novelraw Chapter 298
Chapter 298
[Idle Slot 3: Cold Chi Alchemy Technique (Third Rank, Perfected, Derivating)]
"Cold Chi Alchemy Technique (0 of 100): One cauldron every ten days. 150 years to advance."
Advancing further would reach the fourth rank.
After a simple inspection, Wang Yu removed it from Slots 3 to 6. At his current stage these were more than enough.
Unless he planned to refine Nascent Soul Condensing Pills later, there was no need to push this higher for now.
He adjusted the slots.
【Idle Slot 3: Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Art】
【Idle Slot 4: Lesser Asura Killing Fist】
【Idle Slot 5: Ancient Soul Art】
【Idle Slot 6: Guanghan Twelve Phases】Arranged like this, information would flow back into his mind from the Idle Slots every so often, soothing his mind that had been focused solely on alchemy.
Digestion was all that was needed.
Slot six would remain flexible. After mastering the entry level of Guanghan Twelve Phases, he would rotate in Aurora Escape Technique, Ice Soul Divine Light, and various third rank spells.
He was extremely busy.
Advancing his alchemy had consumed more than three years. During this period his cultivation also soared. His mana accumulation had risen to 1236 strands. With another three and a half years of cultivation, he could touch the peak of the fourth layer.
He sighed. Heavenly Spiritual Roots were truly formidable.
At the moment, aside from changing his cooperation method, the priority was refining a supreme grade Exquisite Inner Core Pill.
His livelihood depended on the comprehension enhancement provided by this pill.
Golden Qi Root, Impure Qi Root, Hundred Herbs Qi Root, Seven Apertures Qi Root.
Continue alchemy.
Reopening the furnace, Wang Yu skillfully released the Ice Chi Pill Flame and ignited the Starfall Cold Cauldron. He controlled the fire with twelve Flame Spirit Seals while multitasking.
One after another he calcined the four types of qi roots until they reached the form he desired.
Refining, merging, forming the pill, nurturing the pill.
The four steps were linked with exceptional smoothness. His technique was so perfect it seemed he had Exquisite Inner Core Pills countless times, accurately hitting every vital node.
Anyone watching would praise it as the pinnacle of mastery.
After several days of nurturing, a strange fragrance entered his mind. Just smelling it gave a clear and refreshing feeling, as if the difficult problems lingering in his thoughts suddenly had solutions.
Bang.
With a palm, Wang Yu opened the lid of the pill furnace.
A peculiar pill radiating seven-colored light floated out. Its surface was like colored glass. Seven apertures had formed on its body, from which multicolored qi continuously emerged.
The qi did not disperse. It flowed through each aperture in a cyclical loop. It was wondrous beyond compare.
This was the ancient miraculous pill he had been collecting ingredients for nearly sixty years.
Suppressing the urge to swallow it immediately and comprehend on the spot, he took several deep breaths, calming his excitement.
After storing the Exquisite Inner Core Pill safely and cleaning the cauldron, Wang Yu continued alchemy.
This time it was a third rank cultivation pill, the Guanghan Pill.
This pill received bonuses from the Cold Chi Alchemy Technique. After refining it to supreme grade its efficacy could rise by fifty percent. It required three years to refine one pill. Each pill could increase 150 units of mana.
A unit means strands.
So that meant 1500 strands or 15,000 threads.
A single supreme grade Guanghan Pill could save more than two thousand days of arduous cultivation. This calculation even included the efficiency of the Idle Slots. When both factors were added together, before its medicinal power was fully refined, he would break through to the fifth layer of Core Formation.
With the characteristic that one cauldron produced only three supreme grade pills, these would help him rush into the late Core Formation stage at great speed, plus the opportunity he had seized from Wen Hua.
At first glance, Nascent Soul did not seem far away.
Of course, this was still imagination. Pill effects fluctuated. Actual results should fall between 140 and 150 units.
While refining pill power, his direct cultivation growth would be replaced by the pill refining process. The Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Bed remained effective.
Overall, it would still raise his cultivation significantly.
The refinement of the Guanghan Pill proceeded smoothly.
After all, he had thoroughly mastered the pill formulas for both Exquisite Inner Core Pill and the Guanghan Pill over these years. All that remained was leaping to greater heights.
As expected, this cauldron produced three pills, all supreme grade.
Ten days later.
Wang Yu swallowed one Guanghan Pill. He circulated his cultivation method to refine it. The pure medicinal force transformed into pure yin-cold mana and was absorbed by him.
It was indeed several times faster than cultivating on his own.
After experiencing it for a few days, he set it aside and took out the Exquisite Inner Core Pill. Once swallowed, his comprehension rose permanently.
He entered a state of enlightenment. His mind became agile. Any difficulty could be understood with a bit of thought. In this state, Guanghan Twelve Phases was naturally his first target for comprehension.
Inside the cultivation chamber.
After only several hours, a phantom frost moon rose behind Wang Yu. It continued expanding. Frost spread across the chamber, turning it into an ice room.
The frost moon ascended into the air, rotating above his cave dwelling. Rays of frost light fell, encasing several palace-style buildings in ice.
The spectacle naturally attracted the attention of the neighboring cultivator.
Xue Ying gazed at the anomaly above Wang Yu’s cave dwelling. Her hand clenched involuntarily with great force, but only for a moment before suddenly loosening.
Her face still wore a pure and natural smile.
“Daoist Wang Yu has gained some insight. It is fitting to congratulate him.”
However.
This state comparable to epiphany lasted for a long time under the effect of the pill. After Guanghan Twelve Phases successfully entered the introductory level and reached the requirements for imprinting into the Golden Core, all anomalies vanished.
This time the Aurora Escape Technique replaced the frost moon spectacle. Curtains of aurora decorated the sky above Wang Yu’s cave mansion, brilliant and constantly shifting.
The light shifted to pale green for a moment, then turned toward violet.
Its transformations were unpredictable and endlessly profound.
This time it lasted a bit longer. After entering the introductory level of the Aurora Escape Technique, such conspicuous phenomena no longer appeared. Instead, white light containing extreme cold began to spread throughout Wang Yu’s cave abode.
It was the Ice Soul Divine Light.
This divine ability possessed immense potential and stood above the Aurora Escape Technique. It was also the divine ability Wang Yu had understood the least. He spent several full days before he managed to condense it into a single straight beam of light.
Three divine abilities had now reached the introductory stage.
Wang Yu returned to comprehending the Guanghan Twelve Phases. This time no further visions emerged. Only the phantom frost moon continued to grow larger during his comprehension.
He was stepping toward the minor accomplishment stage.
One month later.
The enlightenment granted by the Exquisite Inner Core Pill came to an end. The Guanghan Twelve Phases fell just short and failed to break through to minor accomplishment. This gave Wang Yu a trace of regret. He should have focused on the Moonfall divine ability of the Taiyin Nether Eye.
That emotion lasted only a short while before joy replaced it.
The supreme grade of the Exquisite Inner Core Pill allowed its effect to be pushed to the limit. If his perception had once been of middle quality, now it had reached upper quality.
The practical result appeared in the progress bars of the idle slots, all of which were shortened to varying degrees.
[Idle Slot 4: Lesser Asura Killing Fist]
"Lesser Asura Killing Fist (80/100). 9 practices a day. 10 years to perfect."
It had been reduced by at least half.
More profound techniques such as Yin Fiend Corpse Refining Art, Soul Extinguishing Finger, and Ten Thousand Miles Manifestation had been shortened even more. Almost all of his divine abilities and secret arts now required only half the original time.
Even cultivation methods like Ancient Soul Art and Prajna Heart Sutra required twenty or thirty fewer years to reach completion.
Overall.
A single supreme grade Exquisite Inner Core Pill had saved him half a lifetime of lifespan. The benefit was astonishingly great.
Comprehension truly was crucial. It seemed that he would need to actively seek out more knowledge in this area. The more the better.
Up to this point in his cultivation.
The greatest benefits he had received came from the Demonic Embryo Mysterious Origin Curse and the Exquisite Inner Core Pill. Both improved his fundamental body directly.
Enhanced further by the Idle Slot amplification, all benefits multiplied severalfold.
After resting for half a stick of incense.
Just as he prepared to take advantage of the momentum and refine his life-bound divine ability as well, the formation outside his cave abode was activated. Wang Yu spread out his spiritual sense and immediately understood the reason.
It was better to settle these mundane matters first.
...
...
Xue Ying, Yan Ling, an elder of the Core Formation stage from the Qiao Clan, and Tantai Chan who represented Yu Tangtang all arrived. Everyone cooperating with him in alchemy was here.
There was one additional person. Xue Ying had come purely to offer congratulations.
This made Wang Yu feel somewhat puzzled. He had intentionally approached Xue Ying earlier in hopes of uncovering her secrets, but the progress had been mediocre with no real feedback or results.
Recently he had been overwhelmed with matters, so communication between them had naturally decreased. Xue Ying taking the initiative to approach him now appeared somewhat suspicious in his eyes.
He meant nothing else by it. He simply treated everyone with equal suspicion.
After dividing the visitors into two groups, he received Xue Ying alone first.
"Fellow Daoist Wang Yu, I trust you have been well."
"I appreciate your concern, Fellow Daoist Xue. May I ask if there is something you need this time?"
Seeing his gentle gaze, Xue Ying spoke.
"Your cave abode has shown continuous phenomena these past days. You must have made a great breakthrough in your cultivation. I came to congratulate you. However, there is indeed a matter I wish to request."
"Please speak freely."
"During Elder Sister Yan Ling’s cooperation with you last time, I observed from the side but said nothing. Now that the Qiao Clan has joined as well, I wonder if the Xue Clan might also establish a cooperative relationship with you."
"I see. Then please follow me."
Once he knew it was business.
Wang Yu adopted a formal attitude and led her to another place where Yan Ling, the Qiao Clan representative, and the others gathered. After his recent improvement in alchemy, he intended to change the cooperation model.
"Everyone here, Wang has more or less guessed your purpose."
"However, alchemy consumes too much time. Wang cannot give up all cultivation time to refine pills continuously. Therefore, a new method of cooperation must be used."
As soon as these words fell, Yan Ling glanced at the Qiao representative.
She spoke pointedly.
"Fellow Daoist Wang’s concern is valid. I also think there are too many people involved here. Why not continue working with me instead..."
Before she could finish, the Qiao representative, who had just tasted success from the previous round, grew unhappy and cupped his hands to Wang Yu.
"Elder Wang, the agreement our young master Qiao Yu formed with you is taken very seriously by our Qiao Clan. We even paid the alchemy fees in advance. For this second round of cooperation, the Qiao Clan must participate."
Seeing the situation grow more heated, Xue Ying hesitated slightly.
She put on an expression of considering Wang Yu’s burden.
"Since Brother Wang is so busy, the Xue Clan will withdraw. I do not insist on this matter."
There were countless faces and intentions. In this newly forming web of interests.
Only Tantai Chan remained silent. The reason was simple. Her strength was far too low. She was only present because she had a special relationship with Wang Yu and was entrusted by the Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon as its representative.
The creature must have learned the truth about their situation. Wang Yu also intended to retrieve her slave contract for her.
Xue Ying’s words surprised everyone.
And in the next moment, an even greater commotion burst forth.