In just half a day, Xiao Li's Dou Qi had almost fully recovered.
When he reached the entrance to the valley, he saw droppings from some kind of magical beast scattered around. Xiao Li didn't know much about these things, but Xiao Yi Xian had grown up near the Magical Beast Mountain Range and had some experience.
Seeing Xiao Li's questioning gaze, Xiao Yi Xian racked her brains, trying to remember what she could and show him her worth.
"Brother Xiao Li, these should be the droppings of a third-tier magical beast, a Red Gold Scorpion. I saw them in a medicinal text. If you dry and boil them, they can be used as medicine."
Xiao Yi Xian said confidently. Fortunately, she had studied so much in her spare time. Otherwise, she really wouldn't have recognized them.
Xiao Li furrowed his brows, a trace of regret crossing his face. As expected of the middle reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range—even a third-tier magical beast, equivalent to a Da Dou Shi, could be found just anywhere.
Magical beasts were somewhat stronger than humans of the same tier. To defeat this Red Gold Scorpion and secure a place to stay, he would probably need to be at least a three-star Da Dou Shi.
"But these droppings look very dry, and they're scattered everywhere. The boundaries of its territory have become a little indistinct... Maybe..."
Xiao Yi Xian's voice grew quieter and quieter. She couldn't be certain, after all. Their lives depended on it.
Xiao Li understood what Xiao Yi Xian meant. There were no fresh droppings, which meant the Red Gold Scorpion hadn't been tending to its territory for a long time. If it had already left, then perhaps the two of them could enjoy a comfortable stretch of time here, protected by its lingering presence.
"Go hide and wait for me. I'll go in and take a look. If I haven't come out in an hour, find a way to leave on your own," Xiao Li said.
Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes blinked, a trace of guilt clouding her little face. "I'm sorry..."
Xiao Li gave a wry laugh. "There's no need to apologize. The fact that you trust me already surprises me. If you want to help me, take a look at this book."
Xiao Li took out the Complete Guide to Heavenly Treasures. Xiao Yi Xian was drawn in after just one glance. Compared to this book, the medicinal records at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion were practically trash—their contents didn't amount to a tenth of what was in this book.
The emotion in Xiao Yi Xian's bright eyes deepened. This time, she said nothing, merely resolving to repay Xiao Li one day so that his painstaking effort wouldn't go to waste.
After finding a place for Xiao Yi Xian to hide, Xiao Li set off for the valley. He kept a tight grip on the Thunder Scale Spear. If he really ran into a third-tier magical beast, he was confident he could still escape.
He had seen information about Red Gold Scorpions in the Xiao Clan's records. They had strong defenses but lacked speed. As a lightning-attribute cultivator, Xiao Li excelled at killing and speed, and he was confident he could flee from one.
He carefully inspected the traces inside the valley. There were no signs of any large creature crawling around, which let Xiao Li breathe a little easier.
The valley wasn't large. He could see the cliffs enclosing it at a glance, and estimated that it covered only a few thousand square meters. Xiao Li finished searching it 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 the shade and preferred basking in the sun. There were no caves in the valley, so the forest was the only place he hadn't searched.
He stepped into the forest with great care. The fresh scent, free of any rancid stench, jolted his mind awake. But after only a few steps, the enormous, golden-red scorpion before him sent a chill from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.
This is bad.
That was Xiao Li's first thought. But in the next instant, he froze in place.
Why wasn't the Red Gold Scorpion moving at all? It didn't seem to have any life left in it. It was almost as if...
Mustering his courage, Xiao Li edged closer and prodded the scorpion's carapace with the Thunder Scale Spear in his hand.
The carapace, which should have been incredibly hard, proved unexpectedly fragile. The Thunder Scale Spear pierced a gaping hole straight through it.
The damaged carapace gave the gale rushing through the forest an opening. The wind whipped up, scattering the Red Gold Scorpion's corpse into fragments that filled the sky.
In an instant, the clearing looked much emptier. Only a book, a blood-red pill, and a brown Magic Core remained on the ground.
And a shriveled corpse.
The sight chilled Xiao Li to the soles of his feet. The droppings at the valley entrance weren't completely dry yet. Even if the Red Gold Scorpion had died of old age, its body couldn't possibly have become so fragile. Its essence should have drained away gradually, not vanished all at once in such a short time.
Xiao Li picked up the three objects from the ground and examined them.
There was no question about the Magic Core. It was the only proof that the Red Gold Scorpion had ever existed.
Faced with an unfamiliar pill emanating a bloody aura, Xiao Li decided to read the book first. As a rule of thumb from novels, books usually explained things like this.
He opened it, and the very first page gave Xiao Li a tremendous shock.
Heaven Tier Dou Technique! Siphon Technique!
But at a second glance, Xiao Li relaxed. This was no Heaven Tier Dou Technique. It didn't even qualify as Yellow Tier. It was a Dou Technique without a rank. Reading the words left behind in the book, Xiao Li gradually understood.
"Fated one, did those four words—Heaven Tier Dou Technique—give you a fright? Hahaha! Just imagining your stunned face makes me laugh. In truth, this is a Dou Technique without a rank. You must be wondering why..."
Seeing the long-winded passages on the page, Xiao Li sighed helplessly. The person who had left the book behind had been quite the chatterbox.
After picking his way through the rest, Xiao Li understood.
According to its original creator, the Siphon Technique involved cultivating a Blood Furnace. Toss the corpse of a magical beast inside, and the beast's essence could be refined. At the highest level, one could even merge with the Blood Furnace and refine magical beasts directly into Blood Pills.
These Blood Pills were condensed manifestations of the essence within magical beast corpses. For example, the one in Xiao Li's hand held the essence of the third-tier Red Gold Scorpion.
"Fated one, aren't you pleasantly surprised? I knew my time was running out, so I deliberately found a low-tier magical beast to feed. I figured the Blood Furnace constantly operating inside my body would refine it into a Blood Pill. Go forth! Take the first opportunity on your path of cultivation and become an unparalleled powerhouse!"
The words were so awkward that Xiao Li couldn't bear to look at them. He flipped to the next page, and his excitement cooled again.
"Blood Pills contain not only the essence of magical beasts but also their muddled energy. Be sure to temper them before absorption. Their effects are also far inferior to pills of the same tier. But who can carry an alchemist around with them? This technique is useful for those who venture out to train: it lets them turn whatever resources they obtain into immediate combat strength."
Xiao Li understood. This made more sense. Otherwise, the Siphon Technique would be far too heaven-defying. All in all, though, it could still save him more than half the time.
Xiao Li carefully gathered up the shriveled corpse. He knocked down a tree with the Thunder Scale Spear and made a simple wooden marker. Then he bowed. Since the man had bestowed such a powerful Dou Technique upon him, Xiao Li ought to give him a proper burial.
Xiao Li suddenly sighed. "You don't know this, but there really is someone in this world taking the continent's greatest alchemist along on his travels."