Inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, in a low-grade training room on the first floor.
Xiao Yun did not sit on the Black Stone platform that could summon the Heart Flame. Instead, he sat cross-legged directly on the ground, because he had come here not to cultivate Dou Qi, but to refine pills.
With a wave of his hand, a medicinal cauldron appeared on the ground before him. After setting it in place, Xiao Yun was just about to close his eyes and review the formula and refining method for the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill in his mind when he heard a somewhat impatient voice.
"Hey, hey, why are you closing your eyes? Hurry up and refine my pills." Opening his eyes, he saw Zi Yan's impatient expression, as well as the large pile of medicinal ingredients in her hands.
"You only gave me one stalk. Why did you take out so many ingredients?" His mouth twitched as Xiao Yun struggled to suppress an immature thought upon seeing the rare medicinal ingredients in Zi Yan's hands.
"Hmph, hmph. Who knows whether you'll still want that little flower later? Can't I take them out in advance as backup?" Zi Yan rolled her adorable eyes and huffed.
Hearing that, Xiao Yun said no more. He had originally planned to refine the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill first, but seeing Zi Yan's impatient expression, he decided to help her refine her pill pellets first.
"Find somewhere to sit. Don't make any noise and disturb me."
After giving that instruction, Xiao Yun took out the Taiyi Bamboo Vine she had given him earlier. With a flick of his palm, a wisp of purple flame appeared at his fingertips.
At the sight of the Purple Flame, Zi Yan, who had wanted to watch at close range, hurriedly backed away and sat in a corner of the training room. Xiao Yun was not surprised by her reaction. Magical Beasts without fire affinity naturally rejected flames, not to mention that his flame was a Sixth Order Beast Flame. It was perfectly normal for Zi Yan to feel uncomfortable around it.
"Just wait over there. Don't worry, I'm really good at playing with fire. I won't burn you." After casually reassuring her, Xiao Yun did not wait for a reply. With a flick of his finger, he shot the flame at his fingertips into the medicinal cauldron.
Boom!
The instant the flame entered the cauldron, it blazed fiercely into a roaring fire, rapidly raising the temperature inside. Once the temperature was about right, Xiao Yun waved his hand and tossed the Taiyi Bamboo Vine in his hand into the flames.
Sizzle, sizzle!
The moment the Taiyi Bamboo Vine entered the flames, its outer layer rapidly withered, while green liquid continuously seeped from its surface and floated within the fire.
This refining method was not difficult. It could not even truly be considered pill refinement. Refining pills meant extracting the essences from many different medicinal ingredients, fusing them all together, and ultimately forming a pill. Such pills were not only more effective than the medicinal ingredients themselves, but were also easier to absorb.
As for refining medicinal ingredients for Zi Yan, he merely needed to extract their essence and directly condense it into small spherical pill pellets. The medicinal potency within had not been mellowed at all. An ordinary person would only explode and die after consuming one; only a Magical Beast with a powerful body like Zi Yan could endure such wild medicinal potency.
Therefore, Xiao Yun did not need to expend much effort. He only needed to control the heat.
As he refined the ingredient, Xiao Yun suddenly thought of Zi Yan's special ability. He immediately raised his head to look at Zi Yan in the corner. Seeing her staring intently at the medicinal cauldron, he could not help but chuckle. "You're watching so seriously. Want to come over and learn?"
"No." Zi Yan hurriedly shook her head and replied crisply.
"Have you ever encountered a Snow Demon Sky Ape in the back mountains of the Inner Academy?"
"Snow Demon Sky Ape? You mean a big white-furred monkey?" After pondering for a moment, Zi Yan frowned.
"That's right, probably the big monkey you mentioned. Do you know where it is?" Hearing Zi Yan's answer, Xiao Yun's spirits rose. He remembered that in the original work, that Snow Demon Sky Ape guarded a treasure called Earth Core Tempering Milk.
Earth Core Tempering Milk was born deep beneath the earth, formed by the compression of pure earth energy over countless years. It possessed the miraculous effect of cleansing the marrow and purging the body, and could even help some people at the peak of their level break through the barrier of their limits.
Though Xiao Yun had no such thing as a bottleneck, the Earth Core Tempering Milk's greatest effect was cleansing the marrow and purging the body. If he could obtain even a single drop, it would bring incalculable benefits to his future cultivation.
"I don't know. That monkey runs around everywhere, so I have a hard time finding it too. Why are you asking about it?" When speaking of it, Zi Yan seemed to have been bullied by that ape before, and her tone rose noticeably.
"It has a good treasure hidden away. If you find it someday, remember to tell me. I'll go beat it up with you." Xiao Yun replied as he waved his hand, sending the thoroughly withered Taiyi Bamboo Vine out through the fire vent. Only the green liquid remained in the medicinal cauldron.
He took out some seasonings from his Storage Ring and tossed them directly into the medicinal cauldron, where they fused with the green medicinal liquid. His hands moved rapidly, continuously forming seals. As the seals changed, the liquid within the cauldron rapidly separated, eventually becoming dozens of tiny droplets.
"Condense!" Xiao Yun shouted softly. The liquid rapidly solidified, instantly turning into dozens of green pill pellets. With a wave of his hand, the pellets were supported by Dou Qi and all flew into a jade bottle.
Seeing the pills successfully refined, Zi Yan, who had been waiting in the corner, quickly ran over and reached for the jade bottle in Xiao Yun's hand.
"Don't rush. Eat them slowly. They taste much better than eating raw medicinal ingredients directly, right?" Seeing Zi Yan's movements, Xiao Yun handed her the jade bottle with a smile.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. These are much tastier." Zi Yan nodded repeatedly, eagerly poured out a green pill pellet, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed hard.
"Then bring over the other medicinal ingredients. I'll refine them all for you together."
"Okay, here you go." Zi Yan hurriedly ran back to the corner, handed the four medicinal ingredients that had been left there to Xiao Yun, then ran back and sat cross-legged again, staring at Xiao Yun without even blinking.
A short while later, Xiao Yun repeated the process, refining the other four medicinal ingredients into pill pellets as well. He even added a little of his secret seasoning.
"There, they're all refined. Here you go." Extinguishing the flames, Xiao Yun waved his hand. All the pill pellets flew out of the medicinal cauldron, and he placed them into a jade box.
He tossed the jade box to Zi Yan in the corner and smiled. "These pills should be enough for you to eat for a while. When you run out, you can come find me to refine more."
"Mm-hmm, thank you. You're such a good person." Catching the jade box, Zi Yan's big black eyes curved into near-invisible crescents as she smiled. She finally would not have to eat those awful medicinal ingredients anymore. From now on, she could eat delicious pill pellets.
"Alright, I'm going to properly refine pills now. You should leave." Waving his hand, Xiao Yun swallowed a pill that restored Dou Qi and spoke.
"Kid, does this mean we're friends now?" Hearing Xiao Yun chase her away, Zi Yan, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly lowered her head. Like a sunflower deprived of sunlight, she looked gloomy and listless.
She really is a troublesome child.
Seeing Zi Yan like this, Xiao Yun understood and sighed inwardly.
Zi Yan's true form was a Magical Beast. She had lived alone in the back mountains of the Inner Academy since childhood, without her parents by her side. Though she later accidentally consumed Transformation Grass and was brought back to the Inner Academy by the First Elder, he had essentially raised her freely and rarely cared for her. Before Xiao Yun entered the Inner Academy, there had been almost no children her age here. The other Inner Academy students all feared her tremendous strength, leaving no one in the Inner Academy willing to play with her.
So although Zi Yan possessed formidable strength, she was still a child starved of affection. He was probably the first person her age she had ever truly interacted with.
Xiao Yun stretched out his arm, vigorously ruffled her hair, and smiled. "Of course we're friends. Also, I'm not called Kid. My name is Xiao Yun."
"Don't touch my head. I won't grow taller that way." Zi Yan pushed Xiao Yun's hand away, her face filling with smiles again. "My name is Zi Yan. Then we'll be friends from now on!"
"Xiao Yun, I'll remember your name! If anyone in the Inner Academy dares bully you in the future, tell me. I'll stand up for you. There isn't anyone in the Inner Academy I don't dare beat up." Zi Yan declared domineeringly. Today was truly a good day. Not only could she eat delicious pill pellets from now on, but she had also made the first friend of her life. Her heart was filled with delight.
"Alright, I'll definitely come find you then." Looking into the little girl's eyes and sensing her joy, Xiao Yun went along with her words, though nobody in the Inner Academy would dare bully him at all.
Having received Xiao Yun's response, Zi Yan finally stood up in satisfaction. She grinned at him, then turned and left the training room.
"Remember to tell me when you find the Snow Demon Sky Ape." Watching Zi Yan's departing figure, Xiao Yun called out.
Zi Yan did not turn around. She merely waved her hand to show that she understood.
"She's still just a child who hasn't grown up." Xiao Yun shook his head helplessly. Although Zi Yan might be far older than him, her mental age was just like her appearance—she was still an immature child.
No longer thinking about Zi Yan, Xiao Yun took out the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill and returned his focus to pill refinement. "Ah, I forgot to ask her for another Purple Spirit Flower." He had been so focused on the Snow Demon Sky Ape that he had forgotten he only had one Purple Spirit Flower.
The Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill was a Fourth-Tier Peak Pill. Based on his previous pill-refining skills, he had less than a thirty percent chance of success. But things had come to this, and he had no idea where to find another Purple Spirit Flower. He could only try once first. I don't actually need this pill that badly. It won't matter if I fail.
With a bitter smile, Xiao Yun consoled himself for a moment before summoning the Purple Crystal Lion Flame again and tossing it into the medicinal cauldron. His mind gradually calmed, and he began refining with complete concentration...
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