Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 296, Section 305: Yelü of the Northern Border, the Thirteen Protectors

Ignition and temperature control, extraction and mixing, conversion between heat and heat, and sealing after ignition.
These are the four steps in a typical alchemist's process of refining pills. If any step goes wrong, it will greatly affect the quality of the final pill.

However, Li Cunxiao was no ordinary alchemist.

The alchemy furnace transformed from the Azure Dragon resembled an independent world, with dozens of rare and precious materials rising and falling within it.

Metal, stone, bone, blood, rare flowers, and exotic herbs, instead of being scorched and withered by the crimson flames, became even more refined and radiant.

In the blink of an eye, within a few dozen breaths, Li Cunxiao had completed the first two most time-consuming steps in one go and directly arrived at the stage of calcining with both civil and military fire.

His seasoned skill allowed him to not only refine pills but also have the leisure to observe the expressions of the three people beside him.

Li Cunshen was bewildered, Li Siqi was dumbfounded, but after a brief moment of shock, Li Cunxu revealed wild joy, his eyes burning with a fervor even more intense than the flames in the alchemy furnace—

Taiyi's disciple's attainments in alchemy are simply monstrous!
Even if we could just abduct the young Taoist priest in front of us, let alone win over a grandmaster, this trip would still be worthwhile!

'Those looks... they're probably trying to lure me up the mountain. These regional military commanders are nothing but a bunch of bandits.'

Li Cunxiao glanced at it and then looked away, not too worried.

Even setting aside the fact that he himself has a magical treasure protecting him, even a grandmaster wouldn't be able to force him.

Furthermore, knowing in advance that the person coming to meet him was someone like Prince Li Yisheng's own son, how could he possibly go alone?

At this moment, the monk Qici was watching Li Cunxu's every move from some unknown hilltop or grove of trees nearby.

The moment the other party makes any unusual move, the senior monk can immediately take action.

As a veteran master, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to handle Li Cunxu, who has just made a breakthrough?

Therefore, Li Cunxiao quickly put aside the people around him, and once he entered the state of alchemy, he would be completely focused.

The step of combining literary and martial arts techniques is crucial to the formation of the elixir and affects the potency of the final product.

For Li Cunxiao, who had practiced the secret martial arts technique of "Nine Revolutions Flowing Pearl Nine Elixir Scripture", this step was even more particular.

This scripture, the "Nine Revolutions Flowing Pearl Nine Elixir Scripture," has four levels of attainment:
One turn leads to entry, three turns to minor mastery, six turns to major mastery, and nine turns to perfection.

Each additional cycle during alchemy, under the same conditions of materials, can increase the potency of the elixir and reduce the evil energy contained within it.

Nine cycles and nine reversals represent the ultimate form of elixir, a divine craftsmanship that reverses the innate creation of the acquired, a feat achieved by immortals and gods.

However, although Li Cunxiao relied on the legacy of the two previous demons who perished together to bring this method to perfection, in actual practice, he could only reach the seventh level at most.

The reason is simple: insufficient strength.

With each additional transformation of the elixir, the requirements for a martial artist's essence, qi, and spirit will increase to a higher level.

It's like a complete beginner going to the gym to lift weights. Even if they know how to coordinate their muscle activation and breathing perfectly, if they lack the strength, they still can't lift the weights they're supposed to.

Therefore, Li Cunxiao is currently a classic example of "ambition over ability"—he has reached the level of understanding, but lacks the practical skills.

Even so, the insight and experience that this state of perfection brought him still remained.

The so-called first transformation is the elixir of subduing, the second transformation is the elixir of taming, the third transformation is the elixir of nourishing, the fourth transformation is the elixir of refining, the fifth transformation is the elixir of returning, the sixth transformation is the great elixir, the seventh transformation is the spiritual elixir, the eighth transformation is the divine elixir, and the ninth transformation is the golden elixir.

With the cultivation level of the Nine-Turn Golden Core, refining a Seven-Turn Spirit Pill is nothing more than a piece of cake.

"The first stage of refining the medicine removes its impurities!"

As soon as the hand seals were joined, the flames in the furnace suddenly contracted, causing the mixed elixir, like a heart condensed from crimson flames, to tremble violently.

"The second transformation: reduce its mortal nature and extract its essence!"

The heart contracted and expanded as if it were alive, and through the translucent true essence furnace, one could clearly see faint black energy flowing out from it.

"Three turns to subdue its fiery nature and harmonize its yin and yang!"

His heart pounded again, and the raging flames suddenly softened like water, like a deep pool in an ancient well.

"Four turns, nourish its medicinal energy, warm its spirit!"

Strands of golden light emanated from the clump of medicinal liquid, gradually enveloping its surface.

"Five cycles to refine its medicinal form and eliminate its impurities!"

The golden light, like fired glass, twisted, changed, expanded, and stretched, transforming into a dragon and an elephant. As the dragon and elephant clashed, less of the previous blackish-gray malevolent energy dissipated, leaving behind a pure color.

"Six cycles, restoring its medicinal properties and returning it to its original state!"

At this point, Li Cunxiao's expression also began to turn serious.

He opened his hands, then closed them, striking the alchemy furnace formed from the azure dragon's spiritual form, producing a resounding, booming sound like a bronze bell.

With that tremor, Li Siqi and Li Cunshen couldn't help but shudder together, as if a unique tingling sensation ran from the soles of their feet all the way to the top of their heads.

The former was amazed by his junior brother's superb alchemy skills, while the latter showed fear and vigilance—if he were shocked by his opponent on the battlefield, wouldn't he be powerless to resist for a moment?
In a battle between masters, a single breath can determine life or death. This person's strength is probably above mine!
"This person's strength is probably beyond the Heavenly Ladder. True Form? Spiritual Manifestation! This person has already broken through the Profound Gate!"

Li Cunxu was, after all, a Grandmaster. At first, he couldn't tell because of the spiritual treasure covering his true level, but when Li Cunxiao was refining pills with all his might, he could no longer hide his true level.

For a moment, his heart was filled with turmoil, but he still tried his best to maintain calm on his face, staring intently at the dragon and elephant in the alchemy furnace, which had lost its golden light and turned into a lustrous and restrained amber color.

He knew that the refining of the elixir had reached its final stage.

Unlike the tension of others, Li Cunxiao watched as the dragon and elephant in the alchemy furnace gradually curled into a fist-sized ball, and a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

"Peaceful and pure, firm and spiritual."

Having said that, he pointed a finger, and the emerald furnace, which was originally as tall as a person, suddenly shrank, transforming into a blue dragon the size of an index finger, which coiled around the pill, and its size began to shrink again.

Starting from the size of a fist, it was eventually refined to the size of a lychee.

Within the amber-colored pill, golden liquid resembled the waters of the four seas, while a white jade dragon and an elephant frolicked and chased each other.

Pure and flawless, exquisite and pure; a single round pill containing a world within.

Li Cunxiao opened his mouth and spat out the seven-foot cloud sword, finally venting his anger.

"Your Highness, I have not failed in my mission."

With a flick of his Taoist robe sleeves, the pill flew away and landed in Li Cunxu's palm.

The latter couldn't help but lift it up, examining this small world with his eyes, and praising it repeatedly.

Li Cunshen, standing to the side, was completely absorbed in the sight, glancing between the pills and Li Cunxiao, his expression shifting several times before finally revealing a hint of respect.

If this person really goes to Hedong, I'm afraid I'll have to deal with him a lot in my future cultivation.

Why did I have such a sour face just now? I deserve to die!

"Incredible skill, truly incredible skill!"

“I used to think that martial arts was the great way and everything else was a minor way.” “Now I see that alchemy is also the great way, but ordinary people don’t know the way, they are incapable, and they are just troubled by themselves.”

Li Cunxu carefully put away the pills, his eyes filled with even greater eagerness:

"Master Li, you have truly broadened my horizons today."

"I dare not accept such praise," Li Cunxiao replied humbly, now very wary of compliments.
"My master, Taiyi, possesses profound skills, reaching the pinnacle of creation, and is only one step away from the ninth level of cultivation. He can be called a True Person."

"I am a novice and do not deserve Your Highness's praise."

"Sanlang is exceptionally talented, yet he is so humble, which is truly shameful."

Li Cunxu seized the opportunity, not calling him "real person" but referring to him by his surname, Li Cunxiao, and before he knew it, he was getting closer.

"What a pity! If our army had someone as outstanding as Sanlang to assist us, we wouldn't have to worry about the wicked Zhu and the barbarian tribes on the border."

Li Cunxiao stepped aside without making a sound, and Li Cunxu, seeing this, restrained himself and allowed the former to put the remaining Dragon Elephant Pill materials into his pocket.

Stay safe.

"Sanlang, please don't misunderstand. I was just eager to find talented people and lost my composure for a moment."

"Your Highness, a promise is a promise, and you must keep your word. However, you just mentioned the barbarian tribes on the border; has something happened in the north?"

Having acquired a seventh-grade spirit pill formula and a rare material in one go, Li Cunxiao was in high spirits.

At this point, even if he knows the other party is deliberately stirring up the conversation, he's happy to go along with it and learn more information.

"Who else could it be? Naturally, it's the Qida barbarians of the Northern Desert."

“Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue. When our Great Qin Dynasty was at its peak, it paid tribute and became a vassal, wagging its tail and begging for mercy; when the Central Plains were in turmoil, it took advantage of the situation and tried to rise up.”

"Hedong and Hebei, Yunzhou and Youzhou, are close to the northern desert, and are the front line to resist the Qida barbarians."

"Unfortunately, this current military governor of Youzhou is a useless man. It is entirely thanks to my Li family father and son that we have been guarding the border for the court for decades without complaint."

"It's a pity that the Grand Secretary Gao Pian was so bad at judging people. My father and I served loyally, yet we were repeatedly attacked; while the treacherous Zhu, having occupied the Eastern Capital, was able to be granted a title and receive rewards."

Li Cunxu immediately began boasting about his achievements and complaining, making no attempt to hide his dislike for Zhu Quanzhong.

Li Cunshen nodded repeatedly, looking as if he had heard something that resonated with him, while Li Cunxiao and Li Siqi remained silent.

They're all regional military governors, all the same. Pretending to be loyal ministers? Don't even ask the young emperor on the throne if you'd believe it.
However, Li Cunxiao had indeed heard of this military governor of Youzhou.

Whether he was incompetent is debatable, but his cruelty was well-known far and wide.

Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the appointment of regional military governors gradually slipped out of the control of the imperial court, becoming a matter of succession from father to son or from superior to subordinate.

This military governor of Youzhou, Liu Shouguang, was a vicious, lewd, and tyrannical man who desired to be arrogant and domineering.

To obtain the position of military governor, he imprisoned his father and killed his brother. After taking office, he governed his territory with even greater cruelty and inhumanity, causing the people to flee abroad in droves.

In order to punish these people, Liu Shouguang specially ordered craftsmen to make iron cages and iron brushes. He would put people in the cages and burn their skin from the outside with fire or use iron brushes to scrub their skin until their flesh was like mud, making them wish they were dead.

Compared to this beast, not to mention Prince Li Yisheng of Jin, even Zhu Quanzhong seems like a human being.

"Your Highness, since the Qida barbarians have been mentioned, I wonder if there are any skilled warriors among their people?"

Li Cunxu's eloquent speech was interrupted, but he did not show the slightest displeasure on his face.

"The Qida people live by following the grass and are nomadic. Although everyone in the tribe is skilled in archery and horsemanship and is known as one hundred thousand archers, they are nothing but chickens and dogs in front of a master and will collapse at the first touch."

At this point, he unconsciously toned down his arrogance and revealed a hint of seriousness. Li Cunxiao knew that the "but" was coming.

"But decades ago, a man named Yelü Yi emerged from the Qida barbarians."

"Yelü Yi is ambitious. He appears to be submissive and obedient on the surface, but secretly he has gathered together the large and small tribes in the northern desert."

"At that time, Zhu the bandit was on the back and had captured four towns in Hebei, which tied down our troops in Hedong and we were unable to attend to them."

"When it was discovered later, this person had already unified the various tribes of the grasslands, and had also gathered Tibetan monks, learned the esoteric teachings, and ascended to the rank of Grand Master with the Vajra Hevajra form."

"Its queen, Yue Li Duo, is known as the Lion-faced Buddha Mother and is also a rare master."

"This monogamous couple frequently harasses the border. That good-for-nothing Liu Shouguang dares not face their sharp edge and retreats again and again. Yingzhou and Pingzhou have already fallen into Qida's hands."

"If we lose Jizhou and Youzhou as well, the Northern Barbarians can easily advance through the four towns of Hebei. At that time, the people will suffer immensely, and the people of our Great Qin will be trampled under the iron hooves of foreign tribes. Who can save the day?"

what? !

Li Cunxiao and Li Siqi were taken aback; this was truly the first time they had heard such news.

The sixteen provinces of the Qin Dynasty were in complete chaos, so who had the mind to care about the border regions?
Unexpectedly, Li Cunxu's words immediately put both of them on edge.

Ü-Tsang was originally a snow-capped mountain kingdom to the west of the Qin Dynasty. During the An Lushan Rebellion, troops were sent to raid its borders and plunder everywhere.

Later, they were defeated by the suddenly emerging Guo Linggong, and the country suffered heavy casualties among its top experts. Not even a grandmaster emerged again, and the country gradually declined.

However, the Tibetan monks on the snowy mountains frequently descended the mountain to learn the esoteric Buddhist Dharani, and combined it with the local shamanistic Yungdrung arts to forge a new path to Buddhahood.

Qi Ci had told Li Cunxiao about these past events, instructing him to kill any Tibetan monks he encountered in the Snow Mountain.

After reviewing numerous secret records, Li Cunxiao learned that the Snow Mountain Secret Sect was extremely cruel and particularly fond of using human bones and skin to create magical artifacts.

There was also the art of Mingfei's pleasure, which involved sexually stimulating women, bestowing honeyed wisdom upon them, and pursuing Nirvana in ultimate bliss.

In short, it is a lineage that has taken the "expedient methods" of Tantric Buddhism to a dangerous and misguided path.

Yelü Yi, the leader of the Qida barbarians, was able to achieve the status of a terrestrial immortal through the esoteric techniques of the Tibetan monks of the Snow Mountains. He must have killed countless people and caused rivers of blood to flow.

The number of people from the Central Plains who died at the hands of that couple is probably no less than 100,000!
Thinking of these things, who among those whose conscience is not yet extinguished would not tremble with fear?
Li Cunxiao was also greatly shocked, but he did not forget that the person who said these words was the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin.

"So, Zhu Quanzhong was causing trouble in Luoyang, but the Prince of Jin was unable to go south to restore order because he was held back by the Qida barbarians?"

"Not bad," Li Cunxu thought, seeing that he quickly regained his composure and even had the energy to analyze the situation. He was even more impressed and became more determined to bring him under his command.

"Sanlang, a storm is coming."

"I don't need to teach you the principle that a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on."

"Keep this safe. I hope you'll have made up your mind when we meet again."

As Li Cunxu spoke, he handed over a gold seal to Li Cunxiao under his questioning gaze, and smiled as he gestured.

The latter took it, turned the gold seal over, and saw that the lines on it were rough and vigorous, as if four large characters had been drawn in relief with a finger:

The Thirteen Protectors.

(End of this chapter)