Chapter 39: The Problem Child, Zi Yan

Inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, on the first level's low-tier training room…

Xiao Yun wasn't sitting on the black stone platform used for summoning Heartfire. Instead, he just plopped down cross-legged on the floor. He wasn't here to cultivate his battle energy—he was here to make pills.

With a wave of his hand, a cauldron appeared on the floor in front of him. He adjusted its position, just about ready to close his eyes and mentally review the formula and refining steps for the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, when an impatient voice cut him off.

"Hey! What are you closing your eyes for? Hurry up and make my pill already!"

Opening his eyes, he saw Zi Yan standing there, her face full of impatience, arms hugging a ridiculous pile of rare herbs.

"You only gave me one ingredient. Why did you drag over all this other stuff?" he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching as he eyed the precious herbs. It took everything in him to resist some very unalchemist-like thoughts.

"Hmph! Who knows if you'll suddenly need that little flower later on. I'm just being prepared, okay?" Zi Yan rolled her eyes in a cutesy yet exasperated way.

Xiao Yun sighed. He had originally planned to start refining the Violet Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, but with Zi Yan staring at him like a bored cat waiting to be fed, he figured it was better to just get her batch done first.

"Find a spot to sit, and don't make a sound," he instructed. Then he pulled out the Taiyi Bamboo Vine she'd given him earlier, and with a flick of his fingers, a violet flame sprang to life at his fingertip.

Seeing the fire, Zi Yan's curiosity turned to alarm. She quickly backed off and sat in the corner of the room, eyeing the fire warily.

Xiao Yun wasn't surprised. Beasts without fire affinity usually had an instinctive aversion to flames—especially his. This was no ordinary flame, but a sixth-tier Beast Flame. It made perfect sense that Zi Yan would be uncomfortable around it.

"Just wait over there. Don't worry, I'm good with fire. I won't accidentally roast you," he said casually. Without waiting for a reply, he flicked the flame into the cauldron.

Whoosh!

The moment the flame hit, it roared to life inside the cauldron, rapidly heating it. Once it reached the right temperature, Xiao Yun tossed in the Taiyi Bamboo Vine.

Sizzle!

As soon as the vine touched the flame, it began to shrivel and crack. A bluish-green liquid oozed from it, floating in suspension above the fire.

This wasn't true pill refinement, not really. Actual pill-making involved extracting the essence of various ingredients and merging them together into a balanced, potent product that not only worked better than the raw materials but was easier to absorb.

What he was doing now was just a quick extraction and condensing the herb's essence into little medicinal orbs—crude, but effective. They weren't tempered or balanced, though, and if a regular human swallowed one, their insides would likely explode. Only someone like Zi Yan, with a beast's powerful physique, could handle this kind of wild medicinal energy.

So really, all Xiao Yun had to do was manage the fire and let it cook.

As he worked, he glanced toward the corner where Zi Yan was quietly observing the cauldron like a curious squirrel. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're watching pretty closely. Want to come over here and learn a thing or two?"

"Nope," she chirped, shaking her head immediately.

"Say, have you ever run into a Snow Demon Ape around the back mountains?"

"Snow Demon Ape? You mean the big white-haired monkey?" she asked, frowning as she thought about it.

"Yeah, that one. Do you know where it usually hangs out?"

Xiao Yun's eyes lit up. In the original records, that creature was said to be guarding a rare treasure—Earthheart Tempering Milk.

This rare substance was formed deep underground over countless years, condensed from the purest elemental energy of the earth. It could cleanse and strengthen the body, even help high-level cultivators break through barriers.

Xiao Yun didn't need help with bottlenecks, but the cleansing effects alone would give him massive long-term benefits if he could get his hands on even one drop.

"No idea. That monkey runs around all over the place. It's hard to track down," Zi Yan replied, her voice rising slightly—clearly, she'd had a few unpleasant encounters with the ape.

"It's hoarding something valuable. If you ever spot it again, let me know. We'll go beat it up together," Xiao Yun said, retrieving the now withered vine and removing it from the cauldron. A pool of bluish liquid remained inside.

He added a few of his secret "seasonings" to the cauldron, which quickly blended with the liquid. His fingers moved rapidly through a series of hand seals, and the mixture inside began to split apart into dozens of tiny blobs.

"Condense."

The droplets solidified into round green pellets. With a wave of his hand, the pills floated into a jade bottle, carried by a soft surge of Dou Qi.

Zi Yan, who had been waiting for this moment like a kid outside a candy store, rushed over and reached for the bottle.

"Easy there! Don't eat it all at once. Tastes better than raw herbs, huh?" Lyle said, handing it to her with a smile.

"Mmhmm! Way better!" she nodded rapidly and popped a pill into her mouth, chewing loudly and happily.

"Alright, bring me the rest of the herbs. I'll make them all at once."

"Okay, here!" She dashed back to the corner, retrieved the four remaining herbs, and handed them to him. Then she plopped back down, eyes glued to him like he was a one-man fireworks show.

…

A short while later, Xiao Yun used the same method to refine the remaining herbs, adding in his custom enhancements for taste and potency.

"All done," he announced, extinguishing the flame and sending the pills from the cauldron into a jade box.

Tossing the box to Zi Yan, he added with a grin, "This should keep you going for a while. If you run out, just come find me."

"Thanks! You're the best!" Zi Yan beamed as she caught the box. Her big black eyes sparkled with joy—finally, no more chewing bitter raw herbs! Just tasty, easy-to-eat pellets. Life was good.

"Alright, now I've got to make a proper pill. So if you could see yourself out..." Xiao Yun popped a recovery pill into his mouth, preparing to focus.

"Hey… Kid." Ziyan's voice suddenly softened.

"Hm?"

"Are we… friends now?" Her head lowered. That cheerful smile was gone, replaced with a wilted look—like a sunflower denied sunlight.

Yup. Definitely a problem child.

Xiao Yun could see it clearly now. Zi Yan was a beast who had grown up isolated in the wild back mountains. No parents. No real supervision even after being brought to the Academy. The Elder who found her pretty much let her run wild.

There were no kids her age to play with, and the other students were scared of her brute strength. So even though she was powerful, she was still just a lonely, love-starved kid. Xiao Yun was probably the first peer she'd ever connected with.

He reached out and ruffled her hair with a smile. "Of course we're friends. And by the way, I'm not 'kid.' My name's Xiao Yun."

"Don't pat my head! It'll stunt my growth!" Zi Yan slapped his hand away, but she was grinning now. "I'm Zi Yan. Since we're friends now, if anyone dares to mess with you in the Academy, just tell me. There's no one here I'm afraid to fight!"

"Sure, I'll definitely come crying to you," Xiao Yun said with a chuckle. Not that anyone in the academy could actually bully him—but hey, why spoil her moment?

Zi Yan looked satisfied, her little face full of pride and happiness. Today was a great day—not only did she get delicious new pills to eat, but she also made her very first friend. She waved and skipped out of the training room with a huge smile.

"Hey! Don't forget to tell me if you see that Snow Demon Ape again!" Xiao Yun called after her.

Zi Yan didn't even look back—just waved her hand to show she heard him.

"She's still just a little kid at heart," Lyle muttered, shaking his head.

Sure, she might be older than him in beast years—but mentally? Still a child.

Pushing all thoughts of Zi Yan aside, he turned his attention back to the main task—refining the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill. He took out the necessary ingredients and mentally prepared himself.

"…Damn. I forgot to ask her for another Violet Spirit Flower," he muttered. He only had one, and he needed two. All that talk about the Snow Demon Ape made him forget.

This was a peak Tier-Four pill. His success rate last time had barely scratched 30%. Now he didn't even have all the ingredients. Oh well. Not the end of the world.

"I don't really need this pill anyway," he told himself with a dry chuckle, trying to stay optimistic.

Summoning the Amethyst Lion Flame again, Xiao Yun settled into a focused state, mentally preparing for a long, intricate session of real pill refinement…