603: The Dan Hall begins to appear, an unexpected gain.

The Pill Hall of Tianling Academy was located atop a Spiritual Vein on the western side of the Sect. The courtyard, with its blue bricks and black tiles, was surrounded by layers of medicinal fields. The air was filled with a thick fragrance of herbs, and the Spiritual Qi was laced with a faint scent of pill fire; a single breath could make a Cultivator's Meridians feel three times smoother.

The day after the trial ended, Huang Xiaolong followed the guidance on the Legacy Jade Slip and came to the Pill Hall. Clutching his Inner Court Disciple token, he stood at the entrance of the Pill Hall, watching the busy alchemists in the courtyard with curiosity. The Legacy Jade Slip recorded that the art of Alchemy was a mandatory skill for Cultivators, especially Medicinal Pills containing Battle Qi, which could significantly boost combat power. This was crucial for him, as he was eager to Breakthrough to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"Stop!" A gate-keeping Disciple blocked him, sizing up Huang Xiaolong's green Disciple robes with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "An Inner Court Disciple? Is the Pill Hall a place you can just enter? Without the permission of the Pill Elder, even Core Disciples have to wait outside!"

Huang Xiaolong was about to explain when a crisp female voice came over: "Senior Brother, he came with me."

Su Linger walked forward quickly, carrying a bamboo basket filled with various Spiritual Plants. She gave the gate-keeping Disciple a sweet smile and shook the jade pendant at her waist: "I'm here to deliver Spiritual Plants to the Pill Elder. I invited Senior Brother Huang to come along, so please make it easy for us."

When the gate-keeping Disciple saw the jade pendant at Su Linger's waist, his expression changed instantly. That jade pendant was a token personally bestowed by the Pill Elder; those who held it could freely enter and exit the Pill Hall. He hurriedly stepped aside and said respectfully, "So it's Miss Su, please come in."

Huang Xiaolong gave Su Linger a grateful look, and the two walked into the Pill Hall side by side.

Inside the Pill Hall's Pill Refining Room, dozens of Pill Furnaces were arranged neatly, with furnace fires burning fiercely. Alchemists sat cross-legged, carefully controlling the fire and spiritual power. In the very center, a massive purple copper Pill Furnace was particularly eye-catching. The furnace body was covered in profound runes, and the thin blue smoke rising from the top actually condensed into the shape of pill clouds.

An old man with white hair and beard stood before the Pill Furnace, holding an iron shovel and occasionally adding Spiritual Plants into the furnace. The old man emitted the pressure of an Alchemy Grandmaster; he was the Chief Elder of the Pill Hall, a Golden Core Stage alchemist, Medicine Dust.

Su Linger stepped forward and handed over the bamboo basket: "Elder Yao, I've gathered the clear spirit grass and Dewdrop Flowers you requested."

Medicine Dust took the basket, glanced at Huang Xiaolong beside Su Linger, and frowned slightly: "Linger, why did you bring an Outer Court Disciple to the Pill Refining Room? This is not a place for playing around."

"Elder, he's not an Outer Court Disciple; he's Senior Brother Huang Xiaolong, who was just exceptionally promoted to the Inner Court," Su Linger explained quickly. "Senior Brother Huang wants to learn the art of Alchemy. I saw that he has good talent, so I brought him to meet you."

Medicine Dust sized up Huang Xiaolong, his gaze falling on the faint Double Seals on his brow, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. He pondered for a moment and pointed to a small Pill Furnace in the corner: "Very well, I'll give you a chance today. There is a basic qi condensation pill Formula there; give it a try. Remember, Alchemy is about the unity of heart and hand; the furnace fire must be steady, and the spiritual power must be gentle. You must not act with undue haste."

Huang Xiaolong was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Thank you, Elder!"

He walked to the Pill Furnace in the corner, looked at the Pill Formula and Spiritual Plants on the platform, and took a deep breath. The qi condensation pill was a common Medicinal Pill for Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Stage, capable of quickly replenishing spiritual power, and the Pill Formula was not complex. Following the records on the Pill Formula, Huang Xiaolong cleaned the clear spirit grass, Dewdrop Flowers, and other Spiritual Plants one by one, then lit the furnace fire and tossed the Spiritual Plants into the furnace.

It was his first time refining pills, and his technique was very clumsy. The furnace fire fluctuated, and the spiritual power injection was sometimes strong and sometimes weak. The Spiritual Plants inside the Pill Furnace were soon scorched black. Su Linger watched anxiously from the side and couldn't help but remind him: "Senior Brother Huang, keep the fire steady! Inject the spiritual power along the runes; don't just blast it in!"

Huang Xiaolong hurriedly adjusted, but it was a step too late. With a loud "bang," the furnace lid was blown off by a wave of air, and thick black smoke rolled out. The Spiritual Plants inside had already turned to ash.

"Sigh, what a waste of these Spiritual Plants." Medicine Dust shook his head, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

Huang Xiaolong's face turned slightly red, and he was about to apologize when he smelled a faint fragrance wafting from the Pill Furnace. He looked closely and saw three dull-colored Medicinal Pills lying at the bottom of the furnace. The pills were covered in cracks, clearly failed low-quality products.

But strangely, a weak fluctuation of Battle Qi was faintly lingering around these three failed pills.

Medicine Dust also noticed this fluctuation. He walked forward quickly, picked up a pill, and examined it closely. The disappointment in his eyes instantly turned to shock: "This... these failed pills actually contain Battle Qi?"

One must know that a qi condensation pill was a pure spiritual power pill. Even a High Grade qi condensation pill could never possibly contain Battle Qi. But this failed pill refined by Huang Xiaolong broke this common knowledge!

"Boy, how did you do it?" Medicine Dust grabbed Huang Xiaolong's shoulder excitedly. "Did you inject Battle Qi into the Pill Furnace while refining?"

Huang Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, then it suddenly dawned on him. While refining just now, in his haste for success, he had subconsciously injected the Dragon Vein Battle Qi from his body into the Pill Furnace. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon a way to refine failed qi condensation pills that contained Battle Qi.

"Disciple... I just accidentally injected a trace of Battle Qi," Huang Xiaolong said truthfully.

"Good! Good! Good!" Medicine Dust said "good" three times, his eyes full of joy. "To think you have such talent! Combining Battle Qi with Medicinal Pills is an unprecedented feat! I shall take you as a Named Disciple; are you willing?"

Huang Xiaolong was overjoyed and quickly knelt to perform the greeting: "Disciple Huang Xiaolong pays respects to Master!"

Just as he kowtowed, a crisp sound rang out—

"Clatter!"

A brown Jade Slip fell from that failed qi condensation pill and rolled in front of him. On the Jade Slip were carved the five characters "Technique for Utilizing Failed Pills." It detailed how to maximize the efficacy of failed Medicinal Pills and how to use the special fluctuations in failed pills to enhance a Cultivator's Fusion of Battle Qi and spiritual power.

"Technique for Utilizing Failed Pills!" Huang Xiaolong picked up the Jade Slip, his heart filled with wild joy.

This scene was caught by an alchemist not far away, whose face instantly turned gloomy. This alchemist was named Qian Hao, a Personal Disciple of Medicine Dust. Relying on his Master's favor, he acted overbearingly within the Pill Hall. He had long disliked Huang Xiaolong, and seeing his Master take Huang Xiaolong as a Named Disciple and even obtain a secret technique, the fire of jealousy in his heart burned fiercely.

Qian Hao walked forward, intentionally bumping into Huang Xiaolong, and snorted coldly: "Hmph, just a stroke of dumb luck refining a broken failed pill, and you dare to act all high and mighty in the Pill Hall? I think you're simply not cut out for Alchemy!"

Huang Xiaolong sneered inwardly. He was just worrying about not having a chance to gain new opportunities, and this Qian Hao had delivered himself to his door. He deliberately frowned and said angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about? The pills I refined contain Battle Qi, and even Master praised them. Who do you think you are to lecture me?"

"You're looking for death!" Qian Hao was enraged and raised his hand to strike Huang Xiaolong.

Huang Xiaolong was prepared; he dodged to the side while intentionally bumping into Qian Hao's Storage Pouch. With a "clatter," Qian Hao's Storage Pouch fell to the ground, and the Pill Formulas and medicinal ingredients inside scattered everywhere. A black Jade Slip rolled to Huang Xiaolong's feet, with the four characters "Poison Tempering Pill Formula" carved on it.

Qian Hao looked at the Jade Slip on the ground, his face pale. He had obtained this Poison Tempering Pill Formula by chance and had been hiding it; he didn't expect it to be knocked out by Huang Xiaolong.

Huang Xiaolong picked up the Jade Slip, and with a sweep of his Divine Thought, the Profound Truth of the Pill Formula flooded into his Sea of Consciousness. Just then, another crisp sound rang out, and another gray Jade Slip fell from the Poison Tempering Pill Formula, with "Introductory Poison Pill Technique" carved on it.

"Poison Tempering Pill Formula! Introductory Poison Pill Technique!" Huang Xiaolong was overjoyed; he had hit the jackpot!

Medicine Dust heard the commotion and walked over. He looked at the mess on the ground and then at Qian Hao's ashen face, instantly understanding most of it. He snorted coldly: "Qian Hao! As a Personal Disciple, you dare to bully a fellow Disciple and even secretly keep a poison Pill Formula! You are sentenced to weed the medicinal garden for three months!"

Qian Hao was furious but didn't dare speak out, only able to grit his teeth and accept.

Huang Xiaolong held the two Jade Slips, his heart incredibly excited. He looked at Su Linger and found her squatting on the ground, looking curiously toward the medicinal garden. Following her gaze, he saw in the medicinal garden on the back mountain of the Pill Hall, a snow-white Immortal Plant swaying in the wind, emitting a faint anti-evil aura, looking exactly like the kunlun immortal grass from the Kunlun Ruins!

Su Linger picked up a handful of soil from the edge of the medicinal garden, a flash of surprise in her eyes: "Senior Brother Huang, look at this soil; it seems to be mixed with some seeds of Myriad Worlds Spiritual Plants."

Huang Xiaolong's heart stirred. He could feel a familiar Spiritual Plant aura on these seeds, exactly like the ones Qing Heer had left behind when she traveled to Earth years ago.

Medicine Dust saw their curious looks and smiled slightly: "That Immortal Plant is called the kunlun immortal grass, the treasure of the Tianling Academy's garden. As for those seeds, it's said they were left by a Senior from the Lingxu Realm who traveled here years ago."

Huang Xiaolong nodded, understanding. He clutched the Jade Slips in his hand and looked toward the medicinal garden, a flash of determination in his eyes.

Seventh level of Qi Refining—he would reach it soon!

And the secret within that Legacy Jade Slip was about to be revealed.