Chapter 164: Advancements in Pill Refinement, Forging the Xuanling Baodan

Chapter 164: Advancements in Pill Refinement, Forging the Xuanling Baodan

"I am Luo Qifu, Senior," Chu Ning replied, his face bearing the same apprehensive expression as the others.

"Are you from Fengya Island?" Song Ye asked, not letting Chu Ning's drastically different appearance deter him from his interrogation.

"No, I am a cultivator from Yeming Island," Chu Ning answered. Upon hearing this, Song Ye's eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed, emitting a sharp gleam.

"You're from Yeming Island, yet you came all the way to Fengya Island. Why?" Song Ye inquired, his eyes fixed on Chu Ning.

Chu Ning quickly took out the Huofeng Grass from his storage bag and replied, "I came here mainly to collect Huofeng Grass, Senior."

Song Ye glanced at the Huofeng Grass in Chu Ning's hand and continued his interrogation. "What do you need Huofeng Grass for? Are you planning to plant it?"

"No, Senior. I intend to refine the Huo Ling Dan," Chu Ning said, shaking his head.

Hearing this response, Song Ye refrained from asking further questions on the matter. Instead, he turned his attention to the other individuals present.

When he reached the last person, a young man around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, he learned that the youth cultivated a wood-attribute technique. Song Ye demanded that he empty his storage bag for inspection.

Though the young man felt deeply humiliated, his face reddening with anger, he complied.

After examining the youth's possessions, disappointment flashed across Song Ye's face. He waved his hand, indicating for the young man to put his belongings away.

Then, he turned to Zhou Xinquan and said, "From now on, thoroughly question everyone entering and leaving Fengya Island. I suspect that person has a connection to your island. Why else would he specifically mention Fengya Island and nothing else?"

"Yes, please rest assured, Senior Song. I will conduct the interrogations diligently and report any abnormalities to you immediately," Zhou Xinquan promised without hesitation.

Satisfied, Song Ye turned to leave, but not before sweeping his gaze across the group one last time. "What happened here must stay between us. If I hear that any of you have spread word of this, humph!" He let out a cold snort before stepping into the teleportation formation.

Zhou Xinquan quickly signaled to the person controlling the formation, who immediately activated it, teleporting Song Ye away.

It was only after Song Ye's figure had disappeared from view that Zhou Xinquan, the island master, relaxed his guarded expression.

At that moment, a cultivator standing beside Zhou Xinquan, who had reached the perfect stage of Qi Refining, spoke up. "Island Master, you are also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. There's no need to stoop so low before that man."

"The Song family has always been domineering. Forget it..." Zhou Xinquan said, his eyes scanning the group once more before landing on Chu Ning, the only non-native cultivator present. "Fellow Daoist, regarding what you saw and heard here, I hope it stays between us."

Despite his courteous demeanor toward Song Ye earlier, he now wore an imperious expression as he addressed Chu Ning, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

A perplexed look appeared on Chu Ning's face. "Senior, I'm just here to collect some Huofeng Grass. That's all."

Seeing Chu Ning's reaction, Zhou Xinquan was somewhat satisfied, and he turned to leave. As he did, Chu Ning faintly heard him mutter, "That man, He Jie. If I find him, I'll make sure he pays for this."

...

After leaving Fengya Island, Chu Ning visited several other islands before finally returning to Feihong Island.

Upon entering his cave abode, Chu Ning felt a sense of relief wash over him. "I almost got into trouble just from collecting some Bai Zhi Grass," he thought to himself, shaking his head.

Initially, he believed that even with the presence of second-rank demonic beasts on Luoxia Island, his current abilities would be sufficient to ensure his safety. However, he had not anticipated encountering Song Ye, and if not for his vigilance and a stroke of luck, he might have met his end on that island.

His initial decision to lay low had been the right one, as Song Ye possessed numerous tricks up his sleeve. Even the broken black dagger, a damaged magical treasure, had been unable to harm him.

"That ancient-looking gourd Song Ye held might also be a damaged magical treasure," Chu Ning mused, recalling their previous encounter.

He felt a pang of regret as he thought about the broken magical treasure he had acquired from the old man named Sun, which had served him well in defeating numerous formidable foes. It had been with him since his days in Yanjibi, but it had become useless during this recent trip.

"At least I didn't return empty-handed," Chu Ning consoled himself, gently shaking his head. He reached into his storage bag and retrieved several jade boxes.

One large jade box was filled with Bai Zhi Grass, enough to refine hundreds of Xuanling Baodan pills. After all, he had harvested the entire rabbit's nest.

Chu Ning's gaze fell upon the pair of round rings and the pair of round beads that lay within the jade boxes.

Back in the grand hall, he had attempted to activate them but to no avail. He suspected that there might have been some kind of restriction in the hall that prevented the use of any artifacts.

In the following two days, he had not tried to experiment with them again. Now, he was eager to give it another shot.

After a while, Chu Ning shook his head, a disappointed expression on his face. Even outside the ancient sect's ruins, he still couldn't figure out how to use these items.

"It seems that either there's a special way to activate them, or my cultivation is still insufficient," he mused to himself.

With a sigh, he carefully placed the items back into their respective jade boxes. Then, he opened his robe to examine the inner armor once more.

"This inner armor has such incredible defensive capabilities. Logically, it should have other functions as well," Chu Ning thought, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

It wasn't until two full days later that Chu Ning finally set down the jade slip. Despite not having slept during that time, he still felt invigorated. With a soft exhale, he muttered to himself, "The art of pill refinement is profound and intricate. My previous attempts at pill concoction were nothing but childish play and a waste of spirit herbs. If not for the Yuan Dan Spirit Body, my pill refinement skills would be no different from ruining those precious herbs."

Criticizing his past actions, his face soon took on a confident look. "If I had only seventy to eighty percent confidence in refining the Xuanling Baodan before, now it's ninety-nine percent or more! As for the Lingyuan Dan and the Qingmu Yuanyang Dan, refining them will be effortless, and the success rate should be infinitely close to perfection! Of course, this still needs to be tested."

Although he thought this way, Chu Ning didn't immediately start refining pills as he had gone two days without rest. First, he went to the Spirit Plant Garden to check on the Flame Twin Birth Fruit, Iron Soul Flower, and other spirit plants, using spells to nurture them. After that, he returned to his resting chamber to rejuvenate himself.

Half a day later, Chu Ning finally entered the pill refinement chamber. Looking at his ordinary pill furnace, he reached into his storage bag and took out an ancient-looking pill furnace adorned with intricate patterns. It was the one he had obtained from the inner chamber of the ancient sect's ruins.

He put away his original furnace and, after a quick cleaning, placed the ancient one over the earth fire. Chu Ning then cast several spells into the adjacent array. Immediately, a blazing flame erupted from the ground and into the furnace. He followed this by casting more spells directly onto the empty pill furnace.

At the same time, he released his spiritual sense to feel the changes in the pill furnace. Soon, he could directly sense the conditions within it. After a short while, a pleased expression appeared on his face, and he took out the Yuan Yang Guo fruits he had prepared earlier.

"This pill furnace conducts heat several times better than the ordinary one I used before," he thought. "In just a short while, it has already reached the ideal temperature for purification. Moreover, I can clearly feel that the earth fire's temperature is more stable, which will significantly increase the success rate of pill refinement."

With that in mind, he quickly tossed several Yuan Yang Guo fruits into the furnace. He then cast another series of spells onto the pill furnace, and if Cen Zikin had been there to witness it, he would have noticed that the spells Chu Ning was using were completely different from those he had used before, not just for extraction and purification but also for the subsequent steps of melting, separating, and condensing the liquids.

Each spell was more profound and complex than the ones he had used during the past six months. This new set of fire control techniques was something Chu Ning had learned from the Essentials of Spirit Pill Compilation. There were multiple fire control methods described in the compilation, and Chu Ning had chosen one that suited the attributes of the Qingmu Yuanyang Dan and the spirit herbs he was using.

After a while, he felt that the pills inside had taken shape, but unlike before, he didn't immediately retrieve them. Instead, he cast another series of spells onto the pill furnace—a new technique he had just learned from the compilation called Spirit Gathering. This additional step would enhance the quality of the pills and allow them to store spiritual power for longer, thus extending their shelf life.

Only after completing this process did Chu Ning reach out and clap his palm onto the pill furnace. The lid opened automatically, and several pills flew out. With a wave of his hand, the pills landed neatly into a jade bottle. Chu Ning picked up the bottle and brought it close to inspect its contents. A look of satisfaction and delight appeared on his face.

"All nine Qingmu Yuanyang Dan pills successfully refined, and their quality is much higher than the ones I made before!" Chu Ning knew that this was due to the high-quality pill furnace, as well as the pill refinement techniques and fire control methods he had learned from the Essentials of Spirit Pill Compilation.

As he looked at the pills in the jade bottle, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "These Qingmu Yuanyang Dan pills have reached the pinnacle of low-grade primary-level pills, likely due to the upper limits of the various spirit herb attributes used. So, even with a better pill furnace and refinement techniques, I won't be able to refine them into intermediate-level pills. But what if I add a spirit refinement process?"

With that thought, he didn't put the pills away but instead left them on the stone table in front of him. Then, he began to cast a series of spells onto the pill furnace, and the complexity of these spells far exceeded even those in the Essentials of Spirit Pill Compilation.

But the Qingmu Yuanyang Dan was different.

If he could truly raise it to the level of an intermediate pill through spirit refinement, then even after entering the Foundation Establishment stage, this pill would be able to support his cultivation.

After executing a series of intricate hand seals, Chu Ning could sense the spiritual energy within the pill furnace changing.

Silently calculating the time, he waited for a full twenty breaths.

Then, with a wave of his right hand, the pills flew out of the jade bottle and back into the pill furnace.

Immediately, Chu Ning executed another set of profound and mysterious hand seals.

About an hour later, Chu Ning reached out and slapped the pill furnace with his palm.

Instantly, nine pills flew out and landed neatly into the jade bottle.

Chu Ning picked one of the pills and held it in his hand.

On the surface of this pill, which was a mix of green and red, spiritual waves flowed, and a subtle yet profound pill vein could be faintly seen.

"With just one spirit refinement, this pill has surpassed the standard of a low-grade primary pill!"

Chu Ning muttered to himself as he examined the highest-grade pill he had ever refined.

"However, it seems to be just a tad bit away from becoming a low-grade intermediate pill. Since that's the case, let's do it again!"

With that thought, Chu Ning began the process of spirit refinement once more.

When this round of spirit refinement was complete, Chu Ning couldn't help but laugh out loud as he held the pill in the pill refinement chamber.

"Low-grade intermediate pill! With two spirit refinements, the Qingmu Yuanyang Dan can become a low-grade intermediate pill!"

Chu Ning was delighted to have refined an intermediate pill so quickly.

At that moment, another idea came to him.

Since two spirit refinements could achieve a low-grade intermediate quality, what would happen if he continued refining? With that in mind, Chu Ning picked up the remaining Qingmu Yuanyang Dan pills and began the process again.

However, this time, he chose to put only one pill into the furnace instead of nine.

Two hours later, Chu Ning stopped refining.

"This Qingmu Yuanyang Dan can only withstand three spirit refinements. If I try a fourth time, the spiritual energy will be too strong, and the pill will explode.

But after three spirit refinements, the quality of this Qingmu Yuanyang Dan is definitely a notch higher than after two, although it still hasn't reached the level of a low-grade middle-grade pill.

As for higher-grade pills, I'll have to see how the Xuanling Baodan turns out!"

Despite having all the necessary materials for the Xuanling Baodan, including the newly acquired Bai Zhi Grass, Chu Ning didn't rush into refining it.

He still had the Yanmu Twin Birth Fruits that he had brought out from the Spirit Domain.

However, Chu Ning felt that he needed to further refine his pill refining and spirit refinement techniques.

Thus, over the next day, Chu Ning spent most of his time in the pill refinement chamber.

He continuously honed the fire control techniques for pill refining that he had recently learned from the Essentials of Spirit Pill Compilation.

Occasionally, he would also practice spirit refinement.

As spirit refinement was an innate talent of his Yuan Dan Spirit Body, it came naturally to him.

Moreover, there was no rush to refine the Xuanling Baodan immediately after refining the pills.

He could always perform spirit refinement later on all the pills he had refined.

So, he spent the entire day without feeling any urgency.

The following day, Chu Ning entered the pill refinement chamber, ready to attempt the refinement of the Xuanling Baodan.

After all, five days had passed since he had picked the Bai Zhi Grass.

He had ten days to refine all of them, and refining over sixty Xuanling Baodan pills was no easy task.

Each pill furnace could refine a maximum of only three Xuanling Baodan pills.

"Yanmu Twin Birth Fruit, Bai Zhi Grass, Lieyang Grass, Black Jade Flower..."

Chu Ning took out various spirit herbs from his storage bag.

He had already divided these herbs into portions.

Chu Ning placed one portion of each herb on the stone table, his eyes focused and serious.

He closed his eyes briefly, deep in thought, and then suddenly opened them, his eyes shining with confidence.

At the same time, he began to execute a series of intricate hand seals.

Immediately, the talisman patterns on the pill furnace glowed brightly.

Chu Ning ignored the changes in the pill furnace and started to throw the various spirit herbs into it.

With each addition, he would cast a series of hand seals.

His movements were fluid and harmonious, like a graceful dance.

If someone had been there to witness this, they would have been captivated by the mesmerizing display.

However, Chu Ning had no audience at that moment.

He himself was completely immersed in the profound art of pill refinement.

Extraction, solution, separation, pill formation, spirit gathering...

Chu Ning executed each step with precision, as if he had an internal timer guiding him through the timing of each step.

At one point, a gleam flashed in Chu Ning's eyes.

In the next moment, he waved his right hand over the pill furnace, and the lid opened.

The entire pill refinement chamber was instantly filled with the fragrant scent of the pills.

After taking a light breath, Chu Ning felt refreshed.

Then, three pills flew out and landed neatly into the jade bottle that Chu Ning was holding.

The fragrance soon dissipated, but the scent lingered in Chu Ning's nostrils.

"Xuanling Baodan!"

As he looked at the three pills in the bottle, each exuding a delicate fragrance and spiritual aura, a ripple of emotion crossed Chu Ning's usually calm expression.

This was the key to his next step—the Foundation Establishment stage!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end