Chapter 23: The Secret of the Jade Tablet

He turned the jade piece over and over, examining it several times, but strangely enough, Yang Xiao could not discern any connection between the jade and the Dragon Serpent Sword. During the forging of the Dragon Serpent Sword, the jade piece had exhibited unusual behavior, but now, having settled, it appeared no different from before and remained utterly still, which was quite peculiar.

Unable to find anything unusual about the jade, Yang Xiao could only put it away once more. After resting for a while, he decided to begin refining a batch of pills. This time, he had obtained two ingredients in the ancient cultivator’s cave: Flute Blossom and Tailgrass. They were perfect for making a pill he knew of, one that could greatly enhance the cultivation of disciples in the Spirit Sense realm—the Spirit Accumulation Pill.

The Spirit Accumulation Pill was a low-level spiritual medicine, but it brought tremendous benefits to those seeking to improve their Spirit Sense cultivation. However, crafting it was rather difficult; without the skills of a master alchemist, it was impossible to succeed. Even for master alchemists, a hundred percent success rate was unattainable, making the pill extraordinarily precious.

In the Giant Spirit Sect, ordinary disciples usually consumed simple medicines made from spiritual herbs, which paled in comparison to the effects of the Spirit Accumulation Pill. But there was no helping it; the pill was so rare that the sect could not possibly distribute it to disciples. Only at the annual competition did the Sect Leader reward outstanding disciples with such pills.

For Yang Xiao, crafting the Spirit Accumulation Pill was even more difficult than forging the Dragon Serpent Sword, requiring a higher level of skill. He carefully placed the herbs into the cauldron, then moved it onto the earthfire.

Controlling the size and temperature of the flames with precision, Yang Xiao began the delicate process of refining, which lasted several hours. Soon, a fragrant aroma started wafting from the cauldron, signaling that the medicine was nearly ready, with only the final pill-condensing stage remaining—the most challenging step.

Yet, as with forging the Dragon Serpent Sword, Yang Xiao had his own method for ensuring the pill coalesced successfully. He once again infused spiritual energy into the cauldron, preventing the spiritual essence from dissipating, then suddenly intensified the fire to its peak before abruptly withdrawing the flames, allowing the cauldron to cool rapidly.

With this technique, it seemed Yang Xiao would complete the process smoothly. However, at that moment, the jade piece in his storage pouch underwent another transformation.

The jade piece flew out of the pouch of its own accord, emitting a beam of light that shone upon the cauldron.

During the pill-condensing stage, a great deal of spiritual essence is usually lost, but once the jade’s light enveloped the cauldron, the rate of loss slowed dramatically, and it seemed as though almost none was wasted—all of it was drawn into the pill.

The sudden event astonished Yang Xiao, but he quickly realized what was happening. Clearly, the jade was no ordinary treasure; its purpose was evident—it prevented spiritual essence from dissipating during pill refinement and artifact forging, aiding in their successful completion.

Understanding its use, Yang Xiao was filled with joy. Even the greatest alchemists could not prevent the loss of spiritual essence during pill-making; conserving half the original essence in a finished pill was already considered excellent.

With the essence preserved, the finished pills would naturally be far more potent.

Once the refining was finished, Yang Xiao opened the cauldron and found that the batch of pills he had crafted possessed a vitality surpassing any Spirit Accumulation Pills he had previously seen.

Most alchemists’ Spirit Accumulation Pills were considered low-level, but these pills Yang Xiao produced could almost be classified as mid-level spiritual medicines.

Unable to resist, Yang Xiao decided to test them immediately. He placed one pill in his mouth and swallowed it. The medicine dissolved swiftly, and the surging energy caused his body to swell slightly.

“So powerful,” Yang Xiao nearly lost control, but fortunately his will was exceptionally strong. He gradually absorbed the pill’s energy, a process that took an entire day.

This astonished even him, but after fully absorbing the pill, his spiritual power underwent a dramatic transformation, successfully breaking through to the fifth level of Spirit Sense.

Though the earthfire vein was hot, it was highly conducive to cultivation, especially strengthening will and body. For this reason, Yang Xiao did not plan to leave quickly; he intended to continue taking the pills and train further here.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. During this time, Yang Xiao went from absorbing one pill per day to taking several daily, resulting in another extraordinary leap in his cultivation.

When Yang Xiao finally emerged from the earthfire vein, his cultivation had risen yet another level, reaching the sixth stage of Spirit Sense. The Ninefold Golden Body also progressed, achieving the first major stage of mastery.

Witnessing his rapid growth in strength, Yang Xiao was extremely satisfied.

However, with the frequent use of Spirit Accumulation Pills, a problem arose—their effects diminished steadily for him. At this rate, future advancement would slow, and he would need to find another kind of pill to compensate, enabling further rapid progress.

Thus, Yang Xiao left the earthfire vein, planning to search the nearby marketplace for a better pill than the Spirit Accumulation Pill.

His appearance at the entrance once again astonished the two guards, as no disciple had ever spent such a long time in the earthfire vein before. Yet Yang Xiao paid them no mind, settled the spirit stone fee, and left the mountaintop, heading straight for a nearby marketplace.

Soon, Yang Xiao arrived at the market, one of the largest in the region, renowned even throughout the entire Ten-Thousand-Fathoms Mountain Range.

After inquiring at several shops, Yang Xiao found nothing. The stores dealt mainly in spiritual herbs, and while low-level pills could occasionally be found, pill recipes were never offered for sale. That was hardly surprising—even if recipes existed, the three great sects would keep them tightly guarded. How could they possibly be sold on the open market?