Chapter 142: Refining Alchemy to Save the Master

At first, Lin Tian felt somewhat uncomfortable and overly courteous when meeting members of the great families. As time passed, however, he seemed to grow numb to it, though he remained deeply curious: what exactly had Lin Xiaobao done in Bloodwind City? While he knew Chen Zhong had a hand in it, he doubted other factions would be acting with such uncharacteristic enthusiasm based on that alone.

Lin Xiaobao did not share Qin Feng’s complex thoughts. He was entirely focused on modulating the aura of his natal true fire to accelerate the melting of the spirit beast core. As Qin Feng had surmised, under normal circumstances, given Lin Xiaobao’s current cultivation level—even with the assistance of the Nine-Dragon Cauldron to amplify his fire—it would take at least a week to melt such a core. But would Lin Xiaobao, pressed for time to attend the Treasure Exchange Conference at the Xuanyang Palace, really spend that long?

Clearly not. The Taiyi True Fire, capable of refining all things in the world, was a rare flame indeed. Having integrated over a dozen different exotic fires into it, Lin Xiaobao manipulated their unique properties with such fluidity that, in just half a day, the spirit beast core began to soften.

Sensing the change in the core, Qin Feng was stunned. He had not expected Lin Xiaobao’s refining speed to surpass his own; it suggested that the fire-based technique Lin Xiaobao practiced was likely of the highest order. Qin Feng immediately cast aside any remnants of arrogance, focusing his undivided attention on the shifts in Lin Xiaobao’s hand seals. Although he himself lacked the ability to tame so many exotic fires, Lin Xiaobao’s techniques and his profound understanding of these flames offered invaluable insights.

Deep in the refining process, Lin Xiaobao poured all his energy into the task, going so far as to ignore the spiritual sense Qin Feng had projected into the cauldron. Seeing the spirit beast core softened to its limit, Lin Xiaobao flicked his ring fingers, sending several dark shadows streaking into the cauldron.

Secret Jade Spring Liquid, Marrow-Cleansing Profound Tears, Burning Sea Profound Ganoderma... nearly a dozen different medicinal herbs were cast into the cauldron simultaneously. Under Qin Feng’s bewildered and shocked gaze, Lin Xiaobao’s hands moved in a blur of seals—a sequence so rapid that even Qin Feng had to admit he could not decipher them without the aid of his spiritual sense.

As the seals shifted, the sea of fire within the cauldron underwent a dramatic transformation. Nearly ten clusters of flame enveloped the individual herbs, each radiating a completely different aura. Observing this, Qin Feng finally understood: Lin Xiaobao was melting all the ingredients at once to fuse them immediately, ensuring that the efficacy of each herb would not be lost while waiting for others to melt.

While he grasped the logic, a bitter, helpless smile tugged at Qin Feng’s lips. It was no wonder Lin Xiaobao didn’t care if he watched; this technique was impossible to imitate. First, it required immense mental fortitude. While that could be bolstered by increasing one's cultivation, how many in this world would dare attempt to refine over a dozen exotic fires without fear of their body exploding? Even with the capability, how could one easily acquire so many rare flames?

And even if one found them, could they truly be claimed as one’s own? Qin Feng still vividly remembered the heavy price he paid when he refined his Azure Dragon Exotic Fire. Yet, even the weakest of the exotic fires Lin Xiaobao utilized was several grades higher than his own.

This, then, was Lin Xiaobao’s exclusive art, impossible for anyone else to master. Though he reached this conclusion, Qin Feng did not withdraw his spiritual sense; he remained desperate to see the rest.

Driven by Lin Xiaobao’s rapid hand seals, about two more hours passed. With a sudden, forceful clap of his hands, the spirit beast core and the various herbs dissolved simultaneously, transforming into streams of multi-colored liquid that instantly fused into a single, vibrant, kaleidoscopic pool. As the liquids merged, the flames in the cauldron surged to envelope them completely, preventing any loss of essence and ensuring the highest possible quality of the finished pill.

After finishing this, Lin Xiaobao performed one final series of hand seals before coming to a stop.

Purifying the liquid was now merely a matter of heat control, allowing Lin Xiaobao a brief respite. Without sparing a glance for Qin Feng, he crossed his legs and began to meditate. Using the cauldron’s power helped conserve his spiritual energy, but the mental toll of the process—especially the technique of splitting the flames into ten—had pushed him to his limits.

Pale and exhausted, Lin Xiaobao began to circulate his "Mind Wave" technique the moment he sat down to recover his drained mental energy. Qin Feng, fully aware of the situation, did not disturb him, choosing instead to keep his spiritual sense fixed on the transformations within the cauldron. Although this was the most relaxed stage of alchemy, the ever-cautious Qin Feng never missed a detail, determined to ensure the process remained flawless. He did not want Lin Xiaobao’s effort to fail due to a mishap, and he was eager to see what grade of pill such a masterful technique would yield.

Lin Xiaobao remained seated for a full day and night. Perhaps he was confident in his method, or perhaps he trusted that Qin Feng would not stand idly by if something went wrong. Throughout that time, he not only replenished his mental energy but also refined it further. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked refreshed and revitalized.

He did not cast any more seals, for at this stage of purification, any extra input would be redundant; only the steady, patient tempering of the spiritual fire could produce a truly superior pill. Qin Feng, who had expected more activity upon Lin Xiaobao’s awakening, felt a flicker of disappointment. Yet, when he sensed the medicinal liquid in the cauldron bursting with new vitality as it underwent purification, he realized a terrifying truth: his own previous understanding of alchemy had been deeply flawed.

Even though Lin Xiaobao did nothing at this stage, Qin Feng felt he had gained more from this observation than he had from the earlier, flashy displays of technique. Suddenly, he felt that becoming Lin Xiaobao’s apprentice might not be a bad thing after all. To continue observing him would surely lead to a profound evolution in his own alchemical arts.

Without the aid of Lin Xiaobao’s seals, the final purification took five days and five nights. The vibrant, multi-colored liquid gradually turned a deep, brilliant crimson, churning within the rolling flames. The white mist rising from the surface grew thinner and thinner, signaling that it had reached the critical point of purification. The liquid began to transition spontaneously from a fluid to a solid state.

Lin Xiaobao, silent for so long, finally stirred. His hands moved in a rhythmic dance, casting a series of seals as the roaring flames within the cauldron seemed to contract like a giant hand, slowly pulling inward.

The solidifying powder gradually, ever so gradually, merged into a single, perfect sphere the size of a soccer ball.