Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Breaking Through to Refining Essence
In the living room, the three Xia Family brothers sat staring at one another, their hearts fraught with anxiety and unease as they waited for the results of Elder Yuh’s alchemy.
Xiaxia, munching on grapes, said, "Relax. The pills my master improved will definitely be incredible. You’re all way too tense."
Xia Dong’s brow furrowed into a knot. "It’s not that. Your master gave his instructions so quickly I didn’t even have time to process it. Besides, it’s been so long. Why isn’t Elder Yuh back yet? Could something have gone wrong?"
Xia Heng proposed, "How about we go to the Alchemy Room and take a look?"
Xia Heng still felt uneasy. Wen Qingye had just seemed far too casual, which did little to inspire his confidence.
Just then, Elder Yuh burst in from outside the hall, clutching two Pill Bottles.
"Patriarch, wonderful news! Wonderful news! Look! The Blood Stopping Pill and the Qi Recovery Pill!"
Xia Heng quickly rose to his feet. "Quick, let me see!"
Elder Yuh joyfully handed the pills to Xia Heng. "After Master Wen’s improvements, the pill’s efficacy has increased by about fifty percent! Fifty percent! They’re nearly as good as Third-Grade Pills!"
"What!? Fifty percent?"
The three Xia Family brothers stared at the pills in their hands in disbelief. This was too outrageous! Just from a few casual remarks from Wen Qingye, the pills’ efficacy had increased by fifty percent.
"It’s absolutely true. The reason I took so long was that I was running tests. The pill’s efficacy is definitely about fifty percent higher than before. Master Wen is truly an Alchemy Master!" Elder Yuh said, his face full of admiration.
Xia Heng clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Does this mean we can not only redeem ourselves but also take business away from the Yue Family?"
Elder Yuh smiled. "Once these two pills hit the market, the Yue Family’s stalls and apothecaries will be completely deserted, while the Xia Family’s will be flooded with a constant stream of customers."
Listening to Elder Yuh, Xia Heng was overcome with excitement, already picturing the Xia Family soaring to new heights.
’Such low aspirations.’ Xiaxia pouted, finding the scene both irritating and absurd. Then, she turned and walked off on her own.
...
「The next day」
Most of the Xia Family members were busy dealing with the pills, leaving Wen Qingye with plenty of free time.
Wen Qingye sat cross-legged on his bed and took out an Ice Fire Pill.
Streams of red and blue qi swirled across the surface of the Ice Fire Pill, making the entire thing seem alive with a mysterious aura.
’Using an Ice Fire Pill to break through the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer Heaven seems a bit wasteful, but there’s no other choice right now. I have to break through to the Refining Essence First Layer Heaven as quickly as possible.’
Wen Qingye picked up the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.
Once the Ice Fire Pill entered his stomach, Wen Qingye felt a strange stream of qi begin to flow through his body, alternating between icy cold and searing heat.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the stream of qi turned turbulent. It surged through Wen Qingye’s meridians, stretching them taut and forcing him to grit his teeth against the pain.
This was because the Ice Fire Pill’s power was simply overwhelming. When Xiaxia had taken it, Wen Qingye had cut off a tiny piece and soaked it in water before letting her consume it.
The turbulent qi was completely beyond Wen Qingye’s control. One moment, it was a searing wave of heat; the next, it was a bone-chilling cold. His face gradually grew pale.
As time ticked by, Wen Qingye felt as if his entire body were being reforged. The stream of ice-fire qi slowly converged on his mystic pass.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Once.
Twice.
...
Again and again, the energy slammed against the barrier. Wen Qingye endured the pain, immersing his Heart Spirit and gathering all the Primordial Qi in his body to join the assault on his mystic pass.
The seventh time!
The mystic pass shattered! Wen Qingye felt as if bells were chiming all around him. His vision swam for a moment, and then his Primordial Qi transformed into a celestial torrent, slowly suffusing every part of his body.
Once his mind cleared, Wen Qingye inspected his cultivation.
Peak of Refining Essence First Layer Heaven!
The Ice Fire Pill had not only reforged Wen Qingye’s body but had also elevated his cultivation by an entire stage—a direct breakthrough from Qi Cultivation to the Refining Essence Realm.
Wen Qingye clenched his fist, feeling the surging Primordial Qi roar through him. He was several times stronger than he had been at the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer Heaven.
Afterward, Wen Qingye took a bath and sat at a table, sipping tea.
"Master, Master!" Xiaxia came running over with a wide grin. "Weren’t you going to buy a Pill Furnace? Let’s go now!"
Wen Qingye nodded. Buying a Pill Furnace was the very reason he’d come to Feiyun City. "Alright, let’s go."
Xiaxia said excitedly, "I haven’t had a chance to wander around Feiyun City in forever! Let’s go to the east side. Our Xia Family shops are there, and there are lots of stores that sell Pill Furnaces."
With that, Xiaxia began leading Wen Qingye toward the east side of the city, chattering nonstop the whole way. Wen Qingye just smiled and listened quietly as he followed.
"Master, over there! See? That’s our Xia Family’s shop," Xiaxia said, pointing ahead.
Wen Qingye looked over and saw that the Xia Family’s shop was swarming with people, bustling with activity as the surrounding crowd shouted and clamored.
Xiaxia looked at Wen Qingye with hero-worship in her eyes. "Master, this is all thanks to the improved pills. The Xia Family’s business is doing much better now than it ever has before."
Wen Qingye smiled. "If you cultivate the Alchemy Dao diligently, you might even surpass me one day."
Hearing this, Xiaxia’s face fell. "Oh, forget it. I know I’m too lazy for that. I’d be happy just to have half of your skill."
"So you admit you’re lazy." Wen Qingye patted Xiaxia’s head, his tone suddenly turning serious. "If you don’t meet my expectations, I’ll have to punish you."
Xiaxia immediately nodded her head. "Don’t worry, Master! I’ll definitely work hard and be diligent. I won’t let you down!"
Wen Qingye nodded in satisfaction. ’I’ve always had high hopes for her,’ he thought. ’Xiaxia has a natural talent for the Alchemy Dao. As long as she’s willing to work hard, she’ll go far.’
Suddenly, Xiaxia’s eyes lit up. She pointed to a shop ahead and said, "Master, that’s it! That’s the shop!"
The two of them entered the shop. Inside were numerous Pill Furnaces on display, most of them First or Second Grade.
The Shopkeeper walked over with a smile. "Welcome, you two! What can I get for you? We have every kind of Pill Furnace here—the best selection in all of Feiyun City. I guarantee you’ll find something you like."
Wen Qingye swept his gaze across the room and asked, "Do you have anything better?"
At this, a flicker of delight flashed in the Shopkeeper’s eyes. "Of course, of course! Please, follow me."
The Shopkeeper led Wen Qingye into a back room. Several more Pill Furnaces were displayed here, and they were indeed a significant step up from the ones in the main shop.
"These seven are all Third-Grade Pill Furnaces. Do any of them strike your fancy?" the Shopkeeper asked with a smile.
Wen Qingye shook his head. "Do you have anything better?"
The Shopkeeper’s smile froze. He glanced at Wen Qingye and said in a low voice, "These are the best ones I have. There’s nothing better."
Wen Qingye looked the Shopkeeper in the eye and gave a faint smile. "Are you afraid we can’t afford it, Shopkeeper?"
"Th-that’s not it at all. It’s just... the shop truly doesn’t have any others," the Shopkeeper said, his eyes shifting evasively.
"We can definitely make it worth your while," Xiaxia chimed in with a pout. "If you have something better, bring it out. Look." She held out her hand. "This is a Fourth-Grade Purple Cloud Pill, and my master has Sixth-Grade Pills. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you know."
"A Sixth-Grade Pill?" The Shopkeeper looked from Xiaxia to Wen Qingye, his heart reeling with shock. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth as if making a difficult decision.
As the Shopkeeper’s eyes fell upon the pill in Xiaxia’s hand, a flicker of greed flashed within them.
Wen Qingye seemed to notice, and one of his eyebrows rose slightly.
The Shopkeeper walked over to one of the nearby Pill Furnaces. Behind it, of all places, was a hidden mechanism. He pressed it forcefully with his finger.
"The best furnace is in here."
Just then, a section of the floor ground open, slowly revealing a dark, square-shaped hole. Unable to resist, Wen Qingye and Xiaxia stepped closer to look.
