Inside the luxurious side hall of the Jia Ma Imperial Palace, a faint aroma of spirit tea lingered in the air. Liu Xi sat calmly below the host's seat, raising a porcelain cup to his lips.
"Good tea," he praised softly, "fragrant and refreshing, with a lingering aftertaste."
"Hahaha… Little friend, you've been waiting long enough. My apologies for the delay!"
A hearty laugh bood from outside the hall as Jia Xingtian, dressed in a simple hemp robe, strode in with large, confident steps.
Liu Xi put down his cup, rose with a polite smile, and said, "Not at all. I had just sat down when Elder Jia arrived."
Instead of taking the main seat, Jia Xingtian moved to sit opposite Liu Xi, his expression warm.
"For you to personally visit, there must be sothing important," he said. "As long as it's within the empire's reach, the royal family will see it done perfectly."
Liu Xi nodded slightly. He had indeed co with a purpose—he needed to find a quiet, energy-rich place within the empire. And who knew the lands of Jia Ma better than its royal family?
"I have a friend on the verge of breaking through to the Dou Huang realm," Liu Xi explained. "The process will take ti, and she'll need a place rich in natural energy and free from disturbance. I'm sure Elder Jia must know of such a location?"
For a mont, Jia Xingtian's expression froze. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, even a single Dou Huang was considered a top-tier expert—he himself was the only human Dou Huang in the royal court.
After a mont's thought, his eyes lit up. "If that's the case, how about our royal forbidden grounds? They're deep within the back mountain, guarded by troops for several li around—no one will intrude."
"Moreover," Jia Xingtian added with a hint of pride, "our imperial guardian beast, the 'Serene Sea Scaly Beast,' resides there. With it present, safety is guaranteed. It still rembers your 'Mixed Bone Molding Pill' quite fondly, after all."
That last line was sincere—Jia Xingtian still owed Liu Xi a favor for that pill. And besides, the man before him held in his hands sothing even more precious: the Zong Breaking Pill.
"Oh?" Liu Xi said with mild curiosity. "Could Elder Jia take there to have a look?"
"Of course!" Jia Xingtian laughed, standing imdiately. "Follow ."
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They passed through several layers of heavy guards and traversed a long, winding path up the mountain. After half an hour, they arrived before a sprawling ridge wreathed in thick spiritual mist. A dense surge of natural energy poured forth like a living tide, and in the distance, a misty lake shimred beneath veils of cloud.
Jia Xingtian gestured grandly, pride in his tone. "Well, little friend, what do you think? This is the most energy-abundant place in the entire Jia Ma Empire."
Liu Xi surveyed the area, nodding with satisfaction. "Not bad at all."
A place worthy of the royal family's protection truly lived up to its na.
"Then I'll trouble Elder Jia to make the arrangents," Liu Xi said. "I also plan to enter closed-door cultivation for a while—this will do nicely."
Zi Yan's breakthrough would take ti, and with the Hall of Souls' shadow looming over the continent, Liu Xi felt the pressure mounting. He needed to grow stronger—fast.
Jia Xingtian agreed without hesitation. Opportunities to strengthen his bond with Liu Xi were far too rare to pass up.
With a firm nod, he drew from his Storage Ring a beautifully crafted token engraved with coiling dragon patterns. Handing it over, he said, "This will be arranged imdiately. With this token, you'll be free to enter and leave both the palace and the forbidden grounds at any ti."
Liu Xi accepted the token with due respect. The fact that even the royal guardian beast's domain was now open to him spoke volus about the trust—and authority—Jia Xingtian had granted him.
"Elder Jia's generosity," Liu Xi said with a faint smile, "I'll rember well."
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A short while later, a luxurious carriage drawn by two tall steeds rolled smoothly out of the imperial palace. Inside sat Liu Xi, having just taken his leave of Jia Xingtian.
The carriage moved steadily through the bustling streets of the Jia Ma Sacred City until it arrived before the Alchemist Association. Liu Xi entered, collecting two sets of ingredients for the Mighty Huang Pill from Vice President Qie Mi'er, and also instructed the Association to continue gathering materials for the Soul Nurturing Saliva.
During the battle with Protector Jiu, the self-detonation of the Five Ring Fla Expelling Formation had left Yao Tianhuo's soul origin heavily damaged. Liu Xi had promised to refine more Soul Nurturing Saliva—and he always kept his word.
He intended to prepare several extra batches this ti. Once Yao Tianhuo unleashed that grand formation again, its power could rival even a mid-stage Dou Zong—but the toll on his soul was imnse.
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By the ti Liu Xi returned to his residence, the sun was dipping toward the horizon. As he stepped into the courtyard, a chorus of bright laughter reached his ears.
Rounding a corner, he spotted a dazzling streak of seven-colored light darting playfully across the courtyard—Zi Ling, the colorful serpent—chased rrily by Zi Yan.
"Big Brother, you're back!" Zi Yan called joyfully, running up to him.
"Fssst…" Zi Ling abruptly froze mid-air, twisting gracefully before coiling protectively around Zi Yan's slender shoulder. Its violet pupils still carried a trace of wariness toward Liu Xi, though far less than before. It clearly preferred Zi Yan's company now.
Zi Yan scratched her cheek with a sheepish grin. "Hehe… Big Brother, the pills you made yesterday—they're all gone."
Liu Xi chuckled, ruffling her soft hair. "You finished them already? Are you getting close to breaking through and burning through more energy than usual?"
Zi Yan squinted happily under his hand, her voice a little pouty. "Well… Zi Ling kept eyeing them and whining. I couldn't help it, so I shared a few… but her appetite's huge! She ate almost all of them."
At this, Zi Ling's tiny body stiffened. Liu Xi shook his head helplessly and smiled. "That's my fault. I forgot this little glutton counts as one of you too. I'll prepare a batch just for her next ti."
Leaving the two girls to play, Liu Xi returned to his room and summoned the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron. From his Storage Ring, he carefully selected several precious dicinal ingredients.
"Thousand-Year Cloud Ganoderma, Eight-Leaf Lotus, Silver Thread Fruit…" he murmured. "Each one brimming with energy—perfect for Zi Yan's upcoming breakthrough."
A flick of his finger released a strand of cyan fla into the cauldron. The fire roared to life, steady yet fierce. As spiritual power infused the flas, Liu Xi tossed in the first ingredient—the Cloud Ganoderma.
Monts later, it lted into a deep violet liquid the size of a palm. Instead of forming it into a pill imdiately, Liu Xi continued refining it, condensing its potency further and further.
Ten minutes passed. The liquid was now barely the size of a fist, its essence densely concentrated. Liu Xi extended his spiritual power, dividing and solidifying it.
"Form."
With a soft command, eleven gleaming violet pills floated from the cauldron into his palm. He carefully placed them into a prepared jade bottle.
These were Special Enhanced Pills—crafted specifically for Zi Yan's upcoming breakthrough. Their dicinal potency was so concentrated that one pill equaled six of the regular kind, all while keeping the sa mild taste she loved.
Satisfied, Liu Xi continued refining the remaining ingredients into more of the sa.
Zi Yan's potential was imnse, and her future achievents imasurable. Helping her advance to the Dou Huang realm was a crucial step—and one Liu Xi would not take lightly.
(End of Chapter)
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