Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 535 The Path of Danling Cultivation, Zi Yan Returns

"So, as the spirit of the elixir, its cultivation focuses on enhancing its spirituality?!"

In the Heavenly Valley, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on a blue stone platform, looking at the Danhuo Spirit girl sitting opposite him, and asked softly.

“Exactly!” Fu Xuan nodded and said seriously.

"As an alchemist, the master naturally knows that pills of grade eight and above, like rare and precious natural treasures such as strange fire, are fundamentally based on spirituality... Pills with a certain level of spirituality can automatically absorb energy from the world to replenish themselves."

"Under normal circumstances, the quality of the origin or the material determines the strength and upper limit of innate spirituality."

"Just like different ranks of different flames, their origins are naturally strong or weak, and their spirits will have huge differences in spirituality and wisdom after they are born."

"The strength of one's spirituality determines the upper limit of the energy one can contain!"

"As the spirits of elixirs, we cannot cultivate by absorbing the energy of heaven and earth through techniques like ordinary people. Instead, we must first enhance our own spirituality, use that spirituality to forge a container to hold energy, and then fill that container with sufficient energy..."

"However, relying on natural growth, spiritual improvement is often extremely difficult and slow. Therefore, the cultivation speed of spiritual beings in the world is usually extremely slow."

“The Master’s continuous ‘reincarnation’ to experience life is a way to enhance spirituality.”

"I see!" Lin Yuan nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of satisfaction from solving the mystery flashing in them. He chuckled, "Indeed, the Ancestor's conclusion coincides with my deduction. How satisfying... how satisfying!"

As a top-tier alchemy master, Lin Yuan naturally understood the meaning behind Fu Xuan's words.

It could even be said that he had already deduced these conclusions during his long-term research, and at this moment, he was simply further confirming the correctness of his own theory.

Under this theory, many strange phenomena can be explained.

For example, the reason why the strange fires of heaven and earth are so different is that they possess a spirituality that ordinary flames do not have. If these spiritualities are lost, then the strange fires will lose their dazzling charm.

The Pure Lotus Demon Flame, which ranks third, has an incredibly slow rate of cultivation progress after being sealed.

According to what Lin Yuan learned from the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, when the Pure Lotus Demon Flame was sealed into the Demon Flame Space by the latter, its cultivation level was already a five-star Dou Sheng, otherwise it would not have been able to stop those four-star Dou Sheng.

The Demon Flame Space is a place where fire elemental energy is extremely abundant.

However, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame cultivated for ten thousand years in a place where energy was not lacking at all, and its cultivation level only reached the sixth-star Dou Sheng, or even the peak of the fifth star... It took ten thousand years to improve its cultivation level by one star, which was unimaginably slow.

The reason for this might be that it is sealed away and cannot enhance its spirituality through other means, and the natural growth rate of spirituality is too slow.

The rate of spiritual growth severely limits the rate at which demonic fire energy can increase.

In contrast, when the Pill Tower Ancestor first took human form, he was just an ordinary ninth-grade Xuan Dan, and his cultivation level was only at the level of a three-star Dou Sheng.

Now, a thousand years later, he has reached the level of a six-star Dou Sheng.

For a spiritual creature with an extremely long lifespan, advancing three stars to the Dou Sheng level in a thousand years... such a cultivation speed can be described as exceptionally outstanding!

The difference between the two is so great because elixirs naturally possess a strong advantage in terms of "spirit"—a ninth-grade precious elixir is qualified to transform into a human-shaped elixir spirit, while among strange fires, very few can transform into human-shaped fire spirits.

"So, what the ancestor taught you was a method to enhance refinement and improve one's own spirituality?" Lin Yuan smiled slightly and asked with great interest.

“Exactly!” Fu Xuan nodded and said seriously.

"One of the core inheritances that my master passed on to me is a method called 'Nine Revolutions of Spirit Refinement,' which is used to break through one's own spiritual bottleneck."

"Because the materials used by my master when refining me were extremely precious, coupled with the special spirituality bestowed by heaven and earth, my innate spirituality is extremely strong. As long as the energy is sufficient, I will not encounter any major bottlenecks before breaking through to the fifth-star Dou Sheng."

"According to my master's estimation, with the assistance of the 'Nine Revolutions of Spirit Refinement' technique, the spiritual containers I can forge are sufficient to hold the energy of a six-star or even seven-star Dou Sheng."

"In other words, if I can master the 'Nine Revolutions of Spirit Refinement', I will have a good chance of breaking through the bottleneck from the Profound Core to the Golden Core stage."

At this point, the girl's composed voice couldn't help but reveal a hint of undisguised joy.

The ninth-grade golden elixir is considered the most precious treasure among treasures in the Dou Qi Continent. The Nine Profound Golden Lightning that accompanies it, once it completes the gathering of spiritual energy, is a treasure no less than the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!

As for Fu Xuan, she has a considerable chance of achieving the Golden Core stage.

"Excellent...that's wonderful!" Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. "Nine Revolutions of Spirit Refinement? The name sounds somewhat similar to Nine Revolutions to Sainthood..."

"The Nine Revolutions to Sainthood is indeed the source of inspiration for this method!" Fu Xuan nodded slightly and explained softly.

"Because Master's true form is a pill, the attribute energy within his body is severely imbalanced, and he is no longer able to refine high-grade pills of grade nine or above like that former Xuan Dan Grandmaster."

"After all, alchemists need fire and wood elements, while pills often contain energy of various elements."

"Hehe!" Lin Yuan chuckled and continued, "The key to making elixirs is to harmonize them!"

"The medicinal power of a single attribute, once separated from the 'natural shell' of the medicinal material, often becomes an extreme energy that is difficult to maintain stability. It needs to be harmonized with multiple attributes to return to a stable state and be condensed within a single pill."

"Harmonizing energy is one of the essences of alchemy, and pills... while having primary and secondary components, often possess multiple energy attributes."

At this point, a look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes: "So that's how it is! The limitation of the Danling life form lies here—its attributes are restricted by the attributes of the pill itself!"

While the spirit of elixirs has many advantages, it also has its disadvantages, namely that its own energy is too balanced.

Balance often represents stability, but it is also frequently accompanied by mediocrity.

The combat power of ordinary pills may not be outstanding among those of the same level.

The reason why these rare and powerful creatures of heaven and earth, such as strange fire, mysterious thunder, and strange wind, are so powerful is one of the core reasons: their extreme attributes and violent nature!
Of course, things are not so absolute; some extreme attributes can coexist.

Among the strange flames, there are also the Flames of Living Beings that combine fire and wood attributes, the Cold Flames of Bone Spirits that combine ice and fire attributes, and the Heart Flames of the Sea that combine fire and water attributes. However, such things are extremely rare compared to the vast array of spiritual objects in the world!

The old patriarch of the Pill Tower clearly has attribute issues, which greatly diminishes his alchemy skills.

After all, he possesses a soul at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm and has alchemy experience at the Grandmaster level of the Profound Pill, yet he cannot even refine a Grade Nine Treasure Pill.

The only possibility is that it is restricted by the condition of 'fire and wood attributes'.

In terms of alchemy, the current Ancestor of the Pill Tower might be similar to an enhanced version of Tang Zhen. He can refine medicine thanks to his strong foundation, but he can only dabble in the 'low-grade' level. However, the Ancestor's 'low-grade' level is relative to himself; it's still a realm that countless alchemists can only look up to—the peak of the eighth grade!
According to the information Lin Yuan found, the Pill Tower Ancestor had refined an eighth-grade, nine-colored pill.

Shaking his head, Lin Yuan composed himself and turned his gaze back to Fu Xuan: "After failing to master alchemy, your master focused his energy on creating techniques?"

"Hmm!" Fu Xuan nodded, pondering, "Creating a method, expanding the cultivation system of Danling... it is indeed Master's choice!"

"In the thousand years since he became a pill, in addition to cultivation, he has also done a lot of research. Among them, drawing on the cultivation methods and concepts of battle qi to create a cultivation system suitable for the spirit of pills is something that Master has been promoting for a long time."

"Thanks to the vision and knowledge gained from being a Xuan Dan Grandmaster and a Six-Star Dou Sheng, Teacher has achieved considerable success in this area."

"This 'Nine Refinements of Spirit' technique is one of his most important achievements."

"Besides this method, there are also cultivation secret techniques called 'Spirit Guiding Technique' and 'Spirit Devouring Technique', which can greatly increase my cultivation speed."

"Among them, the 'Spirit Devouring Technique' can enhance the refining ability of the spirit of pills, allowing the spirit of pills to efficiently absorb the spirituality and energy of pills and medicinal materials, and quickly accumulate its own energy."

"The 'Spirit Guiding Technique' can guide spirituality, allowing it to merge with heaven and earth, thus increasing the efficiency with which the energy of heaven and earth fills the elixir."

"Let me think..." Fu Xuan raised his small hand, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he calculated intently for a few minutes before saying seriously, "If there is a sufficient supply of pills and energy, I will definitely be able to break through to the Half-Saint realm in three months at the fastest and half a year at the slowest!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Three months to half a year, huh? That's a progress rate... not far from mine!"

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe: there are truly countless talents in this world.

With just three secret techniques—the Nine Revolutions of Spirit Refinement, the Spirit Guiding Technique, and the Spirit Devouring Technique—the Ancestor of the Pill Tower essentially completed the construction of the path to spiritual cultivation for pills.

Refining the Spirit Nine Times enhances its spirituality and raises its potential.

The Spirit Summoning Technique increases 'energy charging speed' and accelerates growth.

The Devouring Spirit Technique further enhances the 'charging speed,' allowing pills to reach their peak faster when nourished by an alchemist.

From a god-like perspective, Lin Yuan also knew one of the major trump cards of the Pill Tower Ancestor—through cultivation, he overcame his natural weakness and gained the ability to control flames.

Everything in the universe has its counterpart, and the Dan Tower Ancestor's true form is a pill, so logically he should be restrained by flames.

However, through certain practices, his cultivation underwent a special mutation within his body, giving him a counteracting effect against things like flames. This counteracting effect even worked against top-tier exotic flames like the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.

In the original timeline, if it weren't for controlling a portion of the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame wouldn't have been able to pass the test of the Pill Tower Ancestor.

"Such talent is perfect for my use!"

Lin Yuan smiled inwardly, then flipped his hand and took out ten Nine-Colored Thunder Tribulation Pills and one Bodhi Pill, handing them to Fu Xuan: "Little Fu Xuan, take these pills. I'll give you more if you need more!"

Fu Xuan accepted the pill and said solemnly, "Thank you, Master. I will definitely break through to the Half-Saint realm as soon as possible!"

"Hehe, no need to rush!" Lin Yuan waved his hand and said gently, "A month from now, we'll go into seclusion together to break through! If my plan is correct, when Zi Yan returns from the Northwest, I can give you something good to make your cultivation even smoother..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Xuan immediately recalled all the times he had been 'bullied' by Zi Yan, and a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"Sister Ziyan...you mean, young lady? I understand!"

"Hehe!" Lin Yuan chuckled and said gently, "These next few days, we'll do some experiments together. Later, we'll need to use the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire within you."

With that, he stood up and walked towards the depths of Tianyou Valley... There, the proud little phoenix was crying mournfully!
-
Ten days later, at the Tianyou Valley mansion.

Although it took much longer than expected for her return, Zi Yan finally returned from the Northwest.

In a courtyard of the mansion, Lin Yuan looked at Zi Yan sitting by the stone table with Fu Xuan wrapped around her lap, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

"Six-star Dou Sheng, late stage... Zi Yan, you've broken through again?!"

"How about it? Am I amazing?" Seeing Lin Yuan's surprised look, Zi Yan's lips curled up slightly, and a strong sense of pride appeared on her face: "When I went back this time, my father helped me sort out the energy in my body, which helped me to completely absorb the energy that had accumulated in my body."

"The enormous energy accumulated in my body, combined with a large amount of my father's reverse scale blood, allowed me to successfully break through a minor rank."

"That's why I came back a few days late!"

"However, for a long time to come, I probably won't have the chance to continue my rapid progress... According to my father, I have used too much of his blood of rebellion during this period, and continuing to use it will be detrimental to my future cultivation."

"The transition from a six-star Dou Sheng to a seven-star Dou Sheng is a very difficult hurdle. It would probably take a lot of time to break through using the usual methods of cultivation."

"I wonder if I, the Emperor, will be able to complete this challenge within ten years?!"

At this point, Zi Yan's voice also carried a hint of frustration—after meeting Lin Yuan, she, who had been making rapid progress in the past few years, would probably be stuck at the sixth-star Dou Sheng level for quite some time.

Compared to the rapid improvement of a few or even a dozen stars in the past year, things will be much "difficult" going forward.

Shaking her head, Zi Yan gently raised her jade hand and pinched Fu Xuan's pretentious little face. Seeing the latter puff up like a pufferfish in a huff, she then became happy again.

Of course, if the other Dou Sheng knew why she was depressed, they would probably be quite speechless.

The transition from a six-star Dou Sheng to a seven-star Dou Sheng is a major bottleneck between an intermediate and advanced Dou Sheng. Even if an ordinary person manages to break through, it often takes decades or even centuries. If they succeed in breaking through in about ten years, they should truly thank the heavens!
The combat power of a Seven-Star Dou Sheng is enough to wipe out all forces except for the ancient races.

All the Seven Star Dou Saints on the Dou Qi Continent are ancient monsters who have lived for thousands of years, and are the patriarchs or elders of various ancient races.

Currently, the strongest ancient clans on the surface have no more than five experts with the power level of seven stars or above.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. It won't take ten years!" Lin Yuan took out several plates of pre-made pastries and placed them gently on the stone table in front of Zi Yan. He said confidently, "If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to refine a ninth-grade Xuan Dan in a few years."

"With the medicinal power and energy of the Xuan Dan, even if it can't help you break through to the Eight-Star Dou Sheng realm, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to reach the late Seven-Star Dou Sheng realm!"

Two Grade 9 Mystic Pills, even with the issue of drug resistance, are enough to help Zi Yan rise by a whole star.

　The Pure Lotus Demon Flame, despite its impressive entrance, has a surprisingly slow cultivation speed, taking ten thousand years to advance just one star.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)