Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

However, the risks are extremely high! On two separate occasions, during the critical moment of refining the medicine, the conflict between Yin and Yang caused the medicinal power to go berserk, resulting in the explosion and destruction of the furnace. Not only were the rare materials wasted, but the backlash also caused Li Xiaocao's blood and qi to churn, resulting in some minor injuries.

"Moon Shadow Orchid is cold in nature and needs to be guided by the spiritual energy of Yi Wood to transform its Yin energy into pure Yin medicinal power... The earth fire power needs to be reduced to seven-tenths of its 'gentle fire' and nurtured using a warming method over six hours..."

Li Xiaocao muttered incantations, and the energy flowing from her fingertips was no longer the fiery control technique, but a vibrant emerald green wood spirit, like the finest carving knife, regulating the earth fire. At the same time, she sent out a wisp of her divine sense, carefully probing into the cauldron to sense every subtle change in the medicinal liquid.

Her face was pale, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating that she hadn't had a proper rest in a long time. Several capable disciples of the Pill Hall beside her held their breath, recording every detail, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Senior sister, you've been refining for seven hours straight. Why don't you take a break?" A round-faced female disciple couldn't help but whisper, offering her a cup of warm ginseng tea.

Li Xiaocao seemed oblivious, her entire focus absorbed in the cauldron. Suddenly, her brow furrowed, and the medicinal liquid within the cauldron fluctuated violently, showing signs of imbalance in the Yin and Yang energies once again!

"Not good!" a nearby experienced disciple exclaimed in a low voice.

At this critical moment, Li Xiaocao bit her tongue sharply, using the intense pain to stimulate her almost exhausted spiritual consciousness, and her hand seals suddenly accelerated! She forcibly drew upon her own innate wood energy, transforming it into a soft blue light, and poured it into the cauldron!

"Plants and trees share the same origin, let them merge!"

Om-!

The cauldron emitted a clear, melodious hum, and the violently fluctuating medicinal liquid gradually calmed down, instead beginning to condense towards the center in a mysterious trajectory! A purer medicinal fragrance, carrying a hint of coolness, spread out!

"Freeze!"

Li Xiaocao let out a sharp cry, her hands creating afterimages as she unleashed the final pill-collecting technique!

The lid of the cauldron was opened, and three pills, each the size of a longan, pure white with a few fine blue lines entwined on their surface, lay quietly at the bottom of the cauldron, emitting a soft glow and a refreshing fragrance.

"It's done! It's a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill! It even has the calming effect of a soothing orchid!" The round-faced female disciple jumped up in surprise.

Li Xiaocao let out a long sigh of relief, staggering backward as if utterly exhausted, before being supported by her disciple. Looking at the three extraordinary Foundation Establishment Pills, a sweet smile of relief spread across her pale face, though tears welled in her eyes:

"It's done...it's finally done! From now on, the success rate of our sect's disciples in Foundation Establishment will be at least 10% higher! Quick, quickly record the pill formula and the key points of the heat control!"

"Yes, Senior Sister!" the disciples responded in unison, full of enthusiasm. Under Li Xiaocao's almost obsessive dedication to research, the Pill Hall displayed unprecedented vitality.

Meanwhile, in the "Forging Valley," a key location on the back mountain of the main peak, a different scene unfolds – a bustling and vibrant atmosphere.

In the valley, dozens of furnaces of varying sizes were burning fiercely, the clanging of forging, the sizzling of melting spiritual materials, and the shouts of disciples intertwined, and the air was filled with the scent of metal and fire.

In the center of the valley, in front of the tallest "Thousand Forging Furnace," the head of the Weapon Hall, an elder in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage named Zhao Tiechui, was shirtless, revealing his bronze-colored, scarred, and muscular physique. He was wielding a giant hammer that gleamed with spiritual light, smashing it hard into a piece of metal ingot in the furnace that was burning red-hot and mixed with "red copper essence" and a small amount of "gray-patterned iron," a by-product of "voiding stone."

"Hey! Hey! Keep your firepower steady! Focus your mind and let your will follow the hammer!" Zhao Tiechui's voice was like a booming bell. With each strike, sparks flew everywhere, and the metal blank groaned in pain, but its shape changed at a speed visible to the naked eye, vaguely taking on the shape of a sword.

Around them, a dozen core disciples were working at full power, activating the Earth Fire Array Plate, sweat beading on their foreheads, not daring to be distracted for even a moment. They were attempting to forge the Weapon Refining Hall's latest research project—a standardized flying sword imbued with the essence of "Flowing Clouds"!

"Master! Spiritual energy infusion node! Quickly!" a disciple responsible for monitoring the spiritual patterns shouted urgently.

Zhao Tiechui's gaze sharpened, and his giant hammer suddenly became light and agile, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, quickly touching several key points on the sword embryo, leaving faint cloud-shaped spiritual patterns. This was his self-created "Flowing Cloud Forging Technique," a combination of the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique and weapon-forging methods!

"Out of the furnace! Quenching!" Zhao Tiechui roared, using all his strength to pull out the formed sword blank and plunge it into the icy spring water that had been prepared beforehand and mixed with the juice of "Cold Tobacco Grass"!

laugh--!

White mist shot into the sky! A sharp yet ethereal sword intent suddenly erupted!

After the white mist dissipated, Zhao Tiechui carefully took out the longsword. The sword was long and slender, with a dark blue color and natural cloud patterns flowing on it. When he wielded it, the sword light flickered, and there were even faint clouds following it, making a subtle sound of air being cut. It was exceptionally agile!

"Success! It's a top-grade magic weapon! The Flowing Cloud Sword! It's really been forged!" a young disciple shouted excitedly.

Zhao Tiechui stroked the sword's blade, savoring its unique artistic conception. A rare, hearty laugh broke out on his usually stern face: "Hahaha! Excellent! What a fine Flowing Cloud Sword! Lighter and more resilient than ordinary high-grade flying swords, its sword light carries the shadows of clouds, dazzling the eye! This is truly worthy of our Qingyun Sect's name! Quick! Take it to our Sect Leader!"

The entire Weaponry Hall erupted in cheers. The success of the Flowing Cloud Sword meant that the Weaponry Hall finally had a distinctive product that could make a name for itself, and was no longer just simply repairing magical artifacts or refining mass-produced items.

The "Array Pavilion," located at the node of the main peak's spiritual vein, is much quieter. But the activity here is no less than that of the other two.

In the center of the array pavilion, Zhao Qingyan floated in mid-air, surrounded by countless flickering runes. Her fingertips were like the most precise carving knives, outlining complex array patterns in the void.

Beneath their feet was a massive array compass covering the entire pavilion, slowly rotating as it deduced the secondary array eye construction plan for extending the main peak's "Small Nine Palaces Flowing Cloud Array" to the Black Stone Village branch.

"Senior Sister Qingyan, the spiritual energy node in the southwest 'Li' position is fluctuating abnormally, but the 'earth vein stone' is not pure enough?" A disciple stared at the compass and reported nervously.

Zhao Qingyan slightly opened her eyes, pointed her finger, and released a stream of pure spiritual energy. A piece of array base material in the corresponding area in the distance lit up slightly, and the fluctuation subsided.

"It's alright, the impurities have been removed. Continue to inject spiritual energy and test the connection stability."

Her complexion wasn't much better than Li Xiaocao's; the prolonged mental exertion in deducing the grand formation had severely damaged her spirit. However, her eyes grew brighter and brighter. As she deepened her understanding of the formation inheritance she had obtained from the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm, her comprehension of space and spiritual power advanced by leaps and bounds.

The power of the mountain-protecting formation continues to increase, its coverage area continues to expand, and its linkage with the formations of the branch halls is becoming more and more perfect, making it the sect's most solid shield.

In contrast, the "Talisman Drawing Garden," where the "Talisman Hall" was located, was in a more chaotic state. The elder of the Talisman Hall was an old cultivator surnamed Qian, whose cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but whose talent for talisman making was extremely high. At this moment, he was chasing a young disciple all over the courtyard.

"You little brat! How many times have I told you! When drawing the 'Flowing Cloud Escape Talisman,' the cloud patterns must be 'ethereal'! They must be 'floating'! Is what you drew a dark cloud or a rock? The spiritual energy is all blocked! You've wasted my talisman paper!" Elder Qian was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at his face, holding a stack of ruined talismans in his hand.

The young disciple ran away with his head in his hands, crying, "Elder, please calm down! Please calm down! I know I was wrong! Please give me another chance!"