C22 Yang Fire Pill

"Damn it!"

The Qiao family expert at Qi Gathering Level Two watched in horror as Jiaang Lin, controlling the Red Flame Lion, annihilated many of their top fighters in a single breath, with even Zhen Yu meeting a gruesome end. Unable to contain his dismay, he cursed aloud.

At that moment, only a handful of Qiao family members remained, their cultivation levels ranging from Qi Gathering Level One to the Peak Stage.

"We must leave this place at once!"

After a tense pause, the Qiao family expert commanded the survivors to retreat from the area and avoid further confrontation with Jiaang Lin.

"Leave? It won't be that easy."

Jiaang Lin, perched atop the Red Flame Lion, wore an expression of icy detachment.

With another roar from the Red Flame Lion, it lunged at a Qi Gathering Level One Qiao family expert.

With a swipe of its claws—

*Hiss!*

The expert was instantly cleaved in two by the Red Flame Lion's claw, blood spraying wildly as he fell dead.

Having dispatched one expert with a single claw strike, the Red Flame Lion leapt towards the remaining Qiao family experts who were desperately trying to escape.

Screams echoed across the cliffs as one Qiao family expert after another fell victim to the Red Flame Lion's lethal claws and fangs, each death more gruesome than the last.

Before long, only the Qi Gathering Level Two Qiao family expert remained.

"Monstrous beast!"

Faced with the total annihilation of his comrades by the Red Flame Lion, the middle-aged man shouted an insult and resolved to stand his ground.

He spun around and charged at the Red Flame Lion, drawing a long blade from his waist and channeling his Genuine Qi into it, causing the blade to emit a fearsome light.

"Slash!"

He roared with rage as he swung his blade down hard at the Red Flame Lion.

A blade aura, stretching over a dozen meters, flashed through the air, exuding a devastating force capable of obliterating anything in its path, emanating a fearsome energy.

Such was the might of a Qi Gathering Stage cultivator—releasing their Genuine Qi to form a blade aura, capable of striking down foes from a distance.

*Roar!*

Confronted with the fierce and imposing blade aura slicing through the air, the Red Flame Lion unleashed a thunderous roar that echoed across the valley.

It swiped its mighty claws, striking the massive blade aura with a heavy blow.

*Crack!*

The sound of shattering filled the air as the Red Flame Lion's claw effortlessly obliterated the Qiao family expert's blade aura, turning it into countless light spots that faded into the ether.

The Red Flame Lion's prowess rivaled that of a Qi Gathering Level Three cultivator. Naturally, its devastating claw was far beyond the defensive capabilities of a mere Qi Gathering Level Two expert.

*Puff!*

The blade aura in pieces, the Qiao family expert stumbled backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with astonishment.

He silently acknowledged the Red Flame Lion's fearsome power.

"You had your chance to face me together, but now it's too late for regrets!"

Perched atop the Red Flame Lion, Jiaang Lin fixed his icy gaze on the wounded Qiao family expert, a taunting smirk on his face.

Hearing this, the Qiao family expert's expression soured.

Initially, he had been confident that he alone could claim Jiaang Lin's life, without the need for assistance from his kin.

But now, he found himself outmatched by Jiaang Lin, his prior arrogance leading to the decimation of the Qiao family experts and his own perilous predicament.

The Qiao family expert was consumed by frustration and despair.

Yet, amidst his vexation, he was also deeply perplexed, unable to fathom why the Red Flame Lion would heed Jiaang Lin's commands.

How bizarre!

It was utterly inexplicable!

But no matter his confusion, the truth of the matter remained elusive.

"You little wretch, today I swear I will end you!"

Eventually regaining his composure, the Qiao family expert glared at Jiaang Lin, who still sat on the Red Flame Lion, and spewed venomous curses.

He propelled himself off the ground with a flick of his toes, brandishing his saber as he lunged straight for Jiaang Lin.

"Humph!"

Jiaang Lin let out a cold, dismissive snort, utterly unfazed.

With a mere thought, the Red Flame Lion beneath him suddenly opened its wide maw, spewing forth a torrent of scorching, berserk, blood-colored flames that surged toward the Qiao family expert.

Confronted with the wild onslaught of Blood Flame from the Red Flame Lion, the Qiao family expert's face contorted in alarm.

Suspended in midair and already wounded, he found it impossible to dodge in time.

The Blood Flame seared through the void, swiftly engulfing the Qiao family expert.

A ghastly scream pierced the air as the expert, who had reached Qi Gathering Level Two, was instantaneously reduced to ashes, dissipating without a trace.

"Good job, little lion!"

Having directed the Red Flame Lion to annihilate all the Qiao family experts, Jiaang Lin affectionately patted its head and smiled.

He then executed the Flashing Shadow Step, swiftly withdrawing from the gorge.

The Blood Eye Battle Soul was not potent enough.

Had he lingered, the Red Flame Lion would soon have regained consciousness. In such a case, Jiaang Lin might have met a fate as dire as that of the Qiao family experts.

He would either have been slain by the Red Flame Lion's lethal claws or incinerated by its Blood Flame.

Jiaang Lin made his escape, and the Red Flame Lion came to its senses.

Upon realizing the Fire Lotus Grass had vanished from the valley, it roared in fury, its bellows causing the canyon to tremble and stones to tumble chaotically.

Had it known that Jiaang Lin was the thief of the Fire Lotus Grass and the same person who had manipulated it to slay the Qiao family expert, it would have undoubtedly lost its mind, pursuing Jiaang Lin, that despicable scoundrel, to the ends of the earth!

"Indeed, given my current level of cultivation, my Soul Power is too weak to wield the Blood Eye Battle Soul and control a Spirit Beast of Level Three like the Red Flame Lion," Jiaang Lin reflected.

Fleeing from the Extreme Flame Land, he sought refuge in a secluded cave, his forehead slick with sweat, his spirit utterly drained.

Soul Power, also referred to as psychic force, is vital.

The might of a cultivator's Battle Soul is intrinsically linked to the robustness of their Soul Power.

The stronger the Soul Power, the more potent the Battle Soul becomes.

Currently, Jiaang Lin's cultivation is only at the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage, meaning his Soul Power is not yet formidable.

Consequently, wielding control over the Red Flame Lion, whose cultivation far surpasses his by five realms, significantly drains his Soul Power.

This very drain is why Jiaang Lin swiftly commanded the Red Flame Lion to defeat the Qiao family expert, opting for a quick and decisive battle.

Seated cross-legged, Jiaang Lin quietly practiced the Heaven Earth Creation Spell, drawing upon the Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy to replenish his depleted Genuine Qi and Soul Power.

As time trickled by like grains of sand, the day gradually transitioned to evening.

It wasn't until sunset that Jiaang Lin emerged from his meditative state.

"Body Refining Level Eight!"

His eyes snapped open, gleaming with a sharp brilliance.

Jiaang Lin sensed the qi vortex within his dantian had smoothly transitioned to the eighth cycle, significantly bolstering his strength.

Likewise, with the ascent of his cultivation level, his Soul Power had also markedly increased.

"Now is the time to return. I must refine the Yang Fire Pill for Duoge as soon as possible to help him dispel the black aura within his body," he murmured to himself at the mouth of the cave, observing the twilight sky.

With agility akin to a swift cheetah, his figure dashed through the night, heading for the exit of Celestial Peak Valley.

Deep into the night, Jiaang Lin finally departed Celestial Peak Valley and made his way back to the Jiaang family home.

Once in his quarters, he retrieved the Pill Refining Furnace and the array of spiritual herbs required for the Yang Fire Pill.

Igniting the Pill Refining Furnace with the Flame Battle Soul and employing the Concentration Technique, Jiaang Lin commenced the refinement process.

He began by incinerating the Fire Lotus Grass and other spiritual herbs to distill their medicinal essences.

Subsequently, he meticulously combined these essences, fusing them together.

Now at the Body Refining Level Eight, Jiaang Lin found the Concentration Technique even more intuitive to use.

His formidable psychic force allowed him to thoroughly discern the properties of the Fire Lotus Grass and the other herbs, skillfully condensing them into the final pill form.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Jiaang Lin finally opened the Pill Refining Furnace and, with a gesture, gathered the newly formed Yang Fire Pills into his hand.

"Five Yang Fire Pills, that's enough!"

He examined the five spherical pills in his palm, which radiated warmth and a pleasant aroma, and a slight smile played at the corner of his mouth.

Without delay, he set out into the night, making his way to the Dao Artifact Hall to find Shaang Duoge and deliver the Yang Fire Pills.

Eager to dispel the dark aura within Shaang Duoge's body, Jiaang Lin was also keen to address a personal concern of his own.

He could no longer bear to watch his brother endure humiliation and ridicule, to be seen as worthless by others.

He was determined to help Shaang Duoge break free from his past fate and reclaim his genius stature!