Chapter 56: Three-Pattern Qingling Pill
After the meal, Yao Yan made his way to the quiet pill refinement chamber.
He sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, eyes closed, as powerful energy and blood surged within him like a slumbering dragon. At times, faint spatial energy escaped his body, causing the surrounding space to distort. After a long while, his skin suddenly took on a bronze hue, speckled with silver light, and a terrifying force exploded outward, shaking the area.
"This spatial energy really isn't something I can handle right now…"
Yao Yan slowly opened his eyes, a trace of worry flickering in their depths. If it weren't for his extraordinary physique, he would've died in that spatial storm. Even having survived, the spatial energy now within his body was troublesome—he could only grind it down slowly with his qi and blood. The process was extremely painful, like having shards of glass inside his body, constantly tearing through his flesh.
If it weren't for the regenerative abilities granted by his Spirit Clan Dou Di bloodline, his body would already be in ruins…
Fortunately, the process wasn't without benefit. Between the tearing and healing, he could clearly sense the progress of his Indestructible Diamond Body technique increasing. Body refinement had always been a process of tormenting oneself, and the technique he was cultivating treated his body like a puppet to be reforged.
Hun Xuzi had clearly planned this in advance… Yao Yan thought to himself as he felt the increasing strength of his body.
To fully unleash the Spirit Devourer Clan's potential, a powerful physique was essential. Otherwise, how could one withstand such explosive power? This was the real reason Hun Xuzi had him first absorb the bloodlines of the Stone Clan and Spirit Clan Dou Dis. Their combined essence, along with the Indestructible Diamond Body, had already pushed Yao Yan's physical strength to a terrifying level—even during his youth.
It allowed him to forcefully advance regardless of his Dou Qi progress, with no side effects.
Yao Yan had no doubt that his "cheap master" had already mapped out the entire path for him to reach the Dou Sheng realm. All he had to do was follow the plan. But that wasn't the path he truly desired.
He now wanted more—to try the peak of the peak!
"It's time to consider breaking through to Da Dou Shi…"
After a moment of contemplation, he looked toward the cauldron in front of him. With a thought, he raised his hand and retrieved a large number of medicinal ingredients from his storage ring. These had been prepared by Hai Bodong—each ingredient was present in at least three portions, in case of failure.
That was the unspoken rule when requesting a pill from an alchemist. No one could guarantee 100% success, especially with Tier 3 and higher pills, where the difficulty increased exponentially.
Of course, that didn't apply to Yao Yan. His soul strength far surpassed his Dou Qi level. If not for the limitation of his cultivation, he would've attempted a Tier 6 pill already—especially after the last round of instruction from Hun Xuzi, which had further refined his skills. What he now lacked was just experience with higher-grade pills.
But refining a Tier 6 pill required a minimum of Dou Wang strength, as those were beyond the realm of ordinary pills. Even within the Medicine Clan, such pills were extremely rare.
"Three-Pattern Qingling Pill…"
A formula appeared in Yao Yan's mind. It didn't come from Hun Xuzi, but from one of the medicine farmers. It was a pill especially suited for the Three Flame Gathering Art, and could also be used to test whether the technique had been mastered.
The Three-Pattern Qingling Pill—a Tier 4 pill.
A standard Three-Pattern Qingling Pill could help a Dou Shi break through to Da Dou Shi. For a Da Dou Shi, it offered a slight chance to raise their level by one star, with no adverse effects.
What made this pill unique was its three quality tiers. Each tier would manifest as one ring on the pill's surface. If three rings appeared, it was a top-grade version of the pill, capable of raising a Da Dou Shi's level by three stars in a short time. However, it also came with a certain chance of backlash, potentially dropping one or two stars in level—but not life-threatening.
To refine a top-tier Three-Pattern Qingling Pill, three distinct types of flame were required. Moreover, one had to achieve flawless transitions between them. Otherwise, the failure rate was extremely high.
A cultivator could only safely take one such pill during the Da Dou Shi stage. A second use would be rendered ineffective due to bodily resistance. After advancing to Dou Ling, it could be taken again, but the effects would be reduced—at most a two-star increase—and the failure risk would multiply.
Required materials: Green Flame Grass, Black Heaven Ma…
At present, Yao Yan had only refined one beast flame—the Illusory Gold Flame. But through his cultivation of the Three Flame Gathering Art, he could condense three unique types of fire: Qi Flame (based on Dou Qi), Soul Flame (based on soul power), and Essence Flame (based on blood and vitality).
In theory, any alchemist could eventually condense these three types of flame.
Like in the original novel, when Yao Lao lost his body and used soul power to control the Bone Spirit Cold Flame—this was essentially a way of burning one's soul.
Lower-tier alchemists didn't dare attempt this. Their soul and blood energy were simply too weak. Most focused on Dou Qi-based alchemy. Only when one truly matured would they consider trying others.
The reason the Three Flame Gathering Art was regarded by the Medicine Clan as the strongest foundation technique was because it could produce these three special flames once mastered.
But the cultivation speed was painfully slow. Most people couldn't reach mastery in their lifetime and remained stuck at Dou Shi, never stepping into Da Dou Shi. Many in the clan gave up and switched techniques.
Over the years, only a handful—including Yao Lao—had succeeded.
Huu~
Yao Yan ignited the cauldron with Illusory Gold Flame, then used his soul power to guide the ingredients inside. He refined them into drops of gemstone-like medicinal essence. This was not difficult for him—his only concern was Dou Qi consumption.
Hours later, all the ingredients required for the Three-Pattern Qingling Pill had been transformed into glittering droplets, floating like stars in the Illusory Gold Flame.
"Let's begin."
Yao Yan's gaze sharpened as he murmured to himself. A trace of heat rose in his eyes. This was a chance to test the results of his training. Ordinary Three-Pattern Qingling Pills were easy to make, but a top-tier version tested one's mastery over the three fire types—something even some Tier 6 alchemists failed to achieve.
In fact, choosing three beast flames was easier than mastering Qi, Soul, and Essence Flames.
But for Yao Yan, who cultivated the Three Flame Gathering Art, such shortcuts were unnecessary. He extinguished the Illusory Gold Flame and activated his technique. Inside the cauldron, three colored flames rose: red, yellow, and white. Each represented a different origin—clearly distinct, yet somehow merging, interweaving, and transforming into one another.
Hundreds of drops of essence floated within, gradually merging under Yao Yan's control.
The scene was indescribably harmonious and beautiful…
(END CHAPTER)
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