33: Refining the Purple Mansion Elixir

"Form a formation! Quickly form a formation!" The burly man's eyes were bloodshot.

He hurriedly injected his spiritual power into a black bone shield he had hastily conjured.

Boom!

The giant tail slammed down.

The seemingly sturdy black bone shield let out a crisp crack, its surface spiritual light instantly shattered, and cracks spread across the shield's body.

The burly man spat out a large mouthful of blood, his arm emitted the sound of bones cracking, and he was sent flying backward, his feet leaving the ground, to crash heavily into a pile of rocks. He struggled to get up, clearly having suffered severe internal injuries.

A nearby Loose Cultivator, who was a bit slow to dodge, was struck by the edge of the tail whip's gale, and one of his arms instantly twisted and broke, exposing white bone fragments that pierced through his flesh. He let out a pig-like shriek, clutching his broken arm and rolling frantically on the ground.

Another slender Cultivator who tried to leap and dodge, though he avoided the direct impact, was hit squarely by the waves and Qi generated by the giant tail. His vision went black, blood oozed from his ears, nose, and mouth, and he fell unconscious.

Only the sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced Cultivator, who was positioned furthest out, desperately lunged backward the moment the giant tail lifted, exerting all his strength. He narrowly avoided the main attack range,

but was swept by the scattered strong wind on his back, stumbled forward, fell flat on his face, coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood, but barely saved his life, and continued to flee, scrambling and crawling.

Lin Feng pulled Luo Linger, using the Shadow Evasion Technique, to sneak and hide within the shadows.

They dared not stop until they were completely out of the range of Sunset Glow Valley. The heart-pounding Yao Beast roars and chaotic sounds behind them were finally blocked by layers of mountains, no longer clearly audible.

Only then did the two dare to slow their pace, finding a secluded mountain hollow and collapsing to the ground, exhausted.

Luo Linger's cheeks were still burning, and she dared not look at Lin Feng. She tidied her soaked clothes and hair, her eyes wandering: "...Finally...finally got it...Next time...next time I'm definitely not coming..."

Lin Feng was slightly better off, a trace of the gentle spiritual power Luo Linger had transferred to him still lingered in his body, dispelling the last of the cold.

He looked at Luo Linger, who was so shy she could die yet pretended nothing had happened, and recalled the soft touch beneath the Deep Pool. A profoundly complex emotion surged within him.

He gently let out a breath and whispered, "...Thank you."

Luo Linger's body stiffened slightly, her earlobes grew redder, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum: "...Thank me for what... Quickly see if the lotus dew is alright..."

She frantically changed the subject, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, not daring to look up.

Lin Feng looked at her, said no more, and simply took out the cold jade bottle as instructed.

"Completely intact." Lin Feng handed the jade bottle to Luo Linger.

Luo Linger quickly glanced at it, confirmed it was fine, then quickly lowered her head again, muttering softly: "...That's good... Otherwise, it would have been a huge loss..."

After resting for a moment and recovering some strength, Lin Feng stood up: "This place is not suitable for long stays; we should return to the Sect as soon as possible."

Lin Feng and Luo Linger once again boarded the azure wood kite and flew towards the Sect.

Luo Linger focused on controlling the wood kite, her gaze consistently avoiding Lin Feng, the blush on her earlobes lingering for a long time.

This time, they didn't go to Hundred Flowers Peak but flew directly towards Cloud Bamboo Peak.

Upon arriving at Cloud Bamboo Peak, after reporting, the two were led to the outside of Su Sizhu's Pill Refining Room.

Su Sizhu was still in a white robe, aloof and ethereal, standing before a bronze Pill Furnace, observing the heat.

Seeing the two enter, her gaze lightly swept over them, lingered for a moment on the cold jade bottle in Lin Feng's hand, her lips curved slightly upward, then immediately returned to normal.

"Su Sizhu. You almost got us killed, do you know that?"

The moment Luo Linger entered, she put her hands on her hips and stomped angrily in front of Su Sizhu, pointing at the jade bottle,

"For this drop of lotus dew of yours, we were almost eaten as a snack by a Cold Fiend Flood Dragon. Lin Feng almost froze to death at the bottom of the Deep Pool.

And I lost so many precious seeds. You're too shrewd with your deals."

Upon hearing this, Su Sizhu's eyebrows didn't even twitch. She merely unhurriedly picked up a white jade whisk from the side and gently brushed away non-existent dust from the Pill Furnace:

"It's no secret that a Flood Dragon resides in the Deep Pool of Sunset Glow Valley. Since I told you the location, I naturally anticipated this danger.

The fact that you both returned unharmed and successfully obtained the lotus dew, doesn't that prove your capability and... luck?"

As she spoke, her gaze subtly shifted between Lin Feng and Luo Linger, lingering especially on Luo Linger's slightly evasive eyes for a moment.

Suddenly, a hint of a smile flickered in Su Sizhu's cool eyes. She leaned slightly forward, closer to Luo Linger, and lowered her voice:

"But Junior Sister Linger... in the past, when you came here, weren't you always asking for advice on Medicinal Pills? Why are you so emotional today?

It's almost as if... you've suffered a great grievance and are eager to tell someone, seeking comfort?"

Luo Linger choked on her words, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson again. Her eyes darted nervously to Lin Feng beside her, and she stubbornly retorted:

"Who... who's asking for comfort? I'm saying your trade isn't fair. We paid too much."

"Oh?" Su Sizhu straightened up, returning to her usual aloofness, but the smile in her eyes hadn't faded,

"So you feel the reward isn't enough. Very well, considering your hard work and near-calamity this time..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Feng, finally settling back on Luo Linger:

"This time, I'll use this moonlight soul lotus dew as the main material to refine a 'purple mansion spirit pill.' If more than three pills are formed, I'll give one to each of you as compensation. How about that?"

Luo Linger's eyes lit up. The purple mansion spirit pill was a treasure that nourished the Divine Soul and consolidated the Purple Mansion.

The anger on her face vanished instantly, but she still tried to maintain a stern expression, huffing: "...That's more like it."

Su Sizhu watched her expression instantly change from cloudy to clear, the smile in her eyes deepening, but she said no more, turning to the Pill Furnace:

"Since that's the case, I'll open the furnace. If you two are interested, you may observe from the side."

Lin Feng's heart stirred, and he immediately cupped his hands: "Thank you, Senior Sister, for the opportunity." It was a rare chance to observe the refinement of a high-grade Medicinal Pill.

Inside the Pill Refining Room, silence fell, broken only by the hum of the flames and the extremely subtle spiritual power fluctuations as Su Sizhu occasionally adjusted the heat.

Her technique was fluid and graceful; her handling of various Materials, the timing of their input, and her control over heat transitions were all precise.

Especially when handling that drop of moonlight soul lotus dew, a faint light swirled around her fingertips, and she introduced it into the Pill Furnace with an incredibly profound technique, perfectly integrating it with the essences of dozens of other auxiliary Materials, without the slightest waste.

Lin Feng activated the heaven-stealing vine, holding his breath and concentrating fully on observing.

Although he couldn't understand all the details, the extreme control over spiritual power, the precise balance of medicinal properties, and the unique 'Pill Intent' that seemed to merge with the Pill Furnace, all greatly benefited him.

Several hours later, a clear, resonant hum came from within the Pill Furnace. The furnace lid opened, and three grape-sized Spirit Pills, wreathed in purple Qi and with clear pill patterns, flew out and were collected by Su Sizhu into a jade bottle.

The entire room was filled with an exotic fragrance, making one's Divine Soul feel comfortable.

"It's done."