Valley Opportunity

In just half a day, Xiao Li's Dou Qi had mostly recovered.

Walking to the entrance of the valley, he found droppings from some kind of magical beast scattered about. Xiao Li didn't know much about such things, but Little Fairy Doctor had grown up near the Magical Beast Mountain Range and had some experience.

Seeing Xiao Li's questioning gaze, Little Fairy Doctor racked her brains to recall anything she could, eager to prove her worth.

"Brother Xiao Li, these should be the droppings of a Rank 3 Red Gold Scorpion. I've seen them in a medicinal book; if dried and boiled, they can be used as medicine."

Little Fairy Doctor said with certainty, grateful that she usually studied so much, or she never would have recognized them.

Xiao Li frowned, a hint of regret crossing his face. As expected of the middle section of the Magical Beast Mountain Range; just like that, they had stumbled upon a Rank 3 magical beast equivalent to a Da Dou Shi.

Magical beasts were generally stronger than humans of the same rank. To defeat this Red Gold Scorpion and secure a place to stay, he would likely need the cultivation of at least a 3-star Da Dou Shi.

"But these droppings look quite dry and are scattered everywhere, making the boundaries of its territory seem blurred... perhaps..."

Little Fairy Doctor's voice grew quieter. She couldn't be sure, and after all, their lives were at stake.

Xiao Li understood what she meant. Without fresh droppings, it meant the Red Gold Scorpion hadn't been around for a long time. If it had already left, they might be able to live comfortably for a while by relying on the lingering aura of the beast.

"Go hide and wait for me. I'll go in and check. If I haven't come out in an hour, find a way to leave on your own," Xiao Li said.

Little Fairy Doctor blinked, her small face filled with guilt. "I'm sorry..."

Xiao Li chuckled. "No need to apologize. The fact that you can trust me is already a surprise. If you want to help me, look at this book."

Xiao Li took out the Complete Guide to Heavenly Treasures. Little Fairy Doctor was drawn in after just a glance; the medicinal records of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion were like trash compared to this book, with less than a tenth of the content.

Her eyes shimmered with even deeper gratitude. This time, she didn't say much, but she made a silent vow to repay Xiao Li, so as not to waste his good intentions.

After settling Little Fairy Doctor, Xiao Li stood up and headed toward the valley, gripping his Thunder Scale Spear tightly. If he really encountered a Rank 3 magical beast, he was confident he could at least escape.

He had seen records of the Red Gold Scorpion in the Xiao Clan; it had powerful defenses but lacked speed. As a lightning-attribute cultivator, Xiao Li excelled in lethality and speed, giving him the confidence to survive.

Carefully observing the tracks in the valley, he saw no signs of large creatures crawling about, which made Xiao Li breathe a sigh of relief.

The valley was small, and he could see the cliffs surrounding it at a glance. Estimating the area, it was only a few thousand square meters, and Xiao Li finished his search in just half an hour.

Looking at the small forest in the center of the valley, Xiao Li took a deep breath. Red Gold Scorpions disliked dark, damp places and preferred to bask in the sun. Since there were no caves in the valley, this forest was the only place that hadn't been checked.

He stepped into the forest cautiously. The fresh air, devoid of any stench, made his mind sharpen. But after only a few steps, the sight of a massive, red-gold giant scorpion made his scalp tingle.

Damn it.

That was Xiao Li's first thought, but a moment later, he froze in place.

Why was this Red Gold Scorpion motionless? There was no sign of life on it; it seemed...

Xiao Li gathered his courage and stepped closer, using his Thunder Scale Spear to poke the scorpion's carapace.

The carapace, which should have been incredibly hard, was unexpectedly fragile and was pierced through by the spear, leaving a large hole.

The damage to the carapace allowed the gusting wind in the forest to take hold. The wind whipped up, tearing the corpse of the Red Gold Scorpion into countless fragments.

The clearing became much emptier in an instant. All that remained on the ground was a book, a blood-red pill, a brown magical core, and a shriveled corpse.

Xiao Li felt a chill run down his spine. The droppings at the valley entrance hadn't even fully dried yet. Even if the Red Gold Scorpion had died of old age, its body shouldn't have become so fragile; its essence should have slowly dissipated rather than vanishing entirely in such a short time.

Picking up the three items, Xiao Li examined them.

The magical core was, without a doubt, the only evidence that the Red Gold Scorpion had existed.

Facing the unknown, blood-red pill, Xiao Li chose to read the book first. Following the tropes of novels, the book would likely explain everything.

He flipped open the pages, and the first line gave him a massive shock.

Heaven-tier Dou Technique! Siphon Technique!

But at the next glance, Xiao Li sighed in relief. This wasn't a Heaven-tier Dou Technique at all; it wasn't even a Yellow-tier one. It was a technique without a grade. Reading the notes left behind, Xiao Li gradually understood.

"Destined one, did the words 'Heaven-tier Dou Technique' give you a fright? Hahaha, just imagining your shocked expression is hilarious. In truth, this is a technique without a grade. You must be curious, why..."

Looking at the long-winded nonsense in the book, Xiao Li felt helpless. The person who left this behind was quite the chatterbox.

After picking through the rest of the text, Xiao Li finally understood.

The Siphon Technique, according to the original owner, relied on cultivating a Blood Furnace. By tossing a magical beast's corpse into it, one could refine the essence within. At higher levels, one could even merge with the Blood Furnace and refine the beast directly into a Blood Pill.

This Blood Pill was the condensed essence of the beast's corpse. For instance, the one in Xiao Li's hand was the essence of the Rank 3 Red Gold Scorpion.

"Destined one, is it a pleasant surprise? This old man knew my time was up, so I specifically found a low-tier beast to feed it. I figured my body's continuously operating Blood Furnace would refine it directly into a Blood Pill. Go on, take this first opportunity on your path of cultivation and become a peerless expert!"

The words were so cringeworthy that Xiao Li felt embarrassed to keep reading. He turned to the next page, and his excitement cooled once more.

"The Blood Pill not only gathers the essence of the beast but also contains the impurities of its energy. You must refine it carefully before absorption. The efficacy of the Blood Pill is far inferior to pills of the same rank, but who can keep an alchemist by their side at all times? The significance of this technique lies in the ability to convert obtained resources into immediate combat power while traveling."

Xiao Li realized this made sense. Otherwise, the Siphon Technique would be too heaven-defying. Overall, it would still save him a great deal of time.

He carefully gathered the shriveled corpse, used his Thunder Scale Spear to fell a tree, and fashioned a simple wooden marker. Xiao Li bowed in respect; having been granted such a powerful technique, he felt it was only right to bury the man properly.

Xiao Li suddenly sighed, "You didn't know, but in this world, there really is someone traveling with the continent's number one alchemist."