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**
Nearly three months had passed, and now Wei Yang had reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling, faintly touching the bottleneck of Dou Wang.
It wouldn't take long before he could attempt to break through this barrier and step into a new realm.
Just yesterday, he had successfully refined a Qi Gathering Pill.
Qi Gathering Pill—a Tier 4 pill.
After consumption, it could help a nine-stage Dou Zhi Qi practitioner condense a Qi Cyclone within their body, ensuring a 100% smooth and risk-free breakthrough into the Dou Zhe realm.
Successfully refining Qi Gathering Pill also signified that Wei Yang had officially stepped into the rank of a Tier 4 alchemist.
Of course, there was still a gap before reaching the peak of the Tier 4.
This rapid progress was largely due to his powerful soul power and an abundant supply of medicinal herbs, allowing him to reach this level in just under three months.
However, progressing beyond the fourth tier wouldn't be as easy.
Firstly, Tier 4 medicinal herbs were rare, so he could no longer refine pills day and night like before.
Secondly, refining Tier 4 pills had become significantly more complex—sometimes, a single pill could take an entire day to refine.
Meanwhile, Xian'er had also reached Three-Star Dou Ling.
Not long ago, she had successfully refined a Tier 3 Recovery Pill, smoothly stepping into the rank of a Tier 3 alchemist.
However, her rapid progress phase had now passed, and she had entered a bottleneck.
...
Sitting on a rock, Wei Yang watched the graceful figure busy preparing breakfast for the two of them. Smiling, he asked, "Xian'er, in a few days, I need to return to Wu Tan City for a bit. Do you want to come with me?"
"Hmm?" Xian'er turned her head, brushing aside her bangs with her delicate hand. Her beautiful eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked at Wei Yang. In a soft voice, she asked, "Brother Yang, why do you suddenly want to return to Wu Tan City? Is something going on?"
"It's nothing serious. I just promised the Xiao Clan that I'd visit them after three months." Wei Yang waved his hand with a smile.
"Oh." Xian'er turned back and continued her cooking, clearly uninterested in visiting the Xiao Clan. "Then you can go. I'll wait here for you to come back."
"Alright. I'll leave in the morning and be back by the afternoon."
Wei Yang nodded, then added, "Oh, by the way, give me those three Soul Nourishing Lotuses later. I've been studying various handbooks and texts recently, and I'm confident that I can refine them into a Tier 4 Soul Nourishing Liquid to enhance their effectiveness in restoring the soul."
"Tier 4 Soul Nourishing Liquid? To recover soul damage… What about the auxiliary ingredients?" Xian'er added some firewood to the stove and curiously asked.
"The auxiliary ingredients include Clear Spirit Grass, Enlightening Flower, and Focus Herb… These Tier 3 and Tier 4 herbs can all be found in the valley. I also have a Rank 3 water-attributed magic core that I got while hunting." Wei Yang replied.
"There are only a dozen or so common Tier 4 herbs in this valley, and you're planning to take several all at once?" Xian'er pouted and glared at Wei Yang.
The little girl couldn't help but feel a bit distressed.
The herbs in this valley were her precious treasures, and she had always cared for them meticulously.
Now, Wei Yang wanted to take three of the rarest Tier 4 Soul Nourishing Lotuses from her stash.
She hadn't even used a single one of the forty-eight precious herbs they had brought back from Gu Te's treasure trove. Yet here he was, already eyeing three of them.
Seeing her protective stance, Wei Yang chuckled. "Strictly speaking, the Soul Nourishing Liquid I'm refining is just a Tier 4 medicinal liquid. However, not only does it restore soul damage, but upon first use, it can also enhance one's soul power."
"I'll refine three portions and give you one. Since you've been refining pills frequently for the past six months, your soul power is already stronger than an average Three-Star Dou Ling. If you take a dose of Soul Nourishing Liquid, your soul power might even match an ordinary Dou Wang! At that point, refining peak Tier 3 pills won't be far off." Wei Yang tempted her.
Xian'er's eyes immediately lit up.
She tossed a few mushrooms into the bubbling pot, wrinkled her nose slightly, and snorted, "Fine. I'll give them to you after breakfast."
Seeing this, Wei Yang secretly rejoiced.
Why did he suddenly feel like he was coaxing his wife into giving him pocket money?
...
"All done! Try it and see how it tastes." Xian'er stirred the boiling soup in the pot with a ladle, then gracefully took a small bowl from the side. She filled it with beast meat and mushroom soup and handed it to Wei Yang with a smile. "Here, be careful, it's hot."
Wei Yang took the bowl and inhaled the rich, fragrant aroma, instantly feeling his mouth water.
Swallowing his saliva, he gave Xian'er a big thumbs-up and praised, "Smells amazing!"
He blew on it a couple of times and, not caring about the heat, took a big sip.
"Slow down! It's hot." Xian'er chided him playfully.
"Mm, mm." Wei Yang only mumbled vaguely and continued drinking.
Xian'er rolled her eyes at Wei Yang, then served herself a bowl as well. She brought it to her lips, gently blowing on it in small puffs.
She watched Wei Yang, who was holding his bowl and gulping down the broth. A smile appeared on her face, and the happiness in her bright, watery eyes seemed ready to overflow.
When Wei Yang finished his bowl, he took the slightly cooled bowl in his hand and handed it over to her.
—
Inside the secret chamber, the temperature was slightly high.
A large three-legged cauldron, about a meter tall, stood in the room. It was entirely crimson red, with an ancient and exquisite design, engraved with patterns of birds, beasts, fish, and insects.
Inside the cauldron, dark red flames blazed fiercely.
Wei Yang sat cross-legged in front of the cauldron, forming mysterious hand seals, his fingers shifting rapidly. His expression was serious as he carefully controlled the fluctuations in the flame's temperature within the cauldron.
A palm-sized mass of emerald-green liquid floated in the flames, slowly wriggling.
A strange medicinal fragrance spread through the air. Just the scent alone made one's soul feel refreshed, bringing a cooling sensation that soothed the mind, as if all fatigue was swept away.
Wei Yang kept his eyes fixed on the cauldron, not daring to be careless in the slightest. His soul power permeated the cauldron, carefully sensing every minute change in the medicinal liquid while precisely adjusting the flame's real-time temperature.
The room was very quiet, with only the faint crackling of the flames.
To the side, Xian'er also sat cross-legged, attentively watching Wei Yang refine the medicine. She extended her senses, carefully studying his techniques.
She had just entered Tier 3 level and was still a novice. Observing a Tier 4 alchemist refining medicine was a valuable learning opportunity for her.
Time passed slowly.
As the liquid in the cauldron became more vibrant and transparent, the medicinal fragrance grew stronger and richer.
At this moment, Wei Yang finally stabilized the flame's temperature, keeping it constant without further changes.
He let out a soft breath and chuckled lightly. "It's done. Now, we just need to let it warm and settle for a while longer before it's ready."
Xian'er smiled and nodded.
At this stage, the refinement was already a success. The remaining step was simply allowing the medicine to stabilize over time. As long as nothing unexpected happened, the dan would be completed.
She took a deep breath of the rich medicinal aroma, indulging in it. "This scent is really comforting. Just from smelling it, I feel like my soul power is growing, little by little."
"I told you, didn't I? Just wait until you take some. You'll definitely be surprised." Wei Yang grinned smugly. "I guarantee your soul power will improve significantly, enough to rival an average mid-to-high-tier Dou Wang expert."
He then added proudly, "This Soul Nourishing Liquid may not be an exceptionally profound formula, but it's my personal research and hard work."
"Mm-hmm! Brother Yang is the best!" Xian'er playfully pouted at him.
Moments later…
The medicinal aroma became so dense that a faint mist began to form above the cauldron.
"It's ready!" Wei Yang's eyes sharpened as his hand seals changed.
With a thought, the liquid inside the cauldron suddenly emitted a strong suction force, absorbing all the mist above it.
Then, Wei Yang flipped his hand, taking out three pre-prepared jade bottles, which floated in the air with their lids open.
With a beckoning motion, the slightly smaller-than-palm-sized mass of emerald-green medicinal liquid floated out of the cauldron.
In midair, the liquid split into three portions. One slightly larger portion took up about 40%, while the other two took up 30% each.
The three portions of medicinal liquid landed in the three jade bottles. Then, controlled by his soul power, the lids automatically sealed them tightly.
Wei Yang stored away two of the bottles and handed the one with 40% of the liquid to Xian'er.
"Thank you, Brother Yang. You've worked hard." Xian'er flashed a sweet smile as she happily accepted the jade bottle.
"Hmph, just saying thanks won't cut it." Wei Yang turned his face slightly, giving her a meaningful look.
Xian'er found his reaction amusing but obediently leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
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