Chapter 457 Grandmaster of Elixirs

All the spiritual materials had been acquired. Next up would be refining the fourth version of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir.

Inside the cave, a few people stood around The Authentic Ambergris brought back by Ning Tao. Everyone was filled with curiosity and shock.

“Tao, why is this thing a little…” Jiang Hao seemed to be recalling something. “It smells a little like baijiu. Are you sure this is the ambergris from a real dragon?”

Ning Tao said, “Of course I’m sure. I have personally taken this from the dragon skeleton. It can’t be wrong.”

“Are there really dragons in this world?” Qing Zhui looked shocked.

“That dragon skeleton was about a hundred yards long, tens of yards high…” Ning Tao briefly described. “It’s not time yet. If there is a chance in the future, I will take you to see it.”

Qing Zhui said, “Then I must really properly pay my respects. After all, it’s the remains of a dragon deity.”

Huaxia people did not only consist of the Han, but also over ten ethnic minorities, including demons too. Everyone had an emotional connection deep in their bones as the descendant of dragons.

Chen Pingdao turned quiet for a moment before saying, “Brother Ning, did you meet with any special situation inside that dragon grave?”

Ning Tao was slightly stunned. “Senior Chen, what do you mean?”

Chen Pingdao said, “I mean things like a dragon spirit or formations?”

Ning Tao carefully recalled what happened then said, “Nothing special happened. Other than an abundance of spiritual energy, I did not meet any dragon spirit. Oh right, Senior Chen, what did you mean by dragon spirit? Do you mean the spiritual energy of dragons or…?”

“Their soul,” Chen Pingdao said, “Dragons are mystical beasts of the Gulin era. Their body will perish but their souls do not die. The dragon skeleton you mentioned was so well preserved so its soul should also be present, but why not?”

“How would I know?” Ning Tao said.

Chen Pingdao continued, “Or perhaps there is a discrepancy in the legends, they’re not entirely true. However, it’s a little strange that there was not a single formation inside the dragon grave. Are you really sure nothing happened?”

Ning Tao thought about what had happened again and shook his head. He was sure that he did not see any abnormalities. Was it so strange?

Yin Molan reached out and held a big piece of The Authentic Ambergris, and was unwilling to part with it. “Alright, let’s go, let’s not disturb Brother Ning from refining elixirs. The Ancestor-seeking Elixir this time can definitely help me break through my Core Formation Stage. Miss Bai and Miss Qing might also gain their breakthrough. After all our cultivation levels are similar.”

“Let’s go,” Bai Jing said and left, conveniently taking a Yue ware vase on the way out.

Ning Tao hurriedly stopped Bai Jing. “That vase was taken from the sea. I’m planning to get Fan Huaying to help me auction it. Don’t take it away.”

Bai Jing appeared to be unhappy. “I am your sister-in-law. Is our kinship worth less than a vase?”

Yet Ning Tao had already taken the imperial Yue ware vase away from her and placed it back in its original spot. He did not make explanations because he was very sure that it would be useless with Bai Jing.

“Fine. But the company must get a share of the money once you’ve sold it,” Bai Jing said.

Ning Tao smiled as he said, “Not only will I be giving a share. If I auction it successfully, I’ll transfer half of the proceeds to the company.”

The charity company was still in its starting-up stage and needed a large amount of funds. Apart from paying the demon village’s fish people “military provisions”, he had not much use for such a huge amount of money. Even if Bai Jing had not brought it up, he would have transferred half of the proceeds to Shenzhou Charity Company’s bank account. After all, Shenzhou Charity Company was actually a “treatment fee company” to help him earn merits of good intention despite appearing to have nothing to do with him. He wanted the company to do well more than anyone did.

Only then did Bai Jing reveal a smile. “That’s better. When you go to the ocean in the future, don’t come back empty-handed. Take back home any treasure there is. Your whole family and the charity company needs money. And isn’t it a pity for those treasures to be left rotting in the sea?”

All Ning Tao did was smile. He had mentally noted Bai Jing’s reminder. The ocean took up two-thirds of the world’s surface and humans’ physical limitations restricted them from exploring the deep sea. The most they could do was explore the shallower parts of the ocean, and even so, their movements were significantly limited. Yet, he possessed the unique quality which allowed him to explore for treasures in the deep sea and the bottom of the sea. That was the water-resistant ability of the Heavenly Gem Magic Garment. If he needed money in the future, why not just take a trip down to the bottom of the ocean and take some antiques or cultural artifacts back to sell for money?

Before leaving, Bai Jing said, “When you are done with the Ancestor-seeking Elixir, remember to come look for me. I think you’ve probably forgotten what I told you previously.”

“What is it?” Ning Tao had indeed forgotten.

Bai Jing rolled her eyes at Ning Tao. “How long has it been? And you’ve already forgotten what I told you before you left. I said I’ve thought of an idea to earn a huge number of merits of good intention, yet you didn’t even dare to enter my room.”

Only then did Ning Tao recall what happened. He had thought that she was just trying to lure him into her room with an excuse, and she was bathing in the Body Cleanse Elixir at that point. He did not expect her to bring it up. He said, “Alright, once the new Ancestor-seeking Elixir is completed, I’ll go look for you.”

Jiang Hao did not react. She seemed to have already gotten used to it, her reactions had been increasingly toned down.

After Chen Pingdao and everyone left the cave, the cave had become silent.

Ning Tao started organizing the spiritual materials, making preparations for the refining of the fourth version of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir.

Once the materials were prepared, Ning Tao took the Spirit Gathering Pearl which he had gotten from Yang Yuhuan out from his small medicine chest, and placed it beside the delicate, perfumed tripod. When the Spirit Gathering Pearl appeared, a huge amount of spiritual energy rushed in from outside the cave. In an instant, the spiritual energy inside the cave became denser than usual by at least a fold and was still increasing non-stop.

Excitement grew inside of Ning Tao. With this phenomenon, no matter whether he was refining the Ancestor-seeking Elixir or other ordinary elixirs, the quality of the product would increase significantly!

If Chen Pingdao did not come to look at The Authentic Ambergris, he would most probably have taken the Spirit Gathering Pearl out to show to Yin Molan, Bai Jing, Jiang Hao, and Qing Zhui, and tell them that they could use the unique energy-gathering quality of the Spirit Gathering Pearl to cultivate. Yet, Chen Pingdao was around so it was inconvenient for him to take it out because the energy of the Spirit Gathering Pearl was not created by oneself, but rather, taking the spiritual energy in the area and gathering them together. This was looting in nature. If Chen Pingdao knew about it, he would definitely be unwilling for Ning Tao to use the Spirit Gathering Pearl to cultivate the elixir here, and much less allowing Qing Zhui and everyone else to cultivate here using the Spirit Gathering Pearl.

Everything had already been prepared. Ning Tao placed the unfinished elixir into the delicate, perfumed tripod and started refining the elixir.

A whole night went by.

Bzz!

The delicate, perfumed tripod buzzed and the black and white alchemy fire inside the tripod quickly dissipated, and lastly, disappeared entirely. Inside the tripod was an elixir about the size of a chicken egg.

The elixir was clear and shiny, exuding a bluish luster, like icy jadeite. Yet it was very obviously pristine and colorless. What was even stranger was that, at a closer look, one could see a very faint red glow within its bluish elixir light, like watching a sunset or sunrise through a piece of jade.

“A red elixir light…” He suddenly realized that there was actually a red elixir light in the Ancestor-seeking Elixir cultivated this time. Ning Tao’s heart beat fast and was stunned where he stood.

An elixir refined by a cultivating doctor surely belonged to a certain standard.

Its crystalline clarity was the fundamental light. If the elixir also released a bluish glow, that was the elementary elixir light. Someone who was able to produce such an elixir would be deserving of the title of “Master of Elixir Refinement”.

If one could cultivate an elixir with red elixir light along with its fundamental light, then it would be even better. One would be good enough to be the Elixir Cultivation Grandmaster, which would earn them the title of “Grandmaster of Elixirs”.

Having a golden elixir light with the fundamental light was the sagely elixir light. If one could cultivate such an elixir, then they would be the “Sage of Elixirs”.

If an elixir had spiritual light, it would be an elixir of immortality. Those elixirs were often produced by deities. Such deities often liked to be referred to as “Deity of Elixirs”. As for the appearance of its spiritual light, there were many disputed claims and nobody was sure about it. After all, Earth was probably only considered as a mere primitive tribe in the vast universe. How many people had actually seen the true elixir of immortality?

In fact, how many practitioners or demons could really live up to the title of “Master of Elixir Refinement” in this whole world? Much less a Deity of Elixirs.

Before tonight, Ning Tao was a true Master of Elixir Refinement but now with the birth of the fourth version of Ancestor-seeking Elixir with a hidden red elixir light, he was no longer the Master of Elixir Refinement but rather, the grandmaster of elixir refinement——Grandmaster of Elixirs!

If this were the magic ancient age, he could totally start his own school and take in disciples, developing his own sect!

“This… Could it be real?” Ning Tao could not believe that he was seeing a red elixir light. But it was really there. Even though it was very faint, he could see it right away.

What had happened for its powers to increase so greatly without a sign?

Ning Tao found the reason very quickly after thinking for a while. His eyes laid on the Spirit Gathering Pearl beside the delicate, perfumed tripod.

The Spirit Gathering Pearl was the reason.

Still, the most the Spirit Gathering Pearl had done was to gather the spiritual energy in the vicinity and assisted with his elixir refinement. If his own ability was not great, he could never have refined such an elixir which could only be produced by the Grandmasters of Elixirs. This also meant that if he broke through his stage of Core Formation and had his spiritual power enter a higher level, he would be able to refine an elixir unique to Grandmaster of Elixirs without using the Spirit Gathering Pearl!

After calming down from his excitement, Ning Tao reached out to pick up the Ancestor-seeking Elixir from the delicate, perfumed tripod. Once in contact, the elixir light penetrated his skin, and the elixir odor entered his nose. Before he realized, the space before him became distorted!

It was a crack. Within it was as dark as ink, like a black hole that had consumed all the light in the universe. Yet there was an orange glow around its edges, burning like fire. It looked like a distorted and stretched convenient door!

Yet, that was not actual spatial distortion. Rather, something was wrong with his brain and vision!