At this moment, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but clench his fist, feeling an explosive power flowing within him.
Sensing that terrifying strength, a blazing light of battle intent flickered in his eyes: “Sixth Level Martial Venerable realm, combined with my current physique, I could even fight a Second Level Martial Monarch!”
“Quite a commotion, destroying the entire room.”
Just then, a delicate, scolding voice rang out. Lin Xiao looked up and saw a beautiful woman in a purple dress approaching him.
It was none other than Zi Ling.
“Have you broken through a level?” Sensing Lin Xiao’s aura, Zi Ling asked as she stepped into the courtyard.
But the next moment, her steps halted, her face flushed red, and she quickly turned away, saying, “You, you’d better put on some clothes.”
“Uh…” Lin Xiao glanced down, realising he was completely bare. It dawned on him that his clothes might have been incinerated during the process, and with the surge of his breakthrough aura, any remaining scraps had likely been blown away.
He hurriedly retrieved a spare black robe from his storage ring and put it on. Standing up, Lin Xiao coughed awkwardly twice and said, “Um, you can turn around now.”
Zi Ling turned back, her face still tinged with red, and asked, “Did you refine one drop of Martial Emperor Essence Blood, or two?”
“Two,” Lin Xiao replied.
“Two drops for just one level breakthrough… Your dantian and body are truly terrifying,” Zi Ling sighed.
In the Martial Venerable realm, others could break through two levels with a single drop of Martial Emperor Essence Blood, or even attempt to reach the Martial Monarch realm from the Ninth Level Martial Venerable.
Yet for Lin Xiao, two drops only yielded one level. This wasn’t due to a lack of talent, but rather because his body was excessively robust.
Two drops of Martial Emperor Essence Blood to break through one level—most people couldn’t even withstand that.
In truth, besides Lin Xiao’s inherently powerful physique, most of the Martial Emperor Essence Blood had been used to temper his body.
Moreover, having refined Martial Emperor Essence Blood before, its effects weren’t as potent as for first-time refiners, resulting in only a single-level breakthrough.
However, the surge in strength from this one level likely surpassed what others gained from two.
“By the way, I came to talk about something,” Zi Ling continued. “The Concealment Pills you asked the Zi family to find materials for—we’ve gathered enough for several batches of the Fifth Rank pill formula. Since you were in seclusion, we didn’t disturb you. I refined the materials and successfully produced a few Concealment Pills.”
With a flick of her hand, Zi Ling produced two pills: “These two Concealment Pills should be enough for you, right?”
“Uh…” Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback.
He had intended to use the Concealment Pills to rescue Ling Xiao from the Jin family, but upon emerging from seclusion, he’d rushed to the Jin family without time to refine them.
Afterwards, Zi Huang hadn’t mentioned it, so he assumed the materials hadn’t been found and didn’t inquire further.
Unexpectedly, the Zi family had actually gathered the materials for the Concealment Pills, and not just any formula, but the high-grade Fifth Rank one.
Since he was in seclusion, the Zi family hadn’t delivered the materials to him. Instead, Zi Ling took the initiative, successfully refining the pills and handing him the finished product.
Deep down, Lin Xiao was pleased. He’d given the formula to the Zi family specifically for Zi Ling.
Her success in refining the pills meant she had mastered the formula.
He promptly stored the two finished Concealment Pills in his storage ring.
Though he had no immediate use for them, they would surely prove useful in the future.
After Lin Xiao accepted the pills, a sly smile appeared on Zi Ling’s face: “So, do you have any other good pill formulas?”
“How many do you want?” Lin Xiao asked.
Pill formulas, especially high-grade ones, were treasures in the eyes of other Spirit Controllers, often guarded jealously, rarely shared even with friends or family.
But for Lin Xiao, who possessed the memories of the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor, they weren’t rare. As long as they wouldn’t cause trouble, giving a batch to Zi Ling was no issue.
“What?” Zi Ling thought she’d misheard. She didn’t believe Lin Xiao could produce as many formulas as she wanted.
“Uh… I mean, what kind of formulas are you looking for? I’ll see if I have them,” Lin Xiao clarified, coming to his senses.
Claiming he had an unlimited supply might raise suspicions.
Though only Master An Miao knew about the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor, someone might still notice clues from the formulas.
If anyone confirmed his connection to the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor, it could spell big trouble.
“I don’t have anything specific in mind. I’m planning to refine a lot of pills to improve my spiritual power and alchemy skills, and also to replenish the family’s stock,” Zi Ling replied.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Xiao said, “In that case, I’ll give you a high-grade Fifth Rank healing pill formula, the Yang-Returning Clarity Pill.”
“What, Yang-Returning Clarity Pill?” Zi Ling gasped.
She’d heard of the Yang-Returning Clarity Pill, a healing pill with exceptional efficacy, rumoured to restore vitality and clarity to anyone not yet dead.
Though not as miraculous as the legends claimed, it was still an extraordinary healing pill.
If the Zi family had a large supply of Yang-Returning Clarity Pills, it would greatly enhance their resilience.
“I’m not done yet,” Lin Xiao said, a bit exasperated. It was just a Yang-Returning Clarity Pill formula—why the shock? She’d interrupted him before he could finish.
“I’ll also give you a Sixth Rank defensive pill, the Azure-Patterned Black Tortoise Pill. With enough spiritual power, this pill can be refined at initial, mid, or high Sixth Rank, or even forcibly refined into an initial Seventh Rank pill,” Lin Xiao continued.
This formula was actually a significant one among the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor’s collection.
Obtained by the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor during an island expedition, it could produce a pill capable of defending against attacks from one or two levels higher.
“Sixth Rank defensive pill?” Zi Ling was stunned again.
She hadn’t heard of the Azure-Patterned Black Tortoise Pill, but a pill with special attributes was practically extinct, nearly impossible to find across the entire Southeast Region.
Yet Lin Xiao had a defensive pill formula, and a Sixth Rank one at that.
He’d already given her a Blast Pill formula before, and now a defensive pill formula. It seemed Lin Xiao’s collection of formulas might rival her master’s.
Where did he get them?
“However, the materials for the Azure-Patterned Black Tortoise Pill are hard to find. For something more common, there’s the Martial Venerable Essence Pill formula and the Martial Monarch Essence Pill formula. I’ll write those out for you too,” Lin Xiao added.
Zi Ling was shocked again. The Zi family had some Martial Venerable Essence Pills, but they were acquired through trade, as no one in the family—or even nearby—could refine them.
Such formulas were tightly controlled by a select few.
Though a Martial Venerable Essence Pill had limited effect for a Martial Venerable, far less valuable than an Azure Spirit Stone, fifty or so could be traded for one.
The ability to refine Martial Venerable Essence Pills meant a steady stream of spirit stones.
Mastering this formula would create a major industry for the Zi family, greatly boosting their wealth.
Moreover, the Zi family’s Sky-Controlling Boat and other energy-dependent assets could use Martial Venerable Essence Pills as fuel.
And Lin Xiao even had the Martial Monarch Essence Pill formula.
A grade higher than the Martial Venerable Essence Pill, it was far more valuable.
However, with her current spiritual power, she might not be able to refine it across grades.
The materials would also be harder to source.
But with the Zi family’s resources, finding materials for both pills shouldn’t be an issue. “These formulas should keep you busy for a while, right?” Lin Xiao asked, noticing Zi Ling’s stunned expression, feeling he’d given enough.
