Ya Fei, I Did It!

If Lu Heng had not wanted to refine the Beast Power Pill, he would not have gone through all this.

But fortunately, wood fed fire, and Lu Heng's Azure Wood Body Dou Qi was absorbed at a decent pace.

After a while, the Ironwood Root was gradually refined by the flames, and black liquid slowly seeped out.

The first step—extracting the Ironwood Root—was a success!

However, this was only the beginning.

Over the next five days, Lu Heng practically turned into a wild man.

Other than eating and necessary rest, he barely left the medicinal cauldron.

Failure.

Failure.

Still failure.

Although his theoretical knowledge was flawless, actually putting it into practice proved far more difficult than Lu Heng had imagined.

The medicinal properties of the Ironwood Root were extremely volatile. The slightest mistake would cause the cauldron to explode. Though the blasts were not powerful, the black smoke left Lu Heng choking miserably.

And his total amount of Dou Qi was simply too limited.

Refining a batch of pills required several instances of precise flame control along the way.

On the first day, the cauldron exploded three times, wasting three Ironwood Roots.

On the second day, he barely managed to extract the medicinal liquid, but the heat was too strong during the fusion stage, disrupting the pill's balance.

On the third day, Lu Heng's brows were tightly furrowed. The repeated failures were also a test of his patience.

Seeing this, Ya Fei felt somewhat distressed and wanted several times to urge Lu Heng to take it slow. But Lu Heng's stubborn streak had risen as well.

Since this was an opportunity granted by the Book of Destiny, there was no way he could not even handle a First-Rank pill!

Finally, the evening of the fifth day arrived.

The setting sun shone through the window onto the chaotic floor. Black medicinal dregs and dust were scattered everywhere.

Lu Heng's hair was a complete mess, and his face was streaked black and white, making him look like a little miner who had just crawled out of a coal pit.

But his eyes shone with a frightening brightness.

"Condense!"

With a low shout, Lu Heng suddenly slammed his hands together. The flames inside the medicinal cauldron changed once more, fiercely compressing the several clusters of medicinal liquid floating at its center.

At that moment, the medicinal cauldron let out a faint hum.

A medicinal fragrance that made one's blood surge wafted out from within it.

Lu Heng circulated his Dou Qi, and the cauldron instantly opened. A dark-red pill flew out from inside.

He caught the Beast Power Pill in one hand. Feeling the violent energy ready to burst forth from within it, the corners of his mouth finally lifted.

"It worked!"

"Just smelling this medicinal fragrance makes my blood boil. If I take it, it will definitely pack a punch!"

Lu Heng casually grabbed a scrap of cloth to wipe his face, carefully placed the pill into a jade bottle, then shoved open the door and rushed outside.

He definitely had to share this good news with Sister Ya Fei first!

The second floor of the Miteer Auction House was the center of power for the entire auction house.

The spacious room was covered in thick red velvet carpet, and the air carried a faint, soothing fragrance.

Ya Fei lounged against the back of a red sandalwood chair, flipping through the account books from the past few weeks.

Her red lips curved faintly as she looked with great satisfaction at the numbers recorded in them.

The situation in Wutan City had been rather interesting lately.

Thanks to the nine-year-old little genius Xiao Yan, who had reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi, the Xiao Family's influence had soared, faintly surpassing the Jia Lie Family and the Aoba Clan.

However, Xiao Zhan was an upright man. Though his strength had increased, he had not resorted to any despicable monopolistic tactics in business. The tripartite balance remained delicately intact.

For the Miteer Auction House, this was the best possible news.

As long as no single faction dominated, the auction house could sit securely and play all sides.

Closing the account book, Ya Fei stretched lazily, her graceful curves fully displayed beneath her fitted brocade robe.

But when her gaze swept over the cup of tea at the corner of the table, now completely cold, a trace of worry appeared in her ever-smiling peach-blossom eyes.

"Five days already."

Gu Ni was nearby appraising a batch of newly acquired medicinal ingredients. Hearing her words, he shook his head helplessly.

"Are you worried about Lu Heng, Miss?"

"That little fellow has locked himself in his room for five days. Other than coming out to eat, he has not stepped through the door once."

Ya Fei sighed, her delicate brows knitting together.

"The maid who delivered his meals said the room was full of black smoke. I do not even know whether he has choked on it.

Uncle Gu Ni, do you think I have indulged him too much?"

Gu Ni stroked his beard, recalling the scene he had witnessed in the alchemy room that day.

That nine-year-old boy's unnaturally seasoned methods when handling medicinal ingredients, along with those terrifyingly steady eyes.

"Miss, you are simply letting concern cloud your judgment." Gu Ni smiled, his tone certain.

"Lu Heng knows what he is doing.

Judging by that ruthlessness of his and the way he focused, he is definitely not the sort to stubbornly trap himself in a dead end. First-Rank pills may be difficult to refine, but they cannot hold him back."

"And besides..."

Gu Ni paused and said with a sigh,

"Geniuses are always a little mad. If he followed the usual path step by step, how could he have become a Dou Zhe and a First-Rank Alchemist at only nine years old?"

After hearing this, Ya Fei's expression eased slightly. She smiled at herself.

"True. I was being too anxious. Perhaps it is because I have not seen him these past few days. It just feels empty somehow."

The moment she finished speaking, the heavy wooden office door was suddenly shoved open from outside.

"Bang!"

The noise was so loud that Gu Ni nearly dropped the medicinal ingredients in his hand.

The two of them turned toward the door at once.

A half-grown boy stood there.

Lu Heng looked absolutely terrible. His once-clean brocade clothes were covered in patches of black and gray medicinal residue, while his hair was a tangled mess like a bird's nest.

His delicate little face had been blackened by smoke, leaving only a mouthful of white teeth and those bright eyes visible.

"Sister Ya Fei! Master Gu Ni!"

Lu Heng tightly gripped the white jade bottle in his hand as though he were holding some peerless treasure. He strode inside, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"I did it!"

Ya Fei froze for a moment, then immediately understood.

Without the slightest disgust for Lu Heng's filthy appearance, she rose from her chair and crossed the room in a few steps.

A mixed smell of burnt residue and sweat rushed toward her, but Ya Fei acted as though she could not smell it. She pulled a silk handkerchief embroidered with delicate orchids from her sleeve.

"Slow down. Why were you running so urgently?"

Ya Fei bent down and gently wiped the soot from Lu Heng's face.

The expensive silk handkerchief was instantly stained like a rag, yet she carefully wiped the corners of Lu Heng's eyes and the bridge of his nose, her voice full of affection and concern.

"Look at all this soot on your face. Anyone who did not know better would think you had gone mining for coal."

Lu Heng allowed Ya Fei to wipe his face. Her faint fragrance lingered around his nose, and the nerves that had been tense for five days instantly relaxed.

He chuckled and held the jade bottle out between them.

"It was worth it, Sister Ya Fei. Look!"

Gu Ni had long been unable to restrain his curiosity. He stepped forward and took the jade bottle from Lu Heng.

The stopper was pulled free.

A rich, violent medicinal fragrance instantly spilled out, and even the air throughout the office seemed to grow several degrees hotter.

"This scent..."

Gu Ni's expression changed. He poured out a dark-red pill and held it in his palm.

The pill was round and plump, its surface faintly gleaming. The sensation of surging blood and vitality made even him, a Second-Rank Alchemist, feel alarmed.