Night was as dark as ink, shrouding Wutan City in silence.
A streak of purple light silently pierced the night sky and descended deep into the mountains behind the Xiao Clan.
Lin Hai drifted down from the broad back of the Amethyst Winged Lion King and patted its hard purple crystal armor. "Find somewhere to rest here. Keep your aura subdued, and don't disturb anyone."
The Amethyst Winged Lion King let out a low growl, its voice filled with awe and obedience. It rubbed its enormous head against Lin Hai's hand, then turned obediently and slipped its massive body lightly into the dense forest behind the mountain. Its aura quickly faded, as though it had become one with the rocks.
Lin Hai moved like a ghost through the Xiao Clan's pavilions and towers, without alerting a single guard, and went straight to Xiao Yan's courtyard.
Inside the room, the lamplight was faint.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed and breathing long and even. An exceedingly faint wisp of spiritual energy circled him. He had evidently entered a state of cultivation, his expression focused and earnest.
The black ring rested quietly on his finger.
Lin Hai gave a slight nod, a trace of approval in his eyes.
Though he had suffered a great upheaval, Xiao Yan had quickly settled down to cultivate. That kind of composure was indeed admirable.
Lin Hai did not disturb Xiao Yan, but simply stood quietly in the room.
As if sensing his arrival, a faint glimmer flashed across the ring's surface, and Yao Chen's slightly translucent soul drifted out. Hope and a trace of nervousness showed on his face.
"Sir, you've returned," Yao Chen said respectfully.
Lin Hai nodded. With a flip of his hand, three boxes made especially from fine warm jade appeared on the table.
The lids opened on their own. In an instant, a fragrance that stirred the soul and left one feeling utterly at ease filled the room.
The Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva, shimmering with seven-colored light like glazed glass! The Iron Thread Soul-Restoring Flowers, two stalks with pitch-black, deep-colored stems threaded with silver!
The pure, immense soul energy made Yao Chen's soul fluctuate violently. His translucent face was instantly overcome by boundless excitement and delight!
"The Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva! More than three hundred and fifty years old!"
"The Iron Thread Soul-Restoring Flowers! Two stalks! Perfect quality! Hahaha! Heaven is helping me! Thank you, sir!" Yao Chen was so excited that his voice trembled. He circled the three jade boxes several times, unable to wait to begin absorbing them.
With these three main ingredients, restoring his soul to its peak was just around the corner!
"These are for restoring your soul. How much you recover depends on your own ability," Lin Hai said calmly. Then he waved his hand again.
In an instant, the whole room was filled with the rich fragrance of medicines, and light shimmered everywhere!
Dozens of jade boxes and wooden cases of all kinds appeared on the table and floor. Some medicinal ingredients were even suspended in the air, wrapped in invisible energy.
The ingredients were varied in shape and attribute. Some glimmered with lightning, some were wrapped in vines, some were as red as blood, and others were icy blue... Without exception, they all radiated powerful energy, and each had grown for many years!
These were spoils Lin Hai had casually gathered while riding the Amethyst Winged Lion King and sweeping through the Magical Beast Mountain Range and the dangerous lands around it.
For Lin Hai, a Peak Spirit Saint, these medicinal ingredients—no higher than fifth or sixth grade—were nothing special. But in the Gama Empire, they were undoubtedly a fortune vast enough to drive any faction into a frenzy!
Yao Chen was dazzled. As his soul senses swept over the ingredients, he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath. "Purple Orchid Leaf, Ink Leaf Lotus, Bone Cleansing Flower, Snake Saliva Fruit... Sir, did you... loot the treasury of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" His voice brimmed with incredulous shock.
Lin Hai paid no heed to his astonishment and asked directly, "Using these ingredients, how many pills could you refine with your restored abilities? What grades? And what would it cost?"
Yao Chen forced down his shock and carefully examined every ingredient with his soul power. His eyes gleamed as he quickly worked out the numbers.
After a moment, he drew a deep breath—though his soul form had no need to—and answered excitedly, "Sir, these ingredients are varied and of no small grade. If they're put to perfect use... after accounting for losses, I should be able to refine roughly three fifth-grade pills, such as the Dou Ling Pill, which can directly raise a Spirit King's strength by one star. They're worth a fortune. I could also refine two sixth-grade pills, such as the Imperial Extreme Pill, enough to drive Spirit Emperors wild. In addition, there'll be plenty of medicinal energy left over, enough to make about six third-grade pills and four second-grade pills. Those are suitable for Da Dou Shi and Dou Shi experts, and would be just right for building that brat Xiao Yan's foundation early on or quickly restoring his Dou Qi."
He paused, a hint of the practical problem every alchemist faced appearing on his face. "However... to refine fifth- and sixth-grade pills, one needs more than the main and supporting ingredients. A high-tier Magic Core of the corresponding attribute is required as an energy core and to guide the pill's formation. A fifth-grade pill needs a fourth-tier Magic Core, while a sixth-grade pill needs a fifth-tier Magic Core... The attributes should ideally match the pills. As for me now..."
"I'll take care of the Magic Cores," Lin Hai interrupted, his tone utterly calm, as though he were only going out to pick up a few stones. "What attributes do you need?"
"Water, wood, or earth would be best. Those attributes are gentle and suit most pills. Fire will also work, but it has to be handled carefully. As for tiers, I'll need several of each: fourth and fifth," Yao Chen answered at once.
"All right." Lin Hai nodded. "Use those three soul-restoring ingredients first. Recover as much as you can. I'll leave these medicinal ingredients to you as well. I'll go get the Magic Cores."
After speaking, Lin Hai glanced at Xiao Yan, who was still cultivating with complete focus. His figure quietly faded, as if merging into the night, and disappeared.
Yao Chen looked at the roomful of gleaming medicinal ingredients, then felt the irresistible allure of the three main soul-restoring ingredients. His soul trembled with excitement.
"This sir... He really is... domineering and efficient!" he murmured, his gaze burning with excitement. "Brat Xiao Yan, you've really... landed yourself one extraordinary uncle! With all these resources piled up, plus this old man and that cultivation technique... it'll be hard not to soar!"
He hesitated no longer. His soul power first enveloped the Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva, and he began greedily absorbing its pure soul-restoring medicinal energy. His translucent body grew solid at a visible rate, and his aura began steadily rising.
Meanwhile, Lin Hai had already left Wutan City. His divine sense spread out like a vast net once more, reaching toward regions farther away, where the magical beasts were even more powerful.
To him, hunting a few fourth- and fifth-tier magical beasts for their Magic Cores, while "gathering" some other resources in the area that caught his eye, was no more than another simple shopping trip.
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