Ever since Liu Xi broke through to 3-Star Dou Huang, his life had settled into a quiet, disciplined rhythm.
Most of his days were spent immersed in cultivation. Outside of that, he dedicated three to four hours each day to training Zi Ling.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
One morning, Jia Xingtian arrived with a broad smile, handing Liu Xi a spatial ring. Inside were three full sets of ingredients for the Zong Breaking Pill and a payment of three million gold coins.
"Hehe… little friend, I'll be counting on you for this Zong Breaking Pill."
Liu Xi smiled lightly. "No problem, Elder Jia. Come back in about half a month. The Zong Breaking Pill can't be rushed—it takes time."
To gather these ingredients, Jia Xingtian had practically emptied the royal family's herb stores accumulated over the past century. If this batch failed, he doubted he would live long enough to gather another set.
He understood how difficult this tier of pill was to refine, and though he tried to hide it, his heart was uneasy. As he turned to leave, he couldn't help glancing back every few steps, as if worried Liu Xi might change his mind.
Liu Xi merely watched him go with a calm smile until Jia Xingtian disappeared beyond the valley.
"Hissss~"
Zi Ling slithered forward, holding the jade chopstick in her mouth, her slender tail swaying as she stopped before Liu Xi—clearly asking him to play.
Liu Xi glanced down at her and handed her a jade bottle containing only a shallow layer of spirit liquid.
Zi Ling tilted her small, translucent head, her crystalline eyes filled with confusion.
"Go play by yourself today," Liu Xi said with a chuckle. "I have real work to do."
Leaving the bottle behind, he walked toward the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron standing silently in the valley's corner.
Zi Ling's eyes showed faint disappointment. Still, she poked her head into the jade bottle, licked out the last of the spirit liquid, and wrapped her tail around the chopstick, following him obediently.
Standing before the cauldron, Liu Xi closed his eyes, mentally reviewing the entire process for refining the Zong Breaking Pill: temperatures, purification timing, and the delicate order of merging the ingredients.
The Zong Breaking Pill was a peak 6th Tier pill capable of greatly increasing the chance of breaking through to Dou Zong. More complex than the Mighty Huang Pill, it demanded extreme precision. It would be Liu Xi's first time refining it—he had theory, but no hands-on experience.
After ten minutes of careful recollection, Liu Xi's eyes snapped open. With a flick of his finger, a wisp of cyan flame drifted into the cauldron. The fire flared wildly, illuminating the carved beast totems along its surface—each one writhing as if alive.
"Let's begin."
He retrieved a jade box and opened it. Inside rested a twig-like branch of pure white crystal, cold mist swirling from its surface—the Frost Marrow Branch, one of the pill's main ingredients.
He dropped it straight into the cauldron. The cyan flame roared upward, enveloping it completely. Instantly, frost-white chill spread out from within, fiercely resisting the Heavenly Flame's searing heat.
Liu Xi shook his hand, wincing slightly. Even a brief touch had coated his fingers with a layer of frost, the cold energy nearly seeping into his body. A pulse of cyan fire swept through his meridians, dispersing it.
Fixing his gaze on the cauldron, he shrouded the burning branch with his Spiritual Power, maintaining absolute control over every fluctuation of heat.
Over an hour passed.
"This Frost Marrow Branch sure lives up to its name—it's still resisting after all this time!"
Finally, under the Heavenly Flame's relentless refinement, the branch melted into a viscous, snow-white liquid that glowed faintly with pure energy.
With a thought, Liu Xi separated the portion of flame containing the liquid, moving it aside to temper further, then began refining the next ingredient.
Ten long hours passed before every herb had been refined into pure essence. The real challenge now lay ahead—the pill condensation stage.
Gathering all the liquid essences, Liu Xi poured his Spiritual Power into the cauldron, compressing the energy within.
The various liquids collided and merged, their conflicting properties creating surging waves of power. The mixture trembled violently, on the verge of exploding—
Boom!
As expected, a muffled blast erupted from within the cauldron. The carefully refined essences shattered in an instant, erupting into chaotic energy that made the cauldron itself tremble violently.
Liu Xi frowned, unbothered by failure. What mattered was identifying the mistake so it wouldn't happen again.
"The medicinal natures of the Zong Breaking Pill's ingredients are far too volatile. I need to suppress them firmly before fusion… or it'll collapse every time."
After cleaning out the ruined residue, he began a second round of refinement.
Ten more hours passed.
This time, Liu Xi's focus was razor-sharp. His soul force poured endlessly into the cauldron, ready to suppress any sign of instability.
"Condense!"
The colorful liquids, wrapped in cyan flame, quivered as they touched. Violent tremors rippled through the cauldron once again.
"Now!"
Liu Xi's Spiritual Power flared, forcing the trembling mixture to stay contained within the flame, binding its volatility until the fusion stabilized.
Half an hour later, the chaos subsided. The liquids had merged into a dense, multicolored mass, gradually shrinking until a rough, uneven pill took form within the fire.
"Whew…"
Liu Xi exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Finally."
The hardest part was done. He continued nourishing the pill with gentle flame, ensuring its form stabilized.
"Honestly… refining a Zong Breaking Pill is more exhausting than fighting a battle," he muttered with a wry grin.
After two days of steady tempering—
A surge of energy burst upward, blasting the cauldron lid high into the air as a beam of light shot into the sky. Heaven and earth stirred in response; winds howled, and thunderclouds rolled across the heavens.
Liu Xi raised his head, eyebrows furrowed. "You've got to be kidding me… a pill of this quality actually summoned tribulation lightning?"
He sighed dramatically. "Maybe I should thank the heavens for recognizing my skill."
Above, black clouds gathered thick and heavy, silver lightning writhing within them like angry serpents.
But after a moment of tension, the clouds slowly dissipated. The heavenly thunder didn't strike.
"Came fast, left faster," Liu Xi murmured in relief.
He retrieved the glowing Zong Breaking Pill from the cauldron, its surface gleaming with intricate luster—a genuine peak 6th Tier pill. Storing it carefully in a jade bottle, a mischievous thought crossed his mind.
"There's still one set of materials left… why not refine another for myself?"
Without hesitation, Liu Xi swallowed a 4th Tier recovery pill, restored most of his Dou Qi, and reignited the Heavenly Flame.
Experience made the second attempt far easier. Refining, fusing, tempering—all flowed smoothly, every motion precise and practiced.
Three days later, a brand new Zong Breaking Pill lay gleaming within the cauldron, flawless and pure.
(End of Chapter)
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