Chapter 14: Refining Medicine with the Stone Talisman
"Bang!"
At the back mountain cliff, Xiao Tian used his soul power to clear out the collapsed cave. Under the effect of his soul power, he began to float in the air.
"With my current soul power, I might be able to rival a Great Battle Master," Xiao Tian thought, unable to hide his joy.
On the Dou Qi Continent, without any inheritance, soul power was practically useless for anything other than refining medicine. But now, he could use his soul power to attack. Combining his soul power with his Dou Qi, his strength would be significantly enhanced.
"It's a pity this cave was destroyed." Shaking his head, Xiao Tian said to Elder Yao, "Master, I'll need you to create another cave for me."
Elder Yao was speechless but complied.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In no time, Elder Yao, controlling Xiao Tian, quickly carved out a new cave. "Don't conduct any more experiments in the cave. If it collapses again, I won't help you."
Elder Yao left in a flash.
Xiao Tian entered the cave, ready to refine a second-grade elixir. Now that he had breakthroughs in both his cultivation and soul power, it was time to advance to a second-grade alchemist. He took out the medicinal ingredients, then suddenly thought of something.
The stone talisman could automatically purify. Did this mean he could use it to refine medicine? With this in mind, Xiao Tian took out three stalks of Purple Leaf Orchid, two Washing Bone Flowers, and a first-grade wood attribute magic core from his storage ring.
He placed these ingredients with the stone talisman.
"Buzz!"
Immediately, a strong suction force emanated from the stone talisman. Xiao Tian saw the ingredients being rapidly converted into a mass of green medicinal liquid. He picked up the stone talisman and took the liquid from its groove, asking Elder Yao, "Master, can you check if this is Foundation Establishment Liquid?"
Elder Yao appeared and took the green liquid in his hand. After a careful examination, he said in amazement, "This is indeed Foundation Establishment Liquid, and its purity is extremely high. I could only achieve this level of purity with multiple purifications using different flames."
Hearing this, Xiao Tian looked at the stone talisman and murmured, "Does this mean I can directly use the stone talisman to refine ninth-grade elixirs?"
"Haha!" Elder Yao laughed. "Just because you can refine low-level elixirs doesn't mean you can refine high-level ones. This Foundation Establishment Liquid isn't even considered a true elixir. Real elixirs require various changes during the refining process. A few more or fewer changes can result in completely different medicinal effects."
He continued, "However, using the stone talisman for purification can save a lot of purification time. This is indeed an extremely precious treasure!"
Even so, Xiao Tian was very satisfied with the stone talisman. It meant he wouldn't need to expend much energy on purifying ingredients, a process that was quite consuming in terms of Dou Qi and mental effort. With the stone talisman, he wouldn't fail and only needed to merge the purified medicinal essences, saving a lot of tedious steps.
"Now, let's start purifying the ingredients!"
Xiao Tian used the stone talisman to extract some medicinal essences, then began refining the Foundation Establishment Liquid. With his powerful soul, and skipping the purification step, he successfully refined the liquid in just one incense stick's time.
"So easy, too simple."
Xiao Tian felt this kind of refining lacked any challenge. After making twenty portions of Foundation Establishment Liquid, he stopped for the day. He put the liquid into jade bottles, then left the cave and headed to the Xiao family compound.
Arriving at Xiao Xun'er's residence, Xiao Tian called out, "Xun'er, are you there?"
"Coming, Brother Xiao Tian!" The door opened, and Xun'er appeared, dressed in a tasteful light green outfit. The pale color added a touch of purity. Her tight pants accentuated her slender legs, making her figure even more alluring. This youthful and vibrant look was particularly appealing.
Xun'er smiled playfully, her eyes curving into crescents. "What brings Brother Xiao Tian here?"
"Nothing much, I just recently made some medicinal liquid that might help with your cultivation," Xiao Tian said, knowing she lacked nothing given her background. However, girls appreciated thoughtfulness from loved ones. In the original story, Xiao Yan gifting her a simple bracelet made her incredibly happy.
As he spoke, Xiao Tian flipped his hand, and several jade bottles appeared. He handed them to Xun'er, explaining, "These are second-grade Foundation Establishment Liquids, containing very gentle energy suitable for cultivation even at the Dou Qi stage. And I made them myself."
"Recently, some Foundation Establishment Liquid appeared in Wu Tan City. So, it was all made by Brother Xiao Tian!" Xun'er took the bottles, smiling brightly. "Brother Xiao Tian is so good to me. I heard one bottle is worth forty to fifty thousand gold coins. The Xiao clan leader bought two for his son and got scolded by the three elders!"
"The previous ones were made by my master. These are my own work," Xiao Tian explained with a smile. "Xun'er, you aren't upset that I didn't give you some earlier, are you?"
"Of course not. I only like things from Brother Xiao Tian!" Xun'er shook her head quickly. "Even if it's a roadside weed, as long as Brother Xiao Tian gives it, I will cherish it."
"Xun'er, you are so sweet!" Touched by her words, Xiao Tian pulled her into his arms.
"Brother Xiao Tian is hugging me." The sudden embrace and the masculine scent made Xun'er's head spin, her heart racing. She was also aware that Ling Ying was secretly observing them, making her feel a mix of happiness and panic, like a startled kitten.
Luckily, Xiao Tian didn't take things further. He simply kissed her on the forehead and released her.
With a smile, he extended his hand, "Xun'er, let's go eat together!"
"Alright!" Xun'er squinted her eyes and placed her hand in Xiao Tian's, letting him lead her away.
(End of Chapter)