Alchemy and Reckoning

The night was like ink, shrouding the silent Wutan City.

A streak of purple light silently tore through the night sky, landing deep within the back mountains of the Xiao Clan.

Lin Hai drifted down from the broad back of the Amethyst Winged Lion King and patted its sturdy purple crystal armor. "Find a place to rest here. Conceal your aura and do not disturb anyone."

The Amethyst Winged Lion King let out a low growl, its voice filled with reverence and obedience. It rubbed its massive head against Lin Hai's hand, then turned and gracefully vanished into the dense forest of the back mountains, its aura rapidly fading until it seemed to merge with the rocks and earth.

Lin Hai moved, ghosting through the pavilions and halls of the Xiao Clan without alerting a single guard, arriving directly at Xiao Yan's small courtyard.

Inside the room, the lamp flickered like a bean.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes tightly shut, breathing in long, steady rhythms. A faint trace of spiritual energy swirled around him; he was clearly deep in meditation, his expression focused and earnest.

The black ring rested quietly on his finger.

Lin Hai nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes.

To suffer such a great upheaval yet be able to settle his heart and cultivate so quickly—this temperament was truly commendable.

He did not disturb Xiao Yan, simply standing quietly in the room.

Seeming to sense his arrival, the surface of the ring flashed with a faint light. Yao Chen's slightly translucent soul body drifted out, his face filled with anticipation and a touch of nervousness.

"Your Excellency, you have returned," Yao Chen said respectfully.

Lin Hai nodded. With a flip of his palm, three boxes crafted from fine, warm jade appeared on the table.

The lids opened automatically, and in an instant, a fragrance that stirred the soul and brought profound comfort filled the entire room.

Seven-colored light flowed from the Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva, which looked like glazed glass! Beside it lay two stalks of Iron Thread Soul-Restoring Flower, pitch-black and deep, with silver-threaded stems!

The pure, vast soul energy caused Yao Chen's soul body to fluctuate violently. His translucent face was instantly overwhelmed by boundless excitement and ecstasy!

"Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva! Over three hundred and fifty years of maturity!"

"Iron Thread Soul-Restoring Flower! Two stalks! Perfect quality! Hahaha! Heaven aids me! Many thanks, Your Excellency!" Yao Chen's voice trembled with excitement. He drifted around the three jade boxes several times, eager to begin absorbing them immediately.

With these three primary ingredients, his return to his peak soul state was within reach!

"These are for your soul recovery. How much you can restore depends on your own ability," Lin Hai said indifferently. Then, he waved his hand again.

In an instant, the entire room was flooded with the rich, varied scents of medicinal herbs, light swirling everywhere!

On the table, on the floor, dozens of jade boxes and wooden chests appeared, while some herbs were suspended in mid-air, wrapped in invisible energy.

These herbs were of various shapes and attributes; some flashed with lightning, some were entwined with vines, some were as red as blood, and others were chillingly ice-blue. Without exception, they all radiated powerful energy fluctuations and were of great age!

These were the spoils Lin Hai had casually collected while sweeping through the Magical Beast Mountain Range and the surrounding dangerous lands atop the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

To a Peak Spirit Saint like him, these herbs—mostly fifth or sixth grade at best—were nothing, but in the Gama Empire, this was a fortune vast enough to drive any faction insane!

Yao Chen was dazzled. As his soul perception swept over them, he couldn't help but gasp. "Purple Orchid Leaf, Ink Leaf Lotus, Bone Cleansing Flower, Snake Saliva Fruit... Your Excellency, have you... ransacked the treasury of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" His tone was filled with incredulous shock.

Lin Hai ignored his astonishment and asked directly, "Using these herbs, with your restored abilities, how many pills can you refine? What grade? And what is the cost?"

Yao Chen suppressed the shock in his heart. His soul power carefully scanned every herb, his eyes gleaming as he calculated rapidly.

A moment later, he took a deep breath (though his soul body did not require it) and said with excitement, "Your Excellency, these herbs are diverse and of high quality. If utilized perfectly... and accounting for waste, I could refine three fifth-grade pills, such as the 'Dou Ling Pill,' which can directly raise the strength of a Spirit King by one star—they are worth a fortune. I could also refine two sixth-grade pills, like the 'Imperial Extreme Pill,' which would drive any Spirit Emperor mad. Furthermore, there would be enough medicinal power left to refine about six third-grade pills and four second-grade pills. These are suitable for Dou Grandmasters and Dou Masters, perfect for young Xiao Yan to build his foundation or quickly recover his Dou Qi."

He paused, a practical problem that every alchemist faces appearing on his face: "However... to refine fifth or sixth-grade pills, besides the primary and secondary ingredients, one must have high-grade magical beast cores of the corresponding attribute to act as the energy core and catalyst. A fifth-grade pill requires a fourth-tier core, and a sixth-grade pill requires a fifth-tier core... ideally matching the pill's attribute. As for me now..."

"I will handle the magical beast cores," Lin Hai interrupted, his tone devoid of ripples, as if he were merely going to pick up a few stones. "What attributes do you need?"

"Water, wood, or earth—these three attributes are the most stable and suitable for most pills. Fire is also acceptable, but it requires careful control. As for the tiers, I need several of both fourth and fifth tier," Yao Chen replied immediately.

"Very well," Lin Hai nodded. "Use those three soul-restoring herbs first; recover as much as you can. Handle these other herbs as well. I will go get the cores."

With that, Lin Hai glanced at Xiao Yan, who was still cultivating with undivided attention. His figure faded quietly, merging into the night, and vanished.

Yao Chen looked at the room full of shimmering herbs and felt the temptation radiating from the three primary soul ingredients; his soul body trembled with excitement.

"This Excellency... his methods are truly... overbearing and efficient!" he muttered to himself, his eyes burning with fervor. "Young Xiao Yan, you have truly... landed an incredible uncle! With these resources piled up, plus my guidance and that technique... it would be hard not to soar!"

He hesitated no longer. His soul power wrapped around the Seven Illusion Clear Spirit Saliva, and he began to greedily absorb its pure soul energy. His translucent body became solid at a visible rate, and his aura began to climb steadily.

As for Lin Hai, he had already left Wutan City. His divine sense, like a vast net, covered even more distant regions where the magical beasts were even more formidable.

To him, hunting a few fourth or fifth-tier magical beasts for their cores, and "collecting" some other eye-catching resources in the area, was nothing more than a simple shopping trip.