Chapter 148: The Fifth Blood Crystal

In the following days, Ye Cheng spent his days quietly refining medicinal liquids in the cave, continually deepening his fire-control techniques and intensively studying the intermediate fire-control method imprinted in his memory: the Profound Fire Art. Over and over again, he refined the tier-one medicinal liquid, Hemostatic Powder.

During this time, he went to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to obtain another twenty portions of ingredients for the Hemostatic Powder, alongside thirty portions each for tier-two ingredients such as Coagulation Powder and Qi-Consolidating Powder. Once he completely mastered the tier-one Hemostatic Powder, he would begin attempting to refine tier-two medicinal liquids. Only tier-two medicinal liquids could provide auxiliary effects for his current realm.

When night fell, he would quietly return to the Ye family residence. By the time he finished refining medicine during the day, his mind was extremely fatigued. Therefore, instead of sitting cross-legged in meditation at night, he would get a sound and solid sleep to restore his weary mind, only to begin practicing again the next day.

The days of arduous cultivation were always tedious and monotonous. Yet amidst these rigorous routines, the stockpile of Hemostatic Powder brought many smiles to his face. What surprised him even more was that through the prolonged consumption and recovery of his spiritual awareness, his spiritual consciousness was gradually strengthening during the process of refining medicine. Although the rate of increase was not particularly noticeable, over time, it would manifest unexpected surprises.

Of course, it was worth noting that during Ye Cheng’s days of intense cultivation, the Ye family had thoroughly purged and restructured all the factions throughout Luoyang Town, solidifying the family's position as unshakable. Furthermore, one evening, his eldest uncle, Ye Hong, came to see him, hoping that he would take charge of a portion of the Ye family's forces.

Though Ye Cheng was young—a youth who had just turned seventeen not long ago—his strength was enough to make him a prominent figure in Luoyang Town. In this martial arts-centric world, age mattered not; only the strength of one's cultivation realm dictated status. Thus, having him manage a faction was entirely logical.

However, Ye Cheng had neither the time nor the energy to deal with such matters right now; his heart was utterly devoted to the martial path. After refusing several times, Ye Hong had no choice but to drop the persuasion.

On the other hand, Ye Ming did take charge of some affairs, wishing to temper himself through them, and had been away for a long time.

Half a month passed, and Ye Cheng completely exhausted the twenty portions of Hemostatic Powder ingredients he had recently purchased, successfully refining fifteen batches of Hemostatic Powder. Among them, thirteen bottles achieved a seventy-percent purity rate, while only two bottles reached an eighty-percent purity rate. Even with the advantage of the Fire Spirit’s assistance, he could only produce two bottles of eighty-percent purity.

Immediately following this, he began undertaking the refinement of tier-two medicinal liquids, alternating between Hemostatic Powder and Qi-Consolidating Powder. Doing so naturally served a purpose of his own.

If one were to consume Coagulation Powder alone, it could easily cause their vital blood Qi to become unstable and superficial, hindering future progress in the martial path. By taking Coagulation Powder followed by Qi-Consolidating Powder, alternating between the two, the adverse consequences of superficial blood Qi would be completely averted.

Soon, another half month elapsed. Ye Cheng had been immersed in the Dao of alchemy for a full month and a few days. Throughout this month-and-a-fraction, he had not absorbed vital energy nor stimulated his blood Qi, focusing entirely on refining medicine.

This was because the amount of blood Qi stimulated each day by absorbing vital energy was negligible—far less efficient than concentrating on alchemy right now. Once he successfully refined these two tier-two medicinal liquids and consumed them continuously, he believed his blood Qi would soon achieve another breakthrough.

At last, hard work pays off. Over the past two days, Ye Cheng finally succeeded in refining both the Coagulation Powder and the Qi-Consolidating Powder.

Inside his room within the Ye family estate, Ye Cheng returned early that day, sitting cross-legged. With a flick of his hand, he tilted his head back and drained a bottle of medicinal liquid in one gulp. This was the Coagulation Powder he had just successfully refined, and he was eager to test its efficacy.

The medicinal liquid melted the moment it touched his tongue, and Ye Cheng felt a surge of heat rush from within his body to every part of his limbs. He quickly closed his eyes tightly to refine the medicinal potency of the Coagulation Powder.

As the medicinal power seeped into his various meridians, his blood Qi began to be stimulated and drawn out from his body bit by bit. The four blood crystals at his Dantian rotated incessantly, forming a whirlpool.

On the surface of Ye Cheng’s skin, eighty-two blood lines slowly emerged—these were the ones he had previously condensed. As the blood Qi continued to be stimulated, yet another blood line began to manifest.

"Devour for me!" Ye Cheng urged the Spirit-Swallowing Art, absorbing all the medicinal power into himself, whereupon the eighty-three blood line fully materialized.

Following that, he took the Qi-Consolidating Powder, and within the span of half an incense stick of time, he stabilized his surging blood Qi.

"Eighty-three blood lines!" Sensing the blood Qi emerging on his skin, the four blood crystals within his body, and the immense blood Qi pervading his meridians and blood vessels, Ye Cheng could not help murmuring to himself, "Back then, my first blood crystal began to condense only when the sixty-seventh blood line appeared. The second blood crystal formed at the seventy-first blood line, the third at the seventy-fifth, and the fourth at the seventy-ninth..."

"Calculating this way, after the sixty-third line, a blood crystal is condensed every four blood lines. When the blood lines reach ninety-nine, one can condense nine blood crystals and reach the Great Circle of the Blood Qi Realm. Since I am now at the eighty-three blood lines, I am already capable of condensing the fifth blood crystal."

At this thought, Ye Cheng's eyes lit up, but he immediately hesitated. Condensing a blood crystal was no laughing matter; once the blood Qi was insufficient and forced condensation was attempted, although the already formed blood crystals would remain unaffected, the laboriously stimulated blood Qi would scatter, and the energy circulating through the meridians and blood vessels would be completely depleted.

Conversely, if he did not condense a blood crystal, the blood Qi he had stimulated could not be fully unleashed into its proper might, and his combat prowess would be severely compromised.

Therefore, Ye Cheng could not help hesitating. Success meant everything was fine, but failure meant losing the blood Qi he had recently painstakingly stimulated.

"Screw it! If worst comes to worst and I fail, I'll just re-cultivate the lost blood Qi and make it back," Ye Cheng gnashed his teeth fiercely. He directly activated the Spirit-Swallowing Art, controlling the blood Qi within his Dantian to condense the fifth blood crystal vortex.

*Rip.*

wisps of blood Qi were continuously and forcibly drawn into the blood crystal vortex, becoming increasingly solid and reinforced. Every single thread of blood Qi pulled from his meridians into the vortex left his body with slightly less circulating energy. Sensing all this happening inside him, Ye Cheng broke out in cold sweat, deeply worried that his blood Qi might be insufficient to form the crystal. Even so, he had to steel himself and push through; he could not stop halfway.

When the very last thread of blood Qi was injected into the blood crystal vortex, the crystal, under Ye Cheng’s nervous gaze, finally condensed completely. Feeling the five incessantly rotating blood crystals in his Dantian, Ye Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and opened his eyes.

Clenching his five fingers slightly, the power transmitting from his Dantian was considerably greater than before, causing Ye Cheng to nod in delight. "It seems my estimation was correct."

Just as Ye Cheng was secretly rejoicing, his gaze abruptly shifted toward a certain direction. From that place, he sensed a terrifying, suffocating fluctuation of vital energy erupting instantly.