Chapter 85: The Lure of the Pill
The surface of the silent sea of lava was calm, without wind or waves, occasionally producing slight popping sounds from gas explosions.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, the lava splashed as a figure shot out, floating in midair.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Following the figure were no fewer than a thousand lizardmen. Most were at the Dou Ling or Dou Wang levels, with about a dozen matching the strength of Dou Huangs. They stared at Xiao Tian, screeching incessantly, but none dared to leave the lava.
"Damn it, you've chased me all this way. Watch how I deal with you!"
With these words, Xiao Tian's body glowed with a layer of glassy light, and he charged directly at the lizardmen.
"Bang!"
With one punch, a lizardman as strong as a Dou Wang exploded under Xiao Tian's strike. Collecting the red energy bead, Xiao Tian then targeted another lizardman.
Xiao Tian rampaged through them, and any lizardman that collided with his body exploded instantly. Even those at the Dou Huang level couldn't withstand his powerful strikes.
After killing over a hundred lizardmen, Xiao Tian sensed an even stronger presence approaching from below. Realizing he couldn't confront these more powerful lizardmen just yet, he flew towards the entrance above.
Reaching the upper level, Xiao Tian saw Su Qian sitting cross-legged. He tapped on the spatial barrier, and Su Qian's eyes immediately opened.
Standing up quickly, Su Qian approached and opened an entrance in the barrier for Xiao Tian. Once inside, Su Qian asked, "How did it go? Were you successful?"
"I succeeded," Xiao Tian nodded. "While at the bottom of the magma, I also found another Fallen Heart Flame, still in its juvenile stage."
"What?"
Su Qian was shocked. He had never expected there to be a second Fallen Heart Flame.
"Here you go, Grand Elder."
Xiao Tian handed the juvenile Fallen Heart Flame to Su Qian.
"Oh, thank you so much."
Su Qian beamed with joy as he looked at the still-weak Fallen Heart Flame. "You've tamed the wild and unruly Fallen Heart Flame and given the academy a more docile juvenile. You've really solved a major problem for us."
"We're just helping each other," Xiao Tian smiled. "Grand Elder, let's get out of here."
"Alright!"
Su Qian agreed, and the two left together.
As they ascended, the tower was empty of students. With the Fallen Heart Flame being refined, the Heavenly Flame Training Tower had no heart flame, so the academy had temporarily closed it. However, elders were still guarding the tower, prepared for any incidents involving the Fallen Heart Flame.
Su Qian handed the juvenile Fallen Heart Flame to a fire attribute elder, instructing, "Starting tomorrow, the Heavenly Flame Training Tower will reopen. But from now on, you fire attribute elders must take turns injecting Dou Qi into the Fallen Heart Flame every day."
"Yes, Grand Elder."
The elders responded in unison.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tian went outside the tower. Instead of returning to the Outer Academy, he decided to stay in the Inner Academy.
Over the next few days, Xiao Tian fulfilled his previous promises, helping the Inner Academy elders by refining pills for them. He also continuously refined the energy beads from the lizardmen to enhance his own cultivation.
With the aid of the Stone Talisman, Xiao Tian found refining pills easier, faster, and more efficient than other alchemists. During this time, he even successfully refined the Qingming Pill, a basic seventh-grade pill, on his first try.
After handing the Qingming Pill to Su Qian, Xiao Tian had fully repaid his debt to the Inner Academy.
One day, Xiao Tian sought out Zi Yan.
"Big guy, why are you looking for me?" Zi Yan asked, puzzled.
"I heard you have a treasure-hunting ability," Xiao Tian smiled. "I want to collaborate with you."
"Hmph!"
Zi Yan glanced at him dismissively. "Another one wanting me to be a laborer. I won't do it!"
"I won't make you work for free. You just need to help me find heavenly materials and earthly treasures. I'll do the hard work, and we'll split the gains fifty-fifty," Xiao Tian explained. "Also, I'll refine the herbs you need to make them tastier."
"Really make them tastier?"
Zi Yan tilted her head, her big black eyes blinking.
Xiao Tian patted his chest. "Of course. I'm an alchemist, after all!"
"Alright, then refine this for me!"
Zi Yan's eyes lit up as she handed him the most bitter herb from her storage ring.
Taking the herb, Xiao Tian purified it into a pool of essence with the Stone Talisman. He then added some sugar, stirring it thoroughly.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Xiao Tian's fingers moved swiftly, dividing the essence into dozens of portions. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a flame to bake the essence, quickly forming dozens of pills.
As a magical beast, Zi Yan didn't need the herbs to be balanced and neutralized. Xiao Tian could afford to be less meticulous. Handing the pills to Zi Yan, he smiled, "Here, try them!"
Eagerly, Zi Yan grabbed a pill and popped it into her mouth. Her small tongue tasted it, finding the previously bitter herb had turned sweet and tangy under Xiao Tian's refinement.
"Crunch! Crunch!"
Zi Yan chewed loudly, nodding enthusiastically. "Yummy, really yummy."
After finishing one pill, she grabbed several more and stuffed them into her mouth. Watching her eat the pills like candy, Xiao Tian laughed and asked, "So, will you work with me?"
"Yes, I'll work with you from now on," Zi Yan agreed hastily, worried Xiao Tian might change his mind.
"Great, let's start looking for herbs then!"
With that, the two left the Inner Academy and began scouring the surrounding mountains. With Zi Yan's treasure-hunting ability, no heavenly material or earthly treasure could escape them. In this region, Xiao Tian's strength was enough to sweep away any magical beasts.
Their teamwork quickly made them the most hated beings among the local magical beasts. Eventually, the beasts banded together to fight them off.
Seeing they had gathered enough, Xiao Tian decided not to provoke the now-maddened beasts further and headed towards Jia Nan City with Zi Yan.