Chapter 63

Qin Yang also seemed to be convinced, his eyes shining with determination, and his breathing becoming rapid. "What about Zhongli Mountain? He is Qin Yue's teacher, and with his support, he is a major trouble!"

Li Yi couldn't help but sneer inwardly, but his face remained serious. "Zhongli Mountain's strength has improved significantly over the years, and we have no confidence in eliminating him. However, if we kill Xiao Qingwang, we can take responsibility for restraining Zhongli Mountain, so he won't have the time to help Qin Yue. This third strategy is to prepare everything, and when the Crown Prince raises his banner, he will be answered by all, and the world will follow!"

One call, and all will respond; the world will follow!

Qin Yang's face turned slightly red. He tried to calm himself down and said slowly, "What benefits do you want from the Hundred Wars State? Kunjin City and Baishou Mountain are absolutely out of the question!"

He had led troops for many years and knew the importance of the country's geography. If one city or town fell, the Hundred Wars State's iron cavalry would march south, and he would have no bargaining chips left.

Li Yi laughed heartily and said warmly, "The Crown Prince is speaking like an outsider. Since we are willing to help the Crown Prince, we naturally consider you as one of us. Our conditions are simple: your country will withdraw from the competition for the upper state. In addition to providing some material assistance, we need your support in military force at critical moments to help the Hundred Wars State secure the position of the upper state."

Qin Yang raised an eyebrow, disbelievingly, "Is it that simple?"

Li Yi smiled, "It is that simple. To be honest, with the current strength of the Tianshui State, it is already very difficult to compete for the next upper state ranking. Our Hundred Wars State has been recuperating for five years and, under the wise leadership of His Majesty, our national strength has been steadily increasing. This ranking competition is almost a sure thing for us. Of course, the other opponents are also very strong, so we need Prince Qin Yang to fully assist us in securing the position!"

Qin Yang began to ponder. The decline of the Tianshui State was inevitable. But he had ambition; as long as he ascended the throne, it would only take a few years to regain the status of the upper state! His eyes showed a hint of determination, and he said solemnly, "How can I trust that you will withdraw after besieging Kunjin City?"

Li Yi smiled, "Even if we bypass and besiege Kunjin City, as long as Li Changfeng holds out and waits for Li Chunyang's rescue, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses. The ranking battle is imminent, and the Hundred Wars State does not want to waste its strength. This military action is aimed at restraining Li Chunyang and helping the Crown Prince ascend the throne!" He took out a list and handed it to Qin Yang, smiling, "This is a list of the material assistance we need. We hope the Crown Prince will honor it after ascending the throne."

Qin Yang took the list and his face turned green. Although he had expected it wouldn't be cheap, the extortion was too blatant. The list included a large amount of gold, grain, equipment, fifty first-grade mystic weapons, fifteen second-grade mystic weapons, three third-grade mystic weapons, five hundred first-grade elixirs, one hundred second-grade elixirs, and twenty third-grade elixirs!

"Li Yi, you are too much! Such a huge amount of material will almost empty the Tianshui State!" Qin Yang threw the list away in a rage, and Gao Feng, standing beside him, also looked extremely displeased.

Li Yi smiled slightly, "These things are just external possessions. Compared to the Crown Prince's throne, which is more important, I believe the Crown Prince can weigh it. If the Crown Prince has made up his mind, feel free to come find me."

He used his hand to write his temporary address on the table with water and then strolled away with a smile.

Qin Yang's face was as calm as water, and he fell into deep thought in the hall. His loyal forces also looked at each other, whispering incessantly.

Li Yunxiao and Jia Rong were still in a tense seclusion at the Alchemist Guild.

"This is the twentieth one, right!" Jia Rong wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out a milky white elixir from a black pill furnace. Although his face was as pale as a withered leaf, his eyes shone with excitement and joy.

"Sure, take one Soul Nourishing Pill and continue after you recover." Li Yunxiao sat in the array, eyes closed, and said softly, "Bring me a Thousand Bird Pill."

"Yes!" Jia Rong responded, walked to a long table, and placed the elixir he had just refined into a transparent jade box, where a pile of identical elixirs already lay. Jia Rong's heart was filled with complex emotions.

These elixirs were called Mystic Fire Pills, genuine second-grade elixirs that only second-stage alchemists could refine. But under Li Yunxiao's guidance, he had easily refined them, and not only that, but he had produced them in a steady stream.

He reached into two other jade boxes, took out a small green pill and a light yellow pill, and frowned, "Young Master Yun, there's only one Soul Nourishing Pill left, and not many Thousand Bird Pills left."

Li Yunxiao kept his eyes closed and said slowly, "After taking this Soul Nourishing Pill and recovering your soul power, refine a batch of Soul Nourishing Pills first, then stop refining Mystic Fire Pills and help me refine some Thousand Bird Pills."

"Me, me, me refine Soul Nourishing Pills and Thousand Bird Pills?" Jia Rong's body trembled, and he said excitedly, "Young Master Yun, are you going to teach me the formulas for Soul Nourishing Pills and Thousand Bird Pills?"

Li Yunxiao frowned slightly, then opened his eyes and casually threw a formula, saying coldly, "After following me for so long, how can you still act like a beginner? These are just low-grade elixirs, street vendor goods. What's there to get excited about? So unstable!"

Jia Rong quickly ran over to pick up the formula on the ground, trembling with excitement. He didn't dare to speak, fearing another scolding. Although being scolded wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

The Soul Nourishing Pill was not just street vendor goods but an upgraded version of a first-grade soul-nourishing elixir, a second-grade elixir that seemed even more powerful than some second-grade soul-nourishing elixirs. In the past, when Jia Rong's soul power was exhausted, it took at least three days to recover after taking other second-grade soul-nourishing elixirs. Now, with this Soul Nourishing Pill, it only took one day!

This was an astonishing improvement, tripling the efficiency of alchemists! It also tripled the effect of soul power training! If this were to be known, not only would the neighboring fifth-grade alchemist guilds be interested, but even the fourth-grade alchemist guilds of the Fire Crow Empire might send people to claim it, potentially leading to deadly consequences.

The Thousand Bird Pill was also not a simple elixir. According to Li Yunxiao, ordinary warriors who directly took elixirs to boost their strength, though they tasted good and felt comfortable, always had hidden dangers. The Thousand Bird Pill, however, was not a simple strength-boosting elixir but a toxic elixir that stimulated the body.

It did not provide strength through its inherent power but through gentle stimulation, continuously activating the body's potential, achieving the remarkable effect of training both the physical body and meridians. The downside was its terrible taste, causing the entire body to feel as if it were being pecked by a thousand birds.

But those pursuing the path of martial arts were all incredibly resilient; this pain was nothing to them.

After taking the last Thousand Bird Pill, Li Yunxiao continued to sit in the array and meditate. The entire alchemy process was basically handled by Jia Rong. Although he was exhausted, his heart was filled with joy, wishing he could continue refining forever.

After taking the Soul Nourishing Pill, he sat opposite Li Yunxiao, beginning to nourish his soul. He felt a cool sensation flowing into his spiritual sea, making him feel incredibly comfortable. Moreover, the recovery speed seemed much faster than before, and his soul fire seemed to be stirring.

"This is!"

Jia Rong was both surprised and delighted; it was the sign of an impending breakthrough to the second stage!

The previous attempt to break through to the second stage was interrupted, leaving him extremely disappointed. But that time, he had mysteriously sensed the second-stage bottleneck while comprehending the alchemy path, leading to the breakthrough. He knew it was just a stroke of luck, and with his current soul power, he couldn't have broken through. However, the more time he spent in that state, the more experience and insight he gained, which would greatly benefit future attempts.

But how could it happen again so soon?

Jia Rong was a bit confused but didn't dare to be careless. He began to carefully perform the soul-refining technique Li Yunxiao had taught him, slowly concentrating his soul power in his spiritual sea, feeling the slight tremors of the soul fire.

The rhythm of the tremors grew stronger, driving the steps of life, as the soul fire sought to break free from its constraints and enter a new realm.

Jia Rong suppressed his intense excitement, his heart filled with joy. This rhythm was exactly what he had felt when breaking through to the first stage, a sign of success!

Suddenly, an urgent voice echoed in the alchemy room, "Young Master Yun, something has happened at your home. Master Liang Wenyu sent me to call you out of seclusion!"

It was Lu Yao's anxious voice.

"Spit!"

Jia Rong was at a critical moment when this voice startled him, causing him to lose his focus and spit out a mouthful of blood. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and the rhythm of the soul fire in his spiritual sea was completely disrupted, beginning to rampage within his mind.

"Young Master Yun, I..."

Jia Rong was filled with panic. He had never experienced such a violent soul fire, but he had read about it in the notes of many alchemy masters. It was a powerful soul storm that could cause soul injuries or even scatter the spiritual sea, leading to a complete loss of consciousness and becoming a vegetable.

"Slap!"

Without knowing when, Li Yunxiao was already standing