Spirit-Restoring Pills were medicines used by true cultivators, unlike Yellow Dragon Pills, which could be refined with ordinary fire. Refining them required true fire or earthfire. True fire was produced by converting the magical power within cultivators at Foundation Establishment or above, so that method was naturally out of the question for Xiao Yu.
Thus, he naturally thought of earthfire. Although it could not be used anywhere and anytime like true fire, it had the advantage of being lasting and stable, making it the best flame for refining pills and magical artifacts. It was also relatively simple to handle, so even low-level cultivators could control it easily.
The Giant Sword Sect naturally possessed a resource as important as earthfire. Xiao Yu had already asked the sect's disciples where it could be found.
According to what he had learned, when the sect was first established, its founding patriarch had used immense magical power to gather and draw out the earthfire beneath the mountain range. Only after its poisonous properties had been removed could these Earthfire Rooms be used.
An incense stick's time later, Xiao Yu stopped before a large hall. Looking up, he saw the words "Earthfire Hall" carved in bold black characters on its plaque!
After considering matters for a while outside the hall, Xiao Yu stepped inside.
Upon entering, Xiao Yu saw several disciples at the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining registering something at a table. They looked quite busy!
Xiao Yu stepped forward and cupped his hands toward one young cultivator. "Junior brother, I'd like to rent an Earthfire Room to refine pills. Are any available?"
Seeing that Xiao Yu wanted to rent an Earthfire Room, the young cultivator brightened. He returned the salute and said:
"You'd like to rent an Earthfire Room, senior brother? Of course we have some available. This must be your first time here, right? Please allow me to explain a little first.
"The Earthfire Rooms here are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. Upper-grade rooms have the strongest and most stable flames, followed by middle-grade rooms, with lower-grade rooms coming last. Still, even a lower-grade Earthfire Room is sufficient for refining pills and artifacts. The only difference is that its stability may be slightly poorer. Which grade would you like to rent, senior brother?"
Xiao Yu was taken aback. Before coming here, he genuinely had not known that Earthfire Rooms were divided into different grades. A thought stirred in his mind. Since this was his first time refining these pills and he had never handled earthfire before, an upper-grade room would be more suitable.
His thoughts raced, and he soon made his decision. He told the young cultivator, "Junior brother, I'll take an upper-grade one!"
The young cultivator was even more delighted to hear that Xiao Yu had chosen an upper-grade room. Attendant disciples like him could earn a commission from these rentals. "An upper-grade Earthfire Room costs three Spirit Stones for two days!"
Xiao Yu's heart jolted at the price. Three Spirit Stones for just two days? That rent was far too expensive-it was outright robbery! Anyone without some wealth or confidence in their skills would hardly dare come here. One careless mistake could leave them with nothing to show for their entire investment.
"Then what about a middle-grade room?" he asked.
"A middle-grade room costs one Spirit Stone a day." The young man's smile faded slightly.
After thinking it over, Xiao Yu reluctantly took out fifteen Spirit Stones. "Junior brother, I don't know how long I'll need it yet, so I'll pay for ten days first. When I'm done, you can refund the excess or I can make up the difference. Would that be all right?"
The young cultivator seemed accustomed to such requests and readily agreed. He then handed Xiao Yu a wooden token and said:
"Senior brother, this is the restriction token for Earthfire Room twenty. The restrictions inside are very powerful. Once you activate them from within, even a Core Formation Stage cultivator won't be able to break through in a short time. The token also contains instructions for using the earthfire. Read them carefully once you enter the room!"
Xiao Yu thanked the young cultivator, then headed farther into the hall.
A passage inside the hall led into the mountain. After walking for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Xiao Yu reached an enormous underground space.
Before him stood rooms sealed by massive stone doors, each marked with a number. He looked to either side,
then turned down a passage to the left. He stopped only when he saw a plaque bearing the number twenty hanging on a wall. After a brief look around, he waved the wooden token before the massive stone door. With a rumble, it slowly opened.
Xiao Yu stepped through the doorway, revealing a descending flight of grayish-white stone steps. He followed them down for roughly ten zhang before reaching a stone chamber five or six zhang wide!
At the center of the chamber stood a platform five or six feet tall. Eight thick pillars surrounded it, each cast with a scarlet dragon's head three feet across. Their mouths faced the platform, and their bared fangs and fierce expressions looked remarkably lifelike!
A yellow meditation cushion lay a short distance away on one side of the chamber, presumably for those refining pills or artifacts to sit on.
Looking at the Earthfire Room's arrangement, Xiao Yu could not help clicking his tongue in wonder!
After examining it for a while, he sat cross-legged on the cushion and inspected the wooden token in his hand.
Many formation patterns were carved into the token. Xiao Yu had never studied formations, so he could not make heads or tails of them. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I must properly study formations if I get the chance!
Putting those thoughts aside, Xiao Yu sent his spiritual sense into the token and immediately saw some text.
It contained precisely the instructions for using earthfire, and Xiao Yu concentrated on reading them carefully!
After a long while, Xiao Yu exhaled softly. He considered the instructions a little longer, then formed a spell seal and sent it toward one of the scarlet dragon heads on the stone wall.
As soon as the spell seal entered the dragon head, a scarlet flame spurted from its mouth and gathered over the platform. Apparently, the pill furnace was meant to sit above the platform, where the earthfire could heat it!
Xiao Yu then took out the Silver Thread Cauldron and cast a spell seal. The small cauldron flew above the platform and expanded to three feet across. He then sent spell seals toward the other seven dragon heads.
At once, eight streams of scarlet flame began heating the Silver Thread Cauldron, which slowly rotated amid the flames.
Xiao Yu added some spring water to the cauldron. Once the Silver Thread Cauldron reached the required temperature, he took small medicine bottles from his Storage Bag and placed them before him. When he felt the heat was about right, he added the spirit medicines from the bottles in a specific order.
An hour later, pfft, pfft sounds came from the pill furnace. Xiao Yu sighed softly, then began refining again!
Three days later, Xiao Yu looked at the medicinal dregs before him with a bitter smile. He had consumed more than half his spirit medicines without succeeding even once!
After collecting himself, Xiao Yu began meditating to restore his magical power!
Several hours later, Xiao Yu opened his eyes and cast a spell seal toward the scarlet dragon heads. Scarlet flames immediately gushed from their mouths, surging and rolling beneath the pill cauldron!
Once again, he added various spirit medicines to the cauldron, occasionally sending spell seals into it.
An hour later, a delicate fragrance drifted from the pill cauldron. Overjoyed, Xiao Yu hurriedly cast a succession of spell seals into it.
A moment later, Xiao Yu gave a low shout: "Rise!" The cauldron's lid shot upward at his command, then settled gently onto the floor.
Unable to wait, Xiao Yu walked over to inspect the cauldron. Seven or eight white pills, each the size of a thumb, lay quietly inside. Their medicinal fragrance wafted into his nose!
With a smile on his lips, Xiao Yu took out a jade bottle. Forming a spell seal toward the pills with one hand, he pointed at the bottle's mouth and shouted softly, "Collect!"
The seven or eight white pills slowly floated up inside the furnace. After turning twice, they formed a single line and streamed into the jade bottle.
Smiling, Xiao Yu put the jade bottle into his Storage Bag, then returned to the cushion and sat cross-legged to meditate and restore his magical power.
Eight days passed in a flash!
Xiao Yu now sat cross-legged, gazing at the three jade bottles before him with a satisfied smile!
During his subsequent attempts, he had successfully refined another two batches of Spirit-Restoring Pills. These twenty-odd pills should be enough to sustain him in the Forbidden Grounds.
After rubbing his chin and considering matters for a moment, he swept his palm over the jade bottles, and all three vanished. Then he stood and walked toward the stone door!
He climbed ten zhang back up the stone steps, and Xiao Yu saw that the massive stone door was still tightly shut.
He waved the wooden token before it, and the stone door slowly opened with another rumble!
After Xiao Yu stepped outside, the stone door closed on its own.
Xiao Yu merely glanced back before heading out, the corners of his lips slightly raised!
When he reached the registration desk, the young cultivator was still recording something. Xiao Yu cupped his hands toward him. "Junior brother, I've finished refining my pills. I'm returning the token now." As he spoke, he placed the wooden token in the young cultivator's hand.
The young cultivator paused, then recognized Xiao Yu and said loudly, "Oh, it's you, senior brother! Judging by your expression, your pill refining must have gone very smoothly, right? Here are your three Spirit Stones in change. Please take them!"
"Hardly that smoothly. I actually made a loss on this round of refining," Xiao Yu replied modestly.
Hearing this, the young man wore an expression that said, Like hell I believe you.
Xiao Yu paid him no mind. He put the Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag, thanked the young cultivator again, then turned and left the Earthfire Hall.
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