Chapter 78: The Special Effects of Alchemy

Seven days later.

Inside the alchemy furnace, the occasional hiss of a python could be heard. The remnants of the beast soul within the demon core were crucial for the growth of this technique. Wang Yu cautiously completed the final step.

Soon after, a single, perfectly round, full, ice-colored spirit pill with a snake-like imprint emerged from the furnace. It was of the highest quality.

The aroma of the pill filled his nostrils, and Wang Yu was extremely satisfied.

After examining it, he decisively swallowed it and began circulating the Cold Blood Art, attempting to refine the pill. The benefits of a top-grade pill were evident; with the correct method, refining a pill of this quality was almost effortless.

In contrast, the top-grade Cold Blood Pill was a spirit pill for increasing cultivation, and the vast, pure spiritual power it contained required cultivators a long time to absorb.

Their functions were different.

After the Cold Flood Dragon Pill entered his stomach, Wang Yu felt as if he had swallowed an ice ball; the cold permeated him from his throat to his stomach, chilling him to the bone.

Extreme cold was then followed by intense heat.

Beads of sweat emerged from his pores, but as the high temperature subsided, a layer of ice formed directly on his skin, and his breath became visible.

As the cultivation art circulated, the unusual phenomenon of ice and fire duality gradually faded. Streaks of ice-blue medicinal power flowed through his major meridians before converging in his Dantian and Sea of Qi.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

"Whoosh—"

Suddenly, a cluster of ice-crystal flames ignited in the center of his Sea of Qi. As a large amount of spiritual power flowed into it, the flames surged. They felt cold, and the power they generated was of the cold attribute.

For instance, real-world effects like freezing and temperature drops would occur externally. However, if one placed a hand in the flame, it wouldn't feel hot, but rather would appear scorched black.

This was the first time Wang Yu had ever seen such a peculiar cold flame.

After adapting for a while, his consciousness returned to his body. The figure sitting cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, and with a thought, translucent, off-white flames ignited around him.

The cold flame 'seed' produced by consuming the pill had also been refined a second time by Wang Yu, ensuring it couldn't harm him.

However, the air temperature continuously dropped, and ice began to form inside the earth-fire chamber.

"It seems that besides ice and yin-attributed spells, I can also learn some fire-attributed spells to control this cold flame and unleash its power."

This cold flame could not only be used for alchemy but was also a superior combat technique. It simply lacked the specific methods to fully unleash its power in battle.

Retracting the cold flames from his body, Wang Yu raised a tongue of fire from his right hand, which, after a few breaths, transformed into the shape of a cold python.

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, feeling certain.

"As expected, it originated from an innate art."

Innate arts are abilities recorded on the 'treasure bones' left behind by powerful-blooded demonic beasts after their demise. After human cultivators learn them, most will manifest in the form of the demonic beast's original appearance.

Scales, feathers, eyes, claws, and whiskers were all vividly reproduced, appearing more lifelike and detailed than beast forms manifested through regular spells, and their power was immense.

After experiencing the cold flame, Wang Yu shifted his focus to alchemy.

The Cold Flood Dragon Alchemy Art was special precisely because of this cold flame. Now that he possessed the corresponding method, he could fully unleash the effects of this alchemy art.

He would start with the top-grade Cold Blood Pills.

After half a day of rest, Wang Yu took out the prepared ingredients and continued refining the second batch of pills.

Pill resistance would only occur after consuming twelve top-grade Cold Blood Pills; currently, he had only refined five. Using the cold flame to refine ice-attributed pills would greatly enhance their effects.

This was very suitable for cultivators like him, who specialized in ice and yin attributes.

This was also why he had unhesitatingly chosen this alchemy art after just one glance, not merely because it was a third-tier incomplete technique, but also for this crucial reason.

This time, it only took five days.

The first day was primarily spent getting accustomed to the differences between the cold flame and earth fire, slowly adjusting his habits, and gradually adapting.

By the second day, his speed increased significantly. The four steps of alchemy—purifying, merging, forming, and maturing the pills—were almost completed in a single go.

On the fifth day.

"Open the furnace!"

With the vibration of the alchemy furnace, three top-grade Cold Blood Pills, each bearing an ice-crystal flame imprint, emerged. The mere scent of their aroma invigorated Wang Yu.

He eagerly consumed one, then circulated his cultivation art to experience its effects.

Originally, a single top-grade Cold Blood Pill could increase a cultivator's spiritual power by 100 points, or 10 sections, which was already considerable.

The new version of the top-grade Cold Blood Pill, with its medicinal properties further activated by the cold flame and minor adjustments to its details, saw an increase in effectiveness of over fifty percent.

This amounted to approximately 150 points of spiritual power.

"Truly remarkable."

He could even modify common pills like Spirit Recovery Pills and Muscle Regeneration Pills according to his needs, transforming them into ice-attributed spirit pills, which would be more suitable for his own consumption.

The estimated refinement time would be over a year.

As for the personalized modifications to other pill formulas, there was no rush; he could take his time.

After another half-day interval, Wang Yu began refining a third batch. Only after storing six of the improved Cold Blood Pills did he prepare to end his seclusion.

After nearly a month in seclusion, he had reaped abundant rewards.

Upon exiting, his first stop was to find Gu Zhengshun to receive the intelligence he had previously commissioned. If everything was in order, he could then go to the Ice Snow Pavilion to exchange spirit stones for a high-grade fire-attributed spell.

As for the now empty fourth slot, he immediately dedicated it to the Profound Yin Hand. Without the aid of precious liquids like Yin Marrow Fluid, his self-cultivation speed for it was terribly slow.

It was still at 20% progress, just as it had been.

It was truly worthy of being a second-tier high-grade spell, a powerful trump card even for Foundation Establishment cultivators. He could only achieve mastery through the 'placement slot.'

He didn't aim for immediate complete mastery, but at least to reach the minor accomplishment stage.

After some time, once he had fully mastered the spells that didn't require active practice, he could then switch to cultivating his main cultivation arts.

After noon, he was once again at the Eight Treasures Pavilion.

Gu Zhengshun retrieved a scroll containing intelligence and tossed it to him, explaining, "This is information gathered by the 'Absolute Yin Tower,' established by a true disciple from Heaven Corpse Peak. It should update your understanding of the situation in Cold Blood City after your five-year absence."

"It's absolutely worth the price. In the future, if you have any business inconveniences, Junior Brother Wang, feel free to entrust them to me. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Wang Yu simply chuckled in response, offering no objection.

Wang Yu had already seen what kind of person Gu Zhengshun was back on Profound Bone Mountain. When he had something the other party desired, his service was exceptionally thorough. Once his objective was achieved, he would revert to his true nature.

He was incredibly adept at betrayal!

It was impossible to seek his help unless one held leverage over him.

Mumbling a few complaints inwardly, he focused his attention on the intelligence scroll and began to read it carefully.

Nothing significant had happened in Cold Blood City during the past five years.

It was mostly consistent with what he had learned from Lan Ji earlier, with one exception.

The scroll stated that Zhao Shang, the former steward of the Ice Snow Pavilion, was not killed but had escaped into the Blood Abyss.

This place was a cultivation sacred ground of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, located three thousand li southwest of the sect—quite close.

The dangers within were beyond what Qi Condensation cultivators could withstand, so saying he was dead was not inaccurate.