Chapter 206: "I Heard the Snow Soul Pill Works Best with Dual Cultivation~"
Nalan Yanran's visit didn't seem particularly urgent. Su Qian and Elder Bai exchanged a glance and decided to wait and see. With both Lu Bu and Xiao Yan busy with their own affairs, they decided there was no need for hasty communication. Both elders returned to their daily routines in the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower, and before long, the matter was forgotten.
Time passed quietly, and a few days later, Su Qian and Elder Bai, immersed in cultivation at the base of the tower, abruptly opened their eyes. In unison, their figures flashed and appeared at the tower's peak.
Boom
From the east side of the inner courtyard came the faint rumble of thunder. Though barely perceptible to the inner courtyard students, the sound was as clear as if it were right next to them for the sharp senses of a Dou Zong or Dou Zun.
"This disturbance… it seems to be a seventh tier pill thunderstorm!" Su Qian muttered, gazing into the distant eastern forest where faint flashes of brilliant lightning flickered across the sky.
A glimmer of hope appeared in his heart. Could this be the arrival of his Youth Restoring Pill? The mere thought stirred excitement within him, making his usually composed heart beat faster.
"Seventh tier pills were once an incredible rarity, yet now they've practically become commonplace," Elder Bai remarked with a chuckle, a hint of nostalgia in his tone.
For Elder Bai, obtaining even a sixth tier pill used to be an arduous task. Yet now, it seemed that every few days, the sky around the inner courtyard would light up with the roar of pill thunderstorms. The once elusive seventh tier pill had become almost mundane.
"Ha ha… Befriending Lu Bu has truly been a transformative milestone for Jia Nan Academy!" Su Qian said with a laugh. It was Lu Bu who had provided the Heavenly Fortune Pill formula and even refined it, creating a Dou Zun in the process.
With Elder Bai standing guard, Jia Nan Academy now had the strength to rank among the premier forces on the Northwestern Continent. Though Su Qian had no ambition to expand the academy's influence, strengthening the institution had always been his goal as Grand Elder.
Of course, Medicine Sovereign Yao Chen's assistance was also invaluable, though slightly less so compared to Lu Bu's contributions. And this time, if the Youth Restoring Pill could elevate Jia Nan Academy to have a five star Dou Zong, Lu Bu's efforts would be akin to rebuilding the academy from the ground up.
Elder Bai nodded slightly in agreement. Moreover, Yao Chen had his own allegiances, and his relationship with Jia Nan Academy could only ever be collaborative. If the academy were ever on the brink of annihilation, it was unlikely that Yao Chen would lend a helping hand.
In contrast, Lu Bu's ties to Jia Nan Academy, especially to Zi Yan, ran deep. Should the academy face a true life or death crisis, aside from their absent dean, Lu Bu might well be their sole hope.
As Elder Bai pondered, his gaze turned toward the distant thunderclouds. "Judging by the energy fluctuations in that area, it seems to be a mid tier seventh grade pill…"
"Mid tier seventh grade?" Su Qian froze, his excitement dimming. He had assumed it was a high tier seventh grade pill his Youth Restoring Pill.
The thunderclouds were too far away for him to sense clearly, given that his strength wasn't quite on par with Elder Bai's.
"Yes, it should be," Elder Bai confirmed after a closer look.
Su Qian's face darkened slightly, feeling a twinge of regret for praising Lu Bu so highly earlier.
Look at Yao Chen he refined four Breaking Zong Pills in one go, creating three newly ascended Dou Zongs. Meanwhile, Lu Bu had only managed to produce one Dou Zun. In comparison, Lu Bu was undeniably inferior.
It seemed that age and experience still prevailed. Yao Chen lived up to his reputation as the Medicine Sovereign always a step ahead.
Muttering to himself, Su Qian pouted in frustration and turned back toward the tower. "It's just a pill thunderstorm. What's the big deal? Back to cultivation!"
Meanwhile, above the valley.
Two puppets, one golden and one silver, hovered in the sky. Violent thunder roared and crackled from the pitch black clouds, with frenzied lightning snakes lashing down repeatedly at the two figures. Yet no matter how fierce the strikes, the puppets remained unscathed.
Medusa stood frozen, wide eyed. She had never witnessed a seventh tier pill refinement before but knew full well how terrifying and destructive a pill thunderstorm could be. Yet… was this really what people meant by "terrifying" and "dangerous"?
Between his fingers, Lu Bu held a snow white pill that radiated an intense medicinal aroma. Just the scent alone was enough to refresh the mind and invigorate the spirit.
Rubbing his chin, Lu Bu fell into contemplation. "Ten days, and the Snow Soul Pill is done. And that's with me being overly cautious in the process. If I went all out, the time would've been even shorter. Mid tier seventh grade pills aren't as difficult as I thought."
"Is it because I'm too skilled, or because the Snow Soul Pill is too simple?" Lu Bu muttered, puzzled. With no comparable benchmarks or opponents to gauge against, he could only roughly estimate his soul cultivation level. Unlike Dou Qi cultivation, soul strength lacked a precise grading system. Terms like "early stage," "mid stage," or "late stage" were merely approximations, unlike the well defined ranks of Dou Qi.
"Maybe… I should take more risks?" Lu Bu's eyes gleamed with resolve. After a moment of hesitation, his gaze turned firm. "Yes. Let's take some risks!"
Life was meant to be lived boldly, after all.
With a wave of his sleeve, countless medicinal ingredients flew out of the Sea of Netherworld Storage Ring. He was going to restart the cauldron and attempt another pill. This time, it would be the Youth Restoring Pill for Elder Su Qian.
Even if he failed, he had two full sets of ingredients prepared for the Youth Restoring Pill. Losing one set wouldn't bother him.
So… why not go for it?
The Green Lotus Core Flame roared to life once more, reigniting the still warm Myriad Beast Cauldron. One by one, the ingredients flew into the cauldron, instantly consumed by the cyan flames as they began to refine and condense.
From her perch, Medusa froze mid step as she watched Lu Bu's movements. What was going on?
Hadn't he just finished? Why was he starting again?
When did this man's stamina get so… endless?
Pressing her lips together, Medusa let out a soft sigh. She stayed where she was, continuing to guard Lu Bu. Men had their own ideas, after all she would let him do as he pleased and simply focus on doing her part.
Time flew by, and more than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
At the Sacred Gate headquarters in the inner courtyard, a small pavilion stood at its center. This was the heart of the Sacred Gate, accessible only to core members, as it served as the residence of the founder: Gate Master Lu Bu, Alchemist Xiao Yan, as well as senior members like Hu Jia, Xiao Xun'er, Nalan Yanran, and Wu Hao.
Each of these five figures had earned renown within the inner courtyard, particularly Gate Master Lu Bu. It was rumored that the earth shaking pill thunderstorm recently was his doing.
Some believed it, while others were skeptical, but none of that diminished the Sacred Gate's prestige in the inner courtyard.
Inside the pavilion, Nalan Yanran wore an anxious expression. Her teacher had sent word that turmoil was brewing in the Jia Ma Empire and advised her to remain at Jia Nan Academy to focus on her cultivation.
As for Lu Bu… her teacher had written him a letter, clearly hoping to bring him back. With his incredible combat prowess and unparalleled alchemy skills, Lu Bu could be a pivotal force back in the empire.
She couldn't bear to enjoy a peaceful life while her sect was in peril. As the Young Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect, Nalan Yanran felt it was her duty to share in the sect's hardships.
"Damn it… Why did both of you disappear like this? I don't even have anyone to discuss this with!" Nalan Yanran paced back and forth anxiously in her room.
At first, she wasn't overly worried. However, it had been over twenty days since she last met with Su Qian and Elder Bai. Even the calmest person would find it hard not to grow restless after such a delay.
At the base of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower, Elder Bai, who had been guarding the Flame Gathering Pot, suddenly opened his eyes.
The resulting disturbance in the surrounding heart fire was enough to awaken Su Qian from his cultivation.
"Elder Bai, what's the matter?" Su Qian asked curiously. Elder Bai's reaction suggested something was amiss, yet it didn't seem like a major issue.
"There's another pill thunderstorm," Elder Bai replied.
"That's nothing new," Su Qian remarked indifferently.
"Judging by the energy fluctuations, it's a high grade seventh tier pill," Elder Bai added with a chuckle.
A glimmer of excitement appeared in Su Qian's eyes, and his heart began to race. Could it be… that it was finally his turn this time?
"Ha ha ha… That little rascal Lu Bu really has talent on par with the Medicine Sovereign!" Su Qian laughed heartily, his face beaming with joy.
"Hmm?"
"Something's wrong?"
Just then, both elders turned toward the staircase, sensing someone approaching in haste.
With a flash, a panicked elder appeared on the tenth floor. This area had previously been restricted as it was used to suppress the Fallen Heart Flame. However, with the flame now safely stored in the Flame Gathering Pot, this restriction was lifted, and elders could come here during emergencies.
"Elder Qu? What's happened?" Su Qian asked as he recognized the elder responsible for guarding the fourth to sixth floors of the tower. Su Qian's expression darkened slightly those floors were where the top ranking inner courtyard students cultivated. For Elder Qu to rush here in such a panic, the situation had to be serious.
"Grand Elder, there's been an incident…" Elder Qu said with a bitter smile. "The training chamber of the Strongest Ranking's number one has suddenly started absorbing massive amounts of energy…"
"What?!" Su Qian's expression changed drastically. The number one training chamber on the Strongest Ranking belonged to Zi Yan!
With Lu Bu busy refining pills, the only possible person inside was Zi Yan.
"Let's go. I'll check it out myself!" Su Qian said gravely, his tone heavy with concern.
Outside the Inner Courtyard, above the eastern valley.
Boom!
The clear skies were once again shrouded by dark clouds as deafening thunder echoed across the heavens.
"Ha ha ha… I've finally succeeded!" Lu Bu laughed heartily, his disheveled hair falling around his face. His cheeks glistened with oil, a scruffy beard covered his chin, and his appearance resembled that of a college student after a year of online classes.
The Youth Restoring Pill lived up to its reputation as a high grade seventh tier pill. Its refinement process was incredibly challenging. Despite his usual flawless success rate, Lu Bu had failed once, watching the precious essence of his ingredients burn to ashes.
But it didn't matter he had a second set of materials and immediately restarted.
This time, he succeeded. Despite the risks, he had emerged victorious!
"My soul power must have reached the peak of the Mortal Realm…" Lu Bu thought, a gleam of determination in his eyes. "Once I acquire the Pill Spirit Liquid and Earth Core Soul Marrow, I can attempt to break through to the Spiritual Realm and become an eighth tier alchemist!"
Medusa, standing nearby, watched the laughing Lu Bu. The tension in her beautiful face eased, and a soft smile appeared. The battle was over.
Indeed, there was no challenge her little man couldn't overcome!
Golden and silver lights shot into the sky as the two puppets once again braved the descending pill thunderbolts with their unyielding bodies.
Lu Bu let out a hearty laugh and waved his sleeve, sending a gust of wind toward the Myriad Beast Cauldron.
Clang!
The cauldron lid flew open, and a two toned green and red pill shot out, streaking toward the horizon.
Lu Bu narrowed his eyes, reaching out to grab it. A faint silver glow flickered as the pill landed in his grasp.
But then… his vision darkened, and his body swayed as exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave.
Whoosh!
The scent of jasmine filled the air as Lu Bu found himself caught in soft, warm arms.
"Showoff," Medusa scolded gently. Though her tone was teasing, her concern was evident. She reached out to retrieve the green and red pill, which now rested in her delicate hand.
Lu Bu wasn't seriously injured just utterly drained. He would be fine after some rest.
"I need a nap…" he muttered with a yawn, leaning against Medusa's shoulder as he drifted off.
Medusa flicked her wrist, sending a streak of light toward a nearby rock wall. The impact created a dark cave, perfect for shelter.
As a snake by nature, creating a cave was second nature to her. She carried Lu Bu inside, her lithe figure disappearing into the shadows.
She had no intention of carrying Lu Bu back to Jia Nan Academy in her human form… mostly because she didn't want to deal with Zi Yan. Better to wait until Lu Bu woke up and let him handle it.
Time passed slowly.
In a haze of half sleep, Lu Bu felt a pair of soft, slender hands gently stroking him. These hands were familiar ones that had brought him comfort and… ahem, other feelings in the past.
Opening his eyes slowly, Lu Bu saw Medusa's exquisite face gazing down at him, her fingers caressing his brow.
"Why not sleep a little longer?" Medusa asked softly, her voice tender as she continued her gentle ministrations.
"How long have I been out?" Lu Bu asked, realizing he was resting his head on Medusa's smooth, snow white thighs. Grinning, he took her hand in his, chuckling mischievously. He suddenly had no desire to get up.
"Two hours…" A faint blush spread across Medusa's cheeks. Though they were already deeply connected, she couldn't help but feel shy. After all, they were outside, not at home.
"Your Majesty, this is for you," Lu Bu said with a cheeky grin as he retrieved the Snow Soul Pill from his storage ring.
"What kind of pill is this?" Medusa asked curiously. She could only recognize the Youth Restoring Pill, which she had taken before. This snow white pill, however, was unfamiliar.
"The Snow Soul Pill. It accelerates cultivation speed. Even for a Dou Zong, it can triple your progress," Lu Bu explained with a grin.
"An auxiliary pill that powerful?" Medusa's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. No wonder it was ranked as a seventh tier pill the effects were extraordinary!
"Of course… Would Your Majesty like to take it now?" Lu Bu's smile grew warmer, his gaze deepening. "I hear the Snow Soul Pill works best with dual cultivation~"
Medusa's face flushed instantly, the rosy hue spreading like wildfire. She couldn't imagine the results of tripling her cultivation speed combined with dual cultivation. Her first instinct was to refuse, but… for some reason, a hint of anticipation welled up within her.
I just want to train… Nothing more. I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm not wrong… Yes, that's it!
Lu Bu chuckled, sitting up from her lap. With a swift motion, he pulled her into his arms, her perfect figure pressed close against him.
"Lu Bu, don't " Medusa's soft voice quivered.
Bang!
"Lu Bu, are you in there?" A booming voice echoed from outside the cave.
Lu Bu's expression darkened instantly. It was that old bastard Su Qian!
"This is your fault. You deal with it!" Medusa snapped, her hazy eyes regaining clarity as she transformed into her sleek, colorful serpent form.
"Lu Bu, are you in there? Zi Yan's in trouble!" Su Qian shouted again.
"What the hell do you what?" Lu Bu froze mid outburst, his anger vanishing as his expression turned deadly serious.
(End of Chapter)
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