Inside the Alchemy room, the temperature was scorching.
The dark red, two-port Medicine Cauldron stood quietly in the center of the stone platform.
Lu Heng sat cross-legged, not in a hurry to start.
He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.
The Dou Qi within his body was like a trickling stream, flowing slowly along his Meridians.
Green Wood in his left hand, Departing Fire in his right.
Two completely different attributes of Dou Qi converged in his palms.
“Rise.”
Lu Heng let out a low shout.
From his palm, a crimson flame rose up and instantly entered the fire port of the Medicine Cauldron.
Whoosh!
The fire inside the Medicine Cauldron flared up brightly.
Lu Heng’s expression was calm; with a wave of his hand, the medicinal herbs on the stone platform flew into the cauldron one by one like birds returning to a forest.
The first step: extraction.
Lu Heng had performed this step thousands of times; he was as proficient as if he were drinking water.
The flames enveloped the herbs, and under the intense heat, they withered and turned to ash, leaving only drops of pure medicinal liquid suspended within the fire.
This time, Lu Heng did not pause for a moment.
He was challenging the Gathering Yuan Pill, which had the difficulty of a second-grade elixir.
Although it was rated as a second-grade, the requirements for flame control were even more demanding than some Third-Grade Pills.
Because it required extreme energy compression.
“Merge!”
Lu Heng flicked his fingers repeatedly, striking the Medicine Cauldron with several strands of Dou Qi.
Inside the cauldron, five clumps of medicinal liquid of different colors began to converge toward the center.
Chi chi chi!
The moment the liquids touched, they emitted a tooth-aching sound of repulsion, and violent energy fluctuations slammed against the walls of the cauldron with dull thuds.
The Medicine Cauldron shook violently.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Lu Heng’s forehead.
“Suppress!”
Lu Heng suddenly increased his Dou Qi output.
The dominance of the Vermilion Fire Body was fully displayed at this moment.
The crimson flames acted like a cage, tightly trapping the medicinal liquid that wanted to explode and forcibly kneading them together.
At the same time, a trace of green wood-attribute Dou Qi quietly seeped in.
Wood feeds fire and can also nourish medicine.
Under the mediation of this trace of vitality, the originally violent medicinal liquid miraculously calmed down.
Time passed minute by minute.
Lu Heng’s face turned somewhat pale, and the Dou Qi in his body was being rapidly consumed.
This kind of refining across Ranks was an immense burden for him at his current level.
Just at the moment his Dou Qi was about to be exhausted…
…a crisp ringing sound suddenly came from inside the cauldron.
A rich medicinal fragrance instantly erupted, filling the entire stone room.
It’s done!
Lu Heng let out a long breath and beckoned with his hand; a round, full, pale green Medicinal Pill flew out and landed in a pre-prepared jade bottle.
The Gathering Yuan Pill was complete.
Without stopping to rest, Lu Heng grabbed a handful of qi recovery pills and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them like beans.
Striking while the iron was hot.
Next was the essence nurturing powder.
Compared to the violence of the Gathering Yuan Pill, the refining of the essence nurturing powder was much gentler but also much more tedious.
It didn’t require forceful compression, but rather breaking down the medicinal power to make it extremely easy to absorb.
This time, Lu Heng’s movements became incredibly gentle.
The flames danced within the cauldron, no longer a wild beast but more like an embroidery needle.
Half an hour later.
Three clumps of pale blue powder formed at the bottom of the cauldron.
Lu Heng carefully divided them into three jade bottles.
Looking at the three bottles of essence nurturing powder in his hand, a smile touched the corners of Lu Heng’s mouth.
This thing was practically tailor-made for Sister Ya Fei.
Ya Fei’s Cultivation talent had been ordinary since childhood, and she had been stuck at the Dou Zhi Qi Stage for a long time.
This was also a point of pain in Sister Ya Fei’s heart.
In the original work, Sister Ya Fei wouldn’t reach the Dou Zhe stage until her early twenties.
Now, with this essence nurturing powder, it would be enough to slowly raise Sister Ya Fei’s cultivation.
While he didn’t expect Ya Fei to become some kind of powerhouse, at least it could prolong her life and prevent diseases.
Lu Heng put away the Medicinal Pills and glanced out the window.
The horizon was already turning the color of a fish’s belly.
This refining session had actually lasted the whole night.
Although his body was exhausted to the limit, his spirit was exceptionally excited.
A Six-Star Dou Zhe, with a beast power pill plus an Gathering Yuan Pill, then going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for some experience.
This situation was secure.
Lu Heng pushed open the door of the stone room, and the cool morning air rushed over him, dispelling the dry heat from his body.
He stretched his stiff neck, which let out a series of cracks.
It was time for breakfast.
He wondered what today’s breakfast would be.
Thinking of Ya Fei’s cooking, Lu Heng’s stomach let out an uncooperative growl.
In the courtyard.
The air was filled with the fragrance of millet porridge, mixed with a few hints of burnt fried eggs.
Just as Lu Heng stepped into the small courtyard, he saw Ya Fei walking out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of steaming porridge.
The usually swift and decisive chief auctioneer now looked like a gentle young wife.
“Wash your hands and eat.”
Ya Fei placed the porridge on the table and casually adjusted her slightly messy hair at her temples.
“I saw you stayed in the Alchemy room all night, so I brewed some medicinal porridge to replenish your Qi.”
Lu Heng obediently went to the basin to wash his hands and sat at the table.
He picked up the bowl and took a large gulp.
The taste was actually average, even a bit bland, but Lu Heng drank it with great relish.
“Drink slowly, no one is competing with you.”
Ya Fei rested her chin on one hand, watching Lu Heng devour his food with eyes full of indulgence, while her other hand gently stirred her own bowl of porridge with a spoon.
“Well?
Did it work?”
“It’s done.”
Lu Heng put down his bowl and wiped his mouth.
He pulled out the three jade bottles containing the pale blue powder from his robe and pushed them toward Ya Fei.
“What is this?”
Ya Fei picked up a bottle and looked at it through the light.
“Is it something like the beast power pill again?”
“No.”
Lu Heng shook his head and said seriously:
“This is called essence nurturing powder.
It’s specifically for those at the Dou Zhi Qi Stage.”
Ya Fei’s hand paused.
She lifted her gaze, and those peach blossom eyes, usually filled with a shrewd smile, now flickered with emotion.
“For the Dou Zhi Qi Stage…” Ya Fei murmured, then gave a bitter smile, “Brother, you refined this specifically for me, didn’t you?”
In this house, besides the freakish Genius Lu Heng, she was the only one at the “Dou Zhi Qi Stage.”
“Sister Ya Fei, the medicinal properties are very gentle.”
Lu Heng looked at her.
“Take a small spoonful before you Cultivate every day.
I guarantee your cultivation speed will increase significantly.”
Ya Fei’s fingers tightened slightly on the jade bottle, her thoughts unknown.
She remained silent for a long time.
There was no joy as Lu Heng had expected, nor were there tears of excitement.
Ya Fei just stared quietly at the bottle, as if looking at some rare treasure, or perhaps a token of parting.
“Why give me this all of a sudden?”
Ya Fei put down the bottle, the spoon clinking softly against the porridge bowl.
“Do you think I’m holding you back?”
“How could that be?”
Lu Heng laughed, “I just want Sister Ya Fei’s health to be better.
Besides, I’m still counting on you to keep supporting me.”
“Stop it.”
Ya Fei rolled her eyes at him, but her eyes were slightly red.
She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed directly on Lu Heng.
That kind of look was as if she wanted to see right through him.
“Brother.”
Ya Fei’s voice was very soft, yet very certain.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”