Chapter 311: Half-formed

Unfortunately, at the time, he was also nearing spiritual energy depletion and dared not leave Luo Xingnan alive. Otherwise, he could have had one more living corpse of mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation.

To refine living corpses, he still needed Soul-Guiding Grass for the Heavenly Corpse Talisman. Through Yun Youzi, Qin Sang had met the cultivators responsible for the Taiyi Pill Pavilion and asked them to look for it.

Qin Sang was now highly proficient at refining malevolent corpses. Following the prescribed steps, he successfully refined one without incident. He tested the malevolent corpse's strength by having it attack him. He nodded discreetly, noting it was more powerful than his previous creations and largely consistent with the descriptions in the *Heavenly Yin Corpse Art*—a formidable assistant.

He placed it in a corpse puppet bag for it to slowly strengthen. Then, he entered secluded cultivation to await news from Yun Youzi.

A year later, Qin Sang awoke from meditation, sensing the protective enchantments of his cave abode had been triggered. He checked his Qi Sea before stepping out. Seeing Yun Youzi outside, his face ruddy and his complexion vibrant, Qin Sang was pleased. "Senior, you've recovered?"

Yun Youzi nodded with a smile. "Fortunately, that thousand-year Smoky Herb did the trick; otherwise, I'd have wasted several more years. Brother Qin, I've arranged for the Taiyi Pill Pavilion to prepare a pill chamber, and all the auxiliary ingredients are ready. We can begin refining the pills."

A surge of nervousness unexpectedly washed over Qin Sang upon hearing this. He silently chided himself for his impatience, then quelled his restlessness and followed Yun Youzi to the pill chamber.

The Taiyi Pill Pavilion had discovered an underground fiery vein in the snowy mountains, and the pill chambers were constructed there, harnessing the earth's fire for alchemy. While some chambers were available for rent, the two with the most stable earth fire were reserved for the sect's most skilled practitioners.

Descending the stone steps from the cliffside entrance, Qin Sang felt the air grow increasingly hot as they went deeper underground. Eventually, guards stopped them. Qin Sang handed the Mysterious-Patterned Yellow Essence to Yun Youzi and watched him enter the passage leading to the innermost pill chamber before waiting outside.

Three days quickly passed. Yun Youzi had not yet emerged. Qin Sang's initial nervousness had long since vanished. He sat calmly in meditation, awaiting news without impatience. He knew alchemy was a meticulous art; some alchemists would seclude themselves for an entire month, cultivating a tranquil mind to enhance their chances of success, even by a fraction.

It was not until the tenth day that a faint sound of footsteps echoed from the passage. Qin Sang's eyes snapped open, and he abruptly rose to his feet. Under Qin Sang's expectant gaze, Yun Youzi, with a smile, wasted no time: "I didn't fail you!"

Even with Qin Sang's usual composure, he couldn't help but sigh in profound relief, feeling a burden lift from his shoulders. Yun Youzi then waved his hand, erecting a barrier, and held a jade bottle in his other. Inside the jade bottle, a single pill captivated Qin Sang's gaze. The spiritual pill emitted a rich, mysterious-yellow light. Faint, intricate patterns subtly appeared and vanished within its glow, remarkably similar to those on the Mysterious-Patterned Yellow Essence.

This was the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill!

Qin Sang recalled descriptions of the standard Harmony Pill, which was moon-white and devoid of such mysterious patterns. This significant difference in the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill was due to a change in the primary ingredient.

Qin Sang took the jade bottle and opened it. There was no scent, but a burst of mysterious-yellow light erupted from the spiritual pill, like a sudden spring. Qin Sang quickly capped the bottle and bowed to Yun Youzi in gratitude. "Thank you for your efforts, Senior!"

Yun Youzi shook his head. "Brother Qin, I still need to refine the Nine Flowers Green Frost Grass, so I won't accompany you further. When taking this pill, remember these crucial points: First, your Qi Sea must be completely full. Second, do not be impatient; you must remain undisturbed and slowly refine its medicinal properties..."

Having carefully absorbed the advice, Qin Sang bid farewell to Yun Youzi. Eagerly, he mounted his sword immediately after leaving the pill chamber, transforming into a streak of light as he swiftly returned to his cave abode. He added several more layers of enchantments to his cave abode.

Qin Sang settled cross-legged on the stone bed, placing the jade bottle before him. He first closed his eyes, meditated, and circulated his cultivation technique through more than a dozen cycles, bringing his state to its absolute peak. Then, his breath hitched slightly. His spiritual sense abruptly opened the jade bottle, gently lifted the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill, and, without hesitation, guided it into his mouth and swallowed. The spiritual pill immediately transformed into a cool medicinal essence upon entering his mouth, flowing down his throat and into his abdomen. Qin Sang's focus remained intently on this medicinal essence, determined not to waste a single trace.

Unlike the Nine Yang Pill, which carried distinct Yang energy, the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill's potency was remarkably gentle. Upon integrating into his meridians, it circulated throughout his body, a process as subtle and pervasive as spring rain. However, Qin Sang could feel profound changes occurring within his body. His damaged foundation was beginning to show signs of recovery, filling him with profound joy.

The Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill was effective!

The most noticeable change, concurrent with his foundation's recovery, manifested in his Qi Sea. Though previously full of spiritual energy, it now felt slightly depleted. The spiritual energy within the cave abode rippled and converged towards Qin Sang. However, he could only absorb an extremely thin wisp of it, and the absorption rate was very slow. Nonetheless, this absorption was continuous.

During this process, another change manifested in Qin Sang's appearance. Had anyone else been in the cave abode at that moment, they would have noticed Qin Sang's features subtly growing younger, transforming him from someone who appeared to be in his thirties back into a youth of twenty-six or twenty-seven.

Qin Sang paid no heed to his changing appearance. His gaze was fixed tensely on his Qi Sea, his earlier excitement replaced by a sense of foreboding. Initially, the Qi Sea's transformation after ingesting the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill was rapid. However, as time elapsed, the pace of change progressively slowed until, at ninety-five percent recovery, it abruptly ceased.

The Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill had only restored half a percent of his damaged foundation!

Unwilling, Qin Sang attempted to forcibly refine the remaining medicinal essence. As time slowly passed, despite his efforts, the rate of foundation recovery remained imperceptible—practically useless, a complete waste. After countless attempts, Qin Sang had no choice but to accept reality. A single Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill was insufficient for a full recovery. The closer one approached full recovery, the more challenging the restoration might become. Qin Sang couldn't even estimate how many similar spiritual pills he would need to completely restore his foundation.

At this point, the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill's medicinal properties began to show signs of dissipating. If he didn't act quickly, all its potency would be lost. Qin Sang sighed inwardly, calming his mind. Regardless, it had still recovered by half a percent, hadn't it? The remaining medicinal power could be used to advance his cultivation, so his efforts wouldn't be entirely in vain.

With his decision made, Qin Sang activated his Qi Sea, absorbing all the remaining medicinal power of the Mysterious-Patterned Harmony Pill. Consequently, his cultivation surged.

Silence returned to the cave abode. Qin Sang remained motionless on the ice bed, his aura intensifying rapidly. The dejection on his face gradually faded, eventually settling into complete serenity.