17: Thirty breaths!

Returning to his residence, Lu Yang couldn't wait to take out the newly purchased High Grade Pill Furnace.

The furnace was crafted entirely from dark, dense profound iron, with thick walls faintly flowing with warm Spiritual Qi. The body was engraved with intricate cloud-pattern rune arrays, which not only looked beautiful but also locked in the Spiritual Qi, minimizing dissipation.

What surprised Lu Yang the most was the space within the inner chamber.

It was more than twice as large as his previous, dilapidated Low Grade Pill Furnace!

This meant he could input more Materials at once and refine more Medicinal Pill!

"Good treasure!" A sharp light flashed in Lu Yang's eyes.

He immediately prepared enough Materials for two batches of rejuvenation pill, ambitiously wanting to test the limits of this new furnace!

His thin hands formed hand seals, and a wisp of pure fire-attribute Spiritual Qi surged from his Eighth Layer of Qi Refining Fire Spirit Root, precisely injecting into the bottom of the furnace.

"Poof!"

A raging flame instantly rose from the bottom of the furnace; the fire was stable and powerful, far beyond what the old furnace could compare to!

Once the furnace temperature reached its optimum, Lu Yang waved his sleeve, and all the Materials filed in, landing precisely into the spacious chamber.

With a flick of his mind, he increased the Spiritual Qi output while simultaneously manipulating the Pill Furnace to rotate at a steady speed, beginning the liquefaction process.

He saw the medicinal liquid within the furnace fuse and roll rapidly under the even heat; the efficiency was astonishing!

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea!

The furnace fire gradually extinguished.

Lu Yang looked at the twenty round, plump, flawless rejuvenation pill contained in two Jade Bottle in his hands, a satisfied smile he couldn't suppress appearing on his face.

"Such fast speed!" he exclaimed. "This High Grade Pill Furnace has actually shortened the Alchemy time by several times over!

Previously, it took half an hour to refine one batch of first-rank Medicinal Pill, but now, refining two batches simultaneously only takes the time of a cup of tea!"

What made him even happier was that the consumption of Spiritual Qi within his body was less than twenty percent!

"Is this the Foundation of Spiritual Qi at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer?"

Lu Yang felt the strength still brimming within his Dantian and looked forward even more to the depth of Spiritual Qi at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"If I reach Foundation Establishment, how vast would the Spiritual Qi be?"

Having tasted the sweetness, Lu Yang looked at the lingering heat on the furnace walls, still unsatisfied.

He put in the Materials again; this time, the target was the second-rank spirit gathering pill.

Refining second-rank Medicinal Pill was far more complex than the first-rank.

Even with the support of the High Grade Pill Furnace, it took Lu Yang a full half-hour to successfully finish the pill.

Looking at the twenty flawless spirit gathering pill in the Jade Bottle that were glowing with brilliant Spiritual Qi, and feeling the thirty percent of Spiritual Qi remaining in his body, he couldn't help but praise again:

"This Spirit Stone was well spent! It is simply a Sharp Weapon for Alchemy! Once I make it big in the future, I must get an even more Advanced one!"

After taking a moment to regulate his breath and restore his Spiritual Qi, Lu Yang turned his gaze to a more Advanced target—third-rank elixir.

The few Pill Formula for third-rank elixir he bought at the External Affairs Hall finally came in handy.

Checking his Storage Pouch, he found he had just enough spirit plant to refine one water spirit pill and one fire spirit pill.

Because their attributes clashed, they could not be refined in the same furnace.

Lu Yang could only take out the water-attribute spirit plant first and began refining with total concentration.

Just as he was immersed in the Dao of Alchemy...

A moon-white figure, riding on an escape light, landed silently outside Lu Yang's small courtyard.

It was Chi Rong.

She had changed into a moon-white flowing cloud long dress with a tailored fit, elegant yet solemn, which also outlined her tall and exquisite figure perfectly.

Along the way, her heart was in a battle between heaven and man:

"I come here seeking Medicinal Pill for my Disciple; this is the duty of an Elder..."

"If he uses Medicinal Pill as bait again... wouldn't it be..."

As an Elder, how could she repeatedly...

While hesitant, she had arrived in the courtyard before she knew it.

Seeing Lu Yang focusing intently on manipulating the Pill Furnace, his expression focused and solemn, a seriousness quite different from his usual playful demeanor, it actually made Chi Rong pause slightly, and she subconsciously restrained her aura.

She landed quietly behind Lu Yang, watching his fluid and smooth Alchemy techniques without making a sound to disturb him.

Lu Yang, focused on Alchemy, exuded a strange charm at this moment.

Time passed in the silence.

Until the furnace fire went out, and Lu Yang had two pills—one blue and one red—emitting vast Spiritual Qi in his hands.

"Success! And... medium quality?!" Lu Yang looked at the light on the pills, which was even better than before, and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Haha, it seems that as my strength improves, my Alchemy Realm rises along with it!"

"Congratulations, Junior Martial Uncle, your attainments in Alchemy have become increasingly profound." A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind.

Lu Yang turned his head sharply and was startled to see Chi Rong standing gracefully behind him: "Junior Martial Uncle?! When did you arrive?"

Chi Rong shifted her gaze to the Pill Furnace: "I arrived a moment ago, but seeing you focused on Alchemy, I did not dare to disturb you."

"Oh, I see."

Lu Yang hurriedly suppressed his surprise and handed over a Jade Bottle he had prepared earlier: "Junior Martial Uncle, this is the spirit gathering pill required for the debt I owed earlier. Please verify it."

Chi Rong took it, pulled out the cork, and a rich, pure fragrance of medicine wafted out. She nodded slightly: "Hmm, flawless quality, correct."

Seeing Chi Rong accept it, Lu Yang produced several more Jade Bottle like a magic trick: "Junior Martial Uncle, please also help me exchange these Medicinal Pill (rejuvenation pill, spirit gathering pill, and one water spirit pill) for Spirit Stone.

I just finished refining and have exhausted all my spirit plant; I urgently need to replenish them."

Chi Rong frowned slightly: "To purchase spirit plant, just come to the External Affairs Hall tomorrow.

If you hand them to me, aren't you afraid I might..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was obvious.

Lu Yang immediately beamed, his tone sincere:

"Junior Martial Uncle, you jest! You are a dignified Outer Sect Elder, respected and virtuous; how could you covet these small things from a Disciple?

Besides," he changed the subject, with a hint of deep meaning, "if Junior Martial Uncle truly needs them, just take them!

I haven't properly repaid Junior Martial Uncle for your willingness last night... to help me with my Cultivate!"

"Enough! Stop!" Chi Rong's face turned icy instantly, she interrupted him sternly, a flash of shame and anger in her eyes.

Lu Yang's heart jumped; he knew he had stepped on a minefield, so he quickly shut his mouth and changed the subject:

"Cough... Junior Martial Uncle, I was fortunate enough to have another Breakthrough today; I have reached the Peak of Qi Refining Seventh Layer!"

Chi Rong heard this, and a trace of disbelief flashed in her eyes.

She stepped forward, grabbed Lu Yang's wrist without hesitation, and probed with her Spiritual Qi.

After confirming it was true, the shock in her eyes turned into deep astonishment:

"Is it really so?! Your speed of Breakthrough... is simply too terrifying!

One layer a day? At this rate, wouldn't it be..."

She thought of a certain possibility, and the look she gave Lu Yang held a burning hope for restoring her Spiritual Root.

Lu Yang read her expression and immediately climbed the pole: "It is all thanks to Junior Martial Uncle's cultivation! If not for Junior Martial Uncle's all-out help, even if my Foundation were thicker, I would never have progressed so rapidly!

I will never forget Junior Martial Uncle's kindness in remaking me!

I will certainly do my best to refine that spirit replenishing pill for Junior Martial Uncle as soon as possible!" Lu Yang said earnestly, his eyes hot, "Junior Martial Uncle is busy with official duties, shall we... hurry up and Cultivate?"

Saying this, he naturally took Chi Rong's slightly cool hand and walked slowly into the inner room.

Chi Rong was pulled by him, her gaze falling on the hand Lu Yang was holding, her expression changing, her heart struggling intensely.

Was it duty? Was it a transaction? Or was it... In the end, she just struggled slightly, but failing, she let him lead her into the room.

The graceful back outlined by the moon-white long dress disappeared behind the door.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

On the bed, Chi Rong's eyes were closed tightly, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyelids, her red lips moving imperceptibly, counting in a voice too low to be heard.

As Lu Yang's Magical Artifact lit up, the surrounding Spiritual Qi gathered.

Perhaps because of the improvement in cultivation, the time for this Cultivate seemed to have improved just a tiny bit compared to the last time.

Lu Yang felt this subtle change and was ecstatic, thinking it was a manifestation of his increased strength, and urged his Cultivation Technique even more, trying to gather more Spiritual Qi.

However, the beautiful vision was quickly shattered.

"Thirty breaths!"

Chi Rong's cold voice sounded with a trace of mockery that was hard to detect, and she opened her beautiful eyes at the same time, with no confusion in them, only calm judgment:

"Hmph, it has improved slightly."

Lu Yang: "..."

His enthusiasm cooled instantly; so she had been timing him just now!

He felt like crying but had no tears, and could only force an excuse: "Cough, cough, Junior Martial Uncle, this Disciple... has consumed too much from continuous Alchemy today, and my state is not good..."