Nie Qingfeng did not linger long, offering only a few casual words before taking his leave, though he did press two "Spirit Gathering Pills" into Nie Kong’s hand before departing.

Reaching the courtyard gate, Nie Qingfeng paused as if struck by a sudden thought, teasing Nie Kong, who had come to see him off: “By the way, Nie Kong, judging by your look, have you made further progress in your cultivation?”

“Indeed, I’ve reached the sixth rank of Spirit Gathering,” Nie Kong replied with a smile.

“What? You broke through another rank?”

Nie Qingfeng’s eyes widened like two huge bells, staring at Nie Kong in utter disbelief.

He had only asked in passing, never imagining that in the span of a single day, Nie Kong would truly break through to the sixth rank of Spirit Gathering. Even Nie Fenglei, the clan leader’s eldest son widely hailed as “the most outstanding genius in Nie family history,” had never achieved such miraculous cultivation speed during his own Spirit Gathering realm.

The last time, he advanced two ranks in one day; this time, one rank in one day. At such a breathtaking pace, Nie Qingfeng simply couldn't find the words to describe Nie Kong. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, who would ever believe that the person setting such a cultivation record had been a sickly invalid barely clinging to life just days prior?

After a long silence, Nie Qingfeng could only sigh with a wry smile: “I truly don’t know how you cultivate, you monster! Is the potential of a Wood-elemental Spirit Master truly this astonishing?”

Nie Kong chuckled inwardly. The truth behind it was actually quite simple, but achieving precisely this kind of effect was what he aimed for right now. Thus, he only offered a humble smile in response.

Nie Qingfeng, being a straightforward person, quickly composed himself. He clapped Nie Kong heartily on the shoulder and laughed aloud: “Keep up the hard work, kid. I want to see if you can continue to create miracles and surpass that Nie Fenglei, bringing some honor to us collateral members of the Nie family.”

He paused, then added a serious warning: “Also, you need to be more careful from now on. Nie Fengxing suffered a hidden injury; he is likely planning retaliation against you.”

“Thank you, Clan Uncle. I will be mindful.”

“…”

Watching Nie Qingfeng’s retreating figure, a wave of warmth washed over Nie Kong.

This visit, Nie Qingfeng had specifically come to deliver the “Spirit Gathering Pills.” Over the past decade, Nie Kong had sampled almost every kind of first-grade spiritual medicine. The Spirit Gathering Pill was decent among its peers, though it offered no effect on Nie Kong at his current level. Yet, Nie Qingfeng's gesture of goodwill was deeply appreciated. After all, Nie Kong’s father and Nie Qingfeng were not particularly close, making the fact that Nie Qingfeng delivered the medicine solely based on a single sentence spoken outside the Spirit Medicine Hall all the more precious.

Moreover, Nie Qingfeng had inadvertently helped him out of a tight spot this time.

If Nie Qingfeng hadn't arrived at that opportune moment, he and Wu Tong and the others might have ended up trading blows. Although Nie Kong wasn't afraid and could, at a critical juncture, use his golden needles to stimulate hidden acupoints, instantly dissolving the spiritual power in multiple meridians to achieve a sudden, massive surge in cultivation, such a method inflicted tremendous damage on the body. It was best avoided if possible.

“Uncle.”

Hua Mei walked up to Nie Kong, calling out softly.

Nie Kong turned slightly and smiled: “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about the ‘Rejuvenation Dew’ for a while. However, it’s best if you don't leave the house for this next period. If you need anything, ask the neighbor next door to fetch it for you. In a while, you won’t have these concerns anymore.”

“Mm.”

Hua Mei nodded firmly…

...

Soon, sounds of clanking echoed from the kitchen as Hua Mei busied herself, and Nie Kong retreated to his own bedroom. Calculating the time, it had been over twelve hours since he refined medicine last night.

“Xiangxiang, are you ready?”

Nie Kong leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly closed. Last night, Nie Kong had attempted to refine the “Rejuvenation Dew” twice. The first attempt ended in failure; only the second attempt managed to produce the successful batch, the bottle he returned to Nie Fengxing this morning.

Nie Kong was quite dissatisfied with that previous bottle. During the refining process, he felt his coordination with Xiangxiang was still lacking in synergy, and the resulting Rejuvenation Dew had failed to fully integrate the medicinal properties of ingredients like the Silken Glass Root and White Star Powder.

Since the remaining ingredients were sufficient for one more attempt, Nie Kong naturally didn't want to waste them.

“Aiya ya.”

Hearing the little one’s sweet, childish cry, Nie Kong inhaled sharply and commanded mentally: “Medicine Cauldron Phantasm Form!” The Purple Luo Spirit Incense instantly transformed into a small, exquisite, miniature medicine cauldron.

Armed with the experience from the previous three attempts, Nie Kong was neither rushed nor impatient this time. The Silken Glass Root, White Star Powder, Spirit Dream Grass, and Dragon Bud Algae were ingested in succession. Finally, when consuming the Ice Disk Water, Nie Kong was extremely cautious; the water poured from the gourd’s mouth was enveloped by spiritual power before it even made contact with his lips.

The medicinal properties were drawn out thread by thread and guided into the cauldron...

...

Several minutes later.

Nie Kong circulated the Five Star Transference Art. His three spiritual apertures trembled faintly as strands of spiritual power were injected into the cauldron body.

“Buzz.”

The medicine cauldron spun lightly.

Nie Kong cleared his mind, focusing all his spirit entirely on the cauldron. After a moment, the frequency of the tremors in the spiritual apertures became irregular, yet it seemed to hold a wondrous rhythm. The spiritual power transmitted into the cauldron fluctuated—sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes fast, sometimes slow—unpredictable and ever-changing.

For Nie Kong, controlling spiritual power was akin to controlling the fire when decocting medicine; only with precise heat control could the resulting brew reach its optimal effect. Using the “Medicine Cauldron Phantasm Form” demanded even higher precision for spirit power control. The input spiritual energy could neither remain static nor change randomly, or failure would inevitably follow. This was the lesson Nie Kong had learned from his refining trials last night.

As the spiritual energy shifted, the medicine cauldron seemed like a nimble little sprite, dancing above the three spiritual apertures. The rhythm of its spin grew increasingly synchronized with the tremors of the acupoints.

Gradually, the pale purple patterns on the cauldron body became clearer and clearer, eventually merging to form the shape of the Purple Luo Spirit Incense. As it spun, it radiated a rich purple radiance, interplaying beautifully with the surrounding emerald green.

Nie Kong and the medicine cauldron seemed to enter a mysterious, shared state of awareness. In that instant, he could distinctly perceive the ongoing process of the various medicinal essences fusing together.

“Ding!”

With a crisp chime, the cauldron’s spinning slowed, and the purple radiance gradually receded, returning to the pale purple markings embedded on the surface as before.

Nie Kong awoke from that trance, his mind filled with profound aftertastes. The perfect synchronization with Xiangxiang had produced such a miraculous result.

This was true alchemy!

Nie Kong was eager to see the outcome of this refinement. As soon as the cauldron stilled, he retrieved the small jade vial he had prepared earlier from the table.

With a mere thought, a milky-white essence flew out of the medicine cauldron, tightly wrapped by spiritual power, and flowed like silk and thread toward his right index finger.

As his Twelve Primary Meridians were not yet fully cleared, Nie Kong spent nearly two minutes guiding the mass of essence to his right index finger. Urged by his spiritual power, the energy dripped bit by bit from his fingertip into the vial.

Soon, the thumb-sized jade vial was filled.

He lowered his head for a light sniff, and an intoxicating fragrance washed over him. Nie Kong felt his mind clear and spirit refreshed. The latent spiritual energy emanating from the vial was nearly twice as dense as the Rejuvenation Dew refined last night. This bottle of Rejuvenation Dew would absolutely fetch a high price if sold.

“Good!”

Nie Kong smiled with satisfaction.

Rejuvenation Dew could boost a Spirit Gatherer’s cultivation by one rank, but unfortunately, it was ineffective for Nie Kong, having already consumed it twice. Otherwise, he would truly have liked to sample his own creation. As it stood, this bottle of Rejuvenation Dew could only be sold.

Nie Kong’s mind worked rapidly. He had two options: selling the Rejuvenation Dew to the Nie family’s Alchemy Hall.

He dismissed this option almost immediately after considering it. He still couldn't summon the medicine cauldron externally. If the Alchemy Hall staff presented him with one and asked him to perform the refinement in public, his secret would be instantly exposed. Claiming he acquired it from someone else would necessitate fabricating more lies to cover the truth, again creating openings for exposure. Therefore, until he could summon the cauldron outside his body, the news that he could successfully refine Rejuvenation Dew must not leak out.

If he couldn't sell it to the Nie family, his only temporary recourse was the city’s apothecaries. Nie Kong searched his memory for information on the apothecaries in Jiyang City.

“Spirit Treasure Pavilion?”

This apothecary was extremely famous in Jiyang City, specializing in all manner of herbs and finished spiritual medicines, boasting impeccable credibility. Even major noble families like the Nie family frequently patronized it for spiritual ingredients. Rumor had it that its branches spanned every major and medium-sized city in the Great Cheng Empire, and it even had numerous shops in other nations.

“Hmm, I should wait until my meridians are completely cleared. Then, I’ll need to devise a secure method to avoid attracting undue attention.”

Having made up his mind, Nie Kong quickly calmed himself and stored the newly refined “Rejuvenation Dew” into his pet inventory. To him, this bottle was simply a pile of gleaming gold coins. As for whether he refined it inside his own body, Nie Kong paid it no mind; it wasn't for him to consume anyway.