Advancement in Alchemy

After Jiang Yao escorted Yan Yun to the restricted area of the medicine field, she immediately made her way to Su Muyu’s residence within the Yunhua Sect.

During this period, Su Muyu had been utterly disinclined to cultivate, her mind solely fixed on awaiting news of her son.

Her residence now echoed with a cacophony of disorganized zither notes, the discordant melody a stark reflection of her inner turmoil.

“Oh, you wretched child, where are you? With so much befalling you, why must you bear it all alone? It is Mother’s fault for not discerning the changes within you sooner.”

“Damnable Lin family, their insolence knows no bounds!” The mere thought that the Lin family had forced her son onto a path of desperate flight ignited a murderous intent within Su Muyu’s heart.

The previously chaotic zither melody instantly transformed into a fierce, murderous cadence.

At that moment, Su Muyu was dressed identically to Jiang Yao, appearing considerably younger, yet as a married woman, she still exuded a certain mature grace that a maiden could not possess.

“Mother, Mother…” Just then, Jiang Yao’s urgent calls reached Su Muyu’s ears.

She appeared directly beneath the pavilion where Su Muyu resided.

Upon seeing Jiang Yao arrive, Su Muyu’s suppressed emotions began to recede slightly, and the zither’s song abruptly ceased.

“Ah, Yao’er, what brings you here? Were you not assisting your master in maintaining order for the assessment? Why have you come to me?” Su Muyu inquired, rising.

Jiang Yao was about to speak, but recalling that Yan Yun was currently a fugitive in both the cultivation world and the mortal realm, she forcefully suppressed her voice. Her lips moved subtly, yet no sound escaped them.

This was a divine sense transmission, conveying the joyous news of Yan Yun’s arrival at the Yunhua Sect to Su Muyu.

Su Muyu, who had been composed moments before, instantly revealed a look of profound surprise and delight upon hearing the news.

“Is that so? How wonderful! That wretched child has finally come to find us. Where is she? Quickly, take me to her.” Su Muyu exclaimed, soaring down from the pavilion in her excitement to land beside Jiang Yao.

However, Jiang Yao shook her head in response.

“Mother, you cannot openly go to see her. Her current identity is exceptionally sensitive. If she is exposed, I fear even our Yunhua Sect would be unable to protect her.”

Hearing this, Su Muyu managed to suppress her intense excitement.

“Yes, I understand. Where is she now? Find a suitable time for us to meet.”

Jiang Yao then explained Yan Yun’s situation in the medicine field.

“The medicine field? Even if she were to be a menial disciple, she should still come to stay with us, shouldn’t she? Didn’t you say she turned into a girl because of her cultivation? She could serve as a maid for us!” Su Muyu queried, perplexed.

Jiang Yao hastily relayed Yan Yun’s wishes.

After listening, Su Muyu found herself with no alternative.

“Sigh, very well. But I absolutely must see that wretched child today, otherwise, I won’t be able to rest easy.”

Seeing Su Muyu’s fervent desire to meet Yan Yun, Jiang Yao pondered for a moment before finally nodding.

“Alright, I’ll inform her.” In front of Su Muyu, Jiang Yao sent a message to Yan Yun.

Meanwhile, Yan Yun, who was engrossed in studying the Pill Dao Heavenly Tome, suddenly sensed a disturbance from her communication artifact.

She promptly withdrew from the Heavenly Tome space, and taking out her jade pendant, she glanced at it.

‘Ah! Mom wants to see me tonight! Oh no, oh no, how am I going to explain myself? I’m definitely going to get a beating.’ Yan Yun felt a surge of nervousness.

However, since matters had reached this point, she could only brace herself and go to the meeting.

After sending a reply, Yan Yun retrieved her medicine cauldron, and began to experiment with refining poison pills, incorporating the insights she had gained from the Pill Dao Heavenly Tome.

Her pill refining techniques and steps were distinctly different from what Yan Lingyun had taught her previously, seeming to have grown more intricate, even profound.

Within the cauldron, the flames, manipulated by her fire control technique, danced like a pair of fire dragons, enveloping the essence of the medicinal ingredients as they swirled within.

If Yan Lingyun were to witness this scene, she would undoubtedly be utterly astonished.

After a flurry of precise movements, three gleaming purple poison pills emerged within the cauldron, each adorned with two faint golden patterns (TL Note: 纹路 refers to lines or patterns, specifically ‘pill patterns’ or ‘pill veins’ in alchemy, indicating quality).

“What? Three pills? Are these pill patterns? Haha, truly worthy of the fire control technique from the Pill Dao Heavenly Tome! To think it could advance my pill refining skills so dramatically in an instant! If Grand Ancestor were to awaken, she’d surely be startled beyond belief.” Yan Yun exclaimed, overcome with excitement.

The presence of pill patterns signified the pills’ exceedingly high quality.

Most alchemists, when refining pills, would lose a significant amount of medicinal potency, unable to unleash the full efficacy of the ingredients.

However, those with exceptional pill refining skills could preserve more of the medicinal properties, or even enhance them.

One pill pattern indicated complete preservation of medicinal properties, while two pill patterns signified a ten percent increase in efficacy.

The pills Yan Yun had refined were the Hemolytic Poison Pills she typically consumed.

Though her poison cultivation technique could adapt to all poisons, according to Yan Lingyun, to rapidly break through realms, one should primarily cultivate a single type of poison.

Previously, the pills she refined were of the most common variety; achieving seventy percent efficacy was considered good.

But now, with her refined pill concoction technique, the effects of these poison pills had instantly increased by several tens of percent.

This, in turn, meant her cultivation would accelerate considerably.

The formation within the restricted medicine field was capable of blocking divine sense, thus Yan Yun had no fear of anyone prying into her activities with their spiritual perception.

Time gradually slipped by as Yan Yun continued to refine pills and enhance her techniques.

Soon enough, evening descended.

Yan Yun once more received a notification from Jiang Yao, instructing her to come to the medicine field’s teleportation array.

Yan Yun hastily put aside her tasks, left her residence, and headed towards the teleportation array.

Jiang Yao was already waiting for her there, lurking surreptitiously.

“Wife,” Yan Yun called out softly.

Jiang Yao immediately shushed her with a finger to her lips, then seized her arm, activating the teleportation array.

The next instant, the two transformed into streaks of light and vanished.

When they reappeared, they were already standing on the Yunhua Sect’s main formation platform.

It was around midnight, and hardly anyone was moving about within the Yunhua Sect.

Then, Jiang Yao ascended into the air with Yan Yun, soaring towards Su Muyu’s residence within the Yunhua Sect.

“Hey! Is there really a need to be so furtive? Don’t you think if we’re discovered acting like this, it’ll only draw more suspicion? I might as well have just come to the sect openly during the day when there are more people.” Yan Yun whispered.

Jiang Yao shot her a sideways glance.

“Do you think this is your home, where you can go wherever you please? The living quarters of inner disciples are not places menial disciples can simply wander into.”

“Oh? Is that so? Alright. By the way, why do I have a feeling I’m going to get a beating when I see Mom later?” Yan Yun remarked with a hint of worry.

Jiang Yao let out a soft chuckle.

“Isn’t a beating quite normal? Mother has been incredibly worried about you lately, completely unable to focus on cultivation. If I hadn’t been holding her back, she probably would have gone down the mountain to find you herself.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Yun felt a pang of guilt.

The two quickly arrived at Su Muyu’s courtyard, which was protected by a formation, impenetrable to outsiders without a key or the owner’s permission.

Jiang Yao produced a token and gestured with it, and a gap promptly opened in the formation.

They stepped through the opening, eventually reaching the entrance of a beautiful pavilion.

“Alright, go on in. Mother is waiting for you inside.” Jiang Yao indicated.

Yan Yun stared at the main door, swallowing nervously, then braced herself and entered.

As for Jiang Yao, she waited outside, for after Yan Yun had met with Su Muyu, the two of them would still need to have a proper heart-to-heart.

Upon entering the pavilion, Yan Yun spotted a familiar silhouette.

Yan Yun was just about to greet her, but the next moment, a cold snort suddenly resonated.

“Kneel.”

As the command echoed, Yan Yun promptly knelt down.

“Mother,” Yan Yun whimpered pitifully.

Su Muyu then abruptly turned around, a furious expression etched on her face, and strode towards Yan Yun, stopping only when she stood directly before her.