Chapter 181 – You Deceived Me?!
From her space He Xi took out a set of Silver Needles, and tearing open Nangong Yu's clothes, she revealed the muscles on his strong chest.
Her small warm hands lightly touched the acupuncture points on his chest, inserting a series of needles in his heart veins.
Suddenly, she heard Nangong Yu's deep and low voice in her ears. "I didn't know that Xi Er is such a kind person."
He Xi stared blankly, and suddenly lifting her head, she saw a loving smile upon Nangong Yu's face.
Although his complexion was still pale, his eyes were bright with emotion. Wasn't he unconscious and dying just moments before?
"You deceived me?!" He Xi glared at him in disbelief, her eyebrows frowning.
This scoundrel! Just moments ago she had been worrying in vain, and yet he had even gone so far as to make his pulse unsteady…this hateful man had actually deceived her!
He Xi stood up with a cold expression on her face, and turned around to leave.
Nangong Yu pulled on her hand to stop her. "Xi Er, don't go!"
Originally, if He Xi had wanted to shake off his hand, it would be very easy, but Nangong Yu had unexpectedly used the small amount of spiritual power that remained within his body. He had so little spiritual power left that his hand was icy cold, the life force within his body becoming extremely faint.
"You're crazy! Quickly stop using your spiritual power and let me go! Do you want to die?"
"No, not unless Xi Er promises me that you won't go!"
He Xi's face revealed her anxiousness, and afraid that if he continued it really would become life threatening, she promptly said, "Okay! I won't go!"
With this, Nangong Yu finally released her hand, the trace of a shallow and weak smile at the corners of his mouth. "Xi Er, is it really that difficult for you to admit that you have feelings for me?"
Finished speaking, his eyes closed, and this time he really did lose consciousness.
He Xi remained standing in place, staring blankly at Nangong Yu's sleeping face. When the expression on his face remained unchanged, she finally released a long sigh.
Although He Xi was angry that Nangong Yu had lied to her, she also knew his current state wasn't too optimistic, so she had to pay attention and save his life first.
She got Qing Long to prepare a room full of hot Fire Crystal's containing spiritual power, prepare a wooden tub filled with hot water, and arranged the treatment room like yesterday.
The medicine this time, compared to a few days ago, was a bit different. Originally Nangong Yu had no longer needed to increase the amount of medicine, so He Xi had agreed to let Old Qiu make it. However, who told Nangong Yu to court disaster by using his spiritual power.
Without any choice, she removed a porcelain bottle from her space, pouring one third of the medicine that she had just made not long ago into the bath.
This porcelain bottle is something of little value or interest compared to a magical tool, and she herself didn't know where she got it from. It was only able to hold a very limited quantity of solid items, yet it could contain several tonnes of liquid.
The medicinal liquid inside was prepared by He Xi in her space last night, during her free time. It used an extract from the spiritual herb's that Dandan had brought back to life by planting, then it was mixed with water from the Ninth Secluded Spirit Spring, and the resulting medicine was a thousand times more potent than yesterday's.
But an ordinary martial artist's body wouldn't be able to bear it, so originally He Xi hadn't intended to use it.
Under He Xi's guidance, Qing Long placed Nangong Yu into the medicinal bath. Then from the side, he watched as He Xi took out her Silver Needles, and one by one, inserted them into several of Nangong Yu's major acupuncture points.
After the Silver Needles had been placed on Nangong Yu, smoke began to rise from his body. The room that had at first been sweltering, now started to drop in temperature due to the smoke.
This was because the Cold Poison within
Nangong Yu's body was now being forcefully released.
He Xi handed to porcelain bottle in her grip to Qing Long. "Once the colour of the medicinal liquid in the tub has faded, change the water, and pour in more of the medicine in this bottle. Continue this for up to three days, and Nangong Yu will be able to recover."
Qing Long received the medicinal bottle, and quickly said, "Princess, Master's current state is unstable. I hope that until Master awakens, you can stay here."
Chapter 182 – Learning To Refine Pills
He was afraid that when Master woke up and didn't see Princess, that he would be beaten to death by Master!
He Xi saw Qing Long's expression, and right away she knew that leaving would be impossible.
Besides, it was because of her that Nangong Yu was in his current situation, and she had also promised him that she wouldn't leave, so she should stay.
He Xi pondered a moment before speaking. "Do you have a refining room here?"
"There is. Princess, the reason you're asking for a refining room is to…?" Didn't Princess say she couldn't refine?
He Xi said, "Bring me there. This time I will stay in the refining room, if there is something the matter, you can find me there at any time."
Qing Long was puzzled, but he still bowed in agreement. As long as Princess agreed to stay, it didn't matter what she wanted to do, even if it was tearing down Hell King Manor.
Hell King Manor's refining room was top-of-the-line, complete with every kind of tool anyone would ever need.
The room was about twenty square meters, with many runes engraved on the walls to help gather spiritual power. In the corner of the room there was an arrangement of shelves, these shelves were made using special materials; spiritual plants or spiritual beast cores could be placed on top of them and the spiritual energy wouldn't drain away.
In the centre of the room there was a grey refining furnace, probably as tall as a person, and shaped with a three foot round belly. The surface of the furnace was engraved with all kinds of talismans. In the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture, she had read that these talismans were special spells used to help gather spiritual power, greatly increasing the success while refining pills. The higher the level of the furnace, the more useful and complex the talismans would be.
Arranged around the furnace were several mats, and against one wall there was a long table and a simple bed. These were to be used midway through refining if the person needed to rest.
When He Xi arrived at Hell King Manor she had had a plan, and now she was eager to learn the refining techniques written in the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture. Unfortunately, it was too inconvenient to do it in her courtyard, and plus, she didn't have a refining furnace. So she since she was here anyway, she came up with the idea of borrowing Hell King Manor's refining room.
In accordance with the directions written in the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture, He Xi began to slowly use her spiritual power. Focusing on fire spiritual power, she slowly condensed it as much as she could, until it finally formed a ball of golden spiritual fire on her fingertips.
As soon as the spiritual fire entered the refining furnace, the spells used to gather spiritual power around the furnace began to slowly ignite, gradually lighting up the whole furnace!
He Xi wiped the sweat on her forehead, feeling that the single action of forming the spiritual fire had drained almost all of her spiritual power. To help replenish it, she drank a big bottle of spring water.
Thinking of how much time and spiritual power went into just being able to condense a ball of spiritual fire, He Xi became anxious. With this little ball of spiritual fire, she would only be able to refine a small amount of pills, and she estimated that they would be second grade pills at most.
However, what He Xi didn't know, was that if other doctors could see her actions, their eyeballs would pop out from shock!
For a martial artist to achieve condensing a ball of spiritual fire for refining, they would have to at least be Gold Core Stage! For an ordinary martial artist to be able to refine pills, they generally borrowed spiritual fire sources from nature.
Yet He Xi, who was currently only at Foundation Establishment stage, was able to accomplish forming spiritual fire!
And not only that, her spiritual fire wasn't the normal dark reddish-brown colour, rather, it was a high rank light golden colour.
This was simply against Mi Luo Continent's advanced refining principles!
Unfortunately, He Xi was unaware of this, as all of her knowledge on refining pills was coming from the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture that Old Man Xumi had left. What was instructed inside was naturally what she practiced; how would she know that it was universally shocking.
And so after replenishing her spiritual power, He Xi took out the spiritual herbs from her space that she had prepared in advance according to requirement. Then, she wrapped them in a layer of her spiritual power, and threw them into the furnace.
Chapter 183 – Refining A Supplement Spiritual Pill
Because of the spiritual power, the spiritual herbs placed in the furnace were engulfed by the spiritual fire in an instant.
This prescription was for the simplest Supplement Spiritual Pill. It was listed as a first rank medicinal pill, and was the best type for He Xi to practice refining.
Gathering her spiritual energy, she opened her spiritual eyes. Using them to then examine what was occurring inside the furnace, she discovered that the spiritual herbs had already begun to slowly mix with the spiritual fire.
Unfortunately, they weren’t mixing well. Some areas had already melted, while certain areas of the spiritual herbs were untouched.
However, if this were to continue, then wouldn’t this affect the attributes of the medicinal pill?
But if she was able to stir it, then wouldn’t it be just like when she decoct her herbal medicine?
Thinking this, she focused, and driving her spiritual power into the boiling furnace, she wrapped up the spiritual herbs, and continuously stirred the remaining herbs slowly.
And when the spiritual fire wasn’t strong enough in some places, she used her Divine Sense to split her spiritual power. Dividing it into strands, she then poured it into the spiritual fire so that the herbs were able to cook evenly.
This is like when you lit a fire for cooking; when the fire wasn’t big enough, that’s when you added more firewood.
He Xi felt that this was very simple reasoning, yet this kind of technique wasn’t written in the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture. However, she thought that perhaps the techniques documented were the only ones ancient doctors could think of to refine medicinal pills.
Yet what He Xi didn’t know, was that this small action would greatly change this batch of medicinal pills’ attributes, causing her to be very surprised.
After an hour passed, He Xi discovered that the herbs inside had dissolved completely.
So after wiping off the sweat on her forehead, she replenished herself by drinking a bit of spring water. She estimated that with this speed, it would take about two to four hours to complete, eliminating her chances of success.
Fortunately, the furnace and the room was filled with strong spells used to help gather spiritual power, greatly reducing the consumption of He Xi’s own. Otherwise, if He Xi had to use her spiritual power for a few hours in a row, even if she continuously drank spring water, she still wouldn’t be able maintain that pace.
Once another two hours had passed, all the spiritual herbs had finally finished fusing, and above the grey furnace a dazzling golden light burst forth.
He Xi opened the furnace and a medicinal smell straight away assailed her nostrils, making her feel clear headed and relaxed.
At this moment in the furnace’s second layer, there lay a small, finger-sized grey-black medicinal pill. The difference between this Supplement Spiritual Pill and others, is that on this grey-black medicinal pill there were thin golden lines. And although they were very faint, they were still visible if you looked carefully.
Thirty Supplement Spiritual Pills…He Xi sighed. After refining for four hours, the result was only thirty Supplement Spiritual Pills. With such demanding work on her mind and body, this was all she had to show for it.
If word of this were to reach the ears of other refining masters, their spluttering would be able to drown He Xi. After refining for the first time and using the most common spiritual herbs, if a furnace producing thirty pills still wasn’t enough, then how would that group of people have lived?
But when He Xi worked out the cost of the Supplement Spiritual Pills’ materials and compared it to how much she could sell the pills for, she immediately beamed with joy.
Adding up the cost to produce the spiritual herbs for the Supplement Spiritual Pills, it equaled no more than ten crystals. So how much were the completed Supplement Spiritual Pills worth? One low grade Supplement Spiritual Pill would be worth more than a hundred crystals, while just one top grade pill could fetch more than a thousand crystals!
When looking at it this way…spending four hours on making them was totally worth it!
Three days passed very quickly. Throughout this time, He Xi studied the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture and practiced refining during the day, while during the evenings, she would meditate in her space and cultivate.
Now that three days had passed, all the porcelain bottles that she found in her space had already been filled with medicinal pills, and once those were filled, she even managed to find a large jar to store the medicinal pills in. Then, she placed them all inside the Spirit Firmament Palace.
Chapter 184 – You're…Awake?
In any case, the Spirit Firmament Palace has the effect of protecting the freshness of stored items. No matter what was placed inside, when it's removed, it will still be exactly the same as when it was originally stored.
He Xi had now refined a lot of medicinal pills, unfortunately, all of them were only first grade pills. When she had attempted to refine second grade medicinal pills, she ultimately failed due to a variety of reasons.
There was a note written in the Overflowing Cauldron Pill Scripture mentioning that the intensity, and the rank, of the spiritual fire would affect the grade of the medicinal pill. So even though she wanted to refine a second grade medicinal pill, it apparently seemed that the rank of her spiritual fire wasn't high enough, leading to any attempts failing.
However, He Xi's failed medicinal pills were different compared to other refining masters' failures. Their failed attempts at refining would end with the medicinal pills crumbling into powder, and the entire furnace exploding!
Yet when He Xi's attempt at refining second grade medicinal pills failed, small round pills still formed. Compared to normal second grade Supplement Spiritual Pills, these were a little smaller and darker. He Xi thought for a moment, then she decided to store the failed pills away and research the cause of the failure at a later date.
During this period of time, He Xi of course still went to check on Nangong Yu's condition. While he had continuously slept for all three days, He Xi had continued Nangong Yu's treatment of medicinal baths, plus other treatments. And to avoid him being angry, she had continuously drugged him into unconsciousness for those three days, stopping his treatments only yesterday.
The results of the treatment were better than expected, as sure enough, Nangong Yu's body had become stronger than before! So although the effects of He Xi's medicinal treatment was very powerful, to ordinary martial artists, they would find themselves devoured instead of healed.
Yet Nangong Yu's body had unexpectedly been able to adapt, easily passing through three days of treatment. On top of that, the Cold Poison in his body had dispersed, letting the spiritual power once again circulate in his dantian. Even the injuries he'd previously received in the Flame Cave were gradually recovering.
It can be said, that until today, Nangong Yu had already completely recovered. But now that he had regained the peak phase of his cultivation base, until the next time the Cold Poison attacked, he wouldn't need to worry about it.
Right now He Xi stood behind Nangong Yu and began to remove all of the Silver Needles from his body.
The moment the last Silver Needle was pulled out, Nangong Yu's eyes abruptly opened.
He Xi had just happened to move in front of Nangong Yu, when she suddenly came into contact with a pair of beast like eyes. Luminous and fiery, they gazed into her eyes, causing her to momentarily stare blankly.
"You're…awake?" Being stared at with such a piercing stare, He Xi didn't know why her heart started to grow apprehensive. It was as if she was his prey, instinctively making her want to escape. "Then, since you're fine, I'll go back."
Finished speaking, she replaced the Silver Needles in her space and turned around to run away.
However, before she was even able to turn around, her wrist was gripped tightly by a certain man. The big palm that held her back no longer felt as cold as ice, rather, it was scorching hot, like burning charcoal.
Fine beads of sweat formed on He Xi's forehead. "Stop it, what are you doing…"
He Xi hadn't yet finished speaking when her body suddenly rose into the air, and since she completely lacked the strength to resist, she was dragged into the medicinal tub.
Due to the surprise, He Xi cried out in alarm and felt herself drink a mouthful of bitter medicinal water in the process, causing her small face to pucker up as she repeatedly coughed.
"You're crazy! Do you want me to choke to death!" Finished speaking, she used one hand to support herself on the edge of tub while she jumped out.
Unfortunately, before she could escape, Nangong Yu pushed down on her shoulder with one hand. Then, gently pulling her back, he trapped her between himself and the tub wall. "Naughty little thing, choking to death is too cheap for you."
He Xi was intimidated by his burning gaze, and because of their ambiguous position; their bodies sticking closely to each other, she could feel her face turning red.
Using both hands, she pushed on Nangong Yu's chest to create some distance, her face taut with the effort she was exerting as she said, "What are you talking about?! I don't understand!"
Chapter 185 – Punishment
Nangong Yu smiled evilly, and leaning closer to her, he blew a breath into her ear as he said, "You don't understand? Then wouldn't it better if I helped you to remember? Let's say you first pushed me, making me lose consciousness, and then you even dared to add a knockout drug into my medicine…Xi Er, your courage is really growing!"
Hearing what he said, He Xi's face immediately reddened. Her guilty conscience making her turn her face to the side. "Stop talking nonsense! You fainting is your own fault, I already told you not to use your spiritual power. And what knockout drug, do you have any evidence?"
After saying this, she firmly pushed against the man who trapped her, wanting to slip away.
But since Nangong Yu's cultivation base had now recovered, she was unable to move him. Her action of pushing him was ineffective, instead, it only made Nangong Yu tighten his hold on her.
He Xi suddenly wanted to smash a stone down on her foot in depression. Had she cured Nangong Yu only for him to act undisciplined and suppress her?
Nangong Yu quietly laughed, his muscled chest faintly vibrating. "Xi Er, tell me, how should I punish you?"
"It's me who cured you, you…ahh–!"
He Xi hadn't yet finished speaking when Nangong Yu lowered his head, firmly sealing her small alluring lips.
With heated palms, he clasped one closely around He Xi's waist, while the other pressed against her head, firmly confining her in his arms.
Once the kiss ended, He Xi felt limp all over, completely pliable in Nangong Yu's embrace.
Nangong Yu's arms encircled her entire body, and lifting up her petite frame, he bent her legs and placed her on his lap.
He Xi's translucent cheeks were glowing a peach-like crimson, while her eyes were like black glass, filled with a trace of moisture and a faint purple light. Her small red lips were slightly parted as she gasped for breath, revealing her pink tongue and pearly white teeth…
Nangong Yu felt his heart tighten, and holding her a little higher, he couldn't help but kiss her once more.
This time, the kiss lasted until He Xi was almost faint from a lack of air. At some point her arms had subconsciously wrapped themselves around Nangong Yu's neck; it seemed as if her whole body was on the verge of melting.
Nangong Yu's eyes were flooded with strong passion, and as he lowered his gaze to the girl's captivating black-purple eyes, he could feel the heat in his body surge to somewhere in his lower regions.
"Xi Er, if you seduce me like this again, I certainly won't be able to restrain myself and will make you my Princess right now!"
The man's deep and husky voice contained a strong desire, making it feel like he wanted to swallow her entirely. His ink black eyes had become a scorching red as they intently stared at her.
He Xi suddenly returned to her senses, realizing that the two of them were tightly pressed against each other. And since she was sitting on his lap, she could definitely feel the changes occurring with Nangong Yu's body.
"You…you pervert! Shameless!" He Xi immediately jumped from his lap, retreating to the other side of the tub.
Nangong Yu laughed. "Mhmm, I'm shameless, but I'm only shameless to my family's Xi Er."
Pfft! Who's your family!? He Xi absolutely wouldn't admit that there was a trace of happiness in her heart.
Nangong Yu moved, suddenly appearing beside He Xi and pulling her into his embrace. "Xi Er, don't avoid me, all right? You can't run away, you're destined to be mine!"
He Xi angrily retorted, "Why am I yours?! You're more or less mine, don't forget that you now owe me a favour for saving your life!"
Once the words were out, He Xi immediately regretted it, regretted it so much that her intestines were green. Isn't this the same as giving this shameless guy an opportunity?