Although Lingxiao Palace's meteoric rise had led to the destruction of even the Wenqing Sect, forcing the Mist Heaven Sect and the Dragon Palace to band together in a temporary alliance, no one was without private agendas. Mi Qi certainly didn't want Li Jiao to grow too powerful.
He silently prayed that Ji Ying would fail in his attempt to refine the Dragon Blood Pills.
But he knew the odds were slim. Ji Ying was an Imperial Alchemist whose mastery of pill refinement was second to none. If he said he could produce three pills, it wasn't empty boasting — he truly had that level of confidence.
Li Jiao threw his head back and laughed, the very picture of smug satisfaction.
Just then, another strange sound rang out, startling all three. Their gazes snapped to the Dragon Blood Flower in unison.
The flower, which had been a tightly closed bud moments ago, now cracked open slightly, refracting a deep crimson glow that dazzled the eyes.
All three Emperor Realm cultivators held their breath, their attention fixed without so much as a blink.
The red light grew brighter, the blossom opening wider and wider, as though some nascent life were gestating within, struggling to break free from the petals. Faint dragon qi began to radiate outward.
Thump-thump, thump-thump…
Li Jiao's heartbeat was clearly audible. This matter concerned the advancement of his cultivation and strength, so naturally he was far more on edge than the other two.
Suddenly, the life forming within the flower seemed to encounter some obstacle. The glow dimmed abruptly, and the half-open bud contracted once more.
A sense of withering enveloped the entire Dragon Blood Flower.
Li Jiao's expression changed drastically. "What—"
Ji Ying barked urgently, "Palace Master Li, quickly feed it with your essence blood! Hesitate any longer and it'll be too late!"
The Dragon Blood Flower fed only on dragon clan essence blood. The only one who could save this extraordinary flower now was Li Jiao himself.
Hearing Ji Ying's words, Li Jiao didn't hesitate. He flicked a finger to open a wound at the tip, channeled a secret art, and a single drop of rich essence blood appeared on his fingertip.
"Go!" he shouted. The drop of essence blood traced an arc through the air toward the blossom, landing squarely in its center.
Nourished by the essence blood, the Dragon Blood Flower indeed surged back to life. The bud opened at a pace far faster than before, and a wondrous fragrance spread in all directions.
Li Jiao, however, looked slightly pale after extracting that single drop of essence blood, appearing as though his Yuan Qi had taken a serious hit. That one drop had cost him at least ten years of painstaking cultivation. But when he thought of the Dragon Blood Pill's miraculous effects, he decided it was all worth it.
A resonant dragon roar suddenly erupted. The Dragon Blood Flower burst open in an instant, and from within it shot a beam of red light that streaked toward the heavens like a living thing.
Ji Ying had been prepared. His hand darted out with practiced speed, and the red light froze midair, still struggling frantically.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao stared, their faces filled with astonishment.
They could see that the red light had taken the shape of a dragon — like a miniature version of an enormous dragon…
"Is this the Dragon Blood Flower?" Li Jiao and Mi Qi exchanged a look, both finding it hard to believe. The Dragon Blood Flower bore no resemblance to an ordinary flower at all. It looked more like a dragon's spiritual soul. Could this truly be the Dragon Blood Flower?
Ji Ying excitedly produced a sandalwood-scented wooden box, placed the Dragon Blood Flower inside, and affixed sealing restrictions before letting out a sigh of relief. "Thankfully its grade isn't too high — otherwise I truly wouldn't have been able to suppress it!"
The Dragon Blood Flower could only be found on Dragon Island, and only the dragon clan could subdue it.
"The spirit flower has bloomed. I'll leave the pill refinement to Master Ji," Li Jiao said, suppressing the excitement in his heart with a respectful bow.
"Mm, leave everything to me. I'll just need Palace Master Li to prepare a quiet place for me," Ji Ying nodded.
"Of course, of course!" Li Jiao was overjoyed. He had assumed Ji Ying intended to take the Dragon Blood Flower back to the Pill Valley to refine it, but judging by his words, the old alchemist meant to start refining immediately. How could he not be thrilled?
Mi Qi forced a smile. "Brother Li, go make the arrangements. Master Ji has me for company."
Li Jiao nodded. "Good. Please wait for a moment, both of you!"
With that, he turned and strode away.
Just then, Ji Ying suddenly pulled a communication compass from inside his robes. After sensing it for a moment, the joyful expression on his face twisted into fury, and he growled, "How dare they!"
Li Jiao startled and spun around. "What happened?"
He worried he had somehow offended Ji Ying without realizing it.
Mi Qi also asked curiously, "Master Ji, what's wrong?"
Ji Ying's face was dark as a storm cloud. "Li Xuan has been beaten!"
"Li Xuan…" Mi Qi and Li Jiao murmured the name, then quickly recalled — wasn't that Ji Ying's disciple? The boy was young, but both his cultivation talent and alchemy aptitude were exceptional. Ji Ying had taken him under his wing, and he had come along to the Dragon Palace recently, only to be dispatched to gather spirit herbs.
"Ice Heart Valley? Or is it that Lingxiao Palace?" Mi Qi's heart pounded wildly as he asked, unable to contain his excitement.
If someone from Lingxiao Palace had struck Li Xuan, things were about to get very interesting. He and Li Jiao had been racking their brains for some way to curb Lingxiao Palace's arrogance — to take them down a notch. Before they'd even come up with a plan, were the other side practically walking right into their hands?