Time flowed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Xiao Se had already spent ten months in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Now, less than half a month remained until the Alchemist Competition.
During this time, Xiao Se had endured Queen Medusa's relentless torment. Whether it was because Xiao Se had previously threatened her or because she wanted him to grow quickly to help her obtain the Fusion Pill recipe, Queen Medusa had adopted a training approach that could be described as "if it doesn't kill you, push harder."
Aside from the necessary time for alchemy and cultivating Dou Qi, Medusa seized every opportunity to drag Xiao Se into harsh training sessions. No matter how much his strength improved, Queen Medusa always maintained a power level just above his.
After each session, Xiao Se would be carried, wounded, into a bath barrel by Long Kui for treatment.
Of course, in exchange, Medusa greatly contributed to Xiao Se's progress. His previous attempts at cultivating Dou Qi techniques were prone to flaws, but under the guidance of Queen Medusa, who had hundreds of years of combat experience, he had mastered many skills. He even fused the Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus technique, which was known for being beyond his current level.
In terms of cultivation, his progress was equally impressive. Within just ten months, he had condensed a Dou Crystal in his body, advancing from a seven-star Dou Shi to a three-star Da Daou Shi.
Xiao Se's rapid advancement could be attributed not only to daily intense training and the rich energy of the small valley but also to the aid of the Green Lotus Throne and a significant opportunity. This opportunity occurred during the fifth month when, while breaking through to the Da Daou Shi level, Xiao Se discovered an ancient cave dwelling deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. In it, he found an advanced Xuan-level Dou Technique, "Eight Fold Peak," a high-level dark attribute cultivation method, two mid-level Xuan techniques, a large sum of gold coins, and herbs, as well as a pill recipe for the "Azure Spirit Purple Ganoderma Ointment."
This pill had effects similar to the "Green Ganoderma Fire Spirit Ointment" taught by Yao Lao to Xiao Yan. Both could be applied to the skin during cultivation to enhance the body's sensitivity to fire attribute energy in the environment. However, its side effect was more severe—it ignited an inner fire after cultivation that could only be quelled by intimacy with a woman. Fortunately, Queen Medusa was there to help.
(P.S.: Don't misunderstand! It's not that kind of thing!)
Using the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain from Medusa's evolution, Xiao Se would drink a small sip after cultivation, which would suppress the raging inner fire.
In front of the wooden house, Queen Medusa lounged comfortably on a sofa under a parasol, while Xiao Se sat not far away by his cauldron, refining pills.
A green flame rose from his hand, enveloping the cauldron, where it rolled and burned.
Suddenly, a wisp of purple pill fragrance drifted from the stone platform, filling the air around Xiao Se.
"The Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill is about to be ready."
Raising his head slightly, Xiao Se muttered, then placed his palm on the cauldron. The lid shot up, and a burst of green flames surged out. At the center of the flames, a round pill emitting a purple glow floated, releasing waves of purple fragrance.
The purple fragrance rose, forming a brilliant purple cloud above the cauldron.
Xiao Se's face showed a hint of excitement as he watched the purple cloud. He retracted the green flames into his body, then raised his hand to catch the pill. Smiling, he placed the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill into a jade bottle. A four-tier peak-level pill capable of directly enhancing a Da Daou Shi's strength by one star, and allowing for two consecutive uses—perfect for Xiao Se's current needs.
"It seems you've succeeded in refining a four-tier peak pill. But if I recall correctly, you're aiming to help Hai Bodong refine a fifth-tier Restoration Pill at the competition. Are you confident?" Queen Medusa asked lazily from her sofa in front of the wooden house.
Xiao Se shook his head, smiling as he placed the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill into a jade bottle. "About fifty percent," he replied with a chuckle.
"Fifty percent?" Medusa raised her brow, her once lazy expression now frosty. "So you only have a twenty to thirty percent chance of successfully refining a fifth-tier pill?"
Seeing her anger, Xiao Se smiled faintly, walked over to the sofa, and sat down beside her. "Don't be mad, Sasha. I'll practice beforehand, and everything will be fine."
"I told you to call me 'Your Majesty,' not 'Sasha.' Do you want me to kill you now?" Queen Medusa shivered slightly at the nickname, clearly repulsed. After a moment, she sighed. "But really, you could win the championship just by refining the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill. Why bother with a fifth-tier pill? Fa Ma, Gu He, and some of the old guys from the Jia Ma Empire will also be there. You won't have the chance to rely on that little girl, Long Kui, for help."
After ten months of living together, Xiao Se and Queen Medusa had grown quite close. Perhaps due to the presence of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, Xiao Se occasionally dared to tease Medusa verbally.
Meanwhile, Long Kui, surprisingly, had become good friends with Queen Medusa, and they even referred to each other as sisters.
As for Hong Kui, she was the opposite. Whenever she saw the Queen, the atmosphere would become tense, and the two would often bicker. If it weren't for Long Kui intervening, the small valley might have been torn apart by their clashes.
Hearing Medusa's confusion, Xiao Se sighed, shaking his head. He looked at her and explained, "The world is unpredictable. This Alchemist Competition may take an unexpected turn. There could be someone capable of refining a pill of the same quality as mine. Do you know why the competition, which was originally held every eight years, was suddenly changed to every four years?"
Queen Medusa shook her head. "I seldom leave the desert, so I'm not sure. The only impression I have of the competition was from twelve years ago when Pill King Gu He won by successfully refining a fourth-tier pill."
Xiao Se suddenly realized that his presence had triggered a butterfly effect. Aside from famous events like the canceled engagement and the three-year promise, the storyline had already gone off track.
At that moment, Long Kui walked out of the wooden house, smiling. "Brother, Sister Medusa, the food is ready. Come and eat."
"I'm coming!" Xiao Se eagerly rubbed his hands and stood up, ready to head inside, but Medusa's snake tail coiled around his foot and flung him aside. After a mid-air flip, he landed safely, but Queen Medusa had already entered the house ahead of him.
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