Spirit Nurturing Dust, Plans After Leaving the Pill Domain

Chen Xiao's gaze lingered on the Copper Piece for a moment before quickly moving on, his eyes casually sweeping over the jade platform.

As he did so, he occasionally stared at other medicinal ingredients, as if his interest had been piqued. It was only after a long time that he pretended to casually pick up the Copper Piece between his fingers.

The coolness of metal spread from his fingertips, a result of being left in a low-temperature environment for a long time.

Flipping the Copper Piece in his hand, its rough surface brushed against his palm. Its unremarkable texture was no different from common Copper Pieces found on the street. Had it not been for the crooked and complicated patterns carved on it, anyone who saw it would have thought it was just scrap copper.

"Elder, how much for this Copper Piece?"

"A high-grade Tier 7 Elixir formula, non-negotiable price."

The dishevelled old man opened his eyes, yawning as he replied.

Hearing this answer, Cao Ying subtly tugged at Chen Xiao's sleeve from the side.

She was an Alchemist and knew the value of a high-grade Tier 7 Elixir formula. Although she didn't understand why Chen Xiao was interested in this seemingly ordinary Copper Piece, from her perspective, such an exchange was definitely not worth it, which was why she secretly reminded him.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, not too surprised by the old man's high price.

It was business, after all. Ask for the moon, settle for less – that's how it had always been.

"Old man, what's so strange about this Copper Piece? It's worth so much?"

Zi Yan also came closer, looking at it for a long time but unable to discern anything special about the Copper Piece.

"Don't know," the old man replied matter-of-factly.

Immediately after, he explained, "Although I don't know the exact use of this Copper Piece, I'm certain it's an ancient item. Anything related to the word 'ancient' is bound to be valuable. You can ask this young lady; as an Alchemist, she'd know better."

Seeing the old man look over, Cao Ying shook her head. "Too expensive. Even if this Copper Piece is an ancient item as you say, there are many things passed down from ancient times, including some ordinary items. The fact that this Copper Piece hasn't sold yet suggests that those interested in it have these concerns."

Chen Xiao smiled faintly. The demoness Cao was indeed quite clever, pinpointing the issue with the Copper Piece with one sharp observation.

Too lazy to waste further words, Chen Xiao put down the Copper Piece, stood up, and stated directly, "A mid-grade Tier 7 Elixir formula. If you're willing, I'll buy it back to study. If not, forget it."

This was a huge bargain. The old man only knew the Copper Piece was valuable but didn't know its specific worth.

Chen Xiao had seen the script and knew the old man's bottom line.

Hearing the price Chen Xiao offered, the old man shook his head and continued to close his eyes and nap.

Chen Xiao didn't hesitate either, leading the three women away quite decisively.

However, after walking only about ten steps, the old man's voice came from behind.

"Take it, take it. But I'll say this upfront, I don't accept those mid-grade Tier 7 Elixir formulas that are just for show."

Chen Xiao stopped in his tracks, a slight smile on his face.

Returning to the stall, Chen Xiao put away the Copper Piece. Just as he was about to take out an Elixir formula from his Storage Ring to pay, Cao Ying stepped forward, taking out a yellowed Elixir formula and handing it over.

"Mid-grade Tier 7, Star Condensing Pill. When this Elixir is formed, it exhibits a brilliant starlight colour, and its fragrance is as deep as the vast starry sky. It has the effect of condensing spiritual power and greatly enhances the effects of Soul Power attacks and defensive Dou Skills. It should meet your requirements, Elder."

The old man took it and examined it, nodding with satisfaction.

Once he accepted it, it meant the transaction was officially completed.

Leaving the stall, Cao Ying noticed Chen Xiao's gaze and smiled slyly, saying, "I know you have a lot of good things on you, but I've already fully understood the Elixir formulas I have. I don't know much about the ones you have, and exchanging them would be too wasteful. Instead of giving it to him, you might as well give it to me."

Chen Xiao was speechless. With the demoness's manoeuvre, neither he nor the stall owner suffered any loss. He paid a mid-grade Tier 7 Elixir formula, and the other party got the one they wanted.

Only the demoness, after the handover, would be able to learn another mid-grade Tier 7 Elixir, making a tidy profit.

"Ying'er is still the most thoughtful. I'll follow your lead then."

"You're really getting used to calling me that," Cao Ying replied with a flirtatious eye roll.

Ever since they put on that act in front of Song Qing, this guy hadn't bothered to change his address, and it was becoming more and more natural.

Having achieved the purpose of coming to the trade fair, Chen Xiao no longer had the desire to continue browsing here and immediately led the three women away.

...

As soon as they returned to the small courtyard, Chen Xiao eagerly had Zi Yan and Little Fairy Doctor tightly close the courtyard gate. He then led the three women into the room.

Inside the room.

Under the flickering yellow candlelight, the four people gathered around the table. In the center of the table, a Copper Piece with an aged glow lay quietly.

The base colour of the Copper Piece was mottled like a faded sunset, its surface covered with gnarled and winding green rust, like countless twisted earthworms coiled upon it. These accumulated rust stains, layer upon layer, had gnawed away at the mysterious patterns originally carved on the Copper Piece, leaving them incomplete.

"Chen Xiao, is this really something good?"

Chen Xiao nodded affirmatively. He bent two fingers together, and the Dou Qi around him rapidly converged like a vortex, forming a sharp, blue-white needle at his fingertips.

Chen Xiao took out a small bowl and placed it on the table. Only then did he pick up the Copper Piece, holding his breath and concentrating. With a slight twist of his wrist, he slowly inserted the fine needle into the gnarled green rust on the surface of the Copper Piece at an almost tricky angle. Every inch of advancement was done with extreme caution, fearing damage to the secret hidden beneath the Copper Piece.

Just like that, under the tense gaze of the three women holding their breath, Chen Xiao spent a full half hour removing all the green copper rust from the surface of the Copper Piece.

Throwing the Copper Piece aside, Chen Xiao looked at the demoness.

"Ying'er, burn it."

Cao Ying couldn't be bothered to correct his address anymore. She nodded gently, gathered the copper rust in the bowl into a small ball shape, and made it float.

As she activated her Heavenly Flame, a green flame tongue instantly enveloped the copper ball.

The next moment, Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan immediately sensed something unusual.

The temperature of the Heavenly Flame could easily melt profound iron, but at this moment, as Cao Ying controlled the temperature to rise steadily, the heatwaves filling the air even warped the surrounding space.

However, the copper ball engulfed by the flames remained as steady as a rock. The mottled rust on its surface only emitted a few wisps of green smoke under the high temperature. Not only did it show no signs of melting, but it also faintly revealed a strange, eerie glow, as if it were completely devouring the power of the Heavenly Flame.

Cao Ying's interest was piqued, and she immediately raised the temperature again. After nearly ten minutes of this, the green copper ball finally showed gradual signs of melting.

As the copper ball melted further, the green on its surface rapidly faded like morning mist evaporated by the scorching sun. Tiny, scattered bits of light yellow dust rustled and peeled off from the molten rust, like golden fireflies breaking free from their shackles!

These dust particles seemed to possess life, flickering on and off like spirits, giving off an extremely rich sense of spirituality.

The process of the light yellow dust shedding took only about two minutes to completely stop. And as these dust particles finished shedding, the copper ball instantly turned into powder.

At this moment, within the emerald green flames, only five specks of light yellow dust remained, shimmering with a spiritual radiance. No matter how the flames burned them, they showed no change whatsoever.

Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes gazed at the five specks of dust suspended in the flames, her long eyelashes casting fine shadows under the firelight. She noticed the burning intensity in Chen Xiao's eyes and her cherry lips parted slightly.

"So, these five specks of dust are the greatest value of that Copper Piece?"

Chen Xiao nodded heavily, signaling Cao Ying to stop. He placed the five specks of light yellow dust into a Jade Bottle and set it on the table to examine closely.

Zi Yan lay on the table, watching for a long time without understanding anything. "What exactly is this?"

"Spirit Nurturing Dust!"

Hearing the words Chen Xiao spoke, let alone Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan, even the demonic woman Cao Ying had a flicker of confusion on her pretty face.

She had talent and a good background, but knowledge needed to be accumulated step by step. The demonic woman, who had just become an adult, didn't truly understand everything.

Under the inquiring gazes of the three women, Chen Xiao pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "Spirit Nurturing Dust, the important part is the 'Spirit' character. Ying'er is an Alchemist, and she understands best that the stronger the spirituality of an eighth-grade Elixir, the higher its grade. And this Spirit Nurturing Dust can enhance spirituality."

Chen Xiao paused, his gaze sweeping over the three women's suddenly constricted pupils. "Besides that, it has an even greater effect. If it is integrated into the soul, it can nurture the soul, gradually strengthen the spiritual energy within the soul, and thus step into what is called the Spirit Realm!"

Hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan both took a deep breath, instantly understanding the value of this Spirit Nurturing Dust.

Cao Ying, on the side, had a burning gaze, her astonishment unconcealed.

Spirit Realm soul, that was the threshold for eighth-grade Alchemists.

Not everyone with a Spirit Realm soul was necessarily an eighth-grade Alchemist.

But all eighth-grade Alchemists were definitely above the Spirit Realm soul level.

Because without reaching the Spirit Realm, it was simply impossible to refine an eighth-grade Elixir!

"Spirit Nurturing Dust is actually a special type of eighth-grade Elixir, but its refining method has been lost. This thing is like a magnet that attracts spirituality. When integrated into the soul, it can make the spiritual energy within the soul become richer unknowingly, and it also has a very good catalytic effect on some states of enlightenment."

After giving the three women a brief explanation, Chen Xiao picked up the Jade Bottle.

"To each their share. There are five specks of Spirit Nurturing Dust. We'll each take one, and the remaining one will be kept as a spare."

As his voice fell, Chen Xiao's Dou Qi surged slightly, drawing out four specks of Spirit Nurturing Dust.

Three of them shot towards the space between the eyebrows of Little Fairy Doctor, Zi Yan, and Cao Ying respectively, while the last one landed on Chen Xiao's forehead.

The moment the Spirit Nurturing Dust integrated into their foreheads, all four of their bodies trembled violently, their faces suddenly tensing. They could all feel a needle-like prick within their heads, accompanied by a faint ache.

Fortunately, this pain did not last too long and soon dissipated.

Immediately after, all four of them could sense that a strange fluctuation suddenly permeated the surrounding world. Wisps of extremely faint, unusual airflow seeped out from the spatial fluctuations and slowly entered through their foreheads.

Chen Xiao's soul cultivation had never stopped, but it had been a long time since he felt his Soul Power increasing.

Until this moment, that feeling of being unable to advance even an inch was finally completely broken. That Spirit Nurturing Dust was like a catalyst, causing the spiritual energy contained within his soul to grow at an extremely slow but clearly perceptible rate!

This growth lasted for nearly three hours before gradually weakening, but the unusual airflow seeping out from the world continued to converge towards their foreheads.

Chen Xiao slowly opened his eyes, only to find that Little Fairy Doctor and the other two were still immersed in that state.

Chen Xiao didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

His Soul Power was originally extremely strong, no weaker than Cao Ying's. After the Spirit Nurturing Dust integrated, its effect was more inclined towards causing a qualitative change in Chen Xiao's soul.

In contrast, Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan's Soul Power were slightly weaker. After the Spirit Nurturing Dust integrated, it would accelerate their quantitative accumulation until one day, they would naturally break through to the Spirit Realm.

This was a good thing, and Chen Xiao was happy to see it happen.

After all, the benefits of strengthening the soul were visible to the naked eye.

Putting away the Jade Bottle on the table, Chen Xiao quietly exited the room.

Only when he arrived in the courtyard did he realize that the plants there had undergone a drastic change. It was as if a year had passed in just over an hour. They had grown significantly, and the closer the flowers and plants were to the room, the better they had grown, making the view look uneven.

Seeing this, Chen Xiao's Dou Qi surged slightly, and an ice blade materialized.

After pruning these flowers and plants to his liking, he approached the stone table, took out a Notebook, and began flipping through it under the moonlight.

He didn't know how long passed before another figure walked out of the room.

She came up behind Chen Xiao and glanced at the Notebook in his hand. Seeing that it was just some miscellaneous notes about creating Dou Skills, she immediately lost interest and sat down on a stone bench beside him.

"I just heard a muffled sound."

"What sound?" Chen Xiao didn't even lift his head.

"It sounded like a soul cultivation technique, but it wasn't complete. 'The extreme of the soul, guard the heavenly spirit, absorb spirit and forge the soul...'"

Cao Ying rested her chin on one hand and watched him. She didn't hide anything and told him everything she heard.

Chen Xiao nodded and slowly comprehended the cultivation incantation for a few minutes before shaking his head and giving up.

This Soul Cultivation method... I don't know its rank, but one thing's for sure: in its incomplete state, it's nowhere near as good as the Nine Nether Soul Scripture he had pre-paid for.

"It's said that some powerful individuals can leave soul imprints on certain objects. If my guess isn't wrong, what you heard should be something left behind by that ancient expert. However, the countless years that have passed have caused it to become blurred and incomplete."

"Just as I suspected."

"Does the Cao Family have a Soul Cultivation method?"

"Yes, it's the most important thing in the Cao Family. Even within the family, only Alchemists above Grade Six and experts above Dou Zong can cultivate it. If you're interested, I can talk to my family. They should agree to let you cultivate it, but it cannot be spread externally."

"No need for that. I have something like this myself."

Cao Ying lightly nodded her chin. Seeing that his attention was split, she immediately reached out and took the Notebook.

After realizing her action was a bit rash, a strange feeling arose in her heart.

Normally, while she often teased and occasionally provoked Chen Xiao in front of him, she always knew her limits. For instance, during the Five Great Clans assessment a few days ago, her pretense of intimacy with Chen Xiao was only done after she had asked for and received his permission.

But this time, it was as if she had suddenly become foolish. Only after acting rashly did she belatedly realize it was improper.

The reason for this was likely because when Chen Xiao was talking to her, his attention wasn't on her at all.

However, when Chen Xiao didn't look at her, she wasn't happy.

Now that Chen Xiao looked up at her, the demoness's gaze slightly dodged again. Her appearance at that moment was remarkably similar to Medusa Queen before she became Cai Lin.

"Let me ask you something serious. How long are you planning to stay in the Pill Domain this time?"

Pushing the Notebook towards Chen Xiao, the demoness lowered her eyes and said.

Chen Xiao put the Notebook into his Storage Ring and said, "A month at most. I'll leave after I've dealt with Xian'er's matter. I need to find a place to break through to Dou Zong. After that, I might make a trip to the Northern Continent. My return date is uncertain."

"Is there any danger? What I mean is, if you need help, the Cao Family can assist. After all, that was one of the conditions we agreed upon."

"I'm not sure, but it should be fine. Once Xian'er condenses the Poison Pill, her strength will skyrocket, and reaching Dou Zun won't be a problem."

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