Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, the three-month deadline was approaching.
In a side hall of the Snake-People Tribe's temple, Xiao Bai was fully focused on the ebony cauldron before him. Several medicinal ingredients floated within as he refined a fourth-tier pill—the Green Spirit Blood-Forging Pill.
This pill required Earth Demon Root, Heavenly Qiong Tree Branches, and a fourth-tier earth-type Magic Core for refinement. It could enhance the user's physical strength and was effective for the Dou Ling stage.
After arriving at the Snake-People Tribe, Yao Lao had given him a compendium of medicinal knowledge, which contained detailed explanations of various herbs found on the continent, along with his years of alchemy experience.
There were also hundreds of pill formulas of different grades, including ones that Xiao Bai was quite familiar with, such as the Dou Ling Pill, Emperor Extreme Pill, Spirit Breaking Pill.
With these in hand, Xiao Bai came up with the idea of trading medicinal ingredients with Medusa.
Medusa was a woman of her word. The very next day, she ordered her personal guard, Hua She'er, to deliver some medicinal ingredients to him. However, most of the herbs and Magic Cores were of the fire and earth attributes.
Due to their naturally cold physiques, the Snake-People Tribe had no Alchemists. The medicinal ingredients and Magic Cores they obtained were usually acquired through trade with wandering merchants who frequented the desert, exchanging them for pills, food, and other necessities. As a result, they did not have large reserves of such resources.
Thus, the amount sent to Xiao Bai wasn't particularly large—at least, not by the standards of a major faction. But for Xiao Bai, it was more than enough for practice.
The proud queen even seemed a little embarrassed, instructing Hua She'er to relay that Xiao Bai could ask for anything else he needed. However, Xiao Bai politely declined.
What else could he do? This queen was practically broke—even if he wanted to extort her, he'd feel too guilty!
According to Hua She'er, some of the Magic Cores and medicinal ingredients they gave him had even been hastily exchanged overnight in the city.
"Xiao Bai, stay focused! The medicinal properties are about to merge!" Yao Lao reminded him, noticing that he was getting a little distracted.
For the past while, Yao Lao had been staying with Xiao Bai, personally witnessing his unique alchemy methods, which completely shattered his previous understanding of the craft!
Ever since he met Xiao Yi and Xiao Bing, he had already made some guesses about Xiao Bai's alchemy techniques, but none of them could compare to the impact of seeing it firsthand.
With these two types of lightning, who needed fire or wood attributes, or even Heavenly Flames? As Xiao Bai put it:
"Since when was alchemy such an inconvenient art?!"
Just as Yao Lao was about to nod in amazement, another thought struck him—he wanted to punch this kid.
"Damn it, your method is even rarer the Heavenly Flames! There are plenty of Alchemists in the world, but your technique is completely one-of-a-kind!"
"Earth Demon Root is of the yin attribute, while the Heavenly Qiong Tree Branch is yang. Time it properly, and then add the essence of the earth-type Magic Core to harmonize… Yes, just like that!"
Yao Lao watched with satisfaction. Teaching a student like Xiao Bai was effortless—he grasped concepts instantly and could even extrapolate further.
His gaze grew increasingly appreciative. *This kid is truly a rare talent—what a waste not to take him as a disciple!*
Though Xiao Bai's methods were unconventional, combined with Yao Lao's centuries of experience and Xiao Bai's occasional flashes of inspiration, their collaboration had even improved Yao Lao's own alchemy skills.
Furthermore, Xiao Bai's lightning-based alchemy seemed to refine pills with purer medicinal properties and greater potency compared to conventional fire-based methods.
"It's done!" Xiao Bai exclaimed with delight, and with a flick of his hand, a perfectly round, azure pill appeared in his palm.
"Not bad! Judging by the energy fluctuations, this is a top-tier fourth-tier pill. Congratulations, Xiao Bai! You are now officially a fourth-tier Alchemist!"
Yao Lao took the pill, examined it briefly, and smiled approvingly.
"Haha, it's nothing! It's all thanks to your guidance these past few months, Yao Lao. My rough techniques have improved a lot!"
"No need for false modesty, kid. With your soul strength and talent, now that you've filled in the gaps in your foundation, reaching the seventh tier might take some time, but refining sixth-tier pills will be effortless for you!"
Yao Lao wasn't exaggerating. Most Alchemists were limited by their cultivation level and could not refine higher-tier pills due to the immense Dou Qi consumption. However, this restriction didn't seem to apply to Xiao Bai at all.
This kid possesses those two strange types of lightning. When he refines pills, apart from his soul strength, there's hardly any consumption at all.
"Having an elder at home is like having a treasure! Elder Yao, I'm almost reluctant to return you to Xiao Yan!"
Xiao Bai stretched lazily as he stood up, his tone playful.
After spending these months together, he had genuinely grown fond of the old man. Whether as a friend or a mentor, Yao Lao was truly exceptional.
*What a shame, though.*
Xiao Bai could sense that the old man had become much more cautious in his dealings, likely due to the betrayal by Han Feng. *The original Yao Lao would've been even more fun!*
"Hah! You're a restless soul, boy. These old bones of mine can't keep up with your antics. Xiao Yan is much more obedient—ignorant and easier to handle. At least with him, I can enjoy some peace!"
Yao Lao stroked his beard, his eyes twinkling as he shook his head in refusal.
"Heh~" Xiao Bai smirked but didn't comment. *Peace with that kid? Are you joking?*
Soon, the old man would find that the kid could cause more trouble than he could ever imagine!
Looking up at the now completely dark sky, Xiao Bai stepped out of the side hall, leaping onto the temple roof, feeling the cool evening breeze.
For nearly three months, he hadn't stepped out of the hall. He had either been studying the teachings Yao Lao gave him or refining pills. He had barely paid attention to what was going on outside and hadn't been disturbed by anyone.
Taking out a bottle of old wine from his spatial ring, Xiao Bai took small sips while gazing at the highest temple in the center.
"Let's see... tomorrow should be the day of her evolution, right?"
Xiao Bai actually had some uncertainties in his heart about Medusa's evolution. He didn't know if, by altering the original timeline, things could still go as they did in the original story and succeed.
Lost in thought, Xiao Bai suddenly felt a faint spatial fluctuation. A figure in red appeared beside him.
Turning his head, he saw a seductive face, a curvaceous body, and an expression that was both dignified and cold, just like before. Xiao Bai couldn't help but smile.
"Your Majesty, long time no see!"
Medusa glanced at him, gave a slight nod, and then noticed the faint medicinal fragrance emanating from him. She was a bit puzzled—was this guy also an Alchemist?
But she quickly dismissed the thought. This human was full of mysteries, with numerous powerful figures following him openly and secretly. A little strangeness was hardly surprising.
"Are you ready?"
"Mm."
Xiao Bai was speechless. This woman really was tight-lipped. The atmosphere felt just like it had three months ago, with both of them falling silent and quietly gazing down at the city below.
About half an hour later, the red figure beside him disappeared without a sound, and a few words drifted on the wind.
"Tomorrow, I'll trouble you."
Xiao Bai sensed the lingering fragrance beside him and shook his head. This woman would never speak directly—whenever she had something to say, it was always in the form of words carried by the wind.