55: Blood Semen Ginseng

The female Cultivator Hongshao smilingly handed Lin Feng a Qi Recovery Pill: “Fellow Daoist, you’ve worked hard. Restore your spiritual power.”

With Lin Feng’s assistance and the combined effort of the entire team, the group passed through layers of danger without major incident, finally arriving at a deep, secluded mountain valley shrouded in dense spiritual mist.

The powerful Qi and blood energy emanating from the valley immediately invigorated everyone.

“It’s inside. Be careful and stay alert,” Old Dao growled, his eyes gleaming with intense greed, as he was the first to step into the valley.

The others followed closely behind.

Deep in the valley floor, in the center of a patch of spirit moss emitting a faint red glow, was a spiritual ginseng that was entirely blood-red and shaped like an infant.

“Blood Essence Ginseng,” Old Dao’s voice was hoarse with extreme excitement. “It can be used to refine the blood origin pill, solidifying the Foundation and nourishing the origin, compensating for lost Qi and blood...”

‘The blood origin pill.’

Lin Feng’s heart trembled violently. He had heard of this name at the Sect’s Spirit Pill Pavilion. It was said that this Medicinal Pill could perfectly repair damage to a Cultivator’s Qi and blood Foundation caused by various reasons, greatly benefiting Foundation Establishment.

He had always thought that the subtle internal injuries left by his previous fierce battles could only be remedied through slow, persistent effort, but he never expected such a targeted Spirit Medicine existed.

“Attack!” Almost the instant they saw the spiritual ginseng, the Wang Brothers roared, stabbing their poisoned short swords straight toward Old Dao’s back.

“You?!” Old Dao blocked in shock and fury, but he was knocked back, staggering. His old wounds split open, staining his robes with blood.

“Giggle... My apologies,” Hongshao chuckled sweetly, but her body shot straight toward the Blood Essence Ginseng.

The eyes of one of the Wang Brothers flashed, and he punched toward Hongshao’s path.

The four instantly plunged into battle, sword light, Red Silk Ribbon, and fist shadows intertwining. Their Moves were vicious, completely disregarding the camaraderie they had shared just moments ago.

In just a moment, everyone had fresh wounds, their spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and they were panting heavily, clearly at the end of their rope.

Lin Feng, meanwhile, shrank back behind a large boulder, “trembling with fear.”

Suddenly, an Ink Scale Leopard with a single horn flashing with dark, faint light and an aura reaching Qi Refining Great Perfection, leaped out.

“It’s over.” Old Dao’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.

Hongshao’s face lost its color, and her eyes were filled with despair.

The hands of the Wang Brothers holding their swords were trembling.

Their spiritual power was depleted, and they were severely wounded. Facing this Qi Refining Great Perfection Yao Beast, they had absolutely no power to resist.

It was at this moment that Lin Feng moved.

He slowly stood up from behind the boulder. The Spiritual Pressure of his Qi Refining Ninth Layer Peak instantly burst forth, and the qinggang sword left its sheath.

Lin Feng merely gave his wrist a slight shake.

There was no dazzling light, and no complex Move.

Lin Feng simply executed an extremely straightforward thrust.

The sword speed was maximized, seemingly ignoring the distance of space.

Puchi.

A muffled sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and blood.

The cold tip of the qinggang sword had precisely pierced the Ink Scale Leopard’s skull.

The Ink Scale Leopard’s massive body suddenly stiffened, all its movements instantly freezing, and the fierce light in its eyes immediately faded.

Boom.

Its heavy body crashed heavily onto the ground, completely dead.

Killed with a single sword strike.

Inside the valley, there was a deathly silence.

The four people froze completely where they stood, their eyes wide, their faces filled with shock, fear, and disbelief.

‘...One sword... just one sword?’

‘...Qi Refining Ninth Layer... instantly killed a Qi Refining Great Perfection Yao Beast?’

Endless dread and chill instantly swept over their entire bodies.

Lin Feng expressionlessly withdrew the qinggang sword, flicked the blood bead from the tip, and returned the sword to its sheath. He glanced over the Yao Beast’s corpse on the ground, frowning slightly.

‘The angle of the sword strike was still off by a fraction... the momentum recovery wasn't perfect...’ There was no joy in his heart.

‘If Senior Sister Xiao were here... she wouldn't even need to draw her sword to tame it... just like that panda back then...’

The slightly cool sensation of icy lips lightly touching him beside the qing shen bamboo surfaced in his mind again... He quickly composed himself.

Ignoring everyone else, he harvested the Blood Essence Ginseng and sealed it into a jade box.

Then, he glanced indifferently at the four petrified Cultivators, his eyes completely calm.

The qinggang sword left its sheath and hovered.

Lin Feng stepped onto the Flying Sword, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot into the sky and vanished instantly.

After returning to the Sect, he immediately rushed to Cloud Bamboo Peak. After learning from a Mountain Guarding Disciple that Su Sizhu was at the Spirit Pill Pavilion, he went directly to the Spirit Pill Pavilion to find her.

The Pill Chamber was filled with the fragrance of medicine. Su Sizhu was facing the Pill Furnace, forming hand seals to control the fire. The medicinal liquid inside the furnace was churning, making subtle sizzling sounds. Lin Feng did not interrupt, standing quietly to wait.

After about an incense stick’s time, the Pill Furnace gave a soft chime, the lid opened, and five round, pale yellow Medicinal Pills flew out, landing in the jade bottle in Su Sizhu’s hand. Only then did she look up, her gaze falling on Lin Feng: “After a few months, you’ve actually reached the Peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. This speed is truly rare.”

Lin Feng cupped his hands and placed two jade boxes on the table: “Senior Sister Su, please trouble you to refine a batch of foundation establishment pills and a batch of blood origin pills for me.”

When the lids opened, the gentle radiance of the earth origin spirit mushroom and the powerful Qi and blood of the Blood Essence Ginseng immediately filled the Pill Chamber, and a unique medicinal fragrance permeated the air.

Su Sizhu was slightly stunned, her gaze lingering on the two Spirit Medicines for a moment before she looked up at Lin Feng:

“earth origin spirit mushroom... and a Blood Essence Ginseng of such perfect quality? These two items are rarely seen even in Inner Sect Missions. Where did you obtain them?”

“I obtained them by chance during my outdoor training and experience,” Lin Feng scratched his head.

Su Sizhu gave him a deep look, then stopped asking questions, nodding slightly: “I can do it. The foundation establishment pill requires three days, and the blood origin pill requires two days.”

Over the next few days, Lin Feng, as usual, stood quietly in a corner of the Pill Chamber, activating the heaven-stealing vine to record every technique Su Sizhu used, every subtle change in the heat control, and every timing for the medicinal liquid Fusion.

Su Sizhu occasionally glanced at him. Seeing that he was only watching intently and making no other movements, the thread of doubt in her heart grew stronger.

Finally, during a pause when the fire was extinguished just before the blood origin pill was about to undergo Pill Condensation, she seemingly casually picked up a stalk of blue-glowing “Frost Pattern Grass” beside her hand and asked in a calm tone:

“Junior Brother Lin often comes to watch me perform Alchemy, seeming quite interested. Do you know how the heat control should be managed if this ‘Frost Pattern Grass’ is placed into the ‘Scarlet Sun Furnace’ so that its cold nature is not damaged, yet it can still fuse with the medicinal properties of the ‘Scarlet Sun Fruit’?”

Lin Feng was immersed in observation. Upon hearing the question, he almost blurted out: “Frost Pattern Grass is cold in nature, and the Scarlet Sun Furnace fire is strong. It needs to be rapidly calcined with fierce fire for three breaths to force out its internal Cold Marrow, then switch to a gentle fire for slow Fusion. Only then can it harmonize with other Yang-attributed Spirit Medicines; otherwise, the medicinal properties will clash, and the Medicinal Pill will surely be damaged.”

His speaking speed was steady and his logic clear. He only paused slightly after finishing.

A hint of surprise flashed in Su Sizhu’s eyes. She put down the Spiritual Plant: “Oh? Junior Brother’s insights into Alchemy heat control and the mutual generation and restraint of medicinal properties are actually this profound?”

Lin Feng’s heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. He cupped his hands and said, “I merely watched Senior Sister perform Alchemy often, and through immersion, I only remembered some superficial knowledge. I dare not show off my meager skills.”

He paused, then immediately changed the subject, “Looking at the time, the blood origin pill is about to undergo Pill Condensation. I dare not disturb Senior Sister, so Junior Brother shall take his leave first.”

Having said that, without waiting for Su Sizhu to speak again, he turned and quickly left the Pill Chamber.

Su Sizhu watched the direction of his departure, her slender fingertips unconsciously tapping the desktop, frowning slightly: “Immersion? Such precise mastery of heat control and understanding of medicinal properties—how could that be learned just by watching?”