Chapter 329: Dust-Extinguishing Pill Emerges!

At Canghai Peak, inside a Class-3 Superior Fire Vein cave dwelling.

Qin Ming stepped inside; the cave dwelling was fully equipped with a pill-refining chamber, artifact-forging room, talisman-making room, and quiet chambers for cultivation.

The deeper he went, the hotter it became, but Qin Ming possessed the True Ultimate Body, so he felt no great fear of the Class-3 earth fire.

Above the fire vein, Canghai Xiancheng used special arrays to channel the volatile, unstable earth fire through the arrays and distribute it to individual rooms.

Otherwise, Class-3 Superior earth fire was no weaker than the Three Pure Fires of a Golden Core elder.

A regular Foundation Establishment cultivator would be unable to withstand even a trace of it.

Thus, cultivators renting the cave dwellings—like Sun Jinyan, the Grand Pill Master—though at the late Foundation Establishment stage, dared not venture far inside, only staying within the outer chambers.

But Qin Ming's purpose was different; his True Ultimate Body's Pifa attribute rendered him immune to Class-3 spell attacks, let alone this Class-3 fire vein.

He followed the Xiancheng-excavated tunnel deeper inward.

Half a stick of incense later.

A crimson lava fissure appeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

Wild flames drifted through the air.

Hot, viscous magma flowed through the earth veins; occasionally, rocks from nearby walls tumbled in, spewing high jets of flame that exploded in the air.

Only someone with Qin Ming's terrifying physical strength could reach this place.

"Hmm, the environment is quite suitable. This will do."

Qin Ming gazed at the cave dwelling, illuminated by the earth fire into a crimson world, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then.

He did not rush to plant spirit plants; instead, he took out a set of anti-scouting arrays and arranged them around the area.

Although Canghai Xiancheng had privacy-protection arrays in place, Qin Ming, for caution's sake, decided to add his own seals.

After all, he intended to use his Golden Finger to accelerate spirit plant growth—better safe than sorry.

After setting the seals, Qin Ming retrieved the spirit seed of the Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus; the withered yellow lotus pod held eight seeds.

He had previously succeeded in cultivating the Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus within the Plant Illusion Realm.

This time, planting and nurturing it again was second nature.

Qin Ming took out the "Middle Yellow Spirit Soil" he had purchased, wrapped the Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus seeds in it, then used his spiritual sense to place them at the heart of the molten fire.

Immediately after, Qin Ming activated one 【Strong Adaptation】 term, applying it to the lotus seeds.

Having done this, he began methodically using his spiritual sense to capture the drifting fire essence nearby and guide it into the spirit soil.

This cycle repeated for over three months.

Within the Middle Yellow Spirit Soil in the lava, a crimson-gold aura emerged, radiating divine light.

"The spirit seeds have finally succeeded—they've gained vitality, taken root and sprouted."

"Six seeds survived—within my expectations."

Qin Ming's ink-black eyes fixed ahead, his expression utterly calm, his heart still as a deep well—neither sorrow nor joy.

Then, he instantly activated his mind; five 【Temporal Leaves】 terms vanished from his spiritual sea and settled upon the spirit seeds.

In an instant.

The temporal power of the boundless ocean descended upon the seeds; six crimson-gold spirit plants were reborn within the blazing earth fire.

The Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus resembled the Youyou Yin Yin Flower—transparent, with dense extreme yang energy flowing inside, like clusters of crimson-gold flame spirit plants.

Three days later.

An unusual medicinal fragrance swept over Qin Ming, invigorating his entire spirit.

At the same time.

A dazzling golden term appeared on each of the six Fire-Resistant Golden Lotuses.

【Name】: Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus 【Term】: Life Span +500 (Maturity 92%) "Another five hundred years of life."

Qin Ming stared at the term on the spirit plant and mused.

His cultivation was for immortality; the longer his lifespan, the better—he smiled faintly.

Next, he waited for the Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus to absorb sufficient extreme yang energy, to gestate golden lotus seeds and maximize their medicinal potency.

This process would also require time.

Qin Ming decided to remain here, guarding the lotus until it fully matured.

Then.

He took from his storage bag the Xuan Jade Furnace and spirit materials, preparing to refine the Class-3 Dust-Extinguishing Pill.

Qin Ming exhaled, and a blue-green flame emerged, forming a fire bird.

He no longer needed external earth fire for pill refining.

The Class-3 Soul-Devouring Poison Flame, shaped as a bird, sensed the dense fire vein energy here, chirped joyfully, then dove beneath the pill furnace.

Qin Ming methodically followed the pill formula's steps and began his operation.

…

Time passed slowly; another year went by.

Outside the fire vein cave dwelling at Canghai Peak.

"May I ask, Elder Lu, has Master Qin not emerged yet after more than a year inside?"

"Replying to Grand Master Sun, Master Qin has not left the cave dwelling since entering."

Since learning Qin Ming had rented the Class-3 Superior fire vein cave dwelling to refine pills,

Grand Master Sun Jinyan had been unable to sleep or eat for a year.

It wasn't jealousy—he was merely another gifted Grand Pill Master, and such feelings were hard for outsiders to understand.

He had once suffered a devastating failure himself and desperately wanted to know whether Qin Ming could succeed.

Lu Wanjun had been driven to exasperation by Grand Master Sun's constant visits, yet dared not offend him.

Grand Master Sun came to inquire about Qin Ming's cave rental nearly every few days.

His frequent visits eventually caught the attention of Canghai True Person.

Nanlan Xi summoned Lu Wanjun to the peak pavilion and asked coolly: "What's happening with the fire vein cave dwelling?"

"Why does Grand Master Sun keep coming here?"

Lu Wanjun promptly reported the full story to Nanlan Xi.

After hearing it, Canghai True Person Nanlan Xi fell into deep thought.

She furrowed her brows and asked, guessing:

"So, Qin Ming has rented the cave dwelling for two full years—could he be refining a high-grade spirit pill?"

"Perhaps even a Class-3 pill."

"No wonder Grand Master Sun can't sleep, waiting outside the cave."

Lu Wanjun replied: "Before entering, I asked Qin Ming briefly—he said he was studying an ancient pill formula. That must be it."

She herself was astonished—Qin Ming had merely rented a cave dwelling, yet drawn the attention of the city lord.

Not only that.

In Canghai Xiancheng, high-grade pill refiners and artifact forgers often saw Sun Jinyan pacing outside half-mountain cave dwellings, never entering to refine.

Finally, a cultivator could no longer suppress his curiosity and asked Sun Jinyan: "Elder Sun, what are you doing here?"

"You don't rent a cave dwelling, yet you just wait here."

"Are you preparing to take on a disciple?"

"Observing passing pill masters?"

"What about me?"

Sun Jinyan, hearing this, scowled and waved him off: "Go away! Who told you I'm taking disciples?"

But under persistent questioning from several Class-2 pill masters, he reluctantly confessed:

"What?!"

"Master Qin has been inside over a year without emerging?" "They say he's locked himself in studying an ancient pill formula?"

"This is extraordinary!"

"Master Qin is so young, already a Class-2 Superior pill master—could he be aiming for Class-3 Grand Master?"

"Is that even possible?"

"Breaking into Class-3 Pill Grand Master is as hard as climbing to heaven—no easier than advancing to Golden Core. In my view, Master Qin is likely just refining a Class-2 Superior formula."

"Exactly! I agree—no matter how gifted Qin Ming is, he couldn't break into Class-3 so quickly."

"The Southern Wastelands haven't produced a Class-3 Pill Grand Master in over a hundred years."

"Regardless, we'll only know once Master Qin emerges."

From then on, outside the fire vein cave dwelling halfway up Canghai Peak, besides Grand Master Sun Jinyan, several veteran pill masters from Canghai Xiancheng also appeared.

Time passed slowly.

Another year went by.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Over these two years, Qin Ming spent his time tending the Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus and studying the refinement of the Dust-Extinguishing Pill.

The difficulty of refining this Class-3 Dust-Extinguishing Pill exceeded Qin Ming's expectations.

At first, he thought it wouldn't be much harder than the Class-3 Zhurong Pill he had previously succeeded in refining.

But when he actually began refining, he realized the Dust-Extinguishing Pill was the most complex spirit pill he had ever attempted.

Over the past two years, he refined pills while accumulating experience; nearly all the spirit materials in his storage bag were consumed.

"The Miechen Pill is truly worthy of its reputation as an elixir to enhance a Jin Dan cultivator's cultivation base; its refinement is no small challenge."

He now had only three chances left.

The third year passed in the blink of an eye.

Qin Ming's lease on the cave dwelling had expired.

The masters waiting outside the cave, eager for results, were all restless, scratching their heads and pacing anxiously.

"No way?"

"It's already been two years—could something have happened to Master Qin?"

"Should we go in and check?"

"Exactly—the lease is up anyway. Master Lu, why not send him a spiritual message to ask?"

Lu Wanjun gazed at the group of masters before her, whose status and rank were beyond compare, and found herself unable to decide.

She hurried to the main hall to report the situation to Canghai True Person.

Nalan Xi listened, then froze in surprise.

"The third year has come. Has there been no sign of Master Qin emerging?"

After a brief pause, she spoke with a commanding tone: "From now on, all spirit stone fees for Master Qin's cave lease are waived."

"Furthermore, issue my decree: no one is to disturb Master Qin's seclusion."

"Anyone who dares interfere shall be expelled from the Immortal City."

Lu Wanjun was stunned—she had never expected Nalan Xi, a Jin Dan Ancestor, to make such a decision.

"Yes!"

After receiving the order, Lu Wanjun dispersed the onlookers with Canghai True Person's decree.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Qin Ming unleashed the divine technique "Four Seasons Divine Light" to extract the medicinal essences from the ingredients.

His expression was calm; he maintained a tranquil heart, undisturbed by the many failures of the past two years.

After all, his primary goal was to cultivate the Flame-Bathed Golden Lotus, not to refine pills.

Clusters of luminous, radiant medicinal liquids floated before Qin Ming.

Filled with dreamlike radiance, they added an unusual hue to the crimson third-rank fire vein.

"Yin-Yang separation and union—condense!"

Qin Ming's face grew serious; his hand gestures shifted, and all the medicinal liquids sank into the Xuan Jade Furnace, beginning the final step of core formation.

This was the first time Qin Ming had devoted such prolonged time and energy to pill refinement—the difficulty was unimaginable.

Among the hundred arts of cultivation, any one aspiring to reach the high level requires talent, time, effort, and the burning of spirit stones—all indispensable.

Otherwise, high-rank pill masters could never hold a status far above that of ordinary cultivators.

Chirp! Roar! Two beast cries emerged from Qin Ming's furnace!

Immediately, a seven-colored mist appeared above the Xuan Jade Furnace, radiating an astonishing aura of Dao.

Within the mist, faint shadows of a dragon and a phoenix drifted and coiled.

The Miechen Pill has formed—the dragon and phoenix cry in unison! Three golden pills, radiating powerful spiritual energy, floated silently within the furnace.

One Miechen Pill purifies the roots of karmic dust—it is the legendary elixir that Jin Dan cultivators dream of.

…

Outside the cave dwelling, in the sky.

The astonishing phenomenon from Qin Ming's successful pill refinement—the shimmering dragon and phoenix shadows—spilled from the fire vein cave and spiraled upward into the open air.

A mist of radiant light, dozens of zhang wide, coalesced above Cave Jia, lingering without dispersing.

Though it was like a phantom flower, fleeting as a momentary bloom, this sight had been watched closely.

And by high-rank cultivators who had come to rent cave dwellings.

"This… this celestial sign—"

"Third-rank pill formed! Dragon and phoenix cry in unison! Stirring the resonance of heaven and earth!!"

Sun Jin looked up at the sky, eyes wide with awe, his heart filled with complex emotions, unable to calm down for a long time.

"What?!"

"Third-rank spirit pill!"

"Master Qin has truly succeeded!"

"No—soon we must call him Master Qin, the Pill Sage."

"A stunning revelation! I never thought my Wei Kingdom's cultivation world would produce a third-rank Pill Sage—witnessing such an event with my own eyes makes my life worthwhile! Hahaha!"

In an instant, news of the phenomenon at Canghai Peak's third-rank cave dwellings exploded like a bomb in water, sending shockwaves through the realm.

In the main hall, Canghai True Person had learned of it the moment it happened.

The next instant.

Her figure flickered and vanished from her throne.

Outside the third-rank fire vein cave.

Nalan Xi descended upon the cave entrance, unleashing a vast spiritual pressure.

Her expression revealed no joy or sorrow; she merely gazed calmly upward at the cave's summit.

Yet within her, turmoil stirred.

For even she had never expected Qin Ming to succeed at once.

"Judging by this display, it appears to be an extremely rare type among third-rank pills."

"Master Qin… I never imagined you could reach this point."

"…"

The cultivators outside the cave, seeing even Canghai True Person had been stirred, immediately bowed respectfully.

"We pay homage to Canghai True Person!"

…

(End of Chapter)