While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 12, First Time, the Realm of Condensation!
"Forget it, I won't think about it too much. I'll just ask Elder Yao another day."

"Now that I possess the Earth Core Flame, I can try refining a Grade One Qi-Replenishing Pill."

Lu Yu was in a good mood. He flipped his palm and a simple scroll with the fragrance of medicine appeared in his hand—it was the prescription for the first-grade Qi-replenishing pill given to him by Yao Chen.

He immediately unrolled the scroll and began to study it carefully...

A few days later,

In a secluded cave behind the Xiao family's house.

A crimson flame flickered in Lu Yu's palm, and the last wisp of impurity in the medicine cauldron was burned away. Several round, cyan pills spun around, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

The First-Grade Qi-Replenishing Pill is complete!

"Finally, I succeeded..." Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, a look of joy appearing in his eyes. Over the past few days, he had tried repeatedly, and finally, with the precise control of the Earth Core Flame, he successfully refined a first-grade pill, officially stepping into the threshold of becoming an alchemist.

"Oh? You can actually refine first-grade pills?"

The old man who was instructing Xiao Yan on his cultivation sensed the commotion. His illusory figure drifted over, his gaze falling on the still-burning crimson flame in Lu Yu's palm. He raised an eyebrow: "This flame..."

Lu Yu smiled and said, "What I obtained by chance is a kind of flame born from heaven and earth. I wonder where it ranks on the list of strange flames. I would appreciate it if Senior Yao could give me some comments."

Upon hearing this, Yao Chen carefully examined the Earth Core Flame for a moment, then shook his head slightly and said, "Your flame can barely be considered a prototype of a strange fire. If we were to rank it, it probably wouldn't even be able to squeeze into the bottom of the Strange Fire Ranking."

He paused, then said with interest, "However, to be able to refine a first-grade pill with this kind of flame, your fire control talent is quite good."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu said with some disappointment, "It's not even as good as those rare flames at the bottom of the rankings?"

Yao Chen snorted lightly: "How precious is a strange fire? You're dreaming, kid."

"Your flame, although it is only in its rudimentary form, is far superior to those beast flames. You should be content, kid."

Then he changed the subject, saying, "But since you are already a first-grade alchemist, I will teach you a few more fire control techniques so as not to waste such flames."

Lu Yu smiled slightly, cupped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Then this lad thanks Senior Yao for his guidance."

……

Four months later,

Inside a quiet courtyard.

Lu Yu sat cross-legged, his hands forming a hand seal. His battle aura swirled around him like a vortex, frantically devouring the surrounding天地能量 (heaven and earth energy). This consuming of energy continued for a full half hour before gradually subsiding.

"call--"

As the last wisp of energy entered his body, Lu Yu's body trembled violently, and he exhaled a breath of stale air. When he opened his eyes, his dark pupils gleamed with a sharp light.

"A Seven-Star Dou Shi..."

He stretched his muscles and bones, his joints cracking crisply. Feeling the surging battle qi within him, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

In the past four months, he has also conducted four simulations. Two of them went wrong. In one simulation, he was snatched away by a passing Tongtian Realm spirit beast at the start, and in the other, he died in the aftermath of a battle with a master.

The other two simulations went without incident, and I obtained a bottle of Heavenly Soul Nourishing Elixir and a low-level Earth-rank combat skill—Heavenly Dragon Flame Finger.

The Heavenly Soul Nourishing Elixir is one of the rare spiritual items used by powerful figures in the Great Thousand Worlds to break through the Divine Soul Difficulty. It has remarkable effects on repairing the soul and resisting the burning of the Divine Soul Fire. Lu Yu gave it to Elder Yao to repay him for his careful guidance during this period.

The old man was quite pleased. As a return gift, he presented Lu Yu with a complete inheritance of a seventh-grade alchemist, a generous present to this unnamed disciple.

Just then, a clear and resonant whistle suddenly echoed from inside the house. The surrounding天地能量 (heaven and earth energy) surged wildly, converging into the house like a tidal wave. In a matter of moments, a powerful aura erupted, instantly sweeping across the entire courtyard.

"A one-star Dou Shi!" A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. "This girl has broken through quite quickly."

He shook his head and chuckled, his tone tinged with a touch of感慨: "The cultivation speed of the Calamity Poison Body is indeed terrifying."

The energy fluctuations in the courtyard gradually subsided, and the wooden door creaked open.

Little Fairy Doctor stepped out gracefully in a white dress. Her fair skin shimmered with a faint jade-like luster, and her aura as a Battle Master was not yet fully concealed.

"Congratulations." Lu Yu leaned against the stone table and chuckled. "It's three days faster than I expected."

A wisp of dark purple poisonous mist swirled around Little Fairy Doctor's fingertips, her eyes flashing slightly: "Thanks to the poison you gave me." She paused, "Tonight... shall we begin our dual cultivation?" Lu Yu's expression turned serious, and he solemnly replied: "You've just broken through, so let's stabilize your cultivation first, and we'll begin tonight."

Little Fairy Doctor nodded slightly, and the eerie purple poisonous mist at her fingertips quietly dissipated. She slowly walked to the stone bench in the courtyard, sat down, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

Lu Yu quietly watched the girl who was focused on her cultivation. After a moment of thought, he took out a few fragrant herbs, and with the Heart Flame pulsating at his fingertips, he refined them into a cup of emerald green medicinal tea.

"Drink this first." He pushed the medicinal tea in front of Little Fairy Doctor. "It will help you stabilize your cultivation level more quickly."

Little Fairy Doctor opened her eyes, took the teacup, took a small sip, and raised an eyebrow: "Did you add the Nourishing Essence Fruit to strengthen your foundation?"

“And there’s also calming clover.” Lu Yu smiled. “Although the quantity is small, it’s very helpful in stabilizing the mind.”

Little Fairy Doctor nodded and then drank it all in one gulp.

Time passed slowly, and as the moon rose high in the sky, the fluctuating aura around Little Fairy Doctor finally stabilized completely. She let out a long sigh and looked up at Lu Yu, who had been protecting her the whole time:

"Okay."

Lu Yu nodded and pushed open the door to the inner room: "It's easy to be disturbed outside, let's go inside."

With a creak, the door opened, and the two entered the inner room. Little Fairy Doctor sat down beside the bed, gently lifting her hand to remove her boots, revealing a pair of jade-like feet encased in plain white silk stockings. The toes of the stockings were embroidered with a few pale purple flowers, faintly visible in the candlelight.

"What...do I need to do?" Her tone was calm, but she couldn't hide the blush on the tips of her ears.

Lu Yu removed his shoes and sat cross-legged opposite her. He said gently, "Just use the Yin Scroll technique. I will guide you with the Yang Scroll." He then took out a white jade bottle. "If you feel unwell, take this Qi-restoring pill immediately."

Little Fairy Doctor took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes. As her cultivation technique circulated, a soft white light emanated from her body, and her skin became as translucent as jade. Seeing this, Lu Yu also activated his Yang Scroll cultivation technique and reached out to grasp those soft, boneless hands.

The cool, smooth texture sent a shiver through Lu Yu. He quickly composed himself and said in a deep voice, "It's starting."

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred. Where their palms met, black and white energies instantly intertwined, forming a massive energy vortex. The energy of heaven and earth surged wildly, transforming into streams of rainbow-like currents that poured into Lu Yu's body.

"Hmm..." Little Fairy Doctor groaned, the seven-colored poison lines on her abdomen flickering. Her slender fingers tightened involuntarily, her nails almost digging into the back of Lu Yu's hand.

A tremendous transformation was taking place within Lu Yu's body. The black and white energies flowed through his meridians like swimming dragons, eventually forming a slowly rotating yin-yang symbol in his dantian.

Countless black dots of light emerged from the depths of the marrow, linked together by mysterious light, vaguely outlining a tower-shaped phantom.

The moment the last ray of light completed its connection, Lu Yu's dantian suddenly trembled violently. A phantom of a completely black pagoda slowly took shape, its surface wrapped in mysterious runes and radiating a chilling aura.

"The second stage of the Great Floating Pagoda Technique is complete!"

Lu Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. This pagoda, existing between reality and illusion, was a characteristic of the Great Pagoda Technique's second stage, the Form Condensation Stage.

This tower not only aids in cultivation but is also a powerful weapon combining offense and defense. However, it is currently only in its rudimentary form; only by breaking through the third realm, "Tower Transformation," can it be fully developed into the true Floating Pagoda.

Little Fairy Doctor slowly opened her eyes, a faint blush appearing on her pale face: "Did it work?"

Lu Yu nodded and smiled, "It's a success, but it will take quite some time before we can condense a real Floating Pagoda."

Little Fairy Doctor was slightly taken aback, then a shy blush rose on her cheeks, and her coquettish appearance stirred Lu Yu's heart.

"I understand. Let go of my hand now. I've exhausted all my fighting spirit to help you condense the Floating Pagoda."

Before Little Fairy Doctor could finish speaking, her body involuntarily leaned forward. Lu Yu reacted quickly, catching her on her slender shoulder, his hand feeling only icy coldness.

"Be careful!" He frowned slightly, and with his other hand he took out a jade bottle. "Quickly take the Qi-restoring pill."

The girl shook her head weakly, her slender neckline revealed through her falling hair: "No need... just let me rest for a moment." As she spoke, she struggled to sit up straight, but due to exhaustion, she fell back into Lu Yu's arms.

Lu Yu felt the slight trembling of the person in his arms, and as if possessed, he raised his hand to brush away the stray strands of hair from her forehead.

"Don't push yourself." His voice softened unconsciously. "I'll help you regulate your breathing. The Yang Scroll of the Great Floating Pagoda Technique can also help with the Yin Scroll's cultivation."

Little Fairy Doctor looked up and met Lu Yu's concerned gaze. A blush spread from the tips of her ears to her neck. She hurriedly turned her face away and said, "Whatever...whatever you want."

……

(End of this chapter)