Once more in the thick woods of the Mist Forest, Lin Xuan moved silently between the trees. He scanned the area with sharp eyes, searching for herbs strong enough to support his coming breakthroughs and stabilize Liu Yue's cultivation.
Time passed.
Eventually, his satchel was filled with rare herbs—Spirit Bone Grass, Moon-Crystal Roots, and a few scattered Soul Lotus Petals. Satisfied, he turned back and made his way toward the inn, careful to avoid any high-ranked beasts.
By dusk, Lin Xuan had returned to his room at the inn. Without resting, he sat cross-legged in the center of the room, placing the herbs neatly before him. He extended his right hand, and with a deep breath, a brilliant silver flame ignited in his palm.
The fire shimmered like liquid moonlight, ethereal and pure, yet radiating an intense heat.
Holding the herbs over the silver flame, Lin Xuan began the delicate refining process. The room filled with a fragrant spiritual mist as each herb released its essence into the air, purified and condensed by the silver flame's precise heat.
The essences began to merge mid-air under Lin Xuan's careful guidance, his spiritual energy shaping and solidifying them. The silver flame danced with graceful precision—controlled perfectly by his will, as though it were born from within him.
After some time, three different types of pills were formed. He examined each with a critical eye.
Two violet-gold pills—to stabilize and improve cultivation. One for himself. One for Liu Yue.
A dark bronze pill, pulsing faintly—a body refinement pill, crafted using techniques from the Scriptures of Severed Unity.
And finally, a cold, translucent pill, infused with chilling energy—a specialized ice-type pill suitable for an ice-attribute cultivator.
Lin Xuan took the body refinement pill and one cultivation pill for himself. As they dissolved within him, a surge of heat and strength coursed through his body. His bones crackled faintly, his meridians widened, and his cultivation stabilized further—he was nearing the Second Layer of Qi Transformation.
He let out a quiet breath.
> "Now, for Liu Yue."
With no hesitation, Lin Xuan stood, walked to Liu Yue's door, and knocked gently.
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