Chapter 219: Send a Message to Nalan Yanran, the Three-Year Period Extended for Another Three Years!
The next morning, Xiao Bai slowly opened his eyes, tilting his head. The space beside him was empty, only a faint fragrance lingering.
He rose and walked to the front hall, spotting two figures—one tall, one small—laughing harmoniously, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Zi Yan, why are you here?"
"Hmph! You moved without telling me, left me alone, and I didn't want to tell you. I followed your scent this morning!" Zi Yan pouted, arms crossed, glancing at him sideways with a huff.
"Hehe." Xiao Bai approached, rubbing her head at her adorable pout. "Your little nose is so sharp, you'll never get lost!"
"You really want to ditch me?" Zi Yan gritted her teeth, itching to bite him. Turning, she grabbed Cai Lin's arm, shaking it aggrievedly. "Sister Cai Lin, Xiao Bai's bullying me!"
Cai Lin bent down, patted Zi Yan's head, and soothed, "Let's ignore him!"
"Right, we all ignore him, lululu!" Zi Yan nodded, making a face at Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai ignored her, sat at the table, sipped tea, and dismissed the bullying girl. With backers like Xun'er and Xian'er loving her cuteness, and now Cai Lin's affection, he couldn't afford to cross her. Luckily, he had her weakness—little sugar pills—or his backyard would be ablaze!
"Aren't you refining medicine today? When do you start?" Cai Lin's eyes flickered with tenderness, recalling the Sanqi Soul Liquid he'd mentioned last night. She hadn't expected him to find a way to restore her so quickly.
A blush spread across her face, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him. Last night, he'd taken advantage of her touched state, pulling her into the room. If she hadn't reacted in time, he might've succeeded!
"Hehe." Feeling her gaze, Xiao Bai winked, seeing her annoyed evasion. He smiled, "To the backyard later!"
"The backyard?" Cai Lin's lashes fluttered, puzzled. Does alchemy need a specific place?
"A sixth-grade elixir will emit a beam of energy upon success. In a room, the house would collapse!" Xiao Bai explained, recalling how a Dou Ling Pill at Canaan Academy had shaved off a building layer. Without his protection, the courtyard would've been razed.
"Is that so? Then I'll protect you from now on!" Cai Lin nodded, wanting to contribute rather than rely solely on him.
"Okay, my dear wife!" Xiao Bai smiled, agreeing despite not needing protection, knowing her desire to help.
"Not serious!" Cai Lin scolded lightly, a shy flush on her face.
"Right!" Zi Yan dug in her sleeve, producing a dark ring. "An old man from the banquet gave this to me last night to pass to you!"
Xiao Bai probed the ring with soul power, nodding. It contained the herbs he'd requested from Jia Xingtian, all present except the Phantom Grass. "They came looking for me last night?"
"Yeah! Three old men. The noisy one seemed thrilled to see me and asked for you, but you weren't there!" Zi Yan nodded.
"…!" Xiao Bai glanced at Cai Lin, smiling. "You beat him so hard back then! He's terrified of you now!"
"When I hadn't reached peak Dou Huang, the old generation's eight leaders were fading, the new ones not yet risen. Neighboring human kingdoms eyed us greedily, some humans raiding our tribes!" Cai Lin's eyes dimmed, cold murderous intent surging. "If I hadn't been ruthless, they'd have devoured us!"
"I'm sorry!" Xiao Bai fell silent, unaware of this history. She must've felt immense pressure then.
"It's not your fault!" Cai Lin's coldness softened. "Xiao Bai, our matters are separate. I have little affection for other humans, but you're different—the most special, the only one! I never told you this to avoid burdening you. You don't need to help with my clan's conflicts with humans, just don't stop me. That's enough!"
The room fell silent.
"Is that how you see me?" Xiao Bai leaned forward, voice rising. "Enough? Others are none of my business! I'd be sick to stop you. This isn't a war for humanity's survival, just some people's greed! Whoever dares make you suffer, I'll scatter their ashes!"
His voice thundered, nearly slamming the table.
Cai Lin stared, stunned, as he jumped up. Her lips curled, a deep smile in her eyes. "How dare you yell at me!"
"Yeah! Why shout so loud?" Zi Yan rubbed her ears, glaring.
"Hmph!" Xiao Bai glanced at the two, downed his tea, and strode to the backyard.
Both pairs of eyes smiled at his retreating figure.
"Haha, I didn't love the wrong person!" Cai Lin murmured.
"Tsk tsk, Xiao Bai's so domineering. Should I tell Sister Xun'er and Xian'er?" Zi Yan mused.
In the backyard by a small lake, Xiao Bai felt a chill, frowning but seeing nothing. An illusion.
With a flick, a dark alchemy furnace appeared, followed by herbs floating neatly beside it, their fragrance filling the air.
Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Bai gazed at the misty mountain range across the sky. "Almost there! Yunlan Sect, and Yunzhi!" he muttered, eyes closing as he reviewed the elixir's refining method.
Two figures quietly arrived, watching him in deep thought. They slowed their breathing, sitting further away.
Xiao Bai's eyes snapped open, taking a deep breath. Two fingers pointed forward, a crimson fire dragon with faint thunder leaping into the cauldron, swirling within.
Boom!
The cauldron shook, the dragon transforming into raging flames.
Scorching heat with a tingling sensation spread.
"Have you seen him refine an elixir?" Cai Lin asked softly, feeling the rising temperature.
"Yes! At Canaan Academy, he refined a sixth-grade Dou Ling Dan. Elder Huo could only do fifth-grade. Even my old man was shocked!" Zi Yan nodded, whispering, "Haven't you seen him refine, Sister Cai Lin?"
"Sixth-grade Dou Ling Dan?" Cai Lin rested her chin, staring at Xiao Bai, eyes gentle. "First time I've seen it."
Xiao Bai's mind was focused, oblivious to them. His gaze locked on the cauldron's flames.
Yao Lao had explained that cultivation-boosting elixirs were the most sought-after, their formulas refined for high success rates. But soul-focused elixirs like the Sanqi Soul Liquid were rare, their ingredients scarce, with only basic recipes. Success on a single try was daunting.
Glancing at the jade flowerpot, he lifted the Seven Illusions Green Spirit Saliva, splitting it at the root and stem. The root restored the soul, but the upper plant was essential for full effect. Separating them caused rapid dissipation, requiring simultaneous refining, increasing difficulty.
Soul power burst forth, splitting the cauldron's flames into two fire dragons, inspired by Yao Lao's method and Tang Zhen's Nine Dragons Thunder Flame technique. Xiao Bai's dragon energy and soul power allowed him to transform flames into dragons.
The two dragons were sufficient for now. They leaped, devouring the herb's tip and root. Xiao Bai sensed changes within, flames roaring, lightning flashing, producing crystalline powder and luminous liquid.
Half an hour later, the dragons spat out white powder and colorful liquid. Xiao Bai exhaled, relaxing, storing the essences in a jade bottle.
With subsequent herbs, he grew less cautious, tossing them into the cauldron with flair. The dragons extracted essences swiftly.
"Is he refining medicine or steaming buns?" Cai Lin muttered, watching herbs flow in and out.
She'd been tense during the first herb's refining, fearing to disturb him. Now, he seemed carefree, herbs parading into the cauldron.
"Xiao Bai's amazing. He made my sugar pills like that—quick and delicious, crispy and numbing!" Zi Yan popped a pill, eyes narrowing happily. Noticing Cai Lin's gaze, she offered a red pill. "Try it, Sister Cai Lin!"
Cai Lin smiled, patting her head, eyeing the pill's energy. "Sister won't eat it, keep it!" A sixth-grade herb as candy? Only the wealthy could afford that.
As dusk fell, Zi Yan dozed, her nose twitching at a soul-refreshing fragrance. Her eyes opened, watching the scent intensify in the firelight. She swallowed hard.
"Did it succeed?"
"I don't know!" Cai Lin shook her head, tensing as Xiao Bai's expression grew serious, hands forming seals rapidly.
Xiao Bai suppressed excitement, soul power surging, staring at the swirling liquid in the cauldron. Success was near. Failure now would ruin Yao Lao's recovery and Cai Lin's condition. Then Xiao Yanzi runs, and I'll message Nalan Yanran to extend the three-year period another three years!
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(End of Chapter)