Defeated Miserably Again

Half a year later.

"Ding-ding~"

The crisp chime roused Wu Yan from his cultivation. He conjured a mirror, tidied up his appearance, and opened the stone door.

"It's you?"

"I want to fight you again. Do you dare?"

"You're not my opponent."

"Cut the crap. How would you know I'm not your opponent without fighting me?"

"Fine. Lead the way."

"..."

Cao Ping's lips twitched. This kid was still as infuriating as ever. Yet there was barely any expression on the boy's face, making it impossible to tell whether he was doing it on purpose.

After leaving the Sky-Burning Qi Refining Tower, a pair of crimson Dou Qi wings spread from Cao Ping's back.

Cao Ping had just flown into the air and turned around to say something when he saw a pair of ice-blue Dou Qi wings.

"Ahem, well... I suddenly remembered I have something to do. How about we do this another day?"

"No need. It'll be over soon."

"Hey..."

Two and a half minutes later, Cao Ping, whose head was the only part of him not frozen, stared in disbelief at that person's retreating back. Only one thought remained in his mind:

Just how strong is that ice-faced bastard?

He was only a Two-Star Dou Wang now, but he had returned to the clan and replaced his beast fire with a Tier 8 Beast Fire. By all rights, he should not have lost so thoroughly.

And that fellow's frost—why was it so terrifying? Even his Tier 8 Beast Fire could be frozen.

Could it be that the kid had refined some ice-attributed treasure comparable to a Heavenly Flame?

At that moment, Elder Chen, who had been overseeing the battle, hurriedly flew over.

"Elder Cao, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. That guy really is a monster!"

Feeling the restraints of the ice around him vanish, Cao Ping immediately broke free and let out a heartfelt sigh.

Elder Chen smiled beside him, but some things were too awkward to say. What had happened back then had been rather hurtful. Although Cao Ping did not mind, Elder Chen could not keep bringing it up to provoke him.

Cao Ping was now a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, the only Sixth-Grade Alchemist in Jia Nan Academy.

Although Cao Ping would not serve as an academy elder for long, it did not affect the fact that his status was second only to the Great Elder's.

Wu Yan did not immediately return to cultivation. The anger in his eyes was almost visible, and he planned to rest outside for two days.

And replenish the Magic Cores he had used up.

Back in his room, Wu Yan put away the remaining third of the Earth-Core Body Tempering Milk.

The previous two-thirds of the Earth-Core Body Tempering Milk had already proven that it was not particularly useful to Wu Yan.

With the Little Blue Bottle, Wu Yan had received constant, all-around enhancement throughout his growth. The effects of the Earth-Core Body Tempering Milk had long been surpassed by those Energy Liquids.

Rather than use it up like this, he might as well keep it for some other purpose in the future.

Whether for his family, the elders of his clan, or even for sale, it would be more useful than using it on himself.

After all, Magic Core Energy Liquid could not be exposed for a long time to come. Unless necessary, Wu Yan would not let a second person learn his secret.

By comparison, the Earth-Core Body Tempering Milk could be taken out freely.

Over the next few days, Wu Yan hunted more than fifty Tier 3 and Tier 4 Magic Cores in the Warcraft Forest.

Once the fire in his body had mostly dissipated, Wu Yan returned to Cultivation Room One.

The feeling of receiving rewards for his efforts and growing stronger every moment made Wu Yan utterly obsessed.

Time trickled by amid this seemingly dull and tedious cultivation, while the Magic Cores in Wu Yan's Storage Ring steadily dwindled.

Correspondingly, his aura continued to grow stronger.

"Imperial Extreme Pill, a Sixth-Grade High-Level Pill. It allows a Dou Emperor expert to raise their cultivation by one or two stars without side effects."

Cao Ping put away the golden pill that had just emerged from the furnace, momentarily dazed.

He had not expected that in merely half a year, he would become so proficient at refining Imperial Extreme Pills. His success rate had now exceeded seventy percent!

As long as he was not in especially poor condition, he could refine an Imperial Extreme Pill of quite decent quality.

Such standards would definitely place him among the very best Sixth-Grade Alchemists.

If he adjusted himself to peak condition, he could even try refining Sixth-Grade Top-Tier Pills whose effects were no worse than some seventh-grade pills.

For example, the Sect-Breaking Pill—the pinnacle work among sixth-grade pills!

"If the clan elders learned how quickly I've progressed, they'd be too happy to eat!"

Cao Ping smiled, seeming to recall something as he hurriedly took out a mirror.

Looking at himself in the mirror, despite having just refined a high-quality Imperial Extreme Pill, there was not the slightest trace of smug satisfaction on his face.

If it had been him from a little over a year ago, he would surely have held his head so high that looking at people through his nostrils would have counted as politeness...

In truth, Cao Ping wanted to feel proud now as well, but whenever he grew even slightly pleased with himself, he would unconsciously recall the sight of himself being buried beneath ice.

And that person's expressionless face. Then his heart would turn cold.

"Phew... Stay humble."

Cao Ping sighed. He had to admit that Wu Yan, that icy fellow, had frozen him awake.

With his little bit of ability, he truly was not worth mentioning before that monster.

But...

"Uncle Wang, half a year ago, you said he was probably a Five-Star or Six-Star Dou Wang. Now that another half year has passed, no matter how fast he cultivates, he can't have surpassed a Dou Emperor, right?"

"Yes, Young Master. That little Wu Yan is at most an Eight-Star Dou Wang or Nine-Star Dou Wang now. The barrier between Dou Wang and Dou Emperor requires long accumulation; it cannot be broken through in a few months."

A silver-haired middle-aged man stepped out from the corner, inwardly marveling at his young master's rapid progress lately.

In just one year, he had gone from newly advancing to a Sixth-Grade Alchemist to becoming proficient in refining Imperial Extreme Pills. Such speed of progress and talent were exceedingly rare even in the Pill Tower.

A Sixth-Grade Alchemist who had reached this level would be an important figure no force could ignore.

Even Dou Zong experts would have to show a Sixth-Grade High-Level Alchemist such as this some respect.

Young Master Cao Ping, who had reached this point, was only twenty-five years old.

At this rate of progress, it was not impossible for the Cao Clan to gain another Eighth-Rank Alchemy Grandmaster!

Thinking of this, the silver-haired middle-aged man actually felt somewhat grateful toward that little fellow named Wu Yan.

If not for him using absolute strength to thoroughly wake the arrogant young master up...

At this rate, it would not take his young master many more years to refine Sect-Breaking Pills.

When that time came, the day he, a 9-Star Dou Emperor, broke through to Dou Zong would not be far off.

After hearing Uncle Wang's answer, Cao Ping agreed wholeheartedly.

"Even if Wu Yan cultivates quickly, he can only be a Nine-Star Dou Wang at most. But I can already refine Imperial Extreme Pills."

"So this time, I win!"