Su Yan was released from the Profound Realm Bead by Yang Kai and headed alone toward Ice Extinction Peak.
Though Yang Kai had no idea why Luo Li wanted to see Su Yan, he could sense that the woman harbored no ill will toward her. He even had a vague feeling that this would be an opportunity for Su Yan.
Su Yan's sudden appearance left the Ice Heart Valley Elder who had been standing guard outside the pavilion completely stunned.
She had never once seen Su Yan enter the pavilion, yet the woman had just walked out from inside.
Try as she might, she simply could not wrap her head around what had happened.
Yang Kai stayed inside the pavilion and began refining pills.
Void King-grade spirit pills were not something that could be refined on a whim. According to Yang Kai's comprehension of the Alchemy True Scripture, refining a Void King-grade spirit pill required an outstanding pill catalyst.
Only when the catalyst possessed spiritual energy could the resulting pill truly be called a spirit pill.
Yang Kai designated the pill catalyst as a high-quality demon beast inner core.
The inner core of a demon beast contained the creature's essence, energy, and spirit — naturally rich in spiritual energy and perfectly suited to the task.
Tenth-rank demon beast inner cores were not something Yang Kai possessed, nor did Ice Heart Valley have any. However, the valley did hold quite a few ninth-rank peak demon beast inner cores. Among the materials previously provided, there had been one such core.
Over the next three days, Yang Kai secluded himself and refused to come out.
Strange sounds and movements periodically drifted from within the pavilion, and then, centered on the structure, a fragrance that could be smelled from ten thousand zhang away spread through the air.
Bing Long and the others, who had already heard some news from Luo Li, were left dumbfounded as they stood guard outside the pavilion, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
Yang Kai really was a remarkable alchemist. They had no idea whether he could actually produce a Void King-grade spirit pill, but the sheer spectacle alone was proof enough that his accomplishments in the Dao of Alchemy were far from shallow.
But how was this even possible?
Yang Kai did not appear particularly old. The fact that his cultivation had already reached the third level of the Return Void Stage was mind-boggling enough — where would he have found the extra energy to study alchemy, let alone walk so far down that path?
Only now did Bing Long and the others truly realize just how terrifying a figure Yang Kai was.
Their gazes toward the pavilion gradually took on an air of reverence.
As time passed, the unusual disturbances coming from within the pavilion grew ever more conspicuous. Faintly, the glow of ten thousand colors seeped out, and the medicinal fragrance drifting through the air grew thicker and richer. The scent reached their nostrils and sent a wave of clarity washing through their minds, leaving their entire bodies feeling wonderfully at ease.
Three days passed in a flash, and the doors of the pavilion opened on their own.
From inside came Yang Kai's voice: "Senior Bing Long, please come in and speak with me."
Bing Long's expression turned solemn, and she hurried forward.
She entered the pavilion and emerged shortly after, her expression tense yet brimming with excitement.
"Valley Master, how did it go?" Grand Elder Ran Yunting and the others gazed at her eagerly. They had all heard the news — Yang Kai had been refining a spirit pill for the Supreme Elder these past few days, and they were practically bursting to learn the result.
Bing Long said nothing. She simply held up a pristine white jade vial for them to see, then tucked it back into her spatial ring without a word and raced toward Ice Extinction Peak at top speed.
"Could he have really succeeded?" Ran Yunting's face went ashen, and she murmured to herself.
The other Elders watched Bing Long's retreating figure and then glanced at Ran Yunting. A few of them let out quiet sighs, a trace of reproach surfacing in the depths of their eyes.
They all knew that if they had been in Ran Yunting's position, when Chi Huo and Luo Hai had descended upon Ice Heart Valley, they might well have made the same choice — sacrificing Su Yan to preserve the Sect.
Yet Yang Kai's bizarre abilities and immense potential still left them consumed with regret.
If only they had not done that back then, and had instead fought to the death to protect Su Yan… how wonderful that would have been. Then they could have forged a connection with Yang Kai.
A Void King-grade alchemist — what an exalted status that was!
Inside the pavilion, Yang Kai sat with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing. This round of refining a Void King-grade spirit pill had given him no small amount of insight. Luo Li also needed some time to digest the medicinal effects, recover from her injuries, and mend the hidden damage to her mind. So he settled in comfortably to continue his contemplation.
Once Luo Li had recovered, it would be time to launch an all-out assault on the Blazing Sun Sect.
Yang Kai wanted to destroy the Blazing Sun Sect partly because of the Qiantian Thunder Flame. Every powerful figure he had encountered from the sect had cultivated the secret art of Qiantian Thunder Flame, and that flame held immense potential for enhancing the artifact spirit Fire Bird.
The other reason, naturally, was that they had provoked someone they should never have provoked.
Yang Kai himself had also clashed with this sect on several occasions and harbored grudges against them. His impression of them was exceedingly poor.
A day later, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and nodded with satisfaction.
Improvement in the Dao of Alchemy really did come best through practice. A single round of refining a Void King-grade pill had accumulated a wealth of experience. If he had enough materials to practice regularly, Yang Kai felt his alchemy skills would advance by leaps and bounds.
A gaze fell upon him from the side, and Yang Kai turned to see Qing Ya looking as though she had something to say but was holding back.
"Sister Qing Ya, just speak your mind," Yang Kai said with a gentle smile. "Are you going to ask me to refine a spirit pill for you as well?"
"No, no, no." Qing Ya waved her hands hurriedly. She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "It's about Qian Hao."