Qian Daoliu's Shock

Deep within the Snowy Abode Villa lies a stone chamber constructed entirely of bluestone; this is the forging room of Qian Renxue.

For the past five years, aside from physical training, she has spent most of her time here, mastering the arts of alchemy, artifact forging, and array formation.

In the words of Chen Qingxuan, one need not be a master of all the hundred arts of immortality, but one must at least possess a basic grasp of them; otherwise, one is prone to falling into peril while traveling abroad.

In the center of the stone chamber, a large, crimson cauldron stands silently. It is about a zhang tall, its surface carved with intricate flame patterns that shimmer with faint, flowing light, radiating a scorching heat.

Qian Renxue pulls Qian Daoliu by the hand, showing him around the chamber with great enthusiasm. "Look, Grandfather, this is where I usually practice."

"This is the Blazing Flame Cauldron, a fourth-tier magical artifact forged for me by my master. I use it for both alchemy and artifact forging."

"Alchemy? Magical artifacts?" Qian Daoliu frowns slightly, clearly having never heard these terms before.

"Grandfather, watch closely." Qian Renxue walks to the Blazing Flame Cauldron and lightly raises her jade-like hands, weaving a profound and mysterious seal.

With a sharp "click," the cauldron lid rises and hovers in mid-air.

She takes dozens of rare treasures from her spatial ring: the "Dark Night Grass" emitting a ghostly glow, the "Dragon Blood Vine" dripping with golden sap, and the "Cold Heart Flower" encrusted with ice crystals... she tosses them all into the cauldron at once.

The lid slowly descends, sealing the cauldron tight. Qian Renxue's hands move with lightning speed, weaving various seals that leave behind trails of afterimages.

As the seals are cast, the surrounding energy of heaven and earth flows into the Blazing Flame Cauldron like a tide drawn by an irresistible force.

Suddenly, raging flames erupt within the cauldron. The crimson firelight shines through the patterns on its surface, dyeing the entire stone chamber a fiery red. The temperature inside rises sharply, causing even the bluestone floor to emit waves of heat.

Qian Renxue does not know how to precisely control the temperature, so she had specifically built the forging room out of stone to prevent the fire from spiraling out of control and igniting wood.

"This... this is..." Qian Daoliu's pupils contract, his face filled with shock.

In his hundred-plus years of life, he has never seen someone without soul power manipulate the energy of heaven and earth, let alone use it with such proficiency!

The Blazing Flame Cauldron is clearly no ordinary object, and the intensity of the flames within far exceeds that of a typical soul master's fire-attribute martial soul!

Everything about this is bizarre. Just who is this master of hers?

Two hours later, as Qian Renxue casts the final seal, the Blazing Flame Cauldron trembles violently, and the lid rises once more.

Nine round, plump pills fly out from the cauldron. They are pale green, covered in fine, intricate patterns, and emit a rich, medicinal fragrance.

Qian Renxue, well-prepared, takes out a jade bottle. With a flick of her mind, the pills fly precisely into it.

In an instant, the scent of medicine fills the stone chamber.

Qian Daoliu feels the soul power within his own body stir uncontrollably, even growing by a faint sliver.

The shock on his face deepens—he is a demigod-level powerhouse; for him, a sliver of growth usually requires a full day of secluded cultivation. Yet now, simply because of this fragrance, it has grown inexplicably?

"Little Xue, what is this?" Qian Daoliu asks instinctively.

"Grandfather, this is a third-tier low-grade Green Pattern Pill," Qian Renxue explains.

"It allows a soul master's internal soul power to grow explosively. If a low-level soul master consumes it, they would explode and die from being unable to suppress the violent surge of power."

"When a high-level soul master consumes it, their internal soul power is automatically activated, forcibly drawing in surrounding energy to combine with it."

"However, its medicinal power is limited, and the amount of activated soul power is not excessive. High-level soul masters can take the opportunity to absorb and refine it, achieving the effect of increasing their cultivation without the risk of exploding."

Qian Renxue pours a Green Pattern Pill from the jade bottle and hands it to Qian Daoliu, her golden eyes filled with anticipation. "Grandfather, would you like to try?"

Looking at his granddaughter's sparkling eyes, Qian Daoliu does not hesitate; he takes the pill and swallows it. The pill melts upon contact, transforming into a cool stream of energy that surges into his dantian, instantly detonating the soul power within him.

"Hum—"

The surrounding energy of heaven and earth is pulled by an invisible force, rushing madly into Qian Daoliu's body and forming a visible energy vortex.

His golden robes flutter without wind, his hair stands on end, and the fluctuations of his soul power climb violently.

Qian Daoliu is startled, quickly sitting cross-legged to channel his soul power and guide this sudden, massive influx of energy, slowly integrating it into his own.

Half an incense stick later, the surrounding energy gradually stabilizes and stops rushing in.

Qian Daoliu slowly opens his eyes, sensing the soul power within him, and a look of disbelief appears on his face—his soul power has increased by a full one percent!

One must know that with his demigod cultivation, increasing his soul power by one percent would normally require at least two years of secluded cultivation! Now, a single pill has saved him two years of effort; this is simply miraculous!

"Grandfather, the effect is not bad, right?" Qian Renxue blinks, her tone filled with a hint of pride.

"It is excellent." Qian Daoliu takes a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. "Little Xue, are there any restrictions on refining these pills?"

"None at all. As long as there are enough materials, I can refine them at any time." Qian Renxue takes Qian Daoliu's hand and places the jade bottle containing the Green Pattern Pills into his palm. "Grandfather, this is for you."

She pauses, then adds, "However, you cannot take them casually; you can only take one per month. Your body needs a month to recover its vitality before it can be activated again."

"Furthermore, the effect weakens slightly with each dose. After forty or fifty consecutive doses, your body will develop a resistance, and they will become useless."

Qian Daoliu is once again rendered speechless by the shock—as long as there are materials, they can be refined at will? What does this mean? It means the powerhouses of the Martial Soul Hall could all increase their cultivation at a visible rate!

He grips the jade bottle tightly, looking at his graceful granddaughter, his heart filled with a thousand emotions.

The little girl who once needed his protection has now grown to the point where she can bring him such surprises.

Just what kind of divine being is her master?

"Grandfather, I have many more good things." Qian Renxue says excitedly.

The spatial ring on her finger suddenly lights up, followed by a clattering sound as hundreds of jade bottles of various sizes fly out, landing neatly on the floor with a crisp chime.

Not only that, but there are also all kinds of weapons—long blades with chilling glints, spears with sharp edges, heavy black staves, bows with ancient designs, and whips coiled with fine barbs...

They pile up in a dense heap, each emitting varying degrees of energy fluctuations.

"Look, Grandfather, this is the Body Tempering Pill," Qian Renxue says, picking up a crimson jade bottle.

"When consumed for the first time, once fully refined, it can increase one's physical strength by five hundred jin, while also activating the blood and clearing the meridians."