Chapter 28: First-Grade Alchemist

"A Yin Corpse Pearl?"

"Where did you get this?"

Seeing the pitch-black bead in Mu Feng's hand, which was emitting a faint, dark mist, the young woman's expression changed instantly. She asked with a hint of agitation.

Mu Feng smiled awkwardly. "Oh, just a bit of minor good fortune. It's not worth mentioning."

"Heaven has answered my prayers! Heaven has answered my prayers!"

Upon seeing the Yin Corpse Pearl, the young woman leaped up in excitement, wrapped her arms tightly around Mu Feng, and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

Mu Feng stood frozen in place, utterly stunned.

"You have no idea. I’ve been searching this Land of Extreme Yin for days, all for the sake of this."

With that, the young woman explained to Mu Feng with a sigh. It turned out that because she had absorbed the fire of a Tiger-Roar Beast, she had been poisoned by the Li Fire toxins. Every time the affliction flared up, she suffered unbearable agony. Her life was already hanging by a thread.

She had intended to end her life alone in the Snow Moon Mountains if she couldn't find this Yin Corpse Pearl. She had hoped to perform one last good deed before dying, in hopes of a better reincarnation in the underworld. She never expected that Mu Feng would happen to possess exactly what she needed.

"Hahahaha, a good deed truly brings a good reward."

By the end, the young woman couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Since this bead is useful to you, just take it." Mu Feng offered the pearl to her, but she waved her hands vigorously.

"I don't need the bead itself. I only need to use its corpse aura to refine the Seven-Yin Li Fire Pill."

"The Seven-Yin Li Fire Pill? Isn't that a First-Grade medicinal pill?" Mu Feng asked in surprise. "Are you a First-Grade Alchemist?"

"Of course! I am a genuine First-Grade Alchemist."

"How do you compare to Master Gu Xuan?"

"Gu Xuan? That guy who struggles even to refine a Flawless First-Grade pill? How could he compare to me? If I hadn't lost the Flawless First-Turn Dragon-Elephant Pill I refined earlier, I would have certainly shown you something to open your eyes."

The young woman spoke with absolute confidence. Beside her, Mu Feng couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

"In that case, hurry up and refine it. It would be good for you to get rid of that Li Fire poison as soon as possible." Mu Feng quickly changed the subject.

Hearing his words, the young woman's smile vanished instantly.

"Ah, well..." she stammered. "In my current state, let alone refining pills, even getting close to this Yin Corpse Pearl would cause the corpse aura to infect me. So, you might have to do the actual refining."

"Huh? Me? Refining a First-Grade pill?" Mu Feng was bewildered. He had only ever refined pills that didn't even reach the first rank. He had no confidence in attempting a First-Grade pill.

"Don't worry. You just need to follow my instructions. As long as you aren't an idiot, you'll be able to manage it."

Despite her words, the young woman felt uneasy. A First-Grade pill required highly skilled technique and immense energy. But with her time running out, she had no choice but to pin her hopes on Mu Feng.

"Here are the herbs for the Seven-Yin Li Fire Pill. I've prepared ten sets; you only need to succeed once." She placed a pill formula and several bags of herbs in front of him.

Just as Mu Feng reached out to take them, the eerie crimson veins reappeared, rapidly spreading up her neck. This time, it happened much faster than before.

Within moments, the intense pain tore at her, causing her to collapse to the ground. She clutched her head, struggling in agony.

"Void Purple Flame!"

Boom!

Deep purple flames erupted, enveloping her. But this time, it didn't take effect immediately as it had before. It took a full half-stick of incense's time before the red veins gradually faded. When Mu Feng withdrew the flames, the young woman had already fallen unconscious from the sheer intensity of the pain. Her face was deathly pale, as if she might perish at any moment.

"I didn't expect it to have reached such a severe stage," the voice of the Fairy suddenly echoed.

"What should I do now?"

"What else can you do? Refine the pill! If you don't, the next time she has a relapse, you might as well go to the underworld to fetch her."

"Do you know how to refine a First-Grade pill?"

"No."

The Fairy knew a thing or two about basic pills, but the refining of a First-Grade pill was truly a blind spot in her knowledge. Mu Feng felt a massive headache coming on. He looked at the pill formula in his hand and sighed deeply.

"Fine! I'll give it a shot." He muttered to himself, "Young lady, I've done my best. If I still can't save you, don't come looking for me when you get to the other side."

With that, Mu Feng took the storage ring from her finger. "As an alchemist, she must carry her furnace with her."

Bang!

Sure enough, a large furnace was produced from the storage ring. It was forged from an unknown material, cold, black, and incredibly sturdy, emitting a faint spiritual aura. It was far superior to anything in the Mu family's pill hall.

Igniting the furnace with his Void Purple Flame, Mu Feng focused intently, placing the herbs inside. He sat before the furnace, not daring to be the least bit careless.

Time ticked away. The sky grew bright and then dark, over and over again. Piles of waste lay beside Mu Feng—the results of his failures. Two full days had passed, and he had already failed nine times. This was his final chance.

The Yin Corpse Pearl hovered above the furnace, its extreme Yin aura pouring inside. The scorching flames turned the inner walls of the furnace a glowing red, and the deep purple light reflected off Mu Feng's face.

Hum!

Suddenly, the furnace began to vibrate. Strands of crimson light emerged, illuminating the entire cave. In an instant, seven refined pills flew out from the furnace, each emitting a brilliant glow and a chilling aura.

Mu Feng acted quickly, catching all seven pills in his palm.

"Success!"

A First-Grade pill—the Seven-Yin Li Fire Pill!

Looking at the seven flawless pills in his palm, Mu Feng couldn't contain his joy. He hurried to the young woman's side, lifted her up, and placed one of the pills into her mouth.

As the pill dissolved, her pale cheeks gradually regained their color, and the faint crimson veins beneath her skin receded.

"This... what happened?" In a daze, she opened her eyes. What met her gaze was Mu Feng's soot-covered face and two rows of clean, white teeth.

"My cultivation base has recovered!" She sat up straight, staring at Mu Feng in disbelief. "You actually refined the Seven-Yin Li Fire Pill?"

"I lived up to the task. I succeeded on the last attempt," Mu Feng said with a smile.

Suddenly, two warm arms wrapped around his neck, and soft lips pressed against his cheek. This sudden assault left Mu Feng completely stunned.

"Thank you." Hearing her voice, Mu Feng finally regained his senses.

"Thanks are fine, but could you please let go..." Mu Feng said awkwardly. After all, he was a man with a family; what if word of this got out? How would he clear his name?

The young woman realized what she was doing and quickly let go. Her face turned crimson, and she couldn't look at him for a moment.

"Regardless, I truly thank you for this. I never imagined you could actually refine a First-Grade pill. Your talent for alchemy is terrifyingly monstrous." This praise was not flattery; it was the truth.

"Just a bit of minor good fortune, not worth mentioning. Since your Li Fire toxins are cleared, it's time for us to part ways." Mu Feng said with a smile. Having been away from home for so long, he missed Xiao Yutong dearly.

"True. I snuck out for so long; my master must be worried about me."

*Everything is always "snuck out"...* Mu Feng thought, feeling speechless. First the fat guy, now this girl.

"Since you have some talent for alchemy, take this book. I hope it helps you." She handed him a book. It contained techniques for alchemy, fire control, and several First-Grade pill formulas. To Mu Feng, this was a treasure. With this book, his success rate for First-Grade pills would increase significantly.

"Alright then, I should be going. May we meet again."

With that, the girl clapped her hands, looked at Mu Feng with a hint of reluctance, and walked to the cave entrance before leaping into the air. A powerful wave of energy surged from her, and in just a few steps, she was already soaring through the sky.

"A Spirit Wheel Realm expert! What is this girl's background?" Mu Feng's expression changed drastically. This was a realm even more terrifying than the Heaven Realm, one that only the ancestor of the Xiao family had ever stepped into.

"By the way, what is your name!" the girl, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around and asked.

"My name is Mu Feng."

"Mu Feng? I'll remember it. You remember mine, too! My name is Lin Qingshuang!"