Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 171 170 Bai Xiangshan Arrives (Tonight's update is too late, three chapters tomorrow)
The abridged version of Samadhi Fire that Li Cunxiao learned was not difficult to grasp at the beginning.

At least during this period in his dream, he was already able to initially combine the essence of his heart and kidneys with his true qi, and condense the Samadhi True Fire.

To be fair, the flames condensed in this way seem weaker in terms of lethality than the Flame Demon True Qi, but they are much easier to control.

Seeing that he grasped the material quickly, Dongwang Mugong continued the course on alchemy, still focusing on basic pharmacology.

Honestly, without the foundation laid by the other party, Li Cunxiao wouldn't have been able to prepare medicine so smoothly during the day.

After all, there are thousands or even tens of thousands of kinds of demons in the world, and countless kinds of spiritual herbs.

Compared to the secret manuals given by Qici, Dongwang Mugong can be considered a living encyclopedia.

As the saying goes, "being influenced by what one sees and hears," Li Cunxiao, under his tutelage, may not have developed much practical skill, but he naturally gained a broad and insightful perspective.

Ordinary alchemists possess knowledge of a type of demon or spiritual herb, specifically the "characteristics" of its skin, flesh, bones, blood, roots, stems, flowers, and leaves.

Alchemy masters like Dongwang Mugong grasped a certain type of highly generalized commonality, or even a rule.

Li Cunxiao mastered the latter, and even if he didn't know much about the former, he could still think and deduce on his own. This could be said to be an even more important asset than the ultimate skill.

"The three basic steps of alchemy are starting the fire, adjusting the temperature, and sealing the pot. Among these, adjusting the temperature is undoubtedly the most important."

After Master Taiyi finished explaining today's lesson, the conversation unknowingly drifted to the techniques of alchemy.

"Buddhist alchemy is nothing more than picking up scraps of others' ideas and following in the footsteps of my Taoist sect."

"The biggest difference lies in this step of regulating the climate, our unique Taoist method of 'Nine Turns and Seven Returns,' which is said to originate from the 'Dongxuan' section of the Three Caverns True Scriptures."

The Three Caverns True Scripture?

While paying attention to the changes in the flames in the alchemy furnace, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but prick up his ears.

"Father, what exactly is contained in the Three Caverns True Scripture? Is it truly some kind of celestial book?"

Master Taiyi smiled and shook his head. "The matter of immortals and Buddhas may fool fools, but what people call immortals and Buddhas are nothing more than powerful martial artists."

Even a celestial being, powerful as they are, will eventually turn to dust.

"Although the Three Caverns True Scripture and the Golden Embryo Manual are said to contain the ultimate Dao, Heaven and Earth are not human beings, so how could they possibly produce divine cultivation methods specifically for the human race?"

"In my opinion, it was most likely left by a senior master with extraordinary cultivation."

"The three parts, Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, are not actually clearly distinct."

"According to the records of the sect's elders, every book contains three parts: Spirit Diagrams and Records, Divine Talismans and Jade Instructions, and Various Methods and Techniques."

"The Spirit Diagram Record is the fundamental diagram of visualization. However, the scriptures of the Three Caverns are filled with gods and Buddhas. If taken out alone, it is at least a high-grade martial art."

"As for the Divine Talisman Jade Manual, it is the art of talismans, and the Shangqing lineage is more proficient in this area."

"The methods and techniques are numerous, including alchemy, martial arts, esoteric arts, and so on."

As Li Cunxiao listened to the other party's detailed explanation, his mind was filled with a thousand thoughts.

The other party's words clearly indicated that they knew a great deal about the Three Caverns True Scripture. Thinking deeper, there must be a formidable force behind the Qinghua Miaoyan Palace.

The so-called "Shangqing lineage is more skilled" actually means that the lineage of Dongwang Mugong is not from the Shangqing lineage.

Among the Taoist sects that are currently flourishing in the world, those to the east are Maoshan in the western part of Jiangnan and Magushan in the eastern part of Jiangnan. Both of these sects are of the Shangqing lineage.

There are still quite a few powerful Taoist sects left, but if we have to pick the best, it must be Louguan Taoism, which is located near the capital region in the west. Zhang Lishi had mentioned this sect before.

In the north and south directions, Buddhism is the dominant religion. Leaving aside Qinglong Temple near the capital, Yuhua Temple on Wufeng Mountain in the north is considered one of the ancestral temples of Esoteric Buddhism and enjoys immense prestige.

Especially now that he seems to be getting very close to Prince Li Yisheng of Jin, he will surely make some moves in the future.

"Could it be that this Dongwang Mugong is a senior of the Louguan sect?"

Li Cunxiao began to have some guesses, while Taiyi Zhenren continued to speak eloquently:
"As for the Nine Revolutions and Seven Returns method, it's not just a method for alchemy; it's also an essential part of martial arts cultivation."

"The so-called first stage is the Subduing Elixir, the second stage is the Taming Elixir, the third stage is the Nourishing Elixir, the fourth stage is the Refining Elixir, the fifth stage is the Returning Elixir, the sixth stage is the Golden Elixir, the seventh stage is the Divine Elixir, the eighth stage is the Spiritual Elixir, and the ninth stage is the Great Elixir."

"Nine revolutions and nine refinements, secretly aligning with the profound mysteries of tempering the primordial spirit, that is me."

Just as he was about to continue boasting and inspire Li Cunxiao's yearning for Taoism, Taiyi Zhenren's expression suddenly changed halfway through his sentence.

This was the first time Li Cunxiao had ever seen this god-like figure with such an expression since he entered Li Cunxiao's dream.

He looked somewhat flustered, somewhat bewildered, and somewhat annoyed, and then suddenly the world spun around him.

He only came to his senses when he opened his eyes again and saw the familiar bed, table, and chairs in the familiar room.

Did I pop out of my dream?
"what happened?!"

Li Cunxiao's heart tightened, and he quickly removed the gold ring from his left arm, but found nothing.

It was still a simple, curly cloud shape, with subtle, mottled gold accents.

I walked to the wall and opened the window. The moon was still in the sky, its thin, silvery crescent glowing faintly.

It has been more than a month since I entered the dream, and this is the first time that I have exited the dream halfway through, after only about half an hour.

Li Cunxiao frowned, touching the gold ring on his arm, completely baffled.

However, one could vaguely sense that the object was not damaged.

Unable to figure it out, and unable to fall asleep despite his attempts, Li Cunxiao had no choice but to sit cross-legged and practice breathing exercises.

What is going on?

"Why did that damned bald thief suddenly show up?"

Taiyi Zhenren left the area of ​​Jiemo Mountain at some point and hid somewhere at the foot of the mountain.

Even without seeing it with the naked eye, one can sense the powerful aura above Tiangu Temple just by feeling it.

He had only been halfway through his lesson when he suddenly sensed Qi Ci's presence. Now was not the time to confront him, so he could only quickly hide.

After all, no matter how many excuses he made for himself, Qi Ci was the first to take a liking to Li Cunxiao and genuinely taught him martial arts.

It was for this reason that Taiyi did not secretly kidnap the person (and in fact, he could not do it anyway).

Having lived for so many years, his skin was as thick as a city wall. But Li Cunxiao was not him. For powerful martial artists, reputation might seem insignificant, but it still held value.

Li Cunxiao was completely unaware of the matter between him and Qici. The succession of the sect was a serious matter, and Taiyi did not want his disciple to bear the name of a traitor.

"It seems that for the time being, we can only let Sanlang refine pills at the Medicine King's Academy. That's perfect, those low-grade pills are just right for practice."

"But I am evenly matched with Qici, and I can't keep this a secret forever. One day I will have to confront Qici."

Taiyi frowned, and only after confirming that Qici hadn't noticed him did he slowly leave, stroking his beard in deep thought as he went:
"However, on the other hand, Sanlang has already started refining pills, so I need to prepare a spiritual artifact pill furnace for him."

The old Taoist priest vanished in the blink of an eye, while in Tiangu Temple, Monk Qici stood on the eaves, looking around suspiciously. Looking down, he saw Li Cunxiao sitting cross-legged in the hermitage, his expression relaxing and showing more relief.

"Huangting Three Meridians cultivation? Not bad, not only is he talented, but he is also very diligent in his cultivation."

"As long as there are enough resources, Huang Ting should be able to be completed by the end of the year without any problem."

"Yes, he also has a talent for alchemy. He will have a special skill to rely on when he starts his own business in the future."

The monk Qici was very satisfied with what he saw, even somewhat proud of himself.

Fortunately, I managed to borrow the bone-revealing mirror beforehand, which allowed me to discover such a prodigy.

Even if Taiyi were to harbor wicked intentions, Li Cunxiao's cultivation level is deepening day by day, so the possibility of him switching to another cultivation path is naturally decreasing day by day.

"I didn't notice anything unusual just now; it must have been my imagination."

But his current level of attainment is unparalleled among ordinary people, so how could he possibly have any illusions?

Qi Ci gave a cold laugh. He was familiar with the *Supreme Secret Nana Heaven Scroll*, to say the least.

This technique is indeed a peerless skill, but Li Cunxiao fought against three opponents at the time, and his terrifying amount of true energy was incomparable to that of ordinary geniuses.

“Taiyi is a stubborn old man who does whatever he wants. He has no evidence, so even if we confront him, he won’t admit it.”

"Now is not the time to lay all the cards on the table."

Even if Taiyi is behind this, he has nothing to worry about.

The old Taoist priest coveted his disciple, unaware that the senior monk also coveted the alchemy techniques and resources the disciple possessed.

Borrowing a hen to lay eggs, borrowing flowers to present to Buddha—who doesn't know how to do that?
Just wait and see!

Nothing happened that night. When Li Cunxiao woke up the next day, he went to the alchemy room as usual.

De Cong did not make any other arrangements; he was still assigned to prepare the Qi Xue Dan.

In fact, the low-level pills used by ordinary disciples in Tiangu Temple are not made on the spot, but are often refined in large quantities and stored away.

After all, besides the majority of the pills supplied internally, a small portion of the pills are Tiangu Temple's flagship products for external use, which are highly sought after by wealthy households in the city, and their premiums are naturally terrifying.

In other words, De Cong not only wove a deep and extensive network of connections by virtue of his status as a master alchemist, but he was also the temple's living god of wealth.

Of course, the maintenance of relationships depends on Yuan Can at lower levels and on the heads of various groups at higher levels. Decong himself is too lazy to bother with such matters.

After experiencing the immense benefits of being a pill refiner, Li Cunxiao became even more dedicated to pill refining.

"Master, I have already distributed the medicinal herbs. After returning home last night, I reflected on it for a long time. I wonder if I could try it one more time?"

De Cong hasn't had any orders lately. In fact, he's already collected most of the materials for the Xuanmen Pill he's been dreaming of, so his motivation to refine pills for others has weakened considerably.

So when he arrived in the morning, he would study the prescriptions while watching Li Cunxiao work.

As for Yuancan, he naturally had to deal with the orders that Decong had turned down.

Hearing Li Cunxiao's explanation, he was somewhat satisfied.

Although he had brought Li Cunxiao in as a backup extraction tool, he was unwilling to force him into the task.

It's certainly a good thing that the other party has the desire to learn and improve themselves.

"In alchemy, reflection alone is not enough; one must have the eyes, the mind, and the hands."

"The most common mistake a novice alchemist makes is..."

Seeing the old monk putting on airs of a superior, Li Cunxiao rolled his eyes inwardly.

However, considering that the other party provided the materials and venue, he patiently listened to their lecture and said that the chief's words were all precious and that he would definitely reflect on himself repeatedly.

After all this, De Cong finally opened one of his alchemy rooms for Li Cunxiao to use.

As the head of the Medicine King Academy, not to mention the accumulation of Tiangu Temple itself, his own years of accumulation would not amount to just one alchemy room and one alchemy furnace.

The room in front of Li Cunxiao, although it felt like it hadn't been used for a long time, was still spotless.

"This is the alchemy furnace I used when I first started refining pills. Later, as my cultivation improved, the level of pills I could refine also increased, so I no longer needed it here."

After subtly putting on an air of superiority, Li Cunxiao merely responded with a few words, focusing all his attention on the alchemy furnace in front of him.

He covered the grip with his palm, channeling his Flame-Mao True Qi into it, and the lotus scroll pattern drawn on it gradually lit up.

Finally, a ball of blood-red flame appeared in the center of the alchemy furnace, but it had no malevolent or foul odor; instead, it possessed a strange purity.

"This is just my normal internal energy. Let's try the Samadhi Fire."

As Li Cunxiao thought this, the essence of his heart and kidneys combined, as if water and fire were harmonizing.

The two should have clashed and perished, but under the influence of true energy, it seemed as if some kind of strange chemical reaction had occurred.

The original Flame Demon True Qi resembled flower petals, enveloping the precious pearl that was a fusion of water and fire.

In an instant, Li Cunxiao clearly felt that his control over his true energy had become stronger, but correspondingly, its agility increased while its power decreased.

But this isn't about killing people; it's about refining elixirs, which makes it easier to control, which is actually better.

"Chief De Cong... wait, where is he?"

The old monk behind him was nowhere to be seen. As for the latter, he had stayed outside the house yesterday without leaving for a moment because it was Li Cunxiao's first time refining pills, and he must have had some expectations in his heart.

But now that we've witnessed its true level of skill, and since alchemy isn't something that can be accomplished overnight, there's no need to wait here.

Li Cunxiao didn't mind and added the medicinal herbs he had brought in the same order as yesterday.

This Samadhi Fire is truly extraordinary.

Although the steps were the same, he felt much more at ease refining pills today, and his control over the state of the pills was more precise, as if several tiny tentacles had extended from his mind into the true fire.

Therefore, this time it took him less than an hour, and he finished refining it 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Moreover, compared to yesterday's exhaustion, he still had the energy to spare. If he persevered, refining another batch would not be a problem.

After the flames were extinguished and the furnace was opened, a look of joy appeared on his face.

Ten—ten round, red pills lay in the center of the container. Although slight imperfections could still be seen with the naked eye, the order rate was twice as high as yesterday.

A success rate of 50% in producing pills already meets the requirements.

Just as Li Cunxiao was about to start another batch while he was still feeling confident, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.

A moment later, Yuancan knocked on the door, his tone somewhat urgent, and with a hint of barely perceptible envy:

"Junior brother, Governor Bai has come to distribute your reward!"

(End of this chapter)