When Zi Yan heard that Xiao Ling agreed to help her refine the medicinal materials, she was very happy and energetic. It seemed as if there were stars shining in her eyes, which was very contagious.
Her smart eyes turned slightly, revealing a cunning light. She
carefully took out a strange-looking medicinal material from the ring. There were obvious bite marks on the surface of this medicinal material, as if it had been gnawed by some creature. It exuded a faint fragrance. Upon closer inspection, it was found that the color of this medicinal material was slightly dull, as if it had lost some of its original luster. However, although it did not look perfect, it exuded a mysterious and attractive aura.
Zi Yan said with a smile: "Help me to refine this into a delicious pill."
When Xiao Ling saw this medicinal material, he knew what it was. It was the Tian Fei Fruit, the main ingredient for refining the Dou Ling Pill, and one of the rarer sixth-grade medicinal materials.
Looking at the tooth mark on it, Xiao Ling's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but ask: "Could it be that you have gnawed on this?"
He took the Tian Fei Fruit casually and gently placed it in the medicine cauldron that had been prepared long ago. He mobilized the beast fire in his body and continuously injected it into the bottom of the medicine cauldron. A ball of blazing beast fire instantly rose up and licked the bottom of the medicine cauldron. The temperature of the flame was extremely high, but just right. It would not burn the Tian Fei Fruit, but could slowly extract the essence from it. When the essence of the medicinal materials in it turned into liquid, he casually took out a few sugar pills from the ring and threw them into the medicine cauldron, so that the taste of the pills would be better.
"This kind of refining is really simple. I'm afraid any alchemist who can melt medicinal materials can refine it."
Xiao Ling took out a porcelain bottle and with a casual move, a few milky white pills fell into it. The energy in these pills hadn't been neutralized, so humans couldn't consume them directly. At best, the effects would be severely diminished, and at worst, the body would explode and die. Only a high-level magical beast like Zi Yan wouldn't care about these issues.
Seeing this, Zi Yan, standing nearby, immediately leaped over and snatched the bottle of pills from Xiao Ling's hand. She eagerly uncorked it, took out a pill, and tossed it into her mouth.
Immediately, a surge of pure energy permeated her body, increasing her fighting spirit. The slightly sweet taste lingered in her mouth, leaving her feeling incredibly happy. Squinting her eyes, Zi Yan excitedly exclaimed, "This is delicious! I never have to take those awful pills again!" She then took out another pill, popped it into her mouth, and began to chew it with a smacking sound.
Xiao Ling, watching from the side, marveled at the powerful physical strength of the Taixu Ancient Dragon. Such a crude edible herb was truly beyond the ability of a human, or even an ordinary magical beast, to digest.
"The ancient Taixu dragon is so terrifying."
Not long after, Zi Yan ate those pills like candy beans.
Patting her flat belly, Zi Yan felt that she could eat a little more, so she stared at Xiao Ling with a sharp gaze. Although she didn't say anything, the meaning in her eyes was very clear, "Anything else? I want to eat more."
Spreading his hands, Xiao Ling said helplessly: "If you want to eat, just give me the herbs and I will help you refine them. If you don't have the herbs, I won't use my own inventory to refine pills for you. You even stole my Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill before."
Scratching her head, Zi Yan said a little embarrassedly: "Then I'll go find some herbs. I'll come back when I'm hungry. "I need you to make some medicine. What's your name? I'll find you next time."
Xiao Ling smiled and replied, "My name is Xiao Ling. I'm a freshman this year and the chief alchemist of the Supreme Freedom Sect. You can go find the sect leader, Lin Xiuya, and join our faction. That way, it will be easier for you to find me."
Nodding seriously, Zi Yan said, "Xiao Ling, I'll remember you. That Lin Xiuya, I'll go find him later and join your Supreme Freedom Sect."
With that, she disappeared from Xiao Ling's sight, eager to find medicinal herbs.
Watching Zi Yan's back as she left, Xiao Ling shook his head.
What a lovely thousand-year-old loli.
After meeting Zi
Yan, life slowly became more interesting.
Zi Yan would visit Xiao Ling every day, bringing her medicinal herbs for Xiao Ling to refine into pills.
As previously announced, Zi Yan joined the "Supreme Freedom Sect" and became its senior disciple.
The senior students in the inner courtyard were stunned by the news.
That was the renowned "Brute King," known for his violent temper and volatile nature. The thought
of him joining a newly formed faction was astonishing.
Some senior students had initially planned to cause trouble for the "Supreme Freedom Sect," but those thoughts had vanished. They couldn't afford to offend the fierce "Brute King," or risk being beaten and laid up for ten days or even a month.
With Zi Yan's arrival, the "Supreme Freedom Sect" entered a period of rapid growth, attracting many talented and capable students. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this faction had already established itself within the academy, and its future prospects were bright. As its strength grew, perhaps the requirements for joining would become even more stringent, making it impossible to even join.
Xiao Ling expressed great satisfaction with this situation. Now, in the inner courtyard, he rarely worried about fire energy. Simply refining a few pills while practicing alchemy could earn him a large sum of fire energy.
Interestingly, when Zi Yan came to Xiao Ling to refine pills, she happened to see Xiao Xun'er feeding the Split Sky Sea with a sixth-grade pill in Xiao Ling's courtyard. Her jaw dropped, and Zi Yan was filled with envy.
As if a switch had been triggered, Xiao Ling would often see Zi Yan pestering Xiao Xun'er for more, much to his amusement.
Xiao Xun'er didn't care about the small amount of pills. Feeding one was the same, raising two was the same. After all, the eldest daughter of the ancient clan was always magnanimous.
Zi Yan wasn't constantly around Xiao Xun'er. Her daily diet primarily consisted of the pills Xiao Ling prepared for her. She simply found the ones Xiao Ling prepared more delicious.
The days passed in a dull, ordinary way, punctuated by moments of color.
If Xiao Ling were left to cultivate alone like an ascetic monk, it would surely become boring over time. However, having a group of like-minded friends on the path to growth was a truly heartwarming experience.
Within the inner courtyard, everyone's strength was improving at a noticeable rate, all thanks to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower. Xiao Ling's cultivation speed was greatly enhanced. However, as his realm gradually rose, the difficulty of cultivation grew increasingly arduous, like climbing a mountaintop. Even with the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower's blessing, it was impossible for him to achieve such a ridiculous feat as breaking through a realm in a matter of days.
Furthermore, Xiao Ling had no plans to use the extraction opportunities during this period. Before ascending to Dou Wang, his strength was steadily improving. Once his body had fully developed and he had the strength to protect himself, he could then use the extraction opportunities. Using those treasures to venture out would surely be of great benefit.
As his cultivation steadily improved, Xiao Ling's alchemy skills also vastly improved. With age and a more fully developed body, and with the help of the Taiyi Soul Absolute, his soul power also significantly increased. He became increasingly adept at refining pills, achieving a success rate significantly higher than even the Inner Court elders. Unfortunately, the Canaan Academy's alchemy department lacked deep roots. Currently, the highest-ranking alchemist there was only a Fire Elder, a fifth-grade alchemist. As Xiao Ling's alchemy skills improved, the academy's assistance dwindled, forcing him to rely on his own exploration. Xiao Ling, however, remained unfazed. After all, a great opportunity awaited him within the Xiao family of Wutan City. If he seized that opportunity, his alchemy skills would undoubtedly improve significantly.
(End of this chapter)