Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill

Lu Xuan remained at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, devoting himself to cultivation while studying the rare medicinal herbs growing everywhere. In the blink of an eye, two years passed.

Two years earlier, Zhao Yan had slain a sixty-thousand-year Infernal Spirit Kite. He had gained not only a high-quality Soul Ring but, by a stroke of luck, an Infernal Spirit Kite Right Arm Bone as well.

Bolstered by both the Soul Ring and the Soul Bone, with the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower's medicinal power fully absorbed into his flesh and blood, Zhao Yan broke through to rank eighty-four Soul Douluo in one leap.

Thanks to the tremendous boost from his Soul Bone, he could hold his own even against someone who had just become a Titled Douluo.

After two years of steady cultivation, he had reached rank eighty-six. The realm of Titled Douluo was now within reach.

Ye Renxin, who had returned from a feigned death, had also taken a Nine-Rank Purple Zoysia. Though it was no peerless Immortal Herb, it worked wonders for a man who had narrowly escaped death, strengthening his foundations, restoring his vitality, and transforming his body.

The Nine-Rank Purple Zoysia had raised his Soul Power by two ranks outright and greatly accelerated his subsequent cultivation.

After two years of dedicated practice, Ye Renxin had climbed to rank eighty-nine, just one step from becoming a Titled Douluo.

A year earlier, Dugu Bo had searched across the Douluo Continent and finally found a ninety-thousand-year Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor.

With Zhao Yan and Ye Renxin joining forces to help him, he had endured countless dangers before finally securing it as his ninth Soul Ring.

It was not that Dugu Bo did not desire a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. His strength simply had its limits. Even with an Immortal Herb tempering his body, his physical foundations remained weak. Ninety thousand years was the most he could bear.

Fortunately, that Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor was highly compatible with Dugu Bo's martial soul. After he killed it, fortune smiled on him again: it dropped a ninety-thousand-year torso Soul Bone.

Once he had absorbed both the Soul Ring and Soul Bone, Dugu Bo's martial soul underwent another transformation, becoming the Golden Phosphorus Serpent Emperor.

His cultivation now stood firmly at rank ninety-four, making him formidable even among Titled Douluo.

Even a rank ninety-six Titled Douluo would suffer badly if touched by his deadly poison.

For those two years, Dugu Xin had lived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Apart from finding time to visit his daughter Dugu Yan, he spent his days cultivating and seeing to Lu Xuan's daily needs, leaving Lu Xuan free to study medicinal herbs and train in seclusion.

Dugu Xin had also volunteered to test the medicines. Lu Xuan kept blending different pills from medicinal herbs and Immortal Herbs, but their effects were unpredictable, so Dugu Xin tried them on himself.

The results varied. Sometimes a pill's violent properties poisoned him and damaged his meridians. At other times, its potent medicine nourished his body and Soul Power, tempering his muscles and bones.

The process was fraught with danger, but on balance, the benefits outweighed the harm.

Two years of daily medicinal tempering drove Dugu Xin's cultivation all the way to rank seventy, one step short of Soul Sage. Once he found a suitable seventh Soul Ring, he would truly become one.

As for Lu Xuan...

"Haha!"

"I did it!"

"I finally did it!"

After two full years of calculations, countless trials, and repeated adjustments to the medicinal catalysts, Lu Xuan had finally begun refining pills with the peerless Immortal Herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

He took the essences of seven Immortal Herbs—Aromatic Silk Beauty, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Narcissus Jade-Muscle Bone, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew—divided them into three portions, and combined each with other Immortal Herbs. At last, he produced three "immortal pills"!

The supplementary ingredients for Dugu Yan's pill were Aromatic Silk Beauty and Blood Swan Kiss. Together, they would multiply the potency of deadly poison while protecting her from it.

For Ye Lingling's pill, he used Snow Silkworm and Nine-Leaf Immortal Lotus. They would enhance both water and life attributes, strengthening both her martial souls.

For his own pill, Lu Xuan used Golden Sunflower and Dragon Marrow Stabilizing Herb. One would boost his mental strength; the other, his physical constitution.

The moment all three pills took shape, Lu Xuan could no longer contain his joy. He leaped into the air.

Advancing his cultivation was gratifying, of course. But extracting the essences of so many Immortal Herbs and refining these three pills with his own hands gave him a sense of achievement far greater than any breakthrough from training.

"Each pill took nine Immortal Herbs and rare ingredients." Smiling, Lu Xuan looked at the pills glowing softly in the furnace. "Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill seems the perfect name."

Huang Yaoshi had originally created the Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill. Drawing on his knowledge and method, Lu Xuan had refined a new version from nine peerless Immortal Herbs. It was only natural to keep the name.

"Xuan, did it work?"

Seeing Lu Xuan's delighted expression, Dugu Xin stepped forward. "Just what can these pills do?"

"I can't say with complete certainty yet." Lu Xuan looked at the pills and answered calmly, "But they contain the concentrated essences of several peerless Immortal Herbs. Their effects certainly won't be ordinary. At a conservative estimate, they should refine and elevate the quality of a martial soul, strengthen the body, enhance mental power, and greatly increase Soul Power."

"To get the most out of them, though, we must wait until any medicinal power left from other Immortal Herbs has been fully absorbed," Lu Xuan continued. "Each Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill combines the properties of nine Immortal Herbs. I've only just managed to make them blend without clashing. If someone still has the lingering power of another Immortal Herb inside them, the medicines will conflict and much of their potency will be lost. Whether even half the pill's effect remains would be anyone's guess."

"Then be careful when you take yours." Dugu Xin could not help feeling a little envious, but they had made only three pills. The children ought to have first claim on them.

Besides, he had tested countless medicinal ingredients and pills for Lu Xuan over the past two years. His cultivation had benefited enormously, and he was more than satisfied. He had no wish to claim one of the pills.

"Uncle Dugu," Lu Xuan said, "now that I have experience refining these, making more pills will be much easier."

He glanced at the many medicinal herbs still growing around them. "I've used up the very best Immortal Herbs, but there are still enough rare ingredients here to make another seven or eight potent pills."

Unlike Tang San, Lu Xuan had not spent medicinal ingredients refining all manner of poison pills. A considerable number of Immortal Herbs therefore remained in the hidden grounds.

These remaining treasures could go to his master Ye Renxin, Zhao Yan, and the others, strengthening their foundations and aiding their cultivation.

As for Lu Xuan himself, now that he had successfully refined the Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill, the ordinary medicinal herbs before him held little value.