The next morning, Xiao Se donned the black robe of a second-tier alchemist that he had received the previous day and headed to the flying transport square in the city center to meet with Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke.
"Xiao Se, over here, here!" From a distance, Xiao Se heard Lin Fei's lively voice calling out. Smiling and shaking his head, he followed the direction of the sound and walked over. He soon noticed that, besides Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke, there was another girl standing next to Lin Fei, even more beautiful than the latter.
The girl wore a silver tight-fitting robe, appearing around the same age as Lin Fei, about 17 or 18 years old. She had a tall and slender figure, exquisite facial features, delicate eyebrows, and snow-white skin that contrasted with her silver attire. Her long silver hair cascading down to her waist added to her cold, untouchable beauty.
"Master Au Tuo, Master Fu Lan Ke," Xiao Se greeted the silver-haired girl with a nod of mild surprise and then bowed respectfully to Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke.
"Hehe, Xiao Se, let me introduce you. This is my disciple, Xue Mei. Though her talent doesn't quite match yours, she's certainly not far behind Lin Fei," Fu Lan Ke chuckled, introducing Xue Mei to Xiao Se.
"Xue Mei, greet him."
"Hello, Mr. Xiao Se," Xue Mei, still a bit shy, nodded at Xiao Se.
"Hello, Miss Xue Mei," Xiao Se responded with a smile.
Fu Lan Ke, noticing that Xiao Se didn't distance himself from Xue Mei like he did with Lin Fei, thought to himself that there might be potential for something there.
Smiling, he took out two crystal objects from his storage ring—one purple and one white, both etched with magic patterns—and said, "Xiao Se, here are the two third-tier magic cores you asked for."
"Thank you, Master Fu Lan Ke." Xiao Se felt a sense of relief as he accepted the magic cores, bowing again in gratitude.
"Hehe, if you truly want to thank us, you can help us achieve a good ranking for Black Rock City in next year's Alchemist Conference. I believe you can do it," Au Tuo said, patting his round belly with a smile.
"I will," Xiao Se nodded firmly. He had no trouble refining third-tier pills at this point, and all he needed was to raise his cultivation level by a few more stars before he could attempt refining fourth-tier pills.
If he managed to absorb the Green Lotus Core Flame, refining a fourth-tier pill would be within reach.
"Hey, Xiao Se, if you ever pass through Black Rock City again, you have to come and hang out with me!" Lin Fei said, a bit reluctant to see him leave.
"If I have the chance," Xiao Se smiled as he bid farewell to Fu Lan Ke and the others, and under Lin Fei's curious gaze, he boarded the alchemist-exclusive flying magical beast bound for Mo City, located on the eastern border of the Jia Ma Empire.
After being led by the attendants, Xiao Se was assigned to a window-side room.
Once inside, he closed the doors and windows, activated his vast sea cosmic shroud, and took out the third-tier magic cores, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, Blood Lotus Essence, and other ingredients needed to refine the fifth-tier Blood Lotus Pill. His gaze fell on Long Kui, who was now sitting casually at the table, and he smiled, saying, "Long Kui, I'll need your help refining this fifth-tier pill, as it's beyond my current abilities."
"Don't worry, brother. I'm really happy to help you again," Long Kui's eyes sparkled as she smiled softly. She had always wanted to lighten the burden on her brother's shoulders.
"Still, if you feel your soul energy being drained too quickly and it becomes unbearable, stop immediately," Xiao Se reminded her with some concern.
"Understood, brother," Long Kui replied as her graceful figure transformed into a blue light and merged into Xiao Se's body.
In an instant, Xiao Se's pupils glowed blue, and his aura surged dramatically. A vast energy rippled through the air, enveloped in blue light. If not for the protective aura shielding the room, the entire flying magical beast might have been blown apart.
"This power... Dou Huang level!" Xiao Se raised his hands and stared at them in disbelief, feeling the overwhelming strength coursing through his veins.
He never imagined that after barely being able to handle the power of a seven-star Dou Wang at the beginning, he could now, after breaking through the Dou Shi level, handle the strength of a Dou Huang.
"It seems my soul force has also reached the level of a sixth-tier alchemist. This strength... it's truly remarkable," Xiao Se murmured to himself.
He quickly took out his cauldron and began refining the Blood Lotus Pill.
Three days passed in a flash. Thanks to his protective aura concealing his presence, Xiao Se avoided attracting unwanted attention, unlike the original Xiao Yan.
Despite Long Kui's help and his sixth-tier soul force, refining a fifth-tier pill for the first time was still a challenge. Although he succeeded, the quality was lacking. Thankfully, he had requested an extra third-tier magic core from Fu Lan Ke. Learning from the first attempt, his second try went smoothly, and he successfully refined a higher-quality Blood Lotus Pill.
"Ah, from the sixth-tier onward, I'll have to rely on myself to find pill formulas," Xiao Se sighed, gazing at the freshly refined Blood Lotus Pill in the jade bottle.
When Xiao Se received the legacy of Luo Han, a peak sixth-tier alchemist, he not only gained his alchemy knowledge but also his pill formulas. Luo Han's collection of formulas was vast, covering almost everything below the sixth tier, except for a few unique pills like Yao Lao's Foundation Establishment Liquid and Spirit Merging Pill, which can fully heal soul injuries, as well as the Heaven's Break Pill, which requires a Heavenly Flame to refine.
But formulas for the seventh tier and beyond were scarce. The only seventh-tier pill formula he possessed was the Transformation Pill, which was of no use to him, and he still lacked the formula for the Resurrection Pill needed to revive Long Kui.
"Brother, we're almost at our destination," Long Kui's soft voice sounded beside his ear.
"Is that so?" Xiao Se smiled at her joyful face as he stood up and moved to the window. Since acquiring the protective aura, Long Kui no longer had to stay hidden in the demon sword constantly. Whenever they rested, Xiao Se would release the aura so Long Kui could come out, without fear of being seen.
Standing by the window, Xiao Se looked down from the flying magical beast, and the entire Mo City came into view.
As his gaze swept across the landscape, a small, solitary building at the southern edge of Mo City caught his attention. The area was desolate, far from the bustling center, and it seemed rather strange.
"Could that be the shop run by that old guy, Hai Bodong?" Xiao Se wondered, and he began packing up his belongings, saying to Long Kui, "Let's disembark early here."
"Got it, brother," Long Kui replied, her body shimmering before transforming into a blue light and entering the demon sword.
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