Chapter 293: Pill Refining
Ning Xiaochiao tossed another stalk of Qilin Grass into the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron.
"Roar!"
The Qilin Grass was refined by the Yin-Yang Bright Flame into medicinal ashes, which condensed into thirty-two Medicinal Qi Qilins. They circled around the Yin-Yang Bright Flame, roaring fiercely.
"Boom!"
Two streams of Heart Nurturing Liquid collided with the Medicinal Qi Qilins, instantly fusing into one. The white Qilins then turned into a precious blue hue, their bodies becoming more solid, like thirty-two jadeite Qilins flying within the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron.
Ning Xiaochiao channeled vast amounts of Profound Qi into the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron, intensifying the Yin-Yang Bright Flame. With swift movements, he added a bottle of Nine-Colored Profound Water and an Earth's Wonder into the cauldron.
"Splash!"
After merging with the Nine-Colored Profound Water, the thirty-two Qilins immediately took on nine dazzling colors.
Combined with the medicinal properties of the Earth's Wonder, the Qilins' bodies shrank by half, curling up into nine-colored Qilin spheres, with only their heads protruding from the surface.
Seizing the moment, Ning Xiaochiao swiftly tossed over a dozen supplementary profound medicines into the cauldron.
After refining for an hour, Medicinal Principles emerged within the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron, and wisps of Pill Qi began to condense.
Beads of sweat formed on Ning Xiaochiao's forehead as his Profound Qi depleted rapidly. He hastily swallowed three drops of Nine-Colored Profound Water.
The dense Profound Qi within the Nine-Colored Profound Water exploded inside him like three Intermediate Elixirs, swiftly replenishing his expended energy.
After another three hours of refinement, the thirty-two Nine-Colored Qilins inside the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron began colliding with each other, merging in pairs and doubling in size, transforming into sixteen Qilins with even more radiant brilliance.
In the past, Ning Xiaochiao would have continued letting the Qilins collide until the pill was fully formed.
But now, he had a new idea.
He intended to engrave formations into the pill, elevating the grade of the Great Earth Solemnity Pill.
Of course, engraving formations within a pill carried immense risks. The slightest misstep could turn all the profound medicines in the cauldron into useless dregs, wasting the painstakingly gathered ingredients—a loss far outweighing the gain.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ning Xiaochiao resolutely decided to take the risk.
If he didn't dare to try now, he never would. He had to take this first brave step.
Engraving formations within a pill was extremely taxing on his Mental Energy, requiring utmost caution. The slightest lapse would lead to failure.
Just as Ning Xiaochiao projected his Mental Energy outward to engrave the formations, the Barrier outside his door was suddenly disturbed.
His heart skipped a beat—this was the worst possible moment for an interruption. If this batch of profound medicines turned to dregs, he wouldn't even know where to cry.
"Who's there?" Ning Xiaochiao struggled to maintain control of his Mental Energy, his voice low and tense as he continued engraving the formations.
Outside the room, the Barrier shattered.
A beautiful girl, appearing no older than fourteen or fifteen, stepped inside. Her pale green robes draped softly over her delicate shoulders, her jade-white skin faintly visible beneath.
The two towering peaks on her chest rose and fell with each breath, creating undulating waves that left one astonished—such ample Jade Peaks were utterly disproportionate for her age.
Ning Xiaochuan had already been stirred into a state of burning desire by Madam Silver Pool's provocations in recent days. Witnessing such a tempting scene, his blood instantly boiled, and the flames within the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron suddenly blazed even fiercer, threatening to melt the sixteen nine-colored Qilin inside.
Startled, Ning Xiaochuan hurriedly suppressed the raging fire within his body and controlled the flames inside the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron.
"Young Master, you're actually a Heart Nurturer?"
The beautiful young woman was surprised, not expecting Ning Xiaochuan to be refining pills. Her timing seemed unfortunate.
Ning Xiaochuan recognized her—she was a maidservant by Madam Silver Pool's side, named Huairou, possessing remarkable beauty that could rival even the Heaven's Proud Daughters of the Marquis House.
Before, Huairou had always been overshadowed by Madam Silver Pool, so Ning Xiaochuan had never paid her much attention.
But now, a mere maidservant had actually broken through the Barrier he had set up, instantly putting him on high alert.
"Get out!"
Ning Xiaochuan, wearing a Golden Mask, spoke coldly, his eyes beneath the mask radiating Freezing Energy.
Huairou, however, showed no intention of leaving. Instead, she walked behind him, wrapping her delicate and soft jade hands around him from behind, her body exuding an intoxicating feminine fragrance.
Ning Xiaochuan was in the midst of a critical moment of Engraving Formations and couldn't move, but he could distinctly feel two soft, warm, and elastic mounds pressing against his back—smooth as silk.
He was certain she wore nothing beneath the thin outer layer of gauze meant for modesty.
That was why the sensation against his back was so intense.
"Young Master, who do you find more alluring—me or Madam?" Huairou's voice was sultry, her lips brushing against his ear as she exhaled warm breaths.
Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath. If not for the crucial stage of Engraving Formations, he would have already struck her dead with a single slap.
This batch of Great Earth Solemnity Pills was beyond precious. If they were ruined because of her, selling her to the Jade Viewing Tower to serve clients wouldn't even cover one percent of his losses.
"I said—get the hell out!" Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth.
Huairou seemed completely oblivious to the genuine fury in Ning Xiaochuan's eyes. In her mind, no man could possibly resist her.
Rip!
She tore open Ning Xiaochuan's robe, her fingers tracing his chest before sliding downward, slipping beneath his waistband.
Her seductive, rosy lips feverishly kissed his chest, while a small, agile tongue lightly flicked against his neck.
She coiled around him like an enchanting serpent, using every means to provoke his lust, as if eager for him to turn into a beast, pin her down, and claim her savagely.
Ning Xiaochuan's gaze turned icy. Using his Mental Energy, he summoned the Yin-Yang Bright Flame from the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron, forming a fireball one meter in diameter that blasted Huairou away.
Huairou's body ignited, engulfed in Bright Flames, her screams piercing the air.
Madam Silver Pool swiftly landed beside her, unleashing a wave of Freezing Energy to extinguish the flames.
Huairou's body was charred beyond recognition by the Yin-Yang Bright Flame, her flesh and blood mangled, her entire form blackened. Even her once-beautiful face had turned into a mass of charcoal, making it impossible to distinguish where her eyes or nose had been.
"Madam... save me..." Huairou curled up in agony, pleading incessantly to Madam Silver Pool.
Madam Silver Pool placed her fingers on Huairou's wrist.
A surge of Yin-Yang Blazing Flame energy rushed back, emitting scorching heat.
"Yin-Yang Bright Flame!" Madam Silver Pool's heart skipped a beat, and she hastily withdrew her fingers.
The Yin-Yang Bright Flame was a formidable Profound Flame, formed by the convergence of Yin and Yang energies, a hundred times more lethal than the molten fire from the Earth's core.
Huairou had already been invaded by the Yin-Yang Bright Flame—there was no saving her.
Thud!
Madam Silver Pool unleashed a Profound Qi Sword Wave, piercing Huairou's heart meridian and ending her suffering.
Gazing at the charred corpse on the ground, Madam Silver Pool shook her head, thinking to herself, "If anyone is to blame, it's you for overestimating yourself. If Young Master Chuan were so easy to deal with, he wouldn’t be the Manor Lord of Ghost Manor."
---
Ning Xiaochiao spent two hours engraving the formation into the pill before retracting the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron into his heart, using his Heart Flame to nurture the medicine.
The Great Earth Solemnity Pill was already mostly complete—now, it only needed time to mature.
"Madam, you’ve acted quite wrongly this time. Your maidservant nearly ruined my entire batch of Great Earth Solemnity Pills," Ning Xiaochiao said, stepping out of the room wearing his Golden Mask, his gaze cold and imperious as he looked down at Madam Silver Pool from the steps.
"This humble one apologizes to the Manor Lord. Such a thing will never happen again," Madam Silver Pool replied.
Proud and aloof, she had never held any man in regard—so why was she bowing her head to Ning Xiaochiao? Even she didn’t understand it.
Ning Xiaochiao was equally surprised. For someone of Madam Silver Pool’s cultivation to speak so meekly was unexpected. His earlier fury now dissipated, leaving him unable to vent his anger.
---
Over the next half-month, Ning Xiaochiao stayed at the Qi Tian Marquis House, nurturing the Great Earth Solemnity Pill while cultivating the Eighth Level of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi. Occasionally, he would also guide Qi Ming in his training.
Qi Ming had decent talent, and with the vast resources provided by the Qi Tian Marquis House, his cultivation improved rapidly. In just half a month, he broke through two levels, reaching the fifth level of the Profound Qi Realm.
Though slower than Ning Xiaochiao’s own progress, this still delighted Madam Silver Pool so much that she couldn’t sleep at night. She visited Ning Xiaochiao every evening to discuss heart-nurturing and alchemy, exchanging knowledge and insights.
The longer Ning Xiaochiao knew her, the more he realized Madam Silver Pool wasn’t as despicable as the world claimed.
She excelled in poetry, surpassing even the Imperial City’s top scholar in beauty and depth. She was skilled in song and verse, mastering all instruments, her dancing as graceful as a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm.
In talent, she was no less than Yu Ningsheng.
Her expertise in heart-nurturing and alchemy was such that she could sometimes even teach Ning Xiaochiao.
A woman obsessed with carnal pleasures could never have reached the Earthly Venerable Realm, nor could she possess such remarkable talent.
But Ning Xiaochiao was Ning Xiaochiao, and Madam Silver Pool was Madam Silver Pool. Her affairs were none of his concern.
On this day, the medicinal pills within the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron took shape, with sixteen Mystic Pills suspended inside, emitting dazzling nine-colored radiance. Even before the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron was opened, an intense medicinal aroma wafted out from within.
The fragrance spread throughout the Qi Tian Marquis House, forming a cloud of medicinal energy above the estate. Upon smelling this medicinal scent, Madam Silver Pool pushed open the door and stepped out, her jade-white oval face brimming with joy.
"He succeeded," she murmured. The next moment, she arrived outside Ning Xiaochiao's room, standing beneath a plum blossom tree. Ning Xiaochiao retrieved the "Magma Blood from the Earth's Core" and fixed his gaze on the Heart Nurturing True Cauldron floating mid-air.
Only the final step remained—whether the Great Earth Solemnity Pill could be refined hinged on this decisive moment.
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