Two-Star Dou Wang, Setting Out for Jia Ma!

"The fifth-rank magical beasts near the back mountain all run away whenever they see us now!"

Lin Chen could not resist kneading Zi Yan's plump little cheeks. "How much magical beast meat have I fed you lately? And you still haven't advanced," he said irritably.

"I'm going to refine a Dou Ling Pill in a moment. Watch from the side. It can raise any Dou Wang expert by one star, without exception, so it should work for you."

"I happen to need one myself. Once we've advanced, come out with me to take care of something."

"What is it?"

Zi Yan immediately perked up. She slapped his large hand away and sprang to her feet, her big, dark eyes brimming with anticipation.

Wandering around the academy with Lin Chen lately had been fun, and all the eating and drinking had certainly been wonderful.

But Jia Nan Academy was only so big. Having lived here for over a decade, she was already bored out of her mind.

If Lin Chen would take her outside, she would willingly go a whole day without popping any of the pills he refined!

"You'll know when we get there."

Lin Chen smiled faintly and said no more. The spatial power Zi Yan wielded was rather unusual and quite effective at breaking through various energy barriers. She would be perfect company for stealing that Green Lotus Core Flame.

By now, Medusa probably had not yet undergone her tribulation. Although she was a Peak Dou Emperor, she was merely one of the Snake-People from a remote desert. Without any Earth Tier Cultivation Method or Dou Technique, she was nothing to fear.

Moreover, the cold, yin nature of the Snake-People was precisely what his Heavenly Flame countered. If he acted carefully, he stood a fair chance.

Swallowing his last mouthful of magical beast meat, Lin Chen swept his sleeve and put away the seasonings scattered on the ground. Then he took out his fifth-rank medicinal cauldron, reserved for pill refining, and began warming it.

The first step in refining pills was warming the cauldron—in other words, heating it. The higher the cauldron's rank, the longer this step took. Fortunately, the one he currently possessed was not one of the thirteen renowned Heavenly Cauldrons on the heavenly cauldron ranking.

It was only an ordinary fifth-rank medicinal cauldron. Under the heat of the sea heart flame, its body soon glowed red, belching scorching flames and radiating heat.

"Zi Yan, stand guard outside."

"Got it."

Zi Yan gave a little huff, patted her round belly, and swaggered out of the courtyard as though she recognized neither kin nor friend, satisfaction written all over her face.

Lin Chen chuckled at the sight. Without further delay, he swept his sleeve, sending countless medicine boxes flying out. The most important ingredient among them was the primary herb for refining a Dou Ling Pill—the blood python branch.

The moment the blood python branch entered the cauldron, the deep-blue sea heart flame lunged like a starving wolf at its prey, swiftly engulfing it. Amid a series of hisses, it became a mass of blood-red medicinal liquid.

"A Heavenly Flame really is a potent tool for refining pills..."

Delight flashed through Lin Chen's eyes. Ever since he had acquired the sea heart flame, his speed at processing ingredients had risen dramatically, and his alchemy had advanced by leaps and bounds. In little more than a month, he already dared to attempt a Peak Fifth-Grade Pill.

The seventh-grade alchemist's legacy had certainly benefited him greatly, drastically reducing his mistakes during refinement. But what truly gave him the confidence to refine a Dou Ling Pill was this powerful Heavenly Flame, ranked fifteenth on the heavenly flame ranking.

As everyone knew, the Heavenly Flames of the world each possessed their own marvels. These extraordinary flames were born of heaven and nurtured by earth, tempered by the world itself, and possessed immense power. For refining medicinal ingredients and high-rank magic cores, they were the unrivaled choice—nothing else came close!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Seeing that the primary ingredient had been processed, Lin Chen swept his sleeve. Countless supplementary herbs fell into the cauldron, turning into masses of medicinal liquid or powder the moment the fire dragon formed from the sea heart flame touched them.

Within moments, countless wisps of gray smoke drifted out of the cauldron—the impurities burned away by the Heavenly Flame.

Inside the cauldron, medicinal liquids of every color mingled together. The blood-red liquid lay enveloped within them like a bead of blood, while the surrounding liquids continuously evaporated, compressed, and merged into it. The most critical stage, Pill Fusion, had begun.

Lin Chen's expression turned solemn. His powerful soul force spread outward, enveloping the entire cauldron without overlooking the slightest detail.

After all, pill fusion was the most important step in alchemy. It demanded exceptional control of soul force and temperature; even a Heavenly Flame could offer no assistance at this stage.

Only the alchemist's own experience and mastery of the formula could carry him through.

Time slipped slowly by, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

Hum!

In the little courtyard, the medicinal cauldron shook violently. Dazzling red light blazed from it like a scorching sun, followed by rings of immense energy fluctuations that sent the surrounding natural energy into turmoil.

"Collect!"

Sitting cross-legged, Lin Chen formed seals with both hands. As he completed the pill-collecting seal, the cauldron opened, and a streak of red light shot out into his palm!

In an instant, the surging energy tides subsided, and a purple figure rushed in with the speed of thunder striking before one could cover their ears!

"Lin Chen, did it work?"

Zi Yan stared wide-eyed at the pill in his hand, its medicinal fragrance spilling into the air. Her face was full of curiosity, and her voice betrayed her craving.

"Yes. A complete success. I was fortunate enough to produce a Peak Fifth-Grade Pill."

A faint smile curved Lin Chen's lips. Opening his palm, he pinched the Dou Ling Pill between his fingers and examined it for a moment before sighing. "Ah, the art of alchemy truly is vast and profound. I'm already past seventeen, yet I can only refine Peak Fifth-Grade Pills. How shameful."

"Zi Yan, tell me, who in Jia Nan Academy can compare with me?"

"Alas, even Elder Huo, the head of the Alchemy Department, probably amounts to no more than this~"

"Hmph! I think you're simply asking for a beating, brat. If Old Man Huo heard you talking about him like that, he wouldn't let you off. At the very least, he'd challenge you to a contest of alchemy."

Just then, space rippled in the courtyard, and an elderly man in white robes stepped out. No Dou Qi Wings spread behind him, yet he stood upon empty air, radiating an aura far beyond that of a Peak Dou Emperor!

A Dou Zong expert!

"Old man Hu Gan, you broke through?"

Delight appeared on Lin Chen's face. Sensing the terrifying aura radiating from the newcomer, he felt genuinely happy for him.

"Thanks to your pill, brat. Just a fortunate breakthrough."

Hu Gan clasped his hands behind his back, adopting the bearing of a lofty master as he spoke with breezy nonchalance.

This old man's started showing off too...

Who did he learn that from...?

Lin Chen muttered inwardly, never once suspecting himself.

"Ahem. I came to see whether you'd made any progress, brat. Seeing that you've refined a Peak Fifth-Grade Pill is very gratifying."

"As it happens, I have a spare purple Fire Crystal Card. It's yours. There's also this worn-out suit of sixth-rank magical beast inner armor. You might as well take it."

Hu Gan coughed lightly and waved his sleeve. A purple Fire Crystal Card and a suit of crimson inner armor landed on the stone table.

Then he turned away and said somewhat awkwardly, "I've just broken through to Dou Zong and still need to report to the First Elder, so I won't stay and chat. That Fire Crystal Card grants access to the ninth level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. The final level is forbidden ground. Don't go wandering around there for no reason."

With that, his figure flickered. Faint ripples spread through the surrounding space, and he vanished.

This old man's still a tsundere...

Tsunderes are out of the meta now...

Lin Chen muttered, happily stroking the magical beast inner armor. It felt warm beneath his fingers, its surface covered in fine patterns like fish scales, yet as smooth as skin and radiating a scorching aura.

"Sixth-rank magical beast inner armor, capable of withstanding attacks from sixth-rank magical beasts. Good stuff..."

Lin Chen put the Fire Crystal Card and inner armor into his Jade-Green Ring, then turned to Zi Yan and handed her the freshly refined Dou Ling Pill. "Zi Yan, take this pill and let me see how it works. If the effect is good, I'll have one too."

For him, taking a Dou Ling Pill as a One-Star Dou Wang was really no different from taking one as an eight-star Dou Wang. The seventh-grade alchemist's legacy contained three other pills capable of increasing a Dou Wang's strength.

He simply lacked the necessary ingredients at present. Even the ingredients for this Dou Ling Pill had been left behind by that alchemist.

"Yay! I get to pop a pill too!"

Zi Yan's eyes lit up. Without the slightest doubt about Lin Chen's alchemy, she picked up the Dou Ling Pill and swallowed it.

Immediately, visible purple light burst from her body, and her aura surged. With a sharp cracking sound, her cultivation abruptly shot up by a considerable margin!

A four-star Dou Wang!

"Good, good. Looks like there's nothing wrong with my pill."

Lin Chen rubbed his chin and nodded in satisfaction.

After all, this was his first time refining a Peak Fifth-Grade Pill, and he could not guarantee he had made no mistakes. According to the formula's description, however, the pill had appeared perfectly fine.

"In that case, it's time for me to pop one too!"

Lin Chen swept his sleeve, and countless medicinal ingredients flew out of his Jade-Green Ring. He immediately began refining a second Dou Ling Pill.

A long while later,

Atop a massive bluestone in the courtyard,

A figure in blue robes sat cross-legged, a rich medicinal fragrance emanating from his body. Powerful medicinal energy coursed through him, and as he circulated his cultivation method, the natural energy around him suddenly erupted into turmoil!

Boom!

Countless streams of impure natural energy poured into the young man's body. The sea heart flame coiled within him like a fire dragon, swiftly tempering and purifying every trace of incoming energy. The resulting pure energy was absorbed by countless cells, bones, and muscles...

An unknown amount of time passed.

Crack!

A sound like muffled thunder rang out. Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a deep-blue gleam of fire flashing within them. His aura had become entirely different!

A Two-Star Dou Wang!