Chapter 52: Cold Silkworm Versus Blood Toad

Chapter 52: Cold Silkworm Versus Blood Toad

Ning Xiaochuan spent another four days refining another batch of Blood Toad Pills, succeeding without a single failure this time.

This time, he produced a total of twelve fully refined pills.

Each Intermediate Elixir was ten times more potent than the previous Semi-finished Pills he had refined.

Carrying the newly refined Blood Toad Pills, Ning Xiaochuan arrived at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall.

At the entrance of the hall, he encountered Yu Qianqian.

In her hands, she held a Frost Jade Box!

Ning Xiaochuan took the initiative to approach her and greeted, "Greetings, Princess Qianqian!"

Yu Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan had grown quite familiar by now. They attended lectures together under Guo Shidao and often discussed the refinement methods of Intermediate Elixirs, making their relationship much closer than before.

Yu Qianqian pouted and said, "Ning Xiaochuan, if you keep being so formal with me, believe it or not, as your senior sister, I’ll make sure you don’t receive your monthly stipend next month!"

Yu Qianqian believed that Guo Shidao had already accepted Ning Xiaochuan as his eighth disciple, so she always acted as his senior sister in front of him.

However, she didn’t know that Guo Shidao had never mentioned taking Ning Xiaochuan as a disciple, nor had Ning Xiaochuan ever considered becoming his student.

Of course, even without the formal title of master and disciple, Ning Xiaochuan still held deep respect for Guo Shidao, as their relationship was akin to that of teacher and student in practice.

Ning Xiaochuan relaxed his tone and chuckled, "You’re actually three days younger than me, yet you insist on being my senior sister. Unless you pull rank as the princess, I’m definitely not calling you that."

Yu Qianqian was dressed in luxurious attire, exuding an air of nobility and elegance at all times. She straightened her posture and declared, "Fine! Then I’ll use my authority as the princess to order you to call me senior sister."

"Greetings, Her Highness Princess Qianqian," Ning Xiaochuan lazily bowed to her.

Yu Qianqian gritted her teeth in frustration, stomping her feet repeatedly. Why was it so difficult to get this guy to call her senior sister?

How infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!

The two walked side by side toward the Heart Nurturing Tower.

Along the way, servants immediately knelt upon seeing them.

The sight of Princess Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan walking together in the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall was no longer a secret. Their frequent interactions had become a unique spectacle within the hall.

Because of this, quite a few rumors had spread throughout the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall.

"Who knows what background that Ning Xiaochuan has? Not only is he a Quasi-Intermediate Heart Nurturer, but he also has the privilege of attending lectures with Princess Qianqian under the Hall Master."

"Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Qianqian are both prodigies. It’s only a matter of time before they become Intermediate Heart Nurturers. Who knows, they might even advance to Advanced Heart Nurturers in the future."

"Do you think Her Highness has taken a liking to that guy? She used to be so aloof and cold, hardly letting anyone get close to her. Yet, she’s always with Ning Xiaochuan, and they often argue over Heart Nurturing and pill refinement techniques."

Wang Shisong walked over and glared fiercely at the maidservants, saying, "Stop wagging your tongues nonsense. Young Master Ning and the Princess are a perfect match in both talent and looks, both being peerless ghostly geniuses. Even if they were truly together, it would be entirely natural. Aren't they the golden couple of our Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall?"

Wang Shisong had intended to reprimand the maidservants, but little did he know his words would be twisted by the gossip-loving maidservants, spreading rumors that Princess Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan were already secretly engaged!

"No way! Princess Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan secretly engaged? This is no small matter. You mustn’t spread such baseless talk," the Sixth Steward of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall said with a stern expression, his face turning cold.

The maidservant kneeling on the ground timidly replied, "It’s true. These were the exact words spoken by Lord Wang Shisong himself."

"Wang Shisong is an Intermediate Heart Nurturer with free access to the Heart Nurturing Tower. Could he have truly uncovered some secret?" The Sixth Steward’s face darkened with contemplation. He thought to himself, That old fool Wang Shisong has no sense of discretion. How could he casually speak of such matters? If this spreads, it could tarnish the Princess’s reputation.

It seems I must report this to the Prince and his consort immediately.

As Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian entered the Heart Nurturing Tower, the Sixth Steward hurried off to the Golden Roc Prince’s Manor.

Yu Qianqian noticed the Ice Jade Box in Ning Xiaochuan’s hands, her bright eyes blinking as her crystal-like red lips parted. "Don’t tell me you’ve successfully refined an Intermediate Elixir too?"

Ning Xiaochuan, naturally pleased with his success, glanced at the Ice Jade Box in Yu Qianqian’s hands and smiled. "You’ve also refined one, haven’t you? How did you solve the issue of the ice silkworm devouring the Elixir Qi?"

The Intermediate Elixir Yu Qianqian had been attempting to refine was called the Cold Silkworm Elixir, and she had failed many times before.

She had previously discussed the reason for her failures with Ning Xiaochuan—the main issue being that the ice silkworm would consume the Elixir Qi. Every time she was on the verge of success, the Elixir Qi would be devoured by the silkworm, ruining her efforts at the last moment.

Yu Qianqian smirked mysteriously. "Call me ‘Senior Sister,’ and I’ll tell you!"

"Forget it then," Ning Xiaochuan said, refusing to indulge her.

Seeing that Ning Xiaochuan truly wouldn’t ask further, Yu Qianqian felt an itch of frustration. She shot him a playful glare and laughed. "Fine, I’ll tell you anyway. The ice silkworm devours Elixir Qi, but a well-fed silkworm won’t. So, I added a leaf of Fire Cloud Mulberry to the Mystic Medicine—and it worked."

"Not particularly impressive," Ning Xiaochuan remarked.

Yu Qianqian’s expression soured. "Dare to make a bet?"

"On what?"

"On whose Intermediate Elixir is superior."

"No need for a bet. Mine is undoubtedly better."

"If you refuse, I’ll deduct all your stipend for next month."

Ning Xiaochuan finally relented. "Fine. How do we bet?"

Yu Qianqian grinned. "If my elixir is superior, you must call me ‘Senior Sister’ every time you see me."

"And if mine is better?" Ning Xiaochuan countered.

"Impossible."

"What if?"

Yu Qianqian said, "If by some fluke you manage to win, I'll give you this Cold Silkworm Elixir."

"Deal! It's settled then. Let the Hall Master judge who wins!"

Ning Xiaochuan pushed open the tower door, holding the Ice Jade Box as he walked in. "Hall Master, I’ve successfully refined a batch of genuine Intermediate Elixirs."

Yu Qianqian followed him inside, shooting Ning Xiaochuan a fierce glare. "Master, Qianqian has also succeeded in refining an Intermediate Elixir."

Guo Shidao was organizing ancient scrolls by the bookshelf when the two entered. A knowing smile appeared on his face. "What kind of day is this? Both of you have refined Intermediate Elixirs at the same time—are you aiming to become Intermediate Heart Nurturers together? A joyous occasion indeed!"

Yu Qianqian said impatiently, "Master, forget about your old scrolls for now. First, judge whose Intermediate Elixir is of higher quality!"

This was the first time Guo Shidao had seen Yu Qianqian so competitive, so he first opened the Frost Jade Box she presented.

The box emitted a piercing cold aura, releasing a white glow. Glittering droplets of light floated out, carrying a pill fragrance that nourished both body and mind.

This was undoubtedly an Intermediate Elixir of extremely high purity, its surface adorned with silkworm-shaped pill patterns.

Ning Xiaochuan was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Yu Qianqian to refine such a high-grade pill on her first attempt—no wonder she was so confident.

Guo Shidao nodded in satisfaction. "A Cold Silkworm Elixir of remarkable purity. It holds immense efficacy for martial artists below the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm, capable of directly elevating them by one minor realm—provided they possess a Yin-Attribute Constitution. Truly excellent. If auctioned, it would undoubtedly fetch a high price."

A radiant smile graced Yu Qianqian’s breathtakingly beautiful face, exuding a warmth like spring blossoms.

She lifted her snow-white, slender neck, casting a slight glance at Ning Xiaochuan as if victory was already assured, proud as a little peacock.

Guo Shidao then opened the other Ice Jade Box. Immediately, twelve crimson beams of light burst forth, coalescing into twelve blood-red toads in the air, their brilliance so intense it was blinding.

"Whoosh—"

Twelve Blood Toad Pills flew out of the jade box, hovering mid-air like twelve divine lanterns.

Yu Qianqian was speechless with shock. "You… you refined twelve Intermediate Elixirs in one go?"

Ning Xiaochuan nodded lightly. "This likely isn’t my limit. With higher cultivation, I should be able to refine even more."

Yu Qianqian patted her chest lightly, feeling utterly defeated. This wasn’t a Heart Nurturer—this was a mass-production alchemy master!

No, Yu Qianqian, you must pull yourself together. You can’t admit defeat. Never admit defeat!

She took a deep breath and said, "This isn’t anything special. Quantity doesn’t equate to quality. The value of my Cold Silkworm Elixir is equivalent to ten ordinary Intermediate Elixirs."

Guo Shidao was also astonished, thinking to himself, "The Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace is truly formidable. It can actually refine twelve Intermediate Elixirs in a single batch, and this isn’t even its limit. Boundless potential! Boundless potential!"

"Supreme-grade," Guo Shidao declared.

Yu Qianqian disagreed, saying, "Master, are you claiming that all twelve Blood Toad Pills he refined are supreme-grade?"

Guo Shidao nodded and explained, "The Blood Toad Pills are most effective for cultivators below the seventh level of the Divine Body Realm. If consumed by a cultivator who has achieved the Vajra Divine Body, it can directly elevate their cultivation by one minor realm without any side effects. Moreover, if the same cultivator takes a second Blood Toad Pill, it will still have significant effects, greatly enhancing their vital energy. However, achieving another minor realm breakthrough is impossible."

"Therefore, in terms of grade, the Cold Silkworm Elixir and the Blood Toad Pill are roughly on par. But in terms of efficacy, the Blood Toad Pill is superior."

As one of the few top-tier Great Heart Nurturers in the Yulan Empire, standing at the very pinnacle of authority, Guo Shidao's words carried undeniable weight. Since he had given such an evaluation, it confirmed that the Cold Silkworm Elixir was indeed inferior to the Blood Toad Pill.