228: Chapter 228 Nascent Soul Pill! Return to Tianxing City!

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Six: nascent soul condensing pill! Return to Tianxing City!

Time passed quickly, and a month had already gone by since the great battle with Savage Beard.

At the edge of a sea area, deep beneath the ocean floor.

Lu Qiu had established a temporary Immortal Cave at the bottom of a hidden sea trench, using a Formation to conceal his aura while he focused on his recovery.

The Immortal Cave was not large, measuring only about two or three zhang across, but it was sufficient for his personal use.

The surrounding walls were made of pitch-black rock, and occasionally, a few glowing deep-sea fish would swim past, adding a touch of life to the dark space.

He released the spirit eye spring from the spatial bead, and it gurgled as it flowed, filling the surroundings with a misty Spiritual Qi.

He sat cross-legged by the spring, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the eight Spirit Shocking Thorns were slowly reforming.

Each one was like a slumbering sharp sword, gradually reviving under the nourishment of his Divine Sense and emitting a piercing, cold light.

Reflecting on the battle with Savage Beard, Lu Qiu was filled with a myriad of emotions.

Savage Beard truly lived up to his reputation as a long-famed veteran of the Nascent Soul Stage; the terrifying physical strength of his Heaven-Supporting Demonic Art was truly an invincible existence among those of the same level.

The defensive power of those golden scales and the destructive force of his fist imprints had left a deep impression on him.

Had it not been for the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman protecting his body, he likely wouldn't have survived a single move.

He carefully analyzed his current strength: by relying on the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman and the void escape boat, he could contend with a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator for a short while, but he lacked the ability to actually harm the enemy.

When those ancient treasures struck Savage Beard, it was like a mere tickle; they simply couldn't break through his defenses.

The yinming sword only left a white mark when it pierced him, and the Qilin Seal was shattered by a single palm strike when it collided with him...

This was his greatest shortcoming.

However, if he were to use the Spirit Shocking Thorn on Savage Beard, he might be able to make the man suffer a small loss.

Eight Spirit Shocking Thorns unleashed together were enough to severely wound the Primordial Spirit of an Early Stage Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator. Although Savage Beard was at the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, if caught off guard, his Primordial Spirit would inevitably be damaged and his movements slowed.

Unfortunately, those eight Spirit Shocking Thorns had all been used on the Eighth-level Demonic Beast, severely wounding its Primordial Spirit so that it could be successfully trapped and killed.

If he had saved them to deal with Savage Beard, he could have at least given the man a headache for a while and bought himself more time to escape.

After each use, the Spirit Shocking Thorns required time to reform; this trump card could only be unleashed once during a battle.

Therefore, where and when to use them required extreme caution.

This time, there had been no other way; without the Spirit Shocking Thorns, that Eighth-level Demonic Beast wouldn't have been slain so quickly.

He also hadn't expected Savage Beard to appear in that godforsaken place.

Feeling the eight Spirit Shocking Thorns newly reformed within his Sea of Consciousness, Lu Qiu felt a sense of relief, and a feeling of security spontaneously arose.

Each Spirit Shocking Thorn was solid and sharp, emitting a piercing cold light and ready to be unleashed at any moment.

At this moment, even if he were to encounter Savage Beard again, he could make the man suffer a small loss and then make a composed escape.

With this experience, he would be even more composed the next time he faced a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

Afterward, Lu Qiu was in no hurry to leave.

Since he had escaped from Savage Beard's hands, the other man would certainly not let the matter rest.

Given Savage Beard's personality, having suffered such a large loss and lost the beast core of an Eighth-level Demonic Beast, he would surely wait at Qi Feng Island for Lu Qiu to use the teleportation formation.

Waiting for his prey to walk into his trap was the most likely thing he would do.

That old fellow had a violent temper and was extremely vengeful; it was absolutely impossible for him to let things go easily.

Although Lu Qiu did not fear the man, there was no need to fight him to the death.

There was no reason to put himself in danger just to win a moment of pride.

Waiting a while and letting that old fellow leave first was the best course of action.

In any case, he was in no hurry to return, and he could use this time to refine a certain type of Medicinal Pill.

He took out the inner core of that Eighth-level Demonic Beast.

The beast core was about the size of a fist and entirely crimson, with faint flames flowing across its surface, emitting a scorching aura.

Holding it in his hand, he could feel the vast demonic power contained within, as if he were holding a volcano on the verge of eruption.

The power of those flames leaped in his palm, causing even the surrounding air to distort slightly from the heat.

This beast was a fire-attribute Yao Beast, so its beast core was naturally fire-attribute as well.

Unlike that Ninth-level Lightning Whale Beast core, the Cultivation Technique Lu Qiu practiced was also fire-attribute.

Therefore, this fire-attribute beast core was actually of greater use to Lu Qiu.

Although that Ninth-level Lightning Whale Beast core was precious, its attribute did not match his, so it could only be used for Artifact Refining or trading.

But this fire-attribute beast core could be used directly for Alchemy to assist him in his Nascent Soul Formation; it was the thing he needed most urgently right now.

The Qing Yang Pill Scripture records an ancient Pill Formula called the "nascent soul condensing pill," which can assist in condensing a Nascent Soul. The main material for this Pill Formula is an Eighth-level fire-attribute beast core.

Using an Eighth-level beast core as the catalyst and supplementing it with dozens of rare Spirit Medicines, the refined nascent soul condensing pill can greatly increase the success rate during Nascent Soul Formation.

He had studied this Pill Formula for many years and had long since prepared all the Materials, lacking only this single main ingredient.

Subsequently, Lu Qiu earnestly studied the refining method for the nascent soul condensing pill.

He read the section regarding the nascent soul condensing pill in the Qing Yang Pill Scripture several times and reviewed the essential points of the Pill Fusion Technique in his mind.

The order of adding the medicinal ingredients for each step, the control of the heat, and the timing of the medicinal power Fusion were all etched into his heart.

He even used common Materials to simulate the process several times to ensure that every step was accurate and without error.

There was only one Eighth-level beast core; if he failed the refinement, all his previous efforts would be wasted.

He could not afford to be careless.

With his Alchemy attainment, refining a Medicinal Pill of this level was already somewhat of a stretch, so he had to give it his all and could not allow for any mistakes.

He adjusted his mindset, restored himself to his peak state, and then began the Alchemy process.

Time flew by, and another half a year passed.

Within the temporary Immortal Cave, the fire inside the Pill Furnace gradually died out.

Lu Qiu sat cross-legged before the Pill Furnace, his face pale and his forehead covered in sweat, yet his eyes shone with an irrepressible joy.

For half a year, he had worked without rest, his mind highly focused, expending countless amounts of mental effort, and finally, he had reached this moment.

He took a deep breath, calmed his excited heart, and carefully opened the furnace lid.

A dense medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly filling the entire Immortal Cave.

The fragrance was so thick it felt almost tangible; taking a single breath made one feel refreshed and even caused one's mana to become more active.

Within that fragrance was a hint of heat, yet it did not cause discomfort; instead, it provided a warm and gentle sensation.

At the bottom of the furnace lay a single Medicinal Pill the size of a longan.

The Medicinal Pill was entirely crimson, with faint cloud patterns flowing across its surface, emitting a warm and gentle glow.

Those cloud patterns seemed like living things, slowly moving across the surface of the pill, and with every movement, they caused the surrounding Spiritual Qi to fluctuate.

Holding it in his hand, he could feel the vast medicinal power contained within, as if a small sun were throbbing in his palm, warm and powerful.

The nascent soul condensing pill!

A fortunate smile appeared on Lu Qiu's face as he let out a long sigh of relief.

With his Alchemy skills, he originally only had a thirty to forty percent chance of refining a Medicinal Pill of this level.

Although he was an Alchemist, he did not specialize solely in this path after all; the pills he usually refined were mostly for the Core Formation Stage, which was already his limit.

This was his first time attempting a top-tier Medicinal Pill that required an Eighth-level beast core, so he had inevitably felt apprehensive.

But with the Pill Fusion Technique, the success rate of Alchemy was greatly enhanced.

The Pill Fusion Technique could merge, purify, and stabilize the medicinal power of various ingredients in advance, greatly reducing the risks during the refining process.

Medicinal properties that would have originally conflicted became docile under the harmonization of the Pill Fusion Technique; Materials that were difficult to merge combined perfectly under its influence.

If not for this, this batch would likely have been ruined.

With this nascent soul condensing pill, it was equivalent to having one more nascent soul formation spiritual item.

Lu Qiu calculated in his mind: the soul quelling pill, the soul nurturing wood, Xia Xinyan's Du Yuan Resonance Body, the heaven mending pill he was about to obtain, and now this nascent soul condensing pill.

Five nascent soul formation spiritual items—each one was a treasure that could be sought but not easily found. An ordinary Cultivator would be extremely grateful to obtain just one, yet he alone possessed five.

In this way, his confidence in Nascent Soul Formation was greatly increased, with at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of success.

Although this trip to the Outer Star Sea had been fraught with danger, including a great battle with Savage Beard and nearly being trapped on Qi Feng Island, he was finally returning fully laden, making the trip worthwhile.

An Eighth-level beast core had been refined into a nascent soul condensing pill; Immortal Tianjing's Legacy was of inestimable value; and then there were the beast cores and Materials from those Seventh-level Demonic Beasts, as well as the thousand-year spirit herbs, all of which were worth a fortune. This trip was worth it.

He carefully placed the nascent soul condensing pill into a jade bottle, applied a Spirit Sealing Talisman, and put it into his Storage Pouch.

Afterward, he took out a bottle of Essence Blood and a bead.

Contained within that bead was precisely the Primordial Spirit of the Eighth-level Demonic Beast, sealed inside. One could faintly see a crimson light shadow moving within the bead, struggling from time to time, yet always unable to break free.

Within that light shadow, the outline of a fire bird was faintly visible; it was the true form of that Demonic Beast.

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Inside the jade bottle was Essence Blood, crimson with a faint golden glow, radiating a scorching aura. Even through the jade bottle, one could feel the massive life force contained within.

He prepared to use this Essence Blood and Primordial Spirit to Cultivate a secret technique.

"Hundred Beasts Transformation"!

This secret technique was obtained by Lu Qiu back on the Golden Drum Plain battlefield in the Yue Kingdom. It originated from the Yu Ling Sect and was one of their core Legacies, extremely profound.

The Cultivator must use a unique method to refine the Essence Blood and a wisp of the complete Primordial Spirit of a specific Yao Beast, condensing a corresponding "Beast Spirit Seal" within the body.

Once successfully condensed, when facing an enemy, the Cultivator can rely on this seal to transform into that type of Yao Beast for a short period!

Not only can one obtain the Yao Beast's formidable Physical Body strength and innate Divine Ability, but one can even simulate its combat instincts and habits to a certain extent!

What is even rarer is that this technique has an extremely high upper limit.

Theoretically, as long as the Cultivator's Divine Sense and Physical Body are strong enough to withstand the impact and assimilation of the Essence Blood and Primordial Spirit of a higher-level Yao Beast, they can condense a more powerful Beast Spirit Seal and transform into a more formidable Yao Beast!

Although the transformation time is limited and there may be brief weakness or discomfort afterward, in the rapidly changing life-and-death struggle, this short time difference and ability boost are enough to decide the outcome, or even reverse life and death!

This Eighth-level Demonic Beast's true form is a fire-attribute avian, and its innate Divine Ability is fire control and flight.

The strength of its flames is comparable to the Natal True Fire of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator; its flight speed is so fast that even his escape light cannot catch up.

If he can refine its Essence Blood and Primordial Spirit and condense the Beast Spirit Seal, he can transform into this beast at a critical moment, gaining speed and fire Divine Ability comparable to the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

By then, even if he encounters Savage Beard again, if he cannot win, he can at least run faster.

Now that he has the Essence Blood and Primordial Spirit of an Eighth-level Demonic Beast, he can just happen to Cultivate this secret technique to a higher level.

Lu Qiu took a deep breath and began to Cultivate this secret technique.

Meanwhile.

On Qi Feng Island, behind a hidden reef.

The figure of Savage Beard walked out from within, his face gloomy and his eyes full of anger.

He had been staying behind this reef for over half a year.

For these past six months, he had been guarding this island, his Divine Sense fixed tightly on the location of the teleportation formation.

He possessed a treasure that concealed his aura, allowing him to hide very well, to the point where even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator would find it difficult to discover him.

He was certain that as long as that brat dared to come and use the teleportation formation, he would be able to discover him immediately and then capture and kill him.

Yet, unexpectedly, he never saw a shadow.

Could it be that the brat did not intend to return to the Inner Star Sea?

Or was it that he had some other way to return?

Savage Beard snorted coldly, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes.

He thought of the six-colored battle armor on that brat, the ancient treasure, and the Eighth-level Demonic Beast core that had been snatched away by him.

The more he thought about it, the angrier and more frustrated he became.

"Brat, sooner or later, you will fall into my hands."

He no longer waited and strode toward the teleportation formation.

The Star Palace Cultivator saw him coming and quickly stood up, his attitude respectful, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.

Savage Beard threw out seven hundred Spirit Stones, received the teleportation talisman, and stepped onto the teleportation formation.

With a flash of white light, his figure disappeared into the stone house.

A year after Savage Beard left.

On the sea, a figure slowly approached Qi Feng Island.

Lu Qiu suppressed his own aura to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage and changed his appearance, looking like an ordinary middle-aged Loose Cultivator, wearing gray, dusty robes, completely inconspicuous.

He also used the "Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art" to change his Cultivation Technique aura, turning it from the original fire attribute to a water attribute, with a cool aura radiating from his body, making him like a different person compared to before.

Even if Savage Beard were face-to-face, he would not recognize him.

He arrived at Qi Feng Island, and his Divine Sense quietly probed out like invisible tentacles, carefully searching the island.

Every reef, every crack, and every cave was not spared.

He did not detect Savage Beard's aura.

But he still dared not be certain that the other party had already left.

Savage Beard possessed a treasure that concealed Divine Sense probes; that was how it happened last time, allowing him to appear on the deserted island without him noticing.

Who knew if he was still hiding somewhere?

That old fellow had great patience; waiting for a year or so was nothing to him.

In order to test whether Savage Beard had left, Lu Qiu set up the Nine Nether Universe Array in the sea area tens of miles away from Qi Feng Island.

He drove the Formation Flag into the seabed, buried the Formation Plate in the sand, and used an illusion Formation to cover it, so that from the outside, it looked like just an ordinary sea area.

Then he released the Bloodline Flood Dragon, letting it swim swaggeringly on the surface of the sea.

The Bloodline Flood Dragon's hundred-zhang-long body tossed and turned on the sea surface, its dark red scales shining brightly under the sun.

If Savage Beard were still on the island, with his Divine Sense strength, he would definitely be attracted over.

One day, two days, three days... a month passed.

No one came.

Savage Beard did not appear.

Lu Qiu finally determined that the other party had left.

He retracted the Bloodline Flood Dragon and the Formation, feeling relieved in his heart.

As for whether the other party would block him in Tianxing City, he was not worried.

Tianxing City was Star Palace's territory; there were countless experts in the city, and the rules were strict. No matter how arrogant Savage Beard was, he would not dare to act recklessly in Star Palace's territory.

That would be equivalent to seeking death.

Star Palace's law enforcement team was not to be trifled with, and those Nascent Soul Stage Grand Elders were certainly not just for show.

Lu Qiu did not linger any longer, returned to Qi Feng Island, and walked straight to that simple stone house.

Inside the stone house, that Star Palace Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still sitting cross-legged in the corner, eyes closed and regulating his breath, breathing steadily, like a statue.

Seeing him enter, he just glanced at him coldly and then ignored him.

He had seen too many such low-level Cultivators coming and going; he had long since become numb.

Every day there were Core Formation Cultivators coming and going; what was there to care about?

Lu Qiu paid seven hundred Spirit Stones, received the teleportation talisman, and stepped onto the teleportation formation.

With a flash of white light, his figure disappeared into the stone house.

The fiftieth floor of the Sacred Mountain, Starry Sky Hall.

Lu Qiu stepped out of the teleportation formation and took a deep breath of the familiar Spiritual Qi of Tianxing City, his mood feeling unprecedentedly comfortable.

The great hall was still magnificent, paved with white jade and illuminated by Moonlight Stones, lighting up the entire hall as bright as day.

Several Cultivators were handling procedures in front of another teleportation formation, whispering and occasionally letting out a few soft laughs.

Those two Star Palace white-robed Cultivators still had indifferent expressions, ignoring the incoming and outgoing Cultivators. Occasionally, they would lift their eyes to sweep a glance, then withdraw their gaze.

This trip to the Outer Star Sea took less than three years.

The harvest was so great that it far exceeded expectations!

Not only did he obtain the Legacy of Immortal Tianjing: the eight-gate golden light mirror, three pieces of ancient treasure, and two scrolls of Cultivation Technique and Formation classics.

He also refined the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, greatly increasing the probability of Nascent Soul Formation.

There were also those Seventh-level Demonic Beast cores and Materials, as well as thousand-year spirit herbs, all of which were of great value.

He had earned a fortune!

Lu Qiu suppressed the excitement in his heart, steered his escape light, and headed toward the Liulian Residence.

Passing through the bustling streets and crossing the crowded masses, the pavilion of the Liulian Residence gradually appeared in his field of vision.

The familiar plaque, the familiar facade, and the familiar furnishings all made him feel close.

He sped up and landed in front of the door.

He pushed the door open and entered.

"Husband Lu!"

Xin Ruyin was sitting in the main hall, holding a scroll of Formation classics in her hand. Seeing him enter, she quickly stood up to welcome him.

Those gentle eyes were full of surprise and longing.

She walked quickly to him and looked him up and down, as if she wanted to see all the changes in him over these two-plus years.

Her gaze slid from his eyebrows and eyes to the corners of his mouth, from his hair to his robes, not missing a single spot.

"I'm back." Lu Qiu held her hand and smiled slightly.

Her hand was slightly cool, and her fingertips were trembling a little.

He could feel the excitement in her heart, and he could also feel the longing she had felt during these days.

Xin Ruyin's eyes reddened slightly, and she said softly, "It's good that you're back."

Xiaomei rushed out from inside and grabbed Lu Qiu's arm, her face full of joy: "Sir! You're finally back! I thought you didn't want us anymore."

Lu Qiu smiled and flicked her forehead: "Nonsense."

Xiaomei covered her forehead, giggling, and hid behind Xin Ruyin.

Lu Qiu looked at Xin Ruyin and asked: "How is the cracking of the Ancient Restriction on that jade box going?"

Xin Ruyin nodded, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes: "I have already cracked more than half of it. As long as you give me one more year, I should be able to break it completely."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiu was overjoyed.

Everything was ready, except for the east wind.