Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-161

Three days later, at the edge of a valley’s river, Liao Hu's weak state from the Energy Burst Pellet’s medicinal toxins had improved. Only his internal injuries needed some time to heal.

Liao Hu took out a peculiar jade bottle from his interspatial pouch, poured out a milky white medicinal pellet, swallowed the pellet and started to cultivate. After a few moments, his pale face finally seemed to improve.

Liao Hu opened his eyes and looked at Lu Ping, who was meditating and cultivating on the side, and he said, "Thanks, Brother Lu Qi. You knew that I needed three days to get rid of the medicinal toxins from the Energy Burst Pellet. It looks like you’re an alchemist yourself."

Lu Ping, who was still in disguise, smiled and said, "As expected of a Liao Clan disciple from Jin Ju Island. Your clan is famous for its alchemy in the North Ocean."

Liao Hu waved his hand and said, "Although the Liao Clan makes its living from alchemy, we have yet to reach such fame. Even my father is just a Master Alchemist, which can’t compare to the strength of the North Ocean sects’ Pavilion of Alchemy."

Lu Ping didn’t debate this point, and instead asked, "I have long heard that the Liao Clan has marvelous pellet called the Heart Condensation Pellet. It’s rumored to help those in the Blood Condensation Realm to break through a cultivation layer. Is that true?"

Liao Hu laughed. "Is Brother Lu Qi also interested in our Heart Condensation Pellet, just like the Shui Yan Pavilion?"

Lu Ping said, "I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. However, I know the rules of alchemists. The recipes for such medicinal pellets will only be passed down by word of mouth; they will never be written down. So, even if Shui Yan Pavilion kills you, they still wouldn’t get the pellet recipe."

"Brother Lu Qi truly is an alchemist. That’s right, the Heart Condensation Pellet indeed has no written recipe. It’s all in here," Liao Hu pointed to his own head, and continued, "And us alchemists have our own secret techniques to prevent people from searching and reading the recipes stored in our mind. So, you’re absolutely right."

Lu Ping nodded in understanding. "I’d like to ask for a Heart Condensation Pellet, if that’s possible?"

Liao Hu smiled. "Brother Lu Qi has saved my life, so I should thank you with a Heart Condensation Pellet. But these pellets have always been in short supply even within my Liao Clan. This is mainly due to the ingredients. The required 1000-year and 500-year spirit herbs are very rare and only grow in certain places such as the Heaven of Seven Stars. We often spend a long time gathering spirit herbs before we can even concoct one cauldron. It is for this purpose that I entered the Heaven of Seven Stars."

Lu Ping nodded. "Brother Liao, how did you come across those Shui Yan Pavilion cultivators? They’re a big power in the North Ocean, but your Liao Clan is also a strong force, so are they not afraid of being condemned by the other factions?"

Liao Hu gave a wry smile. "I don't know where they heard this rumor, but apparently, the Liao Clan also has a Heart Forging Pellet with similar effects to the Heart Condensation Pellet. But instead of the Blood Condensation Realm, these Heart Forging Pellets can increase a Core Forging Enlightened Master’s cultivation by one layer."

Lu Ping drew a sharp breath. "If this rumor is true, then Brother Liao, your clan is in huge trouble!"

The Heart Condensation Pellet’s effect was already miraculous enough, but they only worked in the Blood Condensation Realm, so the big sects still allowed the Liao Clan to continue to exist.

However, if there was really a medicinal pellet that could increase a Core Forging Enlightened Master’s cultivation by a layer, the big sects surely wouldn’t let anyone else own them. It was entirely possible that Jin Ju Island’s Liao Clan would be decimated by the Enlightened Masters in a very short time.

After all, such medicinal pellets could break the balance of power in the North Ocean—they could never be owned by any sect alone, not to mention a small clan.

Liao Hu laughed bitterly. "Exactly. That’s why Shui Yan Pavilion’s He Li-Xin hunted me when I bumped into them alone. They asked me for the Heart Forging Pellet’s recipe, which I couldn’t do because it doesn’t even exist. I kept telling them it was just a rumor, but they were relentless, and they even threatened to kill me. Left with no choice, I fought my way out and escaped with serious injuries. Brother Lu knows what happened next."

Lu Ping knew that Liao Hu hadn’t told him everything, and his story had many loopholes in it. He was obviously hiding something.

However, Lu Ping didn’t want to dig into another person’s secrets, so he instead asked, "So, what’s your plan now? Continue to collect spirit herbs for Heart Condensation Pellets?"

Liao Hu nodded helplessly. "Exactly. Our Liao Clan dispatched several of us to the Heaven of Seven Stars, so I have to regroup with them as soon as possible. I worry that they’ll fall into the same situation as me."

From his interspatial pouch, he took out a jade token with the word "Jin Ju" engraved on one side and the word "Liao" engraved on the other, and gave it to Lu Ping.

"Brother Lu, take this jade token. After we get out of the Heaven of Seven Stars, you can use this jade token to exchange for a Heart Condensation Pellet at Jin Ju Island. Take note, after consuming the pellet, you’ll have to enter closed-door cultivation for a period of time to completely absorb its medicinal efficacy. Otherwise, the foundation of your cultivation base may become unstable."

Lu Ping took the jade token and thanked him.

Liao Hu was worried about the other Liao Clan disciples who had entered with him, so he said his goodbyes and left.

These past few days, Lu Ping learned from Liao Hu that the number of human cultivators and monster cultivators who entered the Heaven of Seven Stars was far higher than before.

Although there was an abundance of spirit materials and spirit herbs in the Heaven of Seven Stars, not to mention the wealth of fallen cultivators, it didn’t make sense for this many cultivators to enter the dojo at this time.

One must know, in order to travel through the space tunnel to enter the Heaven of Seven Stars, the cultivators must gear themselves with treasures, such as charms crafted by Avatar Realm Great Ancestors. Even then, these items could only safely shelter three to five cultivators through the space tunnel.

Such treasures were coveted even by Core Forging Enlightened Masters.

Therefore, if it wasn’t necessary, who would waste them away just so Blood Condensation disciples could enter the Heaven of Seven Stars?

…

On this day, Lu Ping had just crossed a big mountain when a powerful aura suddenly emerged from the opposite side of the mountainside.

The spiritual energy in the area gathered towards the mountainside, and the climate in the vicinity suddenly began to change erratically.

The woods were crushed by the strong gales, as dark and thick clouds formed in the sky. Lightning strikes and deafening thunderclaps precipitated the pouring rainstorm.

But in the next second, a cold breeze blew down from above and turned the entire mountain into an iceberg, glittering under the sunlight.

Suddenly, an invisible force descended onto Lu Ping. He was familiar with this aura; it was the effect of an Enlightened Master's divine revelation.

"Hahahaha—more than two hundred years of arduous cultivation. Finally, I’ve cultivated my Golden Core!"

A large hole abruptly burst open on the mountainside, and an old man in his fifties, a long beard adorning his face, hovered in the air while laughing happily.

He spotted Lu Ping standing on the opposite side of the mountain. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a white light surrounded the old man. The white light exploded, and the old man disappeared.

Lu Ping knew that the old man’s breakthrough to the Core Forging Realm had exceeded the Heaven of Seven Star’s limit. Hence, the dojo’s array formation had teleported the old man out of the dojo.

Lu Ping suddenly thought of something and quickly rushed towards the cave where the old man had previously cultivated in.