Chapter 647: Restoring Strength
Qing Yanjing nodded with a smile. She also sensed someone at the door. After storing the medicinal pill, she controlled the Spiritual Array and the gate of the secluded courtyard opened automatically.
The person standing at the door was startled, then realized that he must have been detected earlier, and walked towards the gate.
Inside the courtyard.
The rich fragrance of the medicine lingered for a long time, refreshing the senses of the visitor as he walked through it.
The visitor felt the urge to immerse himself in it. However, he did not give in to the impulse. While marveling that the pill was indeed a Divine Pill, he saw the target of his visit, Xiao Ming, sitting in an elegant bamboo pavilion in the courtyard, smiling at him with two female companions by his side.
Unlike others, the visitor knew about Xiao Ming's tremendous strength. Those medicinal herbs and the Greenstone Azure Flame were also taken away by Xiao Ming. Thus, he had already surmised the identity of the alchemist. Now that he saw the other party calm and composed just after refining the pill, unlike other alchemists who would be utterly exhausted, he felt the terrifying presence of the latter. Every gesture exuded the demeanor of a grandmaster.
Not daring to delay, he quickly approached and bowed deeply, "Mo Qing came to visit just as Sir finished refining the medicinal pill. Please excuse the intrusion."
The visitor was none other than Master Mo Qing from the auction house.
Xiao Ming shook his head and gestured for him to take a seat on a chair next to them.
Once Master Mo Qing was seated, Xiao Ming asked.
"The ten-day period has ended. Have you come because the Stellar Origin Fruit has arrived?"
"Sir's assumption is correct." Mo Qing nodded with a smile as a flash of light appeared from his hand, revealing a square jade box about a foot long.
"This is the Stellar Origin Fruit, please take a look."
Xiao Ming took the jade box and opened it to find a sea-blue fruit lying quietly inside.
Staring at the fruit in his hand, which seemed as if it had been dyed by seawater, Xiao Ming's eyes gleamed. He had never seen a real Stellar Origin Fruit before, but he knew that such fruits grew by absorbing stellar power, and the pulp was exceptionally rich in it. The fruit in front of him met all the criteria and was undoubtedly genuine.
With the final main ingredient for the Spiritual Transformation Pill in his hand, Xiao Ming's mood was greatly uplifted, and his face brightened with a smile.
"Ha ha, indeed, it truly is the Stellar Origin Fruit. I bothered Master Mo Qing to make this trip."
"It's merely my duty." Mo Qing didn't take credit and waved his hand with a smile. He then took out a card made of a special material and stood up to hand it over.
"This is a VIP card from our Merchant Auction House. With this card, you can enjoy VIP treatment at our headquarters and subsidiaries. If you ever need something like the Stellar Origin Fruit again, feel free to contact us."
"Mm, I will contact your establishment if needed," Xiao Ming gestured for Qing Tan to take the card.
Seeing that Xiao Ming had accepted the card, Mo Qing's smile grew wider, then he brought up another matter.
"By the way, we haven't been able to find any news of the individuals Sir asked us to look for."
"No worries, if there's no news, then let it be,' Xiao Ming had anticipated this outcome and was not disappointed.
Seeing that Xiao Ming did not blame him, Mo Qing was about to take his leave when a hint of hesitation suddenly appeared on his face.
After a moment of thought, he still said, "The Merchant Continent is a maze of complex powers, including some hidden superpowers lurking in the shadows. Sir, the turmoil caused by your alchemy is something you must already be aware of. Wealth tempts people's hearts, and those who will be eyeing you will not be few. You should be careful."
In the Great Thousand World, only those forces with a Heavenly Sovereign at the helm were considered true superpowers. Being targeted by them, it was feared that ordinary people would have trouble sleeping and eating, yet Xiao Ming nonchalantly waved his hand.
"Thanks for the warning. I have my own arrangements."
"Since that's the case, I shall take my leave." Mo Qing cupped his fist and turned to leave the bamboo pavilion.
Qing Yanjing squinted her eyes as she watched Mo Qing leave, then turned her head and spoke softly to Xiao Ming, "I'm going downstairs to take the medicinal pill to recover from my injuries. The Spiritual Array will operate automatically to block those prying eyes."
"Mm," Xiao Ming nodded and watched her leave.
"Master, what do we do next?" Qing Tan asked at this moment.
"Go and cultivate. Use the Sovereign Spiritual Liquids I gave you earlier to aid your cultivation. You should be able to break through to the 2nd Grade Sovereign Stage in the next few days. Set up a soundproof array when you cultivate. I need to refine another pill, and the noise will be greater than last time."
"Aye."
Thus, in the following days, the fire cauldron was once again suspended above the courtyard.
...
Ten days later, when the lid was lifted on the fire cauldron, the entire market district was stirred once more.
Countless people leaped to their feet and rushed to their windows or climbed onto rooftops. What they saw was a Pill Lightning of even greater magnitude than before.
"This... is another Pill Lightning!"
"This Pill Lightning is much more ferocious than the last one, and there are even hints of gold in the color of the thunderbolts!"
Countless people exclaimed in shock. Gold was the color of lightning that only a Spirit Grade Divine Pill could attract!
Although this time's Pill Lightning was not entirely gold, the mere presence of some gold was astonishing enough. It had, at the very least, touched the threshold of a Spirit Grade Divine Pill!
If this medicinal pill were to be auctioned off, the Sovereign Spiritual Liquid it could fetch would be at least in the tens of billions!
After seeing where the Pill Lightning struck, countless people exchanged glances with the people around them and saw the fire of greed in each other's eyes.
It was another pill refined by that alchemist!
Including this Spirit Grade Divine Pill, he now had at least two Divine Pills.
As the Pill Lightning continued for a while and then dissipated, the newly formed pill was pulled back into the courtyard by a surge of Spiritual Strength.
Many people cried out in their hearts, "He must not be allowed to leave easily!"
...
Inside the secluded courtyard, a golden-red spiritual pill alternately glowed and dimmed, seemingly begging for mercy. It was a pill that displayed a high grade of spiritual intelligence.
Xiao Ming was holding the Spiritual Transformation Pill in his slender hand, and as he looked at it, he spoke in a calm manner.
"You cannot escape."
This Spiritual Transformation Pill was of a higher grade than the Di Tier Pill. It was only because he had acted quickly to dissipate much of the spirit of the pill as soon as it formed that he was able to contain it. Otherwise, in its current unrecovered state, it would have taken some effort to catch it once it tried to flee.
Xiao Ming's lips curled into a smile as he glanced outside the courtyard. Without looking, he knew how many people were eyeing this pill, even if they did not know its purpose.
"Then I should go outside the Merchant Continent to restore my realm. Otherwise, it would be bad if these fellows were scared away. I'm curious to see how many dare to target me. With enough people, I might even be able to recoup the Sovereign Spiritual Liquids I spent at the auction."
Having resolved to teach the outsiders a harsh lesson while lining his own pockets, Xiao Ming decided not to regain his strength in the merchant district.
A terrifying Spiritual Strength stirred in front of him as a spatial channel appeared. Xiao Ming stepped into it, and the channel slowly closed behind him.
…
The figure of Xiao Ming appeared on the edge of a cliff on a small, deserted continent near the Merchant Continent.
The desolate environment pleased him immensely. He immediately tossed the spiritual pill into his mouth. The Spiritual Energy surged and bonded with the pill inside and out. In the blink of an eye, the pill dissolved, and the surging medicinal strength that was inside of it blossomed to its fullest extent.
The surging medicinal strength was filling up the meridians in his body and was becoming more and more concentrated. Under this medicinal strength, even Xiao Ming's extremely robust body, which was partially composed of pure Dou Qi, quickly dissolved and reformed under the influx of Spiritual Energy.
"Hoo~"
Xiao Ming's breathing was slightly labored, yet his eyes were getting increasingly brighter as he floated in the air and sat cross-legged, forming a cultivation seal with his hands.
'Today, I will restore my strength.'
Gradually, millions of rays of spiritual light resembling the midsummer sun were emitted from his body as he radiated endless light and heat.
Under this radiant spiritual light, his body became more and more translucent. It looked like it was carved out of jade, like the most perfect creation between heaven and earth.
At the same time, boundless Spiritual Energy surged towards him like a fierce wind or a tidal wave, until finally a swirl of Spiritual Energy formed.
Endless Spiritual Energy was drawn in above the swirl, and below it, this Spiritual Energy was poured into his body, replacing the Dou Qi and participating in the body's reformation.