97: Chapter 97 Refining True Crystals

Qi Yang carefully opened the jade box, and a pure wave of water-attribute Spiritual Qi that seemed capable of freezing the Soul rushed over him.

In the center of the jade box lay quietly a fist-sized blue Ore, crystal clear all over, with what seemed like water ripples flowing inside.

“xuanshui true crystal raw Ore!”

Qi Yang could not help but gasp.

He had never expected that Su Qinghan would mention the xuanshui true crystal in the Tianluo Sect's Secret Realm during the day, only for the item to deliver itself to his doorstep at night!

“Good stuff, truly good stuff.”

Qi Yang unceremoniously put the xuanshui true crystal into his Storage Pouch.

Water-attribute Foundation Establishment spiritual material, acquired!

After looting the corpses, Qi Yang took out the corpse-dissolving water and dripped a few drops onto each of the two bodies.

Accompanied by a burst of pungent white smoke, the corpses of the two Qi Condensation 11th Layer experts completely turned into a pool of yellow water, seeping into the soil.

Qi Yang then cast the Spirit Rain Technique, washing the scene completely clean, leaving not even a trace of toxic gas behind.

Having done all this, Qi Yang turned and walked back to the thatched cottage, slipping back into the underground secret chamber.

The night wind blew through the Nether Grass Field, and everything returned to a dead silence, as if nothing had ever happened.

...

Ten zhang beneath the Nether Grass Field, the secret chamber.

On the bronze stone platform, Qi Yang sat cross-legged, his hands forming a mysterious hand seal.

Directly in front of him was a purple copper alchemical furnace, beneath which a deep blue earth-vein spiritual fire was burning.

This earth-vein spiritual fire was a wisp of spiritual flame that Qi Yang had spent half a month drawing up from the deep depths of Baicao Peak by carving a fire-attracting Formation in the depths of the secret chamber.

Its temperature was extremely high, specifically used for melting and refining various stubborn Ore spiritual materials.

And in the center of the alchemical furnace, the raw Ore of xuanshui true crystal seized from the Tianluo Sect spy was suspended in the flames.

“This xuanshui true crystal indeed lives up to its reputation; the outer layer of associated stone skin wrapping it is actually harder than a low-grade Tier Two defensive Magical Artifact.”

Qi Yang stared at the Pill Furnace, his brow furrowing slightly.

He had already endured here for a whole month.

During this month, he had to consume a large amount of liquid Poison Wood Spiritual Power every day to maintain the temperature of the earth-vein spiritual fire, while also carefully controlling the heat, fearing that too high a temperature would damage the xuanshui true crystal inside the raw Ore.

“Almost there.”

A sharp light flashed in Qi Yang's eyes.

He patted his Storage Pouch, and the mysterious black gourd he kept close to his body appeared in his palm.

Uncorking it, a drop of emerald-green liquid slipped out.

Qi Yang flicked his finger, and the drop of green liquid precisely passed through the ventilation hole of the Pill Furnace, dripping onto the red-hot raw Ore.

Sizzle!

A thick plume of white smoke rose.

The originally indestructible associated stone skin actually made a fine cracking sound upon contact with the immense vitality of the green liquid.

Crack! Crack!

The stone skin peeled off piece by piece, turning into ash, and a pure wave of water-attribute Spiritual Qi that seemed capable of freezing even the Soul burst out from the Pill Furnace!

Qi Yang was quick-eyed and swift-handed, slamming both hands onto the Pill Furnace.

The furnace lid flew open, and a crystal only the size of a walnut, deep dark blue all over, shot out.

It was as if a pool of living water was flowing inside this crystal, and the cold air it emitted even formed a thin layer of frost on the walls of the secret chamber.

“Pure xuanshui true crystal!”

Qi Yang grabbed it in his hand, feeling that refreshing and extremely cold water-attribute spiritual power, and a smile finally appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Taking a whole month, the water-attribute Foundation Establishment spiritual material was finally completely sorted out!

Qi Yang carefully took out a box made of hundred-year-old warm jade, placed the xuanshui true crystal inside, pasted three Spirit-Sealing Talismans on it, and properly stored it in the deepest part of his Storage Pouch.

“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Now that I have the water element, I still need four more.”

Qi Yang stood up and stretched, his bones making a series of popping sounds.

His current cultivation had already stabilized at the Qi Condensation 12th Layer, but reaching the Peak of Great Perfection would still require about a year of slow, painstaking work.

“No rush, take it slow.”

Qi Yang withdrew the earth-vein spiritual fire, turned, and walked back to the surface along the stone steps.

Just as he pushed open the wooden door of the thatched cottage, Qi Yang keenly sensed that the aura in the yard was somewhat off.

Su Qinghan, dressed in a moon-white long skirt, was standing quietly by the fence of the Nether Grass Field.

She was not practicing her sword, but merely looking at the rolling sea of clouds in the distance, her body emitting a heart-palpitating aura of slaughter.

Qi Yang immediately assumed his old, senile appearance, hunching his back, and walked over slowly.

“Fairy, how do you have time to come over today? Is the battle on the front lines tight?”

Qi Yang picked up a broom from the side and asked casually while sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground.

Su Qinghan turned around and glanced at Qi Yang.

She now had an inexplicable trust in this old handyman; she was instead willing to disclose many things here that she could not say within the Sect.

“The war has stopped.”

Su Qinghan's tone was calm, but there was a coldness in her eyes.

“Stopped?”

Qi Yang paused in his movements: “Is the Tianluo Sect willing to let it go at that?”

“Of course not.”

Su Qinghan walked over to the stone table and sat down.

“The casualties on the front lines were too heavy, and the upper echelons of both sides could not bear it anymore. Therefore, the Sect and the Tianluo Sect reached an agreement.”

Her slender fingers lightly tapped on the stone table.

“There is an ancient ruin on the border called Qianji Valley. Both sides have agreed to open Qianji Valley in three days to hold a resource gambling battle.”

“Each of the two Sects will send one hundred elite Disciples below the Qi Condensation 12th Layer into the valley, where life and death are left to fate. Whoever can scavenge more resources in the valley will win the mining rights to that spiritual mineral vein.”

“Qianji Valley?”

A hard-to-detect strange look flashed through Qi Yang's cloudy eyes.

He usually flipped through ancient records in the Scripture Pavilion, so he had some understanding of the dangerous places around the territory of the Xuantian Sect.

This Qianji Valley was by no means a safe place.

“Is the Fairy going as well?”

Qi Yang poured a cup of coarse tea and handed it over.

“I am a personal Disciple of Jianzhi Peak, so naturally I must participate in the battle.”

Su Qinghan took the teacup, a sharp edge flashing in her eyes.

“Those scumbags of the Tianluo Sect killed my fellow Disciples on the battlefield. This time in Qianji Valley, I will definitely make them pay in blood!”

Looking at Su Qinghan's confident and resolute appearance, Qi Yang secretly nodded in his heart.

This girl had completely transformed into a sharpened, sharp sword.

“This old man has heard that the internal Formations of Qianji Valley are broken, and a terrifying Five Elements toxic miasma pervades it all year round. Fairy, you must be extremely careful on this trip.”

Qi Yang feigned a worried look to remind her.

“I understand. The Sect has already issued us high-grade detoxification pills.”

Su Qinghan stood up and placed a small cloth bag on the table.

“Inside are some Fasting Pills and healing medicines. My trip to Qianji Valley this time will take at least half a month and at most a month. Stay here in this grass field, behave yourself, and don't cause trouble.”

With that, Su Qinghan did not linger at all, flying into the sky on her sword, turning into a stream of light and disappearing into the horizon.

Qi Yang looked at the cloth bag on the table and smiled slightly.

“Five Elements toxic miasma?”

Qi Yang rubbed his chin.

To others, the Five Elements toxic miasma was a life-threatening poison, but to him, who Cultivated the Five Poisons Nourishing Spirit Art with his Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots, it was simply a paradise for idle leveling up!

Furthermore, he had once seen a hidden record in an ancient book.

In the depths of Qianji Valley lay an active volcano region; such an extreme environment was highly likely to nurture a rare spiritual material called scarlet flame essence gold.

scarlet flame essence gold possesses both fire and metal attributes!

If he could obtain a piece, two of the Five Elements spiritual materials required for his Foundation Establishment would be resolved!

“It seems I absolutely must go to this Qianji Valley.”

A look of determination flashed in Qi Yang's eyes.

He turned and walked into the thatched cottage, locked the door, and once again slipped into the underground secret chamber to begin preparing for this trip to Qianji Valley.