Above the outskirts of the forest, the owner of the terrifying aura suddenly grew restless. The sky darkened as vast swaths of dark clouds surged in this direction, swiftly veiling the twinkling stars and blowing ominous feeling into the depths of the Luoxin Forest.
Gazing upwards, Lin Yan’s lips curled into a chilly smile. With a gentle wave of her finger, she drew a curve in the empty space, and in the next instant, a small, crystal-clear cauldron soared toward the center of the array.
“Five Spirits Cauldron!” Meng Qi cried out.
“Indeed.” Lin Yan said, “This is my natal magic weapon, which is the same as yours – a Five Spirits Cauldron.”
Lin Yan’s Five Spirit Cauldron appeared to be only the size of a palm. Its transparent form gleamed like a multicolored crystal, looking very beautiful amidst the brilliance of the spiritual aura it exuded.
Meng Qi turned her head towards Lin Yan, her eyes widening. “Is this… a Profound Realm’s Five Spirit Cauldron?”
“Yes.” Lin Yan raised her dainty chin and smiled proudly.
Meng Qi stared blankly at the transparent little cauldron. It was not easy to advance a natal weapon, especially one as powerful as a Five Spirit Cauldron. Besides requiring precious materials such as Buddhist Sand, Azure Dragon Crystal, and the like, breaking through from the ninth rank to the Profound Realm was no longer a matter of materials but rather the need for extensive usage. Tens of thousands of times may not be enough; Lin Yan would have to refine tens or even hundreds of thousands of pills using this Five Spirit Cauldron. Those pills were used to save countless lives and required the cultivator to have a firm heart, unwavering focus, and single-minded pursuit of the path of medical cultivation. Only then was it possible to break through from the ninth rank to the Profound Realm.
Even after a while, Meng Qi still didn’t return to her senses. Could it be that she was now having a chance of a lifetime? She had never imagined that one day she would personally see a Profound Realm’s natal weapon, one that only appeared in the legends of medical cultivators.
Senior Lin Yan truly embodied the benevolence of a healer, deserving her grand title and reputation.
Meng Qi turned her head and looked at the sweet smile on Lin Yan’s face. Suddenly, her nose tingled. This formidable and kind senior who would sacrifice herself for strangers couldn’t save her own Dao companion in the end. How painful she must be?
“Senior Lin Yan,” Meng Qi clasped her fists and bowed deeply. “What do you need me to do?” After a pause, she said in a low voice, “I will do my best.”
“Good child,” Lin Yan smiled and looked at Meng Qi. “She has chosen you as her successor, and I also like you very much, let alone her.” She suddenly let out a soft sigh, “You have already seen the last volume of the medical notes, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.” Meng Qi replied softly.
“Throughout the Three Realms, cultivators may have a different form of a spiritual sea and cultivation methods, but they have one thing in common: everyone has an inner core. Forming the core is the first step on the path of cultivation, and only after forming it does the concept of spiritual consciousness come into play. Then, by nurturing one’s nascent soul, one can split a strand of their spiritual consciousness, forming either a primordial spirit or nurturing a natal weapon. This inner core sustains the cultivator’s vitality and enables their longevity.” Lin Yan explained.
Meng Qi nodded. This was written in the books. Previously, when her Five Spirit Cauldron absorbed the cold air of the Snow Fang Bees, her inner core froze, rendering her unable to move. Even though her mind was clear, she had absolutely no control over her body.
Therefore, a damaged spiritual sea could be repaired. However, if the inner core was completely destroyed, the cultivator would die, never to be reborn.
During Lin Yan’s lifetime, her cultivation base had fallen dramatically when she saved the people from the invading devil cultivators, never to recover. The reason for this was not because she had dispersed too much of her cultivation, but mainly because she had damaged her inner core in the process.
Throughout history, medical cultivators had naturally thought about bringing the dead back to life, but after a long research, they had found no method to reforge a destroyed inner core.
Meng Qi stood with her hands hanging down outside the array, surrounded by the fragrance of the Nirvana Flower. Four pieces of emerald-like Azure Dragon Crystals shimmered with a translucent glow, upon which her gaze fell.
…not enough. Her palms were sweaty, and she became extremely nervous. Meng Qi believed that no medical cultivator would remain calm and unaffected in such a situation.
With a flick of Lin Yan’s finger, around ten emerald-green spiritual herbs flew towards her Five Spirit Cauldron. The palm-sized crystal-clear cauldron instantly swallowed the herbs whole.
“This is…” Meng Qi focused her gaze and suddenly realized, “Nether Grass!” It was a small plant found only in the Devil Realm, said to grow in the darkest, coldest, and most damp areas. Compared to the Nirvana Flower and Azure Dragon Crystals, this particular material was not as precious. Nether Grass had no other use, but if a cultivator’s spiritual consciousness was injured, only Nether Grass could heal it. However, this usage was rare, because if a cultivator’s spiritual consciousness was harmed, their inner core would be almost destroyed as well.
Lin Yan smiled slightly. Within the Five Spirit Cauldron, the Nether Grass suddenly surged violently. Despite being just a dozen small leaves, countless black mists surged within the cauldron, completely devouring them.
The black mist quickly dissipated, leaving behind a few drops of blue essence from the spiritual herbs within the Five Spirit Cauldron. The medicinal fragrance permeated the air, surpassing the floral scent of the Nirvana Flower in an instant, filling the surrounding area with a cold, bitter taste of leaves.
Meng Qi took a breath. This sensation was like being in the darkest, coldest, and most damp place, surrounded by a sticky and chilly mist. Her heart beat quicker, and she turned to look at Lin Yan. The other party lightly flicked her fingers in the air, graceful and enchanting, as if playing the strings of a zither. Three or four types of spiritual herbs flew toward the Five Spirit Cauldron.
“Your Five Spirit Cauldron is engraved with…” Lin Yan tilted her head slightly, “Lihus array?”
“Yes.” Meng Qi responded.
“The one who taught you array truly treats you well,” Lin Yan smiled. “Lihuo Great Fire Array is the number one fire array in the Three Realms, perfect for refining. However, not all medicine needs to be refined with a fire.”
“I see.” Meng Qi nodded.
“All five elements can be used for refining,” Lin Yan said again.
Meng Qi’s heart stirred.
“That’s where the true brilliance of the Five Spirit Cauldron lies,” she explained. “Once you refine it with all five elements materials, all of them can be utilized for your refinery, enhancing the potency of the medicines you produce. Do you understand?”
Meng Qi suddenly realized: “The black mist just now is…”
“Soil, the earth element.” Lin Yan easily revealed: “Look again.”
Meng Qi quickly turned her head towards the Five Spirit Cauldron. Lin Yan lightly touched it with her fingers, and a clear spring surrounded the cauldron, refining the medicinal herbs she had just put in. Within the spring, the herbs gradually merged together, condensing into a small piece of transparent liquid essence.
“So, every time the Five Spirit Cauldron advances, you can carve a new array on it. Understand?” Lin Yan said.
“I understand,” Meng Qi nodded heavily. Just as she nodded, a bitter feeling suddenly surged within her. Would she be able to wait until that day?
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