Qian Daoliu's Shock

Deep inside Snowy Abode Villa stood a stone chamber built entirely of bluestone. It was Qian Renxue's forging room.

For the past five years, aside from training her body, she had spent most of her time here, learning the arts of alchemy, forging, and formation-setting.

As Chen Qingxuan put it, one did not need to master every cultivation art, but one had to know something about each. Otherwise, traveling outside could easily lead to danger.

In the center of the chamber stood a massive crimson cauldron, about one zhang tall. Intricate flame patterns were carved across its surface, faint light rippling through them as it radiated scorching heat.

Holding Qian Daoliu's hand, Qian Renxue strolled around the chamber with eager delight. "Grandpa, look. This is where I usually cultivate."

"This is the Blazing Flame Cauldron. Master made it for me. It's a fourth-rank magic tool. I use it to make pills and forge weapons."

"Pills? Magic tools?" Qian Daoliu furrowed his brows. He had clearly never heard of either term.

"Grandpa, watch closely." Qian Renxue walked up to the Blazing Flame Cauldron and raised her jade-white hand, sending out a profound hand seal.

With a click, the lid lifted and floated in midair.

She took dozens of rare treasures from her Space Ring: Dark Night Grass glowing with a faint light, Dragon Blood Vine dripping golden sap, Cold Heart Flowers covered in ice crystals... She tossed them all into the cauldron.

The lid slowly descended, sealing the cauldron shut. Qian Renxue's hands flew as she formed one seal after another, leaving a trail of afterimages.

As the seals entered the cauldron, the energy of heaven and earth around them surged in like a tide pulled by an unseen force.

A raging blaze erupted inside. Crimson light shone through the patterns on the cauldron, bathing the entire chamber in fiery red. The temperature shot up, and even the bluestone floor began to shimmer with heat.

Qian Renxue had no idea how to control the temperature precisely. She had deliberately built her forging room out of stone because she was afraid the fire might get out of control and set the wood ablaze.

"This... what is this..." Qian Daoliu's pupils contracted. He was utterly stunned.

He had lived for over a hundred years and had never seen anyone without Soul Power draw upon the energy of heaven and earth, much less wield it so skillfully!

That Blazing Flame Cauldron was no ordinary object, either. The fire inside was even hotter than the flames of an ordinary Soul Master's Martial Soul!

Everything about this was bizarre. Just who was Xiao Xue's master?

Two hours later, as Qian Renxue sent out her final hand seal, the Blazing Flame Cauldron shuddered, and its lid rose again.

Nine plump, perfectly rounded pills flew out. They were pale green, covered in fine patterns, and gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.

Qian Renxue was ready. She took out a jade bottle, and with a thought, the pills flew straight into it.

In an instant, the fragrance of the pills filled the chamber.

Qian Daoliu felt the Soul Power inside him stir beyond his control. It even seemed to have increased by a trace.

The shock on his face deepened. He was a Demigod-level powerhouse. Gaining even a trace of Soul Power usually required a full day of secluded cultivation. Yet now, this fragrance had somehow increased it?

"Xiao Xue, what is this?" Qian Daoliu asked without thinking.

"Grandpa, this is a third-rank, low-grade Green Pattern Pill," Qian Renxue explained.

"It can make the Soul Power inside a Soul Master grow explosively. If a low-rank Soul Master takes one, they'll explode because they can't suppress the rampaging Soul Power."

"When a high-rank Soul Master takes one, their Soul Power will become active on its own, forcibly drawing in the surrounding energy and merging with it."

"But the pill's effects are limited. It doesn't activate all that much Soul Power. A high-rank Soul Master can absorb and refine it, raising their Soul Power without exploding."

Qian Renxue poured a Green Pattern Pill from the jade bottle and held it out to Qian Daoliu. Her golden eyes brimmed with anticipation. "Grandpa, want to try it?"

Looking at his granddaughter's bright, eager eyes, Qian Daoliu didn't hesitate. He took the pill and swallowed it. It melted as soon as it touched his tongue, turning into a cool current that flowed into his dantian and instantly set off his Soul Power.

"Vmm—"

The energy of heaven and earth around him seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, surging wildly into his body and forming a visible vortex.

The golden robe on his body stirred without a breeze, his hair stood on end, and the Soul Power around him rose sharply.

Qian Daoliu was startled. He quickly sat cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power, guiding the sudden influx of immense energy as it slowly merged with his own.

After half an incense stick's time, the energy of heaven and earth around him gradually settled and stopped pouring in.

Qian Daoliu slowly opened his eyes and sensed the Soul Power within him. His face filled with disbelief—his Soul Power had increased by a full one percent!

At his Demigod cultivation, raising his Soul Power by one percent would take at least two years of secluded cultivation! Yet a single pill had saved him two years of effort. It was simply miraculous!

"Grandpa, not bad, right?" Qian Renxue blinked, a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Very good." Qian Daoliu drew a deep breath, suppressing his shock. "Xiao Xue, are there any restrictions on making these pills?"

"Not at all. As long as I have enough ingredients, I can make them anytime." Qian Renxue took Qian Daoliu's hand and placed the jade bottle of Green Pattern Pills in his palm. "Grandpa, this is for you."

She paused, then added, "But you can't take pills whenever you want. You can only take one a month. Your body needs a month to recover its vitality before it can be activated again."

"Besides, the effect gets weaker each time. After taking them forty or fifty times in a row, your body will develop resistance, and they won't work anymore."

Qian Daoliu was once again too stunned to speak. As long as there were enough ingredients, she could make them at will? What did that mean? It meant the powerful members of Spirit Hall could raise their cultivation at a visible pace!

He gripped the jade bottle and looked at his graceful granddaughter, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

The little girl who had once needed his protection had grown to the point where she could bring him one surprise after another.

Just what kind of person was her master?

"Grandpa, I have lots of other good things, too," Qian Renxue said excitedly.

The Space Ring on her hand suddenly lit up. Then, amid a clatter, hundreds of jade bottles of different sizes flew out of it and landed neatly on the floor, their sides clinking together.

That wasn't all. There were also all kinds of weapons: long blades gleaming with a chill, spears with sharp points, heavy black staffs, ancient-looking bows, and long whips covered in fine barbs...

They were piled densely across the floor, giving off energy fluctuations of varying strengths.

"Grandpa, look. This is a Body Tempering Pill." Qian Renxue picked up a crimson jade bottle.

"After your first dose, once you've fully refined it, you'll gain five hundred jin of strength. It can also invigorate your blood and energy and clear your meridians."