Ice Spirit Pill, Fire Spirit Pill

Yang Wudi raised his wine cup in flattered surprise and drained it in one gulp. In his booming voice, he said, "You're too polite, too polite! This brat Yekong has shown this old man kindness. Helping him is only right! Besides, meeting such a junior who understands the medicinal arts is this old man's good fortune!"

Bing Yekong sat to one side, watching the crowd amid the messy dishes and cups as they laughed and talked freely. A strange feeling rose within him.

He had been here for twelve years, growing from an infant who knew nothing into a Soul Ancestor capable of standing on his own. By his side were elders willing to indulge him, companions who considered his needs, and two seniors willing to travel far and wide with him.

This feeling seemed to be called belonging.

After the banquet ended, Bing Yekong escorted Dugu Bo back to the courtyard where he was staying.

"Senior Dugu, has your poison flared up again at all?"

Dugu Bo shook his head. "That medicine of yours truly works well. Over this past month or so, this old man has felt more comfortable than he did in the previous twenty years. I also sent word back to Yanyan, telling her to take her medicine on time. She wrote back saying the effects were excellent."

At the mention of Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo's expression visibly softened.

Bing Yekong noticed and smiled. "That's good. Later, I'll have Senior Yang prepare some medicine to regulate Miss Dugu Yan's body. After all, the toxins have accumulated in her body for many years. A few pills alone won't be enough; she'll need gradual follow-up treatment."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo gave Bing Yekong a long look.

"Kid."

"Hm?"

"You saved this old man's life and Yanyan's life, and you've shown this old man such a great kindness. This old bag of bones will be at your disposal from now on."

He patted Bing Yekong on the shoulder. On his face, usually cold and stern, there was a rare, kindly smile.

"If anything comes up in the future, just tell this old man. Even if you want to march on Spirit Hall, this old man will accompany you."

Bing Yekong froze for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Then this junior will thank you in advance, Senior."

Dugu Bo waved his hand and turned to return to his room.

Bing Yekong stood in the courtyard and looked up at the starry sky overhead.

The sky over the Heaven Dou Empire was different from that of Blue Star. The stars were packed more tightly together, as though someone had deliberately embedded them into the heavens one by one.

He took a deep breath and let it out into the night wind.

"I've obtained my fourth Soul Ring, and Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo have joined up. Next..."

He silently calculated the timeline in his mind.

Tang San should be about to encounter the Imperial Battle Team. Before then, he still needed to firmly tie Dugu Bo to his own ship and make sure nothing went wrong with this thread.

As for the immortal herbs, Yang Wudi had already begun refining them. Once the first batch of pills was ready, he could arrange some for Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er as well.

Everything was progressing according to plan.

Bing Yekong withdrew his gaze and turned toward his own courtyard.

The night was like water, and the moon hung high overhead.

At the entrance to the courtyard, a girl in pale blue pajamas sat on the steps with her arms around her knees, waiting for him.

"Sister Bing'er? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Shui Bing'er lifted her head. Her little face was still drowsy, yet she stubbornly shook her head. "I was waiting for you to come back. I was afraid you'd leave without a word again, like last time."

Warmth filled Bing Yekong's heart. He strode over and sat down beside her on the steps.

"I won't. I promise."

Shui Bing'er turned her head to look at his profile. The moonlight outlined his features with clarity and softness.

She gave a soft "Mm" and rested her head on his shoulder.

Bing Yekong did not move, simply letting her lean against him.

Their shadows overlapped on the ground, impossible to tell apart.

Yang Wudi went into seclusion for five whole days.

During those five days, he hardly stepped out of the alchemy room at all. Bing Yekong personally brought him three meals a day. The food went in looking one way and came out looking exactly the same, at most with the chopsticks moved once or twice, while the dishes in the bowl remained completely untouched.

Bing Yekong looked at the cold food and sighed helplessly, no longer trying to persuade him.

He knew that once someone like Yang Wudi immersed himself in alchemy, he neglected everything else. Rather than urge him to eat, it was better to reduce the deliveries from three meals a day to one. At least then Yang Wudi might take a brief rest.

On the morning of the sixth day, Bing Yekong carried a bowl of hot porridge and a plate of side dishes toward the rear courtyard as usual. He had only just reached the door of the alchemy room when Yang Wudi's unmistakably booming voice rang out from inside.

"It's done! They're all done! Hahaha!"

Immediately afterward came the dull sound of the pill furnace's lid being lifted, followed by a rich medicinal fragrance so dense it nearly took physical form. The scent blended two utterly opposing auras, icy cold and scorching heat, yet they merged wonderfully in the air. Not only did they not clash, they formed a marvelous charm that made one feel comfortable from head to toe.

Bing Yekong pushed open the door and saw Yang Wudi standing before the pill furnace, disheveled and unkempt. His eyes were bloodshot, yet dazzlingly bright. He held three jade bottles in one hand and pointed at the scene inside the pill furnace with the other, so proud that his beard practically curled upward.

"Yekong, come take a look! This old man has truly outdone himself with this furnace!"

Bing Yekong hurried forward, his gaze falling into the pill furnace.

A thin layer of pale gold powder covered the bottom of the furnace. It was the concentrated residue left after the medicinal dregs had burned away. Within a groove along the furnace wall lay a pill the size of a longan, azure-blue like ice throughout, its surface flowing with a faint blue radiance and giving off a piercingly cold aura.

"Ice Spirit Pill." Yang Wudi picked up one of the jade bottles and carefully placed the icy-blue pill inside. "It was refined according to the formula you gave me, with Eight-Horned Mysterious Ice Grass as the main ingredient, supplemented by Snow Silkworm Grass and Frostdew Flower. This old man deliberately controlled the heat and made the medicinal properties milder, so your little girlfriend's body wouldn't be unable to withstand it."

Bing Yekong accepted the jade bottle, immediately feeling a cool sensation pass through its walls. He pulled out the stopper, and an incomparably crisp chill rushed toward him. Even his Ultimate Ice soul power was stirred slightly by the aura.

"Good stuff." Bing Yekong could not help praising it.

Yang Wudi snorted smugly and took another jade bottle from the pill furnace. Inside was a scarlet-red pill like blazing fire—the Fire Spirit Pill, refined with Fiery Apricot Delicate Herb as its main ingredient. Although Bing Yekong had no use for it himself, it would be excellent to save for Huo Wu or Huo Wushuang in the future.

After dealing with these two batches of pills, Yang Wudi's expression turned solemn.

He took a deep breath and carefully lifted a pile of something from a hidden compartment at the very bottom of the pill furnace.

They were not pills.

They were a handful.

Bing Yekong focused his gaze, and his breathing caught slightly.

There were roughly twelve pills in that handful. Each was the size of a longan, warm milky white throughout, with dense golden patterns covering their surfaces.