turned her head, only to see Xiao Yan staring blankly at his Medicine Cauldron, which had been blown apart into two halves by the exploding energy of the medicinal ingredients.

Liuli blinked, countless question marks surfacing in her mind.

This script was really starting to go off track...