BTTH : From the beginning of the battle to the top -MTL

Five days later.

In Lin Yuan's courtyard.

"Is three drops enough? How about I give you three more! Just help me make that medicinal dish," Zi Yan said eagerly, looking at Lin Yuan with anticipation.

Looking at the eager and gluttonous girl before him, Lin Yuan found it hard to connect her with the frail girl from yesterday who had lost three drops of blood essence.

Yesterday, Lin Yuan had openly requested Zi Yan's help, and she had generously and decisively given him three drops of her blood essence. Seeing the three drops of blood essence and the pale, weak-looking Zi Yan made Lin Yuan feel a bit heartbroken.

Subsequently, Lin Yuan used a lot of high-grade spiritual herbs, combined with his top-notch culinary skills as an alchemist, to painstakingly prepare a large table of medicinal dishes that were both flavorful and energizing, directly replenishing Zi Yan's loss, to the point where she felt a bit stuffed.

And that led to the current situation.

"That's already enough. If I need more, I'll let you know!" Lin Yuan said, patting Zi Yan's head.

"Alright," Zi Yan sighed upon hearing this, her tone revealing a hint of regret.

"You little girl," Lin Yuan said, hearing her sigh, and couldn't help but give her a playful knock on the head. This girl was always thinking about food.

"If you want to eat, just tell me directly. I've prepared it for you long ago! Here." Looking at the aggrieved Zi Yan, Lin Yuan took out several food boxes and a few bottles of pills from his storage ring and placed them on the table.

Upon seeing this, Zi Yan's previously aggrieved expression instantly brightened with joy. She sat down and opened the food boxes, ready to dig in!

"You eat, I'm going to the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower. I'll be back in a few days!" Lin Yuan instructed Zi Yan.

"Got it, brother. You go ahead!" Zi Yan casually replied, then continued to focus on the large spread of food before her.

In a cultivation room on the lower level of the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged. In front of him was a jade bottle containing several crimson pills—Blood Spirit Pills, a fifth-grade pill that could quickly replenish a person's blood essence and enhance their vitality for a period of time. These were the pills he had prepared over the past few days.

Then, Lin Yuan took out three exquisite jade bottles from his storage ring. Opening the bottles, three drops of gem-like blood essence floated out and hovered in front of him, with a flowing purple hue. The bloodline pressure that should have been present in the blood essence had been eliminated with Zi Yan's help. Fortunately, with Zi Yan's assistance, otherwise, just the awakening stage of the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique would have been a huge obstacle.

The stronger the bloodline of a magical beast, the harder it is to eliminate the pressure of its blood essence, making it more difficult to utilize. This is the inherent power of the bloodline. Therefore, even with top-tier magical beast blood essence, it is generally difficult to use it to complete the awakening. Zi Yan herself possesses the top-tier bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon royal family, and with her active help, the bloodline pressure contained in the blood essence was completely eliminated without damage. This allowed Lin Yuan to achieve the best initial conditions for cultivating the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique, maximizing the potential of this body-refining combat skill.

Lin Yuan's expression was solemn as he formed several complex hand seals, forcing out a drop of his purest battle qi-infused blood essence. With a change in the seal, his blood essence enveloped the three drops of blood essence with a hint of purple. Then, the three drops of blood essence slowly began to merge with Lin Yuan's own blood essence.

Before long, Lin Yuan's and Zi Yan's blood essences completely fused together. A flash of joy appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes as he swallowed the blood essence that now contained three drops of Zi Yan's blood essence. He then activated the awakening section of the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique, channeling the vitality within him toward the mixed blood essence, beginning to forge and nurture the vitality furnace.

Five days later.

Lin Yuan, sitting cross-legged, had his eyes lightly closed, exuding a powerful vitality. Inside him, a small purple-red vitality furnace had already taken shape, spinning in resonance with Lin Yuan's heartbeat. Suddenly, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, a flash of purple light flickering through them, and a strong aura erupted from him, his presence now containing a more profound change than a few days prior.

"Finally done! The awakening stage is complete. My idea was indeed correct; using the Blood Spirit Pill to enhance my vitality can help nurture the vitality furnace."

"And I've also broken through to the Four-Star Dou Wang! That's a pleasant surprise."

"It's time to start the refining spirit stage. I've killed quite a few fifth-grade magical beasts while gathering herbs with Zi Yan, and I've also traded for some with the elders. This much blood essence is enough to complete the initial refining and ascending stages. Let's start with the blood essence of the Snow Demon Sky Ape!"

Lin Yuan took out a bottle of blood essence from his storage ring, which was extracted from the Snow Demon Sky Ape, and swallowed it.

As the blood essence entered his abdomen, Lin Yuan activated the refining spirit section of the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique, and the vitality furnace began to rapidly refine the blood essence of the Snow Demon Sky Ape.

The ancient dragon aura contained within the vitality furnace allowed the residual pressure of the blood essence to face no resistance during this process. A large amount of bloodline essence was continuously extracted and refined, flowing through Lin Yuan's body, cyclically destroying and repairing it. Each completed cycle made Lin Yuan's physical body grow stronger.

Five days later.

While cultivating, Lin Yuan's hand seals moved quickly, and the vitality furnace within him spun rapidly. The immense vitality surged into the furnace, while Lin Yuan swallowed a Blood Spirit Pill, which quickly replenished and enhanced his vitality.

After more than ten minutes.

"Life Blood Pill, complete!" With Lin Yuan's soft shout, the round blood pill in the vitality furnace finally solidified and took shape, becoming the embryonic form of the Life Blood Pill.

After another ten minutes, Lin Yuan put away his hand seals. In the center of the vitality furnace, a crystal-clear light red blood pill with a hint of purple floated, radiating immense energy—it was the embryonic form of the Life Blood Pill.

"After refining ten types of magical beast blood essence, the refining spirit stage has indeed reached a small success, and I've completed the first step of the ascending stage—the nurturing of the blood pill. Next, I need to continuously refine and ascend this blood pill until the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique reaches great success."

Lin Yuan sensed his current strength and nodded in satisfaction.

"Although cultivating this Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique consumes a lot of resources, it is indeed powerful. This way, I can be more at ease when devouring异火 in the future."

"Currently, I can match an ordinary low-level Dou Wang with just my physical strength, and my battle qi has also made significant breakthroughs by digesting some of the power within the blood essence. After refining in the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower, I have stabilized at the mid-stage of Four-Star Dou Wang. I should be able to fight against high-level Dou Wang in a direct confrontation. I can't continue to shut myself away for hard training; it's time to go out."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yuan made his decision, then stood up, put away his Fire Crystal Card, and left the Sky Burning Refining Qi Tower.

As soon as he returned to his small courtyard, Zi Yan rushed over and grabbed Lin Yuan's arm.

"Brother Lin Yuan, you're finally back! I missed you so much! Look, I missed you so much that I made myself look thin," Zi Yan eagerly expressed her "longing" for Lin Yuan, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, her words carrying a hint of implication.

"Are you missing me or missing the food I make for you?" Lin Yuan replied with a hint of annoyance.

"Hehe, I miss both!" Zi Yan said, shaking Lin Yuan's left arm and acting cute.

"I really can't do anything with you." Lin Yuan affectionately tapped Zi Yan's little head with his finger. "Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll make you a big meal!"

"Yay!" Zi Yan exclaimed in delight.

"But, Brother Lin Yuan, did something happen? Why do you have an aura that makes me feel so close to you?" Zi Yan asked, a bit puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan pondered for a moment and realized that it was likely due to the cultivation of the Hundred Beasts Refining Spirit Technique using Zi Yan's blood essence, which had allowed him to absorb some of her ancient dragon aura. This shared aura made Zi Yan feel a sense of closeness.

"Is that bad?" Lin Yuan asked with a light smile, not wanting to explain too much.

"Not at all! It feels more comfortable when we're together," Zi Yan replied without hesitation.

"That's good. Let's go; I'll prepare and make you a big meal!"

"Yay!"

As they chatted and laughed, the two headed toward the kitchen.

**(End of Chapter)**