Li Yunxiao sat on the chair, lost in thought. If it weren't for his current weakness, there would have been no need to take Jia Rong as a servant. Moreover, using the Soul Capturing Technique earlier had significantly drained his soul power.
"How unfortunate that my soul power has weakened so much after reincarnation. Otherwise, dealing with a mere rank-one alchemist wouldn't have required such elaborate efforts!"
After reincarnation, his soul power was even weaker than that of an ordinary rank-one alchemist. Earlier, he had only managed to temporarily overwhelm Jia Rong with the secret Soul Capturing Technique. If Jia Rong had recovered from the shock, he would have realized something was off. That was why Li Yunxiao had offered him a set of the Soul Refining Art.
This tactic was akin to "hitting with a stick, then offering a bun." Even the most basic Soul Refining Art was an invaluable treasure that he wouldn't easily give away otherwise.
Li Yunxiao crossed his legs and closed his eyes. In his mind, golden characters resembling tadpoles appeared, shimmering and fading one by one in his sea of consciousness.
However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not make the entire set of tadpole-like characters manifest fully on his spiritual platform.
After awakening his soul, becoming a powerhouse was only a matter of time. However, Li Yunxiao's ambition went beyond that—he aimed to surpass his past self and reach the legendary realm. His greatest reliance wasn't just the memories of his past life or the Tyrant Body Refinement Technique, but the soul refining technique he had discovered before his fall in the Tiandang Mountains: The Great Evolution Divine Art.
This soul refining technique was unprecedented. The techniques recorded in it exceeded his wildest imagination. His ability to reincarnate with his soul intact was undoubtedly tied to this divine art. When he regained the memories of his past life, the voice echoing in his mind had been the text of this very scripture.
On the Tianwu Continent, practitioners were generally divided into martial cultivators and alchemists. Martial cultivators primarily trained in energy cultivation, and a small number focused on body refinement, which made them ordinary warriors. Alchemists trained their souls, refining their spiritual power. These three disciplines corresponded to a person's essence, energy, and spirit. Excelling in any one of them could make a person a dominating force on the continent.
However, Li Yunxiao, who had already reached the Emperor level in energy and spirit in his previous life, deeply understood the importance of the interplay between the three. The top-ranking Martial Emperors on the Heaven and Earth Rankings had invariably achieved peak mastery in at least two of these areas, which set them apart from others.
When he had been stuck at the peak of the Nine Heavens Realm, unable to advance further, he realized that the limitation lay in the strength of his physical body. This prompted him to seek out the Tyrant Body Refinement Technique. Only by reaching the pinnacle of body, energy, and soul simultaneously could one hope to break through to the legendary Ten Directions Realm.
"With the Great Evolution Divine Art, I can refine my soul power to the peak of the ninth rank, Emperor level. Combined with the Tyrant Body Refinement Technique, I'll unify the three disciplines and ascend to the Ten Directions Divine Realm, becoming invincible!"
A glimmer of determination flashed in his eyes, as if piercing through endless space into the infinite void beyond.
"With this Five-Colored Sky Stone, I can refine at least thirteen divine needles. That will be enough to unlock this body's potential and break through my meridians."
He calmed himself and began channeling the Great Evolution Divine Art, rapidly restoring his depleted soul power. In no time, it had returned to the peak of what a high-level alchemist apprentice could achieve.
"I'm still a bit short of reaching rank-one alchemist level, but this is sufficient for refining the divine needles and preparing the medicinal potion."
After ensuring Han Bo and Chen Zhen were settled, he entered the cultivation chamber.
The dormitory's cultivation chambers were constructed from incredibly sturdy diamond rock, resistant to damage from ordinary martial artists and offering excellent soundproofing.
From the materials Jia Rong had provided, Li Yunxiao selected a raw material called purple-gold sand. With a clap of his hands, the material disintegrated into fine powder, which he used to draw a pentagram array on the floor. Once the array was completed, a peculiar force began to emanate from it.
He placed the Five-Colored Sky Stone at the center and swung his black greatsword at it with full force. With a resounding "boom," the stone shattered into countless tiny fragments.
A faint golden glow flickered between his brows as an invisible wave of soul power rippled out, enveloping the fragments and suspending them within the pentagram array.
The fragments seemed to resonate with the power of the array, beginning to vibrate incessantly. Their frequency increased as Li Yunxiao carefully controlled their movements with his soul power.
If anyone had witnessed the process, they would have been utterly shocked. Every step—be it the drawing of the array, the refinement of the stone, or the application of soul power—was completely different from conventional alchemist methods and incomprehensible to the uninitiated.
Li Yunxiao's vast experience from his past life compensated for his current lack of strength. Despite being only at the level of an alchemy apprentice, he effortlessly performed techniques that should have been achievable only by rank-one alchemists.
The fragments of the Five-Colored Sky Stone began emitting crackling sounds, resembling the popping of beans. Soon, they melted into a viscous liquid that started to coalesce within the array. The liquid's colors grew increasingly vivid and dazzling, while a substantial amount of white dust dispersed into the air.
Li Yunxiao had seamlessly integrated the purification process into the refinement itself—something that would have left the members of the Alchemist Guild utterly dumbfounded.
"Condense!"
Li Yunxiao softly commanded. With a flick of his finger toward the array, the essence of the refined liquid instantly condensed into thirteen slender, glowing needles. These needles shone with a brilliant five-colored radiance, as if imbued with life.
The thirteen divine needles landed gently in Li Yunxiao's hand. Without even sparing them a glance, he stored them directly in his spatial ring.
"Now, it's time to prepare the potion for cleansing and remodeling my meridians."
He retrieved over a dozen glass containers of various sizes, placing them neatly in a row on the ground. From his storage bag, he took out a large bottle of crimson liquid with a pungent, fishy smell—it was the blood of some demonic beast—and poured it evenly into the containers.
Taking a deep breath, Li Yunxiao's eyes flashed with determination as his hands moved swiftly. He began adding ingredients from his storage pouch to the containers, each one carefully placed in its respective vessel. Before long, various reactions began to occur.
Colored vapors and bubbling liquids emerged, accompanied by strange noises. Spreading his soul power, Li Yunxiao meticulously monitored every reaction, his hands moving nimbly to add stabilizing ingredients whenever needed.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The sound of successive explosions echoed as the containers began to burst, unable to withstand the intense reactions. Streams of multi-colored liquid shot out like fountains, forming a chaotic spectacle in the air.
"Collect!"
Li Yunxiao quickly waved his hand, and a crystal vial began spinning rapidly in mid-air. With precise control, he guided the streams of liquid into the vial. Nine distinct liquids merged seamlessly within it, swirling together in a vibrant display. Finally, the mixture stabilized into a deep green solution that flowed quietly inside the container.
The entire process took over half an hour, leaving Li Yunxiao drenched in sweat. Beads of perspiration rolled down his face and body, soaking his clothes and dripping onto the ground.
"Hah…!"
Exhaling deeply, Li Yunxiao gasped for breath, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. "Not bad. I've finally succeeded!"
The green liquid in the crystal vial appeared calm, but Li Yunxiao could sense the immense power surging within it—a potent and overwhelming energy.
Without pausing to rest, he immediately tested the potion. He prepared a large tub of scalding hot water and carefully poured the green solution into it.
"Gurgle, gurgle…!"
The water instantly began to boil furiously, its temperature surging by hundreds of degrees. Thick green steam filled the room, obscuring visibility completely.
As the steam enveloped him, Li Yunxiao's body began to heat up. His skin tingled with a burning sensation as the heat penetrated deep into his flesh. He retrieved the thirteen divine needles and carefully inserted them into specific points on his body. With each needle, he felt a surge of power enter his meridians, not painful but immensely soothing.
"Whoosh!"
After inserting all thirteen needles, Li Yunxiao leaped directly into the boiling potion. The scalding heat burned his skin, but he remained calm. The potent medicinal power surged into his body, spreading through his limbs and bones. His entire body began to take on a faint green hue, visibly transforming under the effects of the potion.
Although wracked with excruciating pain, Li Yunxiao's face was alight with joy. The potency of the potion exceeded his expectations. He closed his eyes tightly, forming hand seals to guide the medicinal energy throughout his body.
On the surface of his skin, his meridians began to bulge visibly, resembling the intertwined roots of an ancient tree. A faint green glow emanated from within his veins as the medicinal power coursed through them.
"Boom!"
A muffled explosion echoed within his body as his meridians were forcibly opened. The medicinal power surged into his limbs and bones, circulating through his entire body in a perfect cycle. Under his hand seals' guidance, it flowed unimpeded.
The thirteen divine needles embedded in his body emitted a faint multi-colored glow, as if channeling and regulating the immense energy within him.
The potion he had prepared consisted mostly of highly toxic substances. However, when combined and balanced in the precise proportions he devised, they produced a miraculous effect for cleansing and remodeling the body. Anyone without his level of expertise in alchemy would never dare to use such a concoction—it would almost certainly result in death from toxic imbalance.
However, the addition of the thirteen divine needles had fundamentally altered the process.
The Five-Colored Sky Needles contained the essence of the five elements, providing a stabilizing force for the acupuncture points they penetrated. Not only did they absorb elemental energy, but they also safeguarded the meridians. Li Yunxiao could feel a soothing, cooling sensation spreading from the thirteen points as his body rhythmically absorbed and released energy.
As the medicinal power spread through his body, it gradually opened hidden and damaged meridians, repairing and strengthening them. Despite the intense pain, a faint smile of triumph appeared on Li Yunxiao's face.
As the energy surge within his body reached its peak, his hands moved fluidly through various hand seals, directing the flow of power. From the outside, his bulging meridians were clearly visible, pulsating like the roots of a tree. A faint green mist emanated from them, radiating a mysterious glow.
"Boom!"
A resounding explosion echoed from within his body as all his meridians burst open simultaneously! The medicinal power flooded through his limbs, circulating flawlessly in a complete cycle.