Azure King

Ling Yun had not condensed True Fire. With his current cultivation, condensing his own True Fire to refine pills in a short time was hardly realistic.

True Fire belonged exclusively to those with profound cultivation, and it could play an enormous role in refining weapons and pills.

Pressed for time, Ling Yun could only use the lesser earth-vein fire.

In a forest clearing within the Royal Mausoleum, Ling Yun dug a pit in the ground and began drawing up earth-vein fire with a special method.

The earth veins lay a thousand zhang underground, where earth fire gathered. In places with favorable geology, earth-vein fire could even rival ordinary spirit fire!

Thus, many pill masters and weapon refiners without spirit fire went to great lengths to find a special location that would meet their refining needs.

The Pill Empyrean Sect, a powerful pill-refining sect and one of the Eastern Desolation's five great powers, occupied the place where the Eastern Desolation's earth veins were strongest, drawing up pure earth fire to refine pills.

That was also a major reason why the Pill Empyrean Sect's Pill Dao surpassed all others in the Eastern Desolation.

Ling Yun formed hand seals, sending strands of Spiritual Yuan into the earth to form a special fire-drawing formation.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Ling Yun's eyes stirred. He sensed an incomparably scorching presence rising from the earth beneath his feet.

"It's coming!"

His lips twitched as he stared fixedly at the pit.

Before long, wisps of crimson earth fire emerged, quickly forming a semi-stable furnace of earth fire.

"From here on, it's up to me!"

Ling Yun took a deep breath, brought out the Simu Suppression Furnace, and placed it where the earth fire erupted.

From then on, Ling Yun immersed himself completely in pill refining, his skill improving at a terrifying rate.

While Ling Yun worked hard at refining pills, everyone at the Spirit King's Manor was so busy their feet barely touched the ground.

Madam Wang tried many avenues, but ultimately gathered only three of the main ingredients: Cold Marrow Liquid, Spirit Warmth Jade, and Azure Spirit Flower. As for the most precious ingredient of all, Ice Essence Grass, there was still no sign of it.

With no other choice, Madam Wang entered the palace to seek an audience with His Majesty and ask for help. Because of the manor's recent crisis, she had already troubled him many times. She felt helpless, but could only swallow her pride.

At the head of the great hall, a man in black-and-gold qilin robes was wreathed in imperial majesty, his face impossible to make out.

Madam Wang explained why she had come, leaving the emperor in qilin robes utterly astonished.

"A method to remove the poison? Ice Essence Grass?"

His heart stirred, though he could not tell whether it was true or false. After all, he had already exhausted every method he could find, yet had failed to rid the Spirit King of the poison.

But he also knew that Madam Wang needed one last chance to try.

So he said little. After pondering for a while, he said, "There are a few high-grade spiritual treasures in the imperial treasury, but no Ice Essence Grass."

"If you wish to try, you can go to the Azure King Manor and explain the situation to the Azure King. She should agree to part with the treasure in exchange."

"After all, the Azure King Manor cultivates fire. Though this ice-type spiritual treasure is high-grade, it shouldn't be too hard for them to give up."

Hearing this, Madam Wang felt a surge of joy. She offered her thanks and hurriedly took her leave, heading straight from the palace to the Azure King Manor.

Half a day later.

In a main hall of the Azure King Manor, Madam Wang waited anxiously in the company of one of the manor's elders.

"There's no need to worry, Madam. Her Highness the Azure King has received word of your visit and agreed to see you."

The elder spoke as he brewed tea.

Madam Wang nodded, somewhat distracted. Even the fine spiritual tea she usually enjoyed tasting seemed flavorless.

A cup of tea's time later, a powerful presence approached the hall. The two hurriedly stood and went to greet her.

A woman in palace robes approached at a measured pace. Her features were beautiful, her bearing cool and aloof. A feather hairpin and dangling ornaments swayed in her hair, making her look like a divine consort.

"Greetings, Azure King!"

Madam Wang hurriedly bowed, her manner utterly sincere.

The Azure King nodded slightly. "There is no need for such ceremony, Madam. Was there an important matter for which you sought an audience with me today?"

Her face showed little expression, but her tone was gentle, somewhat at odds with her bearing, yet all the more lending her a spirited charm.

Madam Wang took a deep breath and promptly explained that she had come to request the Ice Essence Grass, expressing her sincere willingness to trade.

"This..."

The elder of the Azure King Manor was taken aback. He had never imagined that Madam Wang had come to the Azure King Manor for the Ice Essence Grass, one of the most precious treasures in the manor's storehouse.

After speaking, Madam Wang felt somewhat uneasy. Though the Five Branches of the Ling Clan belonged to the same clan, had ties going back a thousand years, and the four kings were on good terms with one another,

she also knew that while the Spirit King's Manor could sacrifice such a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth for a detoxification method of uncertain truth without batting an eye, the other kings' manors had no obligation to do the same.

After all, even the veteran fifth-tier pill masters of the imperial family were at a loss against the strange poison. Others could hardly believe that anyone in the Ling Kingdom had the ability to deal with it.

But Madam Wang believed it without a shadow of a doubt! There was no helping it; Ling Yun's poison-drawing technique truly had amazed her.

"Very well."

The Azure King agreed to Madam Wang's request without the slightest hesitation, leaving both Madam Wang and the elder beside her somewhat stunned.

"Of course, I'm not giving it to you for nothing."

The Azure King changed tack.

"However, only the Spirit King knows the condition. If he succeeds in removing the poison and escapes death, he'll know to hand over the thing he's treasured for years."

As she spoke, a flash of fervor appeared in the Azure King's eyes.

Supreme Yang Fire Essence!

It was a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth on the same level as the Ice Essence Grass. The Spirit King clearly had no use for it, yet kept it hidden away and refused to trade it to her. It was just like the Ice Essence Grass in their Azure King Manor: even if they had no use for it, they could not bear to squander such a spiritual treasure.

Now it seemed there was a chance.

The Azure King continued, "Of course, if he doesn't pull through, the deal is void. Consider it the last time I help him."

Madam Wang was deeply moved, and her eyes grew moist.

"The Spirit King's Manor will never forget your great kindness, Azure King."

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

The Azure King nodded and instructed the elder at her side, "Go and bring out that Ice Essence Grass at once and give it to Madam Wang."

With that, she left the hall. The elder naturally did not dare refuse and hurried off to make arrangements.

Madam Wang relaxed, while a powerful hope rose in her heart, bringing her a sense of reassurance she had not felt in a long time.

Before long, the elder returned with the Ice Essence Grass that Madam Wang had long yearned for.

It was a spiritual herb that radiated a terrifying chill. The moment Madam Wang took it, she felt the Spiritual Yuan throughout her body nearly freeze. Her expression shifted slightly, and she hurriedly put the Ice Essence Grass into her storage ring.

It truly was a peak fifth-tier spiritual treasure.

"Thank you."

Madam Wang thanked the elder again. He waved a hand and said, "Her Highness the Azure King is kind by nature. Madam, there's no need to feel burdened."

Madam Wang had felt that herself. This Primordial Spirit Realm expert, whom ordinary people regarded as cool and unapproachable, actually had an utterly pure heart.

After exchanging a few more courtesies, the two prepared to take their leave.

"Courting death! How dare you break ground over my head! I won't allow a rat like you to run wild!"

However, just as Madam Wang was preparing to leave, an angry shout rang throughout the Spirit King's Manor, stirring the very air.

Everyone in the Azure King Manor felt the Primordial Spirit Realm presence that suddenly bore down on them, and their expressions changed.

"That's... Her Highness!"

Everyone looked up to see the Azure King radiating a terrifying presence, endless azure flames spreading across the sky above the entire manor.

Amid the flames, a white figure was trying to escape, but was trapped fast by layer upon layer of fire, unable to break free.

"Die, damn you!"

The Azure King was more furious than ever before, her pale, cool face flushed red with anger.

The azure flames around her grew darker and darker, and layers of spiritual feathers formed from fire draped her in a veil of plumage, graceful and beautiful.

"Screech-"

The next moment, the endless flames transformed into a towering feathered bird that swept toward the trapped white figure with boundless might.

Spirit of Azure Feathers!

It was a terrifying spell unleashed using Azure Feather Mystic Fire, a high-grade Mystic Spirit Fire, and a trump card the Azure King was using against an enemy for the first time!

"Woooo-"

An ear-splitting roar resounded across the sky. As the terrifying spell descended, the trapped white figure suddenly split into thousands upon thousands of wisps of mist, scattering in every direction.

The wisps were shapeless and formless, yet extraordinarily nimble. Each seemed to possess a mind of its own, a truly bizarre sight.

Most of the mist was burned to ashes by the flames of the spiritual feathers. Only a few wisps of white mist escaped the spirit fire's encirclement and vanished into the world!