Sweat slid down Lu Heng’s forehead, evaporating into white steam before it could even drip onto his clothes.
An unknown amount of time passed.
When the first crow of a rooster came from outside the window, Lu Heng snapped his eyes open.
Two flashes of brilliant light flickered and vanished within his eyes.
Naturally, Lu Heng’s cultivation couldn’t break through to two-star in a single night, but he could feel the Fighting Qi within his body becoming more condensed.
“The Fighting Qi of a One-star Dou Zhe is still too strained.” A trace of helplessness flashed through Lu Heng’s black eyes.
Although the Five Elements Chaos Art granted him a recovery speed far exceeding ordinary people, and the Azure Wood Body gave him freakish self-healing abilities, the continuous consumption of Fighting Qi during alchemy was simply too great.
“At this rate of efficiency, refining three batches of pills a day would be the limit.”
Lu Heng sighed and reached out to rub the bridge of his nose.
“The Five Elements Chaos Art combined with the Azure Wood Body…
this recovery ability is practically ridiculous.”
Lu Heng moved his neck, his joints letting out a series of crisp popping sounds.
He walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and splashed it on his face; the icy sensation made him completely alert.
While wiping his face, he mentally calculated his upcoming schedule.
His current strength was still that of a One-star Dou Zhe; although he had the methods of an Alchemist, if he encountered real danger, he would still have to rely on his fists.
“Morning will be for refining pills to make money, afternoon for a short nap to recover my spirit, and night for cultivating Fighting Qi and Dou Techniques.”
Lu Heng hung up the towel and looked at his reflection in the water; his youthful face revealed a calm that did not match his age.
“As for actual combat…
my current body is too fragile.
I should wait until I’m at least a five or Six-Star Dou Zhe and have mastered those Profound Rank Dou Techniques before going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to practice on some Second-tier Magical Beasts.
I must be steady!”
Lu Heng silently planned in his heart.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Just then, a gentle knocking sound came from outside the courtyard gate.
Following that was a voice that was deliberately lowered yet still unable to hide its charm.
“Younger Brother Lu Heng, are you up yet?
Sister brought you something good to nourish your body~”
Lu Heng’s lips twitched.
Nourish his body?
Sister Ya Fei really is…
a vixen.
He pushed open the door, and the morning chill rushed at him, refreshing his spirit.
In the courtyard, Ya Fei was sitting on a stone bench wearing a loose, light purple loungewear dress; she lacked some of the sharp coquettishness she usually had at the Auction House and had a bit more of the gentleness of a domestic woman.
The morning light hit the side of Ya Fei’s face, making the fine hairs clearly visible; she held an ivory comb in her hand, nonchalantly grooming her smooth long hair.
Breakfast was already set on the stone table, and a rich meaty aroma wafted into his nostrils.
“Awake?”
Ya Fei put down the comb and looked at Lu Heng, her eyes filled with laughter.
“Come eat quickly, it’s going to get cold.”
Lu Heng walked over and sat down, looking at the table full of dishes, and couldn’t help but click his tongue:
“Sister Ya Fei, isn’t this too lavish?
Eating something so nourishing so early in the morning?”
“You’re still growing, and you’re both cultivating and refining pills; how can you manage if you don’t eat well?”
Ya Fei picked up a small bowl, personally served him a bowl of meat soup, and pushed it in front of Lu Heng:
“I specifically had someone get the tenderloin of a First-tier Magical Beast, the Scarlet Blood Pig, and stewed it with hundred-year ginseng; it’s best for nourishing Qi and blood.
Hurry and drink it while it’s hot.”
Looking at the chunks of meat in the bowl that were stewed until they almost melted, a warm current flowed through Lu Heng’s heart.
In this world, magical beast meat was already expensive, let alone this kind of First-tier Magical Beast meat specifically used for nourishment; the cost of this breakfast was likely not small.
Lu Heng picked up the bowl and took a sip; the scalding soup slid down his throat, and his stomach instantly felt warm and cozy.
“It’s delicious,” Lu Heng praised sincerely.
“If it’s delicious, then eat more.”
Ya Fei rested her chin on one hand, and looking at Lu Heng devouring the food, a trace of tenderness flashed in her heart.
With his mouth stuffed with steamed dumplings, Lu Heng said indistinctly:
“Sister Ya Fei, that’s cultivation for me, it’s not tiring.
Besides, if I don’t work hard, how can I support you in the future?”
Ya Fei let out a light laugh and poked his forehead with a slender finger.
“You’re not even that old, yet you talk so big.
Does Sister really need you to support her?”
Even though Ya Fei said that, the smile on her face couldn’t be hidden no matter what.
Lu Heng swallowed the food in his mouth, looked up, and said to Ya Fei with a serious expression:
“Of course.
I will definitely work hard and become someone Sister Ya Fei can rely on!”
“Alright, alright, alright.”
Ya Fei laughed so hard her whole body trembled; her heart was warm, and he truly lived up to being her Younger Brother Lu Heng.
Her full chest quivered slightly with her laughter, making Lu Heng’s cheeks turn crimson.
“However…”
Ya Fei stopped laughing, her tone becoming serious,
“Making money isn’t something that needs to be rushed.
Although you have great talent, you are still young after all; don’t wear your body out.
If you’re tired, then rest.”
“Got it.”
Lu Heng put down his bowl and let out a satisfied burp.
This feeling of being kept by a rich woman…
uh, no, being doted on by a sister, really makes it easy for one to become depraved.
This soft rice is truly delicious!
After breakfast, Ya Fei tidied up and went to the front hall.
Recently, because of that Genius youth of the Xiao Family, the situation in Wutan City had become a bit subtle, and the Auction House’s business was also somewhat affected; she had to go keep an eye on things.
Lu Heng watched that purple silhouette disappear at the end of the corridor, the smile on his face gradually fading.
He turned back into the room and locked the door tight.
“Time to work.”
Lu Heng took out that dark red double-mouthed Medicine Cauldron from his storage ring and placed it in the center of the room.
What he wanted to refine this time was a first-grade pill recorded in the myriad realms pharmacopoeia, the beast power pill.
This kind of pill might not be anything rare in other worlds, but on the Dou Qi Continent, it definitely belonged to the type of pill that mercenaries at the Dou Zhe and Dou Shi levels would fight over.
Its effect was simple and crude: within the duration of one incense stick, it would significantly increase the user’s strength and allow them to be fearless of pain to a certain extent!
For those mercenaries who lived on the edge of a blade, this was not just a trump card, but a life-saving charm.
The only difficulty lay in the Materials.
The main ingredient for the beast power pill was a plant called “ironwood root.”
This thing wasn’t expensive; it could even be said to be very cheap, found all over the mountains.
However, its texture was as hard as iron, making it extremely difficult to extract the medicinal liquid.
Lu Heng sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and pressed both hands against the fire vents of the Medicine Cauldron.
“Puff!”
Crimson flames rose up within the cauldron.
Lu Heng didn’t rush to throw in the medicine; instead, he controlled the flames to circulate once inside the cauldron, and only after the Medicine Cauldron was preheated did he grab a piece of pitch-black tree root and toss it in.
“Sizzle!”
As soon as the hard ironwood root came into contact with the flames, it didn’t wither and melt like ordinary medicinal Materials; after its bark was burned by the flames, it even faintly shimmered with a metallic luster.
“As expected, it’s a tough nut to crack.” Lu Heng’s brow furrowed slightly.
Extracting the medicinal liquid of the ironwood root was truly a bit of a thankless task for first-grade and even Second-Grade Alchemists.