After Xiao Tianhao finished drawing the Inscription Patterns Scrolls, he looked at the fruits of his labor spread across the table, his heart brimming with accomplishment.
But he was not content to stop there. Knowing that there was no end to growing stronger, he decided to enter the Trial Secret Realm again, both to test the power of his Inscription Patterns Scrolls and to continue honing himself while gathering more resources.
Xiao Tianhao focused and poured his soul force into the Profound Space Pearl. With a flash of light, he entered the pearl once more.
Without hesitation, he stepped back into the vortex leading to the Trial Secret Realm.
He found himself in that familiar forest again.
Sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow. Traces of danger lurked within the surrounding stillness.
Holding a Silver Rank Hurricane Blade Inscription Patterns Scroll, he advanced cautiously.
Before long, a herd of Vine-Armored Pigs at around three-star Silver Rank burst from the undergrowth. Their bodies were covered in tough vine armor, and their sharp tusks gleamed coldly as they charged at Xiao Tianhao.
They also unleashed their innate skill, Vine Armor Bind. A mass of vines immediately sprang from the ground and reached out to entangle Xiao Tianhao.
Xiao Tianhao swiftly unfurled the Hurricane Blade Inscription Patterns Scroll and injected soul force into it. A gale erupted, and countless wind blades formed, sweeping toward the Vine-Armored Pigs.
The wind blades sliced into the pigs' vine armor and the surrounding vines with a series of soft thuds. The vines were shredded instantly. Though the pigs' armor was tough, the fierce wind blades quickly carved gashes into it, sending blood streaming out.
The Vine-Armored Pigs squealed wildly in pain, yet still charged forward, one after another.
Xiao Tianhao dodged the Vine Armor Pigs' attacks while observing the Inscription Patterns Scroll's power.
He found that although Hurricane Blade could injure the Vine-Armored Pigs, against so many enemies, he would need to combine it with other methods to kill them all.
He took out a Silver Rank Earth-Splitting Mountain-Crusher Inscription Patterns Scroll. In an instant, massive rocks formed overhead and rained down on the pigs.
Amid a chorus of agonized squeals, the rocks struck the Vine-Armored Pigs, leaving more than half dead or wounded. Seeing this, the survivors fled with their tails between their legs.
Xiao Tianhao finished off the wounded pigs and stored all their bodies in his Space Ring.
"These Inscription Patterns Scrolls pack a decent punch, but they still need improving," Xiao Tianhao murmured as he ventured deeper into the forest.
Along the way, he encountered several Silver Rank Spirit-Patterned Leopards. They were extremely fast, and their markings could emit light that bewildered their enemies.
Relying on his agile footwork and the power of his Inscription Patterns Scrolls, Xiao Tianhao fought a fierce battle with the leopards.
In the end, he successfully killed them and stored their bodies in his Space Ring.
Afterward, he encountered several Bronze Rank Bellwood Chickens in succession. Before they could react, he dispatched them all with a single Hurricane Blade Inscription Patterns Scroll, then packed them into his Space Ring to take back.
A smile crept onto Xiao Tianhao's face. Bellwood Chickens were delicious, and even in the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range, they were exceedingly rare. Finding them was no easy feat. He would let Ning'er try some later.
After training in the forest for a while, Xiao Tianhao happened upon a Teleportation Array glowing blue.
A thought stirred in his mind. This is the Profound Space Pearl's Trial Secret Realm. It couldn't possibly send me somewhere dangerous. The realm probably contains more than just a forest. There should be other trial environments.
Having thought it through, he stepped forward. Amid flickering light, he arrived in the Snowfield.
It was just as he had expected. If his guess was right, there should also be an exit here leading back to the Profound Space Pearl.
Bitter winds howled across the Snowfield, and snowflakes danced through the sky. The temperature was extremely low, and a thick layer of ice covered the ground.
The moment Xiao Tianhao set foot there, a wave of cold struck him head-on. But he had come prepared. All his body tempering with the refined blood of various demon beasts had not been for nothing. Not only had his physique grown stronger, but he had also built up powerful reserves of blood energy.
He circulated his blood energy, and warmth suddenly flooded his body.
On the Snowfield, he encountered a peculiar kind of Silver Rank plant demon beast-the Ice Thornbush.
These Ice Thornbushes were covered in sharp ice thorns and could fire ice spikes at their enemies.
Xiao Tianhao tried attacking them with a Silver Rank Crimson Flame Explosion Inscription Patterns Scroll. Under the impact of the flames, the Ice Thornbushes instantly caught fire, sizzling as clouds of white vapor rose from them.
But the Ice Thornbushes seemed somewhat resistant to fire. They quickly extinguished the flames and continued attacking.
Xiao Tianhao frowned slightly and swiftly changed tactics, using a Hurricane Blade Inscription Patterns Scroll. The gale blew the incoming ice spikes off course, while the wind blades inflicted tremendous damage on the Ice Thornbushes, leaving them considerably weakened.
After a hard-fought battle, he successfully destroyed the patch of Ice Thornbushes and discovered several stalks of a high-grade tier-two medicinal herb among them-thistle cypress herb.
"This thistle cypress herb is good stuff. Not only is it the primary ingredient for refining low-grade tier-three Cold-Resistance Pills, but it can also enhance the power of ice-type demon spirits' battle techniques."
Delighted, Xiao Tianhao stored the thistle cypress herb in his Space Ring. (A quick note here: the pills originally produced by Glory City's Alchemist Association ranged from ungraded to tier two.)
Continuing onward, Xiao Tianhao encountered a pack of Silver Rank Icefield Wolves.
These Icefield Wolves were enormous, with snow-white fur and eyes that gleamed an eerie blue. Their claws let them move over ice as easily as level ground. They possessed the innate skill Extreme Cold Storm and excelled at attacking in packs.
This time, Xiao Tianhao did not recklessly use his Inscription Patterns Scrolls. Instead, he first observed the wolves' patterns of movement.
He noticed that before attacking, the Icefield Wolves briefly exchanged glances, as though conveying some sort of information.
Before they could launch their attack, he swiftly unfurled a Gold Rank Earth Shield Inscription Patterns Scroll. A shield formed from massive rocks appeared before him.
At the sight, the Icefield Wolves unleashed their innate skill, Extreme Cold Storm. They summoned a vast barrage of ice spikes, wind, and snow that slammed into the shield with repeated bangs.
Behind the shield, Xiao Tianhao searched for an opportunity to counterattack.
The moment the wolves' assault paused, he unfurled a Silver Rank Heaven-Burning Fury Inscription Patterns Scroll. A wide-ranging explosion of flame instantly engulfed the wolves. They let out agonized howls as the fire swallowed them.
When the flames died out, somewhat charred Icefield Wolf corpses littered the ground. He stored them directly in his Space Ring.
After the battle with the Icefield Wolves, Xiao Tianhao discovered several specimens of an early-grade tier-three medicinal herb in a corner of the Snowfield-iceberg snow lotus.
These iceberg snow lotuses grew in cracks in the ice, emitting a gentle blue glow. The surrounding ice and snow seemed to have been purified by them, looking exceptionally pristine.
"Iceberg snow lotus! This is a precious early-grade tier-three medicinal ingredient. It can be used to refine Iceheart Pills and Mystic Ice Powder. It's incredibly useful." Xiao Tianhao carefully picked the lotuses and stored them in his Space Ring.
Besides the iceberg snow lotuses, he also discovered several mandala plants, also called soul-luring netherflowers, in a concealed cave in the Snowfield.
The mandala petals were an eerie purple and gave off waves of peculiar fragrance that left anyone who smelled it somewhat dazed.
"Mandala is a mid-grade tier-three medicinal ingredient. It can be used to refine Soul-Seizing Pills and Nightmare Powder, but it's extremely dangerous. I'll have to be especially careful when using it."
Well aware of mandala's properties, Xiao Tianhao carefully harvested the plants, sealed them in special containers, and placed them in his Space Ring.
At the edge of the Snowfield, Xiao Tianhao found another high-grade tier-two medicinal herb-xun herb.
The xun herb's heart-shaped leaves were a lush, glistening green and gave off a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Although xun herb had little direct effect on increasing strength, it possessed unique uses in other areas, so he added it to his haul as well.
Meanwhile, at the Sacred Orchid Institute, the friendship between Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun grew ever deeper.
The two often cultivated together, chatted, and shared their private worries.
Xiao Ning'er told Ye Ziyun everything she had experienced lately, including how she had met Xiao Tianhao and come to know him.
Ye Ziyun was full of curiosity about Xiao Tianhao and dearly wanted to meet the mysterious fellow student who had helped Xiao Ning'er change her fate.
While serving as the library's collection steward, Nie Li took advantage of his position to read a great many precious ancient texts.
These texts had all been destroyed or lost after Glory City's fall, and he had never had the chance to read them in his previous life. Reading them now brought him considerable gains.
He also quietly kept track of Xiao Tianhao's movements, looking forward to speaking with him again.
At the City Lord's Mansion, the people Ye Zong had dispatched began investigating Xiao Tianhao's background.
They made inquiries everywhere, refusing to overlook a single lead. But Xiao Tianhao had always kept a low profile. Apart from the Sacred Mist Institute and the Alchemist Association, which knew something of his accomplishments, few people knew much about him.
The investigators could only keep widening their search and digging deeper.
In Glory City, enthusiasm for the Alchemist Association's new pills remained undiminished.
More and more people longed to obtain these miraculous pills, and the Alchemist Association's prestige rose like a boat lifted by the tide.
President Gu Yan, Director Yang, and the others were busy organizing more alchemists to refine pills according to the Pill Formulas provided by Xiao Tianhao and Nie Li, so they could meet market demand.
In the Trial Secret Realm, Xiao Tianhao prepared to look for the Teleportation Array that would take him back, laden with his plentiful gains.
This trial had made him more proficient in using Inscription Patterns Scrolls and yielded many precious medicinal ingredients. His strength had improved yet again.
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