Chapter 110: The Essence-Consolidating Pill

Soon, under the relentless scorching of the Fire Essence energy, the alchemy furnace began to emit white steam. Peculiar crimson stripes appeared on the black surface of the furnace, glowing with a red aura that resembled streams of flowing magma. Seeing that the temperature was optimal, Lin Yang brought out the spirit herbs he had prepared in advance.

He was refining the Nascent Soul Pill, one of the top-tier third-grade pills. It could increase the probability of a cultivator breaking through the Core Formation stage to the Nascent Soul stage; a high-quality pill could boost the success rate by as much as twenty percent. This was the most advanced pill he was capable of refining, and even then, it stretched his current third-grade low-tier alchemy skills to their limit. With these materials, he expected a forty percent success rate, with each batch yielding a maximum of five pills. He wasn't entirely confident, but he could guarantee at least one successful pill. With the assistance of the formation array, he could increase the success rate by another ten percent—an exceptionally high yield.

Lin Yang first tossed in the ten-thousand-year-old materials he had acquired from Dragon Jiao Mountain—specifically, the fire-attribute ingredients. With every step Lin Yang took, Ling Xiaotian’s eyes brightened. To him, each of Lin Yang’s techniques was a stroke of genius. It was a systematic approach that could be applied by anyone, saving effort while simultaneously increasing the success rate. Comparing their methods was like comparing heaven and earth; if one had to draw a parallel, it was like a master versus a child—Lin Yang was the master.

Every action Lin Yang performed left the three observers in awe, as each step perfectly maximized the potential of the medicinal herbs. However, the refinement process was time-consuming. The observers were so engrossed in watching Lin Yang’s techniques that they lost track of time. Within this space, it was always day, but had they been outside, they would have seen the sun rise and set three times.

Over these three days, Lin Yang had maintained intense focus, leaving him quite exhausted. Though his spirit energy recovered rapidly, the mental strain had fatigued his primordial spirit. Finally, he reached the last stage of the process. Inside the furnace, dozens of medicinal liquids were rotating and merging. Each type of liquid was divided into three portions, continuously integrating with one another. Another hour passed before all the liquids gradually fused into three sets of rotating pills.

He retrieved the pills and placed them into six separate bottles. He tossed one of the bottles to Ling Xiaotian for inspection.

"A genius. A true genius."

Ling Xiaotian opened the bottle and poured out the high-grade Nascent Soul Pill. A pill the size of a thumb rolled out. It was pure white, still warm, and exuded an intense, intoxicating fragrance.

He gazed at the cloud-like patterns on the pill in shock; it was a high-grade pill, bordering on the supreme quality. Even he could not refine a pill of this caliber. Perhaps no one in the entire Chaotic Star Sea could. He finally understood why Lin Yang claimed his alchemy skills surpassed his formation skills; with this ability alone, he could be called the number one in the Chaotic Star Sea’s cultivation world. Looking at the pill in his hand, his body was filled with a primal yearning; just smelling the scent made his cells cheer.

"What kind of pill is this?" Ling Xiaotian asked curiously.

"A high-grade Nascent Soul Pill. It can increase the probability of Nascent Soul formation by twenty-five percent. This is the best I can refine," Lin Yang said confidently. He believed that this skill alone was enough to place him at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.

"I see. I heard you came to Heavenly Star City to join the Star Palace. Why would you want to join us? With your alchemy skills, you shouldn't be lacking in resources," Ling Xiaotian asked, intrigued. In his mind, with such talent, Lin Yang could easily build a massive cultivation power over the next few centuries. Choosing to serve under someone else at the Star Palace was, to him, incomprehensible.

"I don’t want to wait. Cultivation is a path where one either advances or regresses. I wish to see the world beyond the Nascent Soul stage, perhaps even the Deity Transformation stage and beyond. I refuse to be constrained by what is in front of me now. I am not content to stop at the Nascent Soul realm," Lin Yang stated calmly.

His words stirred the dormant dreams of Ling Xiaotian. A thousand years ago, Ling Xiaotian had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but he had been stuck there for far too long. It was only a few years ago that he finally had a child. Lin Yang’s words struck a chord, reminding him of his own past glory. A wave of passion rose in his heart, but it quickly subsided. There was no way forward; he had searched for a thousand years without solving the problem of the Magnetic Mountain. He only had about a hundred years left, and it was impossible to find a solution that had eluded him for a millennium. Over the centuries, his heart had grown cold. Though a spark had been ignited, it was instantly extinguished. Now, his daughter was his only priority; even the Star Palace, with its tens of thousands of years of history, was not as important as her.

"You are a genius, truly a genius. You have reached the Core Formation stage at only thirty years old," Ling Xiaotian said. During their conversation, he had briefly touched Lin Yang’s arm and instantly divined his true age: thirty.

He now understood why Lin Yang was so confident. At such a young age, and not yet trapped by the limits of this world, Lin Yang’s future achievements would far surpass his own. What he wanted most now was to bind Lin Yang to the Star Palace—or at the very least, before Lin Yang reached the Deity Transformation stage, to establish a bond of favor so that if his daughter ever faced a crisis, Lin Yang might lend a helping hand.

"Very well. In that case, you shall be the First Alchemy Consultant of our palace. I will not interfere with what you wish to do, but I hope you will assist my daughter, Ling Yuling, in the future. I will have the other consultants ensure your safety, but you must refine pills for the Star Palace. As for what you need, you may discuss it with me now."

Ling Xiaotian understood Lin Yang’s ambitions; he treated the Star Palace as a stepping stone and would eventually leave. He chose to treat Lin Yang as a friend to foster mutual goodwill.

"Many thanks, Palace Master. I do have some needs," Lin Yang replied, sensing Ling Xiaotian’s desire to maintain a friendly, non-coercive relationship. "I intend to open chambers of commerce across all the major islands of the Star Palace to sell my pills and formation arrays. I need to collect certain materials, so I would like a plot of land in each of these cities to build my businesses."

"Agreed. I will have someone allocate land for you in Heavenly Star City shortly. As for the other islands, I will write letters to the island masters. You can send your people to establish the chambers; I trust no one will dare to refuse me," Ling Xiaotian said. He realized that Lin Yang was here for resources, dissatisfied with his current speed of cultivation.

"Thank you, Palace Master. Please, consider this bottle of pills a token of my respect," Lin Yang said.