Terrestrial Treasure Spirit Pill

At dawn the next day, the sky glimmered fish-belly white. The cold wind was like blades, sweeping wildly across the earth.

East of Huanglong City, beneath the gazes of Xu Fei and Xu Ling Sha, Xu Yan rode a dragon steed. Bathed in the morning glow, his shadow gradually stretched longer before finally vanishing into the wilderness.

"Father." Xu Ling Sha's eyes reddened as she threw herself into her father's arms, her delicate body trembling faintly.

This scene had played out many times before. Whenever they saw one of her sworn elder brothers off, little Ling Sha would always weep her heart out. Yet this time was somewhat different. As she bid farewell to Xu Yan, who had grown up alongside her and was close to her in age, a bleak sorrow for autumn rose within her heart, as though this were a parting forever.

"Your elder brothers are all exceptionally gifted in the martial path. One day, they will surely make their names resound throughout Great Yin. As for Yan'er, let nature take its course." Xu Fei reached out and stroked Xu Ling Sha's back. His gaze rested on the distant horizon as though lost in thought. After several breaths, he said, "All right, we should head back as well. Make your preparations. In a few days, you'll accompany me to Fire Spirit Valley."

With that, the two returned to the prince's residence.

Xu Yan urged his dragon steed onward to the east. The cold wind lashed against his face, stinging his flesh with pain. He tried his best to wrap his fur robe more tightly around himself, but his body still trembled slightly.

Only once the sun had fully risen and dispelled the night's chill did he feel somewhat better.

A journey of two or three thousand li was nothing to a blood-sweating dragon steed. No matter how perilous the mountains or wilds, it traversed them as though walking on level ground.

By noon, the towering Dongli Prefecture City had come into view in the distance.

A bustling stream of people continually entered the city, many of them young faces.

It was early spring, and Shangyin Academy had opened its gates to recruit students, naturally drawing many disciples seeking an education.

The guards at the gate were carefully inspecting everyone one by one. When they came to Xu Yan and saw the jade pendant bearing the character "Xu" at his waist, along with the dragon steed he led, they were startled and immediately cupped their hands in salute.

"Could this be Young Master Yan?"

"Young Master Yan, shall we notify the Lord of Dongli City?"

"There is no need to make such a grand fuss." Xu Yan shook his head. Seeing the astonished gazes of the surrounding passersby turning toward him, he immediately strode into the city.

He did not pause, but went straight to Dongli's Immortal Quarter and rented a secluded courtyard residence.

He gave the attendant ten Great Yin spirit coins and instructed him to take proper care of the dragon steed. Seeing him leading such a fine mount, the attendant knew he was from the Prince of Wu'an's residence. How could he dare utter a word of refusal? He repeatedly nodded in agreement.

Afterward, Xu Yan strolled deeper into the Immortal Quarter.

The Immortal Quarter in this city was somewhat smaller than the one in Huanglong City, but it saw far more traffic. A hundred li east of the city lay the outer reaches of Mang Mountain. Many cultivators often hunted spirits and demon beasts within Mang Mountain, searched for terrestrial treasures and spiritual materials, then brought them back to the Immortal Quarter to sell in exchange for resources to pursue the Dao.

Xu Yan stopped before a shop called Myriad Medicine Pavilion and stepped inside. The medicinal scent that hit his nose was somewhat pungent, and figures moved about within. Its business appeared quite prosperous.

"What does the young master require? Hundred-year spirit herbs, thousand-year spiritual materials—Myriad Medicine Pavilion has everything!" A female attendant in green approached with a smile.

"Is there an alchemist here?" Xu Yan asked.

"Does the young master wish to refine pills? Please follow me." Upon hearing this, the female attendant immediately led Xu Yan to the rear workshop of Myriad Medicine Pavilion. The temperature here was clearly much hotter, and a refreshing pill fragrance lingered in the air.

"Alchemist Wang, a young master has come to refine pills." The female attendant knocked on the door.

"Bring him in!"

The door opened, and blazing fire qi rushed toward them.

The floor of the chamber had been hollowed into a pool half a zhang wide, filled with crimson liquid resembling molten lava. This was earthfire. A massive furnace stood above it. Alchemist Wang was drenched in sweat, fiercely fanning the furnace with a half-meter-long feather fan. Fire sparks like glowing fireflies floated through the air in the room.

"Enough nonsense. What pill do you want refined?" Alchemist Wang did not even glance at Xu Yan. His brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes fixed on the furnace flames.

"A Terrestrial Treasure Spirit Pill," Xu Yan said.

"For that, you'll need a terrestrial treasure, at least fifty years old, along with several ordinary spiritual materials as supplementary ingredients."

"Can you refine a thousand-year earth yellow essence?" Xu Yan asked.

At those words, Alchemist Wang's feather fan stopped. At last, he looked toward Xu Yan, scrutinized him, and raised a brow. "Does the young master truly possess a thousand-year terrestrial treasure? Do not deceive me. The entire Myriad Medicine Pavilion only has several such plants."

Xu Yan said nothing. He opened the arcane lock on the storage pouch at his waist and took out the purple sandalwood box.

Alchemist Wang drew it over with a curl of his hand. Wrapped in a gust of clear wind, the purple sandalwood box flew into his grasp. He opened it, narrowed his eyes, and inspected it closely. Astonished, he said, "The quality is quite good. It is indeed thousand-year earth yellow essence. The young master is truly generous. This terrestrial treasure is worth at least ten thousand Great Yin spirit coins."

"Can you refine it?"

"Yes, of course!" Alchemist Wang answered decisively.

"As for the other supplementary ingredients, please take the finest Myriad Medicine Pavilion has. Do not waste this terrestrial treasure." Xu Yan smiled.

"Rest assured, young master. I am not the sort to squander heaven's gifts." Seeing that Xu Yan did not appear to be short on money, Alchemist Wang smiled intently. "It will take only three hours for the spirit pill to be completed. Will you wait here, or would you like Myriad Medicine Pavilion to deliver it to your residence?"

"My name is Xu Yan. I am staying in a Heavenly-class courtyard residence south of the Immortal Quarter. Please have someone deliver it to me," Xu Yan said.

"Very well!" Alchemist Wang nodded with a smile.

After Xu Yan left, the female attendant at the door watched his departing figure, then entered and asked, "Alchemist Wang, what supplementary ingredients should I procure?"

After rattling off a long list of spiritual materials, the female attendant hurriedly wrote them down. Alchemist Wang took a sip of tea, raised his brows, and laughed. "Go ahead and get expensive spiritual materials, ones with plenty of age on them. That Xu Yan is obviously from a wealthy family. Young masters like him need to be properly fleeced!"

The female attendant covered her lips and smiled before taking her notes and walking outside.

"Xu Yan... Why does that name sound familiar?" Alchemist Wang pondered as he drank his tea. Suddenly, he shot upright from his chair in alarm, his eyes widening as he rushed out and called after the female attendant, "Wait! Tell the pavilion master that I, Wang Luo, will pay for these spiritual materials!"

Inside the small courtyard residence, the door was tightly shut. Xu Yan sat upright before a desk, the brush in his hand moving without pause as ink flowed across the white paper like rain.

He was transcribing Zhang Gan's ancient book of derived script.

This book was called the Hunyuan Dao Manual. It was a cultivation manual for the Qi Exhalation stage of the Five Realms of the Mortal World. It contained methods for drawing in and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as well as records of three divine abilities.

Zhang Gan truly had a fortunate opportunity. The Hunyuan Sect was a great ancient sect, and its Dao scriptures on the Five Realms of the Mortal World have long been lost. I never expected him to obtain a fragment. Though it contains only the cultivation method for Qi Exhalation, if it is passed down in Daque Temple, it will be enough to lay a solid foundation for the disciples within the sect, Xu Yan thought.

When he deciphered the derived script yesterday, it had seemed to outsiders that only half an hour had passed. Yet his consciousness had sunk into the Human-Snake Ancient Jade, where he had remained for a full half month—more than enough time for him to memorize the Dao scripture.

Although Xu Yan had yet to open his apertures and unblock his meridians, and was still far from the Human Realm Dao, that did not hinder him from studying the derived script.

He continued his research until dusk descended, when footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Is Young Master Yan here? The Terrestrial Treasure Spirit Pill from Myriad Medicine Pavilion has been refined."