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The process for creating the Demon Blood Pill was surprisingly simple—and therein lay its difficulty. Its method involved condensing five liters of demonic beast blood and integrating it with the medicinal properties of seven spirit herbs to eliminate the blood's toxic elements.
Demonic beast blood was, in truth, an incredible tonic for blood—but it contained numerous impurities or substances the human body couldn't absorb. Thus, if a human recklessly consumed demonic beast blood, they'd likely suffer Qi deviation.
The Demon Blood Pill was essentially the process of purifying and condensing demonic beast blood into a state free of impurities.
But the method to achieve this was cumbersome and difficult to execute.
Xuan Dan immediately tossed four spirit herbs into the cauldron. They were merely mid-grade water-attribute herbs—but each possessed distinct medicinal properties, making simultaneous refinement impossible.
The problem? The medicinal extracts of these herbs had to be fused immediately, with no more than three seconds of air exposure. Thus the alchemist had to refine the four herbs simultaneously without them touching each other.
Normally, only late-stage cultivators could accomplish this thanks to their divine sense. But Xuan Dan wasn't alone.
"Xuanling—let's begin!" Xuan Dan summoned two Clear Flames into the cauldron, encircling two spirit herbs. "Remember—we must be perfectly synchronized!"
Qing Xuanling nodded and mirrored Xuan Dan's actions. Together, they began refining the four medicinal herbs!
Such coordination was only possible because Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan were, in essence, the same entity.
Cultivators' Qi carried unique imprints distinguishing it from others. When differing Qi imprints collided, conflict arose—which was why alchemists typically worked alone, without assistance.
But that rule held no sway over them! After all, their Qi shared the same imprint—even if their spiritual roots differed!
The refinement of the spirit herbs concluded after ten minutes. The time was rather long, but after all, they were still in the low stage while the herbs were of medium grade. The Clear Flame they could produce simply wasn't hot enough.
They had to compensate for that gap with sheer perseverance.
Fortunately, Xuan Dan had anticipated this. She'd already devised a plan.
With difficulty, she and Qing Xuanling merged the four medicinal extracts into one. The energy contained within the four herbs was immense—but somehow, they contained and fused it into a single medicinal extracts.
However, both were now utterly exhausted.
"Xuanling—hold the medicinal extract as long as possible!" Xuan Dan shouted, transferring control of the Clear Flame to Qing Xuanling before sitting cross-legged and swallowing a Qi Recovery Pill.
This was Xuan Dan's plan for creating this pill! Temporarily ceding control so each could recover Qi!
Qing Xuanling nodded seriously, sweat streaming rapidly down her face.
The wait stretched beyond ten minutes. By then, Qing Xuanling's robes were soaked through, revealing the faint curves of her developing body—though, of course, they paled in comparison to Madam Yechan's.
Fortunately, Xuan Dan had fully recovered her Qi.
She rose swiftly and reclaimed control of the Clear Flame. Qing Xuanling collapsed immediately!
But she resisted the urge to close her eyes, sat cross-legged, and also swallowed a Qi Recovery Pill.
The process wasn't over yet!
They repeated this exchange for an hour—finally fusing all seven spirit herbs into a bluish-green medicinal extract.
Both faces were exhausted, eyes glassy—but the final step remained.
"This step in the formula is why the Demon Blood Pill is considered high-grade," Xuan Dan panted. "We're going to eliminate the residual resentment in the blood!"
The demonic beast blood contained a deep resentment for being killed, rendering it unfit for consumption. Alchemists typically used divine sense to attack and purge this resentment.
But of course—neither Qing Xuanling nor Xuan Dan possessed that capability.
After extensive research, Xuan Dan discovered a way to eliminate resentment: Fire Rebirth!
It was well-known that fire possessed an innate purifying effect—though most substances were reduced to ash before experiencing its benefits.
Therefore, there were very few fires in the world that still had that innate purifying effect.
Only certain special fires—like the Clear Flame, which lacked burning properties—could emulate this purifying effect!
Xuan Dan was betting everything that the clear flame could eliminate the resentment in the demonic beast's blood!
Together, they channeled all their remaining Qi to create the hottest Clear Flame possible and enveloped the five liters of demonic blood! The effects were immediate!
The blood volume shrank, its hue deepening to a brilliant crimson while faint black smoke emanated from it!
Both instantly realized—that black smoke was the blood's impurities and resentment!
A joyful smile spread across both their faces as they proceeded with the final step: merging the medicinal extract with the resentment-free blood.
Perhaps because the blood had been fire-purified, the fusion process was remarkably simple. Soon, under Xuan Dan and Qing Xuanling's joint effort, ten brilliant red pills tumbled into the cauldron, steaming gently.
"…First attempt!" Xuan Dan's eyes blazed with madness. She'd refined a high-grade pill on her first try! A monumental achievement!
Qing Xuanling felt equally exhilarated. Continuously producing Demon Blood Pills now seemed possible!
Normally, the most difficult step alchemists faced was removing residual resentment from demonic beast blood. Few methods existed for this.
Not everyone could purify blood with fire—most alchemists' flames were too destructive, damaging the blood's contained energy. Only because the Clear Flame was gentle and demonic beast blood was resilient could fire purification succeed.
That was also why they couldn't use the same method to purify the spirit herbs—they were so delicate that even the clear flame would damage their medicinal effects.
Still, Xuan Dan's method was innovative. At least for the Demon Blood Pill, they might become the clan's finest producers. After all, fire purification also condensed the blood, making it more potent and nourishing.
'…And that also gives me an idea. A very bad idea.'
Qing Xuanling smirked crookedly as she collapsed onto the floor. Her heart hammered—filled with fear and anticipation for what came next.
They rested for the next four hours.
During that time, Qing Xuanling told Xuan Dan about meeting Qing Wangu and the secret university they'd attend in a few days. She planned for Xuan Dan to attend the alchemy classes in her stead.
Though initially fearful others might discover Xuan Dan, that worry had faded. It was unlikely anyone would discern Xuan Dan differed from her. The only possible giveaway would be their spiritual roots.
But even if discovered, Qing Xuanling could simply claim she'd awakened a divine talent allowing temporary spiritual root alteration.
That would resolve everything.
"It's fine with me. I've actually wanted to interact with people for a while…" Xuan Dan nodded, her Qi and mental state fully restored. "Though setting that aside—are you sure you want to do this? Qing Xuanling—this isn't a joke."
Xuan Dan's expression was grave. Qing Xuanling had already shared her bad idea for the first body cultivation session—and even she, the supposed fanatic, considered the idea complete madness.
"This goes beyond training—it's torture," Xuan Dan grimaced. "You could be permanently damaged if you can't endure it."
Qing Xuanling smiled faintly. "But it'll be far more effective, right? You can't deny that."
Xuan Dan sighed bitterly. "I don't want to hear you complaining later… Come on—get in."
Qing Xuanling nodded and stripped without embarrassment—Xuan Dan seeing her naked meant nothing. They were the same person. Fully undressed, she climbed… into the alchemy cauldron.
The space was extremely cramped—nearly too small for Qing Xuanling to fit. A claustrophobic person would suffer terribly within.
Still, Qing Xuanling had no other option. The method for cultivating Abnormal Steel Caterpillar Observation Diary required getting into an furnace to experience, even just a little, what it was like to bathe in lava.
Of course—at least initially—the cauldron would only be heated; fire wouldn't directly touch her. Direct exposure would cause severe injury. Still, one would endure intense heat while sealed inside furnace.
But Qing Xuanling owned no personal furnace—so she settled for the next best thing: Xuan Dan's cauldron!
'…As always, money remains life's greatest obstacle!'
Qing Xuanling wept silently as Xuan Dan sealed the cauldron lid. Heat had to be conserved as much as possible for the method to work—only then could they faintly emulate bathing in lava.
The pitch-black environment triggered slight anxiety in Qing Xuanling—but she clenched her fists, steadied her resolve. She had to grow stronger!
Outside, Xuan Dan took a deep breath and summoned a pink flame to her palm—the flame created using the fire-control technique Qing Wangu had gifted Qing Xuanling. Xuan Dan had mastered it during their rest.
Naturally, her control wasn't exquisite—quite crude and clumsy. But fine control wasn't needed for what came next.
She gritted her teeth, conjured the largest, most intense flame she could beneath the cauldron, and shouted: "I've started—prepare yourself!"
Inside the cauldron, Qing Xuanling trembled slightly at the pain awaiting her. But she gritted her teeth—and with resolve, swallowed the Demon Blood Pill she'd held in her hand.
As it settled in her stomach, a massive surge of blood energy flooded her body!
Qing Xuanling's face flushed from the sudden energy. But her preparations weren't finished. She mobilized the Qi within her—and… summoned a vast amount of Clear Flame!
But not around her, or on her skin. She created the Clear Flame directly inside her body!
Her face paled; tears welled in her eyes—but she endured the inhuman pain, coating every centimeter of her internal body with Clear Flame!
Her organs, muscles—even her blood—began drying instantly!
Though gentle, the Clear Flame was still fire! Not something internal organs could withstand!
A chill ran through Qing Xuanling. The Clear Flame affected her internals far faster than anticipated! She nearly screamed for Xuan Dan to stop and leap from the cauldron—but suddenly, powerful blood energy surged through her body, restoring vitality to her organs!
She was stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening. But she had no time to think—or rather, the pain wouldn't let her! Merely not screaming and leaping out required immense willpower.
Beyond internal agony, the cauldron's interior grew scorching hot. Her skin dried too—but the same blood energy that restored her internals now coursed through her skin, returning it to normal.
Still, the combined internal and external pain was unbearable. She'd have been sobbing uncontrollably—if her tears hadn't instantly evaporated.
She endured this torment for five more minutes before finally stopping—not because she couldn't continue, but because the blood energy healing her body had depleted!
Alarms blared in her mind. She urgently used her connection with Xuan Dan to demand everything stop! The cauldron lid flew open instantly—and Qing Xuanling leaped out of that hellish place!
Her entire skin was unnaturally flushed and glistening with sweat. She looked utterly unhealthy. But neither had time to dwell on it. Qing Xuanling ignored everything and dove straight into a pre-prepared bathtub.
Cold water splashed everywhere as steam erupted violently from Qing Xuanling's skin! She felt a new level of pain—but it was necessary! The cultivation technique explicitly required this!
Qing Xuanling clenched her teeth silently and simply waited for it to end.
The steam ceased three minutes later.
"Satisfied?" Xuan Dan asked, face dark with concern. "Look what recklessness did to you! Have you ever seen skin this ugly and cracked?!"
Xuan Dan's anger stemmed from Qing Xuanling's condition. After the water baptism, Qing Xuanling's skin was covered in gray cracks—horrifying, almost corpse-like.
But Qing Xuanling didn't care what Xuan Dan said.
She was certain she was on the right path!