Dual Cultivation In Martial Peak

Chapter 79: Alchemic God's Refinement Method

Su Mu and Xia Ning Chang walked behind Doing Qing Yan, Qin Ze, and the other disciples from the Medicine King's Valley, making their way towards Xiao Fu Sheng's residence, the Hidden Cloud Peak.

"How are things at the High Heaven Pavilion, Big Sister Su?"

{With most Elders injured and the Sect Master's dire situation, coupled with the news about the new demon lord, even more disciples have started to leave the sect.}

Despite the hectic situation, Su Yan didn't mention that she had been keeping most of the things at the High Heaven Pavilion, as the only thing that'd do was cause Xia Ning Chang to worry about her needlessly.

That was how Su Yan behaved, and Su Mu knew of it, so he didn't say anything about it.

'Yang Bai left the High Heaven Pavilion without destroying it despite his overwhelming cultivation base; either he had a lingering attachment to the place or knew that his ascension as the demon lord would eventually allow other forces to make a move against the High Heaven Pavilion…'

If that wasn't the case, Su Mu believed that Yang Bai wouldn't have revealed his origins despite becoming the new demon lord.

'Well, I'm sure Meng Wuya can handle it if someone other than Yang Bai attacks the High Heaven Pavilion, even if the attacker is from the Eight Great Families.'

Meng Wuya's current cultivation was at the 2nd Order Transcendent Realm, so as long as nothing major happened, he'd be more than enough to handle minor incidents like these.

'As for visiting the Ash Grey Cloud Evil Land, I'll keep a low profile there…'

After all, Su Mu couldn't contend with a 3rd Order Transcendent Realm Cultivator like Yang Bai yet, not unless he had some advantage against him.

"How is grandfather doing?"

{His health has stabilised, but it'll still take some time for him to move around again.}

"Is that so?"

After Su Yan had finished everything she wanted to say, she temporarily severed the connection formed by the Harem God's Cultivation Scripture.

{Make sure to take care of yourself and Sister Xia.}

"Take care of yourself, too. There's no need to push yourself too much."

{I know.}

---

Half an hour later, everyone arrived at the mountain's peak. At the top, there was a row of seven or eight houses, with more than half of them newly built.

These were most likely the residents Xiao Fu Sheng had prepared for his disciples.

At this point, Qin Ze stopped and turned to the three young Medicine King's Valley disciples, "You three wait here."

Immediately, the three disciples cupped their fists and asked, "Uncle Qin, please also allow us to go in."

"What do you want to do there," Qin Ze questioned, somewhat unhappy.

One of the three disciples, with a look of longing on his face, quickly replied, "Since we entered Medicine King's Valley until now, we have only been able to pay our respects to Predecessor Xiao from afar, now that we are here… well…"

Qin Ze frowned a little, but he still nodded. "Very well, but you are not to speak. Uncle Xiao does not like it when people disturb his home's tranquillity."

"Yes, we promise we will not speak." The three disciples immediately agreed.

'To think they'd be this excited to meet Senior Xiao…' Xia Ning Chang quietly looked at the scene from the side.

It was apparent that Xiao Fu Sheng's position within every Alchemist's heart far exceeded what she had imagined. Even the disciples of Medicine King's Valley were thrilled simply being able to meet him.

Under Qin Ze's leadership, the group walked straight towards the row of houses.

But before they had gone far, two women emerged to receive them. These two women were great beauties. Their figures were outstanding, and their faces were charming. They revealed warm yet modest smiles as they glanced towards Xia Ning Chang's group.

'Immortal Ascension 5th and 6th Stage, huh? Their aptitude for cultivation isn't that good, but it seems that Xiao Fu Sheng has expended a considerable amount of resources to raise them as his guards…'

It wasn't an uncommon thing for Alchemists to do something like that, so Su Mu wasn't surprised. There were only a handful of Alchemists who would focus on both cultivation and alchemy, so they'd have other cultivators around to guard them.

As the two women approached the group, Qin Ze quickly cupped his fists, not daring to show the slightest disrespect and politely said, "My two ladies, please inform Uncle Xiao that the people he requested are here."

"There are three of them?" The two women glanced at Dong Qing Yan, who cupped her fists at them.

"Disciple greets these elders."

"Yes…" They smiled at Dong Qing Yan's polite greeting before they turned towards Su Mu and Xia Ning Chang. "A beautiful girl with a veil and a young man with an annoying smile who abducted his disciple… Are you perhaps the ones Senior Meng told Master about?"

Hearing the woman's words, the smile on Su Mu's face widened slightly. It seemed like Meng Wuya had been talking about him a lot these days.

"Yes. I am Senior Meng's disciple, Xia Ning Chang."

"And I am Su Mu."

"I see…" At Xia Ning Chang and Su Mu's polite introduction, the women nodded and continued. "You may call me Aunty Xiang, and this is Aunty Lan."

Dong Qing Yan, Qin Ze, and the other disciples from the Medicine King's Valley were confused at the scene, but they all knew better than to ask a question about something that didn't concern them, at least not right now.

Aunty Xiang then looked at Dong Qing Yan and continued. "You do not have to be so anxious here; feel free to treat this place like your home. From now on, the three of you will live here for quite some time. If you are too nervous, it will be uncomfortable for us, too."

The other woman, Aunty Lan, also laughed and added, "When we first came to Hidden Cloud Peak, we were nearly the same age as you two, yet in a flash, over twenty years passed."

After listening to their words, Dong Qing Yan's tense nerves gradually relaxed.

"Two ladies, is Uncle Xiao…" Qin Ze patiently waited for their greetings to finish before respectfully inquiring.

"Master is waiting for his new disciple with his old friend, Senior Meng." Aunty Lan explained, knowing what Qin Ze wanted to do. "He said that no one except these three should come and visit them."

When they heard this, not only did the three young Medicine King's Valley disciples look sad, but even Qin Ze appeared slightly disappointed.

"Then I shall leave things here to you!" Qin Ze quickly adjusted his expression, cupped his fists and led the three Medicine King's Valley disciples back down the mountain.

When they left, the two women guided Dong Qing Yan, Xia Ning Chang, and Su Mu towards Xiao Fu Sheng's residence.

"Sister Xia, there's something I need your help with…" Su Mu quietly whispered what he had in mind to Xia Ning Chang.

"Brother Su, that's a bit… You shouldn't tease Master so much…"

"You want to do it, too, right?"

"That's…" Xia Ning Chang couldn't deny that she had started to take an interest in moments when Su Mu messed with Meng Wuya a little, but she didn't wish to admit that in front of him.

"It's settled then."

As they arrived outside the house, a loud, cheerful voice came from the inside.

"Hahahaha! Old Man Xiao, didn't I tell you that those two would make their way to this place one way or another? To think they'd come here after clearing the test you were so confident in; how does it feel to lose a bet you were so confident in?"

Naturally, the voice belonged to Meng Wuya."

"You're being too serious about a random bet, Brother Meng."

"A win is a win, Old Man Xiao!"

"Looks like Treasurer Meng is enjoying himself…" Su Mu commented, and Xia Ning Chang giggled at his words.

"It has been lively since Senior Meng arrived at the Hidden Cloud Peak." Aunty Xiang added with a soft smile on her face.

"By the way, Aunty Xiang, how does Master know Senior Xiao?" Xia Ning Chang asked.

"Senior Meng saved Master's life a long time ago, and they have been friends ever since that incident. He is the only person Master truly considers a friend."

"Oh…"

"Master, the three juniors you were expecting have arrived." Soon, Aunty Lan announced their arrival before opening the door, and the five of them walked inside Xiao Fu Sheng's house.

'So that's Xiao Fu Sheng?'

Su Mu looked at the white-haired man, who appeared to be in his sixties, with a long white beard that fell past his chest. His face was calm and dignified, yet, at the moment, it seemed to have a few additional wrinkles as he glanced at Meng Wuya with a tired expression, unable to keep up with the latter's pace.

'His talent in Alchemy is praiseworthy; he might even become a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist even in this small world, but other than that, his current state is quite disappointing…'

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Xiao Fu Sheng already had one leg in the grave.

Contrary to Su Mu's reaction, Dong Qing Yan suddenly tensed up.

An extraordinary figure she had long since idolised was now standing before her eyes. Her feelings were easy to imagine.

On the other hand, Meng Wuya walked towards Xia Ning Chang with a warm expression. "My dear disciple, it has been so long."

"Greetings, Master." Xia Ning Chang politely greeted Meng Wuya, and the latter turned towards Su Mu, who smiled at him.

"Treasurer Meng, how have you been?"

"Life was perfect until you showed up." Meng Wuya quietly examined Su Mu's cultivation base with his Divine Sense, noting that for the very first time, the brat's cultivation hadn't increased in the little time he hadn't seen him.

While retrieving his Divine Sense, Meng Wuya thought, 'It's a good thing that he isn't rushing to increase his cultivation but also making sure to take care of his foundation, too.'

Xiao Fu Sheng also walked towards their group and circled Dong Qing Yan a few times, knowing that she was the only one who took the exam intending to become his disciple, and he happily commented. "Very good, very good!"

"Greetings, Senior Xiao." Xia Ning Chang politely greeted Xiao Fu Sheng, who nodded at her.

"Yes. You must be Brother Meng's disciple…" The High-Rank Mysterious Grade Alchemist then turned towards Su Mu. "And you must be the one he talked about—the young man who has no respect for his elders..."

"Please don't mind that senile old man's words, Old Man Xiao. Treasurer Meng has a habit of talking nonsense." Su Mu's tone was so polite and sincere that it made Xiao Fu Sheng doubt the authenticity of Meng Wuya's words for a moment.

"Don't talk like I'm not here, brat." Meng Wuya's mouth twitched at Su Mu's words, but he held himself together.

"Now, now, why don't we let the young ones rest for a while and talk later?" Xiao Fu Sheng said, turning towards his two guards. "Xiang'er, Lan'er, show them their houses."

Su Mu glanced at Meng Wuya before turning towards Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan with a smile. "Sister Xia and I can share one room; please don't mind us."

"Share one room?!" Meng Wuya thought he had heard wrong for a second. His lovely disciple with Su Mu inside the same room?

"Is something wrong, Treasurer Meng?"

'You exactly know what is wrong, you damn brat!' Meng Wuya almost cursed out loud when he looked at Su Mu's innocent expression, but he held himself together and replied. "Since Old Man Xiao's disciples have already prepared accommodations for you, why waste their efforts?"

"Oh, no. It's alright. Senior Meng doesn't need to worry about small details like that." Aunty Xiang politely replied.

"Since Aunty Xiang has already said so, why don't we ask Sister Xia for her opinion?" Su Mu gave Xia Ning Chang a meaningful smile, and she understood what he wanted her to do.

"Brother Su and I have slept in the same room ever since we arrived at the Medicine King's Valley, so I don't have a problem with it…"

"Huh?" Xia Ning Chang's innocent reply was enough for Meng Wuya to choke on the air, indicating that he was caught off guard by her words, but alas, Su Mu had another thing to add.

"Not to mention, the bed Sister Xia and I slept on was too small for two people, so we'd appreciate a somewhat bigger bed."

"In a small bed…?" Hearing those words, Meng Wuya started coughing violently, and Xiao Fu Sheng hurriedly patted his back.

"Brother Meng! Are you alright?! Have you been injured?!"

"His soul is, for sure."

"You're too much…" Dong Qing Yan's mouth twitched when she looked at the smile on Su Mu's face.

"Treasurer Meng asked for it." Su Mu shrugged his shoulders at Dong Qing Yan's words. He had no intentions of messing with Meng Wuya this time, not until he heard how the old man described him to everyone at the Hidden Cloud Peak.

After that, Aunty Xiang and Aunty Lan guided Su Mu, Xia Ning Chang, and Dong Qing Yan to their new accommodations.

---

[One week later.]

Inside a room, Meng Wuya and Xiao Fu Sheng chatted as they shared some tea.

After drinking a few cups, Meng Wuya grinned meaningfully and asked. "Old Man Xiao, this old master's purpose is coming this time. You should already know, correct?"

Xiao Fu Sheng chuckled lightly, put down his cup and nodded, "Of course I know, with regards to giving guidance about alchemy to Xia Ning Chang, this old man has no objections, but your other request…"

"Is it inconvenient?"

"It is not inconvenient; however, it depends on their qualifications to enter that place! If those two are not qualified, then even if I allow them to visit the Myriad Drug Pond, it will simply be a waste; it costs quite a bit to open it, after all."

Hearing these words, Meng Wuya laughed heartily, "Believe me, those two are more than qualified."

Xia Ning Chang had the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, and Su Mu was capable enough to become the inheritor of a Saint-Grade High-Rank Alchemist. As far as Meng Wuya was concerned, if they weren't qualified to enter the Myriad Drug Pond, no one under the heavens was.

"You are that confident?" Xiao Fu Sheng wrinkled his brow.

Meng Wuya smiled and nodded, "It is not my self-confidence; it is simply my confidence in them. If you don't believe me, you can test them yourself!"

For the past week, Su Mu had shown no intentions of convincing Xiao Fu Sheng about letting them visit the Myriad Drug Pond, and all he did was spend time with Xia Ning Chang inside their room.

Since that was the case, Meng Wuya had no choice but to intervene.

Meng Wuya believed that Su Mu would convince Xiao Fu Sheng one way or another to allow them to visit the Myriad Drug Pond, whether it be by offering up something related to alchemy or by sneaking inside on his own, so it was better to get it over with quickly.

Xiao Fu Sheng was slightly startled by Meng Wuya's bold claims, but he was also intrigued. "Good! This old master is also interested now."

"Xiang'er, call Su Mu, Xia Ning Chang, and Dong Qing Yan."

"Yes, Master."

Aunty Xiang left the room at Xiao Fu Sheng's orders, and soon, she returned with the three youngsters.

"Old Man Xiao here wants to test your Alchemy skills. Give him a demonstration and make sure not to disappoint him." Meng Wuya glanced at Xia Ning Chang and Su Mu with a sly smile.

"Yan'er, you should sit and listen to this, as well."

"Disciple understands."

Xiao Fu Sheng wanted his disciple, Dong Qing Yan, to listen to the test and broaden her knowledge of Alchemy from this experience.

This test lasted for a considerable amount of time, with Xiao Fu Sheng asking various questions about the Alchemic Way, from shallow to deep, step by step, slowly but surely increasing in difficulty.

Xia Ning Chang answered each question with seriousness on the opposite side, while Su Mu remained quiet for the most part, and he only spoke up to correct Xia Ning Chang occasionally.

It wasn't the correct way, but it was enough to express his knowledge in the Alchemic Way.

Half a day later, Old Xiao wore a pleasantly surprised expression, and after a full day, his face had become filled with shock, while the way he looked upon Su Mu and Xia Ning Chang had also changed.

Meng Wuya, on the side, laughed proudly and asked. "So, how about it? Are they qualified?"

Xiao Fu Sheng pondered for a long time in silence before finally summarising. "For Xia Ning Chang, her basic skills and theoretical knowledge are as solid as Mount Tai, and she has gained many insights that even this old man has not. As for Su Mu…"

"What about him?"

"Although he seems to lack the passion for alchemy and knowledge about herbs, his insights in the Alchemic Way are even more profound than Xia Ning Chang's. His small explanations were enough to give this old master some insights…"

Throughout evaluating Su Mu, Xiao Fu Sheng also benefited immensely from the various answers that Su Mu gave to Xia Ning Chang.

"That's only natural…" Meng Wuya said flatly, knowing that Su Mu's knowledge of alchemy was no surprise. It was the least he'd expect from a Saint-Grade Alchemist's inheritor.

However, his pride in Xia Ning Chang and Su Mu was apparent, with his grin extending from ear to ear.

Xiao Fu Sheng chuckled before glancing at him with a knowing smile. "Theory is one thing, but sometimes knowing theory is not as good as moving one's own hands."

{I am very good with my hands, won't you say, Sister Xia?} Su Mu quietly sent a telepathic message to Xia Ning Chang.

{Brother Su!!!!}

When Xia Ning Chang understood what he was talking about, her face instantly turned bright red, but she didn't let anyone else notice her embarrassment.

When Xia Ning Chang understood what he was talking about, her face turned bright red, but she didn't let anyone else notice her embarrassment.

On the other hand, Meng Wuya was still arguing with Xiao Fu Sheng. "Old Man Xiao, if my disciple cannot let you be convinced, this old man will change his surname to yours and call you grandfather!"

"If it's about practical skills, why not simply let us perform alchemy and see for yourself, Senior Xiao?"

The reason Xia Ning Chang proposed something like that was simple. She had always wanted to witness Su Mu perform alchemy, and he promised he'd show her after they arrived at the Hidden Cloud Peak.

"Come with me!" Xiao Fu Sheng nodded before standing up and motioning to the crowd.

Entering a different room inside his residence, Old Xiao brought everyone to the entrance of an underground passage. From how it looked, one could tell that the Hidden Cloud Peak had an enormous underground space.

Everyone here was a cultivator, so descending a long distance was not an issue. After passing a few bends, they came across a large stone room.

The stone chamber was the size of ten regular-sized houses, and it had a variety of Pill Furnaces surrounded by many medicine shelves. Each of these shelves had a variety of herbs; even with a cursory glance, anyone could tell that the amount stored there was massive.

"You have a lot of good things here." Meng Wuya commented as he looked around, picking up a few items and examining them, often appearing reluctant to let go.

Xiao Fu Sheng didn't mind and casually replied, "These are all of this old master's income from a lifetime's hard work."

Everyone who had ever come to ask Xiao Fu Sheng to perform Alchemy would always bring many precious treasures to compensate him, most of which had been stored here over the years.

Xiao Fu Sheng then turned towards Su Mu and Xia Ning Chang. "You may use anything here; choose some ingredients and refine the highest grade of pill possible. Let this old master take a look at your skills."

"You can go first, Sister Xia."

"Okay."

Su Mu and Xia Ning Chang wandered around the stone room, picking out the herbs they wanted to refine. Dong Qing Yan also helped them carry the herbs they selected.

After a few minutes, the three returned with a selection of herbs, but when Xiao Fu Sheng came to inspect their choices, he couldn't help wrinkling his brow when he looked at Xia Ning Chang's section, "These materials are all for refining Heaven Grade High-Rank pills. Are you that confident?"

However, Xia Ning Chang only nodded at his words.

"Very well, then begin. Use whatever pill tripod around here that you'd like. This old master has plenty, after all." Xiao Fu Sheng smiled.

"There's no need…" Xia Ning Chang softly said.

"No need for a pill furnace…" Xiao Fu Sheng had not even finished his sentence before he saw Xia Ning Chang's True Qi suddenly surge.

Gently picking up one of the materials with her delicate hands, Xia Ning Chang formed her True Qi into fine threads and injected it into the herb, its medicinal essence quickly being extracted as a result and then floating mid-air like drops of crystal rain, quickly forming a fragrant medicinal liquid.

At the flick of her wrist, the drop of liquid moved to her other hand, and there, it gently floated above her palm.

Xia Ning Chang then picked up another herb, followed the same procedure, and soon after, another drop of crystal liquid appeared.

Every time she extracted the medicinal essence from a herb, it would lose its spirituality and wither.

"Heavens…" Dong Qing Yan's eyes filled with indescribable shock, her face showing an expression of pure awe.

What Xia Ning Chang did was not Alchemy; instead, it appeared to be some magical display.

Xiao Fu Sheng was equally surprised, his mouth constantly muttering, "Someone can refine medicinal liquid like this? How could it be? How is this possible?"

Less than a quarter of an hour later, all the herbal essences had condensed into a medicinal liquid, which then gathered in Xia Ning Chang's palm.

Next, she gently waved her hands and moulded her True Qi into this ball of liquid. A moment later, she suddenly gripped her fist, and the surrounding World Energy swirled together. After this rapid and unexpected change, once she opened her hand again, a blue pill appeared inside it.

The pill was perfectly rounded, not containing the slightest impurity. On its surface, there was a network of fine lines that appeared in a pattern similar to a cultivator's meridians.

"Pill Veins!" Xiao Fu Sheng's eyes nearly popped out as he suddenly screamed.

"Uncle, please examine it!" Xia Ning Chang gently held this pill and passed it towards Xiao Fu Sheng.

"Careful. Careful little miss, please don't damage the Pill Veins…" Xiao Fu Sheng stretched out his trembling hands and extremely gently received the pill as if it were some divine object he wanted to pay homage to.

"Hmph, what a good-for-nothing!" Meng Wuya teased promptly.

"Fool, you don't know shit!" Xiao Fu Sheng viciously cursed, lightly turning over the pill as he carefully examined it.

"They are Pill Veins… real Pill Veins." At the moment, Xiao Fu Sheng no longer had any trace of a Grandmaster's demeanour; he was totally like an ignorant country bumpkin who had suddenly come to the big city, gazing in wonder at the marvels before him.

"Master, what exactly are Pill Veins?" Dong Qing Yan inquired.

"Pill Veins…" Xiao Fu Sheng gently sighed, "The appearance of Pill Veins is one of the highest achievements an Alchemist can attain in Alchemy. These faint lines on the pill's surface are like our body's meridians. In other words, Pill Veins are a pill's meridians!"

"Whether or not a pill has Pill Veins, its grade does not change, but there is a big difference between a pill with Pill Veins and one with none. Pills with Pill Veins have absorbed the energy of Heaven and Earth and are more than twice as potent as ordinary pills. In addition, the existence of Pill Veins can prevent a pill from losing any of its medicinal effects, which means that no matter how many years it is stored, its efficacy will not decrease." Xiao Fu Sheng explained, his voice filled with awe and admiration. "This old master has been studying Alchemy for many years, and recently, I have focused on the refinement of Pill Veins, but only when refining Common Grade pills will I have occasional success, for Earth Grade, Pill Veins rarely appear, and as for Heaven Grade… I've never succeeded."

Turning around, his eyes shining, Xiao Fu Sheng gazed towards Xia Ning Chang. "When you refine Heaven Grade pills, what proportion of them have Pill Veins appear?"

Xia Ning Chang immediately bit her lip and timidly looked at Meng Wuya.

She had already given Xiao Fu Sheng a hefty blow today, and she really couldn't bear to answer this question truthfully.

What would she do if Xiao Fu Sheng suddenly passed out and never opened his eyes again?

However, Meng Wuya only grinned, "Just tell him."

"One out of ten…"

Xiao Fu Sheng gasped.

One out of ten Heaven Grade pills had Pill Veins, and each of these would have more than twice the ordinary efficacy; such methods exceed the realm of skills.

It could only be a heavenly blessing!

Still wearing a look of shock, Xiao Fu Sheng quickly asked, "Pill cloud? Has the legendary Pill Cloud that is even above Pill Veins appeared?"

Xia Ning Chang shook her head.

Xiao Fu Sheng was about to ask more, but before he could, Su Mu's voice came from the side.

"Well, now it's my turn to refine a pill…"

"When did you even get there?"

"When you were busy panicking over Pill Veins."

Su Mu smiled at Dong Qing Yan's question, sitting on the ground with a pill furnace he randomly picked up from the stone room.

"Oh…" Xiao Su Sheng turned his attention towards Su Mu, remembering that his accomplishments in the Alchemic Way were even higher than Xia Ning Chang's and believing that he'd show an even more spectacular display than her. "What grade of Pill will you refine?"

Xia Ning Chang and Dong Qing Yan were also looking forward to his performance at Alchemy.

Naturally, as someone who knew him as the inheritor of a Saint-Grade High-Rank Alchemist, Meng Wuya was no exception.

"Don't look at me like that; even I can't show something as spectacular as Sister Xia…" Su Mu chuckled when he looked at the anticipation in their eyes. "As for the pill's grade, it'll be a Heaven Grade Low-Rank Pill."

"Heaven Grade Low-Rank?"

Refining a Heaven-Grade Low-Ranking Pill at Su Mu's age was an unachievable accomplishment for most, but after what Xia Ning Chang had shown, an accomplishment like that felt somewhat small.

However, Su Mu didn't mind their reactions, and he turned towards Xia Ning Chang and continued. "Although you can't perform alchemy through the same method, it'll be good for you to observe properly."

"Mmh." Xia Ning Chang nodded, and Su Mu turned towards the pill furnace next to him.

'It's been quite a lifetime since I performed Alchemy; it'd be embarrassing if the Alchemic God's Refinement Method failed…'

The Alchemic God's Refinement Method was the method Su Mu had used ever since he became an Alchemist, and it contained a total of a thousand and eight Spirit Arrays. However, currently, he couldn't even form eighteen of them at once.

'Eight Spirit Arrays should be more than enough…'

Usually, Su Mu would've only used three or four at best, but since the current refinement's purpose was to let Xia Ning Chang observe, it wouldn't be a bad idea to refine some pills properly.

The starting process was similar to every other alchemist in the world, and Su Mu used his True Yang Qi to condense the medicinal essence of the herbs into a liquid, which took a little over an hour.

"Such pure Yang Qi; it's hard to believe how easily it can condense the medicinal liquid…"

"His control over True Yang Qi is also exceptional…"

"His concentration is commendable, too…"

"This old master can't believe that this brat can concentrate on something that's not a beautiful woman…"

"Silence."

Su Mu stopped the meaningless comments from the onlookers with a serious expression.

He formed a few mysterious seals with his hands before stretching out his right hand a bit. Immediately, an image of a complex Spirit Array appeared in the air before flying into the Pill Furnace.

A moment later, another Spirit Array appeared and rested below the Pill Furnace, followed by one that levitated above the Pill Furnace.

Within a minute, eight complex Spirit Arrays surrounded the Pill Furnace from all sides, and Su Mu took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

Soon, the World Energy around the Pill Furnace started pouring into it without restraint. It was a scene much different from what Xia Ning Chang had shown, as back then, the World Energy had only swirled around her palm rather than being absorbed by it.

Time slowly passed, but no one present dared to utter a single word. Xiao Fu Sheng, Dong Qing Yan, and Xia Ning Chang carefully examined Su Mu's every movement, and Meng Wuya looked in awe even though he wasn't an alchemist.

"Haah…"

After another hour, Su Mu let out a long, tired sigh before opening the pill furnace.

'It failed despite all that effort, huh…? Well, alchemy was never my strong suit; not practising for tens of thousands of years would make anyone rusty…'

However, since Xia Ning Chang observed the whole refining process, Su Mu didn't mind the failure.

"S-Such rich pill fragrance. Show us the results…"

"Right."

Su Mu pulled a golden pill out from the pill furnace, holding it between his index and middle finger like candy.

The pill's colour and fragrance were much more potent than the one refined by Xia Ning Chang, but there was another difference between them.

On Su Mu's pill, there were strange rounded patterns much different from the Pill Veins on Xia Ning Chang's pill, almost resembling a cloud.

Xiao Fu Sheng was the first to realise that, and his whole body trembled.

"Are those…"

"Yeah, they're the Pill Clouds you mentioned."

The pill's refinement was a success, but the quality didn't match up to Su Mu's expectations, which made it a failure.

"Pill Clouds on a Heaven Grade Low-Rank Pill…" While everybody was at a loss for words, Xiao Fu Sheng raised his hands towards Su Mu. "Young Master—No, Grandmaster Su, can I hold this pill and examine it?"

"Hmm. What should I do?" Su Mu gave Xiao Fu Sheng a meaningful smile. "If Old Man Xiao could do something about the Myriad Drug Pond…"

"O-Of course! It'll be the Medicine King's Valley's fortune if Grandmaster Su were to visit the Pill Saint's Peak!"

"And there were some herbs I needed…"

"Anything Grandmaster Su desires."

'Old Xiao, were you always that desperate?' Meng Wuya blinked in surprise, unable to even recognise the friend he had known for more than a few decades.

"Then it's fine. Look for as long as you want."

"Ah!" Xiao Fu Sheng's heart almost jumped out of his chest when Su Mu nonchalantly tossed the pill towards him.

The moment he successfully caught the pill, the strength in Xiao Fu Sheng's legs vanished, and he fell to his knees, breathless.

"M-Master!" Dong Qing Yan hurriedly tried to help her master, crouching and patting his back.

---

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