"Wow—so much happened in just two days!" Xuan Dan was astonished by everything Qing Xuanling had experienced and her improvements. She couldn't help but sigh. "Meanwhile, I'm still stuck studying just one of Alchemist Lin's formulas…"

  Qing Xuanling shrugged. "Don't rush yourself. Ordinary alchemists usually spend at least four months studying a high-grade formula before even attempting to refine the pill. And knowing you—you've probably already grasped most of it…"

  Xuan Dan smiled. Indeed, she'd already understood the bulk of the formula and had mentally simulated how to refine it. She planned to study it for another week before attempting creation.

  "Sigh… I almost feel sorry for alchemists worldwide," Qing Xuanling smirked wryly. "How would they feel if they discovered you could refine a high-grade pill within just one or two months of learning alchemy?"

  "Maybe they'd treat me like a god?" Xuan Dan grinned arrogantly—then frowned. "Tsk… though honestly, they'd probably feel more devastated if they learned someone could refine high-grade pills without even spending a full week studying alchemy!"

  Qing Xuanling laughed. "Hehe—I already feel good just imagining those arrogant faces twisted in despair!"

  Alchemists within the clan—or rather, alchemists in general—tended to be extremely arrogant. Especially grandmaster alchemists who could effortlessly refine high-grade pills. Every cultivator had fallen victim to an alchemist's arrogance at some point in their lives.

  'But won't I soon become a grandmaster alchemist myself?'

  She felt excited at the thought. Qing Xuanling quickly asked Xuan Dan to enter her divine sea—she was also curious about the pill formula Xuan Dan had been studying these past two days.

  The process was swift. Qing Xuanling wore a contemplative expression when Xuan Dan reemerged.

  "It's an interesting pill formula, isn't it? The best of the three Alchemist Lin gave us," Xuan Dan smiled.

  Qing Xuanling nodded, slightly excited. The formula Xuan Dan had been studying was for the Demon Blood Pill—a pill that strengthened the physical body! Extremely useful for cultivators who lacked time to train their bodies.

  But for body cultivators, this pill held entirely different significance—it was a divine elixir for body cultivation! One would never need to worry about insufficient blood energy while cultivating with these pills!

  Body cultivation involved strengthening the physique through various methods—but all shared one common requirement: blood energy. It was nearly impossible to advance one's body cultivation without sufficient blood energy.

  That was why body cultivators often consumed large quantities of spirit beast or demonic beast meat—the bodies of high-cultivation beasts contained abundant blood energy!

  And the Demon Blood Pill contained as much blood energy as the entire body of a mid-stage demonic beast!

  Qing Xuanling smiled excitedly. "Heh—you truly are a gift from heaven, Xuan Dan!"

  She produced the book containing Qing Linxi's body cultivation technique and quickly explained how she'd obtained it. Xuan Dan's eyes immediately lit up.

  "Good—very good! I didn't expect we'd need this pill so soon!" Xuan Dan was now laughing. "Body cultivators desperately need only two things: sufficient blood energy and endless battles!"

  "With my pills and your constant thirst for combat, your body cultivation will advance faster than your spiritual cultivation! Combined with your condensed sharp Qi—you'll become a cultivator to be feared!"

  Qing Xuanling nodded with equal excitement. Her future looked quite promising. But when she looked at the book in her hands, her expression darkened.

  "The problem is this cultivation technique…"

  Surprisingly, Xuan Dan didn't seem as disappointed.

  "I don't know Sister Linxi well—but she doesn't strike me as someone who'd play unnecessary pranks." On the contrary, she seemed intrigued. "Rather, I suspect this technique's origin is simply too unique."

  Qing Xuanling still harbored doubts—but Xuan Dan's words made sense. Hope restored, she opened the book and read it together with Xuan Dan. Though the self-proclaimed heavenly alchemist had no intention of cultivating her body, she could help Qing Xuanling comprehend the technique faster.

  Both read attentively.

  'The Great Dao flows through all things—from the most insignificant to the most magnificent, such as mythical beasts. Those who follow the Dao's path are not bound by birth or lineage, but by destiny. Thus, even the humblest creature may follow the Dao's principles through the workings of fate.'

  'Grasping this truth, I embarked on a journey across the world, seeking the most unique lifeforms I could find. At the end of my travels, in the volcanoes of the eastern isles, I encountered a rather special creature: the steel caterpillar.'

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  'An insect whose skin had become steel after long years of evolution within volcanoes. Creatures so weak they couldn't even be considered spirit beasts. I investigated them only by chance—but among them was one particularly special caterpillar… one that bathed in lava…'

  The next ten pages detailed the special steel caterpillar's feeding habits: how it sought out metals to consume, its preferred metals, interactions with its own kind, predators, and defense mechanisms. Those ten pages likely contained the world's most complete information on steel caterpillars.

  "This… this can't just be a book documenting that steel caterpillar's life, can it?" Even Xuan Dan began to doubt.

  Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth and decided to keep reading. She refused to believe Qing Linxi had simply given her a book about a caterpillar!

  '…After two years of observation, the steel caterpillar's changes were more than notable. Despite possessing limited intelligence and not a trace of spiritual energy within it, its physical body had become immensely strong—reaching the level of a late-stage Qi Refinement body cultivator!'

  'I researched the reason for this for years after discovering it—but only after a decade did I realize! This caterpillar was unconsciously employing a method: using lava's heat to temper its body while simultaneously using that heat to rapidly digest the metals it consumed, further strengthening its physique…'

  Another ten pages were spent describing the method's miraculous nature—leaving Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan stunned.

  "Normally, the few body cultivation techniques that utilize fire only use it to damage the body and then regenerate it—but this technique…" Xuan Dan remained somewhat shocked. "It perfectly utilizes fire and heat not only to temper the skin, but also to transform the body into a kind of furnace that rapidly digests blood energy! It's a divine technique!"

  Qing Xuanling's eyes sparkled. "Not only that! This technique inverts the fundamental concept of body cultivation techniques that cultivate muscles and bones first, then blood! Here, the blood is improved first—and supports the enhancement of the rest of the body!"

  "Not to mention that there are five levels of hardness that the skin of those who practice this technique can achieve! It's practically a divine technique!"

  'Abnormal Steel Caterpillar Observation Diary' was undoubtedly a first-tier technique. It contained various methods learned from that abnormal caterpillar—teaching the body to gradually adapt to extreme heat and how to guide blood energy to strengthen the body, especially the skin.

  Taken to its extreme, a cultivator's skin could become as strong as steel—impervious to cuts.

  However, as Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan continued reading, they discovered a crucial flaw.

  Something fatal.

  "Incomplete!" Qing Xuanling's face soured. "The creator of this technique never managed to complete it!"

  Important sections were missing for reaching the ninth layer of Qi Refinement—and though the technique theoretically could carry a cultivator to the Foundation Establishment realm, no established method existed for that breakthrough.

  True—the technique's potential and methods were at the level of a high-grade Profound-rank technique, perhaps even better.

  But…

  "No wonder Sister Linxi handed it over so easily!" Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth. "She wants me to help complete this damn technique!"

  Her opinion of Qing Linxi plummeted several notches. She wasn't the carefree, simple person Qing Xuanling had initially imagined—but a scheming serpent capable of lying with a smile on her face!

  Xuan Dan's expression grew complex. "It's not a bad technique—but completing it… I see it as extremely difficult. It's already quite complete as is. I don't see a path to the kingdom of foundation establishment."

  Qing Xuanling felt despondent. Though divine, practicing an incomplete technique was highly dangerous. Switching to another technique midway would be perilous.

  'If only it were complete up to Foundation Establishment…!'

  Foundation Establishment cultivators underwent a complete transformation of body and mind. Beyond that realm, the body's resilience and vitality were sufficient to withstand one or two sudden switches in body cultivation techniques.

  But for cultivators of Qi Refinement, such a thing was merely a dream.

  If Qing Xuanling decided to practice this technique, she'd have to complete it all the way to Foundation Establishment.

  Xuan Dan sighed and immediately refused. "We can't make such a dangerous gamble. We don't even know if this technique can be cultivated beyond the Qi Refinement realm. You'd be better off spending your contribution points on a hight-grade Yellow-rank technique."

  But Qing Xuanling didn't respond.

  Xuan Dan's face darkened. "You're not seriously planning to fall into that pit, are you?! That Qing Linxi just wants to drag you into the mud with her! Don't tell me you're actually falling for that trap—"

  "The clan doesn't possess any body cultivation technique with this much potential." Qing Xuanling interrupted. "Even if they did, I couldn't obtain it—or it would be incomplete too! And though this one's incomplete, the technique is practically divine! You said so yourself!"

  "Qing Xuanling! Are you really going to throw away your potential on a gamble?!" Xuan Dan roared.

  Qing Xuanling and she were the same person. Though they didn't share identical thoughts, one's rise or fall implicated the other. Especially since Xuan Dan disliked fighting—she wanted Qing Xuanling to become as strong as possible to protect her.

  But now, the idiot was risking her future on a one-way gamble!

  Unfortunately for Xuan Dan, Qing Xuanling was resolute.

  "I've already decided, Xuan Dan." Qing Xuanling smiled. "I'm going to cultivate this technique. Besides—my future achievements will be greater if I truly manage to complete it! Tell me—isn't it better to forge my own path than follow others'?"

  Xuan Dan gritted her teeth as she met Qing Xuanling's ambitious gaze. She realized immediately—the fool had become intoxicated by the idea of completing the technique and perhaps even creating something new!

  "Don't get so angry—I'm not that stupid." Qing Xuanling sensed Xuan Dan's thoughts. "You know the technique isn't entirely incomplete—the foundations for the next realm exist. We just need to fill in a few gaps…"

  "Sigh… why?" Xuan Dan covered her face, rubbing it in frustration. "Couldn't you just take the standard path and be done with it?"

  Qing Xuanling laughed. "I don't want to become a standard person. I want to go further. And I believe this technique will allow me to. This might be the first step toward becoming a true power."

  Qing Xuanling's face shone—filled with boundless confidence and determination. Xuan Dan's features tightened slightly. She sighed in defeat.

  "Don't say I didn't warn you later…" Xuan Dan shook her head and pulled several sheets of paper from a desk. "Come—let's plan the first cultivation session. This technique requires extensive preparation. Fortunately, we have time before I can refine the Demon Blood Pills."

  Qing Xuanling's face brightened. "Of course! I think we could use a structure similar to a furnace or cauldron! And for the fire—I could combine the Clear Flame with another flame…"

  Both—incarnation and primary body—plunged into deep analysis of the technique and possible methods for Qing Xuanling to practice it.

  In that small room, the first discussion of a body cultivation technique that would one day shake the entire world continued until the following day.