Dragon Blood Flowers came in different grades: low, middle, high, and the supreme grade, the Supreme Dragon Blood Flower. Even on Dragon Island, a Supreme Dragon Blood Flower was a rare find, something not merely dependent on the herb's age to cultivate, as a touch of natural fortune also played a part.
Among Fu Ling's three Dragon Blood Flowers, two were low-grade, and one was middle-grade.
By this classification, the Dragon Blood Flower Li Jiao had possessed all those years ago was probably only considered miscellaneous, not even qualifying as low-grade.
That particular Dragon Blood Flower had been refined by Ji Ying into Dragon Blood Pills. After consuming them and practicing the Dragon Transformation Art, Yang Kai had developed a half-dragon body, reaping considerable benefits.
Now, with three higher-grade Dragon Blood Flowers, Yang Kai naturally wouldn't waste them. He intended to refine them into Dragon Blood Pills to stimulate his Golden Holy Dragon source power and achieve better fusion with it.
To contend with the Dragon Clan, the best method was to leverage bloodline suppression. Otherwise, relying on strength alone gave Yang Kai no chance of victory.
He had never refined Dragon Blood Pills before, but his numerous discussions with Ji Ying had made him extremely familiar with the process, and he knew the pill recipe inside out.
His attainment in the Dao of Alchemy was profound, so he figured there shouldn't be any major issues.
With all preparations complete, Yang Kai began forming hand seals. The Purple Void Cauldron instantly erupted with raging flames.
Herbs were added...
Spiritual arrays were inscribed...
The heat was controlled...
The medicinal essence from each herb was extracted and refined. A faint fragrance gradually wafted from within the Purple Void Cauldron, refreshing the mind and spirit upon inhalation.
With the increase in his strength, his mastery in the Dao of Alchemy had also become more effortless. Although he hadn't practiced for a long time, his movements were smooth and fluid, without the slightest hesitation. The Grand Dao Pill Sound he had encountered on Water Moon Star had bestowed upon him the alchemical arts, so once he entered the zone, refining pills was almost an instinctive response.
When Yang Kai cast the first low-grade Dragon Blood Flower into the furnace, the pill fragrance grew significantly richer.
Yang Kai's movements were meticulous, his expression solemn, as if he were not refining pills, but performing the most solemn rite in the world.
Half a day later, Yang Kai executed the Nine Heavens Mystic Pill Technique.
This pill-gathering seal was also bestowed by the Grand Dao Pill Sound, forming a unique system that nonetheless resonated with the Heavenly Dao's laws, remarkably profound.
Countless afterimages flashed. From within the furnace came a series of crisp, clinking sounds, melodious to the extreme.
The furnace fire extinguished. Yang Kai's expression remained as calm as an ancient, undisturbed well.
As he lifted the furnace lid, he simultaneously slapped a palm forward. Two blood-red spirit pills shot out from the furnace, and Yang Kai, having anticipated this, collected them directly into a jade bottle.
Upon closer inspection, Yang Kai revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.
Although the Dragon Blood Pills had been successfully refined, their quality seemed mediocre, only marginally better than what Ji Ying had produced back then.
The Dragon Blood Flowers he used today were far superior to Ji Ying's, yet the pill quality fell short of expectations. In that light, this first attempt was actually inferior to Ji Ying's work.
The quantity was also less than ideal—only two pills, to say nothing of pill patterns or pill clouds, which were entirely absent.
Had this been any other Emperor Alchemist, they might have already been beside themselves with pride.
An Emperor Alchemist could refine Emperor-grade pills, but even they couldn't guarantee a hundred percent success rate, let alone for something like the Dragon Blood Pill. Among all Emperor Pills, the Dragon Blood Pill ranked among the most difficult to refine.
The reason was simple: the primary ingredient was the Dragon Blood Flower, and aside from Ji Ying, no other Emperor Alchemist had ever been fortunate enough to attempt its refinement.
This was Yang Kai's very first attempt at refining the Dragon Blood Flower, and he had already produced two pills. Such a result would be considered exceptional performance for any Emperor Alchemist and was naturally cause for celebration.
Yet Yang Kai couldn't rejoice. These Dragon Blood Pills were crucial to the major event a month away; he naturally desired the highest possible quality and the greatest quantity.
Collecting his thoughts, Yang Kai didn't immediately start another batch. Instead, he took out some spirit pills to consume, restoring his own strength.
An hour later, Yang Kai began refining again.
This time, he used another low-grade Dragon Blood Flower.
Another half-day passed. Amidst a series of clinks and clatters, Yang Kai's eyebrows rose, and he slapped a palm toward the furnace.
Though he hadn't checked, the sound alone told him that more than two pills had been formed.
Sure enough, four blood-red spirit pills shot from the furnace, once again collected into his jade bottle.
The Dragon Blood Pills from this second refinement were indeed better, fuller in both quality and luster compared to the first batch, and their medicinal efficacy should also be notably stronger.
Alchemy was truly a skill where practice made perfect.
This time, he didn't rest but directly began refining the third batch of Dragon Blood Pills.
It took another half-day. The third batch of Dragon Blood Pills was successfully completed.
The quantity remained unchanged—still four pills—but the quality had risen another level, and the improvement was quite obvious.
This was partly due to Yang Kai's increased familiarity, but more importantly, it was the contribution of that single, unique middle-grade Dragon Blood Flower. In alchemy, while the alchemist's skill was vital, the materials were a key factor in determining the final pill quality. Given the same alchemist, superior materials naturally yielded higher-quality pills.
Across the three batches, a total of ten pills were successfully refined.
This result was undeniably impressive. Any other Emperor Alchemist would likely hesitate to guarantee such an outcome; even Ji Ying probably couldn't match it. Perhaps only the Grandmaster Alchemist Emperor could guarantee a hundred percent success rate.