Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 350 A Short Retreat

After Jiang Liang took over the Chamber of Commerce, Li Xiangming had basically achieved his goal for this trip, and decided to return to Tailai Peak first.

Before leaving, he took Chi Youyan with him.

"You've had enough of these two months at the Chi family. Once you get back, you must diligently study alchemy, understand?"

Li Xiangming said earnestly.

"understood."

Chi Youyan did not show any resistance, but sat upright on the flying boat, looking around curiously.

Seeing this, Li Xiangming couldn't help but smile and continued, "Once we arrive at Dangui Mountain, I will arrange an identity for you, allowing you to freely enter and leave Yiyuan Peak. You should make the most of this opportunity."

"Yiyuan Peak?"

Upon hearing this name, Chi Youyan immediately stood up in surprise.

Although she didn't know much about the Li family, she had heard that they possessed earth fire.

The Earth Fire is located on Yiyuan Peak.

For an alchemist, the importance of earth fire is self-evident.

Although Chi Youyan is a water-based alchemist, the difference between water-based and fire-based alchemy lies only in their respective philosophies.

In ancient times, cultivators generally believed that only pure fire-attribute magic power could effectively extract the essence of medicinal herbs.

But this understanding has been completely changed since the discovery of subterranean fires.

Some alchemists, while using earth fire to refine pills, also try to innovate by adding special spiritual liquids during the process, or by using their own water-attribute magic to blend various materials together to maximize their medicinal effects.

This technique is known as water-based alchemy.

Because of the complicated steps, water-based alchemy generally takes more time and effort than fire-based alchemy, but correspondingly, the success rate and quality of the pills are better than those of fire-based alchemy.

The reason why fire-based alchemy has been passed down for so long is simply because water-based alchemy is more difficult to learn and requires more resources. As a result, this tradition has never been able to shake the status of fire-based alchemy.

However, regardless of the method, water-based alchemy still requires the use of fire, just as fire-based alchemy requires the use of water.

The two are not completely opposite.

When Chi Youyan usually refines pills, he is very annoyed that his magic power is not enough to catalyze the flame, and he cannot sustain the process of refining a batch of pills.

At this point, it is necessary to use alchemical fire.

The so-called "elixir fire" is not a real elixir, but rather a magic weapon in which a craftsman seals a portion of easily tamed, high-level flame magic power onto a pill-shaped artifact.

Alchemists do not need to perform rituals; they can directly catalyze the alchemical fire and use the flame's magical power to refine pills for a long time. Although the effect is not as good as that of earth fire, it is almost the same.

However, alchemical fire is a consumable item that will be exhausted after only a few uses, and it is expensive. Even the most ordinary alchemical fire can cost more than ten spirit stones.

For a beginner alchemist like Chi Youyan, the success rate of pill refining is ridiculously low. After using up a single alchemical fire, the pills produced are not even worth as much as the fire itself. If you also consider the medicinal materials lost along the way, it is undoubtedly a losing proposition.

Therefore, most alchemists are reluctant to use alchemical fire when they first start learning.

Chi Youyan was only willing to buy three or five coins as a backup because of the support of Li Xiangming and the Chi family.

Now that Li Xiangming has sent her to Yiyuan Peak to enjoy the earth fire, it is equivalent to directly solving the problem of her low magical power, and there is no need to spend huge sums of money to buy pill fire.

In addition, after more than ten years of construction by the Li family, Yiyuan Peak has all kinds of facilities that are very complete, including a room for alchemy.

Since there is an alchemy room, there must also be a fine alchemy furnace.

She's never seen anyone else's alchemy furnace before!
Chi Youyan was very excited. She hugged Li Xiangming's arm and said sweetly, "Brother Li, why are you so good to me?"

Li Xiangming looked at her, a hint of doubt in his heart.

Why am I so nice to Chi Youyan?
The two did not have much interaction.

Chi Youyan's appearance is indeed captivating, but he is already pregnant with Cao Yanjun.

Chi Youyan is an alchemist, but he can find the more skilled Qingyang Daoist to refine pills anytime, anywhere.

No matter how you look at it, Chi Youyan has no value to him.

After thinking for a while, Li Xiangming felt relieved again.

Perhaps it was precisely because Chi Youyan had no value to him that he was able to face it calmly.

A complex person like him always needs some simple-minded people to comfort him.

Otherwise, I wouldn't believe I'm still a normal person.

"Youyan!" "Hmm?"

"nothing."

Li Xiangming simply smiled faintly and said nothing more.
-
A month later.

In the secret chamber of Mingjun Academy, Li Xiangming sat cross-legged on a futon, surrounded by the scent of Hundred-Fragrance Incense.

The Enlightenment Spring leaped lively around him, while the Black Water Serpent lazily lay on his knees.

As time passed, Li Xiangming seemed to transform into an ancient stone statue, motionless. His breathing became long and deep, but his aura was rising steadily without him even realizing it.

Suddenly, a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, splashing onto the table and forming a strange pattern.

The Blackwater Serpent seemed somewhat disgusted, wrapping itself around the knees and then moving to its back to continue its sweet dream.

Li Xiangming took out a Heart Nourishing Pill from his sleeve and swallowed it. Although his face was pale, his tone was very relaxed: "In this way, the power of the Human Pill will be almost completely removed."

Those who can be lazy and refuse to move are all stubborn individuals.

It will probably take some time to completely eradicate them.

But once their numbers decrease, Li Xiangming will no longer need to expend a lot of magical power to suppress them, thus having more room to improve his cultivation.

Actually, instead of driving them away, refining them directly can greatly accelerate one's cultivation progress.

However, Li Xiangming had reservations about the power of the human alchemy, or rather, he did not approve of the path of heretical cultivation.

Those evil cultivators all cultivate as fast as rockets, but has anyone ever heard of any of them achieving the Great Dao?
History doesn't lie!

The fact that the cultivation world has remained dominated by the Daoist sect for so many years speaks volumes.

"Xiao Hei, come here!"

Li Xiangming called out softly, while taking out four or five black mushrooms.

The Blackwater Serpent immediately sprang out, poked its head out, and swallowed the mushroom whole in one gulp.

Seeing this scene, Li Xiangming couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

This black mushroom, called the Netherfire Mushroom, is rich in spiritual energy and gets its name from the blue flames covering its surface.

However, despite having the character for "fire" in its name, once the Netherfire Mushroom is picked, the flames immediately disappear, and the skin turns completely black, thus transforming it into a pure Yin-attribute spiritual herb.

Pure Yin elixirs, if not neutralized with other medicinal materials and refined into pills, cannot be consumed directly.

If some cultivators with lower cultivation levels forcibly ingest it, they will only have their hearts invaded by the Netherfire and eventually die suddenly.

But demonic beasts don't have so many concerns, especially a rare species like the Blackwater Serpent, which is extremely yin and cold, and can easily eat ten or eight of them in one meal.

The problem is that Netherfire Mushrooms are not cheap; they cost eight or nine spirit stones each, which is more expensive than a bottle of Yellow Sprout Pills, and they are not easy to buy.

Despite Li Xiangming's current wealth, if the Blackwater Serpent were allowed to eat to its heart's content, he would revert to his original form in less than two months.

During the last reorganization of the city's brothels, he recalled all the caravans that were away and saw a batch of Netherfire Mushrooms for sale, which is why he prepared some for the Blackwater Serpent.

"Eat your fill and sleep, you can increase your cultivation just by lying down. Your life is much more carefree than mine."

Li Xiangming gently flicked Xiao Hei's head, eliciting a disgruntled hiss as it curled up into a ball.

Seeing this, Li Xiangming couldn't help but smile.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Yanji?"

Li Xiangming's heart stirred, and he quickly put away the Enlightenment Spring, got up and went out to check.

As expected, Cao Yanjun was standing outside the door. She looked at Li Xiangming with a hint of hesitation on her face.

"what happened?"

Li Xiangming asked with concern.

Cao Yanjun replied, "Sixth Uncle came and said that Gao Can is causing trouble again, and he hopes you can step in to calm things down."

Li Xiangming frowned, then relaxed his gaze and nodded: "I understand."

　Single update today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)